Chapter 120: Temporary
Huang Mingzhu looked at her dad eagerly, impatient to know what this sentence meant.
The Huang family and Xu family had been neighbors for many years, and starting from Grandfather’s generation, the two families had close relations.
Her dad and Xu Chang’s father were even more like-minded, almost brothers sworn by blood, and they had made an agreement before either had married.
In the future, their sons would become sworn brothers, a boy and a girl would be betrothed as babies, and the two families would become one.
In the end, as expected, Older Brother and Xu family’s Older Brother became sworn brothers, and she and Xu Chang also fell deeply in love as both families had hoped.
It should have been a happy ending for everyone, but the two families’ joyous event changed completely three years ago.
Due to the great natural disaster, every household ran out of grain. In the countryside, they could dig tree roots and pick leaves to fill their stomachs, but in the city, there was no way at all.
Huang Daneng and Huang Zongbao, father and son, had no choice but to take risks for their family, going to the black market time and again to try their luck.
Thinking heaven would not abandon them, they luckily exchanged for ten jin of broken rice, but unexpectedly stepped right into Yan Bin’s trap.
Was it her own happiness or the two men’s lives? For Huang Mingzhu, there was no room for her to choose.
Yan Bin went further to force her to give up completely; after the two quickly set a wedding date, he schemed to force Xu Chang to marry someone else.
From then on, the two who had loved each other and vowed lifelong commitment had no possibility left.
Recalling up to this point, Huang Mingzhu couldn’t help but shed tears profusely. She had thought Xu Chang had really left Gu City, but now she knew things weren’t as she had thought.
“Dad!”
“Yeah.”
Huang Daneng responded somewhat annoyed, and only upon meeting his wife’s and eldest son’s disapproving gazes did he realize he had said the wrong thing in the heat of the moment.
This mouth of his, how did it just blurt out? The promise to Little Chang…
Wait, no?
He thought again: Damn that Yan Bin is in prison now, and anyway the youngest daughter is coming home for a divorce, so what is there to fear!
……
Covering her face in tears, she ran straight out the door. Tang Tian, who had been heading to Grandpa and Granny’s house, suddenly slowed and stopped, wiped her face hard, then turned and walked in the opposite direction.
Qin Jianjun, to make her happy and also to speed up turning raw rice into cooked rice and successfully getting her pregnant, gritted his teeth and gave up the factory’s single dormitory, renting a small courtyard not far outside the factory.
Since it was for Tang Tian, the courtyard was chosen to her liking: independent with its own kitchen and toilet, and the price was very attractive.
Rent plus other monthly living expenses took almost half his salary, not even counting the frequent meals he treated Tang Tian to or the small gifts he occasionally bought to cheer her up.
With a salary of just twenty or thirty yuan a month, it was far from enough. The more he invested in her, the more determined Qin Jianjun became to have her.
Even if it meant tightening his belt, for the sake of his whole family who could help him rise to the top in one step, he had to win her over.
But the news he had just heard was not only unbelievable to Tang Tian, even he felt like a bolt from the blue.
If there was no Yan family, no Yan Bin as a powerful backer behind her, what was Tang Tian?
After investing so much, for it all to go down the drain—how could he accept that!
With a fire of frustration burning in his chest that wouldn’t subside, this person came right to his door.
Qin Jianjun looked at the tear-streaked person at the door, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes. He roughly grabbed her hand and dragged her inside, not giving her a chance to speak.
What drama unfolded at Old Huang’s house, and how Huang Mingzhu resolved to give Yan Bin the final blow;
What quarrel erupted between Qin Jianjun and Tang Tian in the rented house, leading to a goblin fight in various positions—others naturally had no way of knowing.
……
Su Ning, who had refused Qiao Yuan and returned to the office to rest, coincidentally ran into Director Liang, who seemed to have come back.
“Su Ning, come with me for a bit.”
Liang Shengnan still held documents she hadn’t put down, and hurried back to her own office with her.
After briefly explaining the temporary task assigned from above and handing her the task list, she then hurried off reassured to the Chief Engineer’s Office for a meeting.
Glancing at the task list in her hand and seeing that the production brigade she needed to coordinate with wasn’t far, Su Ning decided to go quickly and return quickly.
She tidied the miscellaneous items on the table, put the list into her shoulder bag and slung it on, then swiftly headed to the bus station.
In less than an hour, she had arrived at Duyan Commune.
Duyan Commune was located between Qingfeng Gorge and upstream on the Lishui River, where Gu City’s two largest reservoirs were built.
Due to the geographical environment, there wasn’t much farmland here, so the various production brigades under its jurisdiction could only rely on various aquaculture.
Autumn was when crabs were fat and fish tender. After more than a month of heavy rain, to avoid the risk of reservoir breach, they were preparing for the second flood release.
It was also the second autumn aquatic product salvage organized by each production brigade.
So as soon as she arrived, Su Ning immediately noticed that no matter where she went, the villagers were full of joy, revealing anticipation for another bountiful harvest.
Better late than never—when she arrived, the reservoir water had been released more than halfway, and each production brigade was assembling in their assigned waters.
Not just young laborers—almost every household from each brigade had turned out in full force.
The strong and able-bodied went to assemble to cast nets and salvage, while the old and young excitedly chatted and lined up in a long queue at a designated spot.
The salvaged items, besides those transported to cooperating units, would be distributed to each household in the brigade.
Of course, besides exchanging for work points, each household could also buy more with money for favors or to cure and save for festivals.
So Duyan Commune’s annual fishing day was as lively as a major festival.
“Every time I have to say it several times: old people, kids, women who can’t swim, all retreat together, farther back, don’t rush forward—hey, you there!”
Seeing this large-scale salvage activity for the first time, Su Ning was excitedly watching when she was suddenly yelled at loudly, inevitably stunned and slow to react.
“Which brigade’s girl are you? Why not follow orders? I told you to retreat, retreat—and you’re still trying to push forward!”
Once she understood his words and that he was lecturing her, the sensible Su Ning wasn’t annoyed and politely thanked him for his kindness, then retreated to the so-called safety zone on her own.
“Uncle, is this the First Brigade? Where is the Brigade Leader?”
He looked her over carefully and saw she truly didn’t recognize him.
She looked unfamiliar, dressed like the educated youth who had just come to the countryside in the brigade. Suddenly thinking of something, Qin Fen pointed to himself. “That’s me. Which factory’s young comrade?”
“From the Municipal Textile Factory. Hello, Brigade Leader Qin. I’m Su Ning, here to handle this task coordination.”
“So it’s Cadre Su. Hello, hello.”
Having received prior notice, Qin Fen showed an ‘as expected’ expression, changed from his stern face to a smiling one, and led her to the nearest salvage point.
Though puzzled why Qin Jianjun, who usually handled this and had gone from their brigade to a big factory, didn’t come this time, Qin Fen didn’t ask rashly or suspect anything.
After all, the task list stamped in red couldn’t be faked, and besides, as long as the price stayed the same, who came was all the same.
He, Qin Jianjun, wouldn’t help pull strings to promote; he was more likely to squeeze down to the limit.
So Qin Fen really didn’t mind.
Having run tasks for nearly two or three months, visiting nearby communes big and small, Su Ning deeply understood the hardships of grassroots folks, especially the villagers.
Unlike old hands like Qin Jianjun and Hu Yong, who always undercut prices on tasks for better performance.
Not by much, but always a bit higher than their mental price, just right at the factory’s midpoint.
It made her performance unremarkable, but the factory didn’t lose, the villagers were happy—for her, that was a win-win.
This time was no exception; after chatting a few words with Brigade Leader Qin, they turned to this task.
“Wait, Xiao Su Cadre, what did you just say the fish price is per jin this time?”
Qin Fen waved his hand and interrupted her, too shocked, his pupils dilating and expression somewhat dazed.
“Two mao per jin.”
“Sure it’s two mao?”
Only after she nodded affirmatively did Qin Fen get excited, not knowing what to do, his hands rubbing back and forth as if to rub off a layer of skin.
“Thank you, thank you Cadre Su!”
Previously, Qin Jianjun’s highest price had been one mao six per jin.
Qin Fen didn’t know how much authority those in purchasing had, but since she dared say it, there was no reason it was just teasing him for fun.
