novelraw Chapter 42: Maybe my son will need to benefit from someone else's influence in the future!
Chapter 42: Maybe my son will need to benefit from someone else's influence in the future!
"Okay, just don't let your boss label me like that again. My family has been poor farmers for eight generations; we have nothing to do with capitalism or bureaucracy!"
"Fine! You're something else, I apologize! I'm sorry!" The woman finished her apology, still seething with anger, and before she could forget to pack the food she had ordered into a lunchbox, she grabbed her son and left. She slammed the door shut as she stormed off!
"Pah! 'Boss's wife' indeed! What kind of manners is that?" the waitress muttered to the woman's retreating figure.
"Sister Cheng, why are you paying attention to her? Don't use a money-grubbing woman to cause trouble for your brother," a police officer said.
"It's alright. He's an outsider, and he's incredibly unethical. He's offended so many people. He won't stay here long!" Sister Cheng said as she saw the police off and noticed that Tong Jiahui and her group had finished their meal but hadn't left yet.
"Young lady, I'm sorry you had to laugh at me earlier. I don't usually swear, haha!" the waitress explained, not wanting to ruin her image in front of them.
"Yes, we weren't even cursing anyone!" Tong Jiahui chimed in. She recalled the time she and her daughters beat up Fan Eryong; she was so angry she swore. If she hadn't been so furious, would a college student like her have resorted to swearing?
"Who's older between us? You look younger than me. These girls are all so lovely! My family is full of naughty boys, each one more disobedient than the last. Why can't I have a daughter?" Sister Cheng said regretfully.
"I'm thirty-eight years old by the year, and I'll be forty by the Chinese age reckoning after the New Year. How about you?" Tong Jiahui asked.
"I'm thirty-six years old, so I'll call you 'sister.' What's your last name?"
"My surname is Tong, Tong Jiahui. My husband sacrificed his life last year. We have two children who were supposed to go to the countryside after graduating from high school. I was worried about them, so I applied to go to the countryside with the older one and the younger one."
"You've really had a tough time. Things will be much better in a few years when your children are all married. My name is Cheng Damei. My ancestors came here as refugees from famine. My home is in Chengjiatun. Come find me if you need anything! You can come to the restaurant too!"
"Great! Everyone says Northeasterners are straightforward and generous, and judging from your personality, it's true. We rented a house in Chenjiatun, and the whole family lives together." Tong Jiahui also told her her home address.
Seeing that they were chatting happily, the children began to affectionately call Cheng Auntie, and Cheng Damei smiled broadly. From the conversation, it was learned that Cheng Damei's parents had passed away when she and her siblings were still minors. As the eldest sister, she didn't get married until she was twenty-four or twenty-five, and she only got married after raising her younger brothers to adulthood.
She has four younger brothers. Her eldest brother joined the army and is now a battalion-level officer in the Jinhai Military Region.
My second younger brother is a good student. He passed the county's recruitment exam and is now the factory manager of the county's glass factory.
The third younger brother is the brigade leader in Chengjiatun. The brigade is full of people who came from Northeast China. The family sticks together, they are capable and can fight, but they are not easy to manage. This third younger brother is probably a tough nut to crack.
Her fourth brother drives a truck for the county's transportation team. He's always busy and makes a lot of money. Every time he comes back, he brings her and her children food and supplies, treating her almost like his own mother.
Her husband was her younger brother's comrade-in-arms, two years younger than her. He fell for this tough yet kind-hearted woman and married her. Everyone said that Cheng Damei's late marriage was a great deal; he had a job and was also very caring. She was living a very happy life now!
After listening to Tong Jiahui talk about her family situation, she knew that they had been bullied and that's why they had to go to the countryside. She encouraged her to look forward and said that things would eventually get better.
Upon hearing this, Tong Yuheng realized that Aunt Cheng was a powerful patron! He had to thank her immediately! He took out many local specialties from Yan City from his backpack and said, "Aunt Cheng, I'm so sorry you almost caused us trouble by taking care of us earlier. These are specialties we brought from there; please have some with your brothers!"
Tong Yuheng heard that she had three sons, the eldest of whom was only ten years old, and the two younger ones were eight and five years old, not yet at the age where they were causing trouble.
"What are you doing? My fourth brother often goes over there, and he always gets a lot of snacks. I'm saving these for your sisters!"
"That's different. He's his, and I'm mine. I'm not trying to acknowledge you as my aunt. Don't tell me you were just kidding when you said you liked us," Tong Yuheng said.
"Haha, look how sweet your little mouth is! Aunt Cheng has accepted your things. I'll get you some steamed buns later, you can't refuse. It's hard to cook when we first arrive, so you have to take them." Then she whispered, winking at Tong Yuheng, "We insiders get a discount, and we don't need food coupons."
Because they still had to report to the county's educated youth office, they waited until the afternoon when it was time for them to start work before saying goodbye and leaving. Cheng Damei gave them thirty large meat buns, which used up her entire month's quota.
Chef Zhang came out of the kitchen and asked her curiously, "Da Meizi, you're rarely this generous. Why are you thinking of arranging a marriage for your son because that girl is pretty?"
"Old Zhang, what nonsense are you talking about! I just think this family is nice; the adults are refined, and the children are modest and polite. Why can't I admire a pretty girl?"
"Hehe, it's rare to find someone you like. This family is lucky," Xiao Wang said from the side.
Sister Cheng wasn't an official in the county and didn't have much power, but her network of connections was quite extensive. It was only because that G committee didn't cause trouble for her third brother that he wasn't hospitalized from the cold; otherwise, they might have dug a hole and buried him alive!
"That's not necessarily true. He looks like a cultured person. My son might even benefit from his influence in the future!" Cheng Damei has been raising her younger brothers in poverty since she was a teenager. She has seen all sorts of strange and monstrous things and has long since developed a keen eye for talent!
This family is bound to be successful in the future! How could she possibly suffer by associating with such a family? Tong Yuheng wants to latch onto the Cheng family's golden thigh, and Cheng Damei certainly wants to invest in them in advance as well.
Relationships between people are built through interaction. In the process of getting to know each other, energy and emotions are invested. Those who are worth it become close friends who support each other; those who are not worth it will gradually drift away and fade into ordinariness. That's all there is to it.
At 2 p.m., when they arrived at the educated youth office, Tong Jiahui quickly took out their letters of introduction and supporting documents. The staff on duty checked them and found that the locations had already been assigned. According to the locations on the registration book, they filled in the information on their household registration certificates and sent them to the household registration department of the Public Security Bureau to register their household registration.
To register their household registration, they had to go to the Public Security Bureau, so the whole family went there. Since they had already made arrangements, no one gave them any trouble. Besides, what team would want a family of women and children? If someone took them in, they would hurry up and register their household registration, lest the team below change their minds and make all sorts of demands!