RNP Chapter 1036 Gu Nan Disagrees
Chapter 1036 Gu Nan Disagrees
But Ran Qiuye, who was beside him, saw through his thoughts and gently tugged at his arm, saying softly, "Never mind, I'll go out. You stay here and watch over Shiwan, and while you're at it, stir the porridge on the stove so it doesn't burn." She knew that Gu Nan was straightforward and intolerant of any nonsense, and not good at dealing with these trivial family matters. She didn't want to risk a heated argument that would give people something to say, that they were putting on airs just because Gu Nan was the leader.
Although Gu Nan was reluctant, he knew that Ran Qiuye was right, so he nodded and then added with concern, "Okay, then I'll watch the child. If you don't see eye to eye and don't want to deal with it, just come in. Don't give her any face. Our family doesn't owe her anything."
Ran Qiuye smiled and nodded, reaching out to smooth the stray hairs on his forehead: "I know my limits, don't worry. If we really can't agree, I'll come back immediately."
Gu Nan finally felt relieved. He turned and walked to the cradle, bending down to play with his daughter, Gu Shiwan. The little one had just woken up, her eyelashes still glistening with tears. She stared at him with her big, dark eyes, and as soon as she saw her father's face, she giggled, her little hand gripping his fingers and shaking them vigorously—a gentle, yet heart-melting gesture. Looking at his daughter's exquisitely beautiful face, Gu Nan's initial displeasure vanished instantly—this little child was the treasure he would protect with all his might. A peaceful and stable life was more important than anything else.
Ran Qiuye straightened her clothes, pushed open the door, and went out. When Hei Zi saw that it was the master of the house, it immediately put away its fierce appearance, wagged its tail, and stepped aside. It even affectionately rubbed its head against Ran Qiuye's trouser leg. After all, it could tell who was family and who was just visiting.
Ran Qiuye looked at Qin Huairu standing outside the door, who was carrying a cloth bag that looked like it contained some fruit and snacks. Ran Qiuye didn't beat around the bush and asked directly, "Qin Huairu, what do you want to see me about?"
Qin Huairu immediately put on a warm smile, her eyes filled with barely concealed eagerness, and her tone was deliberately earnest: "Teacher Ran, you know the situation in the hospital right now. Banggeng... Banggeng is about to go to the countryside. But he's still just a kid, only sixteen years old by Chinese reckoning. He grew up in the city and has never even touched a hoe before. How could he have ever experienced that kind of hardship?"
She sighed, her voice tinged with worry: "If we really send him to the countryside, toiling in the fields from dawn till dusk, I'm afraid he won't be able to adapt. He might get sick from the hard work, or something bad might happen to him, and his life would be ruined. You see..." She paused halfway through her sentence, staring intently at Ran Qiuye, her eyes full of expectation, as if she were placing all her hopes on her.
Ran Qiuye listened and sighed inwardly, her tone tinged with helplessness: "I've heard about this too. Aunt Jia mentioned it a few days ago when we were chatting in the courtyard. But it's a policy from above, and there's nothing I can do. I'm just a stay-at-home mom who doesn't work; I'm nobody, how can I possibly manage something like this?"
Qin Huairu had anticipated her response, so she quickly stepped forward and handed the cloth bag in her hand to Ran Qiuye, saying, "I know you can't do anything, but Deputy Factory Director Gu Nan can! He's a leader in the factory, with extensive connections and resources. He can definitely find a way to arrange an easier place for Banggeng, even if it's not in the countryside, he can find a temporary job in the city."
As she spoke, her eyes reddened, her voice choked with emotion, and two tears even welled up in the corners of her eyes: "Teacher Ran, I'm begging you, please plead with Deputy Factory Director Gu for me, just have pity on us, a widow and her children, okay? Dongxu passed away early, and it's not easy for me to raise three children alone. If anything happens to Banggeng, I won't be able to live..."
Ran Qiuye smiled helplessly, sighed softly, and said with a troubled tone, "Qin Huairu, it's not that I don't want to help you, but this 'sending people to the countryside' policy is a national policy. It's a one-size-fits-all policy, and everyone has to abide by it. I'm just an ordinary middle school teacher, I have no power, how can I change anything?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu seemed to have lost her last bit of strength. She knelt down in front of Gu Nan's courtyard gate with a thud, her knees hitting the bluestone slabs with a dull thud. Tears streamed down her face like broken beads, soaking her clothes and leaving a small damp patch. Her voice was choked with sobs, almost incoherent: "Ran Qiuye, I know it's hard for you, but you're a mother now, you should understand this kind of heartache. Banggeng is still just a child, barely fifteen, with delicate skin. Can you bear to watch him suffer in that far-off Northwest countryside? His skin will crack from the cold in winter, and the mosquitoes will be so fierce in summer they could carry him away. Please, just do a good deed, give the child a chance!"
Just as Ran Qiuye was about to say something more, Gu Nan came out of the house. He was wearing a faded blue cotton jacket. He glanced at Qin Huairu kneeling on the ground, then turned to Ran Qiuye, his tone calm and even: "Qiuye, the child in the house seems to be crying. Why don't you go in and take a look?"
Ran Qiuye felt as if she had been granted a pardon and quickly nodded, obediently returning to her room. She knew in her heart that Qin Huairu was grasping at straws in her desperation, and this matter had little to do with her. Getting involved would only cause her more trouble. It was obviously more appropriate for Gu Nan to handle it.
Only Gu Nan and the kneeling Qin Huairu remained in the courtyard. Gu Nan looked down at her, his gaze as calm as a deep pool, his tone devoid of any emotion: "Get up and talk. What's wrong? Tell me directly. Kneeling won't solve anything."
Qin Huairu raised her tear-filled face, tears still clinging to her eyelashes, and choked out, "Deputy Factory Director Gu, you surely know I'm here about the corn cob. We just received a notice that his batch will be sent to the countryside, to the loess gullies of Northwest China. What will happen to our family if he leaves? My mother-in-law is old and has many illnesses, and I'm just a woman earning a meager salary at the factory. There's no one to support the family..."
Gu Nan interrupted her calmly: "What does this have to do with me? Going to the countryside is a national policy, open to all eligible young people in the city, not just targeting your Bang Geng. I'm just the deputy director of a steel rolling mill, in charge of production. What right do I have to change the country's rules?"
Seeing his resolute attitude, Qin Huairu cried even harder, sniffling and sobbing as she moved forward, almost prostrating herself on the ground: "You are, after all, a leader in the factory, managing so many people, your connections are definitely wider than ours! Please have pity on our family and give our child a chance to stay in the city, even if it's just to let him work as an apprentice in the factory, okay? I'll kowtow to you!" As she spoke, she was about to bang her head against the ground.