diymy Chapter 129 The Father and Daughter Living in the Suburban Factory
Chapter 129 The Father and Daughter Living in the Suburban Factory
help?
Lin Yu, Shen Xue, and Shen Shiyun were all stunned.
Two bureau chiefs came to his son's (brother's) door seeking his help.
The surreal scene before me is even less illogical than a short drama.
But all of this actually happened.
From the moment the three entered until the moment they left.
Although she only stayed for more than twenty minutes, Lin Yu felt as long as a year.
It wasn't until only the ginseng, deer antlers, and fruit basket remained on the table that everyone realized what was happening. Shen Xue exclaimed "Ah!"
"Xiao Mo, what kind of work do you do out there?"
"Those concerts and short dramas that Director Zhou mentioned earlier, aren't you a news anchor in Chengdu?"
Lin Yu looked puzzled.
Shen Shiyun and Shen Xue, standing nearby, were just as curious as children.
Compared to her parents' worried faces, her younger sister Shen Xue was clearly proud.
Having no other choice, Shen Mo opened the "Sunny Day Movies" mini-program and searched for "After the Breakup" to show his family.
Wow! Bro, you're an actor now!
"You're amazing!"
"This short drama is really popular now."
Lin Yu and Shen Shiyun have been busy with medical appointments, caregiving, and recovery lately...
I don't know much about short dramas.
But Shen Xue knew it all too well.
She couldn't stop once she started watching, and it was only the high cost that finally made her give up.
"Xiao Mo has made something of himself."
Lin Yu didn't understand anything else, she only knew that her son had made something of himself, and that was the happiest thing for her.
Shen Shiyun opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn't say anything.
"Keep your mouths shut about Xiao Mo's matter."
"Shen Shiyun, especially you, you're not allowed to drink during the New Year. Once you drink, you can't keep your mouth shut."
"If your brothers find out about this, you'll have a lot of trouble later."
"And you, Xiaoxue, did you hear me?"
Shen Xue gave a bitter smile.
"Okay, okay!"
Shen Mo watched from the side without interrupting.
He works in the entertainment industry, the industry with the highest media exposure, bar none.
Even if the whole family keeps quiet about this, their relatives will find out sooner or later.
But Lin Yu's concerns were not unfounded.
The rich have distant relatives even in remote mountains, while the poor are ignored even in bustling cities; this has always been the case.
The afternoon family reunion dinner is a custom in this small county town.
On New Year's Eve, everyone goes back to their own homes, and from the 27th or 28th of the lunar month onwards, they take turns having a family reunion at relatives' homes.
The family of four busied themselves between the living room and the kitchen, preparing dinner.
"Knock knock knock..."
"So early?" Lin Yu asked in surprise.
I checked the time; it wasn't even four o'clock yet.
At this hour, several uncles and aunts haven't gotten off work yet.
That's right!
It's almost Lunar New Year's Eve, and most people living in the county town haven't started their holidays yet, especially those who work in shops, restaurants, and supermarkets. These days are the time when they make money.
"Xiaoxue, open the door!"
"Here you are!"
Shen Xue opened the door and was stunned again.
"Uncle Wu?"
Upon hearing Shen Xue's voice, the three busy people stopped what they were doing at the same time.
"Old Wu?"
"Old Wu!"
One was taken aback, the other was delighted.
"Come in quickly! It's been so long since we last saw each other." Shen Shiyun pulled the other man into the house.
Wu Jianguo and his father were from the same village and childhood friends.
Nineteen years ago, they were considered big shots not only in their village, but also in the entire Weicheng.
My own father even ate with the Wu family for a few years.
But the good times didn't last long. Anyone who encountered the epidemic would suffer greatly.
For business owners like Uncle Wu, it's even more serious: broken bones are the only option.
"Qianqian's here too! Come in quickly!"
Wu Qian was the same age as him, both seniors in college. She nodded shyly as she looked at Shen Mo and his sister.
"I figured you guys should be home these days, so I came to check on you." Wu Jianguo looked at Shen Shiyun, a hint of shame in his eyes.
The two were childhood friends. When one of them was starting out, the other went to great lengths to support him, which resulted in the other developing health problems.
But when the other person is sick and facing life and death, this childhood friend is caught up in his own mess and can't get away.
Wu Jianguo entered the house and saw ginseng and deer antlers that had not yet been put away on the coffee table.
Having been wealthy before, he could tell the quality of these items at a glance.
Thinking about what she had brought, she felt even more embarrassed.
"Come on in! Let's not talk about this anymore. We'll have our family reunion at my house today."
Shen Shiyun took the fruit directly from the other person's hand.
"Not today, I have to go to someone else's house."
"How can this be allowed!" Shen Shiyun immediately objected.
"When can't you two get together? Don't interfere with other people's business."
Seeing Wu Jianguo's predicament, Lin Yu immediately spoke up.
During the days that Shen Shiyun spent in the hospital, she came to know how difficult things had been for Wu Jianguo.
While working to raise money, they also had to deal with debt collectors.
We sold all the houses in the city, including those in Chengdu and Jiangcheng, but it still didn't plug the hole.
"Alright, alright! Then I won't keep you! But Qianqian has to stay at my house. What's the point of taking such a big girl like you to visit other people's homes during the New Year?"
Shen Shiyun glanced at Lin Yu, recalling what he had said earlier about Wu Jianguo's current situation.
He had worked with Wu Jianguo before and knew that this year, Wu Jianguo would probably be carrying gifts and going door to door to let those creditors know that he, Wu Jianguo, hadn't run away.
Wu Jianguo's wife passed away early, and he raised his daughter alone.
Bringing your daughter along at this time is definitely not appropriate.
"Uncle Shen, I..."
"You stay here. Don't meddle in adults' affairs."
Shen Mo interrupted him directly.
The three of them grew up together and had a good relationship.
However, as they grew older, the gap between the two families from a few years ago did become quite large, and their relationship naturally faded a bit.
"I'm graduating soon."
"She's just a child, Uncle Wu. You can go and do your thing. Qianqian will sleep with Xiaoxue tonight, and I'll take her home tomorrow."
Wu Jianguo looked at his good brother's family, whose facade of solidity had been maintained, only to have it suddenly shattered.
He buried his head completely, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.
"Ugh!"
Sorry, brother!
"Stop talking nonsense! Don't try to tough it out..." Shen Shiyun said, glancing instinctively at his son. Seeing Shen Mo nod, he continued:
"If we really can't hold on any longer, let's think of a solution together."
"OK!"
Shen Mo was busy in the kitchen with his mother. After a while, Wu Qian came in to help, and Shen Xue, who wanted to slack off, also felt embarrassed and walked in awkwardly.
The two men chatted for a while before Wu Jianguo gave Wu Qian a few instructions and went downstairs to leave.
In the evening, several uncles and aunts came to our house.
Lin Yu busied herself with errands, making no mention of the previous families refusing to lend her money.
Only praise relatives, not criticize them.
In a small county town, family ties are really just that kind of thing.
Compared to Lin Yu and Shen Shiyun's "comprehensive" approach, Shen Mo and Shen Xue had a bad attitude throughout. After finishing their meal in a few bites, they huddled on the sofa with Wu Qian, cracking sunflower seeds and peeling tangerines together.
Wu Qian seemed a little distracted.
As night deepened, Wu Qian finally succumbed to sleepiness and drifted off to sleep.
In the master bedroom, Shen Shiyun pulled Shen Mo aside, as if asking his son, who even the bureau chief had requested to visit, if there was any way he could help Uncle Wu.
"Your Uncle Wu has been kind to our family. The year your mother fell ill, it was Uncle Wu who took out some money from our emergency fund so that our family could afford to treat her."
"Your Aunt Shuhua asked me to help look after Lao Wu!"
Shen Shiyun's thoughts seemed to return to twenty or thirty years ago, to that muddy path, to the scene of the three little ones skipping and jumping home together.
"If you can, lend a hand!"
Shen Mo smiled bitterly
"Dad, you think too highly of me."
"Uncle Wu's factory is so big that his debts are at least several million, maybe even tens of millions."
Shen Shiyun stared in disbelief: "So many?"
"That's an understatement."
If a factory could develop to this scale in a small county town, and it's an employment-creating business, the Weicheng government wouldn't let it go bankrupt if it could be saved.
The only explanation is that the problem was too big, and given the current economic situation, even the government's state-owned enterprises couldn't help and were powerless to save Uncle Wu's factory.
"Ugh!"
That night, several people couldn't sleep in the small room.
The next morning.
After quickly washing up and eating breakfast, Wu Qian was in a hurry to go back.
Shen Mo, along with Shen Xue, escorted Wu Qian home.
It's funny, he's an artist who earns over ten million a month, and while that achievement is hard to replicate, it's really a bit unreasonable that he doesn't even own a car.
"I'll go buy the car in the next couple of days."
The three of them took the bus and got off at the power station stop on the outskirts of the city.
To repay his debts, Wu Jianguo sold his houses in Weicheng, Jiangcheng, and even Rongcheng. Now, the father and daughter live in the dormitory building of their old factory.
The factory equipment has been removed, and the land is about to enter the auction process.
In other words, the father and daughter soon lost even this last place to live.
"I've arrived!" Wu Qian said with a smile.
So far, the only person to show them any kindness is someone who keeps smiling.
Shen Mo glanced around.
The dormitory building is still from the late 20th century, a typical red brick structure.
These houses may look dilapidated, but their quality is top-notch.
It's called a building, but it's actually a two-story courtyard house. Uncle Wu and his daughter lived in the first room on the first floor.
It's hard to imagine that this is a factory in 2022, but this is reality.
While skyscrapers soar into the clouds in Shanghai, in the more expansive suburbs of this county, there are still many red-brick dormitory buildings left over from the 1970s and 80s.
"We'll wait with you for Uncle Wu."
Shen Mo spoke directly, leaving no room for argument.
It's a two-kilometer walk to the bus stop here. It's just their family; it's hard to imagine how difficult their lives must be.
Shen Mo still remembers how Wu Jianguo looked so glamorous a few years ago, driving an Audi and surrounded by a bunch of people.
A pandemic has changed so many things.
After a while, Wu Jianguo, smelling of alcohol, looked at the three young men and pulled out three red envelopes, each containing one hundred yuan.
Shen Mo accepted it.
The brother and sister returned home close to noon.
Shen Mo didn't go out all day, and he didn't even go to his second uncle's house for the New Year's Eve dinner.
My mind is filled with memories of my childhood, of Aunt Shuhua giving them eggs and candy.
Back then, Wu Qian was always cheerful, and Uncle Wu walked very fast.
At that time, my father borrowed money everywhere. Relatives were good at making excuses. In the end, it was Uncle Wu who braved the rain to push open their wooden door, took out a wad of money from his raincoat, wrapped it in a plastic bag, and said, "I don't know if it's enough, but it'll do for now."
He took out a notebook, then found a pencil he had left at home from high school, and slowly wrote something in the notebook:
"Opening: The camera pans down from a gloomy sky to a muddy factory road. People in rain boots, trousers rolled up, are hurriedly carrying sandbags and supplies. The background sounds are a cacophony of voices, the roar of water pumps, and faint sobs."
……