Chapter 34: Director Zhao pits her father and brother

Some people don’t cherish what they have until they’ve lost it, only realizing how valuable certain things are once they’re gone.

Liu Guangzhi is one of those people.

However, his realization of Shu Gen’er’s importance didn’t come from suddenly discovering that he actually loved him. It was because, after Shu Gen’er was gone, Liu Guangzhi found himself at the lowest rung in the family.

After learning that Shu Gen’er was living at the school, Liu Guangzhi started visiting frequently. However, he was accustomed to ordering Shu Gen’er around, and although he could endure in front of others, he couldn’t drop the “you must listen to me” attitude when facing Shu Gen’er.

At first, Shu Gen’er did listen, but Niu Xiaoqiang and the other children would always cause trouble, making it difficult for anyone to control them, often diverting Shu Gen’er’s attention and taking him away.

Principal Gu and Teacher Wu were especially kind to Shu Gen’er, and as Zhao Ke had expected, Shu Gen’er gradually formed a new “home” and new “friends.” Over time, Liu Guangzhi’s words didn’t hold as much weight.

On one hand, Liu Guangzhi had to endure Zheng Guangmei’s temper and his youngest son’s unfilial behavior. On the other hand, it felt like Shu Gen’er was turning into sand—every time he tried to hold on tightly, the sand would slip through his fingers.

In a daze, Liu Guangzhi sent a letter of complaint to the commune.

As a result, Zhao Ke was reported.

It was all because of Shu Gen’er.

The commune sent an administrator, his surname was Cheng, who arrived in Zhao Village and met a group of old women by the old locust tree at the village entrance. They were sewing soles while watching children.

The villagers were unaccustomed to strangers, so when Administrator Cheng appeared, the women immediately stopped him to ask questions.

Administrator Cheng, taking the opportunity, started inquiring about Shu Gen’er. For certain reasons, he spoke politely.

The old women, not daring to speak against him, exchanged a few words about how pitiful Shu Gen’er was:

“The kid’s mother ran off when he was little, and he became mentally ill due to fever. His dad saw him as a burden, and his stepmother was also unkind, constantly beating and scolding him.”

“He lived in a bean stalk pile and couldn’t even enter the house. You can see how cruel the Liu family is.”

“He was only thirteen, and the Liu family wanted him to go work and earn points. The Production Team wouldn’t let him…”

This didn’t match the content of the complaint Administrator Cheng had received. He asked, “But I heard that he was forcibly taken from his home?”

The old women looked confused:

“Who took him?”

“Isn’t abduction a serious crime?!”

“Eh~ The village kids are playing with Shu Gen’er, and now that’s called abduction?”

Administrator Cheng was confused, “Village kids?”

Wasn’t it written in the complaint that it was Women’s Director Zhao Ke?

The old women replied:

“Shu Gen’er is good friends with the village kids, always playing together, and they even stopped him from going into the water.”

“Shu Gen’er was beaten at home, and the kids from the Production Team went to his house to protect him. Then Shu Gen’er went with them.”

“The kids were afraid that if Shu Gen’er went home, he’d be beaten again, so they didn’t let him return. But he still needed to eat and sleep, right? They couldn’t just watch him wander around. So, Principal Gu and Teacher Wu from the primary school said he could stay at school for now.”

After saying this, the old women asked again:

“How is that abduction?”

“What are you here for?”

“Are you going to arrest the village kids and Principal Gu and Teacher Wu?”

The more they spoke, the more anxious they became, and their gazes towards Administrator Cheng even turned hostile.

Administrator Cheng quickly said, “I’m not here to arrest any children. I just came to understand the situation.”

The old women were half-convinced.

Administrator Cheng hurriedly asked where Shu Gen’er was and headed straight to the primary school.

One of the old women left the old locust tree, walking quickly toward the village committee to report.

Administrator Cheng entered the school and began looking around.

Teacher Wu, who had a good temper, was informed right away by the students after they noticed a stranger.

Teacher Wu told the students to self-study for a while and went out to inquire. When she learned the man was looking for Shu Gen’er, she was a little surprised.

“I’m from the commune, here to understand some things. I hope you won’t hide anything.”

With many questions in her mind, Teacher Wu led him to the classrooms of grades one and two and pointed to the tallest child in the back row, sitting quietly. “That’s him.”

Administrator Cheng was shocked, “Isn’t he mentally challenged? How is he in class?”

Teacher Wu didn’t like the term “mentally challenged,” so she led him to a place where she wouldn’t disturb the students. She said seriously, “Shu Gen’er may not be fully mentally sound, but he’s very well-behaved and never disrupts class. The students all like him, and no one objects to him attending class. Of course, he can be in the classroom.”

Administrator Cheng frowned. “I heard that Shu Gen’er is living at school? Can I see it?”

Teacher Wu nodded. “Yes, he’s living here. I’ll show you.”

Shu Gen’er’s little room was actually a small storage room at the school. It had been filled with junk, and it took several days for Principal Gu and Teacher Wu to clean it out.

The room was fairly clean but the environment was indeed quite basic.

To Administrator Cheng, the conditions seemed poor. “This small window hardly lets in any light, and it’s a bit damp and musty. You’re letting the child live here?”

Teacher Wu downplayed it. “We’re just feeling sorry for the child and giving him a place to shelter from the wind and rain. After all, it’s better than living in a firewood pile.”

Administrator Cheng had no reply.

Compared to the firewood pile, this small room was certainly much better.

But to fully understand the situation, he couldn’t miss anything. So, Administrator Cheng asked Teacher Wu to take him to Liu Shu Gen’er’s home.

Teacher Wu briefly told the class and then led Administrator Cheng to Liu Guangzhi’s home.

Liu Guangzhi’s house was very close to the school, just two streets away. The main gate was tightly bound, and from outside the yard, the lock on the gate was visible.

“Liu Guangzhi and his wife are both at work,” Teacher Wu pointed to the pile of bean stalks, feeling sorry, “Shu Gen’er used to live there. In winter, he would stay in the kitchen. Look, they don’t even leave a door for Shu Gen’er, they really don’t care about him at all.”

Administrator Cheng seemed to be pondering this. He didn’t ask to go inside, but instead asked Teacher Wu for the location of the village committee. After that, the two of them parted ways.

When Teacher Wu returned to the school, an old woman from the village was talking to Principal Gu and Yu Xiulan.

They were discussing the very matter the administrator had inquired about at the village entrance.

When Teacher Wu heard the words “abduction,” she immediately clutched her chest. After the old woman left, she sighed in relief, saying, “It’s a good thing Zhao Ke didn’t let us bring Shu Gen’er back to our house, or we’d really have a hard time explaining.”

Yu Xiulan sensed something was off and asked with confusion, “What does this have to do with Zhao Ke?”

After exchanging glances, Principal Gu and Teacher Wu confessed that Zhao Ke had asked them several days ago to prepare a room for Shu Gen’er.

Yu Xiulan’s anger flared, and she gritted her teeth, “That girl, causing trouble!”

Meanwhile, Administrator Cheng arrived at the village committee, introduced himself, and bluntly told the team leader, Zhao Xinshan, that he and Zhao Ke were to go to the commune together. He still didn’t reveal the reason.

Zhao Xinshan agreed.

Zhao Ke suggested that Zhao Xinshan ride her family’s bicycle so they could go together.

So the three of them turned toward Zhao Ke’s house, riding bicycles out of the village.

On the road, with only the three of them, Administrator Cheng smiled and asked, “Comrade Zhao, do you know our Section Secretary?”

Zhao Xinshan also looked at Zhao Ke, confused as to how she knew the Commune Secretary.

It seemed to be related to her… Zhao Ke’s mind shifted, and she vaguely explained, “My high school classmate is the section secretary’s daughter. I’ve been to their house to visit before.”

Administrator Cheng, hearing this, smiled more warmly and reassured her, “It’s nothing serious, you don’t need to be too nervous.”

Zhao Ke smiled and thanked him.

Back at the village, under the old locust tree at the entrance, the women watched as Zhao Xinshan and Zhao Ke followed the stranger and began to speculate about the reason. Eventually, they all concluded that it must be related to Shu Gen’er, otherwise, why would the person ask about him?

By the time it was noon and work ended, the whole village knew about it.

The less they knew, the more curious they were, and the more they speculated.

But there were two people who felt completely differently.

Liu Guangzhi was in a good mood, as if he could already see it: when Zhao Ke and the others returned, she wouldn’t be the women’s director anymore, and Shu Gen’er would be back by his side.

The other person involved in the whole process was Zhao Yunyun.

She wasn’t sure if something was wrong with any part of the situation, or if Zhao Ke was in trouble, but she couldn’t sit still. She was so uneasy that she couldn’t focus on her meal.

Li Cuihua tapped her hand with a chopstick and scolded her, “Why aren’t you eating properly? What are you thinking about?”

Zhao Yunyun jumped in surprise and asked, “Mom, aren’t you worried about Dad?”

Li Cuihua looked puzzled, “The Production Team didn’t make any big mistakes, what’s there to worry about?”

True, it wasn’t a big deal after all.

Zhao Yunyun kept reassuring herself and gradually felt a little more at ease.

Compared to Zhao Yunyun, Yu Xiulan wasn’t worried at all—she was just purely angry.

She was so mad that she kept cursing Zhao Ke during their meal, “That girl, she doesn’t know when to quit, and she goes causing trouble at the commune!”

Zhao Jianguo tried to calm her down, “We’ll know when they get back, there shouldn’t be anything serious.”

Zhao Feng lowered his head, eating silently, feeling guilty.

Yu Xiulan’s sharp eyes immediately caught her youngest son acting unusually obedient and knew he was hiding something. “Do you know something?! Why aren’t you telling me the truth?!”

“No~” Zhao Feng replied quickly.

Yu Xiulan glared at him and slammed the table, “If you’re not going to speak, then don’t eat!”

Zhao Feng: “…”

When it came to his mother and food, his sister had to be temporarily put aside.

However, Zhao Feng had only been Zhao Ke’s bodyguard that one night, and didn’t know anything else. The only thing he told his mother was that night when he followed Zhao Er Nai.

After hearing this, Yu Xiulan was silent for a moment.

Even Zhao Jianguo hadn’t expected this, and he praised, “Lao Er’s brain is quick, huh…”

Zhao Feng nodded, “She had Er Nai figured out in no time.”

Yu Xiulan gave them a look, and both father and son immediately quieted down, sitting up straight and changing the subject.

“This is wrong for Zhao Ke, spreading superstitions like that.”

“I don’t agree with what Jie did either.”

Yu Xiulan said angrily, “I’ve been wondering how Second Aunt could let Zhao Fangfang go to the commune to have the baby. Does she have holes in her pockets, can’t hold onto her money?”

Zhao Jianguo and Zhao Feng both went silent.

So that was why she was angry…

Meanwhile, on the road, Zhao Ke was riding her bicycle, sneezing repeatedly and could only use one hand to rub her nose.

Administrator Cheng asked, “Comrade Zhao, are you feeling unwell?”

Zhao Ke shook her head, “I’m fine. It’s probably just the dust.”

Administrator Cheng, speaking casually, chatted with her, “Maybe someone is thinking about you.”

Zhao Ke sneezed again and laughed, “Who would be thinking about me?”

At the Zhao household—

Yu Xiulan was furious, “Wait until she gets back, see if I don’t take all her money!”

Zhao Jianguo tried to reason, “She’s grown up, how can she not have any money on her…”

Yu Xiulan glared at him, “You two can’t escape either. In a bit, hand over all the money, not a single cent can be left!”

Zhao Jianguo: “… Do we have to?”

Zhao Feng, with a long face, complained, “Mom, is it easy for me to save up a few cents?”

Yu Xiulan didn’t even listen to their complaints and went straight to rummaging.

Father and son: Zhao Ke, inflicting a lot of suffering.