Get something in the courtyard

The two brothers of the Liu family quietly left home and sat at the door of the deaf old lady's house.

Liu Guangtian patted Liu Guangfu on the shoulder and said, "You must take good care of yourself."

Liu Guangfu nodded: "I know. Brother, in the hearts of my parents, you are always the most important. We just picked you up when we were buying vegetables. I'm leaving home, so be careful."

Liu Guangtian sighed. With parents like this, what else could they do? He had already made up his mind to find a way to move out of the courtyard as soon as possible. Only by leaving the Liu family could he live a good life.

Xu Damao went out and saw the two brothers sitting here, so he walked over and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Guangfu is going to the countryside."

Xu Damao was stunned and said, "Isn't the list not released yet? You can look for someone, maybe you can find a job. I go to the countryside to show movies all day long, and I know life in the countryside too well. Life in the countryside is very hard."

"My dad has already made his decision, what can we do?"

"Why?"

The two of them told Liu Haizhong about his plan. Xu Damao was a little envious and thought Liu Haizhong had a very smart mind.

"Since Second Master has made the decision, I can't do anything about it. But you'd better find out where you are going and prepare some things in advance. If the place you are going is too cold, you should prepare cotton clothes and quilts in advance."

The three of them chatted in the yard for a while, and Xu Damao said that once it was confirmed, he would invite Liu Guangfu to have a drink as a farewell to him.

When Xu Damao returned home, he told Qin Jingru the news. Qin Jingru immediately said, "Second Uncle is too cruel. I came from the countryside, how is life in the countryside? This is near BJ. Faraway places are definitely not as good as this."

Xu Damao certainly knew this, but this was not his family's business, so there was no need for him to meddle in it.

The next day, Liu Haizhong took Liu Guangfu to the street office.

The subdistrict office would certainly welcome those who volunteered to go to the countryside. When they heard that Liu Haizhong was going to send his son to the countryside, they spoke well of him without asking for money.

Liu Haizhong felt extremely satisfied at the time and felt that he had done the right thing: "I have also been a leader for a period of time, and my awareness is no worse than others. I will definitely take the lead in supporting the country's policies."

The people from the subdistrict office said, "Comrade Liu Haizhong is indeed a good comrade. We must publicize your deeds."

Liu Haizhong didn't know what modesty was, so he asked, "Then are there any more awards?"

The subdistrict office was stunned for a moment, and worried that Liu Haizhong would go back on his word, so they said, "Of course there is. We will report your deeds to your unit."

When Liu Haizhong heard this, he felt even more satisfied: "Comrade, don't worry, my family will definitely support the street's policy. We will send my son to the hardest place."

Liu Guangfu, who was standing aside, was filled with regret. He shouldn't have lowered the price for Liu Haizhong yesterday.

When the subdistrict office heard this, they said, "Since you have such a request, we cannot discourage your enthusiasm. Just let your family go to the Great Northern Wilderness! We will definitely find a good place for Liu Guangfu."

"No need. Our family is not picky about location." Liu Haizhong continued generously.

The subdistrict office was deceiving Liu Haizhong again, and he didn't even know how he got out of the subdistrict office.

After leaving the subdistrict office, Liu Guangfu said to Liu Haizhong in dissatisfaction: "You want to kill me. It's so cold in the Northeast, how can I survive?"

"Others can go, why can't you go?"

"That would be freezing. My family must prepare a thick cotton-padded jacket and a thick quilt for me."

Liu Haizhong did not refuse this request. The two younger sons were not as important as the older son, but they were still sons. He could not bear to see his sons freeze to death.

"Go home and let your mother get ready."

The matter was already settled, and Liu Guangfu had no choice but to accept this choice. The first thing he did when he got home was to ask his second aunt to prepare things quickly.

"Don't waste time. I won't go if I'm not prepared." The second aunt looked at Liu Haizhong, who said, "Prepare for him. The neighborhood office said that we should make our family a role model. If he gets frozen, it will bring shame to me."

The street office would give a big gift package to those who signed up to go to the countryside, including some national food coupons, cloth, etc. For those going to the northeast, cotton was also given, but the quantity was not large.

Liu Guangfu certainly would not allow himself to be wronged, so he said: "The cotton given by the street is too little, not enough at all, you still have to find a way."

The second aunt said dissatisfiedly, "What's less? You've taken apart all your previous quilts and cotton-padded clothes, and with the ones given by the street office, you already have quite a bit."

"Mom, I'm not your biological son yet. I heard that the temperature in Northeast China is dozens of degrees below zero. Do you want me to freeze to death?"

Of course she didn't want to. After all, it was her flesh and blood, so how could she bear to give it up?

"Where do you want me to get cotton tickets?"

After much thought, Wang Kun's family was the most likely to have a ticket in the entire courtyard. Second Aunt had no choice but to go to Wang Kun's house to try her luck.

Ran Qiuye was taking care of the children at home and was quite surprised to see the second aunt come in.

Second Aunt looked around Wang Kun's house with envy in her eyes. Their family had also lived through such days for a few days, when Liu Haizhong was an official.

"Qiuye, have you heard about going to the countryside?"

Ran Qiuye was shocked, thinking that the second aunt came to look for a job, and immediately became more alert.

“I’ve heard a little bit.”

The second aunt said, "Our Guangfu is old and has no job, so he also wants to go to the countryside."

Ran Qiuye thought it was about finding a job, so she didn't know how to start the conversation.

But what Second Aunt said surprised her: "Guangfu from our family has already signed up, and he will go to the most difficult Great Northern Wilderness."

Ran Qiuye asked in surprise: "Second Aunt, what did you say?"

The second aunt gave Ran Qiuye a strange look and said, "I said, our Guangfu is going to the Great Northern Wilderness."

Ran Qiuye heard it clearly, but she was even more confused. The list hadn't been finalized yet, so how did Second Aunt know about it? She wouldn't be asked to beg for mercy, that was even more impossible. Who dared to change something that the Street Office had decided on?

"You're looking for me?"

"I heard that the Northeast is very cold, with temperatures dozens of degrees below zero. My family wants to make some thick clothes for Guangfu, but we are short of cotton. Can you exchange some with us?"

Ran Qiuye breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that as long as it didn't require helping to find a job or keeping Liu Guangfu, everything would be fine.

"You want cotton coupons? We have some extra at home. I'll give them to you. I remember there's one for two kilograms. Is that enough?"

"That's enough. The street office gave me some money, and I'll tear apart my old clothes and that'll be enough."

Ran Qiuye asked curiously, "How did your family know Guangfu's whereabouts so quickly?"

"Hey, isn't our family trying to use the country's call? Let Guangfu go to the countryside and contribute to the country, which is better than staying at home and eating for free."

No matter what the real reason is, the Liu family's behavior must be quickly exposed. Ran Qiuye really sent the second aunt out in person.

The two exchanged a few words about going to the countryside at the door.

The three aunts on the opposite side saw this and immediately became alert. In the courtyard, the only person who could find a job was Wang Kun. Given the relationship between the Liu family and Wang Kun, they would definitely not try to please Wang Kun.

Judging from the way Second Aunt and Ran Qiuye act, they are probably trying to please Ran Qiuye. The reason why Second Aunt is trying to please Ran Qiuye is probably because of Liu Guangfu's job. (End of this chapter)