Because the family ran a noodle shop, Wei Damin had at least not skimped on heating, and every room had a chimney installed.
After lighting the stove, Wei Qiuxia returned to the living room with Wei Nan and sat opposite her.
It was immediately clear she had something on her mind.
“Sister, just say what you have to say.”
Wei Nan gave a bitter smile. “I… don’t really have anything I can’t handle.”
Wei Qiuxia sighed, looking at her with pity.
“Xiao Nan, I just went to the factory office and reported your situation, and while I was there, I asked about your dad as well.
I didn’t tell you before, but when your mom passed away, a few of my close friends and I were so angry that we went at your dad hard!
It caused quite a scene. The union had to mediate several times, and I almost got punished over it.”
“Sis… I’m sorry.” Wei Nan reached out and took Wei Qiuxia’s slightly cool hand, her face full of guilt and sorrow.
Wei Qiuxia smiled and clasped her hand in return, patting the back of her hand with the other in reassurance.
“Hush, what are you saying? No need to apologize. We were just standing up for master, we felt she spent her life being treated so unfairly.”
Thinking of those old events, Wei Qiuxia’s eyes reddened slightly. She composed herself and continued, “After that, I stopped associating with your dad. Even though we lived in the same building, we didn’t speak a single word in these past three years.
So although I knew he had retired early and even gave his position to your second uncle, and that he opened this noodle shop, I never really paid attention to why.
I was thinking just now, and it feels fishy to me. Your dad’s only forty-six this year, right? He always seemed healthy, so why would he suddenly retire? I thought I had to help you find out.”
“So what really happened?”
Hearing Wei Qiuxia speak so seriously, Wei Nan began to feel nervous.
This girl, who had grown up in hardship, could she possibly endure more bitterness?
Wei Qiuxia ground her teeth and suddenly slammed her hand hard on the table!
Wei Nan jumped in fright.
“Your grandma and your second uncle’s whole family aren’t human!” Wei Qiuxia spat angrily.
“I just heard from Sister Li at the factory office. Your dad had a physical check-up organized by the factory at the beginning of last year and they found he had fairly severe arthritis. Since he was a loader, they worried that long-term heavy lifting would make it worse, so the factory hospital suggested the management transfer him to a lighter post.
The HR department talked to your dad about it, and he agreed, saying he was willing to work in the back kitchen doing odd jobs.
Xiao Nan, you should know, compared to being a loader, working in the kitchen doing odd jobs is a great deal! It’s not tiring and the food’s good, so many people would kill for this chance and never get it.”
“So, my second uncle, when he heard this, immediately started eyeing that position.” Wei Nan summarized calmly.
Wei Qiuxia nodded. “Exactly! Not even two days later, your dad changed his mind, claiming his health was bad and he wanted to retire for medical reasons, and he planned to give that position to your second uncle.
The factory originally didn’t agree, your second uncle is two years younger than your dad; who would want him?
But do you know how shameless your grandma and second uncle’s family is?”
Realizing she might have spoken too harshly, Wei Qiuxia cleared her throat awkwardly. “Xiao Nan, I don’t mean to insult anyone.”
“It’s fine, they’re just shameless.”
Wei Nan expressionlessly waved her hand. “What else did they do? Go on, tell me.”
“Your grandma, with your second aunt and her precious grandson, would go every day, like going to work, to the ground floor of the administration building during the busiest times of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and kneel there, kneeling for three whole days.
Whenever people gathered to watch, they’d wail, crying that the factory was bullying them and not following regulations. They said if your second uncle wasn’t assigned a job, they’d kneel themselves to death at the building entrance.”
!!!
Wei Nan’s eyes widened.
She fought hard to hold back her swearing, barely managing not to curse out loud.
What kind of family is this?!
At this moment, she even felt a little relieved that Sister Wei and Sister Ling had helped her out at the hospital today.
Otherwise, with her own abilities, there’s no way she could’ve dealt with that old hag, Wang Sanhua.
The key is, truly shameless people are unstoppable.
Wei Nan felt there was no way she could ever match their level of shamelessness.
“Don’t you think they’re way too shameless? Back then I went to study out of town, so I really didn’t know about this.
Sister Li said the factory director was furious about the whole thing. He directly ordered HR to handle it as a special case, and in record time processed your dad’s medical retirement, then let your second uncle take over the position.”
“But,” Wei Qiuxia sneered, “even if it was handled according to the rules, he couldn’t get into the cafeteria. As a new worker, he’d only be counted as an apprentice for wages.
He had no education, he was older, and no workshop wanted him, not even the loading team. In the end, he had to join the sanitation crew. I asked, he’s been at the factory a year now, and his salary is only twenty-eight yuan.”
“Still, at least he got into the factory and became a formal worker. I guess that counts as getting what he wanted,” Wei Nan said lightly.
Wei Qiuxia’s expression darkened.
After a long silence, she couldn’t help but curse: “What was your dad thinking? He lived his whole life for your grandma. Your two uncles were alive, but who cared about them?
When he got into trouble, the factory office first notified your second uncle and your cousin, and they flat-out refused to show up.
They forced the factory to send a telegram to your hometown to bring your grandma. Every job they have was made available by your dad and mom!”
“No, that kind of worthless man is not my dad!” Wei Nan gritted her teeth and muttered silently in her heart.
“Ah, Xiao Nan, I got carried away, there’s something important I haven’t told you yet!”
Wei Qiuxia suddenly slapped her thigh, making Wei Nan whip her head around in surprise.
“I mainly want to tell you that before your dad took medical retirement, he not only gave his position to your second uncle, he also borrowed five hundred yuan from the factory. I only just found out about this myself, so you need to know exactly what’s going on!”
ᘻᘿᓍᘺ
!!!
Wei Nan sprang up from her chair with a jerk.
She wanted to curse, wanted to curse hard!
At the same time, it felt like someone had stuffed a wad of cotton into her chest, blocking her breath, almost suffocating her.
She had no feelings for Wei Damin, and never intended to take advantage of him.
Hearing that he gave his position again to those “relatives,” without a single thought for his daughter who had been sent to the countryside, hit her like a cold slap.
Apart from feeling pity for the girl who had died, Wei Nan felt nothing.
But!
She couldn’t stand it, he borrowed money and expected her to pay it back!
“What did he borrow all that money for?”
Wei Nan angrily gestured around the room with her hand.
“Everything in this house combined wouldn’t even be worth a hundred yuan! Where did he spend the money?!”
Even though she knew none of this had anything to do with Sister Wei standing in front of her, she couldn’t stop her eyes from flashing with anger, and her voice rose a few decibels.
“He borrowed the money to buy a house for your second uncle!
That Wei Shuangquan may have come to work in the city, but what right did he have to a house?
His daughter still lived in a communal dormitory, what capability did she have to manage her parents?
In the end, all the family burdens still fell on your dad!”
Wei Qiuxia was even angrier than Wei Nan.
Seeing her stand up, she herself rose in frustration, hands on her hips, cursing at the top of her lungs:
“Your dad doesn’t deserve to be a father! He was born to be a servant! Since he only cared about his mother and his brothers, he should have just lived his life for them. Why marry, why have kids? What for?!”
Wei Nan nodded vigorously in agreement.
Encouraged by her, Wei Qiuxia’s voice grew even louder: “I asked around. The private house your second uncle’s family lives in now was paid for by your dad, four hundred yuan in total.
When he made the IOU, your second uncle even went along. Sister Li said she saw him count out four hundred yuan to his younger brother, there’s no doubt about it.
I guess the remaining hundred was spent on the restaurant, but how much is that? He gave away his work position and didn’t stop there, he even set up an entire household for them!”
Wei Nan felt like her lungs were about to explode from anger.
She tilted her head back, staring at the ceiling, and took a deep, slow breath.
Then she held it, waiting until her heartbeat gradually calmed and her mind settled, before slowly exhaling.
This was what her father had taught her.
He said the more urgent the matter, the less you can panic.
When your mind is restless, don’t make decisions lightly.
If you really can’t control yourself, just take a deep breath, hold it until you can’t stand it anymore, and then exhale, give yourself a moment to buffer.
Wei Nan finally calmed down.
She looked at Wei Qiuxia and asked aloud, “So, this 500 yuan he borrowed, do I need to pay it back now?”
“You probably don’t have to pay all of it. Sister Li said that when your dad wrote the IOU, he arranged with the finance department to deduct it from his retirement pension every month.
It’s been over a year now, so a good portion should already be paid off,” Wei Qiuxia reassured her.
Her tone, however, carried a hint of hesitation; clearly this was just her guess.
“I originally wanted to go to the finance office to ask for you, but when I went, they’d already left for the day. Don’t worry, Xiao Nan, I’ll inquire again this afternoon and let you know.”
Wei Nan nodded, her eyes full of gratitude. “Thank you, Sister Wei. I really appreciate it.”
She couldn’t help lowering her head, her voice softening even more.
“I just got back, and besides you, I don’t know who else I could turn to… I’m sorry for giving you more trouble.”
Wei Qiuxia felt a pang in her heart at that.
She patted Wei Nan on the shoulder and sighed, “Don’t be formal with me. Once I find out for sure, I’ll let you know.”
After seeing Wei Qiuxia off, Wei Nan sat by the table for a long time.
She hoped she could come up with a way to solve the problems she faced.
But after thinking for a long time, she realized, there was no solution.
She had only been here half a day, knew nothing, and understood even less.
Everything she saw or heard was disheartening, and the more she learned, the more desperate she felt about her situation.
Wei Nan stood up, tidied the table, and pulled a notebook and a pen from her luggage.
She flipped to a blank page and silently wrote a line: “Things to handle immediately.”
If she couldn’t find a solution to the problems, she could at least start with what she could do.
No matter how hard it got, she had to keep living.