Chapter 61: Scolding Ning Weidong

According to Wang Yuzhen, Ning Weidong was likely overthinking it, and Chu Zhongxin's trip to the Red Star Factory this time was just a coincidence.

Ning Weidong disagreed in his heart, but he did not argue with Wang Yuzhen.

Perhaps as Wang Yuzhen said, the Wang Family had no intention of using Chu Zhongxin for anything at the moment.

But not wanting to now does not mean they won't want to in the future, and not wanting to does not mean they cannot.

Based on Ning Weidong's experience, Chu Zhongxin's position was absolutely not a coincidence, but rather a strategic move played like a spare chess piece.

Temporarily placing him here, if needed, he could be used immediately; if not needed, then it was a coincidence.

This kind of operation had a sense of being like an antelope hanging by its horns—leaving no trace.

Just at this moment, Ning Lei came running back from outside, panting and puffing.

Wang Yuzhen glanced at him and said crossly, "You still know how to come back! Stay hungry then."

Ning Lei chuckled and said, "Mom, you wouldn't bear to let your eldest son go hungry."

"Shameless~" Wang Yuzhen raised her chopsticks, pretending to strike him.

Ning Lei hurriedly hid behind Ning Weidong and quickly changed the subject: "Mom, Dad, Third Uncle, guess what I went to do just now?"

Wang Yuzhen rolled her eyes at him: "Less nonsense from you, hurry up, wash your hands, and eat!"

Ning Lei hurriedly went to the washbasin stand to sloppily rinse his hands, then rushed back to the table, grabbed a steamed bun, took a crescent-shaped bite, and mumbled: "Just now, at the alley entrance, Wang Kai from the front yard got into a fight with someone..."

Ning Weidong suddenly realized that the group of half-grown boys who had rushed out like a gust of wind earlier had gone to watch that spectacle.

As for why Wang Kai was fighting, it was mostly because of Shi Xiaonan going out to perform opera again.

Ning Lei swallowed a mouthful of bun, slurped a sip of soup from the bowl he was served, and continued: "You guys didn't see it, the way he was beaten, there was blood all over the ground, and even a brick was smashed to pieces."

Wang Yuzhen frowned and said, "Beaten that hard!"

She had originally thought it was just a normal fight, not expecting it to be so serious.

Ning Lei said, "That's not even the half of it, just now when we came back, people from the Police Station had already gone..."

Ning Lei chattered on and on, while Ning Weidong just listened to it as gossip.

The last time Wang Dama 'whipped' him, it only temporarily covered up the conflict; it treated the symptoms but not the root cause.

Wang Kai was nearly thirty years old, yet he completely failed to understand his mother's painstaking efforts.

If this fight was because of Shi Xiaonan and was this severe, then divorce would be inevitable.

……

After finishing the meal, Ning Weidong wanted to wash the dishes, but was shooed away by Wang Yuzhen, so he returned to the earthquake shelter with Ning Lei.

Lighting the stove, Ning Lei curled up on the bed and pulled a comic book out from under his pillow.

Ning Weidong filled the stove with coal balls, originally intending to boil a pot of water to wash up, but then looked at Ning Lei and simply decided against it.

This kid didn't know which rat hole he had been crawling into during the day; the sweat and dirt had turned into mud.

Usually, after eight o'clock, Wang Yuzhen would boil water for him to wash before getting into the quilt.

Ning Weidong simply said, "Xiao Lei, Third Uncle is taking you to the bathhouse, want to go?"

Ning Lei's eyes lit up: "For real~"

Children love going to the bathhouse most, as there is a big pool to splash around in, but there are not many families who can afford to let their children go to the bathhouse to wash up.

Ning Weidong took clean underwear from the chest under the bed and said, "If you want to go, hurry up, I'm not waiting for you."

Ning Lei was like a carp; he flopped up and stood, rushing to the Upper Room like a gust of wind to ask his mother for a shirt and trousers.

Going to the bathhouse to wash meant one definitely had to change into clean clothes, otherwise, it would be a wasted wash. Wang Yuzhen knew they were going to the bathhouse, nagged a couple of times, but didn't say much more.

Before long, the two of them went out wrapped in big cotton-padded coats.

Just as they reached the front yard, they heard Wang Dama wailing and howling inside the west wing room: "Oh, my land~ why is your life so bitter..."

Ning Weidong passed through the Moon Gate and saw several old women from the courtyard gathered together, eavesdropping outside Wang Kai's house.

As soon as Wang Dama made a sound, the few of them immediately became spirited and pricked up their ears.

Ning Weidong thought to himself, these old women really are addicted; it's freezing cold, the snow just stopped, and it's the coldest time, yet they aren't even afraid of the cold now.

Ning Weidong didn't stop his pace, took Ning Lei out of the Dazayuan, and headed straight for the bathhouse by the alley entrance...

By the time they finished washing and returned, it was already nearly nine o'clock.

Ning Weidong didn't expect that after more than an hour, the front yard would still be in such a chaotic mess.

Entering inside, there were even more people than when they had left.

Earlier, it was just a few nosy women eavesdropping, but now quite a few men had come out, and Wang Kai had also returned, looking quite disheveled.

His sleeve was torn halfway, his left cheek was swollen high, and his right wrist was wrapped in gauze, revealing half a hand covered in dried blood.

Looking at the battle-damaged version of Wang Kai, Ning Weidong couldn't help but glance at Ning Lei beside him.

Just now at the dinner table, this kid kept saying how ruthless Wang Kai was and how fierce the fight was, and this was it~ Wang Kai hung his head in dejection, ignored everyone's gaze, arrived in front of his door, saw Wang Dama, his mouth twitched, and he finally said in a muffled voice: "Mom, I was wrong!"

Wang Dama was teary-eyed: "It's okay, it's okay~ it's good that you're back."

Wang Kai didn't say anything else and walked straight into the room, not looking at Shi Xiaonan standing to the side the entire time.

Shi Xiaonan had a complex expression, opened her mouth, but didn't speak, and followed him into the room.

With a "bang," the door closed.

Lu Daye didn't miss the opportunity to stand out: "Alright then~ it's pitch black, everyone disperse~"

Ning Weidong was just about to return to the East Cross Courtyard when Wang Zipeng squeezed over and said with a smile: "Brother, went to take a bath?"

Ning Weidong turned his head: "Brother Wang, yeah~ I was all sticky, went to the bathhouse at the entrance to wash up."

Wang Zipeng said: "Look at that, you should have said so earlier! I have ready-made bath tickets; come get them from me at work tomorrow, take as many as you want."

The factory bathhouse was under the Logistics Department, and Wang Zipeng was quite well-connected in the Manager, and since it was the relevant department, this wasn't bragging.

Ning Weidong smiled: "That would be great, I'll thank Brother Wang first."

Wang Zipeng waved his hand: "That's nothing." Then he winked: "By the way, I haven't congratulated you yet."

Ning Weidong asked in surprise, "What do you mean by that?"

Wang Zipeng said, "You don't know yet? I heard that this afternoon, your personnel file was transferred out of the Factory Protection Team and sent to the Office; once the process is complete, you're definitely going to be a Worker-turned-Cadre."

Ning Weidong's heart stirred; it seemed his trip to see Li Peihang during the day had quite a lasting impact.

Normally, a personnel transfer definitely wouldn't be this fast.

But as the situation changed, Ning Weidong's value rose accordingly, and Li Peihang's reaction speed was truly not slow.

Only by feeding Ning Weidong first could he be made to work.

As for Wang Zipeng, it likely wasn't a coincidence, but rather he had specifically come to pass on this news, which could be considered giving Ning Weidong a sense of reassurance.

Meanwhile, Wu Bingzhong and Lu Zhou were at Wu Bingzhong's house, less than fifty meters away.

The two were half-drunk and were busy cursing Ning Weidong.

(End of chapter)