Chapter 656: Bangeng Was Expelled

Yi Zhonghai, who failed to get his wish.

Dragging his weary body.

Returned to the guesthouse.

The savings, through Shazhu, went to Qin Huairu; the house, through Shazhu, became the Jia family's; Yi Zhonghai now can only get by on his monthly pension.

He didn't dare stay in that luxurious single room, opting instead for a six-person dormitory.

At night, foot odor and snoring made it truly impossible for Yi Zhonghai to sleep; penniless, he could only barely get by.

An old man sharing Yi Zhonghai's room, who shared his plight, was also childless and had lost his wife early.

Regarding retirement.

They each had their own view.

The old man told Yi Zhonghai he planned to go to a nursing home, urged Yi Zhonghai to join him, saying they would at least look out for each other there.

Go to the nursing home for retirement.

But that was not the retirement Yi Zhonghai had hoped for.

He worried about being bullied in the nursing home.

This is the crux.

Don't judge Yi Zhonghai by his down-and-out state; a poor man's ambition is not short. The retirement he wants is one where he decides everything—what to eat, what to drink, what to do—all up to him.

In fact.

He also succeeded.

Using Qin Huairu, he successfully tricked Shazhu.

But he never expected Shazhu to die before Yi Zhonghai.

This ruined Yi Zhonghai's retirement plans; he wanted to marry Jia Zhangshi, but she refused, and even becoming a son-in-law to the Jia family was rejected by her.

The house still hasn't been reclaimed.

Yi Zhonghai was bewildered.

Returning to the guesthouse, he lay on the bed like a corpse, thinking about his future.

The old man who planned to go to the nursing home, seeing the lifeless Yi Zhonghai, shook his head slightly.

This person.

Too clever.

That's not necessarily a good thing.

Yi Zhonghai is a typical example.

……

Inside the Siheyuan.

The pot exploded.

Jia Zhangshi's revelation blew the neighbors into idiots.

Good fellow.

True good fellow.

Just after divorcing, she immediately set out to find a wife for Bangeng.

The Jia family is quite something.

Not said openly, but behind closed doors they whisper; some envy, others wait to see the Jia family's joke.

Things Jia Zhangshi didn't grasp, some neighbors did.

Bangeng might be expelled.

But Jia Zhangshi herself doesn't realize that, after driving Yi Zhonghai away, she still boasts to Bangeng about her achievements.

"Bangeng, you must trust Grandma and trust your mother; it's not Grandma who wants to remarry, nor your mother who wants to remarry; this is purely Yi Zhonghai disgusting our Jia family."

Seeing Bangeng still looking at her.

She gave a brief explanation.

"Yi Zhonghai, for his retirement, took your father as an apprentice; after your father's accident, he set his sights on your mother, eventually pairing her with Shazhu to support him; when Shazhu died, Yi Zhonghai saw his retirement plans go up in smoke, panicked—how old is Yi Zhonghai? He's in his nineties; in a few years, maybe just months, he'll die; with no son, no daughter, and his wife dead, who will dress him in mourning?"

She slapped her thigh.

"He's got designs on our Jia family, worried we won't support his retirement, so he thought of marrying Grandma; seeing Grandma disagree, he suggested becoming a son-in-law to our Jia family—Grandma has guarded Grandfather for all these years; we can't let her old age see Grandfather and Yi Zhonghai fight."

He took a sip of water.

He moistened his throat.

"Grandma went to the matchmaker to find you a partner; you are the Jia family's mainstay, your words and deeds represent our family's honor; Tang Yanling divorced you for Shazhu, which shows she bears a grudge against our Jia family, holding in anger—she must vent it; if Tang Yanling wants to spite our Jia family, she might divorce you and then remarry; how would outsiders see our Jia family, how would they see you? Even without that, the neighbors' spit could drown you; Bangeng, Grandma does this for you, and for our Jia family."

Bangeng always felt things weren't as Jia Zhangshi said.

He wanted to refute.

But he couldn't find an excuse to refute.

He sighed, turned, and left home.

Xiao Dang and Huaihua exchanged a glance, then followed him out.

Jia Zhangshi still favors males over females.

……

Next day.

Bangeng strutted into work.

Although he wanted to distance himself from Shazhu, some things can't be shaken off just by wanting to—like his current job, which Shazhu helped him find.

When Bangeng first returned from the countryside, he looked down on Shazhu and cozied up to Shazhu's rival, Xu Daming.

In the end he became a temporary film projectionist, but after receiving filial gifts from his fellow villagers, he privately handed over this kickback to Jia Zhangshi.

Jia Zhangshi, holding the money, kept praising Bangeng to Qin Huairu, saying Bangeng had grown up, become sensible, and could earn money for the Jia Family.

The money was fixed; once Bangeng gave it to Jia Zhangshi, there was no way to turn it over to Xu Daming.

This annoyed Xu Daming, and then an incident occurred where Qin Huairu slapped Qin Jingru, ultimately Bangeng was kicked out.

Unable to find work, Bangeng could only wander the streets all day.

Qin Huairu watched anxiously, worried Bangeng would go down the wrong path, and asked someone to find him a job sweeping the streets.

Bangeng was displeased, working three days then resting two.

Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi conspired together, scheming against Shazhu; that very night Qin Huairu, behind Bangeng's back, moved in to live with Shazhu. The next day, Shazhu found Bangeng, who was fishing in troubled waters, and gave him the certificate to learn driving.

Because of Shazhu, Bangeng learned to drive, became the unit's driver, and thanks to that profession he married Tang Yanling and had a son, Xiao Geng.

He became the leader of the small vehicle class.

This was also out of consideration for Shazhu.

Otherwise Bangeng would just be Bangeng.

Recently rumors spread in the unit that the vehicle chief, responsible for vehicles, was going to retire, and the higher-ups intended to promote a chief from among the current vehicle squad leaders.

The small vehicle squad has one chief and two deputies; the large vehicle squad totals five chiefs and ten deputies.

That is to say.

The chief position must be selected from among the eighteen squad leaders.

Bangeng felt he had a good chance of becoming chief.

When Bangeng was little, Jia Zhangshi repeatedly told him, saying our family's Bangeng has been smart since childhood, and at a glance he looks like material for a cadre.

Bangeng took those words to heart, feeling he would surely become a cadre in the future.

Therefore, this chief position belongs to none but him.

Bangeng would not let this chief position go to someone else's head.

Before entering the office, Bangeng specially tidied his clothing, then took a deep breath and stepped in with steady strides.

"Good morning!"

The sound of a greeting.

Flew out of Bangeng's mouth.

To become chief, one must be courteous to others and leave a good impression on the workers.

"Bangeng, good morning."

Those people in the office.

They all responded to Bangeng's greeting.

Some even deliberately flattered Bangeng.

"What Bangeng? You should call Chief Jia."

"What Chief Jia? Just call me Bangeng; I'm not chief yet."

"Bangeng, you're being modest, you really are modest—who are you? Bangeng, ah! Who doesn't know that your stepfather Shazhu is friends with the unit's top leaders? Although your stepfather has passed, the saying goes, 'when the person leaves, the tea grows cold,' but at least right now this cup of tea is still warm; this chief position belongs to none but you."

Bangeng's heart.

Not very happy.

He brought up Shazhu again.

How can he not clear up his relationship with Shazhu?

"Bangeng, as an elder brother I'm telling you this—don't dislike hearing it. While people are present, relationships remain; Shazhu is your stepfather, and our unit's leaders indeed have a good relationship with your stepfather. But your stepfather is gone, as the old saying goes, 'when the person leaves, the tea grows cold.' Take advantage while your stepfather's connections are still usable; get moving now, otherwise the only one who'll regret it later will be yourself."

"Brother Liu."

"Brother Liu, this is for your consideration; think it over carefully."

"Bangeng, the head of the Personnel Department, Xu, is looking for you; go see him now."

Bangeng left the office eagerly.

The expression on his face.

Visible excitement.

According to Bangeng's guess, Xu Department Head sought him out surely to discuss the logistics chief position; when Bangeng first became squad leader of the small vehicle class, Xu Department Head had also spoken to him about that.

This counts as having experience in that regard.

Those people inside the office.

They also thought so.

There's nothing to be done.

Who let Bangeng have a mother named Qin Huairu!

……

"Department Head Xu, are you looking for me?"

Bangeng stood calmly before Department Head Xu.

He asked without humility or arrogance.

"Bangeng." Department Head Xu pointed to a nearby stool and said, "Sit."

"I'd rather stay standing; if you have something to say, just tell me. Who I am, you already know—could this be about my father? My father devoted his heart and strength to the Jia Family; now that he's gone, there's no other meaning, just wanting to fulfill his last wish. I truly don't know if this also violates our unit's regulations, but even if I did know, I would still do it—I cannot let my father depart with regret."

Department Head Xu's gaze.

Fell upon Bangeng.

He could hardly see this person clearly.

He repeatedly said he disliked Shazhu, disliked Shazhu marrying his mother Qin Huairu, yet now, for profit, he stands before him and even mentions Shazhu's name.

He is scheming.

"It's not about your father; I just want to talk to you about your own matters."

Bangeng's heart.

He was pleased.

Those words were meant to remind Director Xu that I have a stepfather named Shazhu, and Shazhu is friends with the unit's top leader.

That's all.

Consider it a warning.

Seeing that Director Xu had understood his implied meaning.

He felt that his becoming director was a done deal.

"Director Xu, what is this for?"

"You divorced your wife?"

"Director Xu, to be frank, I divorced Tang Yanling the day after I held the funeral for my father. It's not that our feelings broke down; it's that he didn't understand my actions in holding the funeral for my father. Our Jia family affairs, you also know. If it weren't for my father, I might not be standing before you saying these words. Anyway, we've split up, the child is with me, I gave Tang Yanling a thousand yuan, after all she bore me a child."

Bangeng tried to save face as much as possible.

The Shazhu who was driven out of his home and died miserably has even become material for Bangeng to exploit.

"By rights, matters like divorce and remarriage are your Jia family's private affairs and have nothing to do with our unit."

Hearing this, Bangeng.

A sense of panic instinctively welled up in his heart.

Suddenly he felt that a great disaster was imminent.

"But someone said the unit can't just ignore it, Bangeng—don't worry, I'm just conducting a routine inquiry; say whatever you have to say."

"Okay."

"Did your grandmother arrange a marriage for you? Is there such a thing?"

"Director Xu, it's not as you imagine. My grandmother doesn't understand anything; she thinks that since I divorced, being alone is inconvenient, the child is still young and needs care, so she's the one arranging this."

"Bangeng, you don't need to explain; just say whether there is such a thing—your grandmother arranged a marriage for you right after your divorce, yes or no."

"Yes!"

"Your grandmother went all out for your marriage, demanding the woman have good background, education, looks, decent figure, good family, and moreover be an unmarried young lady."

"Director Xu, this is all my grandmother's doing; it has nothing to do with me."

"Bangeng, I still say the same: whether it exists or not, no explanation needed—do you understand?"

Bangeng nodded.

"So that means there is one?"

"Mm."

"Then let me repeat: you divorced, and the very next day your grandmother set you up with a prospect, demanding the woman be perfect in every way, conditions comparable to an imperial selection; this isn't rumor but fact, right?"

"Right!"

"You may go now."

Bangeng, his head in a fog.

He didn't even know how he had left the office.

Anyway, by the time he reacted...

The Personnel Department's notice had already appeared before Bangeng.

Bangeng's coworkers all thought he had become director, and they swarmed over with a clamor to congratulate him, but seeing his expression, they instinctively craned their necks to scrutinize the Personnel Department's appointment and dismissal notice.

When their eyes fell on those characters.

Their heads buzzed loudly.

It was a personnel notice, but not the one they imagined announcing Bangeng's appointment as Logistics Director; rather, it was the notice of Bangeng's dismissal from the unit.

Bangeng was fired!

The hot candidate for Logistics Director, Bangeng, not only lost his eligibility to run, but was also kicked out.

The reason for the dismissal.

The superiors also gave an explanation.

Bangeng divorced Tang Yanling, but soon after he arranged to marry again, imposing all sorts of conditions on the prospective bride; someone reported this to the unit, openly declaring that Bangeng was their unit's Chen Shimei, damaging the unit's reputation; considering this, the superiors announced Bangeng's expulsion from the factory.

"Bangeng, from the moment you receive this notice, you are no longer an employee of our unit; please hand over your work ID, don't make things difficult for us, please cooperate—your keys, documents."

He walked with heavy steps.

Bangeng left the unit; as he stepped out the gate, he stopped, turned his head, and gazed solemnly at the imposing building, a hint of bitterness welling up in his heart.

He was dismissed.

Indeed, when the person leaves, the tea grows cold.

Because of Shazhu, he entered this unit; now, because of Shazhu's death, the Jia family's Bangeng has been fired!