Chapter 659: Fake Pregnancy

Xu Damao returned home, and Xie Xiaolan had already prepared a basin of cool water and handed him a bottle of Arctic Ocean soda.

"You were in high spirits when you went out this morning, so why have you come back with a face as long as a donkey's!"

"That bastard He Yuzhu! He stripped me of my official position. He made me go sweep the toilets. What the hell is this?"

"Didn't you go find Deputy Factory Director Li?"

"Who said I didn't?" Xu Damao sighed and lay down on the kang, "Deputy Factory Director Li suddenly started passing the buck, acting like a completely different person, telling me to just hang in there... What do you think is going on with that grandson?"

Xie Xiaolan leaned in: "Didn't you see Deputy Factory Director Li just last night? How did things change so suddenly?"

Xu Damao lowered his voice: "I heard through the grapevine... that he went to the warehouse to find Qin Huairu and got caught."

"How can this man be so lecherous?" Xie Xiaolan said.

"Some say Deputy Factory Director Li was caught bullying Qin Huairu, others say he was set up by He Yuzhu," Xu Damao shook his head, "Truth or lies, nobody knows!"

Xie Xiaolan curled her lip: "I told you long ago to keep on good terms with He Yuzhu. You insisted on cozying up to Li Huaide."

Xu Damao didn't say a word.

"But this might be for the best," Xie Xiaolan changed the subject, "Since you failed, you have to honor the bet we made; we need to go get our marriage certificate."

Xu Damao glared at her: "I've ended up in this state, and you still want to talk about a damn certificate?"

"You're not getting the certificate?" Xie Xiaolan squinted at him, "Then I'm going to look for someone else. I won't hide it from you, there are several men at my workplace around my age who keep asking me if I'm interested in remarrying."

Xu Damao flew into a rage upon hearing this: "Xie Xiaolan, let me tell you, if you dare to flirt with some wild man, you can get the hell out of this courtyard!"

Xie Xiaolan wasn't annoyed, saying slowly: "Damao, if you get the certificate with me, I'll go beg Deputy District Head Duan to let you work in the district; maybe you'll even be able to show movies again."

Xu Damao's eyes lit up, then dimmed again: "Keep dreaming. Deputy District Head Duan only talks to you because you deliver coal to their house every year; do you really think you're something special?"

Xie Xiaolan curled her lip: "Your mouth never has a damn good word to say. I'm done with you, I'm taking Dabao to the Small Tavern."

After Xie Xiaolan left, Xu Damao cursed: "Pah! She wants to introduce me to a job. Heh! What a delusional woman!"

He Yuzhu had just come out of his office, preparing to go home, when he saw Xiao E running over in a panic.

"Brother Zhuzi!" She grabbed He Yuzhu's arm, "My father has been taken away, you have to save him!"

He Yuzhu was stunned: "When did this happen?"

"The day before yesterday..." Xiao E's eyes turned red, "Xu Damao and the others took my father to the factory to confess his problems. I don't know why, but just now, people from the city's Revolutionary Leading Group took him away, saying they wanted to investigate his issues."

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu felt suspicious; was this done by Zhou Hao's side? But Li Huaide had just promised everything would be fine, so why flip sides now?

He told Xiao E to wait in his office first, then turned and went to Li Huaide's place.

When he reached the door, he saw it was locked and no one was there.

He Yuzhu returned to his office, where Xiao E was pacing back and forth, her face full of anxiety.

"Don't worry," He Yuzhu said, "You go back and keep your mother company first. I'll handle this matter immediately."

After Xiao E left, He Yuzhu called Li Xiangxiu directly.

He explained the situation, and Li Xiangxiu was silent for a moment before saying helplessly: "You guessed right. The city just established a Revolutionary Leading Group, and Zhou Hao is a Committee Member on it; it's likely he did this."

He Yuzhu sighed, "It looks like I'll have to trouble Secretary Liu!"

"Besides him, no one else can really help with this," Li Xiangxiu said.

He Yuzhu returned to his office and began dialing Secretary Liu's number.

The call took nearly an hour to get through.

He Yuzhu recounted the whole story, and after listening, Secretary Liu was silent for a long time before finally saying: "Zhuzi, don't be too anxious about this yet. There's a change on my end—I'm also returning to Beijing."

He Yuzhu was stunned: "Then where will you be working?"

Secretary Liu pondered for a moment: "Returning to Si Jiu Cheng is one option, and the other is returning to Liaoning Province."

He Yuzhu smiled: "Have you been promoted again? Then let me congratulate you in advance."

Secretary Liu sighed, his tone filled with reluctance: "To be honest, I really don't want to leave here. The industrial foundation here has just been laid, and the exports are earning quite a bit of foreign exchange. I'm afraid that once I leave, this momentum will stop."

He Yuzhu said: "Then why don't you find someone you trust?"

Secretary Liu didn't continue that topic, instead asking about the situation at He Yuzhu's factory.

He Yuzhu told him everything that had happened recently.

After listening, Secretary Liu said: "Tell the Lou Family that this matter can be resolved within a month. Tell them to endure it for now."

He Yuzhu nodded immediately: "Thank you so much! I'll be waiting for you in Beijing."

Xie Xiaolan was lying on the counter in the tavern, chatting idly with Xu Huizhen.

Xu Huizhen glanced at her: "Did something happen at home? Why the long face?"

Xie Xiaolan said irritably: "Xu Damao was stripped of his position and is sweeping toilets at the factory."

"What bad thing did he do this time?" Xu Huizhen asked curiously.

"He had nothing better to do than get involved with Deputy Factory Director Li and go against your nephew," Xie Xiaolan sighed, "Originally, he told me that if he failed, he'd get the certificate with me, but now he's trying to back out. What do you think I should do?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Huizhen started scolding: "Xie Xiaolan, I think you're just cheap! A piece of work like Xu Damao—if it were me, I would have stayed far away from him long ago. But you? He's a pile of stinking dung, and you're a fly that just won't stop buzzing around him!"

Xie Xiaolan wasn't angry; she lowered her head: "Actually, he's been quite good to us mother and child... especially a few years ago; if it weren't for the money he gave, my Dabao and I might have starved to death."

As she spoke, Xie Xiaolan shed tears.

Xu Huizhen sighed, watching Xie Xiaolan cry so pitifully, and after a moment of silence, asked: "Do you really want to get that certificate with him?"

Xie Xiaolan nodded.

Xu Huizhen's eyes rolled: "How about I give you an idea?"

"What idea?"

"Find someone to write you a certificate saying you're pregnant. Tell Xu Damao that if you don't get the marriage certificate, you're going to get rid of the baby."

Xie Xiaolan's eyes lit up immediately: "Can I really do that? But who would be willing to write such a certificate for me?"

Xu Huizhen smiled: "That's easy to handle; it just takes a doctor's signature. If you can't find anyone, I'll find someone for you."

Xie Xiaolan grabbed her arm: "Xu Huizhen, if you can help me find someone to get this done, from now on, I'll have people deliver all the coal for your shop, and I won't even charge you for it!"

Xu Huizhen's eyes also lit up, and she slapped the counter: "Deal!"

But she immediately straightened her face again: "However, you must promise me that you cannot betray me."

Xie Xiaolan nodded repeatedly: "I understand, I understand!"