Chapter 290

Deputy Factory Director Li was currently using Shazhu to strike at Factory Director Yang.

He certainly didn't want to be pushed out to act as a shield for Factory Director Yang.

Xu Damao gave a cold snort: "Just keep pretending. You definitely put in effort to get Shazhu out."

Cao Weiguo said with a serious expression: "Brother Xu, you must not talk nonsense about this. I only took He Yushui to visit Shazhu; I did nothing else."

Xu Damao said with a smile: "Is that so? How come I don't believe it?"

Cao Weiguo said: "Brother Xu, I'm not joking with you. Spreading rumors like this will cause problems."

Looking at Cao Weiguo's serious expression, Xu Damao couldn't help but smirk: "I know, I know. I won't talk nonsense."

Cao Weiguo sighed: "That's good. I still have things to do, so I won't chat with you anymore."

After saying this, Cao Weiguo went straight to the study.

Xu Damao stood in the courtyard and spat in disgust.

He was convinced that Cao Weiguo had put in the effort, which was why Shazhu was released.

If it weren't for Cao Weiguo meddling, Shazhu would definitely have suffered for a few more days.

Xu Damao returned home, feeling even more depressed and irritable looking at the empty room.

Lou Xiaoe went back to her maiden home every few days, practically treating this place like a guesthouse.

Even when she occasionally came back to stay for two days, she didn't lift a finger to do anything at home.

He hadn't married a wife; he had married a princess.

Not only did she have the temper of a young lady, but she hadn't even given him a child yet.

Not wanting to spend the night alone, Xu Damao took some money from the cabinet.

He closed the door and left the Sihe Academy to go find one of his lovers.

Lou Xiaoe was the daughter of a capitalist, and he wasn't exactly a saint either.

When he went to the countryside to show movies, he had flirted with many young girls and married women.

He also had lovers in the city, though this lover wasn't a respectable person either.

If one wanted to relieve loneliness, relying on one's mouth wasn't enough; one also had to rely on money.

In the study, Cao Weiguo was browsing the *Guangming Daily*.

Lu Jin Peng came to the door carrying a bulging sack: "Brother Weiguo, are you in?"

"Come in!"

Hearing Cao Weiguo's response, Lu Jin Peng pushed the door open and entered with the sack.

"Brother Weiguo, these are the old items I collected recently."

"Thank you for your hard work!"

"Brother Weiguo, why are you being so polite with me? If it weren't for your help, how could my mother and children have enough to eat?"

Lu Jin Peng's gratitude toward Cao Weiguo was heartfelt, and he cherished this opportunity.

He simply collected some old items for Cao Weiguo while he was working.

Just like that, he could receive the hard-work fee Cao Weiguo gave him every month.

Moreover, the hard-work fee was higher than his salary, allowing his whole family to stop worrying about food and drink.

Lu Jin Peng took the items out of the sack one by one.

These items were either wrapped in newspapers or wrapped in tattered cotton cloth.

"This thing is not bad."

Opening a small package, Cao Weiguo asked curiously: "It must have cost a lot of money to collect this, right?"

Lu Jin Peng replied: "I collected this from an old man's house. Because it's jade, it cost seven yuan."

"That's not much. This is a good item."

"When you have time, go back to that old man's house and ask if he has any other old items."

This was a Yuan Dynasty jade dragon hook, relatively wide, shaped like a *pipa*, with the hook button made into a rectangular hole...

Placing the jade dragon hook gently on the table, Cao Weiguo began to inspect the other items.

A Ming Chenghua multicolored scholar's cup, a late Ming Dynasty Xuande censer...

There was even a Spring Outing painting by Zhan Ziqian of the Sui Dynasty, which made Cao Weiguo's eyes widen in surprise.

Suppressing the surprise in his heart, Cao Weiguo organized all the items.

Then he reached into his pants pocket and pretended to pull out five ten-yuan bills.

"Brother Lu, you've worked hard during this time."

Lu Jin Peng hurriedly declined: "Weiguo, there is still a lot left from the money you gave me last time."

Half a month ago, Cao Weiguo had given him another 100 yuan in funding.

He had only spent a little over 40 yuan to this day, and the remaining money could last for more than half a month.

After all, old items weren't visible everywhere, and many old items were collected as scrap.

Cao Weiguo didn't hide it: "That painting is a good item and is worth a lot of money. This isn't funding; it's my reward. You must accept it."

Hearing that it was a reward, Lu Jin Peng wanted it even less.

He received a hard-work fee every month, so how could he be embarrassed to take an extra reward?

Lu Jin Peng insisted on not accepting it, and Cao Weiguo couldn't force it on him:

"Since you don't want the money, come to my house for a drink tomorrow. Call Aunt Du, your sister-in-law, and Xiaofei."

"Let's have a meal together and liven things up. That's no problem, right?"

Lu Jin Peng smiled: "Deal. Then we won't cook at my house tomorrow night."

After Lu Jin Peng left, Cao Weiguo transferred all the old items to the farm.

Middle Courtyard

Just as He Yushui returned home, Shazhu rushed in angrily to question her:

"Did you go to Cao Weiguo's house just now!"

He Yushui frowned: "Yes, I even had dinner at Brother Weiguo's house. What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?"

Shazhu raised his eyebrows and shouted: "Cao Weiguo is my enemy! I wish I could beat him to death! And you still ate with him!"

If it weren't for Cao Weiguo getting in the way, he wouldn't have ended up in this situation.

Therefore, Shazhu regarded Cao Weiguo as an enemy!

His own sister was actually sitting and eating with his enemy, which made Shazhu both angry and furious.

He Yushui said angrily: "Brother, are you really stupid or just pretending? How is Brother Weiguo your enemy?"

"If it weren't for Brother Weiguo's help this time, would we have been able to see you?"

"Would you have been able to get out so quickly?"

"It's one thing that you don't go to thank Brother Weiguo, but how can you treat Brother Weiguo as an enemy?"

"You are returning kindness with enmity!"

Shazhu was so angry his face turned blue, and he pointed angrily in the direction of the Cao family:

"I'm returning kindness with enmity?"

"Bullshit!"

"If it weren't for this villain Cao Weiguo snatching my position as head chef."

"If it weren't for this villain Cao Weiguo squeezing me out."

"Would I have gone downhill?"

"Would I have been caught for taking a little meat?"

"Before Cao Weiguo became deputy director, I had been taking things from the cafeteria for years."

"When was I ever caught? When was I ever this embarrassed?"

"Tell me, is this villain Cao Weiguo my enemy!"

"Just wait and see! Sooner or later, I will fix this despicable villain and take back everything that belongs to me!"

Looking at her brother who seemed a bit manic, He Yushui was completely stunned.

She really couldn't imagine that her brother would be so unable to distinguish right from wrong.

Cao Weiguo being able to become deputy director was his own ability.

You were caught because you stole things.

How could you blame the reason on Cao Weiguo? ===== CHAPTER 292 =====