June 2, 2024, Yangcheng
"The single dormitories are for the factory management. I can't help on this matter."
"What about the double dormitories?"
"There are no vacancies in the double dormitory right now. How about this, let Wu Cheng squeeze into the multi-person dormitory."
"That...."
"I have a meeting. I'll talk to you later. Bye, I'm hanging up now."
"Beep, beep, beep…"
Hearing the busy tone on the phone, Wu Cheng comforted her, "Mom, I've already told you that she won't help."
Opposite Wu Cheng, a middle-aged woman looked at her phone and sighed, "This is your dear second aunt. She won't let you live in the half-empty single dormitory in the factory, and makes you squeeze into a dormitory with 12 people in one room."
"Then just don't stay." Wu Cheng smiled indifferently.
The middle-aged woman raised her head, her face full of guilt: "Chengcheng, Mom can't help you."
"Mom, why are you saying that? You've done everything you can. I can do the rest on my own."
Wu Cheng showed a sunny smile.
He graduated from university more than two years ago and is currently an ordinary programmer, working in Panyu, 20 kilometers away from home.
Due to busy work, he often work overtime until 10 o'clock in the evening, and then take the subway for more than an hour to go home. It is usually 12 o'clock after washing up and lying in bed, and he have to get up at 6 o'clock in the morning to go to work.
Severe lack of sleep.
Zeng Lifen, seeing how hard her son works every day, asks Wu Cheng's second aunt for help and wants her to arrange a single employee dormitory for him during the transition period. She is willing to pay the rent every month.
Wu Cheng's second aunt runs an electronics factory with three to four hundred employees. It is said that the annual net profit is nearly 10 million. There are many unused single dormitories in her factory's employee dormitory, and most importantly, it is very close to Wu Cheng's company.
Who would have thought that she was unwilling to help and even not let Wu Cheng live in a dormitory.
"When your father passed away, your second aunt told me to come to her if I had any problems. What about now? That's human nature."
Zeng Lifen shook her head, her eyes full of disappointment, and looked at Wu Cheng: "What are your plans? How about... renting a house near the company?"
"I guess I won't be so busy after this project. Don't worry, mom. I'm OK."
Wu Cheng, who has been strong and independent since childhood, is not so pampered. The most difficult time has passed.
In fact, Wu Cheng had advised his mother against it when she first made the call. He had expected this result, as he had already seen the faces of these relatives.
In 2015, my second aunt's factory had no money and no orders and was on the verge of bankruptcy. Wu Cheng's father helped to find bridge financing and used his connections to attract orders, which helped her factory overcome the difficulties.
At that time, the relationship between the two families was quite good. My second aunt would come to visit our home every now and then with gifts, and her words were always kind and enthusiastic.
Ever since Wu Cheng's father passed away from advanced lung cancer five years ago, his second aunt's family has become increasingly indifferent to Wu Cheng's family.
Maybe there were other reasons, maybe seeing that Wu Cheng's family had lost its breadwinner and was in foreign debt, the second aunt wanted to keep her distance.
During the summer vacation of his freshman year, Old Wu had just passed away a few months ago, and Wu Cheng wanted to go out to find a part-time job. Zeng Lifen asked her second aunt to help Wu Cheng get a part-time job in her factory, thinking that his relative could take care of him to some extent.
Second Aunt helped with this matter, but she paid Wu Cheng 10 yuan per hour, while the other employees were paid 13 yuan per hour.
There was even one time when a batch of important parts were lost in the factory, and Second Aunt suspected that Wu Cheng had stolen them.
After that, Wu Cheng saw through their true colors, but his mother Zeng Lifen still had hope, thinking it might be a misunderstanding and that they must be nostalgic for their old relationship.
But what is the result?
Wu Cheng understood the principle that when people leave, the tea gets cold.
But can familiar relatives really be more indifferent than strangers?
Old Wu helped them so much over the years, but did all the favors go to waste?
Haha, a bunch of ungrateful wolves!
What made Wu Cheng feel the most fucked up was that three years ago, they sent his unconscious, elderly and sick grandfather to a public nursing home in the countryside.
This kind of nursing home is not the kind of retirement community you see on TV, with a living environment comparable to that of a hotel, 24-hour care, rich food, and diverse entertainment.
The conditions there are heartbreaking to see. The elderly people sit in wheelchairs with numb expressions, without the slightest smile on their faces. There are only two words written in their expressions and eyes - waiting to die.
If Old Wu were still alive, they wouldn't dare.
Later, Wu Cheng and Zeng Lifen took their grandfather out and took good care of him during his last year.
After the funeral, Wu Cheng quietly left the "Loving Family" group chat.
Love each other? What a joke.
"Be sure to take a rest, and ask for leave when you can't bear it anymore."
Zeng Lifen worriedly advised: "If it doesn't work out, find a job closer to home. It doesn't matter if the salary is lower. We can get by easily."
"OK."
Wu Cheng walked into the kitchen, put down the chopping board, and placed the vegetables he bought in the morning on the table one by one.
A Qingyuan chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, eggs, and beans.
Today is Sunday and he has a day off. He cooks for his mother and sister as usual. Cooking is also a way of relaxing for him.
The deceased old Wu left behind a house, which is the one we live in now. However, due to his medical treatment, We had no savings and was in debt. In the past few years, We have mainly relied on occasional help from Wu Cheng's two uncles, as well as Wu Cheng's own part-time work to pay for his studies.
Zeng Lifen was a housewife before Old Wu passed away. After Old Wu passed away, she worked as a dishwasher in a restaurant kitchen for several months, earning more than 3,000 yuan a month.
Later, Wu Cheng saw that her hands were white from being soaked and covered with rough wrinkles, and her face was full of fatigue every night when she came home. He felt so distressed that he forced her to quit her job and only do housework and pick up her 6-year-old sister from school.
Now Wu Cheng is responsible for all the daily expenses of the family.
His income is actually not bad, with a monthly salary of 12K, and a little over 10K after tax. However, since he has to support a family and pay off debts, he has almost no savings.
Otherwise, Zeng Lifen would not have thought of asking her second aunt for help.
"Phew! That's how life is. Everything will get better slowly."
While picking beans, Wu Cheng comforted himself optimistically.
"ding!"
A voice suddenly rang in his mind, and Wu Cheng was so scared that he almost dropped the beans.
What the hell?
[Evolution system loading...]
A light blue panel appeared in front of my eyes, as if it was engraved on my retina, with clear edges, vivid fonts, and a realness that made me feel uneasy.
"system?"
Wu Cheng's heart was beating faster and faster.
He reached forward twice but couldn't touch the virtual panel.
Was it a dream... He pinched his thigh hard and grimaced in pain.
[Player, are you willing to start your evolutionary journey at the age of 24, when your life is about to begin? ]
Evolution? not mutation.
"I do!"