Even if the conversation was over at this point, the principal stood up and stretched out his hand: "Xiao Chen, then I won't send you." ”

Chen Nan shook hands with the principal, didn't say anything else, and turned to leave.

Seeing his lonely back go away, the principal sighed deeply.

Chen Nan's luggage was still in the school dormitory, and when he returned to the door of the dormitory, he saw his bedding, basin, clothes, shoes, and a large stack of books piled up at the door, and the door was locked.

There were people coming and going in front of the dormitory building, and everyone looked at Chen Nan with strange eyes, making him feel like a man on his back, and he couldn't wait to leave this place, but he couldn't finish his luggage, so he could only take a few important books and put them in his bag, hurriedly left the school, and returned to Gao Tupo's brother and sister-in-law's house.

When they got home, Chen Bei and Ma Chunhua had already gone to work, and Liu Ting was the only one there.

Chen Nandao: "Mom, didn't you say that you were going to see her today?" Go for it now. ”

Liu Ting was very relieved that her son was finally willing to see his biological mother, and she didn't notice that Chen Nan's eyes were a little different from before.

When the two went out, they met Hongyu to greet them, so the three of them took a bus to Hongyu's house together, Chen Nan was silent along the way, Liu Ting and Hongyu had nothing to say, and they were quite embarrassed.

When I arrived at the place, Hongyu's living environment was not bad, a two-story building, the windows were bright and clean, there were more than a dozen pots of flowers in the yard, the cleaning was spotless, the house furnishings were simple and simple, but there should be everything, radios, bicycles, these things that only high-level cadre families can have, Hongyu's family is the same.

Beckoning Liu Ting's mother and son to sit down, Hongyu was busy pouring tea and handing water and peeling apples, very diligent, looking at Chen Nan from time to time, with the warmth of a loving mother in her eyes, but Chen Nan always avoided her biological mother's eyes and did not make eye contact with her.

Talking about the process of abandoning her son, Hongyu's eyes turned red, and she wiped her tears with a handkerchief from time to time, telling the story of the year, and finally sighed: "Bodhisattva bless, the child met a nobleman, not only survived, but also was so promising." ”

Liu Ting also sighed, but Chen Nan still didn't say a word, his eyes fluttered, and he didn't know what he was thinking.

"Sister-in-law, how have your mother and son lived all these years?" Liu Ting saw the group photo on the wall, and the young Zheng Zeru was smiling at herself, and she couldn't help asking.

Hongyu said: "Chen Shimei is everywhere these years, he abandoned us mother, we still have to live, fortunately, he still has a little conscience, he sends money every month, and his life is okay." ”

Before I knew it, it was noon, and Hongyu said that I had already bought the vegetables, so let's have a meal together at noon.

Liu Ting hesitated, but agreed.

Hongyu was very happy and said, "Child, let you try my mother's craftsmanship today, braised lion head." ”

Chen Nandao: "I'm not feeling well and want to go back." ”

Liu Ting blamed: "Xiao Nan, why are you like this." ”

Chen Nan turned his face and stared blankly outside.

Hongyu hurriedly persuaded: "It's okay, it's okay, there will be opportunities in the future." ”

From beginning to end, Chen Nan didn't call Hongyu Mom.

Today the sun was shining, there was a lot of traffic outside, Chen Nan and Liu Ting slowly walked away, Hongyu was still standing at the door looking at them, her heart was mixed, she couldn't tell whether she was sad or happy.

On the way back, Chen Nan did not take the bus, but walked all the way, the former Bo'ai Avenue has been renamed Zhongshan Road, the plane trees on both sides of the road shade the sky and the sun, the shadows of the trees are swaying.

"Mom, Zheng ...... Secretary Zheng, does he know? Chen Nan finally broke the silence.

Liu Ting said: "I left him a letter, and now he must know." ”

After pausing for a while, Chen Nan said: "Today, the school informed me that I will be sent to Nantai." ”

Liu Ting was shocked, life in the county is extremely difficult, there are no electric lights and running water, and it is difficult to draft water.

"Don't go yet, I'll find a way for your father." Liu Ting said.

Chen Nan smiled bitterly: "I shouldn't have come to this world, I have caused trouble to my father since I was a child, and I won't stop when I grow up, Mom, you shouldn't have adopted me in the first place." ”

Liu Ting was stunned for a moment and said: "Xiaonan, you are a good son of your parents, no parents will be suspicious of their children for trouble, you have experienced more things recently, it is better to go home and rest for a while, no, my mother will take you to Beijing, and it is good to change the environment." ”

Chen Nan said lightly: "Let's talk about it." ”

……

Provincial Party Committee, Zheng Zeru sat at the desk for an hour without moving, with the yellowed paper in front of the desk, at this time he had basically confirmed that Chen Nan was his eldest son who had been "separated" for many years.

Zheng Zeru always felt guilty about this son, but he never regretted it, because in that historical period of the White Terror, revolutionaries were in danger and would be arrested or even executed by the reactionary Kuomintang authorities at any time, how could they ensure the healthy growth of a disabled baby.

Fortunately, the child was adopted by Chen Zikun, allowing him to live a happy life far beyond ordinary people, and even his disability was cured.

The recognition of father and son is a great joy in life, but Chen Nan was involved in the political whirlpool and was beaten into a rightist by himself, and his adoptive father Chen Zikun was a high-level member of the Kuomintang Revolutionary Committee, and he may be the next person to be defeated, and being involved with the Chen family at this time is very detrimental to Zheng Zeru's political future.

After pondering for a long time, Zheng Zeru took out a box of matches, wiped them, lit the yellowed paper, and watched it slowly curl, burn, and turn into ashes.

Ring the bell, and the secretary comes in to wait for the dispatch.

Zheng Zeru said: "The province should follow up on the handling of rightist elements in a timely manner, understand their reform and work, punish the former and the latter, and treat the sick and save people." ”

The secretary said, "I'll go find out." ”

Zheng Zeru nodded, continued to work at the desk, the secretary quietly retreated, gently closed the door, went out and made a few long-distance phone calls directly to the Salt Lake Farm and the Jiangbei Regional Education Bureau to learn about the transformation of rightists, especially Chen Nan's situation.

The secretaries are all very discerning, and Secretary Zheng's sudden concern for the transformation of the rightists must be related to the recent report letter about Chen Nan, considering the relationship between the leader and the Chen family, it is estimated that the protection is the main thing.

He thought so in his heart, and involuntarily brought it out in his tone, the other party is also a person who is good at understanding the intentions of the leader, so he can't hear it, saying that the Education Bureau originally planned to let Chen Nan go to Nantai, but it also depends on his recent performance.

The secretary reported back to Secretary Zheng.

Zheng Zeru fell into deep thought, the secretary didn't dare to disturb, and he didn't dare to go out, so he had to stand in place, he had been with Secretary Zheng for so long, he had never seen a leader think about something for so long.

"Decentralization is very good, but the environment of the county is inevitably too superior, so I suggest that Chen Nan be sent to a more difficult place, such as Kushuijing or some small mountain villages in Daqingshan, so that it makes sense."

The secretary was a little puzzled, but when he saw Secretary Zheng's shining eyes, he suddenly understood that the leader was sincerely good for Chen Nan, and only by putting him to death could he be reborn, and only after arduous transformation could he be reborn and take off his hat.

After the secretary left, Zheng Zeru came to the window and lit a cigarette, a miserable white lightning rolled in the sky, and after a few seconds, a series of muffled thunder sounded, and the rain began to fall.

"You are my Zheng Zeru's son, you must have a tough heart, and you must have the ability to withstand storms." The first secretary pressed the cigarette butt and muttered to himself.

……

Gao Tupo, the family is eating, for the decentralization of his younger brother, Chen Bei's attitude is diametrically opposed, Chen Bei strongly opposes the younger brother to the county, but Ma Chunhua said that the conditions in the county are much better than in the countryside, and enduring some hardships is beneficial to growth.

Chen Bei put the wine glass down, stared at the red eyes and said: "Stinky girl, you know a fart, if the organization is assigned to go to the countryside to exercise, it is beneficial to growth, but what is this?" It's distribution, it's moving left, it's exile, Xiao Nan is already so miserable, and he has to be sent to the countryside to suffer, isn't this a whole person. ”

Although Ma Chunhua is a political cadre, she is not Chen Bei's opponent in terms of reasoning, the child is growing up, and her hot temper has improved a lot, so she doesn't argue with her husband and takes the child to the side.

But Liu Ting could see that Ma Chunhua didn't quarrel with Chen Bei, but let him, so she persuaded: "Xiaobei should not say a few words." ”

Chen Beiyi raised his head and drank again, and said, "Anyway, don't want to send my brother to the countryside." ”

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, Ma Chunhua went over to open the door, and two cadres in Mao suits stood outside, took out their work cards and introduced themselves as belonging to the regional education bureau and wanted to send Chen Bei to the countryside.

Behind them was a gas jeep.

Ma Chunhua brought the two of them in and said that the comrades from the Education Bureau were going to send Chen Nan to the countryside.

Chen Bei exploded when he heard it, dropped his chopsticks and said: "I also chased it to the house, I want to ask which decision was made to send my younger brother to the county seat?" ”

The cadres of the Education Bureau smiled disdainfully, and said: "First of all, I will correct your mistake, the location of Chen Nan's decentralization is not Nantai County, but Kushuijing Township, and secondly, we are just here to inform you, and by the way, we will send the bedding that Chen Nan threw in No. 1 Middle School, and is not responsible for the transportation problems of the delegated personnel, and finally tell you that Chen Nan's handling was personally instructed by Comrade Zheng Zeru, the first secretary of the provincial party committee. ”

After that, the two of them left a piece of paper and Chen Nan's luggage roll, and walked away.

The family looked at each other, Chen Nan's problem seemed to be serious again, and he was directly relegated to the poorest and most difficult bitter water well in Jiangbei, where even drinking water was a problem, and he had to go more than ten miles away to pick it, Xiao Nan could stand this suffering?

Liu Ting was shocked, she never expected Zheng Zeru to make such a decision, not only did she save her own son, but also intensified her ruthless blow.

Chen Nan didn't react violently, he hadn't eaten much in the first place, so he pushed the rice bowl and said, "I'll rest." ”

Chen Bei wanted to persuade him, but was pulled by Liu Ting: "Let your brother be quiet." ”

Chen Nan was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling with his eyes, the whole encounter of the past year came to mind, he went from Shanghai to the provincial capital, and from the provincial capital to Beitai, and now he has to go to the countryside of Nantai County, the gap in life is far less than the psychological gap, he used to be the pride of the sky, and now he is a rat crossing the street.

What made him even more irritated was that his biological father, Zheng Zeru, was so ruthless.

Late at night, Chen Nan, who was tossing and turning, got up, took out a pen and paper and wrote a few letters, sealed them in letters, pressed them under the inkwell, put his watch and pen away, and then dressed neatly and quietly went out.

On the streets of dawn, shrouded in mist, only the rustle of cleaners sweeping the streets could be heard, Chen Nan came to the Workers' Cultural Palace building opposite the city hall, went up to the top of the fourth floor, took one last look at this foggy world, and then jumped down.