"Ye'er, Daddy's back, hurry up and come out to eat!" A gentle knocking sound accompanied by Wen Xin's soft call arose at the door.
"Mom, I'll be right there!" Luo Ye wiped her face, took a few deep breaths, felt her emotions stabilize and then turned to walk outside.
Luo Zhenggang was sitting on the sofa flipping through the evening newspaper, his entire face hidden behind the paper. Suppressing the faint excitement in her heart, Luo Ye greeted him, "Daddy, you're back!"
"Mm!" Luo Zhenggang put down the newspaper: "Let's eat!" Luo Ye's lips twitched, just as brief as she remembered. She even wondered if her father actually knew what she looked like. If she changed her hairstyle and look, would her father recognize her?
A dish of green pepper stir-fried with pork, a dish of garlic shoots stir-fried with pork, a dish of braised spare ribs, a bowl of preserved vegetable and shredded pork soup—everything on the table was Luo Zhenggang's favorite.
"Have some soup first!" Wen Xin served soup to Luo Zhenggang, then picked up Luo Feng's soup bowl. Luo Zhenggang frowned: "He's old enough to do it himself!"
Startled, Luo Feng hurriedly took the soup bowl from Wen Xin's hands: "Mom, I'll do it myself!"
"You..." Wen Xin smiled and gave her husband a playful look, yet her face clearly radiated happiness.
Luo Ye looked expressionlessly at Luo Feng: "Bro, what are you worried about? Does Dad eat people?"
"Clang!..." The spoon dropped from Luo Feng's hand into the soup bowl, and he glanced at Luo Zhenggang in a panic: "Dad, don't blame Ye'er, blame me!"
Luo Ye felt both amused and annoyed; even that scared, he still remembered to plead for her. Luo Feng truly was a good brother, but how could someone incapable of protecting themselves protect others?
Luo Zhenggang ignored his son and cast an inquisitive look towards Luo Ye. In his memory, his daughter had always been too timid to speak loudly, yet today she dared to scold her brother in front of him. Essentially, she was using this as a way to express her dissatisfaction towards him. Had this girl eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard?
Wen Xin, fearing her husband would get angry again, quickly tried to smooth things over: "Alright, alright, let's eat. Ye'er, hurry up and apologize to your father!"
Luo Ye, who had started to calm down, suddenly bristled: "Why should I apologize? What did I do wrong? Mom, I want to ask, do you have a place for my brother and me in your heart beside Dad?
From childhood, the dishes on our table have always been what Dad likes to eat. Mom, I'm not trying to compete with Dad; I just want to know what my brother and I mean to you in your heart."
Turning to Luo Zhenggang, she continued: "Dad, I want to ask you, are you ashamed of having had my brother and me? Ever since we were aware, you've taught us to keep a low profile, never let anyone at school know about our status, not to fight with classmates, and to endure bullying as much as possible. Do you want your children to become cowards?
Fine, I'm a girl, and if I'm weak, so be it. But what about my brother? Dad, tell me, does my brother have any sense of a man's responsibility in his character?"
Thinking of her family's tragic end, dying alongside her enemies out of desperation, and the root cause of it all, the tinge of hatred magnified endlessly—Luo Ye couldn't help but explode!
Moreover, she was very clear that to change her family's fate, relying solely on her own efforts was pointless. To change her family's thoughts and characters, to break the existing patterns of interaction, was necessary. Therefore, everything starts today, starting with her change!
Wen Xin cautiously glanced at her husband, giving Luo Ye a look: "Ye'er, what... what happened to you today? Why are you... speaking to your parents like this?"
Luo Ye's face turned red: "Mom, do you know what school was like for my brother and me? Do you know how we got the injuries on our bodies? Do you understand why I started dressing sloppily since junior high?
Today, I fainted at school because a few girls in my class forced me to keep picking up the volleyball under the blazing sun. You know how frail I am, right, Mom?
I was wondering, if I had died on the playground today, would you and Dad have reflected on why it ended up like this?"
"Nonsense!" Luo Zhenggang frowned, "How can you blame everything on your parents? Haven't I taught you since you were little that those who wish to achieve great things must first endure hardships..."
Luo Ye interrupted Luo Zhenggang: "Dad, we've already endured all that we had to, and tolerated all that we could, but what's the result? Forget it, I'm done eating. You can think over what I've said!"
"Stop right there!" Just as Luo Ye took a few steps, Luo Zhenggang's voice rang out, now with a hint of authority: "What kind of temper are you throwing? Who did you learn this from - some spoiled young miss?"
Luo Ye turned back to look straight at Luo Zhenggang: "I'm not throwing a temper, I just want to ask Dad one question, for the way my brother's character has become today, do you bear no responsibility?"
Luo Feng looked at his sister somewhat sadly: "Ye'er, do you really think so poorly of your brother's character? I've always cherished you!"
"Brother, I know how good you've been to me, but I'm even more aware of the grievances you've suffered. A man should be resolute when it's called for. I heard about you shining Wang Wei's shoes, how could that feel good?" At the end of her words, Luo Ye turned her gaze back to Luo Zhenggang: "Dad, your son shined the shoes of a profligate because that person's girlfriend glanced at him one more time. How does that make you feel?"
"No ambition!" Luo Zhenggang stood up: "Forget it, I'm going back to my study!"
Wen Xin hurriedly grabbed Luo Zhenggang's arm: "Husband, finish eating before you go to the study. The kids are acting this way because they've been wronged today, why get angry with them?"
Fifteen minutes later, the dinner ended in a gloomy atmosphere. Luo Ye glanced at Luo Zhenggang, who had a stern face the whole time, sighed deeply and returned to her room. Change couldn't happen in one day; she needed to be patient!
...
Standing in front of the study's window, staring at the searchlights moving back and forth in the distance, Luo Zhenggang's mood was extremely complex. He was well aware of the accusations his daughter made, but as an official many envied, the bitter truths were only known to himself.
In May 1980, the Organization Department held a seminar to discuss the selection of young and middle-aged cadres, with the discussion resulting in the "Several Opinions on Further Improving the Selection of Outstanding Young and Middle-aged Cadres," requiring the Party committees at all levels to boldly promote a group of professional cadres with at least a high school education level into the leadership team.
Luo Zhenggang, a normal university graduate, was the only eligible candidate in Dianzi Town when Ludong Province issued the document emphasizing the promotion of young officials in 1982. At the age of 24, after serving as an office clerk for five months, he was exceptionally promoted to the position of Town Secretary.
In those years, when young officials with a high school diploma or higher were scarce, the county's choice of promotion also fell on him. Having served as the Town Secretary for merely seven months, he was promoted to the position of Director of the County Water Resources Bureau, in May 1983.
In August 1984, he was promoted to the position of Mayor of Shinan District in Daocheng City, completing a major leap from clerk to mayor of a district in a prefecture-level city within two years and three months, a rare example in an era when talents were desperately needed.
The most obvious flaw in officials who were promoted this way was their lack of grassroots political experience, and he was no exception. Since 1987, he was continually reassigned to lower-level units to start his grassroots refinement.
At that time, there were calls to demote these exceptionally promoted officials back to their original positions for retraining. In 1993, he was reassigned back to Daocheng to resume his former post, mainly because a former superior had spoken favorably of him. In 1998, he was promoted to be the Vice Mayor of Daocheng City, overseeing urban construction.
Throughout this journey, his path first smooth, then challenging, he faced countless individuals waiting to catch him on any misstep. In terms of ability, he was second to none, but plagued by an unstable backing and lack of a solid foundation, he couldn't shake off the label of having benefitted from policies, and to gain respect and a firm standing, he had to put in more effort than others. In these past two years, he had finally managed to elevate his own authority.
His concerns over his son's temperament were countered by his reassurance; how many officials had fallen from grace because of their prodigal children causing trouble? He was even more reassured by his wife, who would definitely not take bribes or engage in corruption behind his back.
What he did not anticipate was the normally timid and obedient daughter exploding in such a manner today. Knowing her character, she wouldn't have acted out if she hadn't been pushed to her limit!
Today's update for Nuajin is here; new chapters beg for clicks, favorites, and recommendations, love you all!