The same section of the small Li to participate in the work of only 4 years, soon after the wedding, was promoted to 150 kilometers away from downtown county bureau deputy director. In a few days after the section farewell meeting, small Li to go to the appointment before and specifically called on me and Lao Pan, said the evening sit down.
“I heard that Liu and Pan used to stay in the county bureau, and are living off-site with their sisters-in-law for a period of time, I want to ask about the county bureau work with ‘off-site’.” Once Xiao Li arrived at the restaurant, he opened the door and opened the box.
I chatted with Lao Pan left and right about the various experiences of working in the county bureau and living apart from his wife, exchanging glasses of wine, Lao Pan raised his glass, patted Xiao Li’s shoulder and told him: “Living apart after marriage brings not only the distance in time and space, but also the emotional tear, distance does not produce beauty, sometimes for work, for career and abandoning the family is Sometimes it’s not worth it to abandon your family for work and career, you can always be replaced at work, but you can’t do without one in the family.”
Lao Pan said, let my thoughts also followed back to the old days. Although I have said goodbye to the “long-distance life” for a long time, but the feeling and memories, as if in yesterday.
1
In 2015, in the northern part of the small county, my wife and I were living a life envied in the eyes of the onlookers: a car and a house, are in the system of the staff, 9 to 5 every day, full rest on both days.
Before we got married, we were less than 30 years old and enjoyed an early retirement in this small town with a slow pace and lack of energy. The two of us met through a blind date, like most of the acquaintances around us, and our parents are both institutional workers, so we are a good match.
But our mindset is not like most of the people around us, feeling that a family and a career, should be stable and uneventful for life, but every day want to change their fate through their own efforts. My wife once had a long talk with me about the future, and one sentence stuck in my ears: “We are young, our lives are ruined in this small county, we must try to jump out.”
To pave the way for leaving the county, we both took out all of our assets after we got married and bought a house in the city. Our goal was simple: to try to come to this third-tier city to work and live in the city.
A year after the wedding, my wife fulfilled the promise, she was selected through the system internal examination selection, was selected to the City Bureau. The day the announcement came out, her happiness was overwhelming, saying that 2016 was her “year of blessing”, “a double happiness”. I was very puzzled, and asked what the “second joy” was. She pointed to her stomach and said, “We have a baby, I’m pregnant.”
At this point, I should have reached the top of my life’s happiness, as if I had fallen into the clouds. But after the happiness subsided, I felt the pressure – I must also test or selected to the city before the birth of the child, or I am a husband who can not help his wife, a father who can not accompany the growth of the child.
This time let me think of the unit of the old Pan – if the city has not been able to go, I will be the same as the old Pan, into a long-term long distance together, the migratory birds.
My wife said goodbye to me reluctantly at the end of the announcement period and told me at length to study hard, prepare for the civil service exams, and pass the provincial or national exams to the city. I told her to pay attention to her health, peace of mind, and promise to work hard to pass the exam, to be with her before the birth of the child, so that the future of the family of three to live a happy life.
The first working day after sending my wife away, I arrived at the unit and immediately ran to Lao Pan’s office to learn from his experience. The old Pan is known as a good old man in the unit, modest and kind, talking to anyone is full of smiles. His real age is actually not called so old, only 36 years old, a little bald, the hairline on the forehead every year will be a little back, the face compared to the same age old round. He and his wife have been “long distance” since they got married (his wife also works in the city), and it has been 10 years since then, and the child is 7 years old. He did not witness the birth of a child, with the child’s birthday more than 3 times, only 2 days a week with the child and his wife.
I told Lao Pan about my situation directly, just like Xiao Li did later, and asked him how he usually commuted between home and work. The old Pan learned that I also opened a “foreign” life, not a trace of comfort, but very happy, as if a lonely migratory birds in the migration of the road suddenly more than a companion.
Lao Pan to my doubts in detail: the city is more than 200 kilometers from the county where our county bureau, more than 3 hours by coach, the ticket price of 100 yuan; plain Friday’s last bus 4:40 p.m. departure, if you want to leave early, you have to say hello to the leadership, time certainly not; and, the bus runs long time on the road, to the city station to 8:00 p.m., and then take a taxi To home, waste time and increase expenses, 9:00 p.m. in front of home is very good – and the city back to the county’s last bus is also 4:40 p.m. to go, to take the bus, only Sunday afternoon, the time at home is too short.
Therefore, he said he “generally do not take the bus”.
“Do not take the bus, they do not drive, then how to go back and forth ah? We don’t have a railroad in this small county.” I asked, puzzled.
“Take the black car ah! Black car fare and bus is the same 100 yuan, but the black car car pick-up car delivery, can pick you up at the unit, but also send you to the door; and black car faster than the bus, the basic two and a half hours to the place – so I usually Friday afternoon 5:30 pm let the black car on time to the unit to pick me up, Monday morning up early 5:30 am from the door back by car, never late and early. Never late and never leave early.” Old Pan finished, crossed his legs, lit a cigarette.
“Up so early ah?” I can’t help but feel the habit of sleeping lazily, “Monday morning to go can stay at home one more night, but get up so early, I can’t get up.”
“You can leave on Sunday, too, at any time – you’ll see how important that extra night is when your baby is born! A week of ‘two days and three nights’ is precious.” After saying that, Lao Pan took a fierce puff of the cigarette in his hand.
I and the old Pan continue to have the natter – their own drive to and from, the cost is too high, gas plus toll once 200 yuan, a week round trip on nearly 400 more expenses, and long-distance driving is more difficult, or take the black car is the most appropriate, fast, less expenses, on the car can sleep, not tired.
The old Pan let me go with him on Friday, he gave me contact car: “black car drivers are very high vigilance, the general strangers do not pull, in case the (long-distance) bus bosses hired to ‘fishing’, transport management (department) will punish them to death.”
That week to Friday after work hours, I packed up with the old Pan, together with the unit in front of the black car. The black car as old Pan said on time, after the car, I immediately sent a message to my wife said “8:00 before home”. But sitting in the car for half a day, the driver turned left and right, is not out of the street.
I asked Lao Pan what is going on, Lao Pan said, the day I forgot to tell you, the people did not pull enough, the black car is not going, have to wait to pull people full to depart, “generally within half an hour to depart full, the slowest time an hour also had over”.
After wandering in the street for half an hour, and then come up with two other people, the car set off at speed, in the not spacious national highway reckless overtaking, acceleration and deceleration frequently switch. The driver was on the phone contacting passengers for the return trip while racing, and from time to time, he shouted in their WeChat group, asking other black car drivers to introduce passengers to him.
I was in the car bumpy, very uncomfortable, and then look at the old Pan, in the driver “two short of two short of two” shouting, he has been lying on his side at the car window, dozing.
That night, dragging a tired body to home at 8:30, his wife had already prepared a meal, looking at me shushing her pregnant, I feel very guilty.
In a flash, it has been Sunday, I asked Lao Pan to black car driver’s contact information, after dinner and farewell to his wife, took a car back to the county, to the unit is close to 10:00 p.m., and his wife to say goodbye, fell asleep.
2
The city and county to run the black car drivers in order to earn more money, driving a small displacement, small space cars, the back space is very crowded after sitting full of three people, the middle of the back position of the passenger is the most uncomfortable. In the “point back” to sit in the middle of the seat a few times, I asked the old Pan how to sit in the passenger seat. Old Pan said indifferently: “Add money, 10 yuan.”
This is how I opened with the old Pan “group home” days, I sat in the passenger seat, Pan sat in the back row, I Sunday night back to the unit, Pan week together early go. Every time on the road, I am sometimes bored to hold the phone, I do not know whether to read the news or watch the video, but the old Pan, as always, on the car to sleep. I asked him how he can do fast sleep, he said with a smile, slowly get used to it, “sleep to feel the time pass quickly ah, but also to offset the journey fatigue, to home when you can take out twelve points of energy to help the wife take care of the children”.
Because the same life connected, I and the old Pan’s relationship is also closer, the two of us after work often together to drink and talk, the two single old man, in unparalleled harmony. A drink, I asked him, are 10 years, why still in this county grassroots unit to hold on to, long-term “foreign” to the family life more bad.
Lao Pan lit a cigarette and told me that for so many years, he repeatedly found the leadership of the municipal bureau to discuss this matter, the leadership is a few words to send him away, either “the municipal bureau no extra establishment” or “the municipal bureau section is temporarily not short of people”, and then must be “short of people to consider you first”.
The number of times he was stonewalled by the leadership, he retreated to the second best, “the City Bureau can not go to the (urban) near the county bureau can also ah,” but the leadership or a persuasion: “You are the backbone of the unit’s business, and then do two years to raise the stem more good ah? Transfer you to other district and county bureau, everything from scratch, so many years not in vain?”
However, two or three years have passed, the municipal bureau side is a shortage of people to transfer people no old Pan’s business, to promote the job is not his business. He went to the leadership again, said he did not intend to raise the stem, “find a county bureau near home to transfer it”. The leader was generous this time, and kindly told him that the City Council knew his difficulties and was seriously considering it, and when the nearest county was vacant, the first time he would be transferred there.
With the “Infernal Affairs” in the lines that, this first, and two or three years, until the city bureau leaders transferred away, the old Pan is still in our county bureau “dedication”, still when the leadership of the business backbone.
The new leaders do not recognize the former leaders to the old Pan promised, each time politely told him: look at the neighboring county, the old Zhang, which are “foreign” 15 years, not still doing a good job it? Children’s wives are also well taken care of, children are enrolled in college; look at the other county’s old Li, “off-site” half a lifetime, which only retired, how much contribution to the development of the unit’s career. The new leader once again encouraged old Pan: to grasp the good times, overcome difficulties, learn more from old comrades, work well, “the future is promising”.
In this way, “promising” small Pan boiled into the old Pan, the two years he went to the leadership again, the leadership reprimanded him for not taking into account the overall situation, so that he did not come over again for this. After eating a few closed doors, old Pan no longer go to the leadership.
I asked the old Pan test did not take the civil service. Old Pan drank a large mouthful of wine, and continued: civil servants have been tested, but his specialty is more special, few suitable positions, “three unlimited” positions are too competitive, each time the name fell, after the age of 35, no longer eligible to test.
“Or their own strength is not, can not test them, strength is not ah!” Old Pan poured the wine again.
I asked again: the Bureau of the system selection also can not?
The old Pan listened, widened his eyes, changed his usual amiable, through the strength of wine loudly cursed: “selection is bullshit, what is selection ah? What’s a selection? It’s a selection only when people are fixed! Every year is a carrot a pit, which is not the children of leaders, (leaders) relatives of the old country? The hard relationship directly to the city bureau, the relationship between the average in the county to do a few years and then transferred to the city bureau or (urban) around – you look at the last 10 years of the system selection list, there is a competition in it? We all know that registration is also when the cannon fodder, it does not matter are cannon fodder!”
Maybe it is conscious of some excitement and out of shape, old Pan looked at me, and suddenly lowered the tone: “Liu look, we have more than ten county bureau below the system, each county bureau like you and I ‘foreign’, more than seven or eight, less one or two, a long time, are almost ‘off-site’ for life, this hundred and eighty people, how do I compete with others ah? City Council leaders on what basis to transfer you ah?”
I listened, also helplessly hung his head, and old Pan clinked glasses, a drink and finished.
Later, listening to the gossip of other colleagues, I learned that in the past 10 years, only one year system selection examination in the case of two people competing for a position – the person involved in the competition is the old Pan.
When it comes to the pain of long-term “long distance”, the old Pan eyes red, said, before the child 1 year old, every Friday night to home, the child was scared of him crying, an hour or two later will slowly accept the “father”, really like a knife. By Monday morning, looking at his sleeping wife and children, he was reluctant and helpless, but also had to carefully get up and go, afraid of any noise, “two days and three nights, it is too short ……”
Now, the children have grown up, every night and old Pan video, but also long accustomed to only Friday night dad can go home, the whole family has long been used to the days without his company.
“There are children after the ‘foreign’ pain, you can not experience.” The old Pan had tears in his eyes that night.
3
In the twinkling of an eye, I experienced the pain of the old Pan that year.
My wife gave birth to a baby son, after maternity leave to work, I can not take care of my wife and son, but also unable to share a variety of trivial things for the family, that as a man, as the backbone of the family but useless sense of powerlessness, pressed me to breathe. Every time my wife and I disagreed and quarreled over the care of our son, I would find Lao Pan to pour out my grievances.
During this period, I have participated in the provincial examination, the national examination, the same as the old Pan, all failed. When looking at the city bureau issued a selection notice, I and Pan will be based on the requirements of the post, analyzing who is the “radish” – every time we both guessed eight or nine are not far from the truth.
The company’s main business is to provide a wide range of products and services to its customers. I also like the old Pan, Monday morning back to the unit, the car can fall asleep. I and old Pan also thought about driving their own car, by pulling people to share the gas money and toll, but fear of transport control, but also no black car drivers of the kind of clientele, so it did not happen, can only continue to adapt to the black car drivers waiting for people and racing.
In 2017, Lao Pan and I heard that back to the city passing through the county bureau of County A new in two graduate students, home are the city, living in the same district, but also every week to go home. The idea of driving ourselves back and forth popped up again.
Through the system’s address book, I contacted the two new colleagues – Yang Yu and Li Xin – and we quickly reached a consensus: to drive home together and share the cost together.
In order to minimize the cost, my car with small displacement and low fuel consumption became the “shuttle”, driving my car home, only 40 yuan per person per trip. Of course, the most important thing is safer and more comfortable.
I and old Pan as usual 5:30 p.m. from the unit, 6:00 p.m. to A County, pulling Yang Yu and Li Xin, basically 8:00 p.m. before they can all enter the home. Since I drove, the old Pan road basically do not sleep, but the back row of the two young people fell asleep more fragrant.
Yang Yu and Li Xin has the distinctive characteristics of the post-90s, lively and cheerful, can talk and laugh, after several peers, and we talk about everything. They both come from the same college, and our unit professional counterparts, I and Lao Pan listened and could not help but feel – even if it is a graduate degree, counterpart professional, but also even the City Bureau can not stay.
The two of them are also very depressed, said at the time of school recruitment did not specifically say which bureau to go to, only after reporting to be told where to work. Their batch of more than ten newcomers, most of them are assigned to the grassroots units, “only Zhang Ying and Sun Xinyu were left in the city.
“Do they both have doctoral degrees?” Lao Pan asked.
“No, they are both not even graduate students, they are both undergraduates.” Li Xin shook his head.
“City Bureau Zhang Bureau (chief) girl is not this year’s graduation work ah?” I interjected.
“That Sun Xinyu I have seen before, is the personnel section chief of the old Sun’s kid, Zhang Ying sound familiar, I was thinking of which leader’s children, you say so, it’s really similar.” Old Pan for this “guess the carrot” drew a conclusion.
“Four people home team” on the road, the two young people often to the old Pan and I inquire about the Bureau of things, the two of us sing a harmony, to know, guess, all told them to listen to the two, the old Pan looking for leadership of the year, but also as a joke told a serial. Old Pan and I often admonish them both, while young, and try to test out of the system, because we both really do not want to see the two graduate students without relations, sinking in the county’s grassroots sector, and do not want them to be like us, and later began to know the end of this “foreign” life.
Yang Yu is tall and handsome, very sunny, student breath has been floating in the body, high nose, white skin, so people can not see that he was born and raised in the local people. Every Friday before 5:30, I would get a call from him, telling me and Lao Pan that he had packed up and wanted us to pick him up on time. We always laughed at his impatience at first, but when we came home together more often, we realized that he had started to live a “long distance” life.
Yang Yu and his girlfriend in high school to determine the relationship, in the same city to read the university, in their senior year they took the graduate school together, together with the civil service examination, together to find a job, and finally, his girlfriend got into the city’s civil service, but he got into the graduate school. Under the persuasion of his family and girlfriend, Yang Yu continued to study, and his girlfriend let him sign a good job back in the city after graduation.
Yang Yu graduate school on the taste of 3 years of “long-distance relationship” suffering, only summer and winter to be with his girlfriend every year, once graduated from graduate school, he was determined to return to the city signed our bureau. Originally, he and his girlfriend were full of joy, and the two families were planning to get married, but he did not expect to be assigned to the county below after he reported to work, his girlfriend’s parents immediately lost the previous initiative and enthusiasm, the wedding was also pressed the pause button.
Yang Yu often said to us that his girlfriend is not as snobbish as her family, has been waiting for him to transfer to the city bureau, but after listening to Lao Pan’s story, he is also ready to take the civil service exam. Lao Pan and I greatly appreciated Yang Yu’s decision and encouraged him that a graduate student from a famous university, just out of campus, to take the national exam at the end of the year, the golden ticket, next year, he will be able to finish his marriage with his girlfriend, so that the woman’s family will look at him differently.
When asked about Li Xin’s intentions, the girl said, however, to take one step and see, I also try these exams.
4
Yang Yu, Li Xin and I started to prepare for the national exam at the end of 2017 together, and the topic on the way home became the discussion of the “test and essay”. The old Pan, who had taken many civil service exams, taught the three of us how to quickly calculate the answers to numerical calculations, and how to make arguments in the opening of the essay, just like how many times he had won the gold medal. Li Xin, in addition to participating in the discussion, also often in the car to brush the examination video.
The national exam said to come, the three of us encourage each other, in different examination rooms to take the test, I and Yang Yu chose to apply for the city’s post, the competition is very fierce, basically belong to one in a hundred, Li Xin but another way to choose a position in a neighboring city, the competition is not as cruel as we.
After the national examination, our days returned to normal again. The various summaries and assessments at the end of the year make me tired of it.
In the blink of an eye, in 2018, my son turned one year old soon, and my wife started preparing the child’s birthday party early, but I was incredibly depressed – the child’s birthday happened to be Wednesday, and it was very difficult to take off work.
As expected, when I took a leave note to accompany the child’s birthday reason to ask for leave with the leadership, the leadership talked to me about the axiom, and the municipal leaders of the year “education” old Pan’s tone is the same: you are now the backbone of the business unit, now very busy, there is a lot of work to set up, the child’s birthday do not take leave, the focus on the work, and later to mention the dry ah!
My wife had a big fight with me because I couldn’t take time off to go home, and repeatedly stressed how important the child’s birthday was. I had nothing to say, my heart was stuffed.
On my son’s birthday, my wife video-streamed the whole thing to me, watching the little one laughing in front of the camera, curiously pointing at the candles and cake, my desire to quit grew stronger and stronger. After the video link, I immediately went to Lao Pan and asked him to go out for a few drinks.
I spilled my guts to Lao Pan about quarreling with my wife and not being able to spend my son’s birthday, and Lao Pan sighed after listening to me, which is not his familiar experience. He also laughed with me: now you are the backbone of the unit, feel that the whole unit can not leave you, but one day you are not there, there will be an immediate replacement for you, doing the work that you feel can not be replaced.
And at home, the duties of the father, husband is irreplaceable, the unit and the family which is more important, it goes without saying, many people just can not see this point.
Old Pan filled a mouthful of beer, eyes straight at me, continued: “I’m not like you, I’m over 35 years old, I want to change my fate through the examination is not possible, if you resign to face society directly, like our cold system, you have the contacts, resources and skills, to the community who will use you? I am afraid to resign ah. So while you’re young, you hurry up and take the test.”
The day of the national examinations soon arrived, I and Yang Yu Li Xin immediately on the website to check the results. I again fell behind, Yang Yu is only 1.5 points away from the interview, while Li Xin is the first written test, the second 5 points higher than the huge advantage to successfully enter the interview.
On the way home together this week, Lao Pan encouraged Yang Yu and me to keep up the good work, and from time to time, he passed on the interview skills to Li Xin. Li Xin nodded frequently, her face was full of joy – as long as she prepared properly, it was very difficult to overtake the second place through the interview, this position for her, basically nine out of ten.
The Spring Festival is getting closer and closer, it is our region’s favorite snowfall season, highway often closed, the national highway often see slippery roads lead to traffic accidents. We have a week back to the rule thus broken, sometimes heavy snowfall, half a month can not return. Old Pan often look at the weather forecast complained: this snow how not Saturday and Sunday under it? Road closure so we can not return to the unit how good!
Good in the week before the Spring Festival, the weather is fine, the temperature is back, together with the holiday to prepare for the New Year we again the same trip. We were all very happy on the way – to be with our families and children and girlfriends for a week straight was too precious.
We chattered about our plans for the holiday. Pan said he wanted to stay at home for 7 days, doing housework for his wife, playing games with his children, not going anywhere; Yang Yu planned to sit with his girlfriend’s family and talk about marriage; Li Xin wanted to use these days to do enough homework to prepare for the interview, while contacting the interview coaching class – if the bureau does not give leave, she will quit to go to the coaching class.
When they asked me about my plans, I said with a smile, “What can I do, I must be with my daughter-in-law and children like old Pan, these 7 days are precious, we must be fully accompanied ah.”
5
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, our whole family gathered together. That year, my second aunt’s family, who had not returned home for many years, also came back for New Year’s Eve. At the party, my second aunt asked each of us about the younger generation and was very happy to learn that my siblings were doing well.
When it came to me, I told Aunt Yee about the situation that I had been “off-site”. The second aunt listened, eyes flashing, and asked me again work unit, after confirming, said happily, she has a girlfriend is the love of our provincial director, they have not seen for years, is planning to get together tomorrow, when she helped me to talk, see how to do, and then urged me to keep the phone open at all times.
The relatives all coaxed me to toast my second aunt a few more cups, and I drank three cups in a row with her. The second aunt advised me not to think too much, saying that this may not be very sure, she can do, is to help me say a little.
The next day at noon, my wife and I stared closely at the phone, afraid to miss any information. At about 1:00, my second aunt called and asked me to edit a text message and send it to her, writing clearly my workplace, name and current difficulties. My wife and I immediately considered the words and sent out a text message with trembling hands, not caring at all about our son who had been crying for half a day.
An hour later, the second aunt called me back and said she had spoken to my best friend about my situation, her best friend is also willing to help this favor, but the back of what, no one can say, “you go back to the unit to continue to work well, do not be impatient, the most important thing is to keep your mouth shut, no one should say anything about this matter”.
After hanging up the phone, I was both excited and apprehensive, full of expectations, but also afraid that hope is lost – this is the old Pan said “relationship” ah.
The whole afternoon, I sat on the edge of my seat, repeatedly looking through the text messages sent to my second aunt, afraid of which sentence, which word is inappropriate, until Yang Yu’s call came in, only to pull me out of this state of anxiety.
Yang Yu asked me to accompany him out for dinner in the evening, I painfully agreed, thinking to eat and chat with him, their own hearts can also be some peace.
During the Spring Festival, all the restaurants in the city are doing a brisk business. I met up with Yang Yu and walked around several stores before finally finding one with an empty table. Yang Yu came up and asked for a beer and told me that he was quitting.
It turned out that I wasn’t the only one who was suffering at noon today.
At noon, Yang Yu’s family and his girlfriend’s family to eat together, the two families are very unhappy, Yang Yu’s family that the two children dating for so many years, it is time to talk about marriage, you can book the wedding date first; while the girlfriend’s family but for a variety of reasons, although not explicitly, but the meaning of the words, is suspected of Yang Yu’s work in the county, after the marriage of long-term separation, who are not good.
I took the old Pan’s set of stoned to persuade Yang Yu, “you are still young, just out of school, and then insist on perseverance, through the examination to change the status quo is perfectly feasible.
But no matter what I say, Yang Yu’s attitude is resolute: “work can be found again, true love may not appear in the life of the second.”
The Spring Festival holiday came to an end in a flash. The night before going to work, the bureau leader called me and told me to go directly to the City Bureau tomorrow to find the personnel section chief Sun. My wife and I were overjoyed, feeling that our “long-distance career” might be coming to an end, my wife urged me to prepare how to speak to Sun tomorrow, and informed my second aunt of the situation. The second aunt was also very happy to hear the news, first praising her best friend for her reliable work, and again instructed me not to leak the news to outsiders.
The next day, I came to the city bureau early, in the car until 8:30, three steps and two steps, into the office of Chief Sun. After exchanging pleasantries, Chief Sun cut to the chase, saying that the City Bureau office workload this year, shortage of manpower, the intention to select a staff member from the county, after the study of the City Bureau, determined that I am very suitable for the job, asked me whether I have the will to work in the office.
At this point, I just feel the whole body adrenaline rush, a blood as a torrent cohesion in the brain, up some speechless. After a few moments of calm, I thanked the leadership of the Municipal Bureau for their concern and care for me, and said that I would work hard in my new position and work seriously.
After listening, Chief Sun nodded and told me to go back to the county bureau to continue to work first, the selection notice may be issued in a month. I promised, nodded repeatedly, and walked out of the section chief’s office with light steps. As a result, just to Sun closed the door, a turn, and saw Yang Yu who was waiting outside the door. I was a little short-circuited, asked him what he was doing here, Yang Yu raised his hand materials: “to do resignation procedures ah, brother Liu what are you doing here?”
I was a little embarrassed, did not dare to stay too much, only to advise Yang Yu not to be angry, and said he was for the unit to receive something, after the excuse, and he hurriedly said goodbye.
Out of the municipal office building, once in the car, I first informed the results of the second aunt, and parents, and finally informed his wife. The second aunt encouraged me to “continue to cheer, do a good job”, and my parents asked me to hurry to buy some high-grade gifts to see the second aunt again, and my wife was so excited that she could not speak, and kept repeating that “my son finally has a father with him”.
The city’s election notice was sent to the city after half a month, and Pan, as usual, guessed with me who the selection would be based on the selection requirements.
The day of the selection test, the entire examination room is only me, looking at the test questions, my heart laughs at itself: is it okay if I turn in a blank paper? –The company’s main business is to provide a wide range of products and services to its customers.
Section Chief Sun was the invigilator, and after turning in my paper, I was sent directly to the conference room next door to prepare for the interview. The interview was conducted by the deputy director in charge of personnel, he briefly asked a few questions, with a suspicious look at me said: “You kid is hidden, what problems and difficulties, why not directly to the City Bureau to solve it? Have to ‘find another way’?”
After saying that, he laughed. I was ashamed and quickly apologized: “If I have any difficulties in the future, I will be the first to communicate with the leadership of the Municipal Bureau.”
After the interview, Sun told me to go back to the unit and so on notice, said after the announcement of the selection results after the public period, people can come to the City Bureau to report to work, and instructed me to go back to do a good job handover, and say goodbye to the leadership colleagues.
I walked out of the city office building, I felt as light as a swallow, the mind recalled the whole event – before their own extremely disgraceful things, but even happened to their own – I shook my head helplessly, driving home, looking at the scenery outside the car, humming a song.
After returning to the county bureau, old Pan mysteriously found me, straight sigh I “have a city”, “is to do a big thing people”, and begged me to operate the transfer process to tell him. Looking at his eyes full of expectation, I reluctantly told the original story.
The old Pan listened and laughed bitterly: “Do you know how much a word from your second aunt is worth?”
“I don’t know, 100,000?”
“200,000, this job transfer is worth at least 200,000.” Old Pan continued to laugh bitterly, “Alas, what should I do, it doesn’t matter if I don’t have money.”
The day after the public announcement, the transfer order from the city bureau came down to the county bureau. In accordance with the usual practice, the bureau hosted a banquet in the evening for my farewell.
That night, I drank a lot, old Pan also drank a lot, he did not complain about me, just keep saying that I envy me, only “foreign” more than a year to end the days of running.
Finally, drunk he took my hand, whispered: “This, is the relationship ah!”
6
After going to work at the city bureau, I was able to watch my son grow up every day, making up for not being able to be with him for the past year or so and not fulfilling my fatherly duties. Surrounded by my wife and son every night after work, this should be the most common thing, after the “foreign” life experience, is so precious.
After the disbandment of the “four people home group”, old Pan took up the black car again, continue to work as the county bureau of the “business backbone”, taking advantage of my work in the city bureau office, from time to time with me to find out the movement of the director; Yang Yu resigned and found a job in a company in the city, his girlfriend’s family, although still not satisfied, but finally agreed to the marriage, father-in-law and mother-in-law encouraged Yang Yu, “after the wedding to continue to study, as soon as possible to take a city civil service”; Li Xin took a long leave to attend the interview coaching class, because of this matter and the unit leader got very unpleasant, but the good thing is that in the end to a huge advantage to successfully “land”, to work in a neighboring city.
At weekends, Yang Yu and I will occasionally get together with the old Pan back in the city, sharing interesting and trivial things about their lives. One weekend, Pan took the initiative to invite guests, said there are good things to tell us both. After three rounds of wine, I and Yang Yu have been asking what the good thing is, old Pan gripping a cigarette, two eyes lost, told us that he also want to say goodbye to the “foreign” life.
We continued to ask him how he did it. Old Pan said nothing, thumb and index finger in the air after a gesture, raised a glass of wine, proposed to drink the glass of wine together. Yang Yu and I drank it all, and congratulated him on the end of his suffering. After drinking, old Pan smiled bitterly: “Finally I can be a normal father, 12 years!”
A month later, the notice of selection of county staff to work in the City Bureau went down to the units, this time, there is still only one person to apply.
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