Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Half a month after Tang Zhicheng returned, the house was finally allocated to him. However, it wasn't an apartment building but rather a small courtyard.
Indeed, it was a small courtyard. To call it a courtyard felt somewhat exaggerated; it was originally a servant's quarters with only two tiny rooms. The yard itself was about four meters wide. Yet, no matter how small it was, it was still a courtyard. Once the door was closed, it became a private space, which was certainly better than living in a crowded dormitory or an apartment building.
The journey of this courtyard to Tang Zhicheng's hands had its own twists and turns. Originally, this place was occupied by a leader from the Transport Department. Recently, that leader had made a mistake and was sent for labor reform. His family was also implicated and sent to the countryside. With this house vacated, it became available.
Once the house was freed up, many people set their sights on it. Not only ordinary workers without housing but even leaders were eyeing it. This led to a dilemma: everyone wanted this small courtyard, but who would get it?
Eventually, someone suggested drawing lots. Tang Zhicheng had good luck and drew the winning lot. It was purely a matter of chance; if his luck had been bad, he couldn't blame anyone else.
At this point, everything should have ended smoothly. However, an about-to-retire worker from the loading and unloading team refused to accept the outcome and insisted that there was foul play in the drawing. He claimed that Fang Yifu had cheated by giving Tang Zhicheng the slip of paper with the house written on it beforehand. He also mentioned that Tang Zhicheng was Fang Yifu's nephew-in-law and that they were relatives.
Not only did he cause a scene himself, but he also dragged his wife and grandchildren into the uproar. The commotion grew so loud that the leaders had no choice but to hold another drawing.
This situation stemmed from both the worker's outburst and the leaders' ulterior motives. A second drawing would benefit everyone except for Tang Zhicheng; after all, what if someone else got lucky this time?
Tang Zhicheng felt powerless against such authority; although Fang Yifu had spoken up for him a few times, it didn't change much in the end.
However, he was merely the captain of the transport team, and there were higher authorities above him. What he said about the house didn't hold much weight either.
To everyone's surprise, when they drew lots again, it was Tang Zhicheng who won once more. This time, the slip of paper had been personally written by a leader and placed in the box by hand; it was hard to claim that Uncle Fang had acted unfairly this time.
No one else dared to speak up, including several leaders who had their own agendas. With the same person winning twice in a row, they could only attribute it to fate. Fate was not to be defied.
However, the person who had caused the initial uproar was still unwilling to back down. This time, instead of accusing Uncle Fang of favoritism, he began to play the sympathy card. He lamented how difficult his family's situation was and how tight their housing conditions had become.
Ultimately, his implication was clear: they had their eyes on this small courtyard and wanted to exchange it for the house where they currently lived. It was obvious that their current residence was not as good as this courtyard.
Tang Zhicheng firmly refused to make the swap. Yet, the older man, relying on his seniority and nearing retirement, made a scene without any regard for face or decorum. The leaders considered persuading Tang Zhicheng to take a step back, but this time he was resolute. "I’ve already taken a step back when we drew lots again," he said. "Since I’ve drawn it again and won, then this house is mine."
Comment 0 Comment Count