Chapter 25 That's what my sister collected and recommended

  (Favourite it and recommend it, please)

  Luo Xiaotong had long heard about the original boiler worker's refusal to work. Moreover, he was here not to wait for Chen Hua's help with more chores, but to get a proper job. Now that several months have passed, Chen Hua hasn't said anything, but has arranged this task without doing it himself. However, he can't be too direct, after all, they had developed some feelings and still needed to maintain them.

  "Town head, you see, I don't have experience in burning boilers, nor do I have the relevant qualifications, it's not possible," Luo Xiaotong said with a smile: "I know you're doing this for my own good, but we also need to be realistic. You'd better find someone else."

  "How can you be like this?" Chen Hua showed a hint of displeasure: "I've tried to persuade him, but he won't do it. How am I supposed to explain?"

  "It's okay, I'll go and explain it to the town mayor, I'll say it was my fault, so you won't be troubled."

  Chen Hua looked at Luo Xiaotong, somewhat angry. He really didn't give face to Chen Hua's dignity either. However, he couldn't lose face and indeed wanted him to do it himself.

  "Hey kid, are you Chen Hua's brother?" Starting to address each other as brothers, Luo Xiaotong immediately understood that he had to make a move here, and not doing so was not an option. However, having made up his mind, he would absolutely not agree until the time was right, and he still wanted to fight for his own interests.

  "Of course," Luo Xiaotong seemed very innocent: "In the town, only you care about me, you are my brother, my own brother, I've said it before. I don't listen to others, I only listen to you."

  "This is right," Chen Hua was very satisfied, thinking that Luo Xiaotong was still easy to coax: "Listening to me is not wrong, I am all for your own good." As he said this, he narrowed his eyes and said mysteriously: "Don't underestimate this job, there are many secrets, you'll know when the time comes."

  Lu Xiaotong didn't believe that good things would fall on his own head. With the meager salary he earned every month, this guy was always eyeing ways to make extra money, and wouldn't let a month pass without asking for it. He was always picking faults, how could there be any benefits left for himself?

  "Since I'm trusted by the town head, I don't have much to say, I'll just work hard," Luo Xiaotong said: "But, I heard that the original salary is not high, only 800, it's too low, can we add a bit?"

  Chen Hua sighed softly: "Nowadays, the town's economy is not good, and the mayor has clearly stated that it cannot be increased. However, since you've spoken up, I'll take charge for once and give you an extra 100 yuan. For burning the boiler for four months, that's an additional 400 yuan."

  Lu Xiaotong saw that he had agreed so readily and regretted saying too little, but it was already too late to make amends, and could only do so now.

  Half a month later, Luo Xiaotong went to work. This is good, now there is work during the day, and 24 hours a day in town, becoming the busiest person, but also the one who earns the least money. It really fulfilled that saying: those who put in effort don't earn money, those who earn money don't put in effort. Although the stove hasn't started burning yet, there is still a lot of work to be done beforehand. The most important task is transporting coal to the town government's courtyard. There are many considerations here, whose coal to use, the town mayor decides. However, how much coal to transport, and how much to use, Chen Hua has the final say. It's said that this is for transparency.

  There is no coal company in the town, and the original state-owned coal yard was dissolved at the beginning of the reform and opening up. The town's coal has been obtained from a private boss surnamed Wu every year since then. On the first day of delivering coal, this person appeared, with a fat head and big ears. He always smiles when looking at people, and he looks like a sly merchant at first glance.

  Chen Hua instructed Luo Xiaotong to measure the height of each truckload of coal and remember how many trucks were pulled.

  "This job is very important," Chen Hua said: "You must record the truth." Luo Xiaotong naturally did not dare to have any crooked thoughts. This coal boss and the deputy mayor of the town must have a good relationship, even if he has some thoughts, it's just thinking, the coal boss won't bother him.

  However, that's not what happened. On the first day, Mr. Wu saw no one around, took out a pack of cigarettes from his car, Zhonghua, and handed it to Luo Xiaotong: "Brother, take it and smoke."

  Lu Xiaotong didn't have experience in this area. He refused to accept the gift: "No, boss, I'm just a boiler worker, I don't qualify and have no reason to take your things."

  Boss Wu's expression was serious: "Brother, how can you talk like that? I heard Deputy Town Head Chen say that you're his brother, and since you're his brother, you're my brother too. The things I give you are because of our fraternal relationship, take them." He stuffed them into his arms. That pile of coal was 90 centimeters high, Luo Xiaotong saw it clearly. But Boss Wu said it was one meter, Luo Xiaotong didn't object.

  The car drove away, and Luo Xiaotong took the cigarette and returned to a room inside the boiler house. This place was already completely his world. He wrapped it in a plastic bag and put it in his pocket, intending to give it to Chen Hua on the second floor. However, he took it out again, as his clothes would be bulging too obviously. He called Chen Hua: "Mayor, come down for a moment."

  Chen Hua didn't ask for a reason and went straight to the boiler room. Luo Xiaotong handed over the cigarette: "This was given by that boss, I don't dare keep it, you take it."

  Chen Hua smiled: "It's given to you, how can I take it away?" He pushed it back: "You keep it yourself, doing this job, getting a cigarette is normal." He chuckled and said: "Are you taking care of him?" His eyes stared at Luo Xiaotong.

  Lu Xiaotong wanted to lie, but he always felt that Chen Hua knew about these things. He simply nodded: "He overreported the height, I had no way to object." His attitude was very sincere.

  Chen Hua smiled: "Xiao Tong, you're too honest."

  Luo Xiaotong smiled and said: "Town head, why say that?"

  "Look, this little thing is your private matter, you can keep it to yourself and shouldn't say it." Squinting at Luo Xiaotong: "You can tell me about it, but don't tell others. If others find out, it won't be good." With a concerned expression.

  Luo Xiaotong was delighted in his heart. He thought to himself, "Of course, you think I'm a fool? If I didn't think you knew for sure, Chen Hua, I wouldn't even tell you." But what he said out loud was: "I know this too, Town Chief, since you treat me like a brother, it's only natural that I shouldn't keep secrets from you. That's what I think, right?" He looked at Chen Hua, trying to gauge whether or not he knew about Wu Laoban's plan.

  Chen Hua nodded: "I didn't misjudge you, Xiao Tong, do a good job, I Chen Hua won't let you down." As soon as he spoke, Luo Xiaotong's heart was filled with joy, it really made him guess that Chen Hua and Old Wu had this kind of tacit understanding from the beginning.

  Chen Hua didn't say anything else, and the cigarette was never lit. However, as he left, he threw out a sentence: "Some things are better left unsaid, just keep them in your heart." Luo Xiaotong nodded in agreement, but Chen Hua had already walked far away.

  Within four days, Wu Boss's car had transported ten loads of coal. Luo Xiaotong remembered it clearly, but on the last day, when Wu Boss asked him to sign, it was written as eleven loads instead. Luo Xiaotong shook his head and said, "That's not right, I remember very clearly that it was ten loads, you made a mistake." Wu Boss smiled mysteriously and didn't say anything, pulling out a stack of money from his pocket and shoving it into Luo Xiaotong's: "Brother, you're not easy to get along with either, just a small token." Luo Xiaotong dared not accept it and pushed back strongly. Wu Boss's face sank: "Brother, this is not giving me face."

  "Brother, I can't do this," Luo Xiaotong said, looking at him. "If Mayor Chen finds out, I might lose my job."

  "Don't worry, no one knows." Mr. Wu assured.

  "Director Chen will definitely know." Luo Xiaotong said affirmatively, staring at Old Wu without blinking.

  Mr. Wu smiled and said, "Brother, you are indeed a clever person, and your future will be boundless." He directly put the money into Luo Xiaotong's hand: "This is also what Chen Huazhen meant."

  Luo Xiaotong understood in his heart that even if he didn't take the money, he would still have to agree with Wu Laoban's false report. He might as well take it, this way he would be doing a favor for both Chen Hua and Wu Laoban, and he would also gain something. Isn't this what they mean by "win-win" these days? Ha ha, everyone wins.

  He took the money and signed with a smile. After Mr. Wu left, he counted the money, oh my god, it was a lot, 800, almost equal to a month's salary as a boiler worker. This was his first income outside of his salary, how should he use it? He decided to find a place to eat and experience the thrill of gray income. After washing his face at home, just about to leave, Old Liu from the guard room came over: "Luo Xiaotong, someone is looking for you."

  "Who's looking for me?" Luo Xiaotong wondered. Having worked here for a long time, this was the first time someone had asked for him. Who could it be?

  "It's a girl," Old Liu smiled: "Very beautiful, is she your girlfriend?"

  Luo Xiaotong shook his head: "Uncle, I don't have a girlfriend." As he spoke, he arrived at the front of the building and saw a slender and elegant figure in the distance. At a glance, Luo Xiaotong was overjoyed to recognize it was Xiao Ye.

  "How did you get here?" asked Luo Xiaotong with a smile.

  "Have you forgotten our appointment?" Little Ye said innocently, with a lovely face and an extremely pure expression. Luo Xiaotong chuckled: "Of course I haven't forgotten, but the other night when you came over, you didn't say a word, I thought you wouldn't come again."

  "Have I been here before?" Xiaoye's eyes suddenly widened: "No, I haven't been here before."

  Lu Xiaotong observed carefully, and Xiao Ye spoke seriously, not like he was lying. However, what she saw that night was indeed exactly the same as Xiao Ye.

  "Do you have twin sisters?" Luo Xiaotong suddenly wondered.

  "No," Xiao Ye said firmly: "Now in our family, I am the only daughter."

  Lu Xiao Tong was confused: "I clearly saw it, really Xiaoye, that night I really saw you, can't be wrong."

  "Did you really see a girl who looks exactly like me?" Xiao Ye seemed to understand something in her mind, but she was still skeptical about whether Luo Xiaotong was joking or not, and wanted to confirm.

  Luo Xiaotong nodded firmly: "Cheating you is a puppy."

  Xiao Ye's expression turned serious: "Brother, what you saw might be another person." As she said this, her eyes suddenly welled up with tears, becoming even more charming and moving. Luo Xiaotong suddenly felt that those who were into literature all had a lot of life experience, saying that women were as gentle as water was not false at all.

  "Then who is it?" asked Luo Xiaotong: "Don't joke with me."

  Xiao Ye said seriously: "I'm not joking with you, the person you mentioned, I think I know who it is, but you might not believe me when I say it out loud, that's my sister."