A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Chapter 1145 Helping Chen Muli

Gui'er told him about Chen Muli's situation, and then said, "I want to help him, but I can't just give him money directly. Someone like him would definitely not accept it."

Wu Mingqiang put down his pen and pondered for a moment: "This is not difficult." He looked at Gui'er, "I know a foreign firm owner who recently said he was looking for a tutor who understands English to help his son with his studies, and that the price was negotiable."

Gui'er's eyes lit up: "Really?"

“Of course.” Wu Mingqiang smiled. “I’ll call him right now and tell him I know a Professor Chen. He’s very knowledgeable and reliable. I guarantee he’ll be happy to take the job. That way, we’ll find Mr. Chen a respectable job without us directly helping him. He won’t refuse.”

Gui'er breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a warmth in her heart: "Thank you, Brother Wu."

"Why are you being so polite with me?" Wu Mingqiang picked up the phone. "I'll call right now and try to get him to start work tomorrow."

Listening to Wu Mingqiang chatting and laughing with the foreign firm owner on the phone, Gui'er looked out at the twilight and suddenly felt that the light in this chaotic world might not only be the grand struggle, but also the warmth hidden in the cracks.

After hanging up the phone, Wu Mingqiang raised his eyebrows at her: "It's done. The boss said he couldn't be happier and wants Mr. Chen to come to his house for a trial lecture tomorrow."

Gui'er smiled, but her eyes were a little moist. She knew that this was only temporary peace, but as long as there were moments like this, it wasn't complete despair.

Two days later, Chen Muli suddenly found her and said gratefully, "Gui'er, I am really ashamed. You are my classmate's sister. I originally wanted to take care of you, but I didn't expect to receive your help instead. I only found out today that it was Mr. Wu who introduced me to you.

Gui'er quickly waved her hand and said, "No, it's nothing, Teacher Chen. It's just that the boss also asked us to find someone. I originally wanted to go to the teaching affairs office to find you that day, but you weren't there. I thought the job was pretty good, and you were so suitable, so I took it upon myself to have Brother Wu give your contact information and details to the employer. I didn't expect him to be so satisfied and contact you personally. How are you? Are you happy in class?"

Chen Muli nodded and said with a smile, "I'm quite good at teaching, and Mr. Zhang's son is also quite studious, so there shouldn't be any problems. Mr. Chen is a very generous person. Not only does he pay a high salary, but he also respects us intellectuals very much. Nowadays, rice, sugar, and flour are all subject to rationing and purchase limits. Every time I go to class, he cares about my daily life and gave me a big bag of rice and flour, as well as a small jar of honey. I haven't tasted honey in a long time. Hey, would you like to come to my office and try some honey water?"

Gui'er was genuinely happy for him and said with a smile, "That's great! Let's do it another day. I'll come over to your place to have a drink when I'm thirsty."

When school was over, Gui'er said to Acheng with great joy, "I didn't expect Brother Wu to find such a good family this time. Teacher Chen said that not only is the pay high, but they also give us rice and flour. It's really great."

Ah Cheng laughed and said, "Where? These foreign firm owners are all as shrewd as crystal monkeys, and they're even more demanding of their employees. Do you really think they're Guanyin Bodhisattva descended to earth? Their wages are paid by Brother Qiang, and we also provide the food and oil. Brother Qiang said that since you're studying at school, you'll inevitably receive Professor Chen's attention in the future. Now's a good opportunity to curry favor with him, so we'll definitely do it thoroughly. This is also paving the way for your future career."

Gui'er was stunned. Acheng's words were like a pebble thrown into a lake, leaving her unable to calm down for a long time.

It turned out that all that "generosity" was arranged by Wu Mingqiang. He was always like this, taking care of everything quietly, even things she hadn't thought of.

She recalled the light in Chen Muli's eyes when he talked about honey, that pure joy. If he knew the reason behind it, he would probably feel embarrassed. And she, she had been kept in the dark about this "good intention," feeling happy for him while also being grateful to Wu Mingqiang for his thoughtfulness. It seemed somewhat ironic.

Wu Mingqiang's kindness to her was like a fine net, gently enveloping her, yet she sometimes felt suffocated. Should she be grateful for this care, or wary of this omnipresent arrangement? She couldn't figure it out, only feeling a heavy weight in her heart.

As the car turned the corner, Gui'er unconsciously looked out the window, her gaze suddenly drawn to a figure on the roadside—a gray cloth jacket, carrying an old bundle, walking with a steady yet familiar gait, just like Zhu Zhiming.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she almost blurted out, "Brother Cheng, stop the car!"

Before the car had even come to a complete stop, Gui'er pushed open the door and jumped out, running quickly in that direction. The street was bustling with people; she pushed her way through the crowd, her eyes fixed on that retreating figure, her heart pounding as if it would explode—wasn't Zhu Zhiming supposed to be dead? Could the news be wrong?

The man turned into a narrow alley. When Gui'er ran breathlessly to the alley entrance, it was empty except for a few piled-up trash cans. There wasn't a soul in sight.

"Brother Zhu? Brother Zhu!" she couldn't help but call out twice, her voice echoing in the alley, only her own echo reverberating.

Unwilling to give up, she walked a few more steps deeper into the alley, only to find a few rats scurrying around in the corner, and nothing else.

Am I seeing things wrong?

Gui'er stood there, somewhat dazed. She was a modern person and did not believe in ghosts or gods, but the person she had just seen looked exactly like Zhu Zhiming, both in terms of physique and facial features.

Back in the car, Ah Cheng noticed her pale face and asked worriedly, "Miss, what's wrong? What did you see?"

Gui'er shook her head, her voice a little hoarse: "It's nothing. Did you see that person just now? He looked a lot like Brother Zhu Zhiming. I chased after him but couldn't find him."

"That can't be, Zhu Zhiming is already dead. You must be mistaken. Do you want me to go look for him for you?"

"No need." Gui'er leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. "Maybe I saw it wrong."

The car started moving again. Gui'er gazed at the fleeting street scenes outside the window, feeling a deep emptiness in her heart. The photo of Zhu Zhiming's sacrifice had been published in the newspaper; how could there be a mistake? Perhaps she missed them too much, which was why she mistook a stranger for someone familiar.

When Gui'er got home, she wanted to talk to Wu Mingqiang about Chen Muli and Zhu Zhiming, but when she saw Wu Mingqiang looking worried, she quickly asked, "What's wrong?"

Wu Mingqiang sighed and said, "I've always wanted to revive my rice smuggling business, so I paid a high price to inquire in Guangzhou. Recently, news came back that the Japanese 23rd Army was actually established in Guangzhou in June. It is said that this army was specifically designed to capture Hong Kong. Some time ago, the 51st Division was added, and they are preparing to conduct targeted exercises in the direction of Hong Kong, focusing on mountain assault and inter-service coordination."