"I'm just a child and don't understand things. I've offended you a lot before, and I hope you'll forgive me!"
Regardless of whether Bang Geng's apology was sincere or not, Wang Jun found his attitude quite pleasing.
Wang Jun nodded and replied, "Alright, let's let bygones be bygones. I won't dwell on it anymore!"
Seeing Wang Jun's softened stance, Bang Geng immediately pushed his luck.
"Director Wang, I'm here today mainly to ask you to advance some relief funds!"
"Give me next month's nine yuan now, and I won't bother you for it then..."
"Get out!"
Wang Jun immediately issued an eviction notice.
He had long known that Bang Geng was a character from whom nothing good could be expected. He had clearly overestimated his expectations for the boy.
Bang Geng, realizing his plan to get an advance payment had failed, resorted to his backup plan.
His knees suddenly buckled, and he plopped to the ground with a thud.
He then burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Director Wang, you must save me!"
"I haven't eaten in two days. If this continues, I'll starve to death!"
"Now, I can only beg you to arrange a job for me so I can eat!"
"You're begging me? What can I do?"
Wang Jun reprimanded him sternly, "When I gave you money before, I strictly warned you!"
"Told you to spend it sparingly and make it last a month!"
"You just received the money less than a week ago, and you've already been hungry for two days?"
"You truly are a spendthrift!"
Bang Geng continued, "Director Wang, I want to be an apprentice at the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill!"
"Can you speak to Liu Kai Xuan for me and put in a good word?"
"At least get me a job that can provide a steady income, and I promise I won't bother you again in the future!"
"Hmm!"
Wang Jun nodded. "That's a very good idea!"
"How about this, Bang Geng, you go and communicate with Liu Kai Xuan yourself!"
"As long as you apologize sincerely and honestly explain the severe difficulties you're facing, I believe he will help you!"
"No!"
Bang Geng shook his head repeatedly. "Liu Kai Xuan won't help at all!"
"Director Wang, only you can go and talk to him yourself!"
"Enough, enough!"
Wang Jun decisively refused. "Don't cause trouble for me!"
"Since Liu Kai Xuan has already stated he won't help you, coming to me is useless!"
"Then how about this!"
Bang Geng shamelessly replied, "Director Wang, from now on, your three meals a day..."
"I can't be responsible for you!"
Before Bang Geng could finish, Wang Jun interrupted him decisively. "I've already given you the full amount of relief money!"
"You squandered it yourself. Now I can't do anything!"
"You must take responsibility for your own actions..."
"That won't do. If you don't care about my life or death, I'm not leaving your house!"
Bang Geng was a complete nuisance.
Now that he was starving and couldn't bear it any longer, he could only try to survive in this way.
Bang Geng refused to leave Wang Jun's house. As the director of the neighborhood committee, Wang Jun couldn't just stand by and watch him starve to death.
Moreover, it would be one thing if Bang Geng starved to death at home.
But if a living person like Bang Geng starved to death in the home of Wang Jun, the neighborhood committee director, it would be a very serious matter.
Finally, after a tug-of-war negotiation, a solution satisfactory to both parties was reached.
Wang Jun would provide Bang Geng with one steamed bun a day to stave off hunger, and Bang Geng would promise not to cause any more trouble.
The provision of steamed buns would continue until the relief money was disbursed the following month.
With a daily steamed bun as basic sustenance, and by foraging for some watery congee himself, Bang Geng could barely maintain his life.
As long as he could survive, the current difficulties could be overcome.
Now that Bang Geng was in dire straits and his neighbors in the courtyard had all "betrayed" him,
Bang Geng had no other choice but to steel himself and go to prison to find Qin Huai Ru.
Upon learning that Bang Geng was starving outside, Qin Huai Ru burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.
If she could, Qin Huai Ru wished she could be released from prison immediately, even if it meant selling her own flesh, just so Bang Geng could have nutritious meals.
At the same time, Qin Huai Ru deeply regretted her impulsive actions back then.
She had been sentenced to life imprisonment, with 15 years still remaining on her sentence!
By the time she was released, Bang Geng would be in middle age.
"Oh, right, Bang Geng... your grandmother left some money in the bank!"
Suddenly, Qin Huai Ru remembered a crucial clue. "Go and withdraw this money. It should be enough for you to get by for a long time!"
"Really?" Bang Geng was overjoyed. "Where is it stored? I haven't found it at home!"
Qin Huai Ru thought for a moment and replied, "Most of our belongings ended up with Yi Zhong Hai!"
"After I was imprisoned, Yi Zhong Hai was to raise Xiao Dang and Xiao Huai Hua, so he came to our house to sort through our things!"
"He took away many of our possessions!"
"That old beast again!"
Bang Geng's teeth itched with anger. "If my grandmother's savings book has fallen into Yi Zhong Hai's hands, we won't be able to get the money out!"
"Not necessarily!"
Qin Huai Ru said solemnly, "The savings book belongs to your grandmother, not to him, Yi Zhong Hai!"
"To withdraw money from the bank, the account holder themselves is required!"
"Yi Zhong Hai cannot replace your grandmother, so I suspect the savings book is most likely still there!"
"Sigh!"
Bang Geng nodded repeatedly and said with a smile, "Mom, think carefully, do we have any other assets?"
"My life is really difficult right now. If there are any other savings, please let me withdraw them too!"
At this moment, Qin Huai Ru gave Bang Geng a helpless expression.
Before Qin Huai Ru was imprisoned, she did have some money.
When she went to prison, she gave all of this money to Wang Jun.
This money was not given for free, of course; it was for her two daughters' tuition and miscellaneous fees.
Now, Qin Huai Ru certainly wouldn't let Bang Geng go to Wang Jun to ask for this money, otherwise her two daughters would grow up to be illiterate like Bang Geng.
Qin Huai Ru was also not 100% sure if the inheritance left by Jia Zhang Shi even existed.
At the same time, Qin Huai Ru couldn't be sure how much money was left.
After all, Zhang Cui Hua had died of a poisonous ulcer, and a considerable amount had been spent on medical expenses before her death.
It was possible that all that money had been used up.