Chapter 145: Installing a Telephone
Chapter 145: Installing a Telephone
At a little past nine o'clock, Lu Jiaxin was chatting with Qian Xiaoxiao when someone knocked on the door. Xiaoxiao answered it to find several strangers standing outside.
The visitors introduced themselves as employees of the telephone office, there to install a telephone for them.
Recognizing their tools, Xiaoxiao exclaimed joyfully, "Sister Jiaxin, come quickly! The people from the telephone office are here to install your phone!"
She knew that Lu Jiaxin had wanted to install a telephone for a while but had been waiting due to the large number of applicants. After discovering that Fat Aunt often kept Lu Hongjun informed, Lu Jiaxin started making her own trips to the telephone office and also cautioned Su Heming and the others against calling her unnecessarily.
Eyeing the strangers outside warily, Lu Jiaxin asked, "May I see your work IDs, please?"
The leader of the group politely presented his work ID for her inspection. After she finished checking, he smiled and said, "Rest assured, anyone who impersonates telephone office staff will be arrested and imprisoned if reported."
Lu Jiaxin returned the work ID and said apologetically, "I went to the telephone office the other day, and the staff told me that there were still over a hundred households ahead of me, so I need to be patient."
Three years ago, the country had lifted restrictions on ordinary households installing telephones, but the installation and call charges were too expensive for most. Only a small minority with good financial means could afford it. However, in the past two years, many people had made money through business ventures and chose to install telephones for convenience. There were also people like Fat Aunt, who installed telephones because they saw it as a money-making opportunity. As the number of people wanting telephones increased, the telephone office struggled to keep up with the demand due to limited staff, resulting in long wait times.
The leader of the group explained that he had received a call from his superior the previous afternoon, instructing him to come and install her telephone that day, but he was unclear about the reason for the special arrangement.
Lu Jiaxin suspected that Lu Jiaguang had pulled some strings and jumped the queue. She marveled at her brother's efficiency!
Since Fat Aunt already had a telephone installed and the two houses were not far apart, a lot of time was saved. The installation was completed by three in the afternoon, including the time taken for the staff's lunch break.
Lu Jiaxin retrieved her telephone book and dialed one of the numbers. Hearing a familiar voice, she said happily, "Big Brother, my phone is installed!"
Lu Jiaguang was surprised and asked, "Didn't they tell you that there were still over a hundred households ahead of you? How did you get your phone installed so quickly?"
"Oh, wasn't it you who arranged it?"
Lu Jiaguang explained, "I've been busy these past few days, planning to finish up some matters before treating my friends to a meal. No, did you not ask anyone else for help?"
Lu Jiaxin was about to say no when she remembered Hong Gu. However, Hong Gu was new to the area and didn't know many people, so how could she have found someone to install the telephone?
Seeing her silence, Lu Jiaguang asked, "Do you know who helped? Was it the Xie family or the Su brothers?"
He was aware of Lu Jiaxin's close relationship with the Su brothers and knew that Lu Hongjun had once worried that Su Heming might have designs on Lu Jiaxin. However, he didn't think that was possible. Firstly, Su Heming treated Lu Jiaxin like a little sister and had never overstepped any boundaries. Secondly, Lu Jiaxin was still young and immature, focused solely on making money and getting into university.
Lu Jiaxin laughed, "It's neither of them. I know who helped, Big Brother. I have something to attend to here, so let's talk later."
"Okay."
Still concerned, Lu Jiaguang called a friend who worked at the telephone office. "Yes, my sister went to the telephone office a few days ago and was told that there were still over a hundred households ahead of her, so she was asked to wait patiently. But today, someone from the telephone office went to install her phone. I don't know what's going on."
"No, my sister didn't ask anyone for help."
A few minutes later, his friend called back, leaving him perplexed, "Old Lu, the manager of Friendship Hotel called the telephone office leader yesterday and asked them to install your sister's phone as soon as possible.
Lu Jiaguang was perplexed. "Old Lu, the manager of the Friendship Hotel called the telephone office leader yesterday and asked them to install your sister's phone as soon as possible."
After he finished speaking, he joked, "Old Lu, you don't even know that your family has such connections?"
The manager of the Friendship Hotel mostly entertained foreign guests, and their social connections were not something that Lu Jiaguang's family could compare to.
Lu Jiaguang truly had no idea, and he was certain that Lu Hongjun didn't have any connections with the manager of the Friendship Hotel. He laughed and expressed his gratitude, then made plans to have lunch together on Sunday.
As he was still worried, he went to Guangming Road during his lunch break. Upon entering the courtyard, he was surprised to find Qian Xiaoxiao and the others watching television. He asked in astonishment, "When did you buy a television?"
His family hadn't bought a TV not because they couldn't afford it, but because both he and his wife were busy, and they were concerned that their children would lack self-discipline and spend all their time watching TV instead of studying.
Lu Jiaxin didn't hide the truth from him, and it was impossible to do so anyway, as the whole neighborhood already knew. "It was delivered yesterday."
A smile appeared on Lu Jiaguang's face. "That's more like it. A father and daughter shouldn't hold grudges overnight. If there's anything else you need, just tell your dad, and he'll buy it for you."
"It wasn't him who bought it," Lu Jiaxin explained. "It was my Auntie Guo, my maternal grandmother's older sister. But it's not confirmed yet; we'll have to wait some time to be sure if she's really my aunt."
Lu Jiaguang was bewildered. "What aunt? I thought all your maternal grandmother's family had passed away. Where did this relative come from? Jiaxin, be careful; there are a lot of scammers out there these days."
Lu Jiaxin smiled bitterly. "She's not a scammer. Yesterday, she bought me a color TV and a refrigerator, and today she sent people to install the telephone and paid for everything."
Lu Jiaguang was astonished. With the cost of all these items adding up to five or six thousand yuan, such generosity definitely ruled out the possibility of a scam. "Did she come here yesterday?"
"No," Lu Jiaxin replied. "She has poor health and isn't able to travel long distances, so she sent her personal maid and doctor instead."
Lu Jiaguang's heart skipped a beat. The terms "personal maid" and "private doctor" were not commonly used in China. "Where is this Aunt Guo of yours now?"
"She's in Hong Kong City," Lu Jiaxin replied. "According to Su Heyuan, she's a very wealthy woman. However, she has no children, and a few months ago, her adopted daughter tried to poison her. It's quite a sad story."
Lu Jiaguang was sharp-witted. "How did Su Heyuan find out about this?"
Lu Jiaxin briefly recounted the story. "My maternal grandmother always thought that Aunt Guo was dead, so she never mentioned her to my mother. I never expected her to be alive and living in Hong Kong City."
Lu Jiaguang felt that this was all too coincidental, but he didn't voice his suspicions anymore. Given the woman's high profile in Hong Kong City, she definitely wasn't a scammer.
"Jiaxin, what are your plans?"
Lu Jiaxin didn't mention her intention to go to Hong Kong City. "We're not sure yet if she's really my aunt. It could just be a coincidence that we look alike."
Lu Jiaguang felt that this was highly likely. He shook his head and said, "All the information matches up, and you even look like her. There aren't that many coincidences in this world, Jiaxin. This Ms. Gu is most likely your maternal grandmother's older sister."
Seeing that Lu Jiaxin remained silent, he asked cautiously, "Jiaxin, if Ms. Gu wants to take you to Hong Kong City, will you go with her?"
Lu Jiaxin shook her head. "I won't go anywhere until my health is fully recovered."
"And when will that be?"
Lu Jiaxin replied casually, "We'll see when the time comes. Big Brother, please don't tell anyone about this for now. It might turn out to be a mistake."
Lu Jiaguang promised he wouldn't.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
