Chapter 63 The Sixth Day

Pei Juanjuan put her hands on her hips, looking at the mess on the coffee table without any intention of cleaning it up. She stared at it for a long time and then simply sat down on the sofa.

She waited for who knows how long, but Pei Juanjuan's anger didn't subside; instead, it grew stronger. Sitting on the sofa, she could only see the table filled with teacups and bowls, along with some carelessly discarded sunflower seeds and peanuts. Especially the red peanut shells, which flew all over the floor after being unwrapped.

Pei Juanjuan couldn't bear it anymore and shouted outside the door: "Aren't you coming in?"

The words were spoken to Zhang Liangpeng, so Zhang Liangpeng naturally heard them.

He sat in the yard, shivering in the winter night temperature. However, he preferred to sit in the yard rather than go back to his room, so he could only say, "You go to sleep first. I'll clean up tomorrow."

When Pei Juanjuan heard his answer, she stood up and walked into the yard angrily.

Zhang Liangpeng didn't look at her.

"I know what you want to say. Stop talking. I'll find a way to get the money." Zhang Liangpeng spoke first.

"What solution do you have?" Pei Juanjuan asked sternly, "Don't you know how much your salary is? Our factory hasn't paid you for several months, don't you know? You want a solution? Ha!"

Pei Juanjuan's sneer completely infuriated Zhang Liangpeng. He turned to look at Pei Juanjuan helplessly, "Yes, I know, it's my incompetence! Ever since I took over the cotton mill, its performance has been getting worse and worse. I haven't paid any wages in the past two months. But I tried my best, I really did. The situation is the same across the city right now. So many factories have collapsed and gone bankrupt, and yet the cotton mill is still struggling. I've tried my best, I really do!"

As Zhang Liangpeng spoke, he lowered his head in frustration, inserted his ten fingers into his hair, and sighed in pain.

He didn't know who to talk to about these things. When he told Pei Juanjuan about them, she didn't want to listen at all. Besides blaming him for being incompetent, she told him to figure it out on his own. Recently, Zhang Liangpeng had been under more pressure than anyone else, but he had never said anything.

"Let's not talk about the cotton mill now." Pei Juanjuan said, "Let's talk about our home! Zhang Mao called today, and you didn't even dare to answer the phone. You heard it from the side. He said he was asking if everything was ready for the New Year at home, but he was actually asking when next month's living expenses would be sent to him. We can't just watch him starve to death! You said someone just sent you something, but you didn't want it. Okay, you're honest, but who would believe you if you told others? Do you know what others say about you behind your back? Who would believe you if you said you didn't want it! Those bottles, if you take them to the canteen and exchange them for money, would be enough for Zhang Mao's living expenses for at least two months. You calculate, he will be back in a few months, plus what you got yesterday, can it last until he comes back? But you didn't want it, you let them take it all away! Now tell me, what should I do with the money!"

Zhang Liangpeng lowered his head, tugging at his hair with both hands. After a long while, he said, "I'll find a way, I'll find a way!"

Pei Juanjuan looked at Zhang Liangpeng coldly, feeling that he was both cowardly and incompetent. Not wanting to say another word, she turned and walked into the room, slamming the bedroom door shut. There was a click of the lock.

The bedroom door was locked.

Zhang Yang heard everything clearly from his room. Shortly after Pei Juanjuan went in, he came out and cleaned up the mess in the living room. Then he walked to the door and looked out at Zhang Liangpeng, who was shivering in the cold winter night.

…

This year passed quickly and slowly.

For Xin Tianyi, being with her mother and grandparents, from New Year's Eve to the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, every day was a joy. Time slipped away unnoticed, and her daily routine consisted of sleeping, eating, or sitting by and watching them play mahjong together.

Moreover, since Wang Fang remarried and their financial conditions improved a lot, Liu Meilan and Wang Gang were no longer the same as before. They were very polite and affectionate to Wang Fang and Li Zhiye. They always picked up food for them during meals, and if they didn't come home for dinner for one day, they would urge Wang Gang to call them.

Wang Fang naturally knew it was all about money. When she gave Wang Mingjie such a fat red envelope when she came back, Liu Meilan's lips started to curl up, and it stayed that way for days. Wang Fang knew it all, but she was willing to do it. After all, as long as Tianyi came back, he would have to face his uncle and aunt. In the three years of high school, she hadn't had as many opportunities to see Xin Tianyi as Liu Meilan. Wang Fang naturally wanted to make Liu Meilan happy. At least when she saw Tianyi, she was happy too.

A few days passed like this, and Xie Mei's sleepiness seemed to have been cured by the laughter and joy of the New Year. Seeing that she was no longer sleepy, Wang Fang said to Xin Tianyi with relief: "Look, your grandma is fine. I tell you, as the elderly get older, they tend to get sleepy and lose their focus, so they just take a nap from time to time. It's okay, don't worry."

Xin Tianyi shook his head: "Mom, let's go to the hospital. I'm worried."

"Then why don't you ask your grandma if she wants to go?" Wang Fang frowned and said, "Forget about going to the hospital. Even before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, your grandma won't let us take medicine. She says that if we take medicine during the New Year, we'll have to take it for the whole year. When we were little, when we were sick during the New Year, your grandma always told us to bear it."

"mom……"

"Okay, stop talking." Wang Fang interrupted Xin Tianyi. "She can eat and sleep well, so there must be nothing wrong. We have a stove on at home, and it's hot. Not only your grandma, but even I feel sleepy. So, if you're worried, wait until after the fifteenth, then wait a little longer. I'll come back and check on her when I come back, okay?"

Xin Tianyi knew Xie Mei would leave this summer. Reborn to stop Wei Ran from swimming in the lake, she knew she couldn't stop people from aging. She could only nod, "Then I'll wait for you. Next time you come back, you'll definitely take Grandma to the hospital for a full checkup."

"I'll be back in less than two months," Wang Fang said. "Call me if you need anything. By the way, our community has a very low occupancy rate right now. If you go back to stay over on the weekend, remember to lock the door. It's best to find a classmate to keep you company."

"good."

"And you have to keep the keys safe. I left another set of keys at your grandma's house. If you lose your keys, you can come here to get them." Wang Fang reminded again.

Xin Tianyi understood that her mother was going back home, so she asked, "Are you leaving today?"

"Tomorrow." Wang Fang hadn't told Xin Tianyi anything, and she hadn't even told him she'd bought a train ticket for the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. She didn't know how to face Xin Tianyi. She had been with her child for a few days, and now she was leaving again.

"Then I'll see you off tomorrow," said Xin Tianyi.

Wang Fang smiled and said, "What's there to send me off for? Just get in the car and we'll be at the station. You can stay at your grandma's house for the remaining days of winter vacation. If you don't want to stay, your grandparents said they'll stay with you there for a few days and come back when school starts."

"No." Xin Tianyi said, "Let's live here. Grandma and Grandpa don't like it over there. They're not familiar with it."

"Okay." Wang Fang looked at Xin Tianyi for a few seconds before finally saying what she wanted to say. "Your Uncle Li said that as long as you want to go back with us, you can go to school anytime. He knows a particularly good school..."

"Mom." Xin Tianyi interrupted Wang Fang, "I'm fine here."

Wang Fang and Li Zhiye left early on the sixth day of the New Year. They didn't ask anyone to see them off and left in a hurry. Wang Fang didn't even look back. Only Li Zhiye waved to everyone and said it was too cold and they should go back to the house quickly.

Liu Meilan was the first to turn around and go back to her room. She rubbed her hands and muttered to herself, "How did the New Year go by so quickly? It's already the sixth day of the New Year in the blink of an eye!"

But to Yuan Dabao, this New Year passed very slowly. He looked forward to the snow calling his name at his door every day.

But after waiting for many days, there was no sign of Bai Xue.

The author has something to say:

Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2023-06-29 16:40:37 and 2023-06-30 18:26:22~

Thanks to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: Yimihua 37 bottles; Jiangnanxu 5 bottles;

Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!