They can't just stay out all afternoon.
She got up and went to ask the old man at the door, only to find out that Zhang Guoqiang had already returned, but instead of going back to the office, he had plunged into the busiest cutting workshop.
Zhou Qiqi was even more puzzled and started walking towards the workshop.
As soon as you enter the workshop, you see Zhang Guoqiang hunched over, huffing and puffing as he carries a large bundle of heavy wool fabric onto the platform.
That bundle of fabric looked incredibly heavy, making the veins on his neck bulge.
The workers around him had already taken turns catching their breath, drinking water, and wiping their sweat, but he alone seemed to be sulking, gritting his teeth and making trip after trip, his steps unsteady, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead, and the back of his clothes soaked through.
Everyone advised him to take a break, but he acted as if he didn't hear them and just kept working, huffing and puffing.
When Zhou Qiqi saw this situation, her heart sank immediately.
This doesn't look like a successful confession; it looks like someone has suffered a huge blow!
She quickly called over Master Ma from the workshop, and the two of them, one on each side, grabbed Zhang Guoqiang's arms without saying a word and forcibly dragged him away from the machine.
"Old Zhang! Old Zhang! What are you doing! Are you out of your mind?!"
Master Ma has a loud voice, filled with concern and reproach.
Zhang Guoqiang struggled a couple of times, but the intense physical labor he had been doing all afternoon had already exhausted him. In the end, he was half-dragged and half-carried back to the office by the two men.
As soon as he sat down, Zhang Guoqiang seemed to have lost all his strength. He slumped back in the chair, his chest heaving violently, panting heavily. His face was flushed red from overwork and emotional excitement, and his eyelids drooped, revealing an indescribable weariness and dejection.
Zhou Qiqi poured him a glass of warm water.
Zhang Guoqiang didn't take the water glass; he lowered his head even further, rolled his head back several times, and his voice was terribly hoarse.
"Da Mei, she...she..."
He choked up, sniffed, and blinked hard at his reddened eyes to force back the tears before muttering with a sense of grievance and frustration, "...She rejected me."
After saying this, he seemed to have used up his last bit of strength, and then he suddenly lowered his head, his shoulders slumping slightly.
He didn't look like a middle-aged man who had weathered many storms; he looked more like a naive young man who had just been rejected by a girl for the first time, feeling wronged and helpless.
Zhou Qiqi was stunned, and subconsciously asked, "You refused? How could that be?"
She had been observing Zhao Damei closely these past few days and concluded that she definitely had feelings for Zhang Guoqiang.
Otherwise, she wouldn't blush and lower her head whenever he's mentioned.
He wouldn't have thought of his motherless children first when the factory was facing its toughest time, nor would he have gone to great lengths to prepare delicious meals for them, let alone taken time off to help out at the factory...
While her friendship with Zhou Qiqi certainly played a part, her unconscious concern and shyness towards Zhang Guoqiang were definitely genuine.
There must be some misunderstanding here, or some unspeakable reason.
She suppressed her doubts and softened her voice to comfort her:
"Don't torture yourself like this. Sister Mei might have her reasons for refusing. I'll go ask her later..."
She shook her head as she spoke.
"No, it's too fast to ask her right away. It will put pressure on her. Let's wait until tomorrow. I'll find an opportunity to find out indirectly for you. How about that?"
Zhang Guoqiang remained silent for a long while before nodding heavily.
In fact, it was Zhou Qiqi who unwittingly brought Zhang Guoqiang and Zhao Damei together.
Without Zhou Qiqi, the two of them would probably never have crossed paths in their lives.
Seeing that the two had developed feelings for each other, things went wrong at the last minute, and Zhou Qiqi couldn't let it go, feeling a sense of responsibility.
The next day at noon, she put aside her work for a moment and rushed to Li Ping's wholesale stall, wanting to have a good chat with Zhao Damei.
Unexpectedly, they came up empty-handed.
Li Ping said that Zhao Damei took leave after lunch yesterday and didn't come to work at all today.
Zhou Qiqi's heart sank: "Is it because of Zhang Guoqiang's matter?"
Li Ping shook her head: "I took the leave a few days ago, it seems like something came up, but..."
She paused, then lowered her voice.
"Guoqiang's matter probably had an impact too. After they finished talking yesterday, I saw that Damei's eyes were frighteningly red. She wanted to cry but held it back. I wanted to ask her, but she packed her things and left in a hurry, so I didn't get a chance."
Hearing this, Zhou Qiqi felt even more uneasy.
She left the factory early in the afternoon, and instead of going home, she went directly to Wang Dasao's house in the military dependents' area.
Wang Dasao has changed a lot these days.
Ever since she had a fight with her mother-in-law over buying flowers and plants, and even went so far as to drink pesticide, she has been the one making all the decisions, big and small, in the family.
He looked much more energetic and capable, with a sparkle in his eyes, and his speech and actions exuded a sense of competence.
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