Chapter 225 The Way of Husband and Wife Relationships
Jiang Zhizhi followed Zhou Xiye out out of curiosity, only to find that Song Dong had brought Xu Mingyue and her son Tongtong with him.
After Fang Hua called them over, she busied herself pouring tea and getting candy for Tongtong: "You two haven't been back for quite a few years. How long has it been since I last saw Song Dong? I remember the last time I saw Mingyue and Tongtong was in the hospital, when Tongtong was just one year old, right?"
She sighed, "Time flies! Tongtong is so tall now, she'll be starting elementary school soon, right?"
Xu Mingyue smiled and nodded: "Yes, I'll be in first grade next fall."
Jiang Zhizhi smiled and went over to greet Song Dong, then sat down next to Xu Mingyue: "Sister-in-law, have you eaten yet?"
Upon hearing this, Fang Hua quickly asked, "Yes, have you eaten yet? If not, let's eat together at home."
Xu Mingyue quickly waved her hand: "No need, no need, Auntie, we ate before we came. We ate at Song Dong's company cafeteria."
Song Dong also explained from the side, "Auntie, we've already eaten. If we hadn't, we definitely wouldn't have been so polite. Song Man was discharged from the hospital today, and I was too busy during the day to come over, so I thought I'd come and visit, and also see you all."
Mentioning Song Man, Fang Hua sighed: "How is Xiao Man now? You should also try to persuade your mother. She's been stubborn since she was young, proud and impulsive. She hasn't even figured out her own life, yet she's always nagging about the child."
Song Dong didn't want to speak ill of his mother in front of Fang Hua: "Xiaoman is recovering quite well, but she's also stubborn. I came back today to try and persuade her and my mother. If that doesn't work, let Xiaoman move to the newspaper's dormitory."
Fang Hua agreed: "With your mother's temper, most people really wouldn't be able to get along with her."
But they completely forgot that when she gets stubborn, she can be just as inflexible.
After chatting for a few minutes, Zhou Xiye and Song Dong went to the study to talk.
Fang Hua looked at the chubby-cheeked Tongtong and was extremely fond of him. He held Tongtong's hand and gave him peanuts and candy, muttering, "Chen Limin really doesn't know what's good for her. She doesn't want such a good grandson?"
Xu Mingyue stood to the side, smiling slightly.
Jiang Zhizhi noticed that Xu Mingyue's complexion was noticeably worse than the two times she had visited her home; she looked tired and haggard.
But since Fang Hua was there, she couldn't ask.
They chatted casually about work and studies. When Fang Hua took Tongtong upstairs to see the model tanks in Zhou Xiye's room, Jiang Zhizhi whispered to Xu Mingyue, "Sister-in-law, have you not been resting well lately? You don't look too good."
Xu Mingyue touched her face, slightly lost in thought: "Is it that obvious?"
Jiang Zhizhi nodded: "Okay, just let me know if you need any help."
Xu Mingyue suddenly gave a wry smile, turned her head to look at Jiang Zhizhi, whose eyes were bright and sparkling, and whose skin was supple and tender. It was clear that she was living a very comfortable life and was being carefully cared for.
He sighed, "It's all just trivial things at home."
Jiang Zhizhi suddenly remembered Song Dong's previous complaint about a fish, which was probably related to this. She advised, "Life is just a collection of trivial things, but you can't let these little things ruin your mood. Besides, Song Dong is very good to you."
Xu Mingyue was silent for a moment, then shook her head: "Maybe I'm overthinking it. When something happens to me, I tend to overthink it, and it's hard to keep it to myself."
Jiang Zhizhi comforted her, "If you have any thoughts or complaints, you should speak up. I think timely communication is the most important thing."
"Furthermore, if you feel uncomfortable, you should speak up. If you keep it inside, no one will know what you're thinking, and if the other person misunderstands, wouldn't the misunderstanding just get bigger and bigger?"
Xu Mingyue frowned, then smiled: "You're young, but you're quite insightful. It's just that sometimes, some things don't get resolved even if you talk about them..."
Having said all that, Xu Mingyue simply told the whole story: "He has a comrade-in-arms' widow with a daughter about the same age as Tongtong. I have no objection to taking care of them. After all, orphans and widows are indeed pitiful."
"But I don't know if I'm overthinking it, but that woman goes to Song Dong for every little thing. She goes to Song Dong if she can't get honeycomb briquettes, she goes to Song Dong if she can't get cabbages, she goes to Song Dong even if she has a gas cylinder."
"Fine, I can tolerate all of this! There's a mouse in the house, and I have to call Song Dong over to catch it in the middle of the night."
"Song Dong actually went. I thought, okay, some girls are afraid of mice, so let him go. I saw that Song Dong hadn't come back by two o'clock, so I went to look for him. Guess what?"
"It was so cold, and that woman was wearing a big tank top with no bra underneath. She was standing next to Song Dong, all bulging out, and she was calling him 'Brother Song' with her arms crossed. I was scared."
Jiang Zhizhi: "..."
She couldn't connect with the scene; just hearing about it made her angry.
Xu Mingyue was angry: "What's most infuriating is that after I called Song Dong out, we had a fight. He said that so-and-so's clothes were inappropriate, but he didn't think that much when he was catching mice. Then he even made excuses for the other person, saying that he was probably too scared at the time and forgot to put on a coat."
“You’ve been to our residential compound, haven’t you? How hot can the heating be? We all have to wear thermal underwear and sweaters indoors. Isn’t she cold wearing just a vest?”
Jiang Zhizhi didn't know how to persuade him. She was already very angry, and if Zhou Xiye continued like this, she might explode.
Xu Mingyue has a gentle and quiet personality. She usually speaks softly and gently. Even now that she is angry, her tone is still gentle: "I'm angry about this. When Song Dong saw that I was angry, he insisted on taking me everywhere we went these past two days. He also promised that he would not interfere in other people's business in the future."
"But I know Song Dong better than anyone else. He's all talk and no action. He can't stand seeing anyone suffer. He's the kind of person who'll get involved in anything he sees on the street."
Jiang Zhizhi also had no good ideas: "Then...why don't you just tell Song Dong that this matter makes you very unhappy, and then mention that the woman might have ulterior motives?"
Xu Mingyue was both amused and exasperated: "I've said it quite a few times. Song Dong even lectured me not to talk nonsense. After all, it's not easy for a widow to raise a child alone. If someone hears what I'm saying, it will damage her reputation."
Jiang Zhizhi sighed inwardly. Song Dong was sometimes too kind-hearted and unwilling to assume malice towards others.
However, until this matter is resolved, the couple will never have a moment of peace.
...
In the study, Song Dong was discussing Wang Xiaoliu and Wang Xiaoliu's uncle with Zhou Xiye.
“You told me about Wang Xiaoliu this morning, so I asked someone to inquire around the Liulichang area. There are several abandoned houses there, and recently some people have been gathering there to gamble.”
"Wang Xiaoliu must have gone in to gamble. These people are really bold, causing trouble right under the noses of the police, and the stakes are quite high, with wins and losses reaching thousands in one night."
"What does 'thousand' mean? That's two years' salary for an average family!"
Song Dong sighed again, "When gamblers are at their wits' end, they'll do anything."
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