Chapter 264 Disappointment
Upon hearing Fang Hua's words, Cong Meilan couldn't help but scold Zhou Chengzhi again: "Does he really have a death wish if he says one more word? Look at how you argued with him back then. If he had just offered one more explanation, you wouldn't have ended up in the office. In the end, he deserved not to be promoted."
At this point, she changed the subject again: "However, I believe that Zhou Chengzhi and that female reporter have nothing to do with each other. When you were arguing with him, did he feel guilty? No, not only did he not feel guilty, but he also argued with you at the top of his lungs. In the end, he didn't get promoted, and he didn't seem to have much of a reaction."
Fang Hua managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Doesn't this just prove that he's guilty? He doesn't care about the promotion, which means it's true."
Cong Meilan couldn't help but laugh: "I'm not trying to criticize you, but ask yourself if Zhou Chengzhi and that female reporter have any relationship? If they really do, can you tolerate him until now? I know your personality."
Fang Hua lowered his head and drank his soy milk without saying a word.
Jiang Zhizhi understood something: Zhou Chengzhi and the female reporter were innocent, but they were harmed by rumors.
He became bolder: "Auntie, what female reporter? How come she's spreading rumors about my dad?"
Cong Meilan didn't think there was anything she couldn't say: "I just think that female reporter must have feelings for your dad. She would go to your dad all the time, and your dad is such a nice guy. He would do whatever people asked him for."
"That female reporter even made dumplings and sent them to your dad's office. I don't know if he ate them or not, but people are talking about it."
Fang Hua snorted: "Even if he didn't do anything with that female reporter, he definitely had some feelings for her."
Jiang Zhizhi agrees with this statement; men have an innate sense of heroism when faced with weakness.
It can arouse their protective instincts and unconsciously generate a little bit of ambiguous feelings.
If things continue to develop like this, who knows what might happen?
Cong Meilan sighed: "That's not true yet. Alright, couples can argue, but life goes on. You're so concerned about your image. If you really get a divorce, aren't you afraid of being laughed at by the people in the compound?"
Fang Hua fell silent instantly; she was indeed afraid of losing face.
No matter what happens at home, she never tells anyone when she's out, always maintaining her dignity.
After a moment of silence, she said, "It's already like this, why would I be afraid of losing face?"
“Disappointment doesn’t accumulate overnight. We’ve been married for so many years. I’ve been considerate of his hard work, but has he ever been considerate of me? I had to cook even before I was out of postpartum confinement. He said we didn’t want a nanny at home, and I was willing. But no matter when he comes home, the food has to be laid out in front of me. If it’s not tasty, he gets upset and throws the dishes into his study after he finishes eating.”
"You're probably saying you've gotten used to it all these years, so why are you unwilling now?"
“I recently watched how Nishino and Zhizhi get along. You know, Nishino is a quiet person who doesn’t like to talk much, but look at how he treats Zhizhi. Not to mention anything else, yesterday he thought of buying two hot water bottles and quickly tested them to make sure they didn’t leak, afraid that they would scald Zhizhi.”
“He knows exactly what Zhizhi likes and dislikes when we eat.”
"You see, this is what it means to be attentive and not. In the end, Zhou Chengzhi has no one else in his heart."
Jiang Zhizhi didn't dare make a sound while drinking her soy milk, quietly listening to Fang Hua's words. She thought to herself that when a marriage like this has problems, it means that the one who has always been at a disadvantage has awakened and is no longer willing to suffer losses.
However, as a junior, she certainly couldn't offer any opinions or suggestions.
She hopes that Zhou Chengzhi can reflect on his mistakes and correct them.
Because of their marriage, it won't be easy for Zhou Chengzhi to get a divorce unless he agrees.
Cong Meilan had nothing to say. Marriage is like drinking water; only the person drinking knows whether it's hot or cold. "Alright, let's not think about these things for now. Isn't he coming back before the New Year? Let's wait until he comes back before we talk about it."
Fang Hua thought for a moment and looked at Jiang Zhizhi: "Since he's not home, let's go back to our place. You go to school later, and I'll pack my things and take them back with me."
Cong Meilan said anxiously, "Why go back? Just stay here."
Fang Hua shook his head: "Xiao Chuan is home alone. I have to go back and check on him. We've all been out lately, and if he stays at home, he might overthink things."
Cong Meilan frowned: "Then you should go back and check on him quickly. If this child is an ingrate, you should be careful. You can't be soft-hearted at crucial moments."
Fang Hua remained silent, still hoping that Zhou Xiaochuan could think things through.
...
Jiang Zhizhi went straight back to the compound after school in the afternoon. The yard was full of bed sheets, blankets, and sofa covers.
They even took apart and washed her and Zhou Xiye's bedding.
Although we had a washing machine at home, the capacity was small and it was still troublesome to wash clothes. In winter, the water pressure in the courtyard was low, so we had to carry water in to pour it in.
Fang Hua always felt that washing machines didn't clean clothes properly and wasted laundry detergent.
Jiang Zhizhi parked her bicycle and looked at the bed sheets fluttering in the wind with some emotion.
Upon entering the house, I saw Fang Hua sitting at the dining table, wearing an apron and drinking tea.
"Mom, why did you wash them all? I can save mine for when I get back."
Fang Hua waved his hand, speaking weakly, "It's nothing. I just can't stand seeing it so dirty, it makes me uncomfortable. Wait a minute, take off your coat. I'll open all the windows upstairs and downstairs, as well as the windows in your room, to let some fresh air in."
She laughed in exasperation as she spoke: "Your dad is really something! I saved up some eggs, and they're all gone. And the salted meat in the water tank in the storage room, and the cured pork ribs your aunt gave me before, are all gone too."
"Twenty pounds of flour, gone in a flash! Our family only eats twenty pounds of flour a month. If it's not enough, I mix in some cornmeal. We always eat according to a plan, he..."
"He must have made Li Hualin's wife do it herself. That woman is very greedy; she wants to eat everything edible in the house."
Jiang Zhizhi sat down next to Fang Hua: "Mom, don't think about it anymore. It's already like this, there's no use getting angry. Besides, Dad is usually a hands-off dad. Although it wasn't a smart move for him to spend money to get them to leave, he also realized the trouble these people cause."
"He was only thinking about quickly and decisively solving the problem, without ever considering that this would create an even bigger problem."
Fang Hua didn't speak, but took a sip of water.
Jiang Zhizhi glanced at the kitchen, where the pots and pans were cold and the stove was empty, and got up to cook: "Mom, you rest, I'll cook."
Fang Hua really didn't want to move. She had washed too many clothes today, and now she felt so tired that even breathing hurt.
"Just make something simple. I bought a few steamed buns from the cafeteria this morning. Heat them up and stir-fry some vegetables..."
Jiang Zhizhi responded and went to the kitchen to start cooking.
Hearing a noise in the courtyard, Chen Limin came in carrying a plate of food.
As soon as he entered, he smiled at Fang Hua and said, "Where have you been these past few days? I heard you had guests? I made some donkey rolls at home, I brought them over for you to try..."
Fang Hua knew perfectly well why Chen Limin had come. He sat up straight and looked at her calmly, saying, "I haven't been liking these sweet and greasy things lately. These are things that children like..."
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