Chapter 96
Tang Qingqing was very worried when she saw that Tang Xiaoxiao hadn't come to school for three days, so she went straight to her house to find her after school.
Tang Xiaoxiao's home is in the bungalow area of the machinery factory compound. It is one of the earliest houses built for married workers. Compared with the small Western-style buildings built later, it looks relatively old and is also quite far away from the newly built residential buildings.
The houses here are built in rows, and the passage in the middle is rather narrow because every has built a shed at the household door of their house to use as a kitchen.
So the passage left is very narrow, and if a fat person walks side by side with others, he will feel a bit crowded.
Tang Qingqing asked for the address of Tang Xiaoxiao's home along the way. Many people recognized her and gave her directions very enthusiastically.
"You are the found daughter of the factory director, right? Xiaoxiao, her house is in that row. The third house you walk in is their home. Speaking of which..."
The old lady who was talking turned around and asked another old lady: "Grandma Maoqiu, I remember I haven't seen Xiaoxiao for several days, right?"
Grandma Maoqiu nodded as she picked vegetables and said, "Now that you mention it, it's true. I didn't see her go to school this morning."
"Is that girl sick? She has so much flesh for nothing. Her body is so weak that she gets sick every now and then. Her mother has a hard time too."
"I don't think he's sick." said another thin old lady, her eyes rolling around as she spoke.
"What's that?"
Tang Qingqing, who was about to leave, was also attracted by these words.
"She came back very late a few days ago. I saw that she was covered in dust and was limping."
Grandma Maoqiu said, "I'm afraid he fell somewhere."
The thin old lady didn't say anything else. Tang Qingqing felt that these words were clearly intentionally said for her to hear.
Tang Qingqing thanked the old ladies and went directly to Tang Xiaoxiao's house.
At this time, many families had already started cooking, but there was no movement in Tang Xiaoxiao's house. The door was locked, but there was no lock on it, which meant that someone was home.
Tang Qingqing went up to the door and knocked: "Xiaoxiao, I'm Tang Qingqing, are you home?"
There was no response from inside, but Tang Qingqing could hear some movement with her sharp ears.
Tang Qingqing knocked on the door again: "Xiaoxiao, I'm Tang Qingqing, I'm here to give you your class notes. Is anyone here?"
There was a 'dong dong' sound from inside, but still no one responded.
The auntie who was cooking next door heard someone knocking on the door. She stuck her head out with a spatula and said:
"Are you looking for Xiao Xiao?"
Tang Qingqing nodded to her aunt, "Aunt, aren't Xiaoxiao and the others at home?"
"There should be someone there. It might be because it's so noisy outside and your voice is too quiet, so I can't hear you clearly inside. Let me knock for you."
Before Tang Qingqing could respond, the aunt came over quickly, banging on the door with her big hands, her voice as loud as a bell.
"Xiao Xiao, your classmate is here to see you! Come and open the door!"
The movement was like a thunderclap, as if someone had come to collect a debt. It seemed as if the whole row of houses was shaking and that there was finally movement inside.
The door was opened, and the aunt shouted inside: "Xiaoxiao, why don't you take your classmate home quickly? They came to see you specially."
"Thank you, Aunt Zhang."
Aunt Zhang waved her hands and went back to cook.
Tang Xiaoxiao's door was only half open, with half of her body hidden behind it.
"Qingqing, thank you for coming to see me. I'm not well yet. Don't get close to me. I'm afraid I'll infect you. Ahem—"
The cough that followed was very deliberate, which made Tang Qingqing even more certain that something was wrong.
Tang Qingqing did not expose it. She opened her backpack, took out the handwriting inside, and handed it over:
"These are the notes I've taken over the past few days. I've written down what the teacher said and what I understand."
Tang Xiaoxiao was very moved and took it with both hands, thus exposing herself to Tang Qingqing.
When Tang Qingqing saw her face clearly, her face suddenly darkened.
"Xiao Xiao, what's wrong with your face?!"
Tang Xiaoxiao finally reacted and quickly half-closed the door to cover half of her face.
But Tang Qingqing had just seen the slap marks on her face. Tang Xiaoxiao's skin was very fair, and the marks were very obvious.
It's been three days, and there are still such clear marks, which shows how hard the person who did it hit her really hard.
"I, I'm fine."
Tang Qingqing looked at Tang Xiaoxiao seriously: "Xiaoxiao, do you consider me as your friend?"
"Of course!" Tang Xiaoxiao hastily affirmed, "You are my best friend! No one treats me as sincerely as you do."
Although the two have not known each other for long, Tang Xiaoxiao has determined that Tang Qingqing is her good friend and cherishes this friendship very much.
"Then why don't you tell me what's wrong with you? As your friend, I hope that we can be together not only in happy times, but also stand by your side when you encounter difficulties."
Tang Xiaoxiao pursed her lips and her eyes turned red.
"I, I'm really fine..."
Tang Qingqing sighed, "If you don't want to say it, I won't force you, but please remember that we are friends, you can tell me anything."
Tang Xiaoxiao lowered her head and said nothing.
Seeing that she looked like she wanted to keep people away, Tang Qingqing knew that she couldn't force her yet, so she could only say goodbye to her.
Tang Xiaoxiao murmured, "Qingqing, I'm really fine, it's just that my skin is like this, it easily marks with a slight touch. You, you don't have to worry about me, I will go to school in two days."
Tang Qingqing saw her like this and knew that she was unwilling to speak, so she didn't want to force her. She just smiled at her, waved goodbye and left.
Tang Xiaoxiao watched her back until she disappeared before he reluctantly closed the door, looking lonely.
Tang Qingqing did not leave as Tang Xiaoxiao thought. She walked out for a while, then turned around and went back.
But this time she didn't go looking for Tang Xiaoxiao, but went to find Aunt Zhang next door.
Aunt Zhang had already prepared two dishes and was now preparing the soup. She was very surprised when she saw Tang Qingqing.
"Why are you back again? Did you drop something?"
Tang Qingqing shook her head, "Aunt Zhang, can I talk to you for a few words?"
Aunt Zhang wiped her hands on her apron and said, "Are you here to ask about Xiaoxiao's matter?"
Tang Qingqing nodded: "I want to know if she has encountered something, I want to see if I can help her."
"Xiaoxiao, having a friend like you means that my high school education is not in vain."
Aunt Zhang led Tang Qingqing into the house and poured her a cup of tea.
There is only one house in this row of houses, which is about 30 to 40 square meters. Many people will divide it into one bedroom and one living room or one bedroom and two living rooms. If there are many people in the family, they will also build a loft on top, which is separated from the small Western-style building where Tang Qingqing lives.
Aunt Zhang is a capable person. Although her house is not big, it is kept clean and tidy, with many award certificates posted on the walls.
"After Xiaoxiao fell ill, you were the first friend who took the initiative to visit her instead of going to school."
Tang Xiaoxiao, a third grader at an elementary school, started gaining weight after taking hormone drugs.
She actually doesn't eat a lot, it's just the medication that caused her obesity.
"Aunt Zhang, is Xiaoxiao often bullied?" Tang Qingqing asked straight to the point.
Aunt Zhang is also a straightforward person. She nodded and said, "Ever since she gained weight, she has been often laughed at by her peers. Her father died a long time ago, and her mother is just a temporary worker, so some children like to bully her."
Tang Qingqing really didn't know Tang Xiaoxiao's situation. She didn't expect that she came from a single-parent family.
Tang Xiaoxiao has two dimples on her face. Even though she has grown fat, they are still visible.
She likes to laugh, so she looks carefree.
Her clothes were neat and tidy, without any patches. She would bring some snacks to the classroom from time to time to share with her. Tang Qingqing thought that her family must have two working people and a happy family.
The couple only has one child, and the parents don't have too much burden, so they live a comfortable life.
"But that was when she was a kid. Later on, fewer people bullied her. But she was just like her mother, not having a bad temper, so some of her female classmates liked to ask her to run errands and do things for them."
"What happened this time, auntie, do you know?"
Aunt Zhang shook her head and said, "They never tell anyone about anything. I also felt something was wrong that day, but when I asked her and her mother, they refused to tell me. They kept it a secret."
Speaking of this, Aunt Zhang couldn't help but sigh.
"You said we were all neighbors, but they were really too reserved, afraid that saying one more word would offend others."
"You mean, the people who bullied the little ones were from the machinery factory?"
"It must be from our factory. Xiaoxiao doesn't like to run around, so she has no chance to meet or meet people from outside. Her mother loves her very much and treats her like the apple of her eye. She didn't dare to say anything even though she suffered such a great injustice. It must be that the other party is not easy to deal with, so she pretended that nothing happened."
Tang Qingqing frowned slightly.
"I also told them that the child's matter would not be involved in the work, and no matter who the other party is, they should not bully others like this. Xiaoxiao is also a worker's child, even if she is the daughter of the factory director..."
Aunt Zhang finally realized what she meant when she said this. She looked at Tang Qingqing with an embarrassed look on her face and said, "I didn't mean what you said. I was just giving an example."
Tang Qingqing shook her head: "I know."
"Anyway, no one can bully others. Why do we work so hard? It's for the sake of our children. If we are bullied to this extent, how can we swallow our anger? But, hey——"
"But I can understand it. Xiaoxiao's mother is from the countryside, she has no education and no skills, and she got this temporary job because she is taken care of by the factory. In addition to her and her daughter, there is also an old lady in her family. The old lady is not in good health, and the old and the young have to take medicine from time to time. The pressure of life is particularly great. Xiaoxiao's mother is also afraid of any accidents, so she has to endure it."
Tang Xiaoxiao's father was an electrician in the factory. He was electrocuted due to personal operating errors and caused losses to the factory. Although the losses were not large, he would not be eligible for compensation according to common sense.
However, the factory considered that the conditions at their home were not good, so they handled the situation in a more humane manner.
Not only did they give some subsidies, they also arranged a temporary job for the young mother. Although the salary was not high, at least the family would not go hungry.
"Why didn't I see little grandma just now?"
"She went to sell vegetables. Little Mom and Little Grandma grow vegetables on wasteland. They can save money on vegetables and make some money from the sales. The loofah soup in my pot was given by Little Grandma."
Tang Qingqing couldn't get much information from Aunt Zhang, so she thanked her for the meal and left.
She also visited some old ladies nearby to see if she could get some useful information.
After a walk, it was already late when Tang Qingqing returned home.
Su Rong was accustomed to her coming home late. Tang Qingqing would be called away by the Public Security Bureau from time to time and would often come back late. Sometimes she had time to say hello, and sometimes she didn't.
As long as Tang Qingqing doesn't stay too late, the Tang family won't say anything.
Public security is very poor now, and everyone hopes that the Public Security Bureau can be more efficient in handling cases.
"Qingqing, you haven't had time to eat yet? I saved some food for you. I'll heat it up for you now."
"No, I can do it myself."
Su Rong ignored her opinion and went straight to heat up the meal for her.
If there is any difference between Su Rong and the person in the book, it is that she is more diligent than the person in the book and never sits idle.
The original heroine in the book was a well-behaved and sensible girl since childhood, and often helped Su Rong with housework.
Because she often helped in the kitchen, she also honed her cooking skills. Tang Qingqing also learned many dishes thanks to those memories.
However, without any training, her cooking skills can only be considered okay, probably not as good as described in the original text.
But now that her fate has changed, Tang Zhenzhen is obviously not that diligent. Although she helps from time to time, she mostly just talks and does nothing.
Su Rong had no one to share her burden with, and she had some obsessive-compulsive disorder and mysophobia, so when she got home she was like a spinning top, spinning all the time.
And she obviously enjoys this kind of busyness. She won't be happy if you want to share some of the work, especially in the kitchen, because she will feel that it is an invasion of her territory.
Su Rong moved quickly. After Tang Qingqing put her book away and washed her face, the food had already been heated up and served on the table for her.
"We have sweet and sour pork ribs today. I saved two extra pieces for you."
Tang Qingqing looked at the food with mixed feelings in her heart, "Next time, you don't have to leave so much for me. Remember to eat it too."
Although Su Rong has various problems, she is really good to children.
In this family, she always puts herself last, meeting the needs of her children first, then her husband, and finally her own needs.
Tang Qingqing looked at the at least four or five pieces of ribs in the bowl and knew that Su Rong must have saved her share for her.
It’s not easy to buy meat nowadays, even spareribs are hard to buy.
They have a large family and each person can't get a few pieces.
Su Rong smiled even brighter after hearing this: "I've eaten, don't worry about me, eat quickly, it won't taste good if it gets cold. This dish can't be heated up, the taste will be much worse."
Tang Qingqing picked up a piece of pork ribs and passed it to Su Rong: "You have one too."
Su Rong turned her face away quickly: "I've eaten a lot, you should eat quickly and don't worry about me."
"You eat this piece and I'll eat it later."
Seeing her firm attitude, Su Rong had no choice but to open her mouth and eat the pork ribs.
He was muttering about Tang Qingqing on the surface, but he was very happy in his heart.
Tang Zhenzhen never expected that she would see this scene as soon as she came downstairs. She felt angry and contemptuous.
Ever since Tang Qingqing came back, she has been acting indifferent to Tang Jianguo and Su Rong. It turns out that she is actually doing this behind their backs!
No wonder she felt that Su Rong was leaning more and more towards Tang Qingqing. She originally thought it was the power of blood, but now she knows that some people say one thing in front of you and another behind your back. They are used to reading people's minds!
Tang Zhenzhen took a deep breath and told herself not to be anxious and to be patient.
The National Day Gala was getting closer and closer, and she was sure to make a mistake.
She has indeed been a little impetuous recently and has not done many things well.
Firstly, Tang Qingqing's sudden appearance made her feel a huge sense of crisis, especially since she bluntly expressed that she didn't like her and was not afraid of whether Tang Jianguo and Su Rong would dislike her, which made it difficult for her to perform;
Secondly, the hero she has been thinking about for so long is about to appear, and she is afraid that these two destined people will be entangled again.
If this is the case, all efforts will be in vain.
She couldn't calm down, which led to many things not being done well and almost ruined her current image.
Tang Zhenzhen looked at the somewhat similar mother and daughter getting along happily with each other. She warned herself not to be anxious. The whole story started after marriage, and it was still unknown who would win or lose in the future!
As long as she could marry the male protagonist, she would definitely suppress Tang Qingqing.
Tang Qingqing was keenly aware of someone's gaze behind her. She knew who it was without turning around. She just pretended that the gaze did not exist and continued to eat and drink.
The next day, Tang Qingqing went to school but did not enter the classroom on time, but arrived ten minutes early.
She was standing at the classroom door, and when she saw Shi Zhan coming, she called him aside.
He covered his chest with both hands, looking alert: "What do you want to do?!"
Tang Qingqing was speechless. She knew that she had just shown her tough talk, so she ignored him. She didn't expect this guy to react so strongly, as if she had done something to him.
"I want to ask you something."
Shi Zhan still didn't relax: "I apologize for what I did to you before, but don't ask me. If you ask, I'm just doing something wrong. If you're not satisfied, you can hit me, scold me, kick me, but don't ask me why my head was caught in the door."
Tang Qingqing couldn't help but roll her eyes: "That's not what I'm asking about."
Shi Zhan then let go of his hand, "Then ask."
Tang Qingqing took him to a deserted place and asked, "I want to ask you a small question."
"Tang Xiaoxiao?"
"Well, you are known as the invincible fighter in the world, so you should be very clear about this, right?"
Shi Zhan's mouth twitched, "What is the relationship between these two?"
"It may not be the case with others, but it is with you."
"Thank you for your appreciation, but I really don't know. I don't want to bother with the grudges between girls."
"Then you can teach me on behalf of Tang Zhenzhen."
"That's different... No, you're trying to trick me!" Shi Zhan glared.
Tang Qingqing said unhappily: "I'm not a fool, there's nothing hard to guess."
According to the principle of solving cases, whoever is the victim in each case is a major suspect.
Tang Qingqing and Tang Zhenzhen have an irreconcilable conflict and they dislike each other.
If she was taught a lesson, Tang Zhenzhen would be the biggest beneficiary - emotional happiness.
Tang Zhenzhen is very famous among the children of machinery factory workers and has many fans.
Tang Qingqing obviously felt rejected by many people, and it is impossible to say that Tang Zhenzhen did not say anything.
She certainly wouldn't say bad things about her directly, causing people to isolate her or teach her a lesson, but with a little guidance, she could make people imagine things and some people would be moved by her.
But I am innocent and have nothing to do with it.
"It really has nothing to do with Tang Zhenzhen, she knows nothing!" Shi Zhan almost swore to the sky.
Tang Qingqing was too lazy to bother with him about this issue and continued to ask about Tang Xiaoxiao.
"I really don't know, but I can help you check."
Tang Qingqing let him go, "I'll wait for your result."
"I helped you, and you didn't show any appreciation?"
Tang Qingqing raised her eyes to look at him: "What do you want to express?"
Shi Zhan rolled his eyes and said, "I heard that you are very good at tracking. Take me with you next time you go to the scene!"
"Your cousin is the captain of the criminal police, why don't you look for him?"
"Hey, I dare to provoke him? I'm not tired of living anymore."
"I can't promise you this. I don't have the right to do so."
If anything goes wrong, such as destroying evidence due to clumsiness, Tang Qingqing cannot take such a big responsibility.
"Then show me your ability to identify footprints?"
"If you're interested, you can come over while I'm at home looking at my maps, but you probably won't find it very boring."
Although Tang Qingqing has now summed up a set of experience that can be used to answer other people's inquiries and explain the basis of her speculations, it is still very boring for non-professionals.
Shi Zhan's eyes lit up: "Okay, okay! It's settled!"
The operation was carried out quickly and he found out the truth the next day.
"Tang Qingqing! I know who bullied Tang Xiao... Hey, Tang Xiaoxiao, why are you here?"
When Shi Zhan saw Tang Qingqing, he remembered to show off and didn't notice that there was someone sitting in the back seat.
Tang Xiaoxiao finally came to school. The mark on her face hasn't healed completely yet, but it's no longer recognizable as a slap mark.
Tang Qingqing was speechless. "Did you do this on purpose to make you known?"
Shi Zhan quickly raised his hands in surrender: "I really didn't. I was just being careless because there weren't many people around."
Although the class was about to start in five minutes, the classroom was sparsely populated.
After so long in school, the atmosphere of their class has gradually taken shape.
Most people are here to just pass the time. Entering the classroom in the morning and checking in is considered good performance. Many people are basically late for morning reading.
Now that everything has been said, Tang Qingqing has no secrets from Tang Xiaoxiao.
"Sorry, I don't mean to pry into your privacy, it's just..."
Tang Xiaoxiao's eyes were already filled with tears, and she grabbed Tang Qingqing's hand and started crying:
"Wuwuwu——Qingqing, how can you be so nice!"
"You can try to trust me. More people means more solutions, right?"
Tang Qingqing visited that day and learned that this was not the first time that Tang Xiaoxiao had been bullied.
However, she had been avoiding people since she was bullied, so many people thought that she had only been bullied once or twice. In addition, her family did not make any noise, so no one took it seriously.
It is normal for children to have conflicts from time to time. Girls are generally more moderate, but boys fight more often. In serious cases, some even get their heads broken. Everyone is used to it.
"Qingqing, I know you care about me, but I, I..."
"Xiao Xiao, have you forgotten who I am?"
Shi Zhan also said: "Tang Xiaoxiao, is your brain still working properly? You have such a powerful backer in front of you and you don't even know how to lean on him! Do you still want to continue being a punching bag?"
Tang Xiaoxiao blinked, still a little dazed.
Tang Qingqing tapped her head and said, "Have you forgotten that I am the daughter of the factory director? Whose father is more senior? Is there anyone in this machinery factory who can surpass me?"
Tang Xiaoxiao continued blinking before she gradually reacted.
"Oh, I had forgotten all about it."
It's not that Tang Qingqing doesn't have the temperament of a factory director's daughter. Tang Qingqing is very beautiful and excellent, but she doesn't have the indescribable feeling that Tang Zhenzhen gives people. In any case, she is not someone that ordinary people can get close to.
Although Tang Qingqing was not a passionate person, she was very easy-going and never emphasized whose daughter she was.
After not being with her for long, Tang Xiaoxiao forgot the identities of her parents and only remembered that she was a very good and powerful person.
She has a good relationship with Tang Qingqing entirely because of her.
Tang Qingqing smiled and said, "Can we tell you now?"
"Will it affect you?" Tang Xiaoxiao was still a little hesitant.
She also heard some comments and knew that Tang Qingqing's position was still rather awkward after returning to the Tang family.
Tang Qingqing couldn't bear it any longer, and did what she had always wanted to do, kneading Tang Xiaoxiao's face hard.
Tang Xiaoxiao is very fair, with particularly good skin. Her face is white and chubby like a steamed bun, and just looking at it makes you want to rub it.
But Tang Qingqing was afraid that doing so would hurt Tang Xiaoxiao's feelings, so she suppressed the impulse. Now she can finally take action.
"Don't hesitate, just speak up!"
Tang Xiaoxiao was nervous and hesitant, but she finally said, "She is the old factory director's granddaughter, Sun Jiaying."
"Sun Jiaying?" Tang Qingqing had no impression of this person.
Tang Xiaoxiao explained: "She is the tall, thin and dark girl who often follows Tang Zhenzhen."
When it was mentioned like this, Tang Qingqing seemed to have some impression.
Although she ignored Tang Zhenzhen, they lived together after all and ran into each other often, so she was more familiar with the people around her.
Tang Xiaoxiao sighed: "When my father got into trouble, my mother was able to get a temporary job because of the arrangement of the old factory manager."
At that time, the old factory director had already retired to the second line, but he did not completely let go of the factory affairs. He was still making use of his remaining energy and was responsible for handling some trivial matters in the factory.
Tang Jianguo still focuses more on production, while matters such as the management and arrangement of workers are more placed on the shoulders of other team leaders.
The old factory director is an old revolutionary who has worked in the machinery factory for many years and has deep feelings for it.
He is highly respected in the factory and is a senior who is worthy of admiration. Tang Jianguo visits him at home every New Year to show his respect.
Tang Qingqing immediately understood why Tang Xiaoxiao swallowed her anger.
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