Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Two Updates in One
The room was silent for a moment.
Not only Chen Minzhi, but even the man couldn't help but look at his mother.
Wang Kaiyun felt a little guilty.
After she came back, she told her son about how Minyun and Minzhi helped outsiders bully her and how Minyun was injured, but she didn't mention a word.
But on second thought, he started to feel sorry for himself.
That girl Chen Minyun has been living in their home for so many years. Their family has provided her with food and drink for so many years, but in the end they got nothing and ended up betraying an ungrateful person!
So what if she beats such a heartless person!
Why did Chen Minzhi point fingers at my nose and scold me?
She was so aggrieved that she actually started to cry. She sat down on the ground, her mouth wide open, howling:
"It's just pushing her a few times, what's the big deal! I've never been mean to her in any way!"
"She eats my food and wears my clothes, but now she turns around and sides with outsiders! You don't even know what she says about me..."
"Besides, the money you said your mother paid for was our own money! I used my money to buy a workstation for your sick sister, but in the end, it was still my fault! I might as well just die!"
The conversation was incoherent and confusing, and the neighbors heard a lot of it.
Some even stuck their heads in to advise:
"Minzhi, what are you arguing about with your mother-in-law again?"
"Your mother-in-law has a hard time. As a kid, don't argue with her over trivial matters..."
Chen Minzhi was so angry that she was shaking. She walked forward and tried to pull her mother-in-law up from the ground, saying:
"Stand up and tell me! Stand up and let others judge! Who is right about you hitting Minyun?"
However, Wang Kaiyun refused to get up.
Not only did he not get up, he also sat on the ground howling, and the sound became louder and louder.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law suddenly started to quarrel.
At this moment, the man who had been silent just now suddenly walked over, pulled Chen Minzhi's arm to the side, twisted her arm, and hit her with a "bang".
The surroundings suddenly became quiet.
Chen Minzhi covered her face and looked at her husband in disbelief.
This usually taciturn man seemed stunned for a moment, but then he helped Wang Kaiyun up and said:
"How much more trouble are you going to cause!"
"Am I the one causing trouble?"
Chen Minzhi asked in disbelief.
She gritted her teeth and tears flowed out of her eyes without her noticing:
"Du Linsheng! Tell me! Am I the one causing trouble?"
She looked at the way the man was supporting her mother, so intimate, as if the two of them were a family.
She closed her eyes tightly, and suddenly swept everything on the tea table to the ground.
The man was really angry at this time, and walked over with his fists clenched:
"Would you like to go crazy again?"
Chen Minzhi stared at him with red eyes, her eyes were fierce and sad:
"Go ahead and hit me! Try hitting me again! Beat me to death!"
The man's fist slowly fell again.
The door to the house opened, and the daughter stood at the door in a daze, calling:
"Mom, Dad, why are you making so much noise..."
Chen Minzhi walked over quickly, hugged her daughter's soft little body, and buried her head deeply in her daughter's little shoulders.
After a moment, she turned around and stared at Du Linsheng with her scarlet eyes:
"Du Linsheng, we are done!"
*
In the end, Chen Minzhi was unable to take Xiaoxiao away.
She left the Du family alone and had nowhere to go, so she went to the clinic and spent the night on a bench outside Minyun's ward.
The wooden bench was particularly cold to sit on in the late autumn evening.
Chen Minzhi was also cold, but deep down, she had never been so clear before.
She had been tolerating Wang Kaiyun and resisting leaving that home. Xiaoxiao was one reason, and her husband was another.
In fact, she and Du Linsheng rarely quarreled before.
Du Lin is a quiet person who doesn't talk much, but he doesn't have any bad habits.
He doesn't smoke, drink or play mahjong. He goes home early after work every day and has few conflicts with her.
Many of her co-workers said they envied her for having a good husband, and it was because of Du Linsheng that she repeatedly tolerated Wang Kaiyun.
But now, Chen Minzhi has really let it go.
The man didn't quarrel with her, but he seldom talked to her. Chen Minzhi, who loved to joke, was also mostly silent in front of him.
Whenever there were conflicts between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law, she would always endure it.
She usually doesn't talk, but when something big happens, she is always the one who sacrifices her own interests.
After she gave birth to Xiaoxiao, she was in poor health, so Wang Kaiyun forced her to go to the poor mountain valley to give birth to another boy. After she refused, he also frowned and didn't talk to her for a month.
She and Wang Kaiyun argued fiercely over family matters, but he just stood by and watched, enjoying the results, which made them look more like two little clowns.
What's more, Du Linsheng now took action.
Such a marriage may appear complete on the surface, but in reality it is like chewed chaff, which is tasteless to eat and one is afraid to throw away.
But Chen Minzhi really couldn't live with him anymore.
She sat on a wooden stool with a dull expression, as if she was sleeping, but also as if she wasn't asleep at all.
It was not until the next morning that he stood up in a daze and bought breakfast for Minyun.
The first thing he said after seeing Xia Tang was:
"Xia Tang, is the warehouse you mentioned still available for rent?"
The voice was actually hoarse.
Xia Tang looked at Chen Minzhi and nodded immediately:
"Rent it. I'll let Qin Yue go and look at the house now."
Qin Yue acted quickly, and Xia Tang told him about it in the afternoon.
The next day he had picked out a yard.
When Xia Tang and Chen Minzhi went to see it, they were also quite satisfied.
The warehouse was rented out quickly.
It is a small courtyard not far from the back street, with two rooms in the front and three rooms in the back.
Brand new green tiles and bright large glass windows.
The yard is paved with cement, and there is a small vegetable patch near the wall with a plum tree in the middle.
The owner was an employee of a nearby factory. Not long after the house was built, the male owner was transferred to support the Southwest Project, and the house became vacant.
Xia Tang told her that she and Minyun should live in the back house first, and she planned to use the rest of the space as a warehouse and a central kitchen.
Central kitchen?
Minzhi had never heard of this term before, but when she saw Xia Tang's energetic face, she subconsciously followed suit and smiled.
Xia Tang looked at her and couldn't help but say:
"Sister Minzhi, why don't you stop laughing."
"When I see you smile, I want to cry even more."
"How could that be..."
Minzhi couldn't help pursing her lips, and her eyes turned red again.
*
Minzhi's divorce did not go smoothly.
After all, in this day and age, divorce is a big deal.
Even though Wang Kaiyun is always talking about her daughter-in-law, she was the first to shake her head when asked to divorce Chen Minzhi and Du Linsheng.
However, although the Du family members were unwilling to divorce, as the man in the middle of the storm, they remained silent.
He let his mother and relatives torment Chen Minzhi, and he was so silent that he seemed like a transparent person.
People who wanted to make peace came in droves.
Not knowing where Chen Minzhi lived, they all found the workshop.
Chen Minzhi felt annoyed, so she simply changed her shift and only worked the night shift, saving those people the trouble of looking for her.
She could actually recite everything those people said.
"No matter what, she is still your mother-in-law..."
"There is no such thing as overnight hatred between husband and wife..."
"Your sister shouldn't have lived with you in the first place. Your mother-in-law always says a few words..."
It's annoying to listen to, and not a single word of it is useful.
Chen Minzhi didn't want to listen to anyone alone.
Apart from work and taking care of Minyun, she spent the rest of her time with Xia Tang to take care of the "Central Kitchen" affairs.
Xia Tang found out she was pregnant, which was a big deal.
She recently opened a new store and is also busy setting up a central kitchen. With so many things to do, she definitely can't do it without someone to help.
Chen Minzhi just happened to hit it.
As I was busy all the time, I felt less worried.
On this day, Xia Tang and Qin Yue had just arrived at the courtyard when they heard the voice of the conductor Chen Minzhi:
"Yes, this iron cabinet is placed right here. Please place it carefully, Master!"
"Let's keep the coal here. Build me a small shed and raise the ground a little so it won't get wet in the rain."
"Hey, don't let me rub against the wall..."
Sounds lively.
Xia Tang smiled and walked in to see Chen Minzhi directing the three masters to do their work, working vigorously and vigorously.
Minyun, who had just been discharged from the hospital, also sat in the yard with a small stool, basking in the sun while peeling potatoes.
Xia Tang walked over, took the potato from Minyun's hand, and said to Minzhi:
"Minyun just came back, and you are willing to let her do things."
Chen Minzhi grinned:
"Then she can't be left idle."
The two of them chatted casually, and then they talked about the current yard.
Chen Minzhi suddenly said:
"I used to think that you rented this warehouse specifically for Minyun. Now, I understand the purpose of this place."
"oh?"
Xia Tang had just peeled a potato and was about to bend down to put it into the large basin at his feet. As soon as he moved, Qin Yue immediately took it over.
She pursed her lips and looked at Chen Minzhi:
"What do you mean?"
Chen Minzhi said with great interest:
"With this central kitchen, when you open a new store in the future, you can deliver the goods from here, and cooking in the store won't be so troublesome."
Xia Tang smiled and said, "Almost."
The central kitchen is actually a product of the fast food era in later generations.
Fast food is different from traditional Chinese restaurants and mom-and-pop snack bars in that it focuses on low prices, fast food delivery, and stable food. Such hotels are most suitable and need to build a central kitchen for continuous and stable food supply, which can not only ensure the quality of the food, but also does not need to hire a chef at a high salary for each store like a large hotel.
Xia Tang had this plan when he first started running the snack bar.
She even thought that after this central kitchen was up and running, she could open a few more and then promote Tang Kee’s delicacies throughout the city, or even further.
現在，陳敏芝能夠察覺出她建設中央廚房的目的，她也很高興。
而更令她高興的，是陳敏芝的态度。
她似乎是真的準備擁抱新生活了。
*
有了陳敏芝的幫忙，中央廚房很快便整了起來。
夏棠的棠記小吃店蒸蒸日上，然而另一方的夏家，日子卻過得死氣沉沉。
上一次夏露露将錢全都卷走之後，夏冬和劉妹狠狠的吵了一架。
劉妹雖然嘴巴從來不饒人，但在憤怒的兒子面前，還是不免矮了好幾分。
況且，夏冬沒結成婚的這件事，她也确實覺得心裏頭愧疚。
便又上杆子給夏冬找了另外一家。
那一家倒是沒有李老二家的條件好，老子是郊區黑窯廠的燒窯工，家裏頭人口多，便打算将大閨女嫁出去。
要的彩禮錢也沒有李老二的多，就要兩百塊，加上五十塊錢的洋果子和白酒。
這家聽上去也算有個工作，要的錢也少，夏冬便上了心，跟人家姑娘見上了兩三面，心也活泛了起來。
可他上心歸上心，彩禮錢卻依然讓劉妹犯了愁。
現如今，全家的收入就指着夏冬的工資和夏大山的退休金。
夏大山的退休金如今才二十多，自己的醫藥費都捉襟見肘，根本不夠花。
劉妹每個月從夏冬的指甲縫裏扣幾塊錢出來當生活開銷，又哪裏有錢給他娶媳婦去！
她心裏難受又沒處去發洩，便只能坐在夏大山的床邊嗚嗚的哭。
“你說說這個夏露露啊……結婚之後一回家都沒回過……”
“這家裏頭沒錢，冬子怎麽張羅結婚啊！眼瞅着都大了，就連夏棠那白眼狼都結婚了他都結不了……”
夏大山這段時間的身體恢複了一些。
雖然半個身子仍然不能動，臉上嘴歪眼斜的，但是他能歪歪着坐起來了。
平時的時候拿着跟拐棍，也能歪歪扭扭的走上幾步，起碼上個廁所之類的沒問題。
不過，說話還是不行。
見到劉妹在那裏哭，一直用手推着劉妹，幹着急說不出來。
劉妹讓他推得難受，抹了一把眼淚:
“老頭子，你要幹啥啊！”
她湊到夏大山身邊去，聽到他嘶啞幹澀遲鈍的聲音：
“姐……大姐……”
姐？說的是夏霞？
劉妹又抹了一把眼淚：“夏霞那個窩囊玩意兒能有啥用，一天天的除了回家買點菜啥都指望不上，你還說她呢！”
言語間是萬般看不上她那個大丫頭。
夏大山沉重的将頭往邊上一撇，又強調說：
“姐……芳……”
“芳啥啊？”
劉妹懶得理他，剛要走，卻又停住了腳步，
“你是說夏大芳？她能行嗎？”
夏大山用盡了力氣，用力的點了點頭。
劉妹此刻也反應過來了。
雖然平時都是夏大山去找的夏大芳，但眼下她也顧不上什麽了。
夏冬結不了婚，那可不是他們一家人幹着急。
劉妹想到這裏，下定了決心一樣捏緊了拳頭：
“行！我去求求夏大芳！”
*
要說這夏大芳還真是有用。
過上了幾天，陳敏芝再見夏棠的時候，便對着她擠眉弄眼的說：
“你知道不，夏冬之前相的那個人，聽說快要成了。”
夏棠在小院子釀了米酒，正隔着玻璃罐子看裏頭的成色，一聽陳敏芝這麽說便擡起頭來：
“劉妹不是天天哭窮還借錢嗎？那家人真肯把他家孩子嫁給夏冬？”
“要沖着夏冬和夏大山，還真未必肯。”
陳敏芝哼了一聲，見夏棠準備動手，連忙幫她将米酒罐子換了個地方放：
“我是聽說，你那個大姑出面了，說是包了夏冬的彩禮錢，還跟對方好好的談了談。”
“要說，你那個大姑也是挺有本事的哈，這都能幫得上忙。”
“那不是她最重要的侄子嗎？”
夏棠莞爾。
夏冬婚事沒着落這件事，除了夏家老兩口，恐怕就只有夏大芳最上心了。
要夏大芳出面幫忙，劉妹他們也是作對了。
但以她對于夏大芳的了解來說，在這件事上，她肯定也是藏一點兒說一點兒，沒說實話。
就尋思着蒙着騙着，等媳婦進了門一切就好了。
可是，媳婦進門不鬧騰，那也得娶李美鳳那種老實頭子才行。
誰知道這次夏冬娶的媳婦，能是啥樣的呢？
不過，有了夏大芳在，夏家的婚事果然推動了下去。
夏棠聽陳敏芝說，劉妹開始在廠子裏走動着派喜帖了，結婚就定在下個星期。
而就在夏冬結婚前的這段時日，夏家又迎來了一個變數——
夏露露回來了。
要說夏露露，回來的比所有人覺得都晚。
她原本就是留了一封信任性的就走了，信上只說去了廣城，讓所有人等她的好消息。
謝明輝看到這封信，就立馬去了夏家找她，可是劉妹夏大山哪裏知道夏露露去了哪裏，不僅不幫忙，反而話裏話外的說謝明輝得罪了夏露露。
這個年頭，連大哥大BB機都沒有，如果一個人去了別的地方，那除了去當地找，沒有一點兒能聯系上的辦法。
謝明輝心裏頭氣，學校的事情也是焦頭爛額，便幹脆沒再去找夏露露。
畢竟在他心裏，夏露露走就走，總會回來的。
可誰也沒想到，這一去，就去了半個多月。
一直到謝明輝的新房子下了來，舊宿舍交了走，她方才雄赳赳氣昂昂的回了來。
她身上穿着時下最流行的皮衣牛仔褲，就連臉上都帶了一個大大的黑墨鏡，手上大包小包的拎着一堆東西，不知道的，還真以為是從哪裏來的明星嘞。
夏露露就穿着這麽一身行頭，擺足了姿勢一推門——
裏面卻是陌生的一個男人。
夏露露頓時傻了眼：
“謝明輝呢？”
那個青年一開始也是納悶，聽到她這麽一說，便笑了：
“你是找謝老師對吧？他的房子已經下來了，這個宿舍學校收回分配給我了。”
夏露露一聽就急了：
“那你知道他現在住哪嗎？”
謝明輝新分好的房子幾乎在學校的斜對角。
夏露露拎着大包小包的東西，一邊往過去走，一邊将忍不住的埋怨謝明輝。
不過埋怨雖埋怨，能有新房子住，她還是有些期待的。
她甚至期待着，等謝明輝發現了自己的新變化，不知道該有多高興。
就該讓他和他那些個親戚都看看！
一個個拜高踩低的覺得她比不上別人！
今天她就要讓他們都看看，她到底比不上誰！
夏露露心裏想着，将東西放到地上，揉了揉拎東西拎得酸軟的手，又繼續往那邊趕去。
等折騰到了謝明輝的新房子，已經過去了大半個小時。
謝明輝分的房子在七樓。
等夏露露終于到了門口的時候，已經沒了大半條命。
她在門口叫了半天，終于等得門開。
可是大門一開，裏頭的人讓她一下子黑了臉。
夏露露對着裏面，氣惱的大聲喊着：
“謝明輝！你給我出來！”
“你媽和你妹妹怎麽也在這！”
*
“別的不說，你那個堂妹，是真能折騰。”
陳敏芝對着夏棠說的時候，忍不住嘆氣：
“回來第一件事居然是讓謝明輝把他娘老子和他妹妹全都給送回老家去！還吵吵嚷嚷的所有人都聽到了！”
“啧啧啧，那場面，可太難看了。”
“謝明輝理她才怪。”夏棠啼笑皆非的接着說。
“誰說不是呢？”
陳敏芝接話說。
雖然她和謝明輝接觸也不多，但她本能的覺得，那個青年心眼子多，不是個好對付的。
他媽和他妹妹過來住這件事，搞不好是他故意的。
要不然怎麽就趁着夏露露不在，兩個人偏偏就上來了呢？
不過，俗話說秀才遇到兵，有理說不清。
謝明輝那種陰歹歹的人，碰到夏露露那樣明目張膽幹仗的倒也不好對付。
也得虧沒讓他娶了夏棠，要不以夏棠這種講理的，肯定得讓他從脖子上掐股死。
這些話，她都沒有跟夏棠說。
左右現在夏棠生活的幸福，就沒必要拿那些個舊事來叨擾她。
夏棠心裏也是這樣想的。
剛得知自己懷孕的時候，夏棠其實心裏頭也是發憷。
上輩子，她懷孕的經歷并不好。
剛懷上就不住的孕吐，一直到四五個月的時候還沒有止住。
整個孕期都十分的不舒服，吃口肉湯都要吐出來，懷孕了也沒長幾斤肉。
和謝明輝、婆家相處的也都不愉快，心裏頭一直堵得慌。
等後半程，又趕上了先兆流産，最後女兒是早産來到這個世界上的。
有了之前的經驗，夏棠也未免害怕，這一次也是一樣。
可是這一次，不知是不是身體比前世健康的原因，她的反應倒是很少。
前期除了容易疲勞，便沒有什麽其他的症狀。
等滿了三個月後，更是和普通人一模一樣。
更令她貼心的，是秦越對她的照顧。
那真是捧在手心裏怕掉了，含在嘴邊怕化了。
白天他忙着廠裏的工作，晚上便無論夏棠去哪，都能準時趕過來接她回家。
屋裏的凳子都不讓夏棠動一下，倒杯水都得讓秦越念好幾次。
When he came back in the evening, he prepared the medicine bag according to the doctor's prescription and soaked Xia Tang's feet every night, saying that it could "relieve edema."
Xia Tang looked at his feet, but couldn't see where the swelling was.
Seeing such careful care, even Chen Minzhi couldn't help but tell Xia Tang that Qin Yue was imitating the "Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars".
This made Xia Tang feel embarrassed.
Chen Minzhi watched and smiled, and couldn't help but be happy for her.
When I think of myself again, I can't help but feel sad.
During this time, Du Jiaxing may have known Chen Minzhi's determination, and fewer people came to visit him.
However, he also had others tell Chen Minzhi that divorce was impossible.
If she wanted to divorce, she would not be able to give the child to him and she would be dragged to death.
It was impossible for Chen Minzhi to be dragged to death.
Since she has made up her mind, even the child cannot make her change her mind.
But after all, Xiaoxiao is her flesh and blood.
If Du Linsheng were to marry again, Xiaoxiao would inevitably be bullied in that patriarchal family.
She discussed it with Xia Tang and decided to file a lawsuit.
These days, divorce lawsuits are very rare.
But there always has to be someone who's the first to try something new, right?