Chapter 73 Train Station
After saying this, Xia Lulu's face suddenly changed color:
"None of your business!"
"Why should I turn myself in? What did I do wrong that I should turn myself in?"
"Just look at yourself!"
A series of rebuttals came out of his mouth.
However, the sharper the voice, the more it shows that people are weak inside.
The two men stood facing each other.
Even though the same sun was shining on her body, Xia Lulu felt exceptionally cold.
Xia Tang's calm face facing her only served to highlight her impotent rage, making her look like a little clown.
What's even more terrifying is that when facing Xia Tang, she is no longer as righteous as before.
She seemed to be standing next to a cliff, and Xia Tang was extending a hand towards her.
No! She can't fall!
They are all reborn! Why is it she who fell down?
Xia Lulu reacted suddenly.
She said to Xia Tang fiercely:
"Don't be so proud! Do you think you can beat me just by opening a few shabby shops?"
"I'm telling you, when Boss Zheng comes back, I'll make sure all of your crappy stores are closed down!"
After saying that, he pushed Xia Tang away and left angrily.
Xia Tang rubbed her shoulders which were a little sore from being bumped by her and shook her head.
Some people will not admit defeat until the moment of death.
However, this will only make them lose even more miserably.
*
Xia Lulu hurried home.
That day, I didn't even step out of the house.
Even at night, Liu Mei would bring the food to the bedroom door.
The door opened a crack and then slammed shut.
Liu Mei looked at the closed door and shook her head, feeling a sense of unease in her heart.
But she herself couldn't tell where this feeling came from.
She just felt that Xia Lulu had been acting really weird in recent days.
But she didn't know why, or perhaps she didn't want to figure it out.
After all, everyone has their own thoughts in life, and sometimes it is painful to live soberly. Instead of this, it is better to just live like this and muddle through life.
Xia Lulu, however, is not willing to live a mediocre life.
So, she went out early the next morning.
She put on her most beautiful dress.
She was wearing a turmeric tweed skirt, lambskin shoes, and a small tweed hat with a bow. She looked like a young lady who had studied abroad, and was particularly eye-catching in the chilly autumn wind.
She walked hurriedly, having no time to pay attention to the curious or envious glances from passers-by.
She took the bus to the train station.
The train station is open all night, and the cleaners have just started work.
Xia Lulu frowned as she walked past the cleaner who was sweeping the floor, found the exit, found a clean seat, sat down, and waited seriously.
The dome of the railway station is very high. Swallows and other birds have already built nests on the roof, which was newly built in the 1960s. They hide when people come, and jump out and chirp when no one is around.
The large glass window had a crack at the top, letting the bright golden sunlight outside in without reservation.
Rows of green trains and freight cars stopped and moved on the platform, and people around them moved like flowing water, entering and exiting the station, getting on and off trains, in an endless stream.
Only Xia Lulu was always there.
When I heard the station announcement of "Guangcheng", I stood up excitedly, stood for an unknown amount of time, and then sat down slowly and disappointedly.
She kept doing this all day.
Until eight o'clock in the evening.
A staff member saw that she had not moved for a long time and came over to ask about her condition.
Xia Lulu grabbed his arm as if she had grabbed a life-saving straw:
"How many trains are there from Guangzhou?"
The staff's good-tempered explanation:
"The last train that arrived was at 7:30, and there were no more after that."
Xia Lulu's face turned pale, and she still held his arm tightly:
"Then in the morning... is there any time before seven in the morning?"
"No, the earliest one arrives at 9 o'clock, and the latest one arrives at 7:30. Comrade, are you asking these questions to pick someone up?"
Xia Lulu nodded subconsciously, and after realizing what was going on, she quickly shook her head:
"No...no...I'm just...asking..."
After the staff left, Xia Lulu slumped on the stool as if she was exhausted, but she was still mumbling to herself:
"It's okay... It's okay... Boss Zheng must have something to do... That's why I'm late... It's okay..."
She dragged her heavy steps back home, but someone was already waiting there.
Those people were all close to the Xia family. When they saw Xia Lulu coming back, they swarmed around her:
"Lulu, you are dressed so nicely, are you going to pick up Boss Zheng?"
"Yes! Is he back to harvest the seedlings?"
"Boss Zheng is finally back! The money I borrowed still counts as points! Now that he's back I can pay him back!"
"Boss Zheng is our savior!"
Xia Lulu separated everyone and walked into the house with her body straight.
She didn't look at anyone, her expression was a little cold:
"Boss Zheng still needs to be settled, why are you in such a hurry?"
After hearing this, everyone else felt relieved:
"Don't worry, don't worry."
"Even if Mr. Zheng comes, he has other things to do. We understand."
"But, Lulu, can Boss Zheng harvest our seedlings first?"
"And mine!"
"And mine!"
A group of people surrounded Xia Lulu.
Xia Lulu felt like she was surrounded by a pack of hungry wolves. If she showed even the slightest flaw, she would be torn to pieces.
"Don't worry, we'll take it when Boss Zheng is ready."
She pretended to be particularly tired, frowned and looked at everyone:
"I've been busy all day, so I'm going to go back and rest. If you guys keep hanging around here and being annoying, I might not accept you."
"Okay, okay! Then you take a good rest, and we'll go!"
"Thank you, Lulu!"
Those people left reluctantly.
Xia Lulu sat down on the wooden chair, but was in a daze.
Sister Liu came over with a cup of tea, her expression somewhat flattering:
"Lulu, how is it? Has Mr. Zheng settled down? Where does he live? Why didn't he bring him home to rest?"
Xia Lulu was feeling upset and pushed the tea that was handed to her aside.
The tea spilled on the tea table, but Sister Liu didn't get angry. Instead, she asked again:
"Lulu, we still have thirty seedlings. We have fifteen left after placing them at your third uncle's house. There are also seedlings at your fifth aunt's house... Can you talk to Mr. Zheng and ask him to take ours first?"
"Oh, Mom! Are you upset?"
Xia Lulu turned around unable to bear it any longer:
"Wait until Boss Zheng is ready! We will collect it when the time comes! Why are you in such a hurry?"
"Okay, okay! Then you take a rest first, take a rest!"
Liu Mei said this in a humbly voice and left quickly.
*
Early the next morning, Xia Lulu went out again.
The staff from yesterday's train station were still there, and when they saw the well-dressed girl who "wasn't waiting for anyone," they smiled at her.
But Xia Lulu couldn't laugh at all.
She sat in the train station all day again.
Naturally, they returned empty-handed.
However, on her way home, she went to the factory's communications room.
She picked up the plastic receiver, and the coils of wire stretched out in circles until it came to rest against her ear.
When her cold fingertips touched the raised phone keys, the hard touch made her shiver.
She concentrated on dialing the numbers that she had memorized so well one by one. After a beep, the phone was suddenly connected.
Xia Lulu couldn't help but hold her breath. A little hope was rekindled in her heart, which had almost turned to ashes.
Then——
"Hello, the number you dialed is out of service."
The mechanical and cold female voice completely shattered all her fantasies.
"No... no... how can it be shut down?"
“That’s impossible…”
Xia Lulu's hands couldn't help but tremble. She quickly put the microphone back to its place, picked it up again, and dialed repeatedly.
However, no matter how many times she called, the voice on the other end remained the same.
Shutdown... Shutdown...
Xia Lulu listened to the voice in the receiver over and over again, and the receiver slowly slid down her cheek.
Two lines of tears followed the microphone and slid down her cheeks bit by bit.
"Lulu, who are you calling again? Is that Mr. Zheng here?"
The boss of the communication room asked enthusiastically.
Xia Lulu wiped the tears from her face in panic:
"Oh... nothing... nothing."
She hurriedly put the phone back on the hook, and in her haste she hung the receiver crookedly.
Afterwards, she staggered back home without saying a word.
When I opened the door, there was no one in the room.
Only Liu Mei was knitting under the dim light.
Knitting is popular in their era.
Buy two pounds of wool, roll it into a ball that is easy to place, and then use two long needles to slowly weave it into a sweater.
Originally, these tasks were done for Xia Tang.
After Xia Tang left, Liu Mei came over.
Her craftsmanship is not very good and she can only weave one pattern, unlike Xia Tang who can weave many kinds.
However, she remembered that Xia Tang didn't know how to do it at the beginning. In the beginning, if she made mistakes, she would be scolded by Liu Mei.
Now, does she not need to knit sweaters?
Xia Lulu's mind was in a mess, she was thinking about this and that.
It was like there was a huge hole in my heart, and I was about to fall, but there was nowhere to go.
Seeing that Xia Lulu hadn't said anything for a long time, Liu Mei thought she was tired, so she asked:
"Lulu, have you had dinner with Boss Zheng? I know you did, so I didn't save any for you."
Xia Lulu, who hadn't eaten all day, nodded subconsciously.
She looked at Liu Mei, who had aged a lot in this year, and suddenly wanted to cry.
But she tried hard to hold it back and took the knitting needles from Liu Mei's hand:
"Mom, your eyesight is not good, why do you always do this?"
"I don't want to do it either, but I can't let your sister-in-law do it."
Liu Mei sighed exaggeratedly.
"Isn't it expensive to buy ready-made ones? But from now on, I won't be afraid. My daughter can make money, so I won't feel bad about buying as many as I want."
"Yes...your daughter...can make money..."
Xia Lulu felt as bitter as if she had been soaked in coptis root.
She was about to say something heart-warming, but before she could finish her words, she heard Liu Mei continue:
"Now, I have Xia Dong and you, and I am quite content."
"Life is much better now than when your father first became paralyzed. Now, I just hope that Xia Dong and his family can have a house and have a boy. I don't have any other hopes in my heart."
A basin of cold water was slowly poured over Xia Lulu's head.
Liu Mei really doesn't know what she has been through, but that doesn't stop her from still thinking about the house even now.
But even if she knew, would she feel sorry for her daughter?
Or is it because she can't buy a house for Xia Dong, so she starts to curse like before?
Xia Lulu felt as cold as an ice cellar in her heart.
She did not answer Liu Mei's question, but returned the knitting needle to Liu Mei:
"Mom, stop talking about this."
At this juncture, she really didn't want to argue about this with Liu Mei.
Liu Mei hesitated to speak:
"My dear, don't blame me for saying this. I know you bought a lot of things for Xia Dong and his wife, but you have to spend some money wisely so that they will really appreciate you. Just like this house..."
"Okay, okay, Mom, stop talking to me about this."
Xia Lulu stood up unable to bear it any longer and walked towards her room.
Liu Mei behind me kept saying:
"Lulu, think about it! Your brother's house!"
Xia Lulu closed the door.
After a long while, I heard Liu Mei complaining about her faults to Xia Dong who had just returned home.
Immediately afterwards, there was a knock on the door, accompanied by Xia Dong calling her name. It was particularly abrupt in the gradually darkening night.
Xia Lulu leaned against the wooden door and refused to open it no matter who knocked.
The noise outside gradually stopped.
She also quietly packed her luggage in the room.
When I finally walked out the door, it was already quiet outside.
Xia Dong and Wang Xinyue slept in the bedroom with a curtain drawn, and they were obviously fast asleep.
Xia Tang quietly carried her luggage and went out. When she reached the door, she thought for a moment, took out ten large banknotes from her wallet, and put them in the basket at the door.
Then she opened the door gently and walked out with her luggage.
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