Chapter 16 Li Dazhu's Calculations
"What's wrong?"
Noticing that Tang Mingmei hadn't followed, Li Dazhu stopped and looked around nervously.
He was off work today and went on a date with Tang Mingmei. He specifically chose this area because he thought that not many people he knew lived here, so the chances of running into acquaintances were low.
But judging from Tang Mingmei's reaction, could it be that she ran into someone she knows?
Please, please don't!
Li Dazhu felt uneasy. After looking around, he followed her gaze.
But he couldn't see anything. Tang Mingli and the others had already gone far away. There were only a few passersby on the other side of the road, and Tang Mingmei's gaze didn't seem to be focused on anyone.
He had no choice but to ask again, "What's wrong? What did you see?"
Tang Mingmei then came to her senses and blurted out a denial: "I didn't see anything."
How could she possibly tell Li Dazhu that she saw her cousin walking intimately with the Fu family?
But Li Dazhu was not fooled by her words.
Given her reaction just now, no one would believe she meant anything.
He chuckled casually and asked, "Then why did you suddenly stop, and why did you look so startled?"
"I..." Tang Mingmei was speechless for a moment, realizing that she had just made it too obvious.
But you can't blame her, can you not be shocked when you see that scene?
So this is how Tang Mingli and the Fu family get along?
Impossible. Tang Mingmei refused to believe it.
It's not like she hasn't lived with the Fu family before.
That family was arrogant and liked to use reason to pressure people, making them feel suffocated. How could Tang Mingli possibly get along with them so easily and harmoniously?
But I did witness that scene with my own eyes.
Tang Mingmei's heart was in turmoil, and she really wanted to follow them to see what was going on. But Li Dazhu was still there, and she couldn't do that.
Tang Mingmei's reaction was so strange that Li Dazhu became genuinely curious and jokingly asked, "What's wrong? Can't you even tell me?"
I just can't say it.
Tang Mingmei suddenly felt very irritable, and faced with Li Dazhu's questioning, she became somewhat embarrassed and angry.
"Nothing's nothing, don't make it sound like something's wrong."
The sudden outburst of anger also displeased Li Dazhu.
However, she didn't show it in the end, suppressing all her displeasure, and coaxed softly, "Okay, okay, it's nothing. It was my fault, don't be upset, okay?"
As long as he doesn't run into someone he knows, it's fine.
Tang Mingmei's job is still uncertain, so he hasn't made a final decision between her and his blind date yet, and he doesn't want to be seen by anyone who knows her or himself at this time.
Aside from not having a job, Tang Mingmei was better than the blind date her family had arranged for her in every way. If it came to marriage, he would still prefer her, provided that her job problem was resolved.
Thinking about Tang Mingmei's job situation, Li Dazhu became secretly anxious. He wanted to persuade her several times to ask her cousin for help, since waiting for the educated youth office to arrange a job wouldn't work.
But he knew Tang Mingmei's temperament well, so he ultimately didn't speak.
Anyway, there's still some time; if he's going to get married, it'll be next year.
This year, we almost exhausted our family's savings to bring him back to the city, and we still have to save up for the wedding expenses ourselves.
Li Dazhu was quite troubled by the thought of saving money for his wedding and supporting his family after marriage.
These things could have been much less troublesome. After all, he has a younger sister who has been working for a few years and must have saved some money. If she could contribute some money to help, everything would be much easier.
But her parents have always favored her younger sister. They couldn't bear to part with her when he was sent to the countryside, preferring to let their son go instead. Now, they definitely wouldn't agree to her using her savings to pay for his wedding.
Li Dazhu couldn't understand why other families valued their sons so much, while his family only valued their daughters.
But no matter how much he couldn't understand, she was still his sister.
-
After this incident, Tang Mingmei lost interest in her date with Li Dazhu and soon made an excuse about having a headache to go home.
Li Dazhu also wanted to end this nerve-wracking date as soon as possible, so when she said that, he took the opportunity to end the meeting.
Tang Mingmei couldn't wait to get on the bus home.
Her parents didn't tell her the truth about Tang Mingli. Neither before nor after she returned to the city did they tell her a single honest word.
I was extremely anxious the whole way. The bus, which usually doesn't feel slow, seemed to be moving like a snail's pace today.
Fortunately, we finally arrived at the station. I ran home and as soon as I entered the yard, I saw my mother sitting under a tree chatting with some of the neighbor ladies.
I don't know what to say, but I'm laughing exceptionally happily.
Tang Mingmei immediately became furious.
She just couldn't understand how a mother could be chatting so happily with others when her daughter's job in the city wasn't even confirmed yet.
Filled with resentment, she stepped forward and called out "Mom" in a curt tone.
When Li Hong heard her daughter call her "Mom," her heart skipped a beat.
I was fine when I left home, so why am I in a bad mood now that I'm back?
Fearing her daughter would throw a tantrum in front of the neighbors, she quickly ended her conversation with them and took her daughter upstairs.
As soon as she entered the house, Li Hong asked with concern, "What's wrong? Did something happen outside?"
Tang Mingmei angrily questioned her mother: "Mom, how can you be in the mood to chat so happily with others? You don't care about your daughter at all."
"How could I not care about you? You are my only child."
This accusation is baseless; Li Hong has been wronged.
"If you cared about me, why would you be in the mood to chat with others? Shouldn't you be worried about my work?"
"Of course I'm worried about your job too." Li Hongzhen wished she could rip her heart out and show it to her daughter. She and her husband were so worried that they even considered going to the Fu family to beg for their help.
She sighed and guessed, "Did you go to the educated youth office today?"
Tang Mingmei said irritably, "No, I saw Tang Mingli today."
Did she upset you?
"I didn't meet her; I only saw her from a distance."
So what? You're unhappy just because you see it from afar?
Li Hongzhen felt a headache coming on; her daughter's temper was getting weirder and weirder.
She could only gently advise her daughter: "She's already a member of the Fu family, so there's no need for you to compare yourself to her."
Li Hong interpreted it as her daughter perhaps feeling uncomfortable seeing Tang Mingli doing well. But their family just couldn't compare to the Fu family; if they were to actually compare, they'd be furious.
Tang Mingmei naturally understood this principle as well.
Their different choices two years ago had already destined them to take different paths.
But she couldn't control herself, secretly hoping that Tang Mingli's life in the Fu family would be the same as hers in her previous life.
Depressed and unhappy, he was all alone.
But what we see today is that Tang Mingli's life is not like that at all.
Could it be that those people in my previous life were right, that she was indeed inferior to Tang Mingli?
Whether it's studying, working, or managing a marriage, she's not as good as Tang Mingli.
It's really hard to accept this. Tang Mingmei suddenly deflated like a punctured balloon and slumped into a chair.
Seeing her daughter like this, Li Hong felt both heartache and disappointment, so she simply sat down next to her.
"Actually, things are pretty good now. You're back, and the hardest part is over. Things will only get better from now on."
Things will get better and better from now on.
Yes, she has a future. She will get better and better.
Tang Mingmei's hope was rekindled.
As her anger subsided, she told her mother with some sadness, "I ran into Tang Mingli, and she seemed to be getting along well with the Fu family."
She even linked arms with Fu Ci's mother while walking, which shows how close they are; she never linked arms with her mother when they went shopping.
"Mom, why didn't you just tell me all this in the letter?"
"I... I don't know any of this either. After she got married, I only saw her a few times a year. Besides, you know Mingli's personality; she always prefers to report good news and not bad news."
Li Hong's words were absolutely true. During the two years their daughter was sent to the countryside, they rarely visited the Fu family, so they had no idea how Tang Mingli got along with her in-laws. They could only glean some information from her occasional visits during holidays; she seemed to be doing quite well in the Fu family.
Tang Mingmei thought it made sense; how could her mother know so much? She herself had lost her mind in her anxiety.
After calming down, she apologized to her mother: "Mom, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."
Hearing this "I'm sorry" brought tears to Li Hong's eyes.
Although she had suffered a lot of anger from her daughter these past few days, at this moment, all of it was soothed by this apology.
After crying for a while and calming down, Li Hong choked up and said, "Silly child, there's no need for apologies between children and parents. Mom and Dad will never hold a grudge against our children, you know?"
Hearing this, Tang Mingmei felt a pang of sadness.
She should know that her parents love her.
In her previous life, she was unhappy in the Fu family and resented her parents for making her marry Fu Ci. In the last year or two of her life, her relationship with her parents was very strained. Her parents were also worried about her and aged very quickly.
Looking back now, it really wasn't worth it. They were clearly the best people in the world to her. No matter how many things she did that hurt them, they would easily forgive her with just an apology.
Tang Mingmei choked up as well: "I only acted this way towards you because I was worried about my work."
"I know, Mom knows."
Li Hong hugged her daughter and patted her back to comfort her, while also making a decision in her heart.
She was going to the Fu family's house to find Tang Mingli and ask them to help her daughter find a job.
For her daughter, she, as a mother, was willing to put aside all pride.
-
As for the Fu family, Tang Mingli seemed to have a premonition, as she kept thinking about her uncle's side when she woke up today.
If I do the math, Tang Mingmei has been back for quite some time now. Aside from the one time she came to see me right after she returned, it's surprising that she hasn't come back for so long.
Fu Ci had just finished breakfast and was about to leave when he was explaining to his wife why he had to go back to work on Sunday. However, he noticed that his wife was lost in thought.
"What's wrong?" Fu Ci stopped opening the door and turned to look at his absent-minded wife.
Tang Mingli snapped out of her daze, and yawned involuntarily, saying deliberately, "It's nothing, I'm just too tired."
As for why they're tired, I'm sure they know the answer.
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