Chapter 238 (Second Update): A Heartbreaking Story of Chasing After One's Wife...
Tang Mingli quickly regained her composure and frantically tried to figure out how to fix the mess she had carelessly made.
2008 was still a long time ago, so how did she just blurt it out?
But perhaps we can't blame her. The 2008 Beijing Olympics are etched into the bones of so many Chinese people.
Tang Mingli was anxious, but the more anxious she became, the less she could think of a solution.
Fortunately, at this time, Madam Fu gave her some direction.
Madam Fu frowned slightly and said, "The news just reported that the Olympic bid delegation has withdrawn its application for the next Olympic Games..."
Tang Mingli suddenly remembered something and said, "That's right, that's why I think that with our country's current rate of development, we will definitely be able to apply successfully in the next term."
"So that's what you mean." Madam Fu nodded, clearly agreeing with her granddaughter-in-law's point of view.
Their country is developing so fast now, they definitely won't lose the next application.
Having managed to smooth things over, Tang Mingli secretly breathed a sigh of relief, reminding herself that she must never speak without thinking when discussing matters related to the future.
To avoid making any further mistakes, Tang Mingli quickly continued cleaning.
Looking at the tidy house and then at her granddaughter-in-law who was mopping the floor with great enthusiasm, Madam Fu couldn't help but speak her mind, saying something that might not be very kind.
I used to think you couldn't do housework.
Tang Mingli smiled as she thought about the more than ten years she had spent eating, drinking, and enjoying herself at the Fu family's house.
However, just because she found Tang Mingli capable, Madam Fu did not feel at ease letting her do housework.
Having cherished her like a precious gem for over a decade, Madam Fu felt deeply for her.
It's alright now that the weather isn't too cold, but once winter comes, even doing simple chores will make your fingers frostbite.
That's just how people are; they get used to doing manual labor and become resilient. People like them, three generations of a family, only really get to do manual labor during the Lunar New Year holidays; they've already become quite pampered.
Thinking of this, Madam Fu added, "We still need to find a housekeeper as soon as possible, otherwise, I'm afraid you and Yujuan's hands will get frostbite from touching cold water in winter."
"That's quite possible."
Tang Mingli glanced at her fair and tender hands.
She had been thinking that finding a nanny wasn't urgent and could be done slowly, without considering the issue of the weather getting colder.
It seems we must find a suitable nanny before winter successfully sets in in Shenzhen.
After tidying up for more than an hour, I finally got the house organized.
Tang Mingli gathered the trash together, preparing to take it downstairs to throw it away.
As they were going downstairs, they ran into their downstairs neighbor, who was also coming out. The two of them smiled politely at each other.
That's how it is when you live in a commercial apartment building. Even though you live in the same building, the neighborly relationship is never as close as when you lived in the same compound.
Even though we live in the same compound, we chat like old friends, even if we're at opposite ends of the same building.
People can live in commercial buildings, but there seems to be a natural barrier between them, and most of them are just nodding acquaintances.
Tang Mingli herself quite likes this sense of distance; she doesn't actually like too much socializing, but the older generation might not be used to it.
They were already used to close neighborly relations.
In her past life, Tang Mingli couldn't understand why the relationship between the two generations of neighbors was so clearly divided. Now, she thinks it might be due to the change in their living environment.
Lost in thought, I had already reached the first floor.
Tang Mingli threw the trash into the designated spot, then walked around the garden a few times to loosen her muscles before going home.
It was quite a coincidence that I ran into my downstairs neighbor again on my way back.
The two of them smiled politely at each other as before.
Once inside the elevator, I expected to remain silent, but to my surprise, the other person spoke up.
"Where did you move from?" After asking, afraid of being impolite, she quickly told them where she had moved from.
Tang Mingli replied politely, "We moved here from Guangcheng."
The other party was surprised to hear that it was Guangcheng.
After all, Guangzhou is much better than Shenzhen right now.
Tang Mingli did not deny it, but said, "There's nothing I can do, my husband's work focus has shifted here."
“That’s true.” The other person smiled. “Before you moved here, I only met your husband once or twice. He rarely stayed here.”
"Yes, before we came here, he simply stayed in the dormitory."
Tang Mingli did not say too much about what her husband did.
During their casual conversation, they arrived at their floor. As the other person got out of the elevator, they said to Tang Mingli before leaving, "We're neighbors, let's visit each other sometime. We've all moved to Shenzhen from other places."
"Okay." Tang Mingli didn't coldly reject the other party's kindness.
She just thought it was probably just polite talk.
Just as the elevator doors were about to close, a man rushed over and asked urgently, "Miss, is this elevator going up or down?"
Tang Mingli said "up," and the other party frantically pressed the other elevator button.
Back home, Tang Mingli was still thinking about that phrase, "pretty girl."
The change in address is truly incredible.
Every era bears its own distinct mark, yet changes occur quietly without you even noticing.
Comrade, Master, Sir, Miss, Beautiful Lady...
Fu Ci was born in the wrong era. If he had been born ten years later, he would have truly lived up to the title of "handsome guy."
Tang Mingli couldn't help but chuckle at the thought.
-
Around 10 a.m., Fu's mother and husband returned from their morning exercise and began preparing lunch.
Tang Mingli went to the school to pick up the person.
Although this stretch of road is only about ten minutes long, walking it several times a day is still quite tiring.
Tang Mingli wanted to buy a motorcycle, a women's motorcycle. But women's motorcycles were hard to find at the time, so she could only continue to observe.
When they got home, Fu's mother's side was almost finished, except for a vegetable dish.
A few minutes later, the last vegetable dish was plated, and Fu's mother called everyone to eat.
Since Fu Yu started elementary school, their family's mealtimes have become much more lively.
Asking about their child's daily life at school has become an essential topic of conversation at the dinner table.
Fortunately, Fu Yu is also a very sharing child. The elders love to ask questions, and she loves to talk about them, so it's a two-way street.
In addition, their elders are too good at praising people. Tang Mingli will not say who influenced her, but in short, praising people is not a flaw.
Elders praise people, and children like to be praised, so it's a double benefit.
The laughter and joy at the dinner table every day are sweeter than the food itself.
It's a little past one in the afternoon, time to take the kids to school.
Knowing Tang Mingli's afternoon nap habit, Fu's mother always let her take a nap while she took her to the bathroom.
Tang Mingli also tried to persuade her in-laws, after all, the child was born to her and Fu Ci, and she felt bad for making her in-laws go through so much trouble.
But the mother-in-law's rebuttal was too compelling.
“I can’t sleep at noon, and lying down is just staring blankly. Staying at home is also boring. There’s no need for someone like you who can sleep to sacrifice their sleep time.”
Tang Mingli stopped being stubborn and obediently followed the elders' arrangements.
Perhaps it's because she's getting older; she can't sleep as much as she did when she was in her twenties.
I used to be able to sleep for the whole afternoon during my afternoon nap, but now I usually wake up on my own after about two hours.
Waking up at just past 2 a.m. can give you the illusion that only half a day has passed, making time seem exceptionally long.
However, Tang Mingli is not the kind of person who gets bored easily; she can always find her own enjoyment.
Practicing calligraphy, reading books, watching TV, and occasionally cooking some delicious food when I'm in a good mood—my days are fulfilling, how could I be bored?
Especially recently, she bought more than a dozen Hong Kong and Taiwan romance novels in one go, making her afternoons even more relaxing and fulfilling.
To make reading novels more comfortable, she even bought a rocking chair, which she places on the balcony when the weather is nice, enjoying the sunshine, having afternoon tea, and reading poignant love stories.
Everyone has their own ambitions.
Some people strive to make a difference in their limited lifespan.
Some people strive to improve their lives and those of their families.
Some people...
Tang Mingli felt that she should just say who she was.
Tang Mingli lacked ambition and only pursued a relaxed and comfortable life.
That afternoon, Grandma was practicing calligraphy in her room, lying in her rocking chair reading a book.
A doorbell rang, breaking the tranquility of the early autumn afternoon.
Who could it be?
Tang Mingli put down the book in her hand and went to the front door. Instead of opening the door immediately, she looked through the peephole to see who it was.
To her surprise, the person ringing the doorbell was the downstairs neighbor she had met that morning.
I hope they don't actually visit each other too often.
Tang Mingli felt a chill run down her spine, but she still opened the door quickly.
The other person was carrying a small bag of fruit, saying it was a local specialty from their hometown and that they wanted Tang Mingli and the others to try it.
Tang Mingli couldn't refuse this kindness, so she thanked the person and invited them into her home.
The other party didn't stand on ceremony either.
After entering, she looked around Tang Mingli's living room and smiled, "Your home's decor looks simple yet elegant, much nicer than ours."
Tang Mingli said, "We didn't think much about the decoration at the time; we just wanted it to be as simple as possible."
The other person sighed, "That's the right way to think about it. We did consider it at the time, and even tried the French style that's supposedly very popular now. But after looking at it for a while, we still felt it was too fancy and complicated. It's better to keep it simple."
Tang Mingli finds it difficult to comment. Others may criticize her house's decoration, but if outsiders join in, she might become unhappy.
So she could only smile and pour the other person a cup of tea.
He offered her a sip of tea and then said, "Oh, right, I haven't introduced myself yet. My surname is He, and my full name is He Xiaojuan. What's your name?"
"Tang Mingli".
Hearing the commotion, Madam Fu came out of her room.
Upon seeing He Xiaojuan, he greeted her with a smile, "We have a guest!"
She thought it was a new friend her granddaughter-in-law had made since she came here.
Tang Mingli explained, "This is our downstairs neighbor."
He Xiaojuan was also a warm and generous person. When she saw Madam Fu, she immediately stood up to greet her: "Grandma, hello, I am your downstairs neighbor, my name is He Xiaojuan."
When Madam Fu heard that it was a neighbor, she greeted her warmly, "Xiao Juan, hello, hello, please sit down, don't stand."
“Yes.” He Xiaojuan sat down again.
With Madam Fu joining in, the conversation became more relaxed.
He Xiaojuan sighed as she chatted, "I haven't had such a happy chat in a long time since I moved here. I'm home alone every day after sending my two kids to school, and it's so boring."
Madam Fu asked, "Where are your other family members?"
“My husband is busy with his business, leaving early and returning late every day, and my parents-in-law live in their hometown.”
It was indeed quite deserted. However, Madam Fu didn't say this aloud.
He Xiaojuan asked Tang Mingli, "I see you don't have to work either, so what do you usually do at home to pass the time?"
Tang Mingli's interests are all hobbies; she certainly wouldn't say she's busy.
"It's nothing much. I just sleep, practice calligraphy, read books, and the day goes by just like that."
"Oh, you even practice calligraphy and read books, how elegant!"
The compliments were so sweet that Tang Mingli was almost embarrassed to admit she was reading a romance novel.
But some things are destined to be hidden.
Tang Mingli was too embarrassed to say it, so He Xiaojuan asked her first.
Tang Mingli smiled and pointed to the books on the recliner, saying, "I'll read those."
He Xiaojuan looked over.
She has good eyesight and could see the words on the cover at a glance.
"Cruel little lover."
Then I saw a brief summary, smaller than the book title, and I read it aloud.
"A wife-chasing nightmare: heart-wrenching and physically brutal?!"
In that last sentence, Tang Mingli could clearly hear the shock in the other person's voice.
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