That night, the Wang family prepared a dinner that was even more sumptuous than the New Year’s Eve dinner.
The food in Ding Ling's bowl had piled up into a small mountain, but Wang Tao's parents kept giving her more food. Even if she tried hard to eat, she couldn't finish it.
Wang Tao took a thermos bucket and prepared to fill it with some food for Shao Jingque and send it over to him. He also told his parents that he would be returning to the army tomorrow.
Although his parents seemed very reluctant this time, they knew in their hearts that they had already delayed their son for a few days. In addition, they got to see their future daughter-in-law whom they had been thinking about for a long time, so they were satisfied and finally did not stop him.
Wang Tao packed up the food and went out. His mother quietly asked Ding Ling:
"Xiao Ding, where are you going with all these bags?"
Ding Ling finally had the chance to put down her chopsticks, swallowed the braised pork in her mouth, and replied:
"Auntie, I'm going to the coast to look for a job."
Wang Tao's mother was shocked when she heard this. She had seen Ding Ling blushing whenever she spoke to others, and had thought she was an introverted and timid girl. She had not expected her to be so courageous and to dare to go to such a distant coastal area alone to find a job.
Wang Tao's mother was worried and took Ding Ling's hand, saying:
"My dear, the coast is so far from our Shangdu and Ningshi. I'm worried about you going there alone! If you run into something in a place you're not familiar with, there's no one to help you. It's too dangerous!"
Wang Tao's father also nodded in agreement:
"Xiao Ding, your aunt is right. You can't just listen to what people say about the coastal areas. The people there are sophisticated, and the environment is more complicated than in our inland areas. If a simple girl like you goes there, you won't be able to handle it and will definitely suffer!"
"If Shangdu can't find a suitable job, why don't you go to Ning City first? Tao'er is also in Ning City. Although the military discipline is strict during normal times, there are always breaks. If you need any help, they can take care of you."
Wang Tao's mother's eyes lit up, thinking that his father had finally said something useful:
"Yes, you two can see each other often in Ning City. Even the best relationships need to keep in touch. Writing letters from far away is not as intimate as meeting in person. When Tao'er is on break, he will take you out for some delicious food. You two can come back together during the holidays. How wonderful!"
The couple chatted back and forth, leaving Ding Ling unable to get a word in and she could only nod.
However, after encountering the human traffickers at the train station entrance, Ding Ling was indeed frightened, but in order to earn money for her father's medical expenses, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and continue to work outside.
But Wang Tao's parents' words undoubtedly gave her a new way out.
If she could really find a job in Ning City, with Sister Jingque and Brother Wang Tao around, she would have acquaintances in Ning City, and she would feel more at ease.
Besides, Ning City is closer to Shangdu than the coastal area. If her father needs her to come back for something, she can get back faster.
Therefore, Ding Ling's obedient nod at this moment was not just perfunctory, but she really wanted to go to Ning City to find a job.
After dinner, Wang Tao's parents refused to let her clean up or wash the dishes, and urged her to take her to the nearby river for a walk to help digest the food.
Under the hazy moonlight, the two walked side by side on the embankment.
This was the first time that Ding Ling took a walk with a young man at night. She felt both nervous and happy.
She didn't dare to look up at Wang Tao's profile beside her. She could only secretly glance at the two people's elongated and overlapping shadows on the ground, and felt her cheeks slightly hot.
At first, Wang Tao didn't think there was anything unusual. He just showed his guests around as a polite host.
But as there were fewer and fewer people on the road around him, young couples would occasionally lean against each other in a close manner in the dim light between each street lamp on the embankment, and no one knew what they were whispering to. Several times, when Wang Tao glanced at them, he felt that the man's mouth was almost touching the woman's face.
In addition, the embankment was not wide, and when two people walked side by side, their elbows would sometimes rub against each other inadvertently. Even though there were two layers of cloth between them, it inexplicably made people blush and their hearts beat faster.
"Ding Ling..."
"Brother Wang Tao..."
The two of them suddenly spoke at the same time, but they didn't expect that the other person was about to speak. This sudden tacit understanding made the faces of the two people who were already shy blush again.
Wang Tao secretly thanked his lucky stare that it was late at night and Ding Ling couldn't see his blushing face, otherwise it would have been even more embarrassing.
"Cough, cough."
He cleared his throat and said calmly:
"Ding Ling, go ahead and say whatever you want to say."
Ding Ling blushed and nodded, mustering the courage to speak out what she had been thinking all the way:
"Brother Wang Tao, I want to go with you guys tomorrow. Let's go to Ning City first to see if we can find a suitable job opportunity. If not, we can try our luck in the coastal areas. Do you think... is that okay?"
A hint of surprise crossed Wang Tao's face. Coincidentally, what he wanted to talk about was exactly about Ding Ling's job search.
Through these two contacts, he felt that Ding Ling was a very simple girl with almost no sense of vigilance. If she rashly traveled far away, she would inevitably become a target of criminals.
Just looking at the two times they helped Ding Ling, each time was more dangerous than the last, so he was planning to persuade Ding Ling to carefully consider going to work in the coastal areas.
Unexpectedly, Ding Ling took the initiative to say that she wanted to go to Ning City with them. Wang Tao felt that this idea was much safer than her going to work in the coastal areas alone. At least he and his sister-in-law were in Ning City, and Ding Ling could be taken care of if something happened.
"Of course you can. Ning City is also the capital of Su Province, and there are many job opportunities. I can also help you find out if there are any suitable jobs. It's better than you going to the coast alone and trying your luck. I won't have to worry about you along the way."
When Ding Ling heard Wang Tao say that he was worried about her, she felt sweet in her heart and nodded obediently. She was immediately filled with longing and yearning to work in Ning City.
The next morning, Wang Tao's parents cooked two large plates of dumplings and asked the two to eat before going out.
When Wang Tao's parents heard that Ding Ling had changed her mind and decided to go to Ning City with Wang Tao to find a job, they were overjoyed. They sent the two of them out and kept telling Wang Tao to take good care of Ding Ling all the way.
Ding Ling followed Wang Tao with a shy smile, looking like a newlywed couple.
Shao Jingque packed her luggage early and took a tricycle to wait for the two of them at the train station entrance. When she heard that Ding Ling wanted to go with them to Ning City to find a job, she agreed without saying a word.
This time when she returned to Ning City, she didn't plan to continue working in the art troupe. She would first find a way to pay back the money for the camera and then devote her energy to the management of Yongsi Photo Studio.
She did not waste any time during the past two days while lying in the hospital bed. She thought of many possible businesses for the photo studio at this stage. It was just the time when she was preparing to expand the business and needed manpower.
When he heard that Ding Ling said she was going to Ning City to find a job, he immediately invited her to join the photo studio and offered her a salary no lower than that of ordinary workers in state-owned units.
Ding Ling was so overjoyed that she agreed without hesitation.
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