Our Empress, after a quick glance, set her gaze on Xu Weiwei.
The two women locked eyes.
It looked like sparks were flashing.
Her older cousin once taught her to trust her intuition. She said that if a woman made her feel uncomfortable, then that woman must be after Wang Shouren, and she should be careful.
She once asked her cousin if she felt the same way about her.
My cousin just smiled and said "little girl" before stopping.
The astute Empress knew that her cousin was implying she wasn't sophisticated enough, and it also implied that her cousin had previously encountered a woman who coveted Wang Shouren. She didn't know who that woman was, but she knew that the woman before her was the one who coveted her husband.
Sometimes, you have to admit, a woman's intuition is just that amazing.
Qin Jingru took good care of Wang Shouren.
When she first came from the countryside, there was a hint of timidity in her eyes, but as time went by and she continued to read, she gained a deeper understanding of the world. Now, Qin Jingru is no longer the country bumpkin she once was; in fact, she exudes a maternal glow. In terms of temperament, she can even rival Xu Weiwei, who has lived in a compound for many years.
"Come, come, this must be your sister-in-law. If you ask me, Shouren is truly blessed. Come, come, have a seat." Seeing that the atmosphere had become a bit cold, the fat man immediately greeted her and started a conversation to break the ice.
We sat down and started eating.
Xu Weiwei had only taken a few bites when she was about to speak, but was interrupted by the fat man's quick reaction: "Tsk, I really envy you guys, you're all so fast, unlike me, sigh..." The fat man sighed.
"How about it? With your qualifications, it shouldn't be hard to find someone, right?" Wang Shouren sat to the side, serving Qin Jingru food as he struck up a conversation.
Xu Weiwei's eyes dimmed when she saw Wang Shouren's actions.
The fat man raised his glass, clinked it with Wang Shouren's, and took a sip himself: "Hiss, ha, unlike you two, I didn't study diligently at the academy. Although I learned some things, it's difficult to switch them out in a short time. My mother also said that with our family's conditions, we can't marry daughters from ordinary families. They think I have an education and a good job, so they're thinking of finding me a father-in-law with some influence to help me out."
At this point, the fat man shook his head helplessly: "They don't even realize that I'm just an ordinary clerk, and my dad is only a section chief. That's the same rank as Shouren, but actually, he's not even as high-ranking. What good daughter would want to marry me?"
Fatty actually envied Xu Jiaguo and the others.
He didn't have such grand ambitions; he just wanted to live a peaceful and happy life with his little family. Unfortunately, this was a difficult dream to realize, as he also carried the dreams of the previous generation.
He shook his head: "I'm not saying anything more, have another drink."
"Why don't you secretly date someone?" Xu Jiaguo suggested from the side.
"Hey Lao Xu, why are you always coming up with such ridiculous ideas?" The fat man rolled his eyes at him. "My family works at the neighborhood committee office, and all the leaders there know my mom. Do you think they'd issue me a permit?"
These days, you need your employer's approval to get married.
You can't get married without a certificate from your workplace. Back then, Wang Shouren got a certificate from the factory, and Qin Jingru got a certificate from the village, which allowed them to get married.
All night, Wang Shouren thought Xu Weiwei would cause some trouble, but in reality, the girl was very quiet after Wang Shouren came in. She didn't say a word and just ate her food silently. Only occasionally would she chime in when a few people were bragging.
There was none of the nitpicking or mockery I had imagined.
However, there was a hint of resentment in her eyes when she looked at Wang Shouren.
After a hearty meal, Wang Shouren and Qin Jingru left first, and before leaving, Wang Shouren gave the fat man a copy of "Quotations from Chairman Mao".
This book is hard to find now. Wang Shouren spent a long time browsing several bookstores before finally buying a few copies, which he kept at home just in case. After saying goodbye, he left with Qin Jingru.
"Wife, let's go back too," Xu Jiaguo said cheerfully.
Yunmeng rolled her eyes: "You go back, I'll take Xu Weiwei for a walk."
"Oh? It's so late. Shall I take you home?"
"Go away, go away. We girls are talking, don't interfere. Go back. Weiwei's car is waiting for her outside. I'll just hitch a ride back with her in a bit."
"Then... be careful." Xu Jiaguo hesitated for a moment and did not choose to stay. He knew that his wife probably had something to say to Xu Weiwei that she did not want him to hear.
"Okay, you can go back now."
After Xu Jiaguo left.
Xu Weiwei couldn't hold back anymore and threw herself into Yunmeng's arms, bursting into tears.
"Alright, alright, it's all over now, it's all over now," Yunmeng patted her friend's back, comforting her.
She witnessed firsthand how this girl, after meeting Wang Shouren, returned to her dormitory and declared with unbridled confidence that she would win him over. She also saw how, no matter how many times Wang Shouren rejected her, she stubbornly continued to express her love.
Sometimes she wondered if Wang Shouren was truly heartless. Such a beautiful girl had shown him affection so many times, yet he could still refuse her with a blank expression. She had never seen Wang Shouren even once feel moved by her.
Until today, when Wang Shouren arrived here holding a woman's hand, she finally broke down.
"Why? Why?!" Xu Weiwei cried, sobbing uncontrollably. "I chased him for two years, two years! I gave him everything he liked, everything he wanted! Why? Why can't he accept me?! Waaaaah... I! I'm not convinced! Why?! Waaaah, I love him so much, why? Why?!"
The young girl's heart tasted for the first time what "the bitterness of love" meant—a bitterness so intense it was nauseating. This pain seeped into her very soul.
After an unknown amount of time, Xu Weiwei cried herself to sleep in Yunmeng's arms, occasionally letting out a sob.
Perhaps due to the immense mental strain, tears still occasionally streamed down her face.
"Bang, bang, bang!" There was a knocking sound at the door.
A man in military uniform pushed open the door and walked in.
He glanced at Xu Weiwei nestled in Yunmeng's arms, a hint of heartache flashing across his serious face.
He nodded to Yunmeng: "Thank you, give Weiwei to me."
"Okay, be careful." Yunmeng recognized the man.
Xu Yuanchao, Xu Weiwei's older brother, and his whole family are good people who love Xu Weiwei to the core; otherwise, Xu Weiwei wouldn't have developed such a proud personality.
Unfortunately, this proud nature met Wang Shouren.
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