The next day, when the two woke up, it was already past eight o'clock. They glanced at each other, then simultaneously looked away.
Both of them felt quite embarrassed thinking about what happened last night.
Xu Qingning, in particular, simply turned her back to him, too embarrassed to even look at him.
Zhao Jingyu had never slept so comfortably. Seeing that Xu Qingning didn't speak, he didn't say anything either. He quietly got dressed, put the sheets he had changed last night in a basin, and took them out to wash.
Yang Yuelan had already prepared the meal and kept it warm in the pot. Seeing that the two hadn't gotten up, she didn't call them but sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) knitting.
She was quite puzzled to see her son washing the bed sheets so early in the morning, as she remembered that she had just washed those sheets the day before yesterday.
She didn't feel comfortable asking about the affairs of young people.
Zhao Jingyu hung the bed sheets out to dry in the yard. When he carried the washbasin back into the house, Xu Qingning was already up. She didn't go to the yard to wash up. Instead, she took the kettle from the stove, washed her face with warm water, and brushed her teeth.
Every morning, Yang Yuelan would place the kettle on the stove to warm the water for her to wash her face. After she finished washing, she would pour the water directly into the wastewater bucket by the door without having to leave the house.
Zhao Jingyu opened the wardrobe and saw the sweater, long johns, and shirt hanging inside. Knowing they were prepared for him, he immediately put them on and whispered to Xu Qingning, "Does it look good?"
"It looks good." Xu Qingning glanced at him, then walked over to Yang Yuelan's side. "Mom, let's eat!"
After dinner, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law started making sample garments for the competition. Yang Yuelan sat in front of the sewing machine sewing, while Xu Qingning sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) to help out and trim the threads.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law work together seamlessly.
Zhao Jingyu couldn't get involved. He stood by and watched for a while, but couldn't catch Xu Qingning looking at him. Knowing she was still shy, he silently took a broom, swept the yard, and went to the company.
Although it was awkward last night, he also tasted the sweetness.
I'm increasingly looking forward to the day I can truly have her.
“Jingyu’s sweater fits him quite well, the size is just right, and he looks good in it.” Yang Yuelan didn’t notice anything unusual about the young couple and said cheerfully, “The scarf he bought is really nice, much longer than the ones sold in department stores.”
Department stores also sell scarves; they come in all sorts of colors and are very pretty.
She went there several times, just to look around, but never thought of buying anything.
"Mom, just wear it after you buy it, don't be reluctant." Xu Qingning calmly straightened the clothes. "The weather is cold now, wearing a scarf will also keep out the wind."
"I'll wear it when I go out." Yang Yuelan slept with the scarf in her arms last night. The more she looked at it, the more she liked it and the more moved she became. When she saw the scarf this morning, she even cried quietly.
Her son bought her a gift!
In the afternoon, Fang Meiyuan, Du Juan, and Luo Yao arrived; they had come specifically to see Zhao Jingyu.
Fang Meiyuan had met Zhao Jingyu at the company. She didn't need to come, but Du Juan insisted that she come with her and Luo Yao, saying that it would be more lively with more people.
Xu Qingning hadn't left the house recently, so she was very welcoming to the three of them. Yesterday, those young men came and bought a lot of apples, which Yang Yuelan washed and put on the coffee table.
Zhao Jingyu warmly brewed tea for the three of them and even poured plain water for Xu Qingning, saying that she didn't drink tea because she couldn't sleep if she did.
After more than two months at school, Luo Yao had developed a more scholarly air about her. Her two braids hung down in front of her chest, making her look exceptionally gentle and quiet. She glanced at Zhao Jingyu, and her heart still beat a little faster involuntarily.
After several years, he was more mature and manly than before. Although the scar on his forehead looked somewhat ferocious, it made him appear even more rugged and bold.
Throughout the entire conversation, Zhao Jingyu only asked her if she was used to working at the school, and then he didn't speak to her again.
"It's a good thing you have a wife, otherwise this scar on your forehead would make it hard to find a partner," Fang Meiyuan teased Zhao Jingyu about the scar on his forehead. "Anyone who didn't know better would think you got it from a fight!"
"It'll be fine after summer," Du Juan comforted him, as she wasn't as close to Fang Meiyuan and Zhao Jingyu. "What's a scar on a man? It'll be alright."
“I asked my wife, and she said she doesn’t mind me.” Zhao Jingyu took the opportunity to hold Xu Qingning’s hand, gently stroking it, and said with a smile, “If she did mind me, I would have to ask my boss to help me. If I lost my wife because of this scar, it would be a big problem.”
Looking at their hands clasped tightly together, Luo Yao felt an indescribable sadness.
She thought she had let go, so why did she still feel heartbroken whenever she saw Zhao Jingyu?
What's wrong with her?
"You only know how to go to the boss," Fang Meiyuan said with a laugh. "You have to coax your own wife yourself. Do you expect us to help you coax your wife?"
Then he said to Xu Qingning, "When Jingyu comes back, tell him to take good care of you. If he dares to bully you, just tell me and I'll teach him a lesson for you."
"Okay, I feel relieved that the leaders are here to support me." Xu Qingning smiled.
"Is your due date still a month away?" Du Juan was quite concerned about this. Xu Qingning nodded, "Yes, it'll be soon."
"Have you had any checkups?" Du Juan asked again. "Which hospital are you planning to give birth in?"
“At the beginning, I had one check-up.” Xu Qingning glanced at Zhao Jingyu. “We haven’t decided which hospital to give birth in yet.”
She initially planned to go to a hospital in the provincial capital and had inquired with Liu Caixia about it.
Liu Caixia said that Jiaodong City People's Hospital was very good, and the obstetrics and gynecology doctors were all very skilled. She also mentioned that several women from her department store had given birth at the People's Hospital, which dispelled her idea of going to the provincial capital.
"Manager Fang, Teacher Du, you've both been through this before, could you recommend a good hospital for us?" Zhao Jingyu hurriedly said. "I've been planning to inquire about this in the past couple of days, so we can find a good doctor in advance and feel at ease."
"Hey, back in our day, we all gave birth at home, but now it's all the rage to go to the hospital to give birth." Du Juan smiled and looked at Yang Yuelan, then said, "Sister Yang, don't you think it's still common for babies to be born at home in rural areas?"
“Some women also give birth in the hospital,” Yang Yuelan smiled. “It’s reassuring to go to the hospital.”
“I have a cousin who works in the obstetrics and gynecology department of the People’s Hospital. If you go to the People’s Hospital, go find her,” Du Juan said without hesitation. “Her name is Lin Wanshuang, and she was just transferred from the clinic.”
"Okay, thank you, Teacher Du, I'll remember that." Zhao Jingyu thanked her repeatedly. "We'll go see her in the next couple of days and get a check-up while we're at it."
"You're back and already a dad, you're really lucky." Fang Meiyuan loved to joke with Zhao Jingyu. "You'll have to treat us to a meal when the time comes, you can't not."
"Don't worry, I'll definitely invite them," Zhao Jingyu assured him confidently. "The baby's one-month celebration will definitely be a grand affair."
"By the way, have you heard about Xiao Tingshen being pursued by a girl in his class?" Du Juan suddenly became gossipy and said mysteriously, "I heard from Gao Yang that the girl doesn't believe he's already married and insists on coming to his house to see for herself."
"It's a waste of your time to come here, she's really married." Fang Meiyuan said dismissively, "Oh dear, girls these days really have no shame, she's already married, and she's still chasing after her."
Luo Yao lowered her head and remained silent.
My face stung, as if I'd been slapped.
Neither Zhao Jingyu nor Xu Qingning said a word.
They were not interested in Xiao Tingshen's affairs.
After recovering, Jiang Yumei went back to work. Although it was sick leave, she couldn't stay away for too long.
Tang Wenya has been quite tired these days, so she took a day off to rest at home. When she had nothing to do, she would lie in bed and chat with the system.
The system quickly searched and found: "Host, Zhao Jingyu has returned, and many people have gone to see him."
"So what if he's back!" Tang Wenya wasn't surprised. "Anyway, his relationship with Xu Qingning won't last long."
System: "Host, something's happened. Xiao Tingshen has a female classmate coming over, and she doesn't believe that Xiao Tingshen is already married."
"What?" Tang Wenya exclaimed, sitting up in bed, and said angrily, "Didn't you say that developing the main storyline would increase my luck as the female lead? How come you've attracted such rotten romantic opportunities instead?"
Thank you w万事如意w, a fellow reader, for the monthly ticket.
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