3 objects
◎Schrödinger's Object◎
"Hello, Director Zhao? This is Xu Huaihuai. Yes, I contacted you before. I've arrived. I got off at Daohe Station. It's about ten kilometers along this road to the village. Oh? Do I have to walk there? Oh, the village's car went out to buy groceries and hasn't come back yet. Oh, no problem, no problem. I'll try to find a way to call a car. Okay, you're busy, you're busy. I'll hang up now. Bye."
After hanging up the phone, Xu Huaihuai sat sadly on her suitcase. She regretted not taking the bus and instead taking a taxi directly to the village entrance.
But taking the bus saves money; chartering a car is too expensive. Although I have a little money now, I can't just spend it recklessly.
However, even if he wanted to hail a taxi now, he couldn't. After canceling the trip that no one accepted, Xu Huaihuai sighed and waved away the small flying insects that were flying around his head.
It was already dusk.
I felt like if I stayed in the same spot any longer, I would be bitten to death by mosquitoes. Some mosquitoes are really vicious; one bite and you get a big, itchy, and painful welt.
Xu Huaihuai stood up and patted her iron buttocks—after transferring from the high-speed rail to a regular train and then taking a bumpy two-hour bus ride, her loyal and hardworking buttocks hadn't turned into four pieces—they were truly iron.
With an iron will and a strong will, Xu Huaihuai decided to drag her suitcase and walk for a while to see if the ten kilometers would be as difficult as she had imagined.
It's only ten kilometers!
After walking for about ten minutes, the distance on the walking navigation had decreased by a tiny bit. The navigation even intelligently popped up a prompt: You are currently far from your destination. We suggest you use other modes of transportation.
Ugh.
If a three-wheeled vehicle happens to pass by, I'd like to get a ride...
As if hearing the call from Xu Huaihuai's heart, a light appeared in the distance, and an electric tricycle came whirring past Xu Huaihuai without stopping.
According to some conventional practices, the driver of the three-wheeled vehicle should not be a kind-hearted older brother or sister who would stop and ask her if she wanted to ride with them!
"Hey! Hey! Don't go! Can you give me a ride?"
The three-wheeled vehicle stopped a short distance ahead. The driver leaned out and saw a short-haired girl who looked like a high school student. She asked loudly, "Sister, are you going back to the village?"
"Yes, yes, yes, I'm going to Jin Su Village up ahead. Could you give me a ride? I can pay." Xu Huaihuai quickly pulled her suitcase and ran over.
"I don't need the money. It's on my way back to the village. But, sister, would you be okay with sitting on the beverage crates?" The girl jumped off the bus and pointed to the carriage piled with several large crates of beverages.
"Yes, yes, it's possible! It's definitely feasible!"
"Haha, then hold on tight to this bar and don't fall off."
The two girls worked together to put away their suitcases, and Xu Huaihuai sat on a case of soft drinks, feeling that her future was bright again.
"Thank you so much, otherwise I probably would have been dragging my suitcase until midnight. My name is Xu Huaihuai, Huai as in Huaishan. May I ask your name?"
"Hehe, you're welcome. My name is Zhao Yuan. You can call me Xiao Yuan or Yuan Yuan. Can I call you Sister Xiao Huai?"
"Sure, just don't call me Xu Zhunzhun."
The two girls burst into laughter at the same time, startling the sparrows chirping on the power line, which fluttered away.
"Sister Xiao Huai, actually I was going to ask you if you wanted to get in the car, but the car is loaded with a lot of stuff, so it might not be very comfortable to sit in, and I was too embarrassed to ask."
"It's nothing, it's nothing, but why did you buy so many drinks? Does your family own a convenience store?"
Zhao Yuan shook her head. "No, someone in our village is having a wedding banquet. I took my corn to town to sell today, and I also helped bring back the drinks for the banquet. Hey? Sister Xiao Huai, aren't you a guest here for the banquet?"
"Ah, no, no, no, I have work to do. I need to go to your village to see Director Zhao."
"Director Zhao? Could it be my mother?"
"Director Zhao Yingxiu?"
"Yes, that's my mom. Sister Xiaohuai, you must be the guest my mom was talking about. My mom said that a friend who sponsors the High Mountain Project will be staying at our house for a while. She told me to behave myself and not cause any trouble so as to leave a good impression. Sister Xiaohuai, look how well-behaved I am."
The High Mountain Project is a charity event funded by Zhong Xuelu personally to support impoverished female students. Xu Huaihuai's main purpose in coming this time was to conduct home visits to the families of the beneficiaries.
"Xiao Yuan is not only honest, but also helpful! It's quite a coincidence that I ran into you on my way to find Director Zhao, so I didn't even have to ask for directions."
"Actually, our village isn't very big. It's just that when you first arrive, you might find the paths a bit hard to navigate. Look, we're almost there!"
"Mom! I'm back! Let's see who else I brought back with me!"
Two middle-aged women were sitting around the room, packing wedding candies.
“Yuanyuan is back. Your mom just went to bring your second uncle his meal.”
"The guest is here, I'll go find her. Thank you, Aunt Bai. Sister Xiao Huai, please have a seat, I'll be right back! Oh, by the way, Aunt Ping, I've brought the drinks back. I'll have Uncle Kun carry them for you later."
"Okay, okay."
Zhao Yuan rushed out in a flurry.
Only Xu Huaihuai and two smiling women remained in the room.
A bad feeling washed over me. The smile was eerily kind, just like the expression of those distant relatives pressuring me to get married.
Yuanyuan, don't go—Zhao Yuan couldn't hear Xu Huaihuai's inner cries; she had already disappeared from sight.
Xu Huaihuai also wanted to run away, but dragging her suitcase, she could run away but not her suitcase. Besides, it would be a bit too much to just abandon her suitcase and run away without saying anything. So Xu Huaihuai tried to hide in a corner and not be noticed, but failed. "Hey, why are you being so formal? You're Sister Xiu's guest, so you're family. Come sit over here."
Bai Mei affectionately took Xu Huaihuai's arm and pulled her to sit down beside her. "Your daughter is so beautiful. Are you married yet?"
On the other side, Fang Ping grabbed Xu Huaihuai's other hand, "Old Bai, look how beautiful that girl's hands are, her nails are so shiny, so fashionable, but she's still missing a ring, is she married yet?"
How should Xu Huaihuai respond?
If she says she's not married, they'll introduce her to potential marriage partners; if she says she's married, they'll start asking what her partner does for a living; if she says she's divorced, they'll press her for reasons and then introduce her to potential second marriage partners.
Xu Huaihuai's silence only fueled the enthusiasm of her two aunts. Bai Mei and Fang Ping each grabbed one of Xu Huaihuai's hands. "Girl, if you weren't married, Aunt Bai knows a young man..." "I know quite a few unmarried young men too, let me tell you about them..."
No! No! No!
Why would this kind of plot be triggered?
Am I not the female lead now?
Whose wife is putting on a rural version of "Winter's End" late at night with two complete strangers around a table full of melon seeds, peanuts, red dates, longans, and wedding candies?
"Thank you, Auntie, but no need, I have a boyfriend." Xu Huaihuai awkwardly withdrew her hand, and Bai Mei and Fang Ping finally calmed down.
Xu Huaihuai had just breathed a sigh of relief when Bai Mei, ever the wisest of women, abruptly changed the subject: "If you have a boyfriend, you should consider marriage. How old are you, daughter? When are you planning to get married? I've been there, and you should get married early, otherwise it'll be difficult to have children later..."
"Of course! You should learn from my daughter and get pregnant while you're still young..."
Xu Huaihuai's head was buzzing. A woman with the same short hair as Zhao Yuan, who looked very capable, walked in. It was obvious that she was Director Zhao Yingxiu. Behind her was Zhao Yuan carrying a bunch of vegetables.
As soon as Zhao Yingxiu entered the door, she chased Bai Mei and Fang Ping away, saying, "What are you saying? This young girl is already a leader in a big company in the city at such a young age. Why would she need you to guide her in life? Go, go, go back to your own homes."
"Sister Xiu, what are you saying? Why don't you invite this girl to the wedding banquet later!"
"Let's talk about it some more. You guys go back first, go back, go back."
Bai Mei and Fang Ping walked away, whispering to each other, carrying a basket of wedding candy.
"Please excuse them, Xiao Xu. Don't take what they said to heart. That's just how it is in the countryside; they just can't stop talking." Zhao Yingxiu poured tea for Xu Huaihuai. "You haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll have Yuanyuan take you to the guest room to settle in. It's on the second floor. We'll eat in a bit. It's my fault; I was delayed at her uncle's house and kept you waiting. I'm so sorry, Xiao Xu."
"It's nothing, Director Zhao, you're too kind."
"Just call me Sister Xiu."
"Thank you, Sister Xiu. I'll go upstairs now."
"Okay, just ask Yuanyuan if you need anything. Be careful going upstairs, Yuanyuan, can you help me with my luggage?"
"Okay, Mom. Wait for me, Sister Xiaohuai, I'll help you with your suitcase!"
The guest rooms on the second floor were small but clean. Xu Huaihuai wasn't too picky about the environment; as long as there were no cockroaches in sight, it was considered satisfactory.
"Sister Xiaohuai, the sheets and blankets are clean. You need to go to the shower room next door to wash up and take a shower. My room is on the other side of the shower room. You can tidy up first, and I'll go see what my mom has cooked."
"OK, go ahead, I can take care of it myself."
After Xu Huaihuai finished packing her things, her phone almost exploded with messages.
[Zhong Xuelu: Have you arrived yet?]
[Zhong Xuelu: Still haven't managed to hail a taxi?]
[Zhong Xuelu: I already told you not to take the bus to save money! The bus doesn't go directly! Charter a car and get everything done in one go, I'll reimburse you!]
[Zhong Xuelu: Why aren't you replying to me? Oh my god, is your phone dead? Bad signal?]
[Zhong Xuelu: Could something have happened? (Panic.jpg)]
[Zhong Xuelu: Waaah, please reply to my message!]
[Zhong Xuelu: If it's a remote and desolate place, then come back. I'll send someone else. I just wanted you to get away from this sad place and clear your head QAQ]
Xu Huaihuai was startled, afraid that Zhong Xuelu would worry herself to death, so she quickly replied that she was fine and entered the village smoothly.
The message had barely been sent when Zhong Xuelu's voice call popped up. Xu Huaihuai hadn't figured out how to deal with this female lead's best friend whom she hadn't even met yet, but her finger had already subconsciously pressed the answer button.
"Huaihuai, are you really alright?"
Zhong Xuelu's voice was unexpectedly warm and friendly, and my tense body relaxed the moment I heard her voice.
But feeling like she'd stolen someone else's best friend, Xu Huaihuai touched her nose and coughed lightly. "It's okay, the villagers are quite hospitable."
"How enthusiastic? Surely you can't just start asking about our relationship the moment we meet?"
"It's true. When they ask me how old I am or whether I'm married, I'm almost thirty and divorced. I don't dare to say anything, afraid they'll introduce me to some middle-aged man with two kids."
Zhong Xuelu laughed for a while before saying, "You're talking about divorce so frankly, it seems you've already moved on from your last relationship?"
"I guess so." Xu Huaihuai smiled. She had a gut feeling that the female lead had completely let go of this relationship when she chose to divorce.
“I’m happy for you. Really.” Zhong Xuelu’s voice lowered, and she seemed to choke up. “Whether it’s marriage or divorce, whether it’s a second, third, or fourth marriage… I will support you as long as it’s your choice.”
"What are you saying? You want me to become a marriage review blogger?" Xu Huaihuai said, and the two of them laughed at the same time.
[Author's Note]
Mysterious, mysterious, we love you! [cat emoji]
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