Chapter 90: Shadow of Light
Su Xia's heart skipped a beat.
The stall was just put on track a few months ago.
It's summer now, which should be the peak business time. Why did it close just like that?
Su Xiaojuan didn't know she had been to Nancheng. "I mentioned it once before. Your Aunt Lili has always taken good care of her family. It's such a good location, but no one has set up a stall recently. Many old stall owners want to move there. She was afraid something might have happened, so she called to ask."
"And then, who answered?"
The rice porridge in Su Xia's bowl was left hanging there, and she leaned forward unconsciously.
"It must be your classmate's mother. She spoke softly and politely, and she felt embarrassed to apologize to Lili."
Su Xiaojuan continued, "They said the family went on a trip and would be back soon. They didn't know the market situation here, so they didn't bother to inform her."
Su Xia was stunned.
Make money and travel.
It's a good thing for ordinary people.
But when she thought back to what she had heard from Xu Jiaojiao, she felt more and more that something was wrong. She always felt that the tranquility before her was like a printed painting, which would be ruined if it was scratched a few times, and no one knew what was behind it.
She couldn't help but ask, "His father has a criminal record. Apart from working with him at the stall, where else would be willing to hire him?"
"You think there are so many good people in society," Su Xiaojuan glanced at her. "Besides working in high-rise buildings, there are so many places to make money. The lower you go, the deeper the water. Few ID cards are your own."
She pursed her lips and said, "Your grandmother has a neighbor whose son learned to deliver packages. He couldn't stand the hardship and within two months he sold a whole truckload of packages. After being released from the police station, he started driving an online ride-hailing car in Jiangcheng. Now he even has a wife."
No matter how harsh the speculation was, Su Xiaojuan held back and didn't say it out loud.
Out of ten men who commit domestic violence, nine are alcoholics and six are gamblers.
Gambling addiction is something that is very difficult to quit once you get hooked. How can you get rid of it by locking yourself up in jail for two years?
Su Xiaojuan also went through the age of seventeen or eighteen, and she could see the hidden little expressions on her daughter's face at a glance.
She doesn't think she is a cold-blooded person.
A boy with such good competition results and such a strong sense of responsibility, if he came from any normal family, no matter how rich they were, it would be hard to imagine how successful he would be in the future. But he just happened to have such a pair of parents who held him back. She felt it was a pity to see them like that.
But it can only remain a pity.
It’s pitiful how loving a parent is. How could a daughter whom she raised with all her heart, fall into such a mess?
"Your uncle knows a lot of driver friends. A few days ago, he was saying that online ride-hailing services are extremely profitable now, with no barriers to entry. They're almost taking away all the customers from metered taxis. If his father can calm down and drive properly, he can start over."
"Their parents are taking their children on a summer vacation, so don't worry about it." Su Xiaojuan forked a small tomato over and stuffed it into her mouth. "Don't you have a competition next month? You should concentrate on practicing the piano now and live your life well."
"Senior year is just one year away. If you give it your all, mom will be there with you."
"My uncle said you don't even go to the Conservatory cafeteria anymore. You go to KFC every day? How can you eat junk food all day?"
"I told Auntie yesterday that I'll make you a nutritious meal every day at noon and I'll eat with you. I'll pick you up after lunch as long as it's not too late. Not even the gods can stop me from winning the award."
In addition to her mother, Su Xiaojuan is also a female boss who climbed up from the bottom. She has seen countless people and her methods are as sharp as thunder.
With just a few words, she was put under house arrest for the entire summer vacation.
Su Xia was panicking, "Mom, I'm not..."
"I know you're not," Su Xiaojuan interrupted the subject. "It's hot, so you're not allowed to run around outside. It's a deal."
-
Neither Xu Jiqing nor Xu Jiaojiao went on the family trip in July.
Not long after Xu Wenyao started working at his old neighbor's car wash, he was introduced to investing in precious metals, and he made a lot of money.
This time when I traveled to Shanghai, I booked accommodation in a reputable chain hotel, planning to bring my wife and children to experience the good life in a big city.
Xu Jiqing had to be a sparring partner and couldn't leave, so Xu Jiaojiao didn't dare to go with him.
A planned parent-child trip becomes a world for two.
They now have a family group, named by Lin Yuezhen, called Xiangyang Family.
She knows few people and never posts on WeChat Moments.
The night views of the Bund and City God Temple with blurry lights were all posted to this small group. There were pure scenes and selfies of couples facing the camera, and there was no end to them.
Xu Jiqing set the group message mode to do not disturb.
Without looking at the photos, all the messages from Xu Wenyao jumped out, and he quickly glanced at Lin Yuezhen's voice and text messages.
On the sixth day after they landed in Shanghai, Lin Yuezhen didn't say a word in the group chat the entire day.
At ten o'clock in the evening, Xu Jiaojiao fell asleep hugging her pillow. Xu Jiqing sat alone in the dark bedroom and sent a message to Lin Yuezhen.
【When will you be back?】
Xu Jiaojiao's cochlear implant is scheduled for next month, but she still needs 20,000 yuan.
The "typing" button on the other end stayed on for a long time, but no word was sent.
After a while, the phone buzzed and Lin Yuezhen's sunflower avatar lit up in the center of the screen.
When the call was connected, the sound in the receiver was very noisy.
Xu Jiqing asked, "Where are you?"
"...Mom is out. Big cities are crowded, and it's lively even after dark."
Lin Yuezhen was silent for a moment, then asked carefully, "The last time I went to the hospital, the doctor said Jiaojiao's surgery couldn't be done until next year. Why do we have to pay so early?"
Xu Jiqing replied, "Good doctors' schedules are all full. Imported products must be ordered from abroad, and only after paying a deposit can you start waiting in line."
"I'll pay the bulk of the bill, so don't touch the cash at home for now."
Xu Jiqing was very direct and returned to the original motivation of the conversation. "The money from the stall sales a few months ago is in your account. It hasn't been withdrawn yet. The 20,000 yuan is definitely there. If you don't get it back, transfer it to me as soon as possible."
After these words, Lin Yuezhen remained silent for a long time, and the only sound in the receiver was the noise of people coming and going.
Xu Jiqing leaned back, his back and neck pressed against the wall, feeling stiff and cold. "If WeChat isn't enough, let's use Alipay."
Lin Yuezhen's breathing became obvious.
After several beats, she finally spoke, "...Mom has no money."
Xu Jiqing didn't say anything.
The suffocating silence gave Lin Yuezhen an outlet to burst out. The emotions that had been suppressed for so long seemed to have opened the floodgates and finally poured out. "I, I'm at the train station now. Your father left me here last night and left alone..."
"I couldn't find my ID card, so I couldn't buy a ticket back home. He said he had to find someone to get me a temporary one, and told me to wait for him right here. But I've been waiting here for a whole day and night, and I can't get through to him on the phone. I can't find him no matter what."
"He took all the money!"
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