Chapter 8 Zhao Qingda has changed
After finishing his meal and taking his medicine, Zhao Fei fell asleep again.
When I woke up again, the room was already dark; it was evening.
He moved around and felt much more relaxed; his head didn't hurt as much anymore.
He got up, slipped on his shoes, and walked to the door.
Inside the main room, Wen Xiaoxiao had just placed the stir-fried shredded potatoes and porridge on the small table, while steaming buns were rising from the steamer.
She was hesitating whether to wake Zhao Fei, but seeing that he had already gotten up, she quickly said, "Brother, you're awake? Perfect timing, let's eat."
"Okay, thank you for your help." Zhao Fei sat down at the table.
He was indeed hungry, so he drank two bowls of porridge with the vegetables and ate a steamed bun.
Wen Xiaoxiao ate very little, barely touching her chopsticks, and occasionally glancing at the sky outside the window.
After the meal, Zhao Fei took the initiative to clear the dishes, not allowing Wen Xiaoxiao to refuse: "I'll wash them, you rest."
Wen Xiaoxiao didn't say anything and turned back to the east wing.
The door was ajar. She didn't turn on the light, but sat on a small stool by the window, picked up a crochet hook, and didn't move it for a long time.
Hearing the sound of water in the yard, my heart felt as if a heavy stone had been dropped into it.
Zhao Qingda did not return all night.
Although he often came home late, playing cards and drinking, he never stayed out all night.
Wen Xiaoxiao initially held onto a sliver of hope, thinking that perhaps the car really had broken down some distance away, or perhaps she had stayed up too late playing cards and was sleeping at her card-playing friend's house.
But as the night deepened, she became increasingly uneasy.
As dawn broke, Wen Xiaoxiao could no longer lie in bed. She changed her clothes and decided to go out and look for something.
Just as I pushed open the door to the east wing, the door to the main house creaked open as well.
Zhao Fei looked tired. When he saw her, he asked in a low voice, "Are you going out?"
Wen Xiaoxiao nodded: "Qingda didn't come back yesterday... I... I'll go check on the places he usually hangs out at."
“I’ll go with you.” Zhao Fei didn’t say much, turned around and pushed out his bicycle. “I’m worried about you going alone.”
Wen Xiaoxiao wanted to refuse, but seeing Zhao Fei's unquestionable gaze, she finally nodded.
She couldn't ride a bike, so Zhao Fei let her sit on the back.
Zhao Fei pedaled his bicycle, carrying her, searching from place to place.
Old Sun's house, the chess and card room by the railway, the homes of several familiar drivers... they all said they didn't see Zhao Qingda last night.
With each question, Wen Xiaoxiao's face paled further. Finally, her voice trembled as she asked, "Big brother, he...he won't be in any trouble, will he?"
Zhao Fei was also worried, but he tried to remain calm and reassured him, "Don't overthink it. Maybe the car broke down somewhere and he's just found a place to sleep. Let's go to the stop where he stopped to finish his shift and check it out."
The bus stop is located on an open space in the east of the city, where several buses are parked and waiting to depart.
By the time they arrived, it was already broad daylight.
From a distance, Zhao Qingda's car could be seen parked there, and there seemed to be someone inside.
The two drew closer.
Through the car window, Zhao Qingda was sitting in the driver's seat, eating a sesame seed cake. Next to him in the passenger seat was a woman with curly hair, Wang Juan.
Wang Juan was also holding a glass of soy milk. The two were chatting and laughing. Zhao Qingda even had a bit of a beaming expression on his face, while Wang Juan laughed so hard she almost fell over, and even affectionately patted his arm.
Wen Xiaoxiao stood rooted to the spot, her blood seemed to freeze instantly, and she even forgot to breathe.
Zhao Fei naturally saw it too.
He instinctively turned to the side, trying to block Wen Xiaoxiao's view, but it was too late.
Just then, Zhao Qingda inadvertently looked up and caught sight of two people not far away outside the car window.
His smile froze, a hint of panic flashing across his face, but it was quickly masked by impatience.
He jumped out of the car, frowning, "Big brother? Xiaoxiao? What are you doing here?"
Wen Xiaoxiao looked at Zhao Qingda, then quickly glanced at Wang Juan, who was sticking her head out of the car, and felt a churning in her stomach.
She remembered how she had anxiously searched for him before dawn, and how she had worried so foolishly... It turned out that he was here, chatting and laughing with another woman.
A surge of anger welled up inside her: "I'm not fucking afraid you'll die out there!" Wen Xiaoxiao said this and turned to leave.
Zhao Qingda clicked his tongue and tried to catch up: "What are you spouting so early in the morning..."
Zhao Fei quickly stopped Zhao Qingda: "She was just worried that something might have happened to you. You didn't come back all night, of course she was worried."
Zhao Qingda looked at Wen Xiaoxiao's stubborn back and spat out a mouthful of phlegm: "Damn it!"
Zhao Fei nudged his shoulder: "Alright, don't be ungrateful, we're going back."
Zhao Fei started his bicycle and chased after Wen Xiaoxiao.
After riding for a while, he gestured for Wen Xiaoxiao to get on the bike. Once Wen Xiaoxiao was seated, he carefully spoke, "Qingda... he's probably just being playful. Don't take it too seriously and upset yourself."
Wen Xiaoxiao closed her eyes, and tears finally slid down her cheeks silently.
After dropping Wen Xiaoxiao off at the courtyard house, he turned the car around and sped off towards the station.
Zhao Qingda had just driven his car out and was about to get on the road when Zhao Fei stopped him.
"Brother, is there anything else?" Zhao Qingda rolled down the car window.
Zhao Fei didn't waste any words, emphasizing each one: "Last night, you were with that ticket-selling woman."
Zhao Qingda's expression changed, then he became furious and said, "Mind your own business!"
"If I don't care, who will?" Zhao Fei's voice was low. "Qingda, Xiaoxiao is your lawfully wedded wife! What has she done to wrong you? She rushed out to find you before dawn, worried that something had happened to you! And what are you doing? Zhao Qingda, don't take your blessings for granted!"
"Fortune? What fortune?" Zhao Qingda sneered, his tone full of mockery. "A woman who can't lay eggs and always has a gloomy face? Brother, don't talk like that without understanding the situation!"
"You!" Zhao Fei was furious, his eyes filled with disappointment. "You'd better watch yourself! Don't push things too far, or you won't be able to clean up the mess!"
After he finished speaking, he stopped looking at Zhao Qingda, got on his bicycle, and rode away.
Zhao Qingda spat at his retreating figure, muttered "meddlesome," slammed the car window shut, slammed on the gas, and drove off, the car belching black smoke.
In the evening, when Zhao Qingda finished driving and went home, Li Yugu had already brought Zhao Yidi, who was exhausted from playing, back from his relatives' house.
In the courtyard, Wen Xiaoxiao was collecting clothes. When she saw him, her face was expressionless, lacking the warmth she usually possessed.
Li Yugu, oblivious to the undercurrent between the young couple, brought up the old Chinese medicine doctor again: "Qingda, Xiaoxiao, I think you two should both rest tomorrow and go get your pulse checked. It wouldn't hurt to get some treatment."
"I'm not going, I don't have time," Zhao Qingda replied curtly.
Wen Xiaoxiao hugged the clothes to her chest, turned around and walked into the house, her voice calm and without a trace of emotion: "I'm not sick, I don't need to see a doctor."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Qingda retorted sarcastically, "Yes, you're not sick. If you're not sick, why don't you lay eggs?"
"Zhao Qingda!" Li Yugu shouted sharply, grabbing the broom handle beside him to hit him. "Try spewing more filth again!"
Zhao Qingda nimbly dodged and went straight to take a shower.
At night, the two lay on the same kang (a heated brick bed), yet it seemed as if an invisible chasm separated them.
Wen Xiaoxiao had her back to him, her eyes closed, and her body stiff.
Zhao Qingda was too lazy to coax her anymore; what lingered in his mind was Wang Juan's bold and outspoken style and the completely different feeling she evoked.
He smacked his lips, turned over, and soon began to snore.
Wen Xiaoxiao lay awake in the darkness, and for the first time, she felt so clearly that this man had truly changed.
It's not that he's become bad, but rather... his heart has probably already flown elsewhere.
This realization didn't make her angry; instead, it gave her a chill.
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