Chapter 83 See you in a month
They went straight to the stalls they had previously worked with, and the owners were exceptionally welcoming to the couple from the north.
The style, price, and quantity were quickly finalized. Wen Xiaoxiao also paid special attention to the shoe section and, on Zheng Shangyu's recommendation, selected several stylish sandals and flats.
"Once we're familiar with each other, we can look at the catalog for styles, order by phone, and have the railway ship directly. We won't have to make the trip every time."
Before leaving, a familiar stall owner handed me a business card with a phone number printed on it, saying, "Payment in advance, and we guarantee it will be exactly as you see it."
This saved a lot of trouble.
Wen Xiaoxiao carefully put away the business card, thinking to herself that she might really try ordering by phone next time she needed to restock.
The couple carefully packed the selected samples and a small amount of urgently needed goods, while still entrusting the majority of the goods to railway express.
After greeting the people at the freight depot and handing them two packs of good cigarettes, and with everything arranged, I boarded the train back home.
Back home, it's another busy day.
Inventory the goods, price them, and put them on the shelves.
The newly arrived summer clothes are brightly colored and come in a variety of styles. Once the shoes are on the shelves, they immediately make the store look more abundant and professional.
Wen Xiaoxiao and Sun Mei were extremely busy, while Zhao Fei, in addition to helping with moving and organizing, also had to take care of things at the pig farm.
That afternoon, Zhao Fei had just returned from the pig farm, washed his hands, and was about to take a sip of water when Wen Xiaogai burst out of the inner room like a little cannonball, mysteriously tugging at his trouser leg, her little face tilted up, her big, dark eyes full of grievance.
"Dad, Dad!" Wen Xiaogai whispered, as if she were telling someone something terrible, "Mom... Mom said she's going to break my legs!"
Zhao Fei was taken aback, put down her water glass, and pulled her son onto her lap: "Oh? Why do you say that, Mom? Have you been naughty again and gotten into trouble?"
Wen Xiaogai frowned, trying hard to recall: "No... it was that bad uncle with the scar on his face who gave me the toy car. My mom saw it and got very angry. She told me not to play with him and said... she'd talk about my leg again."
His ability to express himself was limited, and he spoke somewhat incoherently, but the words "bad uncle with a scar on his face" were like a needle, gently pricking Zhao Fei.
He recalled Wen Xiaoxiao's hesitation during this period, and the wariness she occasionally showed when she looked outside the shop.
He remained calm and patted his son's head: "Mom is afraid you'll be tricked by bad people. Listen to Mom, don't take anything from strangers, okay?"
Just then, Wen Xiaoxiao came from the shop in front to get something. Seeing the father and son talking, she casually asked, "What are you talking about?"
Zhao Fei looked up at her, his tone casual: "Xiao Gai said you scared him and that you would break his legs."
Wen Xiaoxiao's smile froze for a moment, but quickly returned to normal. She walked over and gently patted Wen Xiaogai's bottom, scolding, "Who told you to run around like that? If you take anything from strangers again, I'll teach you a lesson!"
She turned to Zhao Fei, her eyes flickering slightly, and explained, "It was just a while ago, there was this guy who didn't look like a good person loitering around the neighborhood, trying to bribe the kids with candy. I yelled at him and drove him away. I was just trying to scare Xiao Gai, otherwise he won't learn his lesson."
What she said made perfect sense, so Zhao Fei nodded and didn't ask any further questions.
The peaceful days didn't last long before that "unlikely good person" came again.
This time, Zhao Qingda was carrying a plastic bag containing two pieces of children's clothing he had bought from a street stall.
He remained hidden at the alley entrance not far away, and when Wen Xiaogai was brought out by Liu Shuhua to be kept watch in the open space at the entrance, he went over again.
"Xiao Gai, look at the new clothes your uncle bought for you! Do you like them?" Zhao Qingda forced a smile and handed over the bag.
Remembering her mother's words, Wen Xiaogai cautiously took a step back and hid behind Liu Shuhua, her little hands tightly gripping the hem of Liu Shuhua's clothes.
Liu Shuhua immediately straightened her face: "What's wrong with you? Stay away from the child!"
The commotion caught the attention of Wen Xiaoxiao in the shop.
She looked through the glass window and her blood rushed to her head. She quickly put down the clothes she was holding and rushed out.
"Zhao Qingda!" She pulled Wen Xiaogai completely behind her, her chest heaving. "Can't you understand human language? I told you to get lost! Get far away from me!"
Looking at Wen Xiaoxiao, Zhao Qingda felt that twisted obsession resurface.
He shook the bag in his hand and deliberately used a roguish tone to say, "I'm buying clothes for my son, what's wrong with that? Wen Xiaoxiao, don't go too far! This child has my blood in him, that's a fact!"
"You're talking nonsense!" Wen Xiaoxiao was so angry that she trembled all over. She suddenly raised her hand and slapped Zhao Qingda hard across the face with all her might!
The slap was extremely heavy, and a clear finger mark quickly appeared on Zhao Qingda's face.
He covered his face, staring at Wen Xiaoxiao in disbelief.
"Get out! If I see you in front of the child again, I'll call the police! Zhao Qingda, we're even! Don't force me to make things worse and ruin the relationship for everyone!"
Her voice drew the attention of passersby.
Zhao Qingda glanced around at the strange looks he was getting, then looked at Wen Xiaoxiao's resolute face, and finally his gaze fell on the child behind her who was looking at him with a terrified expression.
His facial muscles twitched violently a few times, and finally, without saying a word, he slammed the plastic bag in his hand to the ground, turned around, and quickly disappeared into the depths of the alley.
Wen Xiaoxiao stood there until his figure was completely out of sight, then she deflated like a punctured balloon, her body swaying slightly.
Liu Shuhua quickly helped her up: "Xiaoxiao, are you alright?"
"It's okay." Wen Xiaoxiao took a few deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down.
She knelt down, hugged the still somewhat frightened Wen Xiaogai, and gently comforted her, "Don't be afraid, Mommy's here. Mommy chased that bad guy away."
In the evening, Wen Xiaoxiao closed the shop door and went upstairs.
Zhao Fei was reading the newspaper inside when he noticed she didn't look well. He put down the newspaper and asked, "What's wrong? Are you tired?"
Wen Xiaoxiao sat on the edge of the bed, remained silent for a while, then looked up at Zhao Fei, deciding not to hide anything anymore. "Zhao Fei, there's something... I need to tell you."
She recounted in detail Zhao Qingda's recent harassment attempts to get close to Wen Xiaogai, and even his repeated claims that the child was his business.
Including the slap she gave me this afternoon.
As Zhao Fei listened, his face gradually darkened, and the newspaper in his hand became deformed from being gripped so tightly.
Only after Wen Xiaoxiao finished speaking did he let out a long breath, his chest heaving with suppressed anger.
"That Zhao Qingda..." he gritted his teeth, the voice squeezed out from between his teeth, "He's like a persistent ghost! He doesn't know what's good for him!"
He stood up, paced around the room a couple of times, and came up with a plan in his mind.
He stopped abruptly and looked at Wen Xiaoxiao: "You did a good job! Next time he comes, just call the police."
Wen Xiaoxiao nodded, but she wasn't completely relaxed.
She knew Zhao Qingda well; he was a tough nut to crack. Calling the police might scare him off temporarily, but there was no guarantee he wouldn't hold a grudge and escalate his actions.
However, Zhao Qingda's persistent presence exceeded their expectations.
Just one day later, he reappeared on the street corner near the shop.
This time, he didn't dare to approach the child directly, but just stared at the store from a distance.
Zhao Fei returned from the pig farm and happened to see him.
Zhao Fei strode over, grabbed Zhao Qingda by the collar, and without a word, dragged him into a quiet, deserted dead-end alley.
"Zhao Qingda!" Zhao Fei slammed him against the cold brick wall, his eyes as cold as ice. "Didn't Xiaoxiao warn you? Tell you to stay away! Did you fucking ignore her?"
Zhao Qingda was so shocked by the impact that he saw stars, but he forced a strange smile and hissed, "Zhao Fei... what are you being so arrogant about? It's my right to look after my own children! Those two girls, Yizhen and Yibao, are my offspring too! Don't think I don't know!"
"Your offspring?" Zhao Fei sneered, his eyes practically overflowing with contempt.
"Zhao Qingda, take a piss and look at yourself! You think you're worthy? Let me tell you, Yizhen, Yibao, and Wen Xiaogai are my children, Zhao Fei's children, and have absolutely nothing to do with you! If you dare to spout nonsense again, if you dare to harass them again..."
He leaned closer to Zhao Qingda, his voice low and chilling, "I'll not only break your legs, I'll make sure you never stand up again!"
Zhao Qingda was intimidated by the fierce look in his eyes and flinched, but he still refused to back down: "You...who are you trying to scare? If you have the guts, then..."
"I don't have time to waste with you." Zhao Fei interrupted him, let go of his hand, and let Zhao Qingda slide down the wall to sit on the ground.
He looked down at the disheveled man, feeling a complex mix of disgust and other emotions. He hesitated for a moment, then suddenly spoke:
“One month later. Same place, same time.” Zhao Fei’s voice regained its calmness, but carried an undeniable determination. “I have something I need to make clear to you. About the child, and about… something else.”
Zhao Qingda raised his head, a hint of doubt and wariness flashing in his cloudy eyes: "What is it? What do you want?"
"You'll find out when you get here." Zhao Fei stopped looking at him, turned and walked out of the alley, leaving only a cold sentence, "Remember, one month. Don't come back before then. Otherwise, you'll bear the consequences."
Zhao Fei's figure disappeared at the entrance of the alley.
Zhao Qingda slumped in the cold corner, Zhao Fei's last words sending a shiver down his spine.
A month later... what will he say? About the child? What else could be "about" the child?
Zhao Qingda's mind was in turmoil. He slowly got up, dusted himself off, and stared in the direction Zhao Fei had left, his eyes dark and unreadable.
One month.
He can wait.
He wanted to see what Zhao Fei could come up with.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com