Chapter 403: Veteran
Chen Wenqin never went to look for Lu Donglin again after that day. The pride and self-esteem she had developed since childhood did not allow her to do so. After she mustered up the courage to ask him out and was rejected so tactfully, she had to let it go even if she couldn't let it go.
The New Year was approaching, and Lu Donglin stayed at Ai Shang's place for a night. He got a haircut and shaved, then took a bath in the bathhouse. He cleaned himself up from head to toe, and then took Chen Dongshuang to the compound to find Wen Wan.
Chen Dongshuang was going to the workshop to deliver the sample. Lu Donglin took her there, and Lu Dongping happened to be there too.
So there was a delay.
The workshop here is relatively simple. The two large rooms combined together serve as the operation room, the back is the warehouse, and the upstairs is where the workers live. However, not many people live here. The sewing workers recruited are all from nearby. Meals are not provided for the time being, and everyone has time to go home at noon.
When Lu Donglin and the others went over, Lu Dongping was talking to Chen Pingzhou and Liang Cheng, the managers of the workshop.
They were talking about the new factory over there. One person has shortcomings while three others have strengths. He wanted to hear other people's opinions and then combine them.
Lu Donglin and Chen Dongshuang didn't interrupt their conversation. They walked around the operation room, inspected the finished product, and waited until they finished their discussion before leaving.
Chen Dongshuang handed the sample to Lu Dongping.
Lu Donglin asked: "Brother, when will you go back?"
"I'll be a little longer."
"Then, we'll go over first. Shuangshuang still needs to deliver the blueprints to my sister-in-law."
Lu Dongping nodded: "Okay, go ahead! I'll be back early today."
Lu Donglin responded and left with Chen Dongshuang.
When he was almost there, he brushed past Chen Dongqing who had just come out of the compound.
Lu Donglin didn't notice at all and kept riding his bicycle and talking to Chen Dongshuang.
But Chen Wenqin noticed it.
She stopped and turned to look at the bicycle going away. She saw Lu Donglin smiling, the smile that kept her awake at night and almost drove her crazy. But that smile was not for her, but for the woman behind his bicycle.
I rode my bike into the compound and when I passed the playground, I saw a group of half-grown children jumping around there.
Chen Dongshuang pointed under the basketball hoop and asked, "Is that Dandan?"
Lu Donglin turned his head and took a look: "It's that kid for sure. But from now on, you should stop calling him by his nickname and just call him Lu Hongkang. This brat is young and has a lot of things to do. He knows how to be good. Now he gets angry when anyone calls him by his nickname."
Chen Dongshuang laughed and said, "He's so smart, really. I've never seen a child as smart as him. When I was his age, I was still a snotty kid. I didn't know anything. I just wanted to have enough food and clothes to eat."
Lu Donglin agreed with this: "It feels like he has inherited the best qualities of my brother and sister-in-law. He's smart, determined, and looks lively, but he's so steady when he needs to be. He doesn't act like a child. He kept clamoring to skip a grade a while ago, and my brother gave him a good scolding."
"Skipping a grade is good, as long as you can keep up, then skip it!"
"My brother disagrees and wants him to take it one step at a time. My sister-in-law also disagrees and wants him to go to middle school, high school and then take the college entrance exam step by step. Otherwise, if he starts doing adult things so early and misses his childhood and youth, life will be too boring."
"He's so energetic that the school can't keep him. Luckily, Uncle Wen and Li Laiyu are teaching him and distracting him, otherwise he would really go to heaven."
"So it's not easy for him not to skip a grade now!"
"It doesn't seem easy for us, but it seems like it's nothing for him. I really admire him. He is young, but he can study hard and concentrate on everything. I couldn't do that back then, not even a finger as good as him." Not to mention then, he still can't do that now.
Chen Dongshuang asked him curiously, "What were you like as a child?"
Lu Donglin turned his head and glanced at her quickly, uttering only three words: "Old slicker."
The people in the back of the car couldn't help but laugh out loud.
As they were talking, they soon arrived at the door of the Wen family.
Wen Wan just came out of the yard and was about to go for a walk!
"Sister-in-law!" Lu Donglin stepped on the brakes and stopped at the side.
"Sister Wenwan!"
Wen Wan smiled and said, "Why did you come here today? It's really rare!"
Or two people together.
Chen Dongshuang jumped off the bicycle and said, "I've finished the samples over there and sent them over. I also brought some drawings over to show you."
"Sister, are you going out?"
"Well, after dinner, I need to go out for a walk. The doctor said that I need to move around more so that the birth will be easier."
"Then I'll walk with you!"
Wen Wan nodded: "Sure! Give the things to Lu Donglin and let him take them in first."
Lu Donglin took Chen Dongshuang's bag and pushed his bicycle into the yard. He parked the bicycle on the side, took the bag off the shelf, and carried it into the house.
As soon as he entered, he called Aunt Zhou: "I brought the hen over. Can you help me clean it up?"
Auntie said, "Lunch is already cooking. How about saving some for soup in the evening?"
"Sure, you can do it. I have no objection. Just let me know when you need my help."
Wen Wan and Chen Dongshuang didn't walk for long before they walked from the gate to the playground, then walked around the edge and walked back.
It's already February in the Gregorian calendar, and Wen Wan's belly is already seven months pregnant. It's so big that it's a little scary. She feels like she can't even see her toes when she walks. She's like a balloon that's been blown to the extreme and seems like it will explode at any time.
I can't even walk for long. After a while, my stomach starts to feel heavy and I have to hold it up with my hands.
Anyway, it's so uncomfortable.
Not to mention at night. Even though I never stopped drinking bone soup, I still had cramps every night and frequent urination. I couldn't sleep well all night long.
This time I was so tired from being pregnant, more tired than ever before. I went into the house and lay down as soon as I got home.
Her belly was too big, so they didn't dare let her live on the second floor. They cleaned up the room where Lu Donglin used to live and let her live there temporarily. Lu Donglin would come over occasionally and live in the room where Lu Chun'e used to live.
She fell asleep during this rest and slept until her aunt prepared the meal and brought it to the table. She only woke up when Dandan came into the room and called her.
At noon, there were only three of you including your aunt, so you just had a simple meal.
Wen Wan suddenly wanted to eat sour soup dumplings today.
Auntie chopped the meat and made a lot of dumplings.
If she ate according to her current appetite, her appetite would be quite astonishing. My aunt imitated the Sichuan people and poured chili oil into her bowl. It was sour, spicy, and delicious. She ate two bowls of her usual meal in one go and still felt unsatisfied. It felt like there was not much left in her stomach.
After dinner, no matter how reluctant he was, he still went for a walk outside. After digesting the food, he sat down with Chen Dongshuang and began to study the drawings she brought.
After reading it, he asked Chen Dongshuang: "I haven't been there for a long time. Have you been to Lai Yu's place?"
"I went there a couple of days ago. There are a few drawings here that she gave me."
"How is she?"
Chen Dongshuang said, "I think Sister Lai Yu is in much better shape than you. She just looks fatter than before, and doesn't look like she's pregnant at all."
In comparison, Wen Wan's current state is a bit scary."
Wen Wan leaned back on the sofa, exhausted. "I can't envy her enough! She didn't react much to morning sickness, and her belly never grew. Her due date is after the Lunar New Year, so it's only about a month away. She seems to be taking it easy."
After that, he asked Chen Dongshuang: "Has Ai Shang received a lot of orders recently?"
A few days ago, after she finished her last order, she said that she would not accept any more orders for the time being and would just sell whatever the store had.
It’s not that she doesn’t want to move, the key problem is that her big belly makes it inconvenient for her to do anything, and it’s difficult for her to bend over.
"She doesn't have many orders. I sent her two orders a couple of days ago, and the store has already told us that they won't be accepting any orders during the New Year or New Year period."
The two talked for a while, and Dandan ran in from outside with a hot face.
"I called Wen Wan and Chen Dongshuang, and then went upstairs in a hurry."
Lu Dongping and Lu Donglin came in at the same moment.
After coming in, he hung up his clothes outside and called Wen Wan, "How do you feel today?"
Wen Wan said: "Not bad."
"Did you rest?"
"I took a nap before lunch, so I feel a little better now. I went over the blueprints with Dong Shuang. It's a good opportunity for you to take a look too. I don't think there's any big problem."
Lu Dongping took it and glanced at it: "You know this better than me, just do it if you think it's appropriate."
After that, he sat down next to her and told her about the holiday this year: "Both stores will still start closing on the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, and then go back to work on the 8th of the first lunar month."
"What about the workshop?"
"As for the workshop, I'm thinking of starting work on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. After the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year, we'll have to ship the first batch of spring clothes. It's going to be quite busy."
Wen Wan nodded: "Has the budget for the factory been worked out?"
Lu Dongping pulled out a notebook from his pocket and showed it to her: "I'm having trouble making ends meet. I'm thinking of taking out a loan."
Originally, he didn't want Wen Wan to worry about this matter, but since they are a couple and it is a loan issue, Wen Wan has to show up.
"Are we going to do it before the New Year?"
"It's best to come here before the New Year so that the funds are in place earlier so that we can do other things. We should try to get everything done before May."
"That shouldn't be a problem. There's still time."
It may not be easy for ordinary people to get a loan, but it will be much easier for them. There will be no blockage, and it will not take a particularly long time. They just need to complete the formalities, and the loan may be released before the New Year.
The two were talking in the living room. Lu Donglin quietly pulled Chen Dongshuang, and the two went outside.
Aunt Zhou bled the chicken outside, waited until it died, threw the chicken into a bucket, poured a pot of boiling water over it, and after a few minutes took it out and splashed it in cold water.
Lu Donglin said, "Let me help." Plucking the chicken feathers.
Auntie smiled and said, "I can do it. My hands are getting dirty."
Lu Donglin waved his hand, not caring at all. Chen Dongshuang came into the room, brought out two small stools, gave one to him, and sat down face to face, pulling the chicken.
The aunt had no choice but to carry the teapot into the house.
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