Xiao Hu took Qi Zhifang to the unit's dormitory, and the two old lovers embraced tightly. Qi Zhifang cried her heart out, recalling the days she had endured cold looks and gossip.
She choked back tears as she murmured, "Why did you take so long to come back? Do you know how I've been through? Several times I almost didn't make it."
Xiao Hu silently shed tears and said in a deep voice, "Fangzi, don't cry. I'm sorry I came back late and made you suffer so much. Don't worry, I'll make sure you have a good life from now on!"
Qi Zhifang nodded vigorously, and Xiao Hu gently kissed her hair. After a while, he calmed down the old maid's mother in his arms. The two sat on opposite sides of the desk. Xiao Hu glanced at his watch and said, "Who was the one you were arguing with?"
Qi Zhifang cried and said, "Wang Dong's reputation has been ruined because of our affair. He's in his twenties and still doesn't have a girlfriend. He's a grown man who comes home from get off work and helps my mom sew shoe soles to earn some money."
Life could have been fine until a divorced, shrewish woman took a liking to him, throwing tantrums and using every conceivable trick imaginable. She even went to his workplace and the neighborhood committee. Wang Dong, fearing he'd lose his job, reluctantly accepted it, but they argued constantly at home, with her hitting his parents and verbally abusing his children. Then the neighborhood committee arranged for her to move out, but the money for the house was stolen from Dongdong; they even took the money my mother and Dongdong had saved for sewing shoe soles. Now she lives comfortably in three and a half rooms.”
Xiao Hu understood. "That's your daughter-in-law? Dongdong's wife?"
Qi Zhifang puffed out her cheeks like a steamed bun in anger, which Xiao Hu found quite cute, just like a meat bun. Qi Zhifang pouted, snorted, and turned her head slightly, saying, "No, I don't recognize her."
After rambling on for so long, he finally remembered the important matter: "Oh right, there's something you need to help me with. Fangfang got married, but something's happened to her, and she needs a place to stay and some nutrition. Oh! Also, could you help me negotiate with her? She wants to divorce that man!"
Xiao Hu was stunned. "This..."
Qi Zhifang had been rejected by people for the past few years, and seeing Xiao Hu like this, tears welled up in her eyes again. "What? Even you don't want to help me anymore? Do you think I'm a huge burden and a big problem now? Who am I doing all this for?"
None of my three children recognize me now. One of them is in the hospital and needs my care, so he only talks to me when I'm there. The other two have become independent and don't take me seriously anymore.
"I finally got my man back, and now he's complaining about me because of these things. Why is my life so miserable! And rightly so, I didn't even get a marriage certificate with you. I was just deluding myself. What am I to you?!"
As she spoke, she buried her face in her arms on the table and burst into tears. Xiao Hu quickly got up, went around to the outside of the table, put her head on his stomach, patted her back, and whispered, "Don't cry. Let me think about where to stay. As for the nutrition fee..." He remembered the back wages he had made and said, "I'll give you a hundred yuan. Take it and help Fangfang get better nutrition."
Qi Zhifang looked up at Xiao Hu with tears streaming down her face and choked out, "Where did you get so much money?!"
Xiao Hu laughed and said, "I've paid the basic salary back, 1,800 yuan."
Qi Zhifang blushed, blinked, and gave Xiao Hu a coquettish glare. "I was so touched, but all you gave me was the tip of the iceberg? Pfft!"
Xiao Hu smiled at Qi Zhifang and said, "I was thinking of finding a small house for you to live in through the neighborhood committee, right? We don't even know when your work unit will allocate housing. Aren't you eager to marry me already?"
Qi Zhifang smiled sweetly. This was the happiest day she had had in years. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Give me the money! I'll go to the neighborhood and look for a good place to live. I have plenty of time."
Xiao Hu hesitated for less than five seconds before handing her the bankbook. Qi Zhifang excitedly took it and said, "Old Xiao, don't worry, I'll definitely find you a suitable place to live."
Xiao Hu nodded, looking at Qi Zhifang with doting eyes, "It's our house!"
A moment later, someone shouted, "Captain Xiao, turn off the lights!"
Xiao Hu shouted, "I know..." and turned to Qi Zhifang, saying, "I'll take you back. Hurry up and get the house settled as soon as possible!"
Qi Zhifang nodded and said, "Don't worry!" Then she gave a sly smile, like a vixen, and asked, "Are you in such a hurry to get married?"
Xiao Hu flicked her nose and said, "Nonsense, I've been celibate for almost ten years. If I don't use it now, it'll be ruined..."
Qi Zhifang's face turned bright red. "What dirty talk are you spouting? Humph! I'm ignoring you..." she said, and ran off. Xiao Hu called after her, "Be careful..." "Okay, you can go back now!"
Qi Zhifang looked stunning the whole way! If she had wings, she could fly to the sky and stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun.
When they got back, they saw Qi's mother lying on the ground, a puddle of water on the smelly floor, her mouth agape and drool dripping everywhere. She screamed, "Help! Help! Brother...brother...sister-in-law!" Her mother, standing nearby, cried out helplessly, "Mom...Mom...what's wrong? Say something!"
A moment later, Qi Zhijun and Xiao Cui came in and saw that the smell was even stronger than that of a public toilet. Qi Zhijun was at a loss and asked, "What's going on?"
Qi Zhifang cried and said, "I don't know either! I just got back and saw this, and I was about to ask you! You all came back right after get off work, didn't any of you come to check on the house?"
Qi Zhijun frowned. Xiao Cui stood behind him, seemingly unconcerned and silent. He had just gotten home from get off work when Qi Zhifang came to see him, which annoyed him so much that the couple didn't feel like cooking. They went out for fried liver and meat buns instead of eating at home. After washing up, they went back to their room. Qi Zhijun assumed Qi Zhifang was still there.
Qi Zhijun had no choice but to say, "You help Mom pack up first, I'll go borrow a tricycle."
Qi Zhifang said helplessly, "I don't know how to do it by myself!"
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