Qi Zhijun was kicked out of the Zhao family and stood at the door in a daze for a long time. He didn't know why he could remember so clearly that there was a persimmon tree, a pomegranate tree, and a grape trellis in the clean courtyard of the Zhao family. Looking at the rocking horse and the small swing in the yard, he seemed to be able to see his son playing in the yard.
At the dinner table, her son was eating white steamed buns. Even at such a young age, he knew to sit steadily with his little spoon, eating everything clean. He spoke politely to Mr. and Mrs. Zhao, showing that he was well-mannered.
One sentence struck him like a thunderbolt: Yes! Leaving the Qi family was the best choice for the child. His final act of love for Shuqing and his son was to let go!
Walking down the street, the slightly chilly wind blew through his unusually clear mind. Thinking back on his life of more than 30 years, the most carefree and happiest days were the years he spent married Wei Shuqing, which were also the years he felt like he was living like a walking corpse.
Then I thought about what right I had to complain. Wei Shuqing was only 20 years old when she followed me, worked hard to earn money to support the family, and lived off my hard-earned money, yet I still complained about her. I was such a bastard...
He returned to the hospital ward in a daze and found that only his mother's slightly swaying back, which revealed her suppressed sobs, was visible by her body. His father was asleep with an oxygen mask on. He didn't know what to say when he went in, so he just stood there.
After an unknown amount of time, Qi's mother turned around and saw him. She got up and walked out with difficulty. Qi Zhijun looked at his mother, whose back was always straight, but which was now slightly hunched. He felt sorry for her and went forward to support her, asking in a low voice, "How is Dad?"
Wiping away tears, Qi's mother said, "You were asleep. Why did you come here by yourself? Where's your patriotism?" As she spoke, she opened her sore and blurry eyes and looked closely, then took a deep breath and whispered, "Your lip... was it from being hit?"
Qi Zhijun lowered his head and didn't speak. Qi's mother took a breath through her nose, shook her head tremblingly, and said, suppressing the bitterness in her voice, "They didn't agree to you bringing the child, and they even hit you?"
Qi Zhijun remained silent, while Qi's mother nodded repeatedly, fighting back tears, "Those are our Qi family's children! How could they be so heartless!"
Qi Zhijun quickly reassured him, "Forget it, let Dad recover first, don't tell him about this."
Qi's mother nodded. "Go back and rest! You have to go to work tomorrow. I'll stay with your father." With that, she turned and went back inside.
Qi Zhijun felt terrible. The thought of having to face Xiao Cui when he got back made him grit his teeth and sit on a chair in the corridor all night.
Meanwhile, Xiao Cui waited at home all night but Qi Zhijun didn't come back. Looking at her swollen eyes, she got up, washed her face, and was about to go out when Dongfang Hong and the others lined up and said to Xiao Cui, "Auntie, we're hungry. There's no food left at home."
Suppressing his disgust, Xiao Cui coldly said, "I can't help it, we're out of food at home." Then he went to work.
On the way, she couldn't help but feel sorry for herself, wondering how she could have been so blind as to marry into the Qi family, this hellhole. When she got to her workplace, she told her boss about it. Her boss thought for a moment and said, "Although you didn't commit a crime, it still has a bad influence. Until we get a result, go to the logistics department first! Come back when we've clarified this matter."
Although I cursed Qi Zhifang, that wicked woman, a hundred times in my heart, it didn't change anything. I could only thank my supervisor and go to my new post.
Although nothing had changed for Qi Zhijun, he still couldn't escape the gossip, which was really unpleasant; he felt like he was sitting on pins and needles all morning. At noon, when he went to the cafeteria to get lunch, the cafeteria lady gave him a half-spoonful of soup with very little vegetables, shoved it into his lunchbox, and then called for the next person.
Qi Zhijun, unable to bear it any longer, said, "Big sister, can you add some more for me? Do you think this counts as one dish?"
The woman glanced at him sideways and grumbled as she put a cabbage root in his lunchbox. "Go away, go away. What's wrong with eating one less bite a day? You always take more than you can chew, you're never satisfied with taking advantage..."
Even after he had walked quite a distance, he could still hear the woman saying, "This is already too much. I heard that the guy ahead of him works in the factory and can't even afford this when he comes back. What a heartless family."
"Fake stuff, huh! He's eaten plenty of that stuff, how dare he act like nothing happened and embarrass himself like this? The whole country is tightening its belts, yet his family is doing something so shameful!"
"That's nothing. His sister is not only a criminal, but also a female hooligan! She's three months pregnant, tsk tsk tsk, always acting all high and mighty, thinking she's so virtuous! She's been a widow for over three years, surely it couldn't have been her dead husband who did this!"
"Oh my! Let me tell you, she's incredibly promiscuous, always looking for men to freeload off, just like those brothels and brothels in the old Eight Great Hutongs..."
Qi Zhijun slammed his lunchbox down and started fighting with the gossiping group. As a result, they all ended up in the security office, where the head of security angrily shouted, "What kind of behavior is this? You are all educated and cultured people, yet you gossip and chatter like the old ladies in the alley! And you even fought openly! You'll lose three days' wages!"
The cafeteria lady objected, jumping out and saying, "Section Chief Ma, you're handling this unfairly. We work so hard cooking for criminals' families, not for them. Besides, Qi Zhijun could be a criminal himself."
Qi Zhijun, his face flushed with anger, shouted, "You're spouting nonsense!"
The cafeteria lady spat, "I don't believe that you all live under the same roof and your family doesn't know where all those ration coupons came from? Who would believe you weren't involved? The eyes of the people are discerning. The country is facing so much hardship right now, and your family of black-hearted people still dare to forge ration coupons..."
The others chimed in, "We are ashamed to work with such a leader, and the organization must remove this scoundrel!"
"It must be cleaned up!"
“They should be removed from the team. Such criminal families, including female hooligans, are utterly shameful.”
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