Chapter 109 Ye Qiuju left her child and ran away
Seeing Ji Mingyue's diary was a surprise to Song Zhenzhen. She was actually not familiar with Ji Mingyue. They only became familiar with each other after coming to Yuncheng. During that time, she lived in their house and slept in the same room with Ji Mingyue.
When she got up and tidied the bed sheets, she found the notebook pressed underneath by Ji Mingyue. She took a casual glance and saw the page in the diary. The names of Jiang Lili and Lu Jiaze were written on it, and the conditions of Lu Jiaze's family were also noted. Almost in an instant, Song Zhenzhen understood her intention.
She stared at the car in front of her as it slowly disappeared. Was she going to tell Jiang Lili? Song Zhenzhen fell into deep thought. At that moment, someone in the temporary guardhouse at the factory gate saw her and waved at her, "Song Zhenzhen, there's another telegram for you."
"I'll be right there," Song Zhenzhen said, lowering her head to hide her frown. She knew without hesitation that it was a telegram from Ye Qiuju. Was she so impatient to abandon her two daughters? After this happened, in Ji Mingyue's eyes, she would be an accomplice in helping her mother leave. So, even if she married well in the future, it would have nothing to do with her. So, she should tell Jiang Lili about this. But how to contact Jiang Lili was another problem, so Song Zhenzhen decided to wait.
*
Jiang Lili felt a little embarrassed to bother others so early in the morning. She turned to the person next to her and asked, "Will this delay your work today?"
"Don't worry, it won't delay my work." Lu Hongzhe spoke in a gentle tone, and then told her that he had returned the books she had returned to her classmates.
"Just pay it back." Jiang Lili regretted it after saying that. She seemed to have killed the conversation again.
Fortunately, Lu Hongzhe would not let any of his words fall to the ground, and asked casually: "Is the next time you come here during the winter vacation?"
"I'm not sure, but I hope it's during the winter vacation." If they come here during a time other than the winter vacation, there must be other problems in the factory.
"Currently, the advertisements are being placed throughout the country, and orders should not be interrupted until the winter vacation. As long as we don't make any innovations during this period, there should be no problem." Lu Hongzhe said leisurely. Many factories have been ruined by innovation.
"I probably won't have the energy to produce new models this year. Like you said, the orders brought by the advertisement will probably last until the end of the year. Before that, it's better for us to be more stable." Jiang Lili felt that he was reminding her that before the branch factory had a firm foothold, she should just steadily produce the styles that appeared in the advertisements.
On the way to the airport, the two kept chatting. Jiang Lili looked at Lu Hongzhe with some admiration: "Brother Hongzhe, you know a lot!"
Although he works in computer-related fields, he knows more about industry than she does. He is indeed a person with advanced vision. Her tone was full of admiration.
"Of course, these are just my opinions. The final choice is in your hands," Lu Hongzhe added.
Jiang Lili automatically ignored this and continued to ask, "Brother Hongzhe, you and Brother Jiang's company are just starting out. What are your plans for the future?"
"Let's buy a house. We are renting our office space now. If next year's profits are not enough to buy a house, I might consider borrowing money from my dad. With the development of Beijing, it will only become more and more expensive in the future, so it is right to act early." Lu Hongzhe's tone was full of rationality.
"You're very thoughtful," Jiang Lili thought. With such a forward-thinking vision, he deserved the money. Now that Jiang Yulan no longer needed to maintain the connection with Manager Zhang in Jincheng, she began to consider selling her house in Jincheng and buying a house in Beijing.
"Call me when you get home to let me know you're safe." Lu Hongzhe took out her backpack from the trunk and handed it to her.
"Okay, I can go in by myself." Jiang Lili politely declined his offer to take her to the airport. His time was precious and should not be wasted on this.
"Okay, have a nice trip." Lu Hongzhe handed her everything and watched her leave. He only opened the car door and got in after she disappeared from his sight. Jiang Lili was three years younger than him, but her conversation was more mature than that of her peers, including Lu Jiaze. Lu Hongzhe thought, maybe next time he should remind him to improve himself.
The sky above Beijing seemed much the same as that of Cloud City. Jiang Lili hadn't told her family when she would return. She took a taxi from the airport to the cotton mill, believing that making money meant enjoying it. She returned to her own home first, only to find it empty. She carried snacks for others and headed to the first mill, then to where Ji Lanlan currently lived.
Seeing Ji Lanlan, Jiang Lili couldn't help but ask, "Is this something your mother asked you to bring to Ji Wenwu?"
"Okay, I'll send it to him later." Ji Lanlan's tone was very calm. She was already used to the fact that Ji Wenwu was favored by his family.
"Why send it? She won't ask Ji Wenwu for confirmation anyway. You can eat it yourself." Jiang Lili guessed that Yao Yan would not take the initiative to contact Ji Wenwu.
Ji Lanlan was stunned for a moment, as if she had not expected such an option. Perhaps it was her first time doing such a thing, so she hesitated: "Is this okay?"
"Why not? She won't take the initiative to contact her grandparents now. If she wants to repair her relationship with Ji Wenwu, she can only go through you. It's up to you whether to send it over or not." Jiang Lili said, patting Ji Lanlan's shoulder, indicating that she didn't need to be so honest.
"My mother said she would stay in Beijing for at least a year. By the time she found out, I had already gone to college. Given her personality, she wouldn't give me extra money whether this happened or not." Ji Lanlan reacted quickly. She lowered her head to look at the snacks in the bag. She was not greedy for the snacks, but Yao Yan's different treatment.
Jiang Lili praised her for learning from her experience: "Learning to resist is the first step to independence. Not everything adults say is right. We can refuse unreasonable requests. Next time she calls, tell her you were at the ironworks. Unfortunately, they're not there. She won't ask for confirmation anyway."
"I understand. Thank you, Lili." Ji Lanlan said as she opened the bag in front of her and slowly took out the snacks inside. It was the first time she knew there were such delicious snacks. Perhaps it was because they belonged to Ji Wenwu that they tasted so good.
"I'll go back first. If you have any problems, you can come directly to the cotton mill to find us. There is still a year left, so keep up the good work." Jiang Lili encouraged her.
"I will." Ji Lanlan said as she took out another snack and handed it to Jiang Lili to take back, but Jiang Lili refused: "No, just keep it and eat it."
Ji Lanlan did not insist. She thought that she would buy other things next time to visit her and Aunt Jiang. She also had some money saved.
Jiang Lili felt that this was not just a matter of a bag of snacks, but Ji Lanlan's first experience of bravely saying no. Ji Lanlan had been told by them to give in to her younger brother since she was a child, and this idea had been deeply rooted in her. If she did not start to resist now, it would be difficult for her to avoid the fate of being treated as a blood bag in the future. She grew up with Ji Lanlan and did not want her to end up like this.
Even though Jiang Lili's back had disappeared from her sight, Ji Lanlan was still staring blankly in the direction she had left. From childhood to adulthood, only Jiang Lili and her mother had considered her. Even now, Lili was teaching her to resist. Ji Lanlan felt a warmth in her eyes. She looked up and tried to hold it back. She thought this was her first lesson in courage, and it was also the first time she felt that there was nothing wrong with pretending to obey but actually disobeying. Just as Lili said, Yao Yan would not take the initiative to contact her grandparents. She was afraid that they would give Ji Wenwu to her, but she also wanted to privately repair their relationship with Ji Wenwu and use these things to tell him that only he treated her best. Ji Lanlan also knew clearly that the tenderness she showed to herself now was just because she was valuable. She returned to the house and bit off a piece of dessert fiercely. These were all what she deserved.
After doing all this, Jiang Lili went to Jiang Aiguo's place. The bag in her hand was a gift for them. Although she didn't bring any snacks, she still bought some small gifts, such as an encyclopedia book for Jiang Qitong, and brooches for her aunt and Jiang Yulan.
When Jiang Qitong opened the door and saw the person outside, her eyes were full of surprise: "Sister Lili, you are back? When did you come back? Why didn't you tell us in advance?" The little guy asked a bunch of questions in a babble.
"Yes, I'm back. Are you happy?" Jiang Lili rubbed her head.
"Of course I'm happy." Jiang Qitong glanced unconsciously at the bag in her hand while speaking. She still remembered that she said she would bring a gift for herself before she left, so is this her gift?
Zhou Qingfen, who was busy inside, heard the conversation between the two and hurried out: "Lili, why didn't you tell us before you came back? That way we could pick you up."
"Didn't I want to give you a surprise?" Jiang Lili said with a smile. She sat down next to Jiang Qitong. As expected, the familiar environment made her feel comfortable.
"That was indeed a surprise, but don't do this next time. You are still a child, and we won't feel at ease if we don't come to pick you up." Zhou Qingfen reminded.
"Grandpa went fishing again?" Jiang Lili asked casually without noticing Jiang Jianyi's figure.
"No, your Grandpa Lu invited him to go to Jincheng for a trip. Now it's summer vacation, and I can see Tongtong, so I persuaded him to go and play for a few days." Zhou Qingfen explained.
"It would be nice to go to Jincheng for a trip." Jiang Lili withdrew her previous plan to sell the house in Jincheng.
"I think so too. It's vacation time now, so let him have fun with your Grandpa Lu for a few days. The Lu family has many connections in Jincheng, so we don't have to worry about them." This is one of the reasons why Zhou Qingfen felt at ease letting the old man go out to play.
"Then let him have fun. Tongtong, this is your gift." Jiang Lili took out the encyclopedia book from the bag.
"Wow, my gift." The smile on Jiang Qitong's face fell when she saw the book in her hand. She thought it was a tutorial book.
"Don't worry, it's an extracurricular book. Didn't you say last time that you wanted an encyclopedia?" Jiang Lili said as she showed her the book cover.
"Wow, thank you Sister Lili." Jiang Qitong instantly became happy again. This book was indeed what she wanted.
"I'm glad you like it, aunt. This is a brooch for you. I hope you like it." Jiang Lili actually had no experience in buying gifts, so she was not sure whether she would like it.
"You are so busy, kid, but you still have time to buy these for us. They are so beautiful." Zhou Qingfen looked at the brooch in her hand. It was really beautiful. Lili has always had a good aesthetic sense.
"Lili, have you had lunch? Let me cook some noodles for you?" Zhou Qingfen only then remembered that she might not have had lunch.
"No need, aunt, I've already eaten." Jiang Lili stopped her from going to the kitchen.
"Really?" Zhou Qingfen confirmed with her again.
"Don't worry, I won't be polite with you. I'll go back and take a nap first." Jiang Lili said and yawned.
"Just sleep in my room." Jiang Qitong tugged at her sleeve, reluctant to let her leave like this.
"I have to go back to take a shower and change clothes. You just do your homework at home and I will accompany you to jump rope in the evening." Jiang Lili threw out the bait.
Hearing about skipping rubber rope, Jiang Qitong couldn't help but relax the hand that was pulling her sleeve and compromised: "Okay, I'll come to you after I finish my homework."
"Okay, I'll wait for you." Jiang Lili said and returned to her home. She had just called Cheng Yuntian and Lu Hongzhe in a telephone booth near a factory to report that she was safe, so she slept peacefully at this moment.
Jiang Lili slept very soundly. She hadn't slept very well during her time in Beijing. A knock on the door woke her up. For a moment, she was still a little confused. It wasn't until she saw the familiar scene above her head that she realized where she was. She slowly went to open the door. It was Jiang Qitong outside. She said with full energy, "Sister Lili, it's time to jump rope. You promised me just now."
"I know. You come in and wait for me. I'll wash my face and wake up." While talking, Jiang Lili slowly woke up. Maybe because the factory in Beijing was new, the pace of everything seemed very fast. She still liked the slow pace at home.
*
Ever since she decided to leave, Ye Qiuju felt that every extra day she stayed was torture. However, because she was leaving, her rare maternal love was awakened. Looking at Ji Mingyue who was about to go out to set up a stall with Ji Yushu again, she gently reminded her, "Mingyue, the weather is hot and the sun is strong. You will get tanned if you go out. Girls are more beautiful if they are white. You should stay home!"
"Dad is sometimes too busy to handle everything by himself, so if I go with him I can lend a hand." Ji Mingyue is more afraid of taking care of the baby than basking in the sun. Although she sometimes feels sorry for Ji Xingyue, out of sight, out of mind, so she chooses to escape.
"Mingyue is right. I work so hard to support such a big family by myself, and you are not happy if she helps me share some of the burden?" Ji Yushu's temper became worse and worse. It had been a year, and this life was completely different from what he had imagined, so he could only vent his anger on his family.
"I'm not unwilling. You guys go ahead. I'll go change Xingyue's diaper." Ye Qiuju turned around and curled her lips. Okay, she was the one who was talkative. If Ji Mingyue wants to bask in the sun, then let her go.
Ji Mingyue couldn't help but glance back at him. She felt like something was off about Ye Qiuju. She usually didn't express it in this tone when she wanted to keep her at home to take care of Ji Xingyue. Was she really worried about getting a tan? She couldn't help but raise her hand to cover her cheek. She knew her skin well; she wasn't afraid of getting a tan; it would turn white again after a winter. So what was she planning?
Ji Mingyue's ingratitude made Ye Qiuju dedicate all her maternal love to Ji Xingyue. She rarely refrained from scolding her. She gently changed her diaper and tried to excuse herself: "Xingyue, don't blame me. Blame your dad. I'll come back to see you two sisters when I make enough money. You can understand me, right?"
The child, who had just been satisfied, didn't understand what she was saying at all. She just kicked her feet to express that she was uncomfortable changing her diaper. Unfortunately, Ye Qiuju didn't understand what she meant. She put her on the bed and quietly began to pack her things. Song Zhenzhen told her not to worry and to make plans after Jiang Lili came back. It was already mid-August, so she should be back, right? Thinking of this, Ye Qiuju decided to go to the post office and send a telegram to Song Zhenzhen. In addition to urging Song Zhenzhen, she also asked her to keep this matter in mind. She had taken a hundred yuan from her.
Setting up a stall in the summer is not an easy task. After the father and daughter arranged the items on the stall, Ji Mingyue glanced at the freezer across the street, then looked at Ji Yushu: "Dad, it's so hot, shall we have a popsicle?"
"Go buy two, and buy me a bottle of soda." Ji Yushu said as he gave her the money. Ji Mingyue took the money and went across the street. Ji Yushu stared at the freezer across the street and began to miss the days a year ago. At that time, there were always popsicles and soda in the refrigerator at home. Although his work in the workshop was not easy, at least he did not have to be exposed to wind and rain, and his monthly salary was paid on time. Every time he recalled the past days, Ji Yushu could not help but think, if only there was a pill of regret in this world, but unfortunately there is no if.
Thinking of this, Ji Yushu couldn't help but smile bitterly. Ji Mingyue handed him the popsicle he bought: "Dad, this is yours."
"Well, eat. By the way, Mingyue, let Xingyue sleep with you starting tonight." Ji Yushu took a big bite of the popsicle in his hand while speaking.
"But doesn't she still need milk?" Ji Mingyue took a long time to think of this sentence.
"It's also troublesome. Never mind. I'll think about it again." Ji Yushu swallowed the popsicle in his mouth with some annoyance.
Ji Mingyue lowered her head and gently licked the popsicle in her hand. She seemed to have no other choice now. Fortunately, the time to start school was getting closer and closer. At the beginning of this semester, she must study hard. Even if she couldn't get into the same school as Lu Jiaze, at least they had to go to the same city.
*
Since the advertisement was launched, the number of orders for Tongqu Players has increased significantly, but since there are night shift workers, the day shift workers no longer need to work overtime in the evening. Jiang Yulan can basically get off work on time every day. She checked today's production table and workshop log, and waited for the night shift workshop director to come and hand over the shift, and then she could go home.
Ever since Lili went to Beijing, she had been planning to eat three meals a day in the factory cafeteria. After three days, Zhou Qingfen stopped her and told her to go home for dinner. So today was no exception. She hadn't expected such a big surprise upon returning to the cotton mill. She stepped forward and patted Jiang Lili, who was stretching the rubber band on Jiang Qitong. "You, why didn't you tell me you were back?"
"Isn't this to give you a surprise?" Jiang Lili winked at her playfully.
"You've lost weight." Jiang Yulan frowned at her. It seemed that she must not have eaten well in Beijing for most of the past half month.
"Really?" Jiang Lili didn't think she had lost weight.
"Your chin is already pointed. I guess I need to give you some good nourishment before school starts." Jiang Yulan said as she was already planning in her mind how to use the remaining summer vacation to fatten her up.
"Wouldn't it look better if it was a little pointy?" Jiang Lili teased.
"It looks like a snake demon, not pretty." Jiang Qitong thought of the snake demon in the Calabash Brothers cartoon and shook her head quickly.
"You don't know how to appreciate it." Jiang Lili glared at Jiang Qitong in feigned displeasure. Her chin wasn't that pointed, was it?
"Sister Lili, so you like that snake spirit?" Jiang Qitong looked a little conflicted. If that was the case, then should she force herself to like him?
"It's nothing. Let's go. It's time to go home for dinner." Jiang Lili reminded her that it was time to retract the rubber band.
"Oh, okay." Jiang Qitong was collecting the rubber band while thinking seriously, does Sister Lili like the snake spirit?
When the mother and daughter stood together, Jiang Lili was already half a head taller than Jiang Yulan. Jiang Lili was very satisfied with her current height. Of course, it would be better if she could grow taller. She took Jiang Yulan's arm and whispered to her about the situation at the Beijing branch.
Jiang Yulan listened attentively, occasionally asking her a few questions, but mostly just listening to what she said. Finally, when they got home, she summarized, "This advertising campaign was a great success. Last time Director Yang came to our house, your grandfather only briefly spoke to you. You have no idea how excited Director Yang was that day. Factory One received quite a few orders because of the advertising."
"This is the largest order he's received during his tenure as factory director. Judging from the current development of the factory, it's estimated that there will be no one like it in the future. How can he not be excited?" Jiang Lili roughly understood the reason for his excitement.
"That's what I guessed too. That night he insisted on dragging your grandfather out for a drink. Over the course of one night, they started to act like brothers when they met again." At the end, Jiang Yulan smiled a little more.
"It seems that Director Yang is willing to do us a favor. As expected, everyone is the same when it comes to interests." Jiang Lili thought of Mei Huixiu's words at this time.
"That's right. In short, the effect of this advertising is much better than we initially expected. How are the orders from Beijing?" Jiang Yulan asked with concern.
"That's pretty good, but we don't have enough staff for the night shift, so the daily output is limited at the moment," Jiang Lili explained.
"When will the second generation of cross-dressing dolls be released? We can't produce cross-dressing dolls here, so we can directly produce the second generation then, right? Director Yang also asked indirectly when the second generation would be released that day. I guess he wants to leave the most impressive impression before he leaves." Jiang Yulan guessed.
"The pattern has been made successfully, but it will not be launched in the short term." There are still many orders for cross-dressing dolls in Beijing that have not been completed. Wouldn't it be self-destructive to launch the second generation of cross-dressing dolls at this time?
"I overlooked this point. It's August now, and there are still three and a half months until the end of December. There is really no rush." Jiang Yulan nodded, agreeing with her words.
"As for the first factory, they want the second generation of dolls, which will be after New Year's Day." New products must be produced in-house first.
"Indeed, don't they like to follow the contract? Let's go according to the contract time." Jiang Yulan said and gave her a thumbs up, thinking that she had become more mature after going out.
Only after the mother and daughter finished talking did Zhou Qingfen smile and place two bowls of mung bean soup in front of them: "Aiguo will probably be around for a while, sister, you two should drink some mung bean soup to cool down first."
"Is his company very busy lately?" Jiang Yulan thought. If she remembered correctly, this was the third time Jiang Aiguo had worked overtime this week, right?
"Yes, I heard that they are researching some new products. I guess they will be even busier next month." Zhou Qingfen nodded.
"Compared to other factories where people are being laid off everywhere, it's better to be busy. If you are too busy next month, I will take care of Tongtong." Jiang Yulan said.
"It's okay, just let her come back with me after school. Dad is at home, you don't have to worry." Zhou Qingfen said in a gentle tone.
It was a long-awaited family dinner, and Jiang Lili was very satisfied with the meal. She also liked this warm atmosphere. After the meal, she took the initiative to suggest taking Jiang Qitong to their house to sleep, and she would take care of Jiang Qitong tomorrow.
Without waiting for Zhou Qingfen to refuse, Jiang Qitong ran into her room to get her schoolbag and urged, "Auntie, Sister Lili, let's go quickly."
Her actions made Jiang Aiguo and his wife laugh and cry. Jiang Aiguo reached out and pinched her cheek: "You are so impatient. If someone who doesn't know the truth sees you, they will think our family is abusing you!"
"How could that be, Dad? You think too much. I just want to go to my aunt's house to play. Besides, I follow my mom every day. Wouldn't it be nice to let her have a day off tomorrow?" At the end, the little guy's tone became more and more righteous.
"That's right, our Tongtong has become considerate. There are still more than ten days left in the summer vacation, so let her stay with Lili during the day. Lili has nothing to do now anyway, and the two sisters can do their homework together and preview the courses for next semester." Jiang Yulan directly arranged the remaining summer vacation time for the two sisters.
"My mother is right, let Tongtong come with me." Tongtong is very obedient, so Jiang Lili doesn't mind taking her with her.
"Okay, then remember to come over for lunch and dinner." Seeing that Jiang Lili also agreed, Zhou Qingfen was relieved and quickly agreed.
"Then it's settled. Let you live your life before marriage and be patriotic. When you have time, take Qingfen to see a movie or something." Thinking of the young people in the factory going to the movies, Jiang Yulan couldn't help but remind them.
"We are an old married couple, why do we still need to watch a movie?" Zhou Qingfen said with a smile.
"An old couple can also go to the movies, but this reminds me that I will take Tongtong to see a movie tomorrow afternoon." Jiang Lili found that she hadn't watched a movie for a long time.
"Okay, I want to drink soda then." Jiang Qitong looked happy.
"Hey, it's my treat. When I came back this time, Sister Cheng gave me a red envelope. Guess how much money is in it?" Jiang Lili said and looked at them.
"One hundred?" Jiang Aiguo guessed cooperatively.
Seeing Jiang Lili shaking her head, Jiang Yulan couldn't help but guess: "Two hundred?"
Jiang Lili shook her head: "Six hundred, I didn't realize there was that much until I came back and opened the red envelope."
"Why did they suddenly give you so much? Did something happen?" Jiang Yulan guessed quickly.
"My mother is worthy of her name. She is very observant. Someone wanted to buy my design drawings, but I refused." Jiang Lili said and gave Jiang Yulan a thumbs up. As expected, nothing could be hidden from her.
"It's good that someone is poaching you. It will let her see your value." Zhou Qingfen thought it was a good thing.
"I think so too, so I'll treat everyone to a meal when grandpa comes back." Jiang Lili said proudly.
"Then we'll just wait." Jiang Aiguo said with a smile.
The atmosphere when being with family is always relaxed, and Jiang Lili feels very happy. In the following days, although she brought Jiang Qitong, a "little burden", with her, she had a very happy time because of her cooperation. Soon it was the beginning of the school year, and the two sisters began to check their summer homework. It was also at this time that Ji Yushu discovered that Ye Qiuju had left Ji Xingyue and ran away.
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