Chapter 18 The Wrong Person
When He Xiaolan and her husband arrived at the hospital, Qian Helin was lying in the emergency corridor with an IV drip, and Hua Hudie was sitting silently on a bench nearby, sighing one after another.
"What's going on? Who did you drink with? Why are you so drunk?" He Xiaolan took out a pack of alcohol wipes from her bag and handed them to Hua Hudie, asking her to wipe all the places that needed to be wiped.
"Who knows? I called him today to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau, but he didn't answer the phone. In the evening, he said he was downstairs in the residential complex. When I went downstairs, he was like this, hugging a lamppost and crying..."
Wang Qingwei was concerned about his good brother. He carefully looked at the medicine written on the IV bottle and even opened Qian Helin's eyelids to look at his eyes. Finally, he concluded, "He's still alive and doing well..."
Qian Helin was a little annoyed by being pushed around, so he slapped Wang Qingwei's hand and kept muttering to himself.
"Why don't you bring me a pillow? This bed is so hard..."
"It's already like this, you should just lie down quietly. Why are you picking on me?" Wang Qingwei stood beside Qian Helin, fiddling with the IV bottle and the drunk man. He looked really bored.
He Xiaolan sent Wang Qingwei out to buy a few bottles of water so that he wouldn't be hanging around in front of her, asking questions and annoying her, which would delay her and Hua Hudie from chatting on the bench.
"What's going on between you two? Last time you said you were too tired and wanted a divorce, so I didn't ask again. Why are you too tired? You're usually fine with Lao Qian."
"I always thought it was bullshit that men stay young until they die, but after living with him for so many years, I suddenly feel that this statement is the truth. It's not a compliment, it's a derogatory statement. They are taken care of by their own mothers when they are young, and when they grow up and get married, they let their wives become mothers and continue to take care of them, so that they can maintain their childlike innocence."
Qian Helin was sound asleep in his hospital bed. Wang Qingwei was about to return from buying some water, and who knew how long it would take. Tired of chatting, He Xiaolan and Hua Hudie watched the people coming and going in the emergency room, their hearts awash with emotions.
A woman in labor was pushed into the emergency room, and her family members were waiting anxiously outside the door. All of them were filled with joy for the birth, while she was in the delivery room just across the door, feeling pain and tension mixed with a little joy, or perhaps no joy at all, only fear.
"Why haven't you two had children?"
"Why do you want a child? Originally I was supposed to take care of one, now I have to take care of two. Am I going to tire myself to death?"
Hua Hudie's phone kept scrolling, but there was nothing interesting to watch. She turned off the phone and pointed with her chin at Qian Helin who was snoring.
"That's because I haven't thought it through. I'm actually quite scared. The thought of being a mom to someone changes my mood. You have to be responsible for him, provide him with food and clothing, and tutor him. If he turns out to be successful, it's fine. But if he doesn't, the rest of my life will be ruined. Besides, raising a child is so expensive these days, and we're both starting a business."
He Xiaolan smiled when she heard what Hua Hudie said, and gave one of the snacks in her bag to Hua Hudie.
"Before I gave birth, they told me, 'Well, I'll take care of it,' and my parents said they'd come and help when the time comes, so nothing would be delayed. But now, two generations are squeezed into one room, and the mother-daughter and father-son bonds are all gone."
No woman is born with the glory of motherhood. Instead, she learns how to be a mother after becoming a mother. In this process, some people naturally do well and some do not. The laws of nature are so unfair.
He Xiaolan made every possible effort before becoming pregnant. She read books, prepared scientifically, and strictly followed her doctor's instructions until the birth. Even so, when she saw a stretch mark on her belly, she burst into tears. The little girl was about to be torn apart, and eventually became a woman and a mother.
"My parents urged us to have a baby, but after much thought, I decided I should wait a few years, until he matured and I was ready." Butterfly kept looking toward the emergency delivery room. The hospital was a gathering place for both the elderly and the newlyweds, but those over 35 often looked forward to the arrival of a new baby even more.
"My parents are 67 years old this year, and will soon be 70. Sometimes when I go home, I see them sitting downstairs watching other elderly people take care of their grandchildren. I can see their envy. But I can't compromise myself to satisfy their wishes. You can't have it both ways. Let's each take care of ourselves. Anyway, they will definitely not be ahead of me... How I live my life in the future is up to me, and they don't have to worry about me."
Hua Hudie talked a lot that night, and He Xiaolan sat beside her, listening quietly. However, all the heavy topics suddenly ended with the handsome man who suddenly appeared in the emergency room. The two of them were immediately attracted to him. What about childbirth, marriage, and family? Just make do with it. It didn't matter anymore. The most important thing now was to look at the handsome man and boost their spirits for the rest of the night.
"How about we chase some idols and give our lives some hope? Just like Teacher Qin, finding a handsome boy will instantly change your life."
"Can we find this handsome guy just by saying so? There aren't that many handsome guys waiting for us."
"I heard the healing teacher in our shop say before that if you want to expand your circle of friends, you have to go out and socialize. Look, you're at work now, and I go to the shop every day, which is basically just a straight line. Without branches, how can there be new stories? We still have to go out and explore and see if there are other possibilities."
"That's fine. Wang Qingwei treats our house like a hotel and only comes a few times a year. If someone else were to stay here, they probably wouldn't notice. But then what will happen to you and Qian Helin? If you didn't get a divorce certificate this time, will you have to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to apply for one again?"
"I have to submit the paperwork again and wait another 30 days. But I have to think carefully during these 30 days. I suddenly feel a little reluctant to leave him. What should I do? When he clings to my legs and cries at night, it's like sending a child to the first day of kindergarten. I feel weird inside. I feel so stupid, always hesitating when I need to make a decision the most."
"That's normal. Even if you've been raising a cockroach for so many years, you'd develop feelings for it, let alone a living being. You two didn't get married blindly. You didn't know each other. To be able to get to this point, your feelings must be deep. It's good to think about it again. There's nothing wrong with being cautious."
After a long night, the four of them sat down in the breakfast shop, their faces drooping as they ate steamed buns. Wang Qingwei seemed slightly more alert, but He Xiaolan was practically losing her sight. "Next time something like this happens, call Qin Tiantian. She's young and can handle it." Wang Qingwei sipped his porridge and gave important instructions to Qian Helin and Hua Hudie.
"Give me some face. This matter is only known to you two. Let's not spread it outside. Teacher Qin's big mouth is even worse. If she gets to know, she'll go to Chang'an Avenue and shout with a loudspeaker." Qian Helin couldn't eat the buns. He could only sip the millet porridge in the bowl bit by bit, looking at He Xiaolan and Wang Qingwei pleadingly.
"Our neighborhood has surveillance cameras. When you were crying and hugging the lamppost, the security guards had already watched you perform. It's too late to save face now. Qian Helin, consider moving. I really don't want to live here anymore... It's too embarrassing."
"When you say 'we', do you mean you're not divorcing me?"
The table was banged against the wall with a clanging sound. When Qian Helin threw himself into Hua Hudie's arms, he almost pushed the bun in He Xiaolan's hand into her throat.
"I'm giving you 30 days to reform yourself. Please make good use of it. It's mainly because your parents and my parents are too annoying. I'm giving them a buffer period. It has nothing to do with you."
"The buffer period is thirty days?"
"I feel it's taking too long and I'm not satisfied. If I can't get it working, I'll file a lawsuit. It won't even take 30 days."
"I'm wrong, auntie, I'm really wrong this time."
He Xiaolan sat down at her workstation, feeling like she was dying. She couldn't make it through the night. After drinking a triple-strength American coffee, she either felt more alert or died. Director Xiong from the Publicity Department sent her a WeChat message, asking why she hadn't received the company profile for Zhang Haiming Media.
Too lazy to type, she directly sent Director Xiong's message to Ge Lin. In less than a minute, Ge Lin appeared in He Xiaolan's office and put the sandwich she made on He Xiaolan's desk.
"Sister, try it. I made it myself. If it tastes good, I'll set up a stall at the subway station in the morning. It won't affect my work."
"I just had breakfast and will have lunch later. Director Xiong just sent me a message saying you didn't send me the information about Zhang Haiming's company. Their review is almost over."
"I told him when I got home that day, but he's been busy filming these past few days, so I can't find him. I'll give him a call later. By the way, sis, I sent you the attendance records from the past two days. The Development Department's attendance is really ugly. Boss Yang will definitely be furious if he sees it, so be prepared."
Standing in the fire escape, Ge Lin called Zhang Haiming, but no one answered. After three or four calls, Zhang Haiming simply replied on WeChat with a two-word message: "Busy." She couldn't remember if it had been two or three days since she last saw Zhang Haiming; she only remembered him returning home in the wee hours, packing a few clothes, and leaving. Ge Lin feigned sleep, keeping all her questions to herself. Even if she asked, she'd only receive perfunctory answers, so why bother?
Ever since I started dating Zhang Haiming, my friends have gradually become distant. I spend all my time either at work or at home. My friends are all living a life of luxury, and even when I go shopping, I only dare to wander around the basement level.
I once joked with my intern colleagues that my shopping route was a complete replica of the classic check-in route mentioned on the Internet. I would first go to the underground floor to buy a cup of Mixue Bingcheng, then go to Uniqlo to look in the mirror, and finally take a walk around Miniso, buy a set meal in a group, fill my stomach, and go home.
Her mother sent her a WeChat message, asking how her work was going and even transferred a thousand yuan to her. Thirty years old, she was still that little kid in front of her mother. It seemed like only her mother could feel her pain, and her mother's support would cover her expenses for the next month.
Ge Lin always felt useless. The ambitions she had when she packed her bags and followed Zhang Haiming to Beijing had become trivial. Fortunately, her parents had gone to great lengths to help her worry less and focus on her life. But Mom, if you love the wrong person, can you really turn back?
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