Tang Bao'er kept sucking on her little hands, as if savoring a delicious treat.
Jiang Shuya lovingly picked up the little guy and noticed that the diaper on his bottom was lumpy and still warm. The next moment, she smelled a strong odor of poop.
She got out of bed, fetched hot water, and skillfully washed and changed. Hearing her mother-in-law calling her from downstairs for dinner, Shuya suddenly brought up the money from that morning at the dinner table, saying, "Mom, you promised to pay Auntie back the money after selling grapes in a month. Remember to pay me back then!"
"Tang Bao'er will be weaned in a few months, so we need to buy formula."
"Yes, I'll definitely give you the money if I have it."
Jiang Shuya clearly remembered her mother-in-law's earnest tone. In her previous life, she had helped pay back the money her mother-in-law hadn't given her back. She had asked for it several times in person, but her mother-in-law still hadn't given it back. She couldn't come up with the money from selling grapes worth several thousand yuan.
During that period, Huang Guohua almost never came home after get off work and spent the whole night outside doing who-knows-what. His mother-in-law mumbled that he had taken the money and used it. It was only later that his aunt came to the house and revealed that Huang Guohua had gambled it away.
They toiled all day in the vineyard, thinning the fruit, pruning the branches, topping, spraying pesticides, and weeding, only to have it all come to nothing after a season of hard work. They were truly heartbroken.
After dinner, the two Shuya went to the vineyard and took some photos of the grapes and the gate. At this time, the grapes were still half green, so they would have to take a few more photos when they were ripe. They also took a few selfies holding grapes, edited them, and felt good about themselves. They took a few more photos to check them and were very satisfied. They sent them to Shuting and then went home satisfied.
Jiang Shuya's mother-in-law had probably gone out with Tang Bao'er in her arms, so she rode her electric scooter across the river to her father's place to get money.
About half an hour later, they arrived at his parents' location. Jiang Donglai didn't say much upon seeing them, but took off his gloves, pulled a bank card from his pocket, and said:
"I've contacted the sand and gravel delivery guy. He'll deliver it the day after tomorrow morning. He'll tell you how much you need, how many trips you need, and that he'll settle the payment after each delivery. He also knows how many bags of cement you need. There's been a lot of construction going on in your area lately, and he's delivered to all of them, so he knows roughly how much you'll need. He'll call you the day after tomorrow, and you can contact him then."
Jiang Shuya saw a bank card handed to her, and then saw her father take out a business card from his notebook, which had the delivery driver's phone number on it.
After hearing a few words of advice from his father, and not seeing his mother, Li Dalan, he rode his bicycle back home.
The journey was smooth, and when she was almost home, she received a call from an unknown number. She recognized her cousin Jiang Shuyue's voice and was overjoyed. She heard that Jiang Shuyue was now working at FF Advertising Design Company in Jinling City. It had been a long time since she had seen her, so she arranged to meet up.
Jiang Shuya readily agreed to meet at the Linjiang Hotel in Hexi next Sunday. However, she vaguely heard a name on the phone and realized that this person was also coming. She paused for a moment, unwilling to think about the name. Only when she heard "Hello... hello..." on the other end of the phone did Jiang Shuya turn around in a daze.
He paused for a moment and then said:
"Oh, Third Sister, you guys make an appointment, or maybe we can meet up separately next time. I'm pretty busy next week." She then hung up the phone nervously.
"Beep...beep..." A series of beeps came from the other end of the phone. Jiang Shuyue was stunned as he recalled what had just happened. He worked at the airport, Lukou International Airport, the only airport in Nanjing. His classmate, Lin Moxiao, was his former admirer.
Jiang Shuyue was a complete tomboy in junior and senior high school, with short hair like the boys, and she got along well with her classmates.
She kept her unrequited love to herself during high school. Finally, she took the college entrance examination and went to university, but she did not get into the same university as him. He did not attend several classmate reunions during her university years, even though she grew her hair long and studied hard to improve herself.
Just to get closer to that ray of sunshine I longed for, I finally found out his contact information. After hesitating a few times, I mustered up the courage to add him on QQ, and to my surprise, he accepted my request.
The other person responded by asking, "How have you been these past few years?"
In that instant, her heart was filled with tears. Despite her resolute exterior, she finally saw a glimmer of light through the cracks in her heart. Even when all her close classmates hinted that she had feelings for him, even when she had written him several letters without receiving any response, just those few words of reply rekindled her hopes.
Even as various possibilities flash through my mind, when these possibilities swell with a certain power, an irrepressible impulse leads me to dial the number I've been hesitant about.
Upon hearing the familiar yet slightly different voice, and attempting to maintain composure as I identified myself, the other person seemed to... think for a moment before politely greeting me.
Jiang Shuyue concealed her inner joy and, displaying her usual carefree personality from class, exchanged a few pleasantries before extending an invitation to explore the beautiful scenery of Jinling City and sample the local delicacies.
However, the other party used a polite and tactful tone:
"I'm too busy with work and may not have time."
Jiang Shuyue felt a pang of disappointment, remained silent for a moment but was unwilling to give up, and mentioned her cousin "Jiang Shuya". The other party hesitated for a while and said:
"Set a time for the weekend, and then arrange your work in advance."
Jiang Shuyue casually mentioned the time, and the feeling of loss resurfaced in her mind. She didn't even know when she hung up the phone, and the pain of loss spread throughout her body.
He had asked himself a thousand times: she was already married, didn't he know?
Doesn't he realize that he has no chance left?
I am the one closest to him, whether in terms of knowledge or ability. I try to recall what is good about him.
She's just pretty, introverted, reserved, and doesn't like to talk much. She's not presentable. Now she's married so early. I can't figure out if my standards are too high or his are too low.
Jiang Shuyue was pondering the upcoming meeting. She decided not to say that Shuya wasn't coming. Instead, she wanted to come up with a reason that would allow them to meet and persuade him. This rare opportunity to meet shouldn't be missed.
However, Jiang Shuya was trying to avoid him. She had no contact with him. He was her cousin's classmate. During high school, she was a boarding student, and the library was always crowded on Saturdays and Sundays. She liked to borrow books and read them on the grass next to the soccer field.
I could see it for most of the day. It was quiet, with lush greenery and a beautiful environment that made me feel relaxed and happy. The only downside was when a group of boys passed by the basketball court. They would flirt with me, whistle, and whisper. Lin Moxiao was one of them. He was the team leader. She was aloof and never paid any attention to them.
Until one time when she was on vacation and went home, a heavy rain that seemed to never stop fell. Not long after she left the school gate, she walked into an alley, where a few hooligans who had no one to control them came up and tried to snatch her schoolbag.
They even made inappropriate advances towards her. I don't know where he came from, but he beat them up right away, grabbed one of them by the collar and said something to him. A moment later, the group of people disappeared in a flash.
That day, he insisted on walking her almost to her doorstep. He kept his distance from her the whole time, and she secretly glanced at him a few times along the way. She had heard her third sister's little secret: he was the one in her third sister's heart.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
