Xu Zhuo looked at her and asked again: "Didn't you receive the letter?"
Ruan Xi's eyes slowly focused, and he shook his head and said, "No."
Xu Zhuo also thought about it, "Maybe it was lost once, but it can't be lost twice, right? Did someone move the letter?"
At that time, Ruan Xi was fully focused on the college entrance examination and didn't care about other little things in life. Also, because the frequency of letters from home was so low, with only one coming every few months, she didn't check the mailbox often.
Ruan Changfu didn't send work letters to his home, and Feng Xiuying and the other children had no habit of keeping in touch with anyone, so basically no one would check the mailbox at home, except Ruan Xi who would check it occasionally.
Also because she didn't pay attention to these trivial matters, her mind was full of the college entrance examination and helping Ruan Jie get into university, so she didn't think there was any problem. Anyway, it doesn’t matter to her since Xu Zhuo and the others don’t write to her.
Even in modern society, with mobile phone communications so advanced, good friends made in elementary school will lose contact in junior high school, good friends made in junior high school will fade away in high school, and good friends made in high school will lose contact in college.
Regarding losing contact, she felt that it was normal and inevitable, and there was nothing to worry about.
If there weren't other people involved, she wouldn't take it to heart at all.
But now that there was clearly something wrong with this matter, she naturally had to think more about it.
If she thought about it further, there might be more than two letters sent by Xu Zhuo and Chen Weidong, there should also be one from Ling Yao, and none of them reached her hands. It is even more worthy of consideration why only their letters did not reach her, while all the letters from home were received.
After a moment, she looked at Xu Zhuo and said, "If it didn't arrive twice, someone must have tampered with the letter."
Xu Zhuo felt suffocated for a moment, took a deep breath and said, "Who could it be? I'll chop him up!"
Ruan Xi couldn't say who it was, so she just said, "Wait a minute."
As he was speaking, Xie Dongyang came back after returning the bowl of noodles.
He sat down in front of his stall and asked Xu Zhuo in a casual manner: "Did you study in a military academy?"
Hearing this, Xu Zhuo looked at Xie Dongyang and replied, "Yes."
Ruan Xi just remembered now that she hadn't introduced them to each other formally yet.
So she looked at Xie Dongyang and said, "He is Xu Zhuo, my friend from middle school, and he lives in the same compound with me."
After that, he looked at Xu Zhuo and said, "This is a friend I just made when I came to Beijing, Xie Dongyang, also known as Mr. Xie Sanye of Sijiucheng."
Xie Dongyang understood, and before Xu Zhuo could say anything, he asked, "Do you live in the military compound?"
Ruan Xi nodded at him, "Yes."
Xie Dongyang stared at Ruan Xi for a while, "Master Xi, you really are a person who hides his true colors. After all this fuss, you turned out to be the son of a cadre! Then you worked so hard and went to such a good school, but you still come out to set up a stall?"
Ruan Xi said: "My parents are my parents, and I am me. We have no relationship."
Xie Dongyang suddenly remembered that Ruan Xi had just quarreled with the couple in front of the stall, saying that her parents belonged to that girl and she didn't want them, so he asked again: "Who were those two people just now? Is the girl your sister?"
Ruan Xi nodded at him again, "My parents adopted him."
Xie Dongyang became even more curious, "Then what about your relationship... you are always at odds with each other... you are like water and fire..."
Ruan Xi didn't want to say more, so she just said, "This is a long story, let's talk about it later when we have the chance."
Seeing that she didn't want to talk more, Xie Dongyang didn't ask any more questions.
Ruan Xi dropped the topic and turned to look at Xu Zhuo, asking him, "I may be busy here until the evening, so I won't have time to go shopping with you. Why don't you go find your classmates? I'll treat you to dinner after I'm done with my work in the evening."
Xu Zhuo had no intention of leaving. "There's nothing much to see. How about I accompany you to look at the stalls?"
?
Ruan Xi looked at him in surprise for a moment, then smiled and said, "Aren't you ashamed?"
He has always been a person who cares a lot about his reputation and loves to do things that attract attention, but he has rarely done anything so embarrassing as this.
Xu Zhuo turned his head to look at the street, then cleared his throat and said, "Anyway, no one here knows me."
That's true. Seeing that he really didn't intend to leave, Ruan Xi let him stay here.
He happened to be working for her here, and she treated him to dinner in the evening.
There were few people around at noon, so the two of them sat down and chatted for a while. They talked about their experiences in the past two years, their current situations, and exchanged various information.
Actually, Ruan Xi didn't have much to say. During the second year of junior high school, she stayed at home with Ruan Jie every day until the college entrance examination was resumed. Then she took the college entrance examination and was admitted to her favorite university. She was very excited.
After entering university, I studied and worked in factories.
Of course, she didn't talk about anything about going to the factory. After all, it's not something worth talking about in depth.
Xu Zhuo's life in the past two years has been even more monotonous than Ruan Xi's, because life in the army is more boring and unchanging. Every day is nothing but training, and apart from the differences in training content and intensity, there is almost no other change.
While the two of them were reminiscing about the past, Xie Dongyang took a nap at the stall when no one was around at noon.
After noon, there were slightly more people on the street in the afternoon. Some people came up to look at things and ask about the prices. Xie Dongyang was awakened by Ruan Xi. He jumped up, blinked, and started his busy afternoon again.
Ruan Xi was busy for a while, and when no one was around, she said to Xu Zhuo, "Help me watch the stall for a while, I'll be back soon."
Xu Zhuo thought she was going to the toilet, so he naturally agreed and let her go.
Ruan Xi did go to the toilet, but she did not come back immediately after going to the toilet. She went directly to the nearby post office and called Ruan Changfu's office.
She had memorized Ruan Changfu's office phone number and still had it in her mind.
But today is Sunday, and Ruan Changfu may not be at work.
Ruan Xi dialed the number with the attitude of giving it a try, and held the receiver to his ear and listened for a while.
The phone rang about four or five times before someone picked up the phone. "Hello? Who is this?"
Ruan Xi recognized the voice as Ruan Changfu's, so he cleared his throat and said, "Old Ruan, it's me."
But Ruan Changfu didn't recognize her voice, and asked cautiously, "Who are you?"
Ruan Xi didn't want to waste more phone bills with him, as long-distance calls were extremely expensive, so she quickly said, "I'm Ruan Xi. I have something to ask you. Has anyone touched my letters during the last year I lived at home?"
Ruan Changfu has not been home for a long time, how would he know this?
Ruan Xi didn't let him speak, and said, "Forget it, don't answer. Go home tonight and ask for me if anyone has touched my letters. I haven't received any letters since I went back home after the Chinese New Year in 1977. Now I met Xu Zhuo in Beijing, and he said he wrote me two letters, but I didn't receive any of them."
Ruan Changfu got the chance to speak: "Do you suspect someone has touched your letter?"
Ruan Xi said to the phone, "Yes, go home and ask for me. The phone bill here is too expensive, so I won't tell you more. Stay at the office for a while after get off work tomorrow night, and I'll call you again."
It would be a good idea to call him. Ruan Changfu quickly responded, "Okay, okay, I'll go back and ask for you."
Ruan Xi looked at the time on the phone, said "thank you", and hung up immediately.
After paying and coming out of the post office, I went back to the street to continue selling things.
Due to the influence of the past decade, the night market has not yet recovered and not many people go out shopping at night, so when the shops on the street closed one after another, Ruan Xi and Xie Dongyang packed up their stalls and left.
The two men packed up their things and rode back to the repair shop to drop off their belongings.
Xu Zhuo followed them to the repair shop and watched them sit together counting money.
During the day he did feel that setting up a stall was not decent, but now seeing Ruan Xi and Xie Dongyang counting the money, he knew that it was not something to be bothered about, because what they earned in a day was actually more than other people's monthly salary.
If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have found it hard to believe that money is so easy to make.
After counting the money, Xie Dongyang asked Ruan Xi how much she earned. When he found out that Ruan Xi earned half as much as he did, he was surprised and asked, "Why?"
Ruan Xi didn't answer why, she just looked at him and said, "Maybe more in the future."
After counting the money, the two put it away. Xie Dongyang looked at Ruan Xi and said, "How is it? Do you plan to go to dinner alone, or take me with you? If you take me with you, I'm a local and I'm the host. I'll treat you today."
Ruan Xi said without hesitation: "Then let's go together."
It’s not that she wanted Xie Dongyang to treat them, but it would be more lively with more people.
So the three of them left the repair shop and went to find a restaurant to eat.
In the two-story building of the Ruan family.
When Ruan Changfu got home from get off work, he went straight to the kitchen to find Feng Xiuying. As soon as he entered the kitchen, he asked her, "Did you touch the mailbox at home in the year before Xiaoxi went to college? She said she didn't receive several letters."
Feng Xiuying was stunned for a moment and said, "No, no one has written to me, why would I touch the mailbox?"
Ruan Changfu asked again: "You didn't see anyone else move?"
Feng Xiuying said: "I didn't pay much attention to this."
Who would have nothing to do and stare at the mailbox all day long? There weren't many people writing letters to it. Even the letters from her hometown to Ruan Changfu were sent directly to his workplace. She hardly paid any attention to that place.
Seeing that she didn't know, Ruan Changfu didn't ask any more questions.
When everyone in the family sat down to eat in the dining room, he glanced at everyone at the table and asked again, "In the year before Xiaoxi and Xiaojie went to college, did anyone touch the mailbox at home or her letters?"
This question was asked suddenly. All the children were stunned for a moment and then shook their heads.
Ye Fan is currently studying at university, but because he lives close to home, he still goes home on weekends.
Ruan Changfu looked at Ruan Qiuyang alone, "Did you move?"
Ruan Qiuyang looked flustered and hurriedly explained: "I didn't, why would I touch her letter? I'm not interested in that thing."
Ruan Hongjun echoed: "She didn't lie this time. The proof is complete."
Ruan Qiuyue looked at Ruan Changfu and asked, "What did the elder sister say?"
Ruan Changfu hummed, "She called my office this afternoon and said that she had not received several letters at home, and she suspected that someone had touched her letters. If our family didn't touch them, has anyone else seen anyone touch our mailbox?"
There aren't many people at home who pay attention to their mailboxes, and after a moment everyone shook their heads.
Just when Ruan Changfu was feeling a little depressed, Ruan Hongbing suddenly said, "Sister Qiuwen."
Hearing this, Ruan Changfu suddenly turned his head and looked at him, "What?"
Ruan Hongbing looked at him and said, "Sister Qiuwen, there was a period of time when she often went to check the mailbox at home. She would walk there every day before and after school and sometimes take out the mail."
Ruan Changfu's brows slowly furrowed, "It's her again?"
Ruan Hongbing shook his head: "I don't know, I thought she was waiting for her letter."
Ruan Qiuyue thought for a moment and asked again: "Who wrote the letter to my elder sister?"
Ruan Changfu said: "It is said that it was Xu Zhuo. They met in Beijing."
Hearing this, Ruan Qiuyue immediately confirmed: "It must be her, she is jealous of my elder sister."
Then he looked at Ruan Qiuyang and said, "If you don't believe me, ask her if Ye Qiuwen is jealous of Xu Zhuo and the big sister getting along well. Because Ye Qiuwen knows in her heart that Lu Yuanzheng is not as good as Xu Zhuo, and she doesn't want the big sister to have any contact with Xu Zhuo."
Ruan Changfu immediately looked at Ruan Qiuyang again and asked her with a dark face: "Really?"
Ruan Qiuyang was not very good at lying, so he hesitated for a moment before giving up and saying, "Yeah."
Ruan Changfu was so angry that he slammed the table so hard that it almost shook it up. "How could I raise such a thing! If she were here, I would beat her to death today!"
Ruan Qiuyue said: "Fortunately Xu Zhuo and Big Sister met again."
Because he earned almost two hundred yuan this week, which was more than he had earned in the previous six months, Xie Dongyang seemed particularly generous today. Without saying a word, he took Ruan Xi and Xu Zhuo to a western restaurant.
After sitting down and ordering the dishes, Xie Dongyang asked with some pride: "How is it here?"
Ruan Xi turned around and looked around. "Not bad, very fashionable!"
Xie Dongyang smiled and said, "If you take me with you to make a fortune, then I definitely can't be stingy."
Watching them walk from the road to the restaurant, talking back and forth like this, Xu Zhuo still felt a little uncomfortable. After all, they had been apart for two years, and a lot had changed in each other's lives. These topics had nothing to do with him.
Compared with Xie Dongyang, he has obviously drifted far away from Ruan Xi's life.
Of course he didn't show anything. He listened when he should listen and talked when he should talk.
Besides, he is not a very sensitive person, so a little discomfort will pass. After that, Ruan Xi and Xie Dongyang continued to drink, eat, brag and chat. When the topic came to him, he would brag for a long time.
All boys dream of becoming soldiers. Xie Dongyang loves to listen to him bragging about the military, how bullets grazed his face, how one bullet hit his heart, and how exciting it was when a grenade was thrown out and exploded. Later, the two of them hugged each other and braggarted about the military.
Xie Dongyang said, "Brother, if you were in Sijiu City, I would definitely follow you. You would be my Brother Zhuo, not Master Zhuo. In Sijiu City, those who are well-known must be masters."
"Master, have you eaten?"
"Sir, where are you going?"
"Sir, what are you walking around with?"
"I'm walking a fucking bird!"
…
Ruan Xi was sitting opposite them eating lamb chops and looking at the two of them. She saw a look of disgust on their faces, and then she couldn't help laughing with a look of disgust on her face - when men drink a little, they don't know who they are, and everyone thinks they are the best in the world.
Of course, Xu Zhuo and Xie Dongyang just drank a few glasses of beer to cheer themselves up, and they didn't get drunk.
But the two of them really had a good chat and were reluctant to leave after the meal.
But Ruan Xi and Xu Zhuo can't stay outside for too long, the school has its own rules. So after finishing their meal, the three of them didn’t stay in the restaurant for long, nor did they go anywhere else. They hurried back to school.
Because Ruan Xi and Xu Zhuo's schools are close to each other, and Xie Dongyang's home is also there, so they go back in the same direction.
Ruan Xi didn't let Xu Zhuo ride the bicycle. He rode his own, got on the bike, pedaled and left.
Xu Zhuo narrowed his eyes. Xie Dongyang patted his seat and called him, "Come on."
There was no other choice, Xu Zhuo had to get into Xie Dongyang's car.
Xie Dongyang stepped on the pedal and rose against the wind.
When he was riding fast, he even shouted, "Hold my brother tight!"
Xu Zhuo narrowed his eyes in the wind: "..."
It was already late when Ruan Xi returned to school, so she took her clothes, washbasin and toiletries and went to the bathhouse to take a bath. After taking a shower and sitting down to catch my breath for a few minutes, it was time to turn off the lights and go to bed.
Without even saying a word to his roommate, he just climbed onto the bed and lay down.
The next day, Li Xiaofang went to the cafeteria with her to eat and asked her curiously, "What do you do every Sunday? You get up early and leave, and come back very late."
Ruan Xi smiled and didn't elaborate: "Just looking for something to do. Also, I've never been to Beijing, so I'm curious."
Li Xiaofang could tell that she was just trying to be evasive and didn't want to elaborate, so she naturally didn't ask any more questions.
The two went to the teaching building together for class. During the break after class, Ruan Xi took out his sketchbook and continued to draw the design on it. Every time she drew a picture, Li Xiaofang would come over and stare at her.
Today, he still does the same thing. While looking at the pictures, he said, "You draw so well. You must have studied drawing for many years. The clothes you drew are so beautiful. I wonder what they will look like when I wear them."
Ruan Xi saw that she was really curious and liked it. This was a natural love that girls have for beautiful clothes. So she smiled and said while drawing: "How about I make one when I have time and let you see it?"
Li Xiaofang was surprised: "Really? You can also make clothes?"
Ruan Xi nodded, "I'll make it and show it to you when I have time."
Li Xiaofang was really looking forward to it. "Okay, I really want to see it."
After school in the evening, Ruan Xi did not go to the cafeteria to eat with Li Xiaofang immediately. She first went to the store inside the school, stood in line at the back of the queue and waited for a while. When she got to the phone, she called Ruan Changfu.
Ruan Changfu was indeed waiting for her in the office.
As soon as the call was connected, Ruan Xi asked, "Did you find out?"
Ruan Changfu said, "It should be Qiu Wen who touched your letter, but there is no definite evidence. Only Hong Bing noticed it at home. She has been checking the mailbox for a while, both before and after school, and even took letters from it."
Ruan Xi bit her teeth lightly, "I knew it was her."
Ruan Changfu said: "She is not at home now, otherwise I would have helped you find out. Last year, I asked her to join the production team on the farm, but she ran away from the farm at the beginning of this year. Now I don't know where she is. I have already regarded this daughter as something I have never raised."
Ruan Xi told him, "She is in Beijing now, looking for Lu Yuanzheng."
Ruan Changfu's voice suddenly rose, "Lu Yuanzheng? Are they still together?"
Ruan Xi said: "How can it be broken? It's so sweet."
Ruan Changfu was so angry that he almost died. "She waits for me. I will go back to the Lu family and ask for clarification now!"
After he finished speaking, and before Ruan Xi could say anything else, he hung up the phone.
Ruan Xi put down the phone, paid and left the store.
After she came out, she didn't go to eat. Instead, she got on her bike and went straight to find Xu Zhuo under the parking shed outside the dormitory.
Xu Zhuo's school is relatively close to her school, and it only takes a short bike ride to get there.
She reported Xu Zhuo's information outside the school gate and stood outside the gate waiting for about ten minutes.
Xu Zhuo ran to the door, saw her and asked, "What's wrong?"
Ruan Xi pushed the bicycle and went a little to the side with him, even though there were not many people coming and going at the gate.
Standing at a distance, Ruan Xi looked at him and said, "Please help me get Lu Yuanzheng and Ye Qiuwen out."
Xu Zhuo still asked: "What's wrong?"
Ruan Xi looked at him and said, "Ye Qiuwen touched my letters, not only yours and Chen Weidong's, but also others'."
Xu Zhuo frowned, and instantly showed annoyance on his face, "Is it her?"
Ruan Xi nodded and said, "That's her. You'll know if you ask her out. I don't think she'll come out easily. She's done something wrong, so she definitely won't dare to meet us again. If she doesn't come out, it'll be confirmed. We can ask Lu Yuanzheng out first."
Xu Zhuo looked at Ruan Xi and nodded, "Okay, I'll go and make an appointment."
Ruan Xi put her fingers on the bicycle's brakes and squeezed them subconsciously, "This time I'm going to make her lose everything."
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