Lu Kai understood immediately: "I understand, Dad!"
Xu Zhenzhu was still somewhat reluctant: "It's already good enough that we apologized to them. How much more sincere do you want them to be? Do they even deserve it?"
Mr. Lu was no longer angry. He just gave Lu Kai a deep look and said, "Xiao Kai, you insisted on this marriage back then! You are young and prone to making mistakes. As your elders, we can only be more tolerant! However, this tolerance is not without limits. You must take good care of your wife! This is the first and the last time!"
Lu Kai's pupils contracted, and he didn't dare to meet his father's gaze. He lowered his head and said in a muffled voice, "Dad, don't worry, I know what I'm doing!"
"Good that you understand! Alright, you can go back now. Prepare what you need to prepare, and write your self-criticisms! Also, even though Gu Zhiyuan doesn't want your apologies, you should still personally deliver them to his door. The more people who see it, the better, to show your attitude!"
Lu Kai listened carefully, nodding from time to time.
Only Xu Zhenzhu, though her head was down, was clearly being perfunctory. Her eyes, hidden by her hair, rolled her eyes from time to time, making everyone think that Lu Kai and his son were making a mountain out of a molehill.
Lu's father had no say in his daughter-in-law Xu Zhenzhu's affairs, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Lu Kai had listened to him obediently.
If Lu Kai lowers his stance a bit, he can put Gu Zhiyuan and his wife in a difficult position, forcing them to forgive him and preventing them from saying anything bad about Lu Kai and his wife in the future. Then the matter won't be too bad, and it will still be within a controllable range.
At worst, we can just throw Xu Zhenzhu out as our daughter-in-law. We have to protect Lu Kai no matter what.
Having made up his mind, Mr. Lu was too lazy to say anything more. He waved his hand, signaling the two to leave quickly and not get in the way.
Xu Zhenzhu scrambled to her feet and helped Lu Kai up, asking him with concern, "Brother Kai, are you alright? Does your knee hurt? Is your face okay? Let's go back quickly, I'll put some medicine on it for you—"
After saying that, he nodded perfunctorily to Lu's father and mother, and dragged Lu Kai away.
Lu Kai left with only one sentence: "Mom and Dad, we're leaving now."
He was then dragged out of the Lu family home.
Mrs. Lu was so angry she nearly fainted. She went to close the courtyard gate and came back complaining, "That country girl has no manners and doesn't understand etiquette. Look at her attitude! Xiao Kai is our son, how can we not feel sorry for him? Only she knows how to feel sorry for him?"
Mr. Lu waved his hand: "At least she's devoted to Xiao Kai, so just turn a blind eye!"
With that, she went back to her room with her hands behind her back, leaving Lu's mother to grumble and clean up the mess in the house. She became increasingly dissatisfied with her daughter-in-law, Xu Zhenzhu.
Lu Kai and Xu Zhenzhu returned to their home, and Xu Zhenzhu was eager to apply medicine to Lu Kai.
Lu Kai grabbed her arm, rubbed his temples, and looked exhausted: "Pearl, don't rush, let's talk things over first."
Xu Zhenzhu always listened to Lu Kai, so she quickly took his hand and massaged his temples, saying, "Brother Kai, whatever you say goes, I'll listen to you!"
Lu Kai then slowly spoke: "Since you're going to listen to me, then be a good boy and do as I say. The machinery factory will probably hold a general meeting for all employees the day after tomorrow. You'll have to put up with it and go to the meeting to apologize to Gu Zhiyuan and Xu Siya. I'll teach you how to apologize tomorrow; just memorize it!"
Xu Zhenzhu was about to say something when Lu Kai stopped her: "I know you're wronged, and I feel sorry for you! But there's nothing we can do about it. You were careless and someone caught you red-handed. If you don't apologize, this matter won't be over! Do you want to be taken to the Revolutionary Committee for questioning?"
Xu Zhenzhu shook her head in fear.
"Gu Zhiyuan and Xu Siya are both petty and vengeful people. They mainly want to use this opportunity to deal with me! It's all my fault for blocking Gu Zhiyuan's way in the machine factory, so he definitely won't let this opportunity pass!"
"If you really refuse, I guess you won't be able to stay in the machine factory. I'll just quit my job—"
Before he could finish speaking, Xu Zhenzhu interrupted Lu Kai sharply, "That won't do! You can't resign! I, I apologize, I apologize to them! I'll even kowtow to them if it's for your own good, Brother Kai!"
A hint of smugness flashed in Lu Kai's eyes, but his face showed heartache. He pulled Pearl into his arms and said, "Pearl, you've suffered because of me."
Xu Zhenzhu shook her head with tears in her eyes: "I'm willing!"
The two looked at each other and couldn't help but become entangled...
For the next two days, Lu Kai did not come to work; he simply could not bear the way people looked at him.
The factory has already announced that a general meeting of all employees will be held on the third day.
They said the atmosphere in the factory has been bad lately, and everyone needs to learn how to improve it.
Who doesn't know that this was prepared so that Xu Zhenzhu would apologize to Gu Zhiyuan and Xu Ningyan?
Even the most prominent notice board in the factory has been specially cleared out in the middle, just waiting for Xu Zhenzhu's thousand-word self-criticism.
Although it was supposed to be a general meeting for all employees, the factory machines couldn't be stopped, so only a portion of the employees could attend.
The staff meeting, which everyone used to avoid like the plague, has become a hot commodity this time, with everyone eager to attend.
The employees who had to work overtime that day were filled with regret and entrusted their colleagues who could come to make sure they didn't miss any of the exciting parts so they could tell them about it when they got back.
The staff meeting was held in the evening.
Since there wasn't enough room in the auditorium, the event was held on the playground of the factory's staff middle school.
The two huge searchlights illuminated the playground as if it were daytime.
As usual, after a speech by the leader and the routine study session, it was time for the highly anticipated main event.
Several leaders were sitting on the stage. Mr. Lu had returned to his usual self, and even though he knew that his daughter-in-law was about to take the stage, the smile on his face did not disappear.
Wu Jie, standing next to him, couldn't help but curse inwardly, "Old fox, smiling tiger."
He gestured to the union chairman to proceed to the next step.
First, Xu Zhenzhu went on stage and read a self-criticism in front of thousands of people.
Then, Gu Zhiyuan and Xu Ningyan were invited to come on stage and apologize in public.
Finally, the leader gave criticism and a summary, and then the meeting adjourned.
Xu Zhenzhu had mentally prepared herself countless times, thinking that she could do anything for Lu Kai.
But when she actually got to this point and stepped onto the stage, she tried to remain calm, but then she heard a buzz and the audience erupted in chaos.
Some young children, not understanding the situation, clapped their hands and shouted, "The person has come out! The person spreading rumors has come out!"
There were also whispers: "She really has the nerve to go on stage!"
"You're so shameless!"
Various sounds mingled together, creating a cacophony of noise.
Xu Zhenzhu couldn't help but look up at the dense crowd below, and her legs went weak.
Looking across at the other side, Xu Ningyan and Gu Zhiyuan were standing together.
This was the first time she had seen Xu Ningyan since the New Year. Even though she was filled with malice, she had to admit that Xu Ningyan didn't look like someone who had been kidnapped and had gotten into trouble.
She was wearing a spinach-green cotton-padded jacket. Although the color was a bit dark, it made her skin look even whiter and her complexion look even better under the spotlight.
Her hair was already shoulder-length, tied into two small braids, looking very neat and energetic.
She wore a beige scarf around her neck, which made her face look small, and her eyes were bright and sparkling. She also wore a pair of small leather cotton shoes.
This doesn't look like anything has happened.
The others, who had initially harbored some doubts, couldn't help but scoff at Xu Zhenzhu's shameless rumors upon seeing Xu Ningyan's demeanor.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
