"Soon, I've been urging you, all departments are working hard, it won't delay your work." Director Feng turned to Regiment Commander Wang and covered his mouth with a smile, saying, "Have you seen Bai Weiwei lately? She's probably about to give birth, she's so ugly it's embarrassing to look at her."
"Sigh, she married such an old man and still had to have children. What was she thinking?"
"What else can you think? You're just keeping a child for yourself to rely on in your old age," Director Feng said dismissively. Back then, Jing Tian took the initiative to break up with Bai Weiwei, but she kept holding a grudge against Bai Weiwei. That's quite unreasonable of her.
"Will your Jingtian bring you back a blond, blue-eyed grandson?" Commander Wang asked with a grin.
“We’ll take whatever he brings back, as long as it’s not black. We have no more requirements. Especially his father, he’s been nagging me every day, blaming me for not stopping him from going abroad. How could I have stopped him?” Director Feng was also full of resentment.
"That's right, what were you thinking, letting a child go free?"
Qin Xiaoyu sat to one side, her thoughts filled with mixed emotions, thinking about Tang Wenwen's child. If Jing Tian had dared to confront their relationship, they would be a happy family now. No wonder he's suffering now; he really brought it on himself.
After leaving the Second Light Industry Bureau, Qin Xiaoyu went to Xie Lanhua's house again. Director Fei wasn't home; only Xie Lanhua and Xiao Honghua were there. The two chatted excitedly until they looked up and realized it was already dark outside. Xie Lanhua invited Qin Xiaoyu to stay for dinner. Qin Xiaoyu didn't want to stay, but seeing how enthusiastic Xie Lanhua was, it would seem too formal to refuse, so she followed her into the kitchen to continue their conversation.
Xie Lanhua stewed a pot of potato strips in a clear broth with hardly any oil.
Little Red Flower ate with great relish, finishing two large bowls, and beads of sweat appeared on the tip of her nose.
"Look at this child." Qin Xiaoyu took out a handkerchief and wiped her face.
"You're not used to the food, are you?" Xie Lanhua asked, noticing that Qin Xiaoyu's bowl was only half empty.
"Yes, I'm craving something sweet right now." Qin Xiaoyu didn't hide anything and told the truth that she couldn't eat the food.
"Living conditions used to be so good; there was always the smell of meat in this dormitory. But these past few years, no one has had much oil or fat left in their home," Xie Lanhua sighed.
"It will be fine soon, let's just proceed as planned."
"Sometimes I think I've let my old friends down. For my own selfish reasons, I handed the factory over to my daughter, not thinking about her..."
"What's wrong with her? Is she just hopeless?" Before anyone knew it, Director Fei was already standing at the door.
"This is a period of economic transformation for the country, so it's normal to have problems. We can adjust them." Qin Xiaoyu quickly smoothed things over, emphasizing the need for a smooth transition and avoiding any conflicts.
Xie Lanhua was more sensible than her, so she stopped talking, got up and served Director Fei a bowl of potato strips as well.
"I'm not eating anymore." Director Fei, seething with anger, turned and lay down on the kang (heated brick bed) in the small room.
When Qin Xiaoyu said goodbye and came out, it was already quite late. It was raining and snowing outside, and the road conditions were poor, so she drove very slowly.
It was nearly ten o'clock when she got home. Only Zhou Xing's window upstairs was lit. Qin Xiaoyu stared at the light for a while, lost in thought, before finally stepping up the stairs.
Zhou Xing's mother was still awake, dozing off while watching TV on the sofa. Qin Xiaoyu noticed that she had aged remarkably quickly in recent months. Was it because taking care of the child was too tiring? She felt sorry for her.
"You're back! How did it go? Did you eat well outside? Let me heat up some milk for you." Zhou Xing's mother busied herself as soon as Qin Xiaoyu came in.
"Mom, I'm not hungry. Don't wait for me anymore. Go to sleep early." Qin Xiaoyu pulled her back with heartache.
“I’m idle all day and don’t get much sleep.” Zhou Xing’s mother relaxed her exhausted shoulders, and Qin Xiaoyu pressed her down on the sofa, went around behind her, and gently massaged her.
"No, you've had a long day." Zhou Xing's mother tried to stop her, but stopped when she touched Qin Xiaoyu's hand.
"What's wrong?" Qin Xiaoyu suddenly sensed that Zhou Xing's mother was in a bad mood, so she quickly leaned over to look. In her haste, she still had tears in her eyes.
"I don't know what's wrong, but lately when I'm alone, I always feel like crying," Zhou Xing's mother said, pouting and looking aggrieved.
"I understand. Mom is probably going through menopause. I'll ask Brother Deng to prescribe some herbal medicine tomorrow, and she'll feel better after drinking it."
"menopause?"
"Yes, it's normal, Mom, don't be afraid."
"How do you know everything?" Seeing Qin Xiaoyu's certainty, Zhou Xing's mother seemed to feel relieved.
"You learn things without even realizing it by reading a lot of books." Qin Xiaoyu smiled mischievously. She didn't dare say that she would ask Baidu if she had any questions. In that age of information overload, it was impossible not to know.
"You know, there's a connection between people, right? We two have developed a mother-daughter bond without even realizing it, something I never dreamed of," Zhou Xing's mother said, stroking Qin Xiaoyu's hand with emotion.
"I've gotten such a great deal, I have a mom who loves me now."
“It’s you three who have given us so much; otherwise, where would we go to enjoy family life?” Zhou Xing’s mother’s eyes darkened.
"Didn't you say you'd ask Brother Deng to get some medicine for Sister Xiaoyue? Why hasn't he done it yet?"
“She refuses to see, and I can’t force her. This child is heartbroken. She says she will never remarry and will stay at home for the rest of her life.” Zhou Xing’s mother also had a lot of bitterness to say.
"Take it slow. She's focused on her career right now. Let her have her fun. Maybe she'll meet the right person someday, and then no one can stop her." Qin Xiaoyu believed that a woman as good as Zhou Yue wouldn't be without someone to love.
“I found a kindergarten for my little sister. The facilities are very good, but she has piano lessons in the afternoon, so I arranged for her to attend half-day classes. The main reason for sending her there is for her to interact with other children more often, as she needs to experience group life.” Zhou Xing’s mother didn’t really want to send her little sister to kindergarten. Qin Xiaoyu had already figured this out, so she hadn’t made any arrangements until Zhou Xing’s mother took the initiative to bring it up.
"Mom, I'm so busy right now, you can take care of these things." Qin Xiaoyu said in a coquettish tone.
"What are you two doing sitting here chatting in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?" Zhou Xing said as he came downstairs with a water glass in his hand.
"What are we supposed to talk about? My daughter is so much better; she can keep me company and chat with me. You barely say two words to me all day," Zhou Xing's mother complained.
"It depends on which one you have. The one upstairs is probably already dreaming." Zhou Xing chuckled.
The next day, Qin Xiaoyu took her cousin-in-law to Tang Wenwen's place. One thing was to bring bedding, but she also wanted her cousin-in-law, who had been through a lot, to give Tang Wenwen some parenting advice.
Tang Wenwen was a little shy when she first met her cousin-in-law, and it took her a while to get used to it.
"Are you planning to keep her with you and raise her yourself?" my cousin-in-law asked worriedly.
"Let's find a nanny to help take care of it, and I'll go out to work." That was Tang Wenwen's plan.
"Actually, before the age of three, a child's sense of security hasn't been formed, so it's best not to leave them with others; it's best to keep them by your side." Qin Xiaoyu couldn't help but speak out; she didn't want Tang Wenwen to sacrifice the child's happiness.
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