"Sister-in-law, where have you been?!" Tang Wenwen said abruptly.
"It's you." Qin Xiaoyu sat down on the bed in disappointment. Zhou Xing's mother, who had just been all eager, also sighed, closed the door, and left.
"You don't welcome me!" Tang Wenwen said angrily. "What happened between you and A Lei? When I saw him come back, he ignored everyone and went back to his room."
"He's arrived?" Hearing that A Lei had arrived in Shanghai, Qin Xiaoyu felt a little relieved. This was much better than not knowing where he was; at least she knew he was safe.
"What's wrong with you two? Did you have a fight?" Tang Wenwen kept asking.
"I can't really explain it. Everything was fine before. During the time he was injured, I stayed in his room, but... I can't really explain it!"
"Sister-in-law, you need to change your personality. I'm not saying you're bad the way you are now. Right now, you're the best to your family and friends, but you're not a good lover. You're more like a good wife; every man wants to marry someone like you. You'd be at ease keeping them at home, having everything arranged for them. But what man in this world is truly content? It's in the nature of male animals to sow their seeds everywhere. He'll get tired of having a virtuous wife and loving mother; what he really needs is a vixen..."
Qin Xiaoyu listened to Tang Wenwen's incessant chatter, as if she had been enlightened.
"You're not a boring person, you just keep yourself too tightly wrapped up. Relax a bit. Look at you living like that, I feel tired just looking at you!" Tang Wenwen felt sorry for Qin Xiaoyu when she saw that she hadn't said anything. "Alright, sister-in-law, I know you must be very sad. It's okay, he ran away, we'll chase after him. If the man you want can escape your clutches, then you're not Qin Xiaoyu."
Tang Wenwen was a good friend after all. She slapped Qin Xiaoyu a few times, but also gave her sweet treats. In the end, she even coaxed Qin Xiaoyu back to laughter.
The next morning, Qin Xiaoyu wished she could wear sunglasses, as her eyes were so swollen she couldn't possibly show her face. She originally intended to slip away, but Zhou Xing's mother and Commander Zhou blocked her at the door and kidnapped her to Building No. 4.
"Going to work without eating breakfast? You'll be starving! Don't you care about your health?" The two elderly people flanked Qin Xiaoyu and pressed her down in the middle, with a glass of milk and a bowl of porridge in front of her. She couldn't escape even if she wanted to.
"Oh dear, does Xiaoyu have a sty? Here's some pickled vegetables to cool her down!" Grandma Hanhan, oblivious to her surroundings, came over to cause trouble again. Qin Xiaoyu glared at her fiercely and forced her to retreat.
The children had arrived one after another, and without exception, they all glanced at Qin Xiaoyu as they entered. Qin Xiaoyu felt an invisible pressure.
"Did A Lei call?" Zhou Xing's mother asked.
"No." Qin Xiaoyu lowered her head.
Did you call him?
"No."
*Smack!* Commander Zhou suddenly slammed his hand on the table, startling everyone. Qin Xiaoyu also looked up in surprise.
"I'm not eating!" Commander Zhou was throwing a tantrum; was he doing this to Qin Xiaoyu?
"I don't have an appetite either, you guys eat." Zhou Xing's mother also stood up and followed them out. The children all got up and walked out to go to school.
Grandpa Hanhan was already standing at the door with a stick in his hand. Not two minutes later, Commander Zhou, fully armed, also came out.
Two old men were leading several teenagers toward the school. It felt like they were herding sheep.
Within ten minutes, Qin Xiaoyu escaped from Building 4. Everyone asked her about A Lei's whereabouts, and she was tired of hearing it.
"Xiaoyu, why don't you give him a call? It's not shameful," Zhou Xing's mother said, mustering her courage.
Qin Xiaoyu was both amused and exasperated. What a joke! She didn't call A Lei because she was afraid of losing face? It was clearly because she cared about her image.
Uh, it seems about the same.
She didn't know if A Lei's room in Shanghai had a telephone; given his temperament, it should have one, but she didn't know the number. To find him, she would have to call Mrs. Fang's house, which was incredibly stressful.
That day at the garment factory was truly agonizing. She stayed in her office the whole time, afraid of missing a call from A Lei. But A Lei seemed determined to ignore her. Several times she answered the phone with great anticipation, only to find it was all about business.
"Xiaoyu, if you're not feeling well, go home first. Are you getting a cold?" Director Xie could tell that something was wrong with her, and she took the opportunity to run home.
It's more likely that A Lei will call her bedroom phone; it's safer to stay at home.
As soon as her car arrived at her doorstep, she saw Wang Lei arguing with a stranger.
The man's clothes were tattered and covered in grease so dark that the original color was no longer discernible. His hair and beard were quite long, making him look like a wild man.
"He said he's Wang Jian's father and wants to talk to you." Wang Lei rushed over as soon as Qin Xiaoyu got out of the car.
"Let him in," Qin Xiaoyu said, tilting her head slightly.
Qi Si and Commander Zhou were sitting in Building No. 4, drinking alone, neither of them in a good mood.
"Master Wang, please have a seat." Although Qin Xiaoyu deeply resented Wang Jian's family, the visitor was his biological father, so he still had to give him some face.
"I'm too dirty to sit. This is for you, thank you for taking care of Xiao Jian." Wang Jian's father took out a small wad of money from his pocket, including ten-yuan notes, five-yuan notes, and small change, all neatly stacked, and it looked like a hundred yuan.
"Oh." Qin Xiaoyu was a little flustered. Had she received the wrong script? Was his family putting on a melodramatic show again? She glanced at Qi Si.
“I don’t know where he is now. I heard that you took him away. I’m just a powerless father. This is all I can do. Wherever he is, I just hope he lives well and never comes back.” Wang Jian’s father said, bowing deeply before turning to leave.
"Don't go, brother. I don't know who's older between us. I'm Wang Jian's godfather, so we're practically godparents. We haven't even had a drink together yet." Qi Si suddenly jumped up from the sofa, grabbed Wang Jian's father, and his attitude changed drastically.
Qin Xiaoyu was also thinking that it was no wonder Wang Jian's personality was different from the other children in the family. It seemed that he was influenced by his father. This father did not seem like a bad person, but just an ordinary middle-aged man who was crushed by life.
"No, no, my clothes are dirty..." Wang Jian's father was still struggling when he was forced into a seat. As soon as Qi Si let go, he jumped up like a spring and ran out in a panic.
"Don't go, this money..." Qin Xiaoyu realized what was happening, grabbed the money, and tried to chase after him.
Just then, my cousin opened the door, and the two of them bumped into each other.
"Old Wang?"
"Old Tang?"
It turns out they knew each other. Old Wang had also worked at the No. 6 Radio Components Factory before being transferred out.
With his cousin's arrival, Old Wang had no choice but to leave. He could only sit in the spot he had just been sitting in, wishing he could tuck his hands between his legs so as not to touch the sofa again.
"Brother Wang, don't be shy. We're all familiar with Wang Jian; we're like family." Seeing her cousin's closeness with Old Wang, Qin Xiaoyu guessed that they originally had a good relationship.
My cousin is a stubborn person with very strong moral principles, and the friends he makes are also quite good.
Once they had a proper conversation, Qin Xiaoyu couldn't help but sigh deeply. It's said that some people have already exhausted all their efforts just to make a living.
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