The next morning, when Bu Ling and Wu Yuanyuan went to work together, they ran into Old Mrs. Shi again. This time, she was carrying a basket as well, and she left the yard with the two of them.
Grandma Shi seemed oblivious to Bu Ling and the other woman, and walked out of the alley on her own, her figure quickly disappearing into the crowd of people going to work.
"Ling, what kind of trouble is that old lady plotting these past few days? I've run into her several times already." Wu Yuanyuan stared thoughtfully at the spot where Old Mrs. Shi had disappeared.
Bling pulled her scarf up, revealing only her eyes: "Who knows?"
Wu Yuanyuan looked away and said nervously, "I have a feeling she's planning something big."
Bling put her hands in her sleeves, glanced at her, and kindly suggested, "Why don't you go ask her?"
Wu Yuanyuan was speechless: "Do I look like an idiot to you?"
Bling nodded: "Same!"
Wu Yuanyuan rolled her eyes: "Let's hurry up and go, we're going to be late for work."
Bu Ling and Wu Yuanyuan strolled to the restaurant. As soon as they entered, their expressions were a little strange, but they quickly recovered and walked into the restaurant with normal expressions.
"Xiao Bu, Xiao Wu, you're here?" Sister Ma came out of the kitchen when she heard the noise.
Bu Ling poured a cup of hot water for herself and Wu Yuanyuan, holding it in her hands to warm them: "Good morning, Sister Ma."
Sister Ma glanced at the figures sitting in the outer room and subtly gave the two of them a meaningful look.
Bu Ling and Wu Yuanyuan immediately understood, carrying their teacups, and followed Sister Ma into the kitchen, closing the door behind them.
Sister Ma first brought stools for the two pregnant women, Bu Ling and Wu Yuanyuan, to sit down, before gesturing towards the outer room: "Do you know what that person is here for?"
Bu Ling slurped up a mouthful of water, adopting an attitude of listening to a story. On the other side, Wu Yuanyuan took out a handful of fried soybeans from her handbag and divided them between the two of them.
With the setup in place, the story should be ready as well, and Sister Ma didn't disappoint: "She's here to borrow money."
"Borrow money? From whom? Your master? Why didn't they go home and tell you?" Wu Yuanyuan pressed for answers.
Buling, who was next to him, threw a soybean into his mouth and chewed it happily.
Sister Ma stuffed the soybeans into her pocket. "She's quite famous in our area. She severed ties with her biological parents for her husband's child with his mistress."
"She broke off relations with her master?" Wu Yuanyuan was so surprised that she even forgot to eat the soybeans in her hand.
Sister Ma had a complicated expression on her face: "Yeah, it's all because of that child, what was his name again, Yi Gen."
While eating soybeans, Bu Ling took a sip of water and, upon hearing this, asked curiously, "Why is it called 'one root'?"
Sister Ma got up, poured herself a glass of water, and held it in her hands to warm them: "It means my only lifeline."
Bling: ? ? ?
"But I remember she had a daughter, didn't she?"
Sister Ma sat down and slapped her thigh: "That's right!"
"What's her daughter's name?" Wu Yuanyuan asked curiously.
“Da Ya!” Sister Ma said.
Buling's lips twitched. This girl's name had such a high rate of being shared with other girls!
Soon after, Zhu Zhizhi arrived and joined the gossip: "Why did she borrow money this time? Doesn't she have a job?"
This time, Sister Ma also shook her head: "I don't know." But she quickly added: "We'll find out in a bit."
The three nodded in agreement; that was indeed true.
The three were gossiping enthusiastically in the kitchen when they suddenly heard Tan Xiao's sobbing voice outside: "Dad, please save one!"
The four members of the group immediately got up and lined up on the kitchen door according to their height, listening intently.
From outside came Grandpa Tan's cold voice: "Don't call me dad, I'm not your dad."
"Father, I beg you, please save him! He's still a child!" Tan Xiaoyu said, her voice trembling with tears.
Grandpa Tan's tone was completely flat: "Tan Xiao, you can leave now. Don't come looking for us again. Didn't you sign a declaration to sever ties with your family? Then don't contradict yourself."
"Also, if you don't want your job, give it up to someone else as soon as possible." Grandpa Tan glanced at his own daughter, his eyes expressionless. "Deputy Director Chu has come to see me several times already. You should know why, right?"
Tan Xiao's eyes flickered, and she stammered, unable to utter a word.
Upon seeing this, Grandpa Tan's face turned completely cold: "If you want to keep this job, you'd better not cause any trouble."
"Dad, are you threatening me?" Tan Xiao asked incredulously.
Grandpa Tan shook off Tan Xiao's hand: "If that's what you think, that's fine too."
He glanced at the clock on the wall, then at Tan Xiao, who was standing there in a daze, and said in a low voice, "It's getting late, you should go. Don't keep our restaurant from opening."
Tan Xiao was still immersed in her grief. Grandpa Tan, impatient with arguing with her, simply turned and went back to the kitchen.
Upon hearing footsteps, the four members of the group, including Bu Ling, who were eavesdropping at the door, scattered like birds and beasts, sat back down on their stools, and put on serious faces, but in reality, their ears were perked up, listening to the sounds outside.
When Grandpa Tan came in, he saw the four women sitting together, nodded, and instructed, "Xiao Wu, Xiao Zhu, it's getting late, start preparing the dishes!"
The two people whose names were called stood up, rolled up their sleeves, and got to work.
Bu Ling and Sister Ma exchanged a glance, and without getting in the way, they tactfully left the kitchen. When they came out, the outer room was empty; Tan Xiao was no longer there.
Aunt Ma added some hot water to wipe the table, while Bu Ling sat on the counter, propping his chin up and yawning.
"Xiao Bu, what do you think Tan Xiao is really thinking?" Sister Ma approached Bu Ling at some point and asked in a low voice.
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