Chapter 127
Upon hearing her voice, Xia Qingtang was stunned. He didn't expect that such a beautiful person, who was once a famous actor, had a voice as hoarse and unpleasant as the cry of a crow. It was obvious that her voice was ruined in the past few years.
Grandma's face also showed an expression of surprise. She widened her eyes slightly and looked at Qian Fang on the stage, then showed a look of pity.
Xia Qingtang sighed slightly, and after observing carefully, he found that Qian Fang looked very young at first glance, but when he looked closely, he found that her temples were all white hair, and when she smiled, there were deep wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. It was just that her temperament was so good, and she was full of energy, so these subtle signs of aging could not be noticed at first glance.
If your eyesight were better, you would be able to see that Qian Fang's hands are not the hands of an artist.
Her hands were thick and twisted, with many calluses and old scars on them. Her fingers could not be straightened, especially the little finger on her left hand, which was twisted and looked like it would never be able to return to its original shape.
These are a pair of hands that have experienced hardships, and also illustrate Qian Fang's experiences in the past years. However, under the cover of her outstanding temperament, no one can notice these. They only think that Qian Fang on the stage is a very dazzling and beautiful person.
Qian Fang herself didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with her. Although her voice was hoarse and unpleasant, she was still graceful and in high spirits, and looked very happy.
Someone in the audience asked, "What's the good news?"
Qian Fang said: "Our provincial opera troupe has returned to normal. Starting today, every Sunday, the troupe members will perform here for everyone! I hope everyone will like it!"
"Performance? That's great!"
"Yeah, I haven't listened to opera very often. It would be great if they could sing it to us every week!"
"It's free, right?"
"Why are you charging money here? Surely everyone can come and listen!"
…
The audience's response was very enthusiastic. Qian Fang on the stage smiled even brighter, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes became more obvious, but she still looked so beautiful and bright.
Qian Fang said loudly: "Please rest assured, comrades, the performances here are free, as long as you want to listen, you can listen here. Our first performance will start at 9 o'clock this morning. Please don't leave, please keep quiet when watching, and when our members are performing, please don't cheer or applaud in the middle, which will disturb the performers' emotions and make them sing badly. Let me teach you a trick, wait until they finish singing a whole paragraph, and then ask everyone to applaud, is this okay?"
The audience responded in unison: "Yes!"
"Thank you everyone, the performance will start soon!" Qian Fang said, then walked off the stage with a smile.
Aunt Six whispered, "Didn't the old lady say that this person was a famous actress? How come her voice has become like this, so hoarse? Will she never be able to sing again in her life?"
Grandma sighed and said, "Yes, Qian Fang was a famous actress in the past. She became famous very early and could perform on stage by herself when she was only 17 or 18 years old. I didn't expect her voice to be ruined... Back then, she had a voice like an oriole, and her singing was melodious and beautiful. Her voice could be heard from one end of the square to the other. I loved listening to her singing. She is not very old, but her hair is all white now. It's really unpredictable... She is also a miserable person."
"Looking at her current appearance, you can't tell that she has ever suffered. She is still so beautiful." Xie's mother said.
"This is what a decent person is like. No matter what kind of pain they have endured, no matter what they have experienced, after the passage of time, they will still appear decently and beautifully in front of others. This is self-respect." Grandma said softly.
Xia Qingtang deeply agreed with this, she was not a decent person in her previous life.
She had been through a lot of terrible things, but she only knew pain and had no self-respect or self-love. Eventually, she gave up on herself and became old and listless, as if she was the only one in the world who was suffering.
Not everyone has the vitality like Qian Fang. She is a flower that blooms in suffering and will always shine brightly at all times.
Someone like Qian Fang would not give up on herself even if she lost her beautiful voice that she was proud of. She would definitely live a good life and would definitely achieve success in other aspects.
Xia Qingtang once again felt the gap between herself and these great people, but she was also very grateful that God was kind to her after all and gave her a chance to start over.
Fortunately, she woke up in time and seized the opportunity to make changes. Of course, she cannot relax afterwards and must continue to work hard.
Although her qualifications in all aspects are average, she believes that through her own efforts, she can achieve good results and make the chance to start over given by God worthwhile.
At nine o'clock, the performance officially began. Xia Qingtang and Xie Jinyun both sat upright, both looking up at the top of the stage with serious expressions.
This was not the first time Xia Qingtang had watched a big opera. When he was a child, he would go to the market and see folk troupes singing operas. If passers-by were pleased with what they heard, they would throw some money into their bowls.
Xia Qingtang still remembers that at that time, the performances of the amateur troupes were basically martial arts scenes. Some people could do more than ten somersaults in one breath. At that time, there would be a lot of people throwing money in the audience, and the cheers would be particularly loud.
And that was many years ago. For Xia Qingtang, this was the first time he sat here and listened to an opera seriously.
Several middle-aged men came out to play music at the side of the stage. As the passionate music played, a young woman in a theatrical costume walked onto the stage neatly and began to sing.
Everyone in the audience was stunned by this shout, and Xia Qingtang couldn't help but widen his eyes. For the first time, he realized the difference between them and the makeshift troupe.
Xia Qingtang didn't hear the specific words of the song, but opera as an art form seemed to have a special magic. Even if one didn't understand them, as long as one listened carefully, one could hear the emotions conveyed in the song, and even understand the story they were telling.
As the plot progressed, other characters also took to the stage to perform. Xia Qingtang watched the scenes go by and couldn't help but shed tears.
Looking to the side, I found that grandma and Xie's mother were also secretly wiping their eyes, and many people around were also brought into the emotion. Everyone was wiping tears and listening with fascination.
Even the little kid Xie Jinyun got involved in the emotion. He bit his lower lip hard, forcing himself not to let the tears flow.
More and more people came to listen to the opera, and in the end there were so many that there was no room left. People who were farthest away could not see what was happening on the stage at all, but they were reluctant to leave and all gathered there to listen to the opera attentively.
Xia Qingtang and the others listened to the end. When the last song ended, the whole audience burst into thunderous applause, and she excitedly clapped along.
It was wonderful, really wonderful, it was worth it for them to get up early in the morning to reserve a seat!
Qian Fang came on stage again. She looked very excited, her eyes were slightly red, and her hands were shaking slightly.
The first thing she did when she came up was to bow deeply to everyone, then she raised her head and said seriously: "Thank you everyone, thank you comrades, thank you for being willing to listen to the end, thank you!"
“Very exciting!”
"One more!"
"OK!"
…
There was thunderous applause from the audience. Qian Fang's eyes were red as she looked at the eager faces with satisfaction.
Xia Qingtang was also quite touched. Think about it, these artists couldn't sing or practice music in the past. They worked hard on the farm day after day, damaging their bodies and their voices, but they never gave up their pursuit of art. Opera has been deeply integrated into their blood, so being able to stand in front of everyone and sing loudly now is the happiest thing for them.
The actors who had just performed on stage also came up to the stage one by one and bowed to the audience in the traditional opera style.
The applause lasted for a long time. The people in the audience were reluctant to leave and kept shouting "one more paragraph, one more song, one more song" and so on.
Qian Fang calmed down and said with a smile: "Thank you all for your support. This morning's performance is over. Please go back and have lunch first, and come back at 2 pm. We have another performance in the afternoon. Even if you can't make it in the afternoon, there will be another one next week. As long as the weather permits, our opera troupe will perform here every Sunday in the future."
"Good!" Following a cheer, thunderous applause rang out again.
Qian Fang led the actors to salute again, and then left the stage one by one.
The crowd's response was indeed very enthusiastic. Even though everyone on the stage had already retreated to the small shed nearby to change clothes, everyone was still reluctant to leave.
The people outside were unwilling to leave, so people like Xia Qingtang who were sitting in the front row naturally couldn't leave either.
Grandma said: "Our Jinxuan has not come back yet, what a pity, she missed such a wonderful performance."
Xia Qingtang said: "Jinxuan must have heard it from the outside. Although he couldn't squeeze in, he is tall and has good eyesight, so he must have been able to see it clearly."
They waited until the crowd outside gradually dispersed before a few people picked up their own small stools, stood up, and slowly walked out.
"Grandma!" Xie Jinxuan also started to walk inside from the outside of the crowd, calling out to people as she walked.
"Jinxuan! Are you really standing outside?" asked grandma.
"Yes, the concert had already started when I arrived. More and more people came, and I couldn't squeeze in, so I stood outside. It was really beautiful. It was worth coming here today." Xie Jinxuan said with a smile, and then took the small stool from her grandmother's hand.
"Then come and listen to it again this afternoon. I think it sounds good too. Although the occasion is not right, it reminds me of my childhood and it's very touching," said grandma.
Xie Jinxuan said: "Grandma, I have homework and preparation in the afternoon, so I won't come. Let Xiaoyun come with you."
"No, no, I also have to do my homework. I didn't do it this morning and I still have a lot of homework to finish. If I don't finish it, I will be in trouble when I go to school tomorrow." Xie Jinyun said exaggeratedly.
Xie's mother said: "I have to work in the afternoon, so I won't come in the afternoon. I feel like I've heard enough."
"Where's Qingtang?"
Xia Qingtang said: "Grandma, I also need to study in the afternoon."
Grandma said, "Forget it. You are all busy and need to study. I will let Xiaoliu come with me."
Aunt Six said, "Yes, they are busy with their own things, and we two who have nothing to do come here to listen to the opera! However, we have to come early after dinner to grab a seat. Judging from the reaction this morning, there will definitely be more people coming to listen to the opera in the afternoon. If we don't come early to grab a seat, we will have to stand outside later, which is too tiring."
Xie Jinxuan said, "Well, after dinner I'll come over to help save a seat. Aunt Six and Grandma can take a nap and come back after they're done. When you guys come and sit down here, I'll go home and do my homework."
"Okay, I'll listen to you."
Everyone returned to the compound happily. Luo Xiangqian happened to meet him and asked, "Hey, why did you all go out together? What were you doing?"
"We went to listen to opera. Don't you know that every Sunday, the provincial opera troupe will perform for everyone for free in the square over there? We just listened to it for the whole morning. It was really wonderful." Xie Jinxuan said.
Luo Xiangqian was very surprised: "I don't know, I don't know anything, why didn't you inform me in advance of such a good thing?"
"Then you can go in the afternoon. You can't escape. But if you want to go, you have to go early. The performance in the morning is very good. There will definitely be more people going to listen in the afternoon. If you go late, you won't be able to stand in the front."
"Okay, then I'll go back and eat." After saying that, Luo Xiangqian ran home.
Grandma then said, "By the way, Jinxuan, go help the police. Has everything been resolved over there?"
"It's resolved. I didn't help much. I just ran to the police station and called two more policemen over. They took the female comrade to the station and locked her up. I don't know much about what happened afterwards. But she beat someone in public and beat him so hard that the person was sent to the hospital. I guess she didn't end up well." Xie Jinxuan said.
Xie's mother said: "Why is she doing this? If a man has an affair, he should be kicked out. She even went to teach the woman outside a lesson. The key is that the woman outside might have been deceived too. Oh, she is really too careless."
Grandma said, "From what I heard, it was a lesbian from the countryside. You can't blame her. In the countryside, if a man has an affair, it's not a big deal. You just beat the vixen up. Every household does this. Who would kick their own man out? If she loses the head of the family, everyone will bully her and she won't be able to live like that."
Everyone chatted all the way back to the small western-style building, and Aunt Liu started to prepare lunch.
Because nothing was prepared in the morning, Aunt Liu simply made a pot of vegetable and lard noodle dumpling soup and fried a plate of leeks, and everyone started eating around the table.
Although lunch was simple, everyone enjoyed it with gusto because they had a very fulfilling morning. Xie Jinyun said while eating that she had learned a lot today.
After eating, grandma and Aunt Six went for a nap. Xie Jinyun went back upstairs to do homework, while Xie's mother went to the office to continue working.
Xia Qingtang and Xie Jinxuan went back to the small courtyard first. Xie Jinxuan changed the coal briquettes and told Xia Qingtang to have a good nap at home. Then she took a book and two small stools to the square to line up for Grandma and Sixth Aunt.
Everyone's guess turned out to be correct. Although it was still early, the first few rows were already filled with small stools, and many children and adults were sitting there talking and chatting.
Xie Jinxuan found a spot near the middle of the third row, put down her small stool, and then sat there reading a book attentively.
After more than an hour, more and more people came, and the entire stand was packed with people. Only then did grandma and Sixth Aunt come over.
It took them a lot of effort to squeeze to the middle. Xie Jinxuan immediately stood up and gave the stool to Aunt Six and Grandma.
"Are you really not here to listen to the opera?" asked Aunt Six.
Grandma said, "Look at him. He is reading a book while he is sitting here. How can he have time to listen to opera? Let him go back and study hard. The coursework in college is different from that in high school. We can't let this little thing delay his study."
"Then you should go back quickly." Aunt Liu said with a smile.
Xie Jinxuan said, "Yes, I'll go back now. Grandma, after you finish listening, don't rush out. Wait until the crowd has dispersed before going back slowly."
"Don't worry, we understand. We're not in a hurry, so of course we're not in a hurry." Grandma smiled and waved her hand.
Xie Jinxuan then turned around and went back, and continued studying until the evening.
The sudden increase in square performances really attracted the attention of citizens. The next day, the radio station also reported the incident and broadcast it in the morning, afternoon and evening.
Related reports and photos also appeared in the newspapers, and soon everyone knew that they could watch free performances in the square on Sundays. Many people expressed their desire to come and listen to the show during their breaks.
In the same week, new information appeared in the newspapers, saying that the two major theaters in the city were ready and would arrange two to three performances every week, including opera, singing, crosstalk, etc. These were all ticketed performances, and the prices were not too high and were affordable for ordinary people.
These ticketed performances will be more exciting than the free performances in the square, so people with good conditions will spend money to buy tickets to watch them.
The Xie family is no exception. Because grandma likes these performances, Xie Jinxuan bought tickets for several weeks at once, and everyone will accompany grandma to watch the performances together.
At the same time, notices were also issued to all streets and units, welcoming them to organize performances on their own, and calling on everyone to carry out various competitions, whether it is skipping rope, kicking shuttlecock, tug-of-war or playing ball, all can be arranged to enrich the daily lives of citizens.
In the new atmosphere, foreign businessmen returned to the provincial capital and began to select the first batch of workers for the new electrical appliance factory.
Although Xia Qingtang had not visited the new factory yet, he heard from Grandpa Xie that the new electrical appliance factory was well built, with a large area and complete facilities, and it was just waiting to start construction.
Xia Qingtang's interview was scheduled for Friday morning. Chairman Qin found an excuse to take Xia Qingtang out, and then the two of them took a jeep to the city together.
When we arrived at the place, we found that there were many people waiting outside for the interview. These people were on the list submitted by the city, and the senior management would use interviews to see whether these people met the requirements.
"Don't be nervous. As long as you perform normally, I believe you will pass the interview." Chairman Qin whispered to encourage Xia Qingtang.
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "Don't worry, Chairman Qin. I'm not nervous at all. I've read all the information you gave me before very well. As long as they don't ask some weird questions, I believe I can pass it."
She was really not nervous. It was just an interview. Even if she failed, it would not affect her much. Moreover, Chairman Qin helped her block the news, so she would not feel embarrassed if she failed the interview.
"I believe you." Chairman Qin smiled and gradually calmed down.
The people who were taking part in the interview were called in one by one. After about four or five people had gone in, it was Xia Qingtang's turn.
A middle-aged woman in a black suit led Xia Qingtang to an office and knocked on the door. After hearing the voice of "Come in", the woman opened the door and said to Xia Qingtang, "You can go in."
"Okay, thank you." Xia Qingtang walked in gracefully.
At first she thought she would run into an old acquaintance, but after walking in she found that all the foreigners inside were strangers.
There were three foreigners in total, two middle-aged men and a lady in her thirties. They all had very serious looks and looked relaxed.
Sitting behind them were two young translators. They were old acquaintances. I had met them before. They had accompanied me on the tour last time.
The other two were leaders in the city, including the deputy mayor in charge of industry, and another one named Xia Qingtang whom I had met before but forgot his name.
"Hello, comrade. Please introduce yourself." The deputy mayor said softly.
Xia Qingtang immediately introduced himself: "Hello, leaders. My name is Xia Qingtang. I am from the Union Office of the Cotton Mill. My strength is that I am good at..."
She gave a brief self-introduction in Chinese and repeated it in English.
After that, the middle-aged foreign man with a big beard sitting in the middle said to her in English: "You speak good English, with almost no accent."
"Thank you for the compliment."
"Can you briefly tell me what you usually do at work?"
This question was different from what Xia Qingtang had imagined. She thought the interview was to ask her how well she knew about the electrical appliance factory. Unexpectedly, the first question was about her daily work in the cotton mill.
Fortunately, this was not difficult, so Xia Qingtang briefly described his daily work content and work flow in English.
After he finished speaking, he saw several foreigners nodding their heads. They whispered a few words to each other, and then the bearded foreigner said, "Very good, your interview is over, you can leave."
Xia Qingtang said: "Is this the end?"
"Yes, it's over. Other staff will call you to inform you of your selection results."
"Okay, thank you, nice to meet you all, goodbye then." Xia Qingtang smiled and walked out.
Chairman Qin immediately walked over nervously: "How come it came out so quickly? What's the result?"
"He said he would call me with the result. I guess it would be the cotton mill."
"That means there is no result..." Chairman Qin was a little surprised.
Xia Qingtang said: "It may be like this. The people who came out before should also have gone through this process. They interviewed so many people this time, and they kept writing and drawing on paper during the process. I guess they were probably commenting on each person. After all the interviews are finished, they will discuss it before deciding which ones to keep."
"So how do you think you performed?"
"He only asked me two questions. I think my performance was good."
"What two questions were asked?"
Xia Qingtang looked at the other people waiting in the room and whispered, "Chairman Qin, let's go out and talk."
"Yes, let's talk outside." Chairman Qin took her out.
After walking outside, Xia Qingtang repeated the content of the interview and also said that he answered in English.
After listening to this, Chairman Qin asked, "Is that all? Did you only ask these questions during the interview?"
"Yes, I also find it strange. They didn't ask about the contents of the notebook at all, and they didn't seem to care about my knowledge of electrical appliances." Xia Qingtang said: "However, I have seen the time the previous few people went in for the interview, and each person's time was different. I guess everyone's questions are also different, and they may all be impromptu."
Chairman Qin nodded: "Yes, it is impossible for everyone to use the same questions. Well, anyway, your interview is over, and I hope you can pass. Even if you can't pass, it doesn't matter, just continue to work hard beside me."
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "Yes, I am very happy every day working with Chairman Qin. If I could stay in the cotton mill, I would be happier than going to the electrical appliance factory."
Chairman Qin couldn't help laughing: "I know you don't like going to the electrical appliance factory, but since you've come for the interview, I still hope you pass. If you pass, you'll be our pride."
They chatted and laughed as they reached the parking lot, and the driver drove back.
When they arrived at the office, Li Yue asked Xia Qingtang what he and Chairman Qin had been doing.
Xia Qingtang said, "I have some work to do in the city. For details, Secretary Li, you can ask Chairman Qin."
"Oh, how dare I ask the leader? If you don't want to say it, forget it." Li Yue said.
Feng Xinhui said: "Xiao Li, the leader's work is the leader's business, we can't control it, so don't ask so many questions."
"I know, I know. I'm just a little curious. Usually, when Chairman Qin goes to the city for work, he always brings you, Secretary Feng, with him. But today he brought Xiao Xia with him, so I was curious and asked a question. Aren't you curious yourself, Secretary Feng?"
Feng Xinhui said: "No, it is the leader who decides who to take out. As subordinates, we just need to obey the arrangement."
Xia Qingtang has great admiration for Feng Xinhui. She is simply the best employee in his mind.
Xia Qingtang felt reluctant to part with such a good colleague, but at the same time he prayed in his heart that it would be a good thing if he failed the interview.
The next day was Saturday, and Xia Qingtang did not receive a call from the city. Although Chairman Qin was a little anxious, he did not dare to call and ask.
After a normal day of work, Xia Qingtang got off work on time, rode her bicycle to the provincial university, and started her first cultural relics-related course.
Xu Zhenhua has a very large office which he uses alone. There are many desks in the office with many bottles and jars on them. On the other side of the office are two desks that are normally used, and a whole row of cabinets filled with books and materials.
Although there are a lot of things, it can be seen that Xu Zhenhua is a person who loves cleanliness and has a good sense of order, so everything is kept clean and not messy.
When Xia Qingtang left, Xu Zhenhua was writing furiously. He looked up when he heard the knock on the door and said, "Oh, yes, today is the day for you to have a class. Come in and sit here."
Xia Qingtang went in and sat down. Xu Zhenhua said, "Wait for me for a few minutes. I'll be there soon."
"OK."
He continued to write furiously, and Xia Qingtang casually looked around the office.
After about three or four minutes, Xu Zhenhua raised his head and said, "Okay, we can start the class, but before we start, I want to make a promise with you."
"Teacher Xu, please speak."
"Although I will teach you some professional knowledge, we must make it clear in advance that you are not my student. You call me teacher only because it is my profession, not because we have a master-disciple relationship. Do you understand this?"
"Understood."
"Also, when you take classes with me, you can ask questions at any time. You can ask me anything you don't understand, but you have to pay attention. If I say something once, you can ask it a second time, but not a third time. If you ask a third time, I will treat you like a fool and end the class. Can you accept this?"
"That's acceptable." Xia Qingtang said.
"Also, we don't necessarily have to have classes in this office. I'll take you to other places for classes in the future. Just follow me then, and don't make excuses for not wanting to go."
"Okay, I'll listen to Teacher Xu no matter where I go to class."
Xu Zhenhua nodded and said, "That's all for now. Now, let's start the class."
Xia Qingtang sat there and listened carefully to Xu Zhenhua's talk for two hours. It was half past five when she arrived at the office, and it was half past seven when he finished.
Xu Zhenhua did not take a break during his speech, and did not even drink a sip of water. Only after he finished speaking did he realize that he was very thirsty. He picked up the enamel cup next to him to drink a sip of water, only to find that the cup was empty.
Seeing two thermoses placed in the corner, Xia Qingtang walked over and picked up the thermoses to pour some water for Xu Zhenhua. However, when he picked them up, he found that both thermoses were empty.
"Teacher Xu, there is no water in these two bottles. How about I go get you a bottle of boiled water?" Xia Qingtang said.
Xu Zhenhua waved his hand and said, "It's too troublesome. You have to go to the water room to get some water. It's getting late. You should go back."
"Then wait a moment, I'll go out and take a look." With that, Xia Qingtang ran out of the office and ran along the corridor. Seeing an office in front of her with the light on, she knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Xia Qingtang pushed the door open and saw a young man sitting inside. He was reading a book. Seeing Xia Qingtang come in, he couldn't help but be a little surprised and asked, "Hello? Who are you looking for?"
"Hello, comrade. Do you have any hot water here? If so, I would like to pour a cup of boiling water for Teacher Xu Zhenhua. Is that okay?" Xia Qingtang asked with a smile.
"Yes, of course, go ahead and pour it." The man said immediately.
"Thank you, comrade. I'll get some water right away." Xia Qingtang ran back, picked up Xu Zhenhua's enamel pot, rushed over and poured a cup of boiling water.
The man's thermos was still half full, so Xia Qingtang put the thermos back and thanked him earnestly, "Thank you, comrade."
"You're welcome." The man said, "Are you... Mr. Xu's student?"
"I'm not, I'm his relative." Xia Qingtang smiled and went back with the cup of water.
"Teacher Xu, this is the boiled water from the office over there. Drink it. Don't forget to boil water tomorrow." Xia Qingtang said, "Also, the person in that office just asked me if I was your student. I said no, I'm your relative. If someone asks you later, just tell me to say the same thing, Teacher Xu."
"Okay, I understand. Thank you." Xu Zhenhua said, "Do you understand what I said today?"
“I understand, but it will take time to digest.”
"It's okay. Go back and digest it slowly. I'll give you fifteen minutes to ask questions before the next class starts. You can list the parts you don't understand. This will save time."
Xia Qingtang nodded: "I will, then I will go back today."
"Go ahead. It's already late. Be careful on the road and close the door when you go out." Xu Zhenhua waved his hand, closed the notebook in his hand, and walked to the long table over there to work.
Xia Qingtang packed up her things, put on her cross-body bag, closed the door, and slowly walked out.
When she reached the place where the bicycles were parked, she saw a tall and slender figure standing on the side of the road and immediately laughed: "Is it Jinxuan?"
"It's me. I'm here to pick you up." Xie Jinxuan said with a smile, "You've been in class for so long. Are you tired?"
"I'm not tired at all, but I'm really hungry." Xia Qingtang said, "Teacher Xu is such a hard worker, how come he doesn't feel hungry? There's no water in the office, as if he doesn't need to eat or drink."
Xie Jinxuan smiled and said, "He might be used to it. I knew you were hungry, so I brought you some food. Eat a little first to fill your stomach, and you'll have hot meals and dishes when you get home."
As she spoke, Xie Jinxuan handed a small oil-paper bag to Xia Qingtang. She opened it and saw a piece of egg cake inside, which was just enough to fill her stomach.
She smiled and said, "But I have to ride a bike, how can I eat?"
"I walked here. I'll ride a bike and you can sit in the back and eat." Xie Jinxuan said.
So, Xia Qingtang sat in the back seat of the car and started eating egg cake, while Xie Jinxuan slowly pedaled the bicycle in front. Although the night wind was a little cold, Xia Qingtang did not feel cold.
When they were almost at the gate, Xia Qingtang had already finished eating the egg cake.
Someone greeted Xie Jinxuan, so he stopped his bike, called out "Teacher Mo," and started chatting with the other person.
Xia Qingtang looked around boredly and happened to see Gu Xingan walking towards them shoulder to shoulder with a girl. The girl looked very familiar. She was his junior schoolmate Chang Xiaohong.
There happened to be a street lamp here. Gu Xingan walked here and saw Xia Qingtang, and couldn't help feeling embarrassed.
Xia Qingtang greeted him generously: "Hello, classmate Gu. It's so late. Why haven't you returned to the dormitory yet?"
Gu Xingan whispered: "We are going to the library to continue studying."
Chang Xiaohong stared at Xia Qingtang under the street light for a while, and couldn't help squinting her eyes. She said, "Xing'an, who is this? Can't you introduce her to me?"
"This is my old classmate Xia Qingtang." Gu Xing'an said, "The one riding the bike is her lover, who is also a freshman in our school."
As it happened, Xie Jinxuan had already finished talking to Teacher Mo, so she turned around and said with a smile, "Hello."
"Xie Jinxuan?" Chang Xiaohong was a little surprised. "I didn't expect Xie Jinxuan to be your classmate's lover."
"Yeah..." Gu Xing'an's smile seemed awkward.
Xia Qingtang said: "Student Gu, won't you introduce her to us? Who is this person next to you? Is she your new partner?"
Gu Xingan was so embarrassed that he couldn't speak. Instead, Chang Xiaohong said, "Yes, I am Xingan's girlfriend. My name is Chang Xiaohong."
"Hello, how long have you been together?" Xia Qingtang was smiling on the surface, but there was no smile in his eyes.
Chang Xiaohong didn't notice any of this. She honestly said, "We've only been together since the beginning of this semester. At most, it's only been a dozen days."
After hearing this, Xia Qingtang's expression became better. At least Gu Xing'an was not with Chang Xiaohong right after breaking up, so he was doing his best for Hu Yanni.
Gu Xingan looked at Xia Qingtang's expression with some fear. Seeing that she didn't look like she was about to get angry, he whispered, "Xiaohong and I... have just begun..."
"Really? Congratulations." Xia Qingtang said with a smile: "It's a good thing to find a good person. I wish you a smooth marriage."
Chang Xiaohong was very happy: "Thank you, I like Xing'an very much, I will definitely marry him."
After saying that, she looked at Xia Qingtang with some doubt: "Have we met before? I think you look familiar..."
It's not so clear to see people under the street lights, so Xia Qingtang said, "I don't think so. I have a common face. Maybe you mistook me for someone else. Oh, it's getting late. My wife and I have to go home. I won't talk to you anymore. Bye."
"Goodbye." Chang Xiaohong smiled and waved, then watched Xie Jinxuan and Xia Qingtang's bicycles slowly go away. She said, "Your classmate is very good-looking, and so capable that she can marry Xie Jinxuan. Everyone knows that Xie is from a cadre family."
Gu Xingan forced a smile: "Yes, isn't your family also a cadre family?"
"Our family is a family of small cadres. How can we compare with others? Xing'an, let's go over quickly. I still have a lot of homework to finish." Chang Xiaohong took Gu Xing'an's arm and took him to the library quickly.
Xie Jinxuan rode out of the provincial university and then said, "Gu Xingan probably didn't lie."
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