Chapter 2
Xia Qingtang, who was constantly reviewing her past, resisted the urge to strangle Kong Liangchao. She lowered her head and said in a deep voice, "Comrade, I'm a little urgent. I'm going to the toilet."
Kong Liangchao immediately tried to help Xia Qingtang get out of bed: "You are so weak, let me help you over there. The toilet is at the top."
Xia Qingtang dodged immediately, and then said righteously: "Comrade, thank you for sending me to the hospital, but there is a difference between men and women. I am not disabled, so you don't have to help me with everything."
There were two other patients in the large ward, both middle-aged women. Upon hearing this, they both looked over, and one of them even showed a wary look.
Times are different, and people are very concerned about work style issues now.
Kong Liangchao reacted quickly. He rolled his eyes and said seriously, "Comrade Liu, we are all brothers and sisters of no rank. We should not have other ideas when helping others. But since you can walk by yourself, then go by yourself. I'll wait for you here."
Xia Qingtang sneered in her heart but remained calm on her face. She got out of bed, put on her shoes, and walked out of the ward in a leisurely manner.
As soon as she got out, she quickly found the nurse to ask for details, paid the fee, and rushed out of the hospital.
If she stayed for one more second, she was afraid that she would strangle this disgusting beast Kong Liangchao to death. Staying in the same space with him for so long was already the limit.
After running out of the hospital, Xia Qingtang was afraid that he would catch up with her, so she walked two or three miles in one breath without caring about anything, and then stopped in a familiar place.
This is the No. 1 Middle School where she used to study, but in 1990, the No. 1 Middle School was rebuilt and no longer looks like it does now.
The buildings, streets and pedestrians in front of her were telling Xia Qingtang one thing, no matter whether she was dreaming or not, the era she was living in now was definitely twenty years ago.
Xia Qingtang reached out and touched his face, then looked down at his hands.
These were a pair of very young hands, so young that they felt unfamiliar to her. Although these hands were not white, the joints were slender and the skin was elastic. They were completely different from her later hands that were rough, cracked, and covered with calluses. Xia Qingtang almost cried when she saw them.
She stood on the side of the road for a long time, and after calming herself down, she decided to go home first.
Since I haven't woken up from the dream yet, I have to go home eventually.
It only takes 20 minutes to walk from the No. 1 Middle School of the city to the family quarters of the cotton mill. Xia Qingtang can still remember the way back. She followed the route she took as a teenager back to her mother's home. Looking at the old bungalows piled up next to each other, she felt very complicated.
The housing conditions in the cotton mill were not too bad in that era, but because there were too many employees, allocating housing was always a big problem. You had to get a marriage certificate to get a bungalow.
Xia Qingtang's father, Xia Daming, was a warehouse worker in a cotton mill, and her mother, Zhao Meizhen, was a front-line textile worker. Because both of them were employees of the factory, they were able to be allocated the two small bungalows in front of them.
One of the rooms was used as a living room, furnished with various furniture bought for the wedding, and the other was the couple's bedroom. The kitchen was in the corridor, and the toilet was a public toilet at the intersection, so they used a spittoon at night.
Anyway, every household in this area lives like this, and no one thinks it’s hard at all.
They raised children here, and as the children grew up, they built a shed on the open space in front of the house like other neighbors. Xia Qingtang's bedroom was the small shed in front of the door. It was cold in the winter and hot in the summer, and it was prone to leaking during heavy rains, but at least it was a separate bedroom.
There are few children in their family, and Xia Qingtang has only one older brother, so he can live in a shed by himself. The Xie family next door, for example, has five children, and even in a shed, two people have to squeeze into one - after all, there is limited space in front of the door, and building a shed is not unlimited.
Xia Qingtang's brother Xia Qinghai went to the countryside to work as a sent-down youth after graduating from middle school. She was lucky because according to the policy, a family could leave one child in the city. Since her brother had gone to work as a sent-down youth, it was natural for her to stay in the city. After graduation, she also got a job in a cotton mill.
Both of Xia Qingtang's parents were ordinary workers, and there was no relative who had ever been a leader, so she worked in spinning yarn, which was a very hard job and harmful to health.
The workshop is full of cotton wool and dust, and even wearing a mask cannot stop those things from entering the nasal cavity. Many employees have developed respiratory and lung diseases because of this.
Moreover, front-line workers have to work night shifts, and their living and working schedules are not good. In the summer, the workshop is stuffy and hot, with extremely high temperature and humidity, and many people suffer from heatstroke.
Xia Qingtang fainted on the way home from get off work today because he suffered from a mild heat stroke while at work.
One of the reasons why she agreed to marry into the Kong family was that life in the workshop was too hard. As long as she married Kong Liangchao, she could be immediately transferred to an easier position, such as quality inspection.
Kong Liangchao was young at that time and was most infatuated with Xia Qingtang. He kept his word and cared a lot about his reputation, so after marriage he asked someone to transfer Xia Qingtang to the union of the cotton mill. From then on, he worked in the office and no longer had to worry about dirty, hard and tiring work, nor did he have to work the night shift.
Thinking of this, Xia Qingtang couldn't help but sigh slightly: she chose to climb the ladder because she was afraid of hardship and fatigue, but who would have thought that she would suffer more afterwards. If she could choose again, she would definitely not take such a shortcut again. Even if she had to change her position, she had to rely on herself.
"Qingtang, what are you standing there for? Come in and have dinner, then boil water for a bath and wash your clothes. What's wrong with you, kid? You were on the early shift today and got off work long ago. Why didn't you come back to cook dinner? You are so lazy. It's so hot, and I have to serve your father, but you also want me to serve you?" Zhao Meizhen came out of the living room and found her daughter standing outside the door in a daze. She started to blame her unhappily, and then she covered her mouth and coughed for a while. She looked very bad.
Xia Qingtang looked up at her mother. Zhao Meizhen was only 44 years old at this moment, which was a very young age in the 1990s, but she had already had problems with her lungs. According to regulations, Zhao Meizhen would be able to retire soon. At that time, Xia Qinghai could return to the city from the countryside and take over her position.
Xia Qingtang remembered very clearly that her parents were so anxious to marry her off to the Kong family in order to raise the dowry for her brother Xia Qinghai. He was handsome, and after entering the factory he started dating the youngest daughter of the director of the third workshop. Everything was agreed upon except the three transfers and one ring required by the other party.
At that time, although Xia Qingtang and Kong Liangchao were dating, they had not yet figured out whether to get married. In order to make ends meet for her son, Zhao Meizhen persuaded her daughter every day that she should marry into the Kong family as soon as possible to enjoy a happy life. Xia Qingtang agreed without thinking. As soon as she married into the Kong family, Zhao Meizhen used the tickets and money given by Kong Liangchao to buy household items for her son, and held a wedding for Xia Qinghai in the spring of the following year.
In Xia Qingtang's memory, Zhao Meizhen seemed to have rarely given him a good look or said nice words, and always spoke to him in a scolding and blaming tone at home. But to her brother, Zhao Meizhen was always gentle and kind. She would save any candy at home and send it back to the countryside to help Xia Qinghai replenish his body.
Seeing Xia Qingtang staring at her without saying anything, Zhao Meizhen's face became even uglier. She shouted, "Are you dumb? Deaf? Can you even make a sound when I talk to you? What's the matter? I've prepared dinner and I'm inviting you in to eat?"
Xia Qingtang suppressed the churning in his heart and said in a deep voice: "I fainted from heatstroke today and went to the hospital."
She wanted to see Zhao Meizhen's reaction, and Zhao Meizhen did not let her down. When she heard that she had gone to the hospital due to heatstroke, Zhao Meizhen's eyes immediately widened as big as copper bells, and her voice became even louder: "Are you courting death? Going to the hospital? Doesn't it cost money to go to the hospital? Why are you such a delicate person? You have to go to the hospital even if you have heatstroke? When I was in the workshop, I had heatstroke dozens of times every summer? You are so delicate! How much money do you have to go to the hospital every day! How could I give birth to a thing like you, who is lazy and only knows how to spend money. It makes me angry just looking at you! Why don't you just die..."
"Have you said enough? Come in and eat. After that I have to take a shower and go to work." Xia Daming suddenly came out of the house and shouted with a sullen face.
He is on the night shift today. The night shift in the warehouse is actually easier. He can sleep in the warehouse when he has nothing to do at night, and no one will bother him. On the contrary, the day shift is very hard, and all he has to do is heavy physical work like moving things. That's why Xia Daming likes to work the night shift. He is old now and has a bad back, so he can only work the night shift half of the time a month, which can be considered as taking care of the middle-aged people.
Zhao Meizhen would only throw tantrums and get angry with her daughter, but would immediately become obedient when facing her husband.
"Okay, okay, come in and eat. The porridge should be cold. I'll serve it to you." Zhao Meizhen seemed to change her expression and went into the house with a smile on her face.
Xia Daming stood outside the house and looked at his pale daughter, and whispered, "Go to the hospital, what does the doctor say?"
"He was given a small bottle of medicine and is fine now." Xia Qingtang looked at his father, who had not yet aged, and his mood slowly calmed down.
She is no longer the same person she used to be. After going through so much and enduring so much hardship, she no longer cares about anything about her parents.
Xia Daming nodded, said nothing more, and turned to go in.
Xia Qingtang took a deep breath and went into the house to eat. She was also a person who received a salary and food coupons, so there was no reason for her to let herself go hungry, right?
Dinner was porridge made from stir-fried water spinach, dried sweet potatoes and old rice. Water spinach is the cheapest vegetable in summer, so the Xia family eats it almost every day.
But in fact, there were three people in the family who received wages and food coupons, and there were only three people to eat, so they didn't have to live so tightly. However, Zhao Meizhen's parents' family was in financial difficulty, so she always secretly subsidized her parents' family, which made the Xia family live so poorly.
Zhao Meizhen had already served porridge to herself and Xia Dahai. Xia Dahai's bowl was very thick, and her own bowl was only half filled with dry goods. Xia Qingtang took a look in the pot and saw only clear soup and a piece of dried sweet potato.
This is a common occurrence in the Xia family. As long as Zhao Meizhen is unhappy, Xia Qingtang can only eat the least.
In the past, Xia Qingtang would have endured it silently, but she wouldn't do that now. No matter whether it was a dream or not, she would not endure it anymore.
I am also a person who gets salary and food coupons, why should I starve?
Therefore, Xia Qingtang immediately put down the clear soup, took an empty pot, filled it with water, and placed it on the stove outside the door, intending to cook some noodles for himself.
At this time, every household would have some noodles saved for emergencies. Xia Qingtang went under the cabinet in the house and found a bundle of new noodles according to his memory.
Zhao Meizhen stood up in shock: "What are you doing?"
"Cook some noodles." Xia Qingtang closed the cabinet door and walked out with the noodles.
Zhao Meizhen didn't react for a moment. When Xia Qingtang walked out of the house, she put down the bowl with a bang and rushed out, her face full of surprise and anger: "You want to cook noodles? I've already prepared dinner and you want to cook noodles?"
"There's only rice soup in the pot. I'm not full after a day's work, so I'm going to cook some noodles." Xia Qingtang was very calm.
"You've gone crazy, haven't you? Who do you think you are? Do you really think you're a pampered person and still want to eat instant noodles? Believe it or not, I will beat you to death, you cheap thing!" Zhao Meizhen was so angry that her eyes turned red, and she couldn't stop coughing like a floodgate had been opened.
The neighbors on both sides were at home at the time, and when they heard the quarrel, they ran out to watch.
Zhao Meizhen became even more excited, not caring whether she was almost out of breath or not. She coughed and yelled, "You...you all help me...look at...this bastard..."
Xia Qingtang looked at her coldly, and then said loudly: "I am also working. I have my own salary and food coupons, which are enough to support myself every month. I worked all day today, and then I fainted from heat stroke and went to the hospital. You didn't even give me enough food. Who is the cheap one? Do you want us to ask the chairman of the union to judge? We are all workers in the factory. Why do you want to starve me to death? We are already in a new society. Are you a landlord or a capitalist? Why do you want to starve your own daughter to death?"
Zhao Meizhen covered her chest and suddenly became unable to speak. She couldn't even cough and could only gasp for breath like a bellows.
Aunt Wang on the other end was a kindhearted person. When she heard this, she hurried over to persuade him, "Qingtang, your mother definitely didn't mean that. If you want to eat, how could she not give you food? When it comes to cooking, sometimes I make more, sometimes I make less. If you don't have enough to eat today, come to my house to eat. I'm making noodle dumpling soup today, and it's enough for you."
Xia Qingtang knew when to stop. This time was different from the 1990s. No one could stand out too much. She said, "Aunt, you are right. How could my mother let me starve to death? Look, we have noodles at home. I can just cook this and eat it. Don't worry, Aunt, I won't starve myself."
Aunt Wang patted her on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Okay, cook some noodles. You're a good girl. Don't get angry with your mother. She's not in good health."
"Well, thank you, auntie." Xia Qingtang thanked her and turned back to continue cooking the noodles.
Zhao Meizhen finally came back to her senses. She pointed at Xia Qingtang with a trembling finger and said breathlessly: "You...you..."
"Come in and eat! Isn't it embarrassing enough?" Xia Daming suddenly shouted in the house, "The child is hungry, so why don't you cook a little more rice? Is our family so poor?"
Zhao Meizhen burst into tears: "I just want to send more money to Qinghai. Who am I saving money for? Isn't it for our son?"
Xia Qingtang said with a fake smile: "Yes, for the sake of the son, the daughter can be starved to death. This is really the old society."
Zhao Meizhen had another heart attack and she couldn't speak again.
It was Xia Dahai who said in the room, "Stop arguing! Meizhen, come in and eat. Cook enough for me every meal from now on! There are three workers at work at home, and they can't even afford to eat. Are you deliberately embarrassing me?"
Zhao Meizhen cared about her husband and son the most. After being scolded by her husband, she stopped making a fuss, wiped her face and went into the house. However, before entering the house, she still glared at Xia Qingtang fiercely and cursed him silently.
Xia Qingtang had seen so many cold stares that she had long been immune to it. She calmly cooked herself a large bowl of noodles and added a few drops of sesame oil that Zhao Meizhen usually didn't want to use. She ate it bit by bit in the pot in the corridor.
After that, she washed the pots and dishes, boiled water, took a bath, and went to bed.
For the next few days, Zhao Meizhen didn't speak to Xia Qingtang, but because Xia Dahai had spoken, she didn't dare to let Xia Qingtang starve no matter what she cooked.
Xia Qingtang went to work on time and came back to eat and sleep after get off work. No one talked to her, so she was even happier and free.
However, she finally realized one thing. She was not dreaming. She had truly returned to seven or eight years ago, to a time before everything had even begun...
Now that you are back, you should think carefully about what to do in the future.
Xia Qingtang knew how the next twenty years would develop, so he made a preliminary plan. The first step of the plan was to find a way to transfer from his current position to another place.
It's not that Xia Qingtang is still unwilling to endure hardships. She has been a nanny for many years and can endure hardships, but she is worried about her health. Although she has not been in the workshop for a long time, she has always had chronic respiratory diseases. As she gets older, she always has a hard time every time the seasons change, so changing jobs is a must.
"Xiao Xia, come here for a moment, someone is looking for you."
Xia Qingtang had just finished her night shift and was walking slowly outside with her coworkers when she was stopped by the security guard Xiao Li.
Xia Qingtang felt a little sleepy at the moment, so he replied listlessly: "Who is looking for me so early?"
"Hello, Comrade Xia Qingtang, I'm looking for you." Kong Liangchao suddenly walked out of the security room. He looked energetic and smiling, but in Xia Qingtang's eyes, he looked as scary as a devil.
Xia Qingtang's hands were cold, and her mind went blank - she had clearly made up a fake name and a fake unit, so why did Kong Liangchao still come to her? !
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