Chapter 26
"Ah?" Xia Daming had been thinking about how to ask Xia Qingtang about her current situation, but his mood was suddenly interrupted. He was stunned for a while before he reacted, "Oh, you said those letters, have you read them all?"
"I've read it." Xia Qingtang slowly put the last spoonful of rice into his mouth. After he finished eating, he said, "Dad hasn't answered my question yet. When did Dad know about those letters?"
"That day when you brought Xiao Xie home, your mother was so angry that she smashed things at home and cursed you with a lot of ugly words, saying that you... were not well-behaved when you were a child, and many men wrote letters to you, and you were not a good person at first glance. Sure enough, you became even worse when you grew up... I asked her why I didn't know that many men wrote letters to you, and your mother said that for your own good, she went to the mail room every day to look for your letters, and if she saw that they were not written by relatives, she would open them and hide them. There must have been dozens of men who wrote letters to you, saying that you were obviously problematic, and that none of those men had a good family background, and that you were a money-loser. I was also scared at the time, thinking that she was talking nonsense. After all, those were letters written to you by others. I asked her where those letters were, and she said they were all under our bed. At that time, she kept cursing people, Later, she started scolding me about other things, so I didn't ask any more questions. When she returned to her parents' home, I looked under the bed and found a box full of letters, all addressed to you. When she was not at home, I packed the letters and gave them to you... After all, they are your letters, so I still have to give them to you." Xia Daming finished speaking slowly and sighed heavily, "Your mother hasn't found out about this yet. When she comes back, she might make a scene with you. Don't worry, it's her fault. If she makes a scene, you can come to me."
Xia Qingtang nodded, and his expression softened a little.
She believed that Xia Daming was not lying, because although he was not a competent father, he would not do such a vicious thing. Moreover, according to his personality, if he really helped Zhao Meizhen hide the letters for several years, he would definitely not return the letters to Xia Qingtang. According to his personality, it would be best for him to take this matter to the grave.
"I believe what Dad said. And thank you for bringing those letters to me. There is a letter from my lover. After I read it, I was very moved. I will treasure it for the rest of my life."
Xia Daming was shocked: "The letter Xiao Xie wrote to you is also in there? Fortunately I sent it to you, otherwise you would never see it again. I don't know what your mother is thinking, I have never heard of parents hiding their children's letters. I said before that other girls are dating after work, why haven't you heard anything? But who knew that it was your mother who collected all the letters from you, then who are you dating?"
"Date with the one she likes, so that you can collect a high price for the bride price and save it for your eldest brother to marry." Xia Qingtang said coldly: "Dad, you don't really not know what mom is thinking, right?"
"Your mother is not as you think. She is also very strict with your brother..."
"Really? Then why didn't she hide my letters? After my brother went to work in the countryside, she properly sent all the letters from others to my home. But she not only hid my letters, she also opened them and read them, which is illegal. And there were so many letters, she broke the law seriously!"
"She is your mother after all. You are not going to sue her, are you? That is not possible." Xia Daming looked a little pitiful. He whispered, "I know your mother did something wrong, but she is your mother after all."
"She broke off relations with me. Dad, you won't forget it so quickly, right? She is my mother? Then why doesn't she be a decent mother like other mothers?" Xia Qingtang sneered.
Xia Daming sighed heavily again: "So...what should we do about this?"
"I haven't decided what to do yet. I might sue her, or maybe not. It depends on my mood. Anyway, I will never forgive her for this in my next life."
Xia Daming could only look at her with a painful expression, not knowing what to say.
It seems that Zhao Zhiqiang was right. Xia Qingtang has indeed changed a lot. He is completely different from before, making him, as a father, feel unfamiliar.
Seeing that Xia Daming was silent, Xia Qingtang picked up the empty rice bowl and said, "I should go back to work soon. Dad, do you want to talk to me about something?"
"Ah... I'm looking for you. Yes, yes, I'm looking for you because I want to ask you if you still live in the steel plant's residential quarters?"
"Dad, why are you asking this?"
"I'm just concerned about you. If you still live in the Hu family, you have to give them money and food coupons. You can't always cause trouble for them. Also, now that you're married, why don't you live in Xiao Xie's house? I heard from people in your workshop that your in-laws have a large family. Is there no place for you to live? What's the situation in their family? Are you and Xiao Xie going to suffer?"
Xia Qingtang said: "There are indeed a lot of people living in their house. Seven people, young and old, live in one room."
"Seven people living in one house? The conditions...are not as good as ours...Qingtang, are you going to live in the Hu family for a long time?"
"Then what else can we do? We can't apply for a house at our factory anymore. If we don't live in the Hu family, can Dad give his house to Xie Jinxuan and me?" Xia Qingtang didn't want to tell Xia Daming that she had moved to the Xie family.
She didn't want to hide it from Xia Daming, but she didn't want Zhao Meizhen to know. This man would do anything for his son. If she knew that the Xie family was such a good family, Zhao Meizhen would definitely find various opportunities to cling to them.
Xia Qingtang didn't know how long she could keep her husband's family affairs secret, but she would keep it a secret for as long as possible.
Xia Daming thought for a moment and said, "If you and Xiao Xie want to come back to live with us, it's not impossible. I'll talk to your mom and you two can come live together. But will Xiao Xie be unhappy if you bring him back? This isn't a live-in son-in-law, and outsiders will gossip about him. Also, your brother is going back to the city soon, so it won't be convenient for our family then."
"Yes, it's the same for every household now. It's not easy to find a place to live. So I told the people in the workshop that we are waiting for the houses in his unit to be divided and arranged, and then we can move in. It's only two months, we can afford to wait." Seeing Xia Daming's distressed face, Xia Qingtang said, "Dad, you don't have to worry about me. Xie Jinxuan and I both have jobs. We both get salaries and food coupons. As long as we have our own place to live, we will definitely be able to make ends meet. He is also ambitious, and as his level gradually rises, his life will only get better and better."
Xia Daming's expression became much more relaxed. "I feel relieved when you say that. Temporary hardship is nothing. Xiao Xie works in the provincial party committee and he just came back from the army. He has more years of service than you and his salary should be higher than yours. You two should have 70 yuan a month, which is more than you can spend. In two years, Xiao Xie will be promoted, and you can also be promoted to the second level. With a higher salary and some money saved, you can have a child."
Xia Daming is not greedy. Young people in every household live this way now, and he doesn't think there is anything wrong with his daughter living this way.
Xia Qingtang is currently on the first level salary, but in another one or two years he will be able to be promoted to the second level, which means he will have 38 yuan a month, and his life will only get better and better.
Xia Qingtang followed Xia Daming and smiled: "Yes, Xie Jinxuan and I also planned this. We have to save a little money every month to use when we have children in the future."
"That's right. You have to be thrifty to live a good life. I don't have any extra money. When I get paid this month, I'll give your mother a little less and give you a few dollars. I'll also give you a piece of cloth so you can make new clothes. After all, it's a wedding, and I feel bad that you still don't have new clothes." Xia Daming said, "Xiao Xie's family is also not decent. They don't have a place to live, but they can't buy some clothes for the new daughter-in-law? Since he is from the city, his parents should have a job, or are his parents in poor health, so the family is poor?"
Xia Qingtang sighed slightly. Xia Daming, as a father, had many shortcomings and was not very good to her, but he would still care about his children occasionally.
"He has bought some for me, but Xie Jinxuan and I haven't had our wedding leave yet, so we don't have time to go to the department store to look. He also gave me his passbook and told me to spend it as I please. When we're on holiday, he'll take me shopping for clothes, don't worry, Dad."
"Then I'll remember that. If I don't see you wearing new clothes next month, I'll go ask Xiao Xie. Your marriage was really too hasty, and I haven't even had any contact with Xiao Xie. I know you're grown up, have a good mind, and can make your own decisions, but I'm your father, and you can't let me never talk to my son-in-law."
Xia Qingtang said: "After a while, I will let Xie Jinxuan meet with Dad. If you have any questions, you can ask him directly."
"Okay, that way I can rest assured." Xia Daming saw that he had said everything he needed to say. He looked around and saw that most of the workers had finished eating and left, so he said, "I'm going back to the warehouse too. I have to go to the hospital to see your mother after work. Your grandmother took care of her all night yesterday and said that her waist couldn't stand up straight. I'll take over tonight. Don't worry, your mother just ate the wrong thing. They said it's called food poisoning. She will be discharged after a few days in the hospital. It's nothing serious."
"I'm not worried about her." Xia Qingtang told the truth, and then went out with the food bowl.
After the lunch shift, Xia Qingtang packed up, carried her bag and walked out with two young co-workers.
It was already dark, and Xie Jinxuan would come to pick her up, so she walked to the corner outside the gate according to where he usually parked his car. Seeing that Xie Jinxuan had not arrived yet, she stood there and prepared to wait for a while.
Less than two minutes later, Xia Daming also walked out of the factory carrying a cloth bag. He did not see Xia Qingtang in the corner outside the door, but waved towards that place.
Xia Qingtang looked over with a puzzled look and found that it was Zhao Zhiqiang standing there.
The two of them stood aside and whispered to each other for a while, then they separated, Zhao Zhiqiang walked that way, and Xia Daming walked towards the hospital.
Xia Qingtang didn't hesitate and rushed up to Xia Daming and called out, "Dad!"
Xia Daming was startled and turned around with a pale face: "Qingtang, why haven't you gone home yet? It's so late, go back early."
"What did Dad say to my uncle? It seems like my uncle was waiting for you specially."
"Nothing, nothing." Xia Daming was not very good at lying. His eyes were wandering and he even stuttered a little.
Xia Qingtang said, "What did my uncle tell you? Today you specifically asked me where I lived and inquired about the Xie family's situation. Did my uncle ask you to ask?"
Xia Qingtang had this thought in mind when they were in the cafeteria, but Xia Daming was too sincere at the time, so she didn't ask.
"No...no...really not...I'm asking because I want to know. Your marriage was too sudden, and I don't know what kind of person Xiao Xie is. I'm worried that the Xie family is too poor and will let you down..."
"Sure enough, it was your uncle who asked you to ask me." Xia Qingtang sneered, "Why does he want to know the conditions of the Xie family? What does he want to do?"
"He said that he cares about you, too. If the Xie family treats you badly, we, as elders, can support you."
"Do you believe what he said? My uncle is a man who doesn't do anything without profit. Why would he care about me for no reason? In all these years, when has he ever cared about me? He didn't even care about my brother, so how could he care about me?"
Xia Daming also came to his senses: "Then why did he ask me to ask you about the situation of the Xie family?"
Why are you asking this? Xia Qingtang felt that she could guess that Zhao Zhiqiang was suspicious of her because he saw that she had changed so much and thought that she had someone to rely on.
She knew that she was beautiful, and so did others. People in the factory were certain that she would marry into a good family, so it was normal for Zhao Zhiqiang to have doubts. Given her looks, even if she tried to hide it from her family and look for a partner, she could easily find the son of a minor leader.
After she married into the Kong family in her previous life, Zhao Zhiqiang and his wife, who had never cared much about her, suddenly became very enthusiastic. Not only did they often come to the factory to see her, they also visited the Kong family during festivals and kept flattering Kong Liangchao.
Kong Liangchao has always been a vain and arrogant person, and was highly praised by Zhao Zhiqiang and his wife. A year later, he really used his connections to transfer the jobs of Zhao Zhiqiang's two sons, moving them from front-line workers to the security department.
The work in the security department was easy. Later, because my cousin gave gifts to someone, he was transferred from the joint defense team to the public security bureau and became a policeman. He lived a good life until the end, and Zhao Zhiqiang was proud of him.
All of them benefited from selling Xia Qingtang to the Kong family, but no one was grateful to her afterwards. After she became a nanny, Zhao Zhiqiang was the relative who looked down on her the most. He always scolded her in person when he visited his cousin's house, and really treated her like a servant and an inferior.
Seeing Xia Qingtang lowering his head in deep thought, Xia Daming suddenly said in a panic: "Your uncle is asking so many questions, is he trying to harm that little Xie?"
"What do you mean? Why do they want to harm Xiao Xie? I just got married, why do they want to harm my lover? Do they want Xie Jinxuan to lose her job and make us unable to survive?" Xia Qingtang was a little confused.
“Maybe more than that…”
"What does 'more than that' mean?" Xia Qingtang understood it all at once. "This 'harm' doesn't mean to hurt, does it? They want to kill Xie Jinxuan?"
Xia Daming nodded with a look of horror and said, "Your mother really said this. She said that although you are married, if Xiao Xie is gone, you will be a young widow, and a good-looking one at that. Then she can introduce you to an old cadre, which will also bring benefits to the family. Now your uncle is asking about Xiao Xie again. Who knows, maybe the two brothers and sisters have discussed and decided to deal with Xiao Xie!"
"She really said that?"
"Really, really, I didn't lie to you."
"Then Dad, you didn't scold her? Didn't you teach her a lesson? Didn't you tell her that this was a crime?"
"I thought she was just saying that because she was angry. She always said she would strangle you to death..."
"She really strangled me. Dad, you were there." Xia Qingtang suddenly found it ridiculous. "You are always like this. You always keep your distance from everything that has nothing to do with you. You will only scold her if you think the neighbors will laugh at our family. Do you think that you care about me by giving me the letter and asking me about my current situation? If you really care about me, you should tell Zhao Meizhen that killing is a crime, it is unscrupulous and will be struck by lightning! Is she just talking? This is what she has always thought in her heart. She wants my lover to die and then find me an old man. Dad, I am your child, not a beast raised by your family that can be sold for money or benefits!"
"Qingtang, I..."
"You what?" Xia Qingtang sneered, "If you really want to be a father, then don't help Zhao Meizhen do bad things to harm me. Haven't I been harmed enough by you? Didn't you and Zhao Meizhen raise me just to sell me for a good price and bring benefits to the family and Xia Qinghai? But I am a person, not an object, not an animal, and you can't sell me whenever you want. I am the same as you, I have feelings, I will be sad, sad, and painful! Dad, can you... can you really love your children like other fathers! Even if you can't, then I beg you, don't hurt me anymore, okay? It's really not easy for me to find my lover Xie Jinxuan. He is a very good person and I want to live a good life with him. I don't know what Zhao Meizhen and Zhao Zhiqiang are crazy about, and I don't know if they really want me to be a widow, but you can control Zhao Meizhen. She cares about her son first and you as her husband second. Why do you indulge her madness? Do you also want to see me be a widow and want me to be an animal in your family?"
Xia Qingtang thought that she would no longer be sad about her parents' affairs, but at the end of her words, her voice could not help but tremble, and some workers passing by could not help but stop and take a peek.
TV dramas always say that children without family warmth will have psychological problems. Xia Qingtang didn’t have a deep understanding of this before, but now she knows that the truth is indeed true.
Xia Daming was in a panic. He was at a loss as to what to say, but he couldn't. In the end, he just said, "No matter what, they can't kill anyone... They want to harm Xiao Xie, but they must be just talking..."
Xia Qingtang laughed loudly, making Xia Daming even more flustered.
Xia Daming is still the same Xia Daming. He always has a talent for automatically avoiding the focus of the topic and then finding a direction that can safely exonerate himself, thereby escaping from his dereliction of duty as a husband and father and always staying out of it.
The key to this matter is whether Zhao Meizhen and her brother and sister will kill people? Of course, she knew that Zhao Meizhen didn't have the courage to do so, and she also knew that Xie Jinxuan could beat three Zhao Zhiqiangs alone.
But the key to this matter is that Zhao Meizhen has not given up selling her daughter for money! And Xia Daming, as a father, only avoids the important issues.
Xia Qingtang let out a long breath, sneered, and then suddenly changed her expression. She lowered her voice and said viciously: "How can you be sure that they won't kill anyone? Zhao Meizhen wants me to be a widower, how can you be sure that she won't be so cruel? Are you sure they won't trip up Xie Jinxuan? If I hadn't discovered that you were plotting these things today, they would probably secretly ask Xiao Xie out, and then push her down from the upstairs without anyone noticing. Xiao Xie would not even know how he died. How do you know they can't do it? I think not only can they do it, but you will also become an accomplice with them."
Xia Daming was really frightened this time. He stared at his daughter's ferocious expression with wide eyes, his hands shaking slightly: "I...I won't, how dare I..."
"I'm only warning you once. You'd better keep a close eye on Zhao Meizhen. If Xie Jinxuan really gets into an accident, I won't let you go regardless of whether it was done by you or not. If you want me to be a widow, I'll kill your entire family. Remember, it's your entire family. Even your brothers and sisters will not be spared." After saying that, Xia Qingtang turned and left.
If a father is not kind, how can he expect his children to be filial? She was filial enough in her previous life. In this life, even if she was struck by lightning, she would only care about herself.
As soon as she turned around and walked three steps, she found Xie Jinxuan pushing a bicycle and standing not far from them, looking at her with a very complicated look.
Her face looked like a Shura, but her expression did not change. She walked to Xie Jinxuan in this manner.
"Let's go, I want to leave here." She said softly.
Xie Jinxuan rode his bicycle and took her away from here. He rode all the way to the courtyard of the provincial party committee compound. He stopped at the basketball court where there were few people, and then whispered, "Do you want to talk to me?"
Xia Qingtang got out of the car and pulled him to sit on a pier beside the basketball court. Then he whispered, "Did you hear everything?"
"Almost everything was heard. The two of you spoke in quite loud voices. Not only me, but probably a few of my co-workers heard it too." Xie Jinxuan said, "I don't think your mother and your uncle would really come and attack me."
"Even if they really want to attack you, I will not let Zhao Meizhen get close to you. If she dares to do anything, I will be the first to fight her to the death." Xia Qingtang really hated Zhao Meizhen. From the last life to this life, all the new and old grudges added together, she would never forgive this person even if she had another three lives.
Xie Jinxuan gently held her hand: "Don't worry, I won't be killed. I'm good at fighting, you've seen that. Also, my reconnaissance ability is pretty good. If someone wants to trick me into going to a dangerous place, I won't go. I'm very confident in self-protection."
"I believe you, I know you are powerful, I'm just angry... they want me to be a widow." Xia Qingtang's voice began to tremble again.
It was not easy to be with Xie Jinxuan. She had suffered so much and finally could live a good life with Xie Jinxuan. She would never let anyone destroy them.
"When people are angry, they will say whatever they want. I agree with your father on this point. Your mother said a lot of vicious things at the time. Maybe after two days, she herself has forgotten them." Seeing that Xia Qingtang was trembling slightly, Xie Jinxuan reached out and took her into her arms, then whispered in her ear: "But your expression just now looked very touching. I didn't expect you to say such words. I'm very happy."
"I'm not lying. I really think so. In my heart, I don't have any family anymore. They have nothing to do with me anymore. But you are my family, and that won't change. For you, I'm willing to sacrifice my life." Xia Qingtang held his big hand tightly and said seriously, "You may think all this is ridiculous, but I want to tell you that Zhao Meizhen and Zhao Zhiqiang are really not good people. They can do many seemingly ridiculous things."
After a pause, Xia Qingtang added, "Of course, they probably won't kill anyone, I believe that. But even if they don't kill anyone, they might do something else, like take away your job, making it impossible for us to make a living, and then instigate me to get a divorce. They think that if I get divorced, they can find me a good old man. They are definitely capable of doing this."
"I believe this, but unfortunately, my job is very secure and they can't make me lose my job." Xie Jinxuan said, "And sooner or later, they will find out where we live and who my family belongs to. We live in the same city for at least half a year and at most a year. As long as they find someone to patiently ask around in our unit, they will sooner or later find out that my grandfather is Xie Qiming's. Qingtang, have you ever thought about just letting them know about my family's situation and letting them please you..."
"I haven't thought about it." Xia Qingtang interrupted him firmly, "I don't need them to please me. I just want to sever all ties with them, and it would be best if I never have any contact with them again in this life."
Xie Jinxuan looked at her with hatred in her eyes and nodded gently: "I understand."
He lives in a happy family, and he doesn't know what Xia Qingtang has experienced at home, so he will listen to her as long as she feels comfortable.
Xia Qingtang suddenly slapped his thigh and said, "I did something wrong today. I shouldn't have threatened my dad!"
"Why?" Xie Jinxuan didn't understand.
"I should have waited for Zhao Meizhen and Zhao Zhiqiang to do something to you, or to do something to me, and then we would have completely fallen out. It would have been better if we made a big fuss, letting everyone in the factory and my relatives know that Zhao Meizhen wanted me to be a widow or divorced. That way, even if they knew about your family's situation, they wouldn't have the face to try to make friends with me." Xia Qingtang looked regretful, "I was really too excited at the time. I should have calmed down and thought more about it."
Xie Jinxuan said: "It doesn't matter, leave this matter to me, I will tell grandpa and grandma privately, even if they come to try to establish a relationship with us in the future, our family will ignore them."
"Thank you." Xia Qingtang let out a long sigh, then leaned into his arms and said softly, "I'm really sorry. There are so many messed up things in my family. You must be annoyed to hear about them..."
"Bored? How could I be bored? I'm so happy when you talk to me. And if your home wasn't a mess, would you have chosen me? I got a great bargain, I know it. Besides, who doesn't have some troubles? If two people are together and can only share happiness but not troubles, what kind of couple are they?"
This sentence made Xia Qingtang feel relieved: "You are right, you help me share the troubles now, and I will do the same in the future."
"Okay, you just wait. You might be annoyed to death by my affairs in the future." Xie Jinxuan smiled and rubbed her head. The two of them sat quietly on the roadside pier for a while.
After Xia Qingtang's emotions had completely calmed down, they returned home happily hand in hand.
Xia Qingtang felt that Xie Jinxuan was like her emotional stabilizer. With him around, she could quickly return to normal.
Grandma and Xie's mother were still mending clothes in the living room. Grandma's eyesight was not very good, so Xie's mother had to help thread the needle. As a result, Xie's mother picked up the needle and threaded it under the light for a while, and found that she could not see clearly either.
"I'm old, really old, and my eyes can't see clearly anymore." Xie's mother sighed.
Xie Jinxuan pulled Xia Qingtang inside and said, "Mom, how are you old? Last time we went out shopping together, people asked if you were my sister."
Xie's mother laughed: "You are the only one who has a sweet mouth and can make people happy. But what's the use of just looking young? Eyes are really useless."
"Don't I still have it? Thread the needle? I'll do it." Xie Jinxuan walked over, took the needle and thread, and threaded the needle.
Grandma asked, "Why did you come back so late? Were you delayed on the way?"
"Qingtang and I thought the moon was beautiful, so we took a walk outside." Xie Jinxuan said with a smile.
"Okay, it's good to take a walk. You young people should spend more time alone together." Grandma looked very happy. "By the way, Qingtang, Xiaoliu left two cakes for you. Eat them before going upstairs."
"Yes, it's in the kitchen. I'll bring it to you. Do you want me to make you some soup? That'll be quick, too." Xie's mother smiled and walked over there. "You work hard and you're so thin. Eat something before you go to bed, or you'll get hungry and your stomach will growl in the middle of the night."
Xia Qingtang felt warm in her heart. She thanked him and quickly went to the kitchen to stop Xie's mother from making soup for her.
"Don't you really need to make some soup?"
"No, thank you Auntie, I'll just drink some water."
Mother Xie smiled and said, "You're still calling me auntie? You already call me grandpa and grandma, when will you change to calling me us?"
Xia Qingtang blushed and didn't know what to say.
Mother Xie smiled and patted her shoulder: "Take your time, I'm not in a hurry, you can change your mind anytime you want. Let's go and eat."
"Okay." Xia Qingtang followed Xie's mother back to the living room.
Sixth Aunt left her two ordinary pancakes. The making process of this kind of pancake is very simple. Just prepare the batter, put some chopped vegetables and pickles in it, and then use a little bit of oil to make a fragrant pancake.
If conditions are better, you can add eggs to make it taste even better.
Xia Qingtang held the plate and asked Xie Jinxuan: "Do you want to eat one?"
"I eat a lot at night, and you eat in the afternoon. You should be hungry now. Eat quickly." Xie Jinxuan gently touched her head again, looking at her lovingly as if she was looking at a child.
Grandma and Xie's mother both smiled and were happy for the two children.
Xia Qingtang then picked up the cake and started eating. After she took a few bites, Xie Jinxuan poured her another cup of hot water, then opened the newspaper on the table and began to read the news to her.
Xia Qingtang has now developed a habit of reading newspapers. Although she knows the progress of many major events, there are always discrepancies in her memory about some minor things, so insisting on reading newspapers will make her more confident about the big and small events in the future.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, grandma let them go upstairs to rest.
Aunt Six had already placed several thermoses upstairs. Xia Qingtang took a shower and sat on the head of the bed waiting for Xie Jinxuan to finish showering and come in.
It should be said that as long as she returns to the Xie family, Xia Qingtang feels that all the anger and sadness in her body will disappear without a trace. This place gives her a really good feeling...
Maybe it's really like what Hu's mother said, her husband's family will become her real home...
She was just thinking about it when Xie Jinxuan came in with the smell of soap: "Why aren't you asleep yet?"
"I'm waiting for you." Xia Qingtang said, "I always fell asleep first before, but today I want to sleep with you."
Xie Jinxuan's ears turned red instantly and his eyes became slightly nervous, but he still coughed, then pretended to be calm and walked to the bed, lifted the quilt and crawled into his half of the bed.
Xia Qingtang lay down, then turned sideways and stared at Xie Jinxuan.
After Xie Jinxuan lay down, not only did her ears start to turn red, but her face and body also started to feel hot.
"Qingtang, if you keep looking at me like this, I won't be able to sleep."
"Then you can't sleep. I don't mind." Xia Qingtang's voice was very soft, but her tone was firm. Obviously, she knew what she was talking about.
Xie Jinxuan held her breath, then swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and then suddenly turned over: "Don't test me, let's not rush, take it slow!"
Xia Qingtang burst out laughing: "Okay, I'll listen to you on this one."
She didn't believe how long Xie Jinxuan could hold out. Anyway, she was already prepared, so it all depended on him.
After that, Xia Qingtang worked three night shifts in a row, and his face didn't look very good when he got off work in the morning.
Fortunately, this is the last shift of this month. Tomorrow is the 30th, and the factory will take two consecutive days off and resume work after the National Day holiday.
"Qingtang, have you applied for your wedding leave?" Wen Xiaoli took her hand and walked out slowly while yawning.
"Please, combined with the National Day holiday, I can take several days off." Xia Qingtang also yawned.
"So what did you do during your wedding leave? Did you travel and get married like everyone else?"
Traveling weddings are also popular nowadays. After two young people register for marriage, they will find a place to go out and play, take some photos and bring them back as a kind of commemoration.
"It can be considered a trip. We are going to visit my wife's grandmother and take the train there."
"Taking a train is great! I've never taken a train before!" Wen Xiaoli was very excited. "What is it like to take a train?"
"I'll tell you when I get back."
As they were talking, they had already walked out of the finance room, where many workers were queuing up to receive their wages. Xia Qingtang saw Xia Daming in the crowd, but he kept his head down and looking forward, so he didn't notice Xia Qingtang behind him.
From that day on, Xia Daming never came to see her again, and neither did Zhao Zhiqiang. Maybe they believed that the Xie family was not well off, or maybe they were thinking of some bad ideas. Anyway, no one came to disturb her, and Xia Qingtang was happy to have some free time.
After receiving his salary, Xia Daming was walking back when he saw Xia Qingtang in the crowd. He opened his mouth but didn't dare to call her.
Xia Daming sighed, then stopped Wen Xiaoli in the family area and stuffed five yuan into her hand: "Xiao Wen, please help me give this money to Qingtang."
Wen Xiaoli took it over: "Okay, but Qingtang won't be back until she finishes her wedding leave, so I can't give it to her until several days later."
"It's okay, just give it to her. Thank you, Xiao Wen."
"You're welcome." Wen Xiaoli turned her head and immediately shouted in surprise: "Brother Xia? You're back in the city?"
Xia Daming also turned around quickly, and saw the tall Xia Qinghai carrying large and small bags and two large bundles, walking in from the gate of the family quarters.
Xia Daming was so happy that he quickly ran over to help his son with his luggage: "You're back so soon!"
"Dad." Xia Qinghai handed him the two bundles in his hand. "It's not fast anymore. The commune has a lot of things to do and has been reluctant to let me go. It's not until the end of the month that I was allowed to come back. I wanted to take a break for a while and visit relatives, but now I can't rest. I have to go to work in the factory after the National Day holiday."
"It's good to work. You can get paid if you work. You're back, finally back." Xia Daming was overjoyed, "Let's go home!"
When he walked to Wen Xiaoli's side, Xia Qinghai also greeted her: "Is it Wen Xiaoli? Qingtang's friend, also from the same workshop."
"It's me, it's me." Wen Xiaoli said with a smile.
"It's only been a year since we last met, and you've grown into a big girl in a flash, looking so energetic." Xia Qinghai said with a smile, "Come to my house when you have time. Aren't Qingtang and you the best friends?"
"Ah... Brother Xia, you don't know? Qingtang got married and moved out..." Wen Xiaoli looked at Xia Daming's face and said it in a low voice.
Xia Qinghai was stunned: "Mom did write to me and told me that Qingtang mentioned a cadre family, but are they getting married so soon? I thought they had to wait until the end of the year."
Wen Xiaoli felt a little embarrassed, so she said, "I'm going back to sleep first, you guys can chat slowly."
After she ran away, Xia Qinghai said, "What's going on? Is it hard to say whether Qingtang is getting married? Why is her friend like that?"
Xia Daming sighed: "Let's talk about it when we get home. Your mother hasn't been discharged from the hospital yet. Go home and take a shower and rest. I'll cook you a bowl of noodles."
On the other hand, Xia Qingtang didn’t know that her elder brother had returned, but she didn’t take it to heart.
She took the bus back to Xie's house, ate the breakfast her grandmother had left for her, and went back to her room and fell into a deep sleep.
When she woke up, it was already four o'clock in the afternoon.
Normally, when she works the night shift, she wouldn't sleep until this time.
But this time, working three consecutive night shifts was really too tiring. She slept for such a long time in one go, but still felt a little groggy.
There was no one at home. Grandma and Sixth Aunt were out. Xie Jinyun had not come back from school yet. Xia Qingtang finished washing up and went to the kitchen to see that there was nothing to do, so he simply went out early to pick up Xie Jinxuan from get off work.
She always wanted to see Xie Jinxuan now. From last night to now, it was not long since they last met, but Xia Qingtang missed him very much and wanted to see him earlier, even one minute earlier.
She put on her bag and walked out happily. When she saw neighbors she knew, she would greet them with a smile.
When we got to the gate of the provincial government, the guard happened to be the old Kan whom I had seen before. He said, "Are you here to see Xiao Xie? Let's go in and find him."
"No, I'll just wait for him at the door." Xia Qingtang said, "Going in will disturb their work."
"Then I'll bring you a stool. You sit here and wait." Lao Kan brought out a stool and placed it under the shade of a tree for Xia Qingtang to sit on. Then he returned to the gate and said to the outside, "Comrade, who are you looking for? You need to register."
"I'm looking for a comrade named Xie, Xie Jinxuan, but I don't know which department he is in." Xia Qinghai's voice rang out.
Xia Qingtang's face darkened instantly and he looked over there with a very unfriendly look.
After not seeing him for a long time, the young Xia Qinghai was just as unpleasant as I remembered.
He has a slender figure and a delicate face, and his facial features are somewhat similar to Xia Qingtang's. He is not considered heroic among men, but as long as his skin becomes white, he will be very popular with female lesbians.
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