Chapter 40
Looking at it in the candlelight, he found that Xie Jinxuan's pants were put on backwards. He didn't care about it and just buckled his belt backwards, and looked for shoes on the ground in the light.
Xia Qingtang continued to put on her clothes while whispering, "Jinxuan, calm down. This may not be about grandma."
Xie Jinxuan nodded in panic: "I know."
Although he said this, he tried to put on his black cloth shoes several times but failed. It was obvious that his whole body was shaking, so he was out of control.
This is normal. Few people make phone calls these days. Firstly, there are no telephones in most places. Secondly, making phone calls is very expensive and troublesome, so people only use the phone for extremely important and urgent matters.
Most people were already asleep at this moment, and the Tian family chose to call at this time. Everyone's first thought was that there might be something wrong with grandma's condition, so how could Xie Jinxuan not be panicked?
Both of them put on their clothes and shoes in a hurry. Xia Qingtang held up the half-lit candle and went downstairs with Xie Jinxuan.
Xie Chengye and Xie's mother had also come out. Xie's mother's face was extremely pale, and she looked like she wanted to cry but didn't dare to.
Xie Chengye said: "Jinxuan, let's go answer the phone. Qingtang stays at home with your mother."
"I understand." Xia Qingtang nodded.
After Xie Chengye and his son Xie Jinxuan ran out with flashlights, everyone else in the family also came out.
Xia Qingtang lit the kerosene lamp in the living room and poured a cup of hot water for everyone.
Xie's mother's hands were cold. She held the cup of hot water but couldn't warm her hands.
No one in the house spoke. Even Xie Jinyun, a child who usually liked to talk nonsense and interrupt, clasped his hands and lowered his head, wondering if he was praying secretly.
Everyone was waiting in silence for Xie Chengye and the others to come back. This wait lasted for more than ten minutes. Suddenly, Xie's mother put the cup on the coffee table and said, "I can't wait any longer. I want to go over and take a look!"
Xia Qingtang stood up and said, "I'll go with mom."
Xie Jinyun quickly said, "I'll go too."
"Okay, let's go together. Is there any flashlight at home?" Xia Qingtang asked.
"some."
Sixth Aunt quickly took out a flashlight from the cupboard and handed it to Xia Qingtang. She and Xie Jinyun took Xie's mother's arm and slowly walked out.
I hadn't walked too far when I saw a flashlight beam shining towards me from the other end of the road.
"Xie Chengye! How's my mother?" Xie's mother shouted, and then started crying.
Xie Chengye was startled and quickly shouted, "Mother-in-law is fine! It's not her fault!"
"It's not my mother's business?"
"Yes, mother-in-law is fine!"
Mother Xie's whole body relaxed, her legs went soft and she was about to fall to the ground. Fortunately, Xia Qingtang and Xie Jinyun held her on both sides, so she didn't actually fall to the ground.
Xie Jinxuan had already strode over: "Mom, are you okay? Are your legs weak? Is your chest okay? Are you feeling uncomfortable?"
Xie's mother waved her hands weakly: "I'm fine, my legs are just too weak to walk. Knowing that your grandma is fine, I feel relieved all of a sudden."
Xie Jinxuan immediately squatted down: "Mom, I'll carry you back."
Xie Chengye also ran over: "Are you okay? Are you okay? Didn't I tell you to wait at home? Why did you run out?"
"Mom was too worried and couldn't sit still. It's good to know that grandma is okay. We feel relieved too." Xia Qingtang also breathed a sigh of relief.
Although everyone is mentally prepared, if that moment really comes, I believe both Xie's mother and Xie Jinxuan will be very painful.
Xie Jinyun asked: "Dad, what on earth do you want to talk to us about? This is too scary. Not to mention that Mom can't stand steadily, I'm also scared to the point of wanting to pee."
Xie Chengye looked around and whispered, "It's too late. Everyone else has gone to bed. Let's go back and talk about it."
"Well, let's talk about it when we get back. Anyway, what happened on the phone has nothing to do with grandma, so it's the same thing if we talk about it when we get back." Xie Jinxuan said as she strode forward with her mother on her back.
When he got home, the old man asked anxiously, "What happened?"
"Grandma is fine, don't worry, it's a matter at my second uncle's house." Xie Jinxuan said quickly, squatted in front of the sofa, and put her mother down.
Mother Xie leaned back on the sofa, and her complexion gradually looked better.
Sixth Aunt went to the medicine box and took out some cooling oil, applied it on Xie's mother's temples, and rubbed several acupoints on her hands with a folk remedy, hoping to make her feel more comfortable.
The old man frowned and said, "What happened to Tian Guoqiang that required him to call us in the middle of the night? Are you trying to scare us on purpose?"
"Yes, I was almost scared to death. I really thought something happened over there." Grandma also covered her chest and gasped a few times, "Fortunately, nothing happened, fortunately, fortunately..."
Xie Chengye said: "It was my father-in-law who called us, because they also found out about it in the evening. He thought about it and thought it was not too late, so he decided to call us and tell us in advance so that we can be mentally prepared. Otherwise, if we are attacked by surprise tomorrow, it will be bad."
"What's going on?" the old man asked, "Why are you hesitating? Can't you explain it more clearly?"
Xie Chengye said: "It's just that this matter is particularly difficult to describe. Anyway, the last time Jinxuan and her family went to visit their mother-in-law, didn't Tian Guoqiang want Jinxuan to divorce and marry a girl named Wu Jinfeng in order to get promoted?"
"Remember, that's a relative of theirs. I saw in the letter that he committed suicide with a knife and sneaked into the ward at night to scare Jinxuan. He's not a normal person. What's wrong with this Wu Jinfeng?"
Xie Chengye said: "Recently, aren't all provinces and cities working hard to create new jobs for educated youth? Wu Jinfeng's family used their connections to get her a job in our city, and she was transferred here directly. I heard that Tian Guoqiang and his wife also made a lot of efforts. They wanted to please Wu Jinfeng and make the Wu family happy, so they have been helping. This matter was kept secret at the beginning, for fear that we would know in advance. It happened that Tian Feiyang went to a friend's house for dinner that night, and there was a male comrade who was originally from the same unit as Wu Jinfeng. He talked about this matter after drinking too much, and also said that Wu The family is really capable and can find a new job for the girl across provinces. When Tian Feiyang knew about this, he hurried home to tell his father-in-law and his family. His father-in-law took Tian Feiyang to Tian Guoqiang's house and almost got into a fight. Tian Feilong was afraid of being beaten, so he told him. He said that this was his mother's idea for Wu Jinfeng. As long as the girl came to live in the same city and create more opportunities, she would be able to snatch Jinxuan away sooner or later. By the way, Tian Feilong also said that Wu Jinfeng's train will arrive here tomorrow morning. It seems that she came here a few days in advance to settle down and will officially take up the post next month. "
After hearing this, the whole family fell into silence. Even Xia Qingtang thought that the Wu family was crazy.
After a while, Xie's mother frowned and said, "Is it worth calling and scaring people in the middle of the night just for this? I really thought something happened to my mom, and I almost..."
Xie Jinxuan quickly handed her mother a cup of hot water: "Mom, drink some water. Mainly because my dad hasn't finished talking yet..."
"Then tell me quickly!" said Xie's mother.
The old man reacted and said, "I see. There must be something wrong with the new job that the Wu family arranged for Wu Jinfeng. Could it be Jinxuan's office? This way, she can spend every day with Jinxuan, and Jinxuan must stay in the secretariat for a few years. I won't just change her department. Wouldn't that make her a deadbeat who can't be gotten rid of?"
Xie Chengye shook his head: "No, it's really not. Their family doesn't have the ability to get someone to work in the province."
"Then why is your father-in-law worried? She and Jinxuan don't work together, and you may not see each other even once a month, right? If she dares to come to our house, Xiaoliu and I will kick her out! You don't work in the same place, so why are you two hesitating like this?" Grandma was a little puzzled.
Xia Qingtang was the first to react. She said, "Could it be...Wu Jinfeng wants to work with me?"
Otherwise, why would Xie Chengye look so embarrassed, as if he wanted to say something but didn't dare to.
Grandma shook her head, "Impossible! Wu Jinfeng was originally a cadre, how could she possibly work in a factory? The cotton mill is not a big factory, who would run from an office to a factory, unless she wants to be the factory director? She is so young, I'm afraid she doesn't have that ability... Besides, she came here to snatch Jinxuan away, what's the point of running to work with you?"
But Xie Chengye and Xie Jinxuan both showed a strange expression at the same time. Xie Jinxuan said: "Qingtang's guess is correct. The Wu family really brought Wu Jinfeng into the cotton mill. Their factory has added two new clerks this time. One of them is Qingtang, and the other should be Wu Jinfeng."
The whole family fell silent again, and grandma suddenly scolded: "What a shameless thing! Is she going to go to the factory to make trouble for Qingtang? Qingtang just became a clerk with her own ability. Now that she goes to the factory, she will definitely do something!"
Xie's mother also frowned and said, "She's not thinking about making Qingtang lose his job, is she? I know my second brother very well. Maybe the couple told Wu Jinfeng that as long as Qingtang loses his job and the Xie family doesn't want to support an idler, they will definitely get divorced."
"My father-in-law said the same thing on the phone. What he meant was that this matter was caused by the Tian family, and he didn't expect it to be endless. So he would find a way to have the Tian family find someone to see if Wu Jinfeng's job could be transferred so as not to cause trouble for Qingtang." Xie Chengye said.
The old man said, "I don't care what they do. Anyway, Qingtang is a good kid. Listen to me. If Wu Jinfeng is really causing trouble in the factory and destroying Qingtang's work, then you two parents should not sit idle. Go to their factory and talk to the leaders. How can someone with a problematic ideology like Wu Jinfeng work as a clerk? What on earth is the director of the cotton mill thinking!"
According to the old man's character, saying such words is already circumventing his principles. It can be seen that this incident made him very dissatisfied. At the same time, it can also be seen that he really likes Xia Qingtang as a child.
Grandma also said, "That's right, Chengye, if you have time, go talk to the leaders of the cotton mill. It's not that you want to give Qingtang special treatment, but just tell them that Qingtang is a member of our family. I don't want anyone to help Wu Jinfeng bully her! Whoever bullies Qingtang is bullying our Xie family, and I will never let them go!"
Xie Chengye said: "Dad, Mom, don't worry, I know what's going on with this matter."
Xia Qingtang said, "Thank you, Grandpa and Grandma, thank you, Mom and Dad, but let me handle this matter by myself for now. If I can't handle it, I will come back and ask for help."
Grandma said with concern, "How are you going to deal with it yourself?"
"I grew up in a cotton mill. I am familiar with everyone in the factory. I know the personalities, personalities, and work styles of the leadership. I also have co-workers and good friends in the factory. If Wu Jinfeng really wants to attack me, she may not be my opponent. As the saying goes, a strong dragon cannot defeat a local snake. How can I, a native child of a cotton mill, be bullied by her?" Xia Qingtang smiled, looking very confident.
Xia Qingtang's self-confidence was not blind. She had worked in a trade union in her previous life and was very familiar with everything in the factory. She did not believe that Wu Jinfeng, a newcomer, could trip her up by using crooked means.
Grandpa nodded and said, "What you said makes sense. You are more familiar with the factory. I know from your articles that you are a smart child. You understand the people above and the hard work below. Grandpa believes that you can handle it. However, if you encounter trouble, you don't have to be polite to your family. Just ask your father to go to the factory to help you. Remember?"
"I'll remember it. Thank you, Grandpa." Xia Qingtang smiled sweetly and looked particularly well-behaved.
Grandma reached out and touched her face: "Our Qingtang is such a good child, but Jinxuan is not so good. She provoked those people outside and didn't handle it properly. Now she is causing trouble for Qingtang."
Xie Jinxuan scratched the back of her head, "You can't blame me for this. How long has it been since I joined the army? In the past, when we were all young, I could only see her once every one or two years. Even if I did, I didn't talk to her much. How could she still be missed like this? Is it my fault?"
"Of course it's your fault. Who told you to be so attractive?" Xie's mother said with a smile, "Your father and I both have ordinary looks, and your brother is not as good-looking as you. Why do you have to look like a little white poplar? You stand out wherever you go?"
This made the whole family laugh. Xie Jinyun said unconvincedly: "I will definitely be better looking than my brother when I grow up!"
"Good, good, good, you look better!" Xie's mother rubbed her little son's head and said, "Everyone is frightened. It's quite late. Why don't we all go back to bed? We still have to go to work and school tomorrow."
"Yes, go back to sleep." After the old man said that, he supported grandma and they went back to their room together.
Xie Jinxuan and Xia Qingtang also carried the half-burnt candle up to the third floor. Xia Qingtang went to the bathroom first. When she came back, Xie Jinxuan was leaning against the head of the bed, looking at her with some worry.
"Why aren't you sleeping yet? Can't sleep?" Xia Qingtang asked.
Some people's sleep is like this. Once it is interrupted, it will be difficult for them to fall asleep again. But normally, this shouldn't happen at Xie Jinxuan's age.
Xie Jinxuan said: "I want to wait for you to sleep together, and I am a little worried about your factory."
"Wu Jinfeng? Do you know much about this person? Do you know what kind of personality she has and what kind of work style she has? If you know, you can tell me so that I can prepare in advance." Xia Qingtang took off his clothes and sat on the bed.
After being tossed around like that, her originally warm hands and feet became cold, so she grabbed Xie Jinxuan's big hand next to her and began to warm her own hands.
"I really don't know all this. I really seldom see her. I only know that she is a relative of my second aunt. Her parents are cadres and she has been spoiled since she was a child. In my memory, I rarely spoke to her. In fact, I don't know what she sees in me. We haven't had much contact." Xie Jinxuan looked incomprehensible.
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "She likes you, isn't that normal? Your mother said, who told you to look like this? You are so pretty and handsome, it is normal for you to attract many people. It is normal for her to like you. From childhood to adulthood, even when you were studying, there must have been many people who liked you, right?"
"At that time, some girls did write to me, but I rejected them seriously, and they all accepted the rejection readily. No one was like Wu Jinfeng. I had rejected her, so how could she still pester me like this? Didn't she know that by doing this, she was causing more trouble for others?"
"You also said that she has been spoiled since she was a child. She must be very domineering and willful. She has always wanted everything she wants. If she wants the moon in the sky, I'm afraid her parents would find a way to pick it down for her. Over time, she developed such a personality. After being rejected by you, she couldn't face it. She even committed suicide. For her, her parents must have agreed to let her pester you. She won't stop unless she gets you."
Xie Jinxuan frowned slightly: "Is it so terrible? Can't she find someone else to like? Also, if I don't divorce for the rest of my life, will she not get married?"
"Marrying someone else might be a good idea." Xia Qingtang said, "Let me get to know this person first, study her personality and character, and then I'll see how to deal with her."
Xie Jinxuan said: "If she makes things difficult for you at the factory..."
"That's impossible. She can't do it. I'm a member of the union now. Our union chairman is a very powerful leader. She and Director Qi are both head-on. How could she let the staff of the factory office bully her subordinates? Besides, our union is directly managed by the Municipal Union. Unless she goes to the Municipal Union to find someone to bully me, I can't think of how she can make things difficult for me."
"Looks like I have to remind my dad to go to the city labor union and say hello to someone."
"Then I'd like to thank you and dad first. As for other things, don't worry about them. I'm not the kind of poor little thing that can be bullied. Wu Jinfeng wants to fight me, then let her try. I want to see what she can do." Xia Qingtang said, "Okay, let's go to bed quickly. I can sleep a little longer tomorrow morning, but you have to get up early as usual."
Xie Jinxuan said: "Starting from next month, your working and leaving hours will be the same as mine."
"Yes, you can take me to work every day from now on. But this is not good either, as we have to go out very early." Xia Qingtang said, "When can we get the women's bicycle you mentioned last time?"
Bicycles have always been a hot commodity. Even though they only cost two hundred yuan each, many people are lining up to buy them, especially women's bicycles, which are less common than 28-inch bicycles and therefore more difficult to buy.
"I've been asking about it. It should be available soon. Maybe you can buy it in early January. Once you get the bike, I'll teach you how to ride it."
"Okay." Xia Qingtang went to bed happily.
Because he went to bed a little late at night, Xia Qingtang woke up an hour later than usual. Xie Jinxuan was no longer around, and the quilt next to him had long been cold.
She got dressed, washed up, and slowly walked downstairs, only to find that everyone had already gone out to work or school.
Grandma and Sixth Aunt were still sitting in the dining room. There were pots and pans on the table, and they were whispering to each other.
Seeing Xia Qingtang coming down, grandma immediately said, "Qingtang, come and have breakfast."
"Sorry, grandma, I got up late." Xia Qingtang sat down in his seat.
Grandma said, "What's there to be embarrassed about? No one slept well last night. You are on the middle shift today, so you can sleep a little longer. You can sleep if you want, as long as it doesn't affect your work."
Aunt Six served Xia Qingtang a bowl of vegetable soup and rice, then took a small steamer from the stove over there and handed her two mixed flour buns: "Eat quickly, I seasoned the side dishes this morning with sesame oil, and they taste great."
Xia Qingtang thanked him and started to eat the hot breakfast.
Grandma sat next to her and accompanied her. She said, "Don't be afraid if you meet that woman in the factory in the future. Grandma is here for you. Just tell grandma what's going on. At worst, grandma will find someone to deal with her! If she wants to bully our family, I will make sure she knows how powerful I am! Don't worry, your grandpa won't know what we did. Xiaoliu and I are both famous for our tight-lipped words."
"Yes, we will definitely not tell anyone anything. If you have any news, you must come home and tell us."
Xia Qingtang smiled and nodded, feeling that both Grandma and Sixth Aunt were treating this matter as a battle.
After breakfast, Xia Qingtang accompanied her grandmother to listen to model operas for a while, and then helped Aunt Liu to untie the threads of a few pairs of work gloves, and then slowly rolled them into balls, leaving them for Aunt Liu to use to knit sweaters and trousers.
News spread quickly in the factory. The next day, Wu Jinfeng had just gone to the cotton mill to handle the transfer of her relationship, and Wen Xiaoli already knew that the clerk in the factory office was a person from another province.
"How could it be an outsider? I heard that many people tried to get a job in the factory by using their connections, but it was snatched away by an outsider. This person must be someone extraordinary." Wen Xiaoli whispered, "She's a young female comrade."
"Oh, you've seen it?"
"I haven't seen her. Someone saw her at the factory office and told me about her. I heard that she was wearing a cadre uniform and looked very stylish, just like the cadres in the government offices. She even carried a briefcase. There's no one with such style among the staff in our factory. I really want to see how stylish she is..."
Xia Qingtang said, "Don't worry, take a rest tomorrow. Won't she come to work on Monday?"
This day was the last working day of seven or eight years, and also Xia Qingtang’s last day working in a workshop.
Wen Xiaoli immediately thought of this and said, "I really miss you. I won't see you in Workshop 1 anymore."
"Don't be so sad. We can meet anytime at the factory in the future. It's not like I won't come to work anymore." Xia Qingtang said with a smile.
"That's right. I'll go to the union office to see you when I'm on break." Wen Xiaoli said, "By the way, tomorrow is the last day of the year. They and I are going to the department store to buy some winter stuff. Do you want to come with us?"
"Okay, what time tomorrow? Let's meet at the entrance of the department store." Xia Qingtang wanted to go shopping with these friends because it was a rare experience in his previous life.
"Meet at the entrance of the department store at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. Don't go too early. It's very windy in the morning."
"Don't worry, I'll go according to the time."
After receiving their wages and various tickets, the two men happily returned to the workshop to continue working.
When we were leaving get off work, Yao Rong, the team leader, said, "Xiao Xia, I hope you can come back to our workshop more often in the future."
After saying that, she shook hands with Xia Qingtang earnestly. Then, many familiar co-workers came over and shook hands with her one by one. Each of them said words of encouragement to her with a smile on their face.
Xia Qingtang originally thought it was nothing, but after the handshake ceremony, she was a little moved. With red eyes, she said loudly: "Thank you all for your concern and care for me over the past two years. After I join the union, I will always carry the honor of the workshop, work hard, and will never embarrass you guys!"
"Well said! You will definitely be the pride of our workshop!" Yao Rong smiled and hugged her, "Do a good job!"
Xia Qingtang felt warm in her heart. After she walked to the factory gate and separated from Wen Xiaoli, she was still sniffing and felt like crying.
"What's wrong? Did you catch a cold?" Xie Jinxuan took out a clean handkerchief from her pocket and wanted to wipe her nose.
Xia Qingtang said: "I didn't catch a cold. It was just that Team Leader Yao Rong and my fellow workers shook hands with me and said goodbye. I was very moved. The workshop is indeed very hard, but in a workshop, everyone is very united and friendly, helping each other."
In fact, quarrels and fights do happen, such as when the shifts are unreasonable or when there are minor conflicts, but these are small things. After the quarrel, they will automatically reconcile and still be a complete group.
Xie Jinxuan joked, "What should we do? You are so reluctant to leave the first workshop, why don't you apply to stay there?"
"Go away, you know how much effort I put in to work in a healthy environment." Xia Qingtang said, "Even if you are reluctant, it's time to leave."
Someone has to do the work that affects physical health, but Xia Qingtang believes that she is not the kind of person who would sacrifice herself. She can only protect her own health and choose this path.
When they got home, Aunt Six brought out a tin pot from home, and said with a smile, "Come and eat! I calculated the time to prepare it for you! Eat it by yourself, don't let Xiaoyun snatch it away!"
Xie Jinyun, who was peeling peanuts on the coffee table, said loudly: "I won't steal other people's food! Humph!"
"When I was cooking just now, did you sneak into the kitchen and say you wanted to eat one?" Aunt Six laughed.
"It smelled so good, I couldn't help myself..."
Xia Qingtang washed his hands and sat down at the dining table, saying, "Sixth Aunt, what delicious food have you prepared for me? Otherwise, I'll eat with Xiaoyun."
"No, no, no, this is specially prepared for you. Today is your last day working in the workshop. From next year on, you will be working in an office. This is a big and happy event, so I prepared it for you. Come, eat quickly, and don't worry about Xiaoyun." As she spoke, Sixth Aunt opened the lid of the tin pot, revealing a small pot full of large wontons.
"Wow! It smells so good!" Xia Qingtang's eyes lit up and he couldn't help but drool.
Aunt Liu is very good at making wontons. She kneads the dough and rolls out the dough herself, then mixes it with dried shrimp, leeks, eggs, and dried tofu to make the filling. If there is pork, she will also add a little minced pork. Finally, she mixes the seasoning, adds a spoonful of lard, pours hot soup, and sprinkles some coriander or chopped green onions. It is so fragrant that you can swallow your tongue.
Xia Qingtang was very happy. He thanked her and started eating with a small spoon.
The first bite was full of fillings. Xia Qingtang was even more surprised as he ate: "Is there pork in it?"
"Yes, it's pork, specially prepared for you, that's why Xiaoyun is so greedy." Aunt Liu smiled and said, "I also packed some without pork, and I will cook them for breakfast tomorrow morning."
Now that the weather is cold, you can wrap it up in advance at night and put it outside the kitchen window, and it won’t go bad at all.
"Am I the only one who eats pork? I feel a little embarrassed." Xia Qingtang said in a low voice.
She really enjoys special favor in the Xie family.
Aunt Six said, "It's prepared for you. You're going to change jobs, and they don't have any. Don't worry about them. Enjoy your meal, okay."
"Okay, I'll drink all the soup. This is the most delicious wonton I've ever eaten." Xia Qingtang continued to eat the wontons with a happy face.
Aunt Liu happened to go to the bathroom, so she quickly called Xie Jinyun over, scooped up two wontons with a small spoon, put them on the pot lid and handed them to him: "Xiaoyun, eat quickly."
Xie Jinyun looked towards the bathroom like a thief, and quickly picked up a wonton and put it into her mouth: "It smells so good!"
He hurriedly finished two large wontons, then ran back to sit at the coffee table, then pretended nothing had happened and continued to peel peanuts.
As soon as Aunt Six came over, she pointed at Xie Jinyun and said, "Xiaoyun, you went to eat wontons secretly!"
"No, I didn't. I just sat here and didn't move." Xie Jinyun certainly couldn't admit it.
Aunt Six said, "You're still pretending. Look at the corners of your mouth. There's chopped green onions!"
Grandpa, grandma and Xie Jinxuan, who were sitting on the coffee table, all laughed. Grandma quickly came out to smooth things over: "I can testify that it was Qingtang who offered to give him the food, not Xiaoyun who asked for it."
"You are such a greedy kid. I've prepared portions for everyone and we can eat tomorrow morning, but you insisted on snatching food from your sister-in-law. Didn't you have enough tonight?" Aunt Six said as she sat down.
"Of course I'm full, but wontons with pork are more delicious..."
Xia Qingtang finished a pot of hot wontons and even drank all the soup amidst everyone's chatter and laughter.
That night, Xia Qingtang had a very pleasant dream. Although she could not remember the content of the dream when she woke up, she could still recall the happy emotions in the dream.
With such emotion, she had breakfast with everyone. Xie Jinxuan then rode his bike to take her to the entrance of the department store and asked if he wanted her to be picked up at noon.
Xia Qingtang said, "No, I might have something to eat with everyone at noon, and Aunt Six doesn't have to cook for me."
"Okay, I understand." Xie Jinxuan pinched her face before turning the car around and leaving.
After waiting at the door for two minutes, I saw Wen Xiaoli and two other young female workers walking towards me side by side.
"Qingtang!" Wen Xiaoli waved over here.
She smiled and waved, then walked inside arm in arm with Wen Xiaoli who was rushing over.
Xia Qingtang has bought everything she needs for winter. Her grandmother brought her here to buy new cotton-padded clothes, new cotton-padded shoes, and a new cross-body bag that she can carry when she goes to work tomorrow.
Wen Xiaoli and her friends needed to buy a lot of things, so the girls first went to the skin care products counter, and then chattered about what to buy.
As long as the family is not as harsh on the children as Zhao Meizhen, the female workers will basically not be too harsh on themselves. Everyone will buy vanishing cream, but they just worry about what brand to buy.
Finally, several people bought Friendship Vanishing Cream to apply on their faces. Xia Qingtang also followed them and bought some clam oil to apply on their hands.
Wen Xiaoli also brought soap tickets and bought a large bar of soap. After that, everyone started to wander around. They would stare at and chatter about anything they saw for a long time, making it very lively.
When they got to the clothing store on the second floor, Wen Xiaoli found the same cotton-padded jacket and sweater as Xia Qingtang, and said, "My mother has asked someone to buy red wool. If she buys it, she will knit me a sweater like this."
"Knitted yarn is very expensive, I'd better wear this sweater." Luo Jucui said: "When I get married in the future, I will buy a red sweater to wear."
Even among city dwellers, not everyone can afford a sweater. Many people would take apart the yarn from work gloves and piece them together to knit a sweater. Although it is not as warm as a sweater, it is much better than wearing an empty jacket.
Wen Xiaoli smiled and said, "Have you found your partner? You've been talking about getting married."
"It's almost time. We've already been to the park and had dinner together. If we spend a few more months together, we should be able to get engaged." Luo Cuiju smiled and said, "You always said you wanted to find a partner, why don't you let anyone introduce you to someone now?"
"It's too early for me. I'm not in a hurry now." Wen Xiaoli said: "If you get married in a few months, the weather will be hot and you won't be able to wear a red sweater."
"It's okay, just wear it when it gets colder."
They turned a corner and continued walking towards another counter. Coincidentally, Xia Qingtang felt that the female comrade coming towards them looked very familiar.
When she thought about it again, she immediately remembered, wasn't this Wu Jinfeng whom she had met in her grandmother's ward that day?
She was like a madman in the ward before, but now she was dressed like a decent person, wearing a navy blue long coat, black trousers, a pair of leather cotton shoes, a large black leather bag, and a long white scarf around her neck. Although she was not tall and thin, her expression was domineering and her eyes were condescending. She glanced at the four young girls coming over with some disdain.
Perhaps it was because Xia Qingtang and the other three were dressed too ordinary, and the girls were all good-looking, which made Wu Jinfeng feel uncomfortable.
However, Wu Jinfeng did not recognize Xia Qingtang. In the ward that day, she did not dare to look up, and she was yelling when she was carried out by the guard, so she did not see Xia Qingtang's face clearly.
Behind Wu Jinfeng followed a middle-aged female comrade. Their facial features were somewhat similar, and judging by their ages, she should be her mother.
The middle-aged woman was holding two bulging cloth bags in her hands, and it seemed that she had bought a lot of things.
The two groups passed each other. After they passed each other, Tong Xiaolan lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "The female comrade who just passed by is the new clerk of the factory office. I have seen her outside the factory office before. She is small but has a bad temper. When Secretary Wang was processing the procedures for her, she complained that he was slow."
"Ah, is that her?" Wen Xiaoli quickly turned around to take a look. "She is really dressed very elegantly, like a female cadre."
"The female comrade with her also looks like a female cadre," said Tong Xiaolan.
Luo Cuiju said: "Maybe the whole family is cadres."
"Why do cadres come to work in factories? Why don't they go to government offices? Work in government offices is so easy. Even if they want to come to a factory, they should go to a big one. The bathhouse in the steel mill is bigger than ours. What's so good about our cotton mill? It's really strange that she was transferred from another place and didn't go to the steel mill but came here instead." Wen Xiaoli said.
Xia Qingtang didn't express any opinion at all. When they saw the counter selling wool, the girls' attention was diverted and they were no longer interested in the strange Wu Jinfeng.
After coming out of the department store, a few people discussed whether to go out for dinner or go home for dinner. At this time, Tong Xiaolan said that she would take everyone to a good place to eat, so everyone followed her.
Everyone had just received their salary and had plenty of money. Tomorrow was the new year, so no one planned to save money. Even if they went to a state-owned restaurant, they wanted to have a good meal.
They walked out of the city center and went to a small alley about two miles away. There were old buildings here from many years ago.
Tong Xiaolan mysteriously knocked on the wooden window of one of the houses. The window had curtains drawn. A young girl opened the window, stuck her head out and looked at her, then whispered, "Come in."
After a while, the door was opened, and Tong Xiaolan led everyone into the house quickly. The young girl quickly closed the door and bolted it, then quietly led the four of them into a small room.
The room was not big, just enough space for an octagonal table, which was wiped clean. However, the lighting was not very good. There was a layer of white paper pasted on the wooden window, so the room was a little dim.
Wen Xiaoli was infected by this thieving atmosphere and dared not make a sound. She sat on the bench as obediently as an elementary school student who had just entered school.
Luo Cuiju also said in a thief-like voice: "Xiao Lan, what is this place? Your relative's house? How can we have the nerve to go to someone's house for dinner? It's so expensive."
Xia Qingtang looked around and found that there was a kitchen at the end, the kind of kitchen you would find in an ordinary household. He guessed what this place was.
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