Chapter 44
Wu Jinfeng did not come to work in the morning. Director Huang came with Secretary Wang in the afternoon and said they wanted to apologize to the people from the union.
"I'm sorry. Secretary Xiao Wu in our office is not feeling well and is still recuperating, so I came here to apologize to everyone on her behalf. Some of Xiao Wu's behaviors have caused great trouble to your work. As a leader, I cannot shirk my responsibility. I'm really sorry to everyone." Director Huang looked very helpless.
Chairman Qin said, "Old Huang, you came to apologize? Xiao Wu recovered after that, so why did she come to apologize? After all, she was the one who stole the documents. She let it slip, which was equivalent to admitting it. We didn't wrongly accuse her. She also made a lot of noise here, affecting our work."
Director Huang was in a dilemma: "Chairman Qin, please, please don't embarrass me, okay? Our factory director doesn't dare to tell Xiao Wu to do anything. You embarrass me like this, I...what can I do? I can only apologize to you myself. If you want to apologize, I can come and apologize to you eight or ten times, but if you want Xiao Wu to apologize, you have to go to Director Qi, I really can't do it."
"Well, Xiao Wu stole the speech written by Xiao Xia. Why don't you ask Xiao Xia if she can accept your way of apology." Chairman Qin looked at Xia Qingtang.
Xia Qingtang said: "It was originally a small matter. Director Huang came here in person to express his apology on behalf of his subordinates. How can I not accept it?"
She had never thought that Wu Jinfeng would come to apologize, and her refusal to apologize would only make everyone hate her more and reject her, so not apologizing was actually a good thing.
Chairman Qin said, "Xiao Xia has accepted it, so there is nothing more for us to say. Okay, let's leave it at that. Let's put an end to this. But Lao Huang, I have to remind you that this will not happen again."
"Thank you, Chairman Qin, thank you for your mercy. But this must not happen again. I can control the other staff members, but I really can't control that one." Director Huang smiled bitterly.
Chairman Qin sighed, "You are in a difficult situation now. You have a great ancestor under your control. You can neither intervene nor ignore her. In my opinion, Xiao Wu will definitely cause other troubles. However, you can't even handle this little thing. What will you do if she causes a big trouble in the future? After all, she is someone from your factory. If something really happens, you will have to take responsibility."
"I really have no choice. I originally wanted a capable young person to come here, preferably someone who can write. Who knew that the higher-ups sent me such a bastard. I dare not even assign her any work. I can only let her drink tea and read newspapers every day. What can I do? With her being like this, I will have to visit her in the hospital to show my support and ask Xiao Wang to apologize to her. Don't you think it's funny?"
"It's quite funny. Xiao Wang feels wronged. But there's nothing he can do. His family is a leader. I heard they are big leaders."
"What's wrong with the leader? He's not our leader! If he's that great, why don't you go somewhere quiet? Why come to our factory office? We're usually very busy." Director Huang finished speaking and sighed again, "Forget it, let's not talk about it. It's almost the New Year, let's all be happy. I apologize to everyone again, and I hope you can understand that our factory office is helpless."
Chairman Qin said, "Okay, we have seen your sincerity, and this matter is over."
"Thank you for your understanding." After saying that, Director Huang left with Officer Wang, who looked aggrieved. However, the backs of both of them looked very heavy when they left.
Chairman Qin said, "Fortunately, we asked Xiao Xia to come here in advance. If by some unfortunate coincidence, the higher-ups had brought that Xiao Wu to our union, I would have been furious."
Feng Xinhui said: "Yes, fortunately she went to the factory office. The New Year is coming soon, and there are only a few days left before the holiday. I hope that Xiao Wu will stay in the hospital and not come out."
But Wu Jinfeng came back to work the next day. It might be because Director Huang personally brought Secretary Wang to apologize to her, so she looked radiant and complacent. It was said that she came to the office in the morning and scolded Secretary Wang harshly.
Secretary Wang was originally a very nice person. He often ate and worked with Wu Jinfeng during this period. But after being treated like this, Secretary Wang got angry and stopped eating and working with her, or talking to her.
There were originally two young people in the factory who had been trying to please Wu Jinfeng and take advantage of her. But after this incident, they saw that she had such a bad character that she could turn against a colleague in the office without any warning. Moreover, she used her power to force others to apologize to her even though it was clearly her who made the mistake. They both felt a little scared and stopped associating with Wu Jinfeng.
Wu Jinfeng ate alone for two days, went to work and came home alone, and no one in the office spoke to her.
Anyway, she didn't have any work to do, so her colleagues could just ignore her.
Wu Jinfeng had never experienced such injustice in her life. She was angry and sad. When Xia Qingtang and Feng Xinhui passed by the telephone room, they heard her calling her family inside. She was crying while talking and kept saying that these workers were bullying her.
Feng Xinhui and Xia Qingtang stood there and listened for a while. Wu Jinfeng was just complaining but didn't mention going home at all.
After a while, seeing that they could not hear any more information, the two men walked forward in a low voice.
"She's so aggrieved but she still doesn't want to go home. It seems like there's a big conflict between you and Xiao Wu. She insists on quarreling with you here." Feng Xinhui whispered, "She's too easily excited. I don't want her to stay in our factory."
"I also hope she can go home earlier, but it looks like she will have to come back to work after the Chinese New Year." Xia Qingtang said, "I hope she won't do anything extreme by then."
If he really tried to commit suicide in the factory, some things would surely be exposed, and Xia Qingtang didn't want to become the topic of conversation.
Soon it was noon of the third day after the incident, which was also the last working day of the year for the cotton mill.
There are no mid-day or late-day shifts in all departments today. Everyone works the early morning shift and gets off work at five o'clock to go home and celebrate the New Year.
At noon, Xia Qingtang and Wen Xiaoli and a few others met up to have lunch and chat, discussing going to the park for fun during the first month of the lunar year. Just as they sat down to eat, they saw Wu Jinfeng striding into the cafeteria with a smile on her face and a lunch box in her arms.
"Oh, this Wu Jinfeng has become so arrogant again." Tong Xiaolan said in a low voice.
Xia Qingtang and the others all looked towards the cafeteria entrance and found that Wu Jinfeng was indeed looking proud again. She stood at the entrance of the noisy cafeteria, then turned around and said, "There are so many people here."
"Yes, there are too many people. How about this, I'll help you get the food, so that you won't be squeezed by too many people. You have just been discharged from the hospital, and your body hasn't recovered yet. Let me do the rough work of getting food." Xia Qinghai walked in from behind with a smile on his face, and then stood beside Wu Jinfeng.
Although he was wearing a dark blue work suit, he had a handsome and gentle face, was tall, and had a bright and beautiful smile. He was indeed the most outstanding young man in the entire cotton mill.
Wu Jinfeng was a person who cared a lot about her reputation, so she must have felt comfortable standing next to the best-looking young man in the cotton mill.
Hearing that Xia Qinghai was going to help her with her meal, Wu Jinfeng was very proud, and she handed over the lunch box in her hand with some reserve: "I'll just have something light today, just an egg and some tofu."
Xia Qinghai took her lunch box with a smile: "Okay, I've taken note of it. Go find a table over there and sit down for a rest. I'll be there in a while."
After saying that, Xia Qinghai went to queue up for food, while Wu Jinfeng walked over with her head held high and found a table next to Xia Qingtang and the others and sat down.
Wen Xiaoli widened her eyes: "What's going on? It can't be...what I think?"
Luo Cuiju said, "What?"
"That is... that is, they are not dating each other, right?"
Tong Xiaolan was very surprised. She said, "How is it possible? Wu Jinfeng is the daughter of an official. I heard her family is a high-ranking official! It's impossible. How could she find a job as a worker in our factory?"
After she finished speaking, perhaps because she was afraid that Xia Qingtang would mind, she added, "Qingtang, I'm not talking about you. What I mean is that Ji Fangfang doesn't even like your brother, let alone the daughter of a senior cadre."
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "I know, I understand what you mean, and I also think Wu Jinfeng won't be interested in him."
Wen Xiaoli whispered, "But Xia Qinghai is good-looking. People in the factory say he is the best-looking gay man."
"The people in our factory really have no aesthetic taste. Is he the best looking? I think Xiao Wu from the maintenance team is the best looking." Xia Qingtang said.
Wen Xiaoli smiled and said, "That Xiao Wu looks a bit like your lover, so of course you think he is the best looking. But everyone says your brother is the best looking, really. Many people also said that Director Ji is forcing others to do something against their will. He will definitely regret it in the future if he gives up such a good son-in-law."
"Even if Xia Qinghai is handsome, Wu Jinfeng won't really like him. Children of cadres must have requirements for choosing a spouse. How could they marry someone of lower status? Unless Xia Qinghai uses some special means..." Xia Qingtang didn't say anything else.
Yes, unless Xia Qinghai uses other means, such as using the shotgun marriage that was originally used on Ji Fangfang on Wu Jinfeng.
Given how much Wu Jinfeng's parents dote on her, they would definitely compromise once she has Xia Qinghai's child.
And no matter who it is, as long as Wu Jinfeng can settle down, get married, have children, and stop seeking death and doing ridiculous things, her parents will only be happy, and maybe even thank Xia Qinghai.
Wen Xiaoli is not stupid. A girl of her age should understand a little about these things. Besides, her mother is a good informant, so she knows even more. When she saw that Xia Qingtang didn't say anything more, she felt guilty.
"That's really not a good thing..."
Tong Xiaolan didn't understand: "What? What are you talking about? What special method? Tell me."
Luo Cuiju leaned close to her ear and whispered something. Tong Xiaolan was shocked at first, then her face turned red: "Impossible, isn't she the daughter of a senior official? How can she be so frivolous..."
Luo Jucui said: "This kind of thing has always happened. It's not uncommon in our factory. Xiao Liu from Workshop 2 got married in April and gave birth to a baby in October. You can tell what happened by calculating the dates. If she really gets pregnant, she'll have no choice but to get married."
Yes, this kind of thing is common in every era. It doesn’t matter what you did before marriage. What matters is that you can finally register for marriage. As long as you are married, everything you did before is not considered ridiculous.
"But I heard from someone before that Wu Jinfeng said she has a lover. She also said that her lover is a very handsome and talented young man, and she has very high standards. She said she looks down on people from our factory." Wen Xiaoli said as she looked at Wu Jinfeng at the table next to her.
She was sitting there with a reserved look on her face. Her posture did not seem like she was in a noisy cafeteria, but rather like she was attending a meeting in a big hotel in the provincial capital.
Obviously, although she disliked the workers for being unpresentable, it did not prevent a handsome single young man from being attentive to her and serving her.
Tong Xiaolan said: "She already has a lover, why is she coming to eat with another young man? Isn't she afraid that her lover will misunderstand?"
"That's none of our business." Xia Qingtang heard about his sweetheart and quickly changed the subject: "Let's eat quickly, the food is getting cold. Also, when are we going to the park? Have you decided on a date?"
Only then did a few people regain their attention and start chattering about which day would be more suitable.
The cotton mill would not resume work until the 16th day of the first lunar month. Before that, families would visit relatives and so on. In addition, Xia Qingtang would go visit her grandmother with Xie Jinxuan during the first lunar month. Therefore, after discussion, several people decided to set the date on the 14th day of the first lunar month. Basically, no one would visit relatives on this day, so everyone had time.
While Xia Qingtang was discussing with them, she glanced at Xia Qinghai out of the corner of her eye. She saw him make a portion of steamed egg with dried shrimp and a portion of fried stuffed tofu for Wu Jinfeng, and he made the same dish for himself. Then they sat opposite her and ate together.
Wu Jinfeng looked quite arrogant at first, but Xia Qinghai was obviously very patient, and it was not known what he said, but as they chatted, the arrogance on Wu Jinfeng's face gradually faded away, and she began to laugh along with him.
Judging from the situation, the "sweetheart" in Wu Jinfeng's heart may not be able to occupy it for too long. Maybe Xia Qinghai can really succeed in winning Wu Jinfeng and achieve a class transition in life.
When Xia Qingtang and the others finished their meal and left with their lunch boxes, Xia Qinghai even deliberately greeted her and said, "Sister, come home and stay with us during the New Year. Mom and Dad miss you very much."
Xia Qingtang didn't say anything, just smiled and went out with the girls.
Because it was the last working day before the New Year, the union had no other work in the afternoon, so everyone came to fetch water and cleaned the entire office. Then everyone packed all the things they needed to take away in their bags and took them home when it was time to get off work.
Before leaving get off work, Chairman Qin came over and said, "The duty schedule for the New Year has been arranged. Everyone should remember to come on time. I won't say much else. This year, you have all worked hard and performed well. Thank you for your hard work. I hope everyone has a good New Year. See you next year."
Feng Xinhui led the applause. Amid the applause, Xia Qingtang finished his work for the year and returned home happily.
Sitting on the bus, you can see that everyone on the bus is in a happy mood, which shows that everyone likes holidays and the New Year very much.
However, the Xie family will have their holiday two days later than their cotton mill. Grandpa Xie will be even busier during the Chinese New Year, so Sixth Aunt cannot go back to her hometown during the Chinese New Year and has to stay here to work as usual.
Fortunately, there were no relatives in Aunt Liu's hometown that she particularly missed. Since her husband passed away, she came to the Xie family as a nanny. Over the years, the Xie family treated her much better than her family in her hometown, so she preferred to stay here.
"Qingtang is back? You don't have to go to work tomorrow. Think about it, do you want to go out and play with grandma?" As soon as she entered the house, grandma smiled and grabbed Xia Qingtang's hand.
Xia Qingtang said: "I want to rest at home for a day tomorrow. The union is too busy this month, so I want to find a day to do nothing and just lie at home."
"Okay, then you can just lie down peacefully tomorrow. I'll ask Xiaoliu to bring you anything you want to eat."
"No, no, no, no matter how long I lie down, I still have to come down to eat. I'm not incapable of taking care of myself, so why should I ask someone to take me upstairs to eat?" Xia Qingtang hugged her grandmother's arm, "Tomorrow I will bask in the sun with you in the yard."
Aunt Six came out of the kitchen: "Qingtang, don't you want to go out tomorrow? I was planning to ask you to go with me to buy New Year's goods. There is still the last batch of things to buy, and it's busy outside. Are you really not going out?"
When Xia Qingtang heard about buying New Year's goods, he became interested: "Can I sleep a little longer before going out?"
"Sure, you can go in the afternoon. We'll wait for you." Aunt Six looked at the time on the clock and said, "The bathhouse is still open. You guys should go take a bath quickly and come back for dinner. Also, Jinxuan, give Xiaoyun a good bath. This child usually doesn't give her a good bath when she goes to the bathhouse by herself."
"Got it. I'll go call him right away." Xie Jinxuan said as she went upstairs. Then she packed clothes for her brother and went downstairs each carrying a washbasin.
Xia Qingtang also packed his own clothes and went to the bathhouse with Xie Jinxuan and his brother.
After taking a shower, it was already dark and the street lights were on. Xie Jinxuan was waiting for her at the exit with a washbasin in her arms. When she saw her come out, she quickly felt in her pocket, took out a bright orange and handed it to her: "Eat it quickly while you're still warm."
After taking a shower, she was indeed a little thirsty. Xia Qingtang peeled the orange with a smile, then cut the orange in half, put half into her own mouth, and fed the other half to Xie Jinxuan.
"This orange is so sweet." Xia Qingtang's eyes lit up instantly.
It’s so happy. Although it was a difficult time, being able to eat such sweet oranges after taking a hot shower is really a warm happiness.
Xie Jinxuan looked at her with bright eyes, which were full of gentle smile and some familiar desire.
But this is the main entrance, with people coming and going, and there's an auntie collecting bath tickets sitting there knitting sweaters. Even if I want to do something, it can't be here.
Xia Qingtang whispered, "Want to kiss me?"
"I do." Xie Jinxuan said honestly.
"Come out." Xia Qingtang held her basin in one hand and held his hand with the other and ran out of the bathhouse.
The two of them walked to a secluded place where there were no street lights. Xia Qingtang put down the basin in her hand and stretched out her arms to hug his neck.
In the darkness, the two people hugged each other tightly.
Soon, the cheers and running footsteps of children were heard not far away: "Wait for me!"
Xia Qingtang quickly got out of Xie Jinxuan's arms, picked up the basin, and walked back quickly as if nothing had happened.
Xie Jinxuan followed after a while, carrying the basin. The two returned home at the same time. As soon as they entered the house, Xie Jinxuan said, "Sister-in-law, your mouth is really red. Did you eat something secretly?"
Xia Qingtang laughed: "We ate an orange secretly, and you found out!"
"Ah? Are there oranges at home? How come I didn't know about them? Aunt Liu, where are the oranges?" Xiao Yun excitedly ran into the kitchen and asked Aunt Liu for oranges.
Aunt Six came out with a small pot in her hand: "Oranges? There are no oranges at home. We have eaten all the oranges we bought last time. There are no more."
"My sister-in-law said they ate oranges."
Xie Jinxuan said: "I brought back this orange from work, just one."
"That's why you guys ate them secretly!" Xie Jinyun was very unhappy, "I want to eat oranges, too."
Grandma said, "Don't worry, my family will buy you some oranges for the New Year, and you will have enough to eat then."
"That's good enough." Xie Jinyun's temper came and went quickly, but just these words calmed him down. He immediately ran into the kitchen to help Aunt Liu serve the dishes and get chopsticks, like a hardworking little bee.
Today's dinner is simple. Sixth Aunt made steamed rice with dried vegetables and seaweed and shrimp soup. The dried vegetables include dried cowpeas, dried eggplants, mushrooms and some dried bamboo shoots. The seasonings were added in advance. After steaming them with the rice, a spoonful of lard was added and everything was mixed evenly. Although there were more dried vegetables than rice, it tasted particularly delicious because of the lard. Xia Qingtang could eat two big bowls every time.
After dinner, Xia Qingtang and Xie Jinxuan didn't stay downstairs for long. They both said they wanted to read, so they went back to the third floor early to brush their teeth and wash up. After washing, they went into the bedroom.
Downstairs, Xie Jinyun was lying next to the stove reading a comic book. As she read, she said, "It's so warm to read next to the stove. My brothers insisted on going to the bedroom. How stupid."
Grandma touched his head and said with a smile, "They gave you their seat. Isn't that good? Besides, your brother is reading a serious book, and he's afraid that you'll bother him if he talks downstairs."
That night, Xia Qingtang slept very comfortably. Since she didn't have to go to work the next morning, she didn't get out of bed even after waking up. Instead, she stayed in bed for a full hour before slowly going downstairs.
Having been forced to be diligent for so long in his previous life, Xia Qingtang was extremely happy that he could now stay in bed for no reason.
After having a simple breakfast, she went out with her Sixth Aunt and Grandma to buy the last of the New Year’s goods.
Department stores and other state-owned stores have their last two days of business, so everyone will take advantage of these two days to prepare everything.
Xia Qingtang mingled in the crowd to help Aunt Liu carry things. He also spent money to buy a lot of snacks that he had not been able to afford before. He planned to eat them while reading novels at home in the next few days.
She had never made such preparations for the New Year before, so although she didn't stay at home for a whole day, she felt very happy and kept talking to her grandmother when she got home.
After a simple lunch, Xia Qingtang lay down soundly for more than two hours in the afternoon, and only went downstairs to help Aunt Liu when it was time to prepare dinner.
In the evening, the whole family gathered together, which was a rare occasion. Aunt Liu cooked four dishes and a soup. Although there were no meat dishes, there were tofu and eggs, so it was still very rich.
At a quarter past six, everyone sat down at the dining table one after another. Just as they were about to have dinner, there was a knock on the yard door.
Xie Jinyun cheered and went out to open the door, then said loudly: "Grandpa, a female comrade I don't know said she wants to come and wish you a happy new year in advance!"
Grandpa Xie said, "Who is it? Let her in."
Every year, many people come to the Xie family to pay New Year’s greetings. It is also common to pay New Year’s greetings in advance because some people have to go back to their hometown to celebrate the New Year.
Those who can be allowed into this family compound must have been registered, and ordinary people cannot come in, so Grandpa Xie allows people to come in.
When Xia Qingtang came out of the kitchen carrying a pot of rice, she saw Wu Jinfeng, who was wearing a gray tweed coat, standing at the door in a pretentious manner, greeting the Xie family.
The whole family looked a little embarrassed. After hearing her self-introduction, grandma frowned and said, "We don't know Comrade Wu, so we don't dare to be his New Year's greetings."
Wu Jinfeng's face froze. She probably didn't expect the Xie family to be so ruthless. They didn't even pretend to be polite and directly ordered her to leave.
"How could I not know him? Jinxuan's second uncle and I are relatives. In other words, we are all relatives." Wu Jinfeng said with a smile.
She seemed to be smiling, but her eyes did not look very happy.
Grandma said, "How can Jinxuan's second uncle have a relative like you? Aren't you a relative on his second aunt's side? I remember you were a cousin, and you are not a real relative to them, let alone to our family? You are not a real relative, and we are a well-behaved family. You should take your things and leave. We don't accept New Year greetings from strangers. Go out."
Wu Jinfeng was carrying heavy cloth bags in both hands. Although no one knew what was in the bags, considering her family's conditions, they must be filled with good cigarettes, alcohol, milk powder, snacks and the like.
No one else spoke. Wu Jinfeng looked at this person and that person awkwardly, and finally set her sights on Xie's mother.
She said, "Auntie Tian, you held me in your arms when I was little. I work here now and have been here for a month or so, but I am very busy at work, so I have never come to visit you. I will go home for the New Year tomorrow, so I came here today just to wish Auntie Tian a happy New Year."
Xie's mother had indeed held her in her arms before. Now that she had said that, Xie's mother couldn't say that she didn't know her. She could only look at Xie Chengye. The two exchanged glances, and Xie Chengye said, "Yes, I remember I've seen you too, Xiao Wu. You are Wu Dayuan's daughter. Your father is very capable."
The grandmother rolled her eyes at her son. Xie Chengye pretended not to notice and said, "Well...Xiao Wu, come in and sit for a while. We are about to eat. Have you eaten yet?"
Wu Jinfeng was very happy. She walked in carrying two large bags, saying as she walked, "I haven't eaten yet."
She thought that after she said that, the Xie family would definitely invite her to dinner, but Xie Chengye said, "Oh, then why don't you sit for a minute and go back to eat. It just so happens that our dinner won't get cold, and it won't delay either side."
Wu Jinfeng was so angry that she almost vomited blood. She didn't expect that she had condescended to come to the Xie family to pay New Year's greetings, but they would treat her like this.
But since she was already here, she couldn't just go back like this, so she could only suppress her anger, forced a smile and said, "It's okay, I'm not that hungry. Uncle, you guys go eat, I'll wait here. After uncle and aunt finish eating, I have a few words to say to everyone."
"Then let's go eat first. You sit down, ah, sit down." After saying that, Xie Chengye helped his grandmother walk to the dining table.
The whole family really sat at the dining table. Aunt Liu did not go to make tea for the guests. She served rice to everyone, and when the old man started to eat, everyone began to eat.
Because there were strangers present, everyone consciously avoided the topics that they usually talked about at the dinner table. Xie Jinyun was also obedient. He took the initiative to talk about study and school matters. Everyone talked about his study, and as they chatted, they forgot that there was a guest sitting there.
After everyone finished their meal, Xie Jinxuan and his brother started to collect and wash the dishes as usual, while the others wiped their mouths and sat on the sofa.
Xie Chengye then said, "Hey, why are you still here?"
Wu Jinfeng was so angry that her face almost turned purple, but she didn't dare to say anything unpleasant, so she could only say: "My uncle told me to sit and wait."
"Oh, is it me? Oh, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting for so long." Xie Chengye said, "Oh, look, I haven't made you any tea yet. But we don't have any good tea at home. Would you like some brown sugar water? Or malted milk?"
"No, no, I don't need anything to drink either." Wu Jinfeng pretended to be polite. After all, everyone did this now.
Who knew Xie Chengye would actually agree with her and say, "Really? If you don't need water, then I won't pour it for you. I know that some of you young people just don't like to drink water. We have it in our unit."
"Yeah, hehe..." Wu Jinfeng really couldn't force a smile this time. She stared at Xie Chengye and felt that this person's thinking was not normal.
Grandpa Xie sat in his usual seat, and at this time he spoke: "The young comrade said he came to our house to wish us a happy new year, and now that he has done so, you can just take your things and go back. It's getting late, and you, a female comrade, shouldn't go home too late. Be careful on the road, and don't be so polite in the future. After all, we are cousins, and there is really no need to be so polite."
"It's okay. I live not far from here. I was thinking of inviting Aunt Tian and her family to visit me after the New Year." Wu Jinfeng said quickly.
Xie's mother said: "I'm very busy at work, I'm afraid I don't have time to go out and visit. Thank you for your kindness, we are really busy."
Wu Jinfeng felt that her patience had reached its limit. She glanced at everyone in the Xie family with anger, and finally set her sights on Xia Qingtang.
Xia Qingtang, wearing a bright red sweater, was sitting next to her grandmother with a gentle look on her face. Her grandmother was used to doing needlework at night, and she was helping her grandmother thread the needle. The two of them were huddled together and whispering something, neither of them taking the guest seriously at all.
"Auntie Tian, the reason I came here this time, besides wishing you a happy new year, I actually have something else I want to tell you." Wu Jinfeng frowned and her tone became serious.
Xie's mother said, "Ah, what's the matter? Tell me."
"I want to talk about your daughter-in-law Xia Qingtang." Wu Jinfeng said, "Do you know anything about her family?"
The room was silent for a few seconds. Xia Qingtang was not surprised that Wu Jinfeng would say such a thing. After all, she was close to Xia Qinghai, and he would definitely tell her what had happened at home before.
Just as Wu Jinfeng was looking at Xia Qingtang with pride, Grandpa suddenly said, "Our daughter-in-law doesn't need an outsider to say anything. Comrade Xiao Wu, I still say the same thing. Thank you for coming to wish us a happy new year. We have received your kindness. It's getting late, so you should go back first."
"I won't go back!" Wu Jinfeng stood up excitedly, "What's wrong with you? Do you know how bad this woman is? She used Xie Jinxuan to set a trap for her parents. Not only did she deceive the family she was engaged to, she also deceived the entire factory, making everyone think that her parents treated her badly. She herself, on the other hand, didn't even go back to her parents' home after marrying into a good family. Her mother was sick and hospitalized for so long, but she never visited her once. Her father wanted to meet her in-laws, but she always refused. Grandpa Xie, this woman is not a good person, you have all been deceived by her!"
Grandpa Xie said, "That's our business, and you, an outsider, don't have to worry about it. Comrade Wu, I think you're meddling too much."
"Auntie Tian, do you think I'm too controlling? I'm doing this for your sake! This woman is vicious. As long as she stays with Xie Jinxuan, she will harm him and your whole family sooner or later!" Wu Jinfeng said excitedly, "What I said is true. Her brother told me. I'm telling you, this woman..."
She told the whole story of how Xia Qingtang had devised a plan to first trick the Kong family into getting engaged to her, and then registering for marriage with Xie Jinxuan without telling anyone. On the day of the engagement, she dragged Xie Jinxuan to the Kong family's house, which not only offended the Kong family, but also severed relations with her parents.
Xia Qingtang listened silently at the side and felt that this should be Xia Qinghai's summary. He was indeed a smart man and could summarize his plans in detail.
At this time, Xie Jinxuan came out of the kitchen. He stood beside Xia Qingtang and looked at Wu Jinfeng with a sullen face and unfriendly eyes.
Xia Qingtang looked up at him, then smiled gently, indicating that he didn't need to worry.
She had a clear conscience about everything she did. If the elders of the Xie family would mind, it didn't matter. Anyway, she and Xie Jinxuan's home had already been arranged and they could move in at any time.
After Wu Jinfeng finished speaking, she saw that no one in the Xie family said anything, and she began to get a little flustered.
She said: "Why don't you say anything? What I said is true. This is what Xia Qingtang did! She is really a bad woman!"
Xie Jinxuan said coldly: "Have you said enough?"
"What?"
"If you've said enough, please leave. This is our family affair and has nothing to do with you. You are an outsider, and you are meddling in other people's family affairs. Don't you think you are very uneducated?" Xie Jinxuan's voice was low, as if she was holding back her anger.
Wu Jinfeng stared at Xie Jinxuan's gloomy expression and burst into tears: "Isn't this for your own good? You've been deceived by this woman!"
"I am willing to be deceived by her. She deceives me for my whole life, and I am willing to do so. Is it your business?" Xie Jinxuan sneered, "Please take care of yourself and don't meddle in other people's business."
"You...you...you're crazy!" Wu Jinfeng looked at Xie's mother in panic, "Auntie Tian, say something, this is your daughter-in-law, you definitely don't want your daughter-in-law to be a bad person..."
"After listening to what you said, I don't think Qingtang is bad at all." Xie's mother smiled and said, "She came up with this plan out of helplessness. I know that at the beginning, the Kong family threatened her with her job and prevented her brother from returning to the city. What else could she do? Apart from secretly getting married without telling anyone, she couldn't find any other way. After listening to everything, I don't think Qingtang is a bad person, but I think her brother is not a good person."
Grandma immediately said, "That's right, that brother is not a good guy! My sister clearly helped him save his chance to return to the city, so what is he doing now? Teaming up with a woman outside to destroy my sister's marriage? Is there any brother who would treat others like this?"
"So I've always said that our Qingtang is a poor child. Her parents and brother from her mother's side are not good people. She has suffered so much since she grew up!" Mother Xie looked at Xia Qingtang with a face full of love and pity, "Qingtang, you have suffered. But it doesn't matter in the future. You marry our Jinxuan, and we will all treat you well."
"Yes, Qingtang, it won't matter in the future. Don't worry, grandma will love you and let you eat any delicious food first." Grandma also held Xia Qingtang's hand.
Xia Qingtang was deeply moved: "Thank you, Mom, thank you, Grandma, I..."
"Just live a good life with Jinxuan. Jinxuan is a good child. He will protect you in the future. Everything will be fine." Grandma smiled and patted the back of her hand.
"Ah——!" Wu Jinfeng suddenly screamed, scaring everyone.
"What are you doing?" Xie Chengye said unhappily, "Are you crazy?"
"You are crazy! I have already told you what this woman has done, and you are still willing to accept her? What's so good about her? Her family is so poor, and what else does she have except a face? You actually want her and not me! You are crazy! How am I inferior to her?" Wu Jinfeng yelled hysterically.
Grandpa Xie said in a deep voice: Comrade Wu, listen to yourself, you have already stated your purpose. You came here to say so much, not for our Xie family, but because you want to marry Jinxuan. But Jinxuan is already married, and no one should destroy other people's marriages. "
"But I like him, Grandpa Xie, I really like him, I have liked him for many years, I am willing to do everything for him, I am even willing to die for him..." Wu Jinfeng slumped on the sofa and suddenly burst into tears like a little child.
Grandpa Xie stood up and walked in front of her, then gestured to Xie Chengye and Xie Jinxuan, and said in a deep voice: "Child, you can't force feelings. It's not that the other person must accept you just because you like them. Besides, the love you had when you were young is not necessarily right. Maybe the person you really like is somewhere else?"
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