Chapter 68
She knew that various class reunions became popular more than a decade later. Some of the wealthy old classmates would find ways to invite classmates who still lived in the same place to get together regularly. Usually the richest male classmates would pay for everyone's meals. On the one hand, they really wanted to see old classmates, and on the other hand, they also wanted to show off their personal financial capital.
After entering the 1990s, Xia Qingtang attended a class reunion. At that time, she had not yet been expelled from the cotton mill, but when she got together with her old classmates, she clearly felt out of place. A few of her classmates had become millionaires, and their former class leader was even richer. He wore a large gold watch that could only be seen in the movies and held a mobile phone in his hand. This made Xia Qingtang realize for the first time how out of touch and backward she was with society.
After that, Xia Qingtang was fired from the cotton mill. After losing her job, she went to work as a nanny at her cousin's house. She was too ashamed to see people and never attended any so-called class reunions again.
She no longer remembered the details of the class reunion, but she remembered that the class monitor Yan Zhen was very wealthy and paid for all the expenses of the big hotel by himself, and finally took everyone to a nightclub to spend some money.
Obviously, the class reunion now is different from the class reunion in more than ten years. Gu Xingan waved his hand and said, "How can we treat everyone to a meal? Forget treating. Even if everyone pools money, we can't eat out. State-owned restaurants are so expensive. I can't afford it."
Xia Qingtang nodded quickly: "That's true, I was thinking wrong. Then where should we get together? There are no classes on Sundays, so are we going to go back to the old classrooms and sit together?"
"It's a good idea to go back to the classroom and sit down. I'll tell the monitor later, and we can go back to the classroom together and reminisce about the good old days." Gu Xing'an's eyes lit up, and he continued, "But this time the monitor found the place for the party. He borrowed the activity room of his father's unit. The place is very large and can accommodate dozens of people. We went there in the morning to drink tea and chat, and then dispersed at noon. But the monitor said that he and Qiao Jianyi will bring melon seeds and peanuts, and other students can also bring some food if they are willing. I plan to go, after all, I haven't seen some classmates for a long time, and I miss everyone. Xia Qingtang, do you want to go with us?"
Having melon seeds and peanuts with tea at this moment is a pretty good activity arrangement. It seems that squad leader Yan Zhen is a very generous person even in this era.
Xia Qingtang said: "What time does it start tomorrow morning?"
"It starts at 8:30. If you have something to do at home, you can go later. It's a party after all, not a class. You can't be late."
"Then I'll think about it. If I have nothing to do tomorrow, I'll go over."
Gu Xingan said, "By the way, there are a few classmates who are in the city, but the class monitor said he couldn't contact them. Let me ask you too, can you contact Hu Yanni and Xie Xiaoshuang? I remember that you guys always played together before, so you should be very familiar with each other."
Xia Qingtang said: "I can contact Hu Yanni, but Xie Xiaoshuang is in the countryside, she is not in the city."
Besides Hu Yanni, Xie Xiaoshuang was another female classmate that Xia Qingtang would contact after graduation. However, because Xie Xiaoshuang was sent to work in the countryside, they could only communicate via correspondence in the past few years. Xie Xiaoshuang waited until two years later before returning to the city from the countryside. In the late 1980s, she and her husband went to the coastal cities to work hard. Due to the distance, she could only occasionally talk to Xia Qingtang on the phone.
Gu Xingan said, "I also remember Xie Xiaoshuang working in the countryside, but the squad leader said that Xie Xiaoshuang came back after the Chinese New Year and said that her family had found a partner for her and that it was her partner's family who arranged the job for her. You have always had a good relationship with her, and I thought you knew about this."
Xia Qingtang was stunned for a moment, and after a few seconds he said, "I really didn't know she had returned to the city. Since Yan Zhen knew that Xie Xiaoshuang had returned to the city, how could he not be able to contact her?"
"The squad leader also heard it from others. He asked me to ask you, do you know where Xie Xiaoshuang lives? Can you go to her house to inform her? And also inform Hu Yanni. It would be great if we could get together tomorrow." Gu Xing'an said with a smile.
Xia Qingtang thought for a moment and said, "My schedule is valid. I will go and tell Hu Yanni after work tonight. If she is willing to go tomorrow, I will go with her. As for Xie Xiaoshuang, you should find someone else to notify her. I may not have time."
If Xie Xiaoshuang had returned to the city without telling her, maybe the other party didn't want her to know about it at all. It would be quite rude to show up at this time, so Xia Qingtang would not go.
Gu Xingan nodded: "Okay, Hu Yanni will be left to you. I hope you will go there together tomorrow morning."
As he spoke, he told Xia Qingtang the address of the activity room that Yan Zhen had found.
Xia Qingtang memorized the address and quickly rode his bike to Teacher Guan's home.
The weather was getting warmer, so Guan Jueming moved the desk to the corridor and let Guan Chenxiang and Xia Qingtang study there, where the light was better and it was more comfortable.
Although Guan Chenxiang's legs didn't get much better, the environment was better after he returned to the city. He could eat his fill every day and didn't have to do hard work. Guan Chenxiang's complexion became better day by day.
The neighbors are now familiar with Xia Qingtang, the female comrade who often comes to class. Many people will say hello to her when they pass by. If they see that they are studying seriously, the neighbors will be more gentle when they come out to pour water for them.
After the class, Xia Qingtang said, "Teacher Chenxiang, Xie Jinxuan has been seeing the Chinese doctor for a while. She can see the doctor again this month to see how effective it is. When the results are out, we will accompany Teacher Chenxiang to see the doctor."
Guan Chenxiang smiled and pinched his right leg, saying, "Thank you for always caring about my health. In fact, you don't have to accompany me. Just tell me the address and let my brother take me there."
"You are a teacher, and as a student I should accompany you." Xia Qingtang took out a palm-sized pillow from her bag and handed it over.
The pillow is made of coarse cotton cloth and the stitching looks rather crude. Even when you hold it in your hand, you can smell a faint medicinal fragrance.
"What is this?" Guan Chenxiang took the small pillow and asked curiously.
"Didn't Teacher Chenxiang say that he couldn't sleep well at night? This is the small medicine bag given by the Chinese doctor. He said that it contains several kinds of Chinese medicinal materials. If you put it next to your pillow, it will help you sleep. However, the effect will not be particularly great. Anyway, it is better to try it than not to try it, so I brought it to the teacher." Xia Qingtang said.
"Thank you, and thank the doctor." Guan Chenxiang held the small pillow under his nose and sniffed it, saying, "It does smell like Chinese medicine, but there is also a faint fragrance."
"Maybe they put spices in there too, I don't know the details. We put one next to our pillow, but I sleep well and I didn't feel any difference."
Guan Chenxiang laughed: "You are a young man, it's good that you can eat and sleep. I was like you when I was young, I lost consciousness as soon as my head touched the pillow."
"Yes, I can sleep and eat now, and my appetite is bigger than before. If Xie Jinxuan and I didn't have enough salary, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to afford food." Xia Qingtang put the books on the table into his backpack, looked at the time and said, "I have to go back to work. Goodbye, Teacher Chenxiang."
"Goodbye, and be careful on your bike." Guan Chenxiang stood up with the help of the table, and watched Xia Qingtang ride away with a smile on his face.
After finishing the afternoon work, Xia Qingtang remembered Gu Xing'an's words, so he rode his bike to the steel plant and told Hu Yanni about the conversation at noon.
She and Hu Yanni haven't met often recently, one reason is that she has a lot of things to do, and the other is that Hu Yanni spends all her free time reading and studying, so she has no time to go out.
After listening to Xia Qingtang's words, she said, "Has Xie Xiaoshuang returned to the city? I don't know about this either. She hasn't come to see me. I wonder why she hasn't replied to my letters recently. I thought she was too busy in the countryside and didn't have time to write."
"I'm not quite sure what's going on, but Yan Zhen said that, so it must be true. I think Xie Xiaoshuang must have returned to the city, but just didn't want to tell us, so I didn't agree to go to her house to find her. What if she doesn't want to see us at all, if I go there rashly, it will only make her unhappy." Xia Qingtang whispered.
"You are so thoughtful. I don't know what happened to her. If she really went back to the city, it would be a good thing. Why didn't she tell us?" Hu Yanni sighed slightly. "In fact, I wanted to tell you last year. Xie Xiaoshuang's replies to me were getting less and less, and she was getting slower and slower. Sometimes I sent two letters in a row and waited a long time to receive a reply. She is very thoughtful, and I was afraid of saying the wrong thing. When I asked her if she was too tired in the countryside, she always said that she was fine. Qingtang, you said that she didn't tell us about her return to the city. Is it because we don't care about her enough?"
Xia Qingtang said: "I don't know why, how about we go to her house together after some time?"
"Okay, I also want to meet her and ask her in person what's wrong. If I have done anything wrong, she can tell me directly." Hu Yanni sighed softly again.
She is such a gentle, kind and generous person. She is always so nice to her friends and always looks for problems in herself.
Xia Qingtang put his arm around her shoulders and whispered, "You've done a great job. You've been very good to all of us."
"I feel a little relieved when you say that. I hope Xie Xiaoshuang thinks the same way."
"What about the class reunion? Do you want to go meet your old classmates tomorrow morning?"
"I... I actually want to go a little bit. It's been a long time since I last saw my old classmates. After graduation, I haven't seen the class monitor and his friends." Hu Yanni said, "Besides, isn't Gu Xing'an a college student? I really want to go over and ask him for advice, and see how he reviewed in the last few months before the exam."
"If you decide to go, I will go too. After the morning party is over, I will ride my bike to take you home. You read and review at home every day, so it's time to go out and relax." Xia Qingtang said with a smile.
"Okay then. I'll tell my mom that you can have lunch at my house tomorrow. You haven't come to my house for lunch in a long time. My mom misses you." Hu Yanni held Xia Qingtang's hand and said with a smile, "You must promise me."
"You want to treat me to a meal, why shouldn't I agree? Then it's settled, we'll go to the party together tomorrow, and then come to your house for lunch at noon."
"Okay." Hu Yanni held her hand, and the two of them laughed for a while.
Xia Qingtang then asked, "How have you been reviewing recently?"
"I'm not sure, but there's nothing I can do. I can only comfort myself that even if I can't get into university, I still have a job, so it won't have a big impact."
"Xie Jinxuan said the same thing. In fact, people like you don't have any pressure. Unlike those people in the countryside, they can't go back to the city unless they pass the exam. The pressure is really great."
"Yes, so I must have a good talk with Gu Xingan. He used to be quiet in class, but I didn't expect him to be admitted to university."
Xia Qingtang said: "I don't have a deep impression of him. He really doesn't seem to talk much."
Hu Yanni laughed: "You don't have a deep impression of anyone. When you were in school, I always thought you were a silly child, confused all day long. After you started working, you were still a little silly, but since last year, you have suddenly become smart. My mother said that you have changed a lot."
Xia Qingtang also laughed: "That's true, I used to be really stupid, luckily you always took care of me."
After chatting with Hu Yanni for a while, Xia Qingtang saw that it was getting late, so he hurriedly rode his bike back home.
As soon as he arrived at the gate of the family compound, he saw Xie Jinxuan standing there, looking over there nervously. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her riding over.
"I'm sorry, I have something to do today, so I'll go to the steel factory after get off work." Xia Qingtang quickly stopped the car.
Xie Jinxuan smiled and said, "Xiao Hu wants to see you for something?"
"No, no, I met Gu Xing'an at noon. He said that our class monitor Yan Zhen wanted to invite all the classmates in the city to get together tomorrow morning, so I just ran to inform Yanni. She also wants to go, and I will go with her."
"Are you going tomorrow morning?"
"Yeah, what's wrong? Do you want to go out with me tomorrow? If so, I can only choose to give up on you. I promised to accompany Yanni."
"No, I have tickets for the Provincial Art Troupe. Let's go to the Grand Theater to watch the latest model opera tomorrow night."
Xia Qingtang's eyes lit up: "Really? Tickets for the new show? I heard at the factory that they are very hard to buy. How did you get them?"
"Grandpa gave me the tickets, and there were only two of them. Mom and Dad weren't interested, so they gave us a discount." Xie Jinxuan said, "You go meet your classmates in the morning, come back in the afternoon and take a rest, and we can go to the theater in the evening."
"That's great. I'll go thank Grandpa then." Xia Qingtang urged Xie Jinxuan to get on the bike, and the two of them went home for dinner first.
After a simple dinner, Xia Qingtang and Xie Jinxuan cleaned up the kitchen and went out for a walk. They went back home to take a look and then said thank you to their grandfather.
Grandpa smiled and said, "I know you like watching these. I'll give them to you when I have tickets. Jinxuan's parents don't like this, but your grandma likes to watch it, but she and I have already watched it."
Generally, for performances like this, leaders would be arranged to watch the first show, and grandma would go with grandpa.
"It's still a front row ticket. It's all thanks to Grandpa. It's great to have Grandpa." Xia Qingtang said again: "Thank you, Grandpa."
"Stop thanking him all the time. He's an old man and he'll be proud of himself soon." Grandma held Xia Qingtang's hand and said, "If there are any shows later, I can get you tickets to watch them."
"Then I also want to thank grandma. I am so happy." Xia Qingtang said sincerely.
Happy, she went home, took a shower, and had a good sleep. The next morning at 8:30 she left home and rode her bike to the agreed place.
Because she arrived late, when she arrived at the activity room, almost all the classmates were there, except for two or three people.
When he saw her, class monitor Yan Zhen immediately rushed over and said, "Our class beauty is finally here! You haven't come yet, and I thought you weren't coming. But Hu Yanni kept assuring us that you would definitely come, and I didn't expect you to really come!"
"I haven't seen you all for such a long time. I missed you all so much. How could I not come to see you?" Xia Qingtang smiled and handed over a paper bag in his hand. "It's a bag of red dates. Let's have some fun."
"You brought food too? Many people did. Even if we don't eat today, we can still be half full." Yan Zhen took the paper bag and took Xia Qingtang to the classmates.
When seeing Xia Qingtang, Hu Yanni was the first to call her, and then other classmates also greeted her with a smile, and some even joked with her, saying how beautiful she was becoming.
Yan Zhen said: "Our class beauty is already married. She must be very happy in her marriage, which is why she is getting prettier and prettier."
"Xia Qingtang, are you married already? Oh, we didn't even know about this!"
"That's right, why didn't you inform me about your marriage?"
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "Don't you all know now? I've only been married for a few months, not that long."
"But we didn't get to eat the wedding candy."
Yan Zhen said, "The beauty of the class brought some red dates. They are sweet, so we can treat them as wedding candy. Each of you can have one. Come on, come on."
Everyone laughed, and then everyone really grabbed a red date and started eating it.
The activity room had been decorated. There were two long tables in the corners, with two thermoses and two rows of white porcelain cups on them, which were probably borrowed.
There were also two large tea trays next to it, filled with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, fried peanuts, fried broad beans, and some fried dough sticks, which looked very fragrant.
Hu Yanni quickly walked over to help Xia Qingtang get a cup and make a cup of hot tea, and then refilled the water for other students.
There are sixteen students present today, all of whom were students who had stayed in the city to work or had recently returned to the city.
Everyone was wearing nicer clothes, and several female students even wore woolen hair ornaments, looking very energetic.
However, there are obvious differences in everyone's skin color. The students who just returned to the city from the countryside are basically very dark, especially Qiao Jianyi. He is tanned and his snow-white teeth are exposed when he smiles. It seems that you can't find him even if you turn off the lights.
Everyone was making fun of his skin color, but he scratched the back of his head cheerfully and said, "The sun is so strong where I go, and the people there are so dark. Don't look at me like this now. If I don't go back to the city, I will be a handsome guy there."
"Then why did you come back? You should stay there and be a handsome guy, and then find a local girl to marry." A female classmate said jokingly.
Qiao Jianyi said: "I didn't really want to go back to the city so soon, but my grandma wasn't in good health and I'm the eldest grandson in the family. My dad was afraid that something might happen to me, so he let me come back."
"It's right to come back early." A male classmate who has stayed in the city and not gone to the countryside said: "Now there is still a job, but in the future everyone will come back and won't be able to find a job."
"What if there is no job?" someone asked.
"It doesn't matter. Either I stay in the countryside, or I come back and become an unemployed vagrant. Or, I can do what Gu Xingan did and go to college. If I pass the college, I'll have a job."
Qiao Jianyi said: "It's too difficult to get into college. If it were me, I would probably have to stay in the countryside and farm for the rest of my life."
"So Gu Xing'an is really amazing." Yan Zhen walked over and patted Gu Xing'an on the shoulder, "He's the first college student in our class!"
"He's not the first one. Have you forgotten Zhou Chi? He studied at the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University!" A female classmate who just returned to the city said, "Didn't he go to work at a newspaper after graduating from university? Why didn't he come today?"
Yan Zhen said: "I have informed him, but I don't know if he will come. His family is different from ours, so it's normal for him not to come."
This classmate Zhou Chi was also the son of a cadre, so he was able to get a place in that class to study at the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University.
Xia Qingtang remembered that Zhou Chi didn't interact much with his classmates in his previous life, and didn't look down on people. Of course, there was no news about him in the end, and no one knew what kind of person he was becoming.
She did have impressions of several of her classmates here. In the 1990s, Qiao Jianyi was a maintenance worker. After being laid off, he found a place to learn car repair skills. Later, he opened a small shop on the street, specializing in repairing motorcycles and cars. Although he was covered in grease all day and looked unpresentable, he said that he actually made a lot of money.
The female classmate with a red flower on her head was also among the first batch of people laid off. However, she was timid and her husband worked in a government agency, so she stayed at home and became a housewife, leading a relatively ordinary and stable life.
At this time, a female classmate held a cup of tea and whispered: "How can the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University be compared with a regular university? What knowledge can you learn there? It's all just a scam."
It is a known fact that one cannot learn any knowledge at the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University, but no one would say it so directly.
Seeing that everyone had strange expressions, Gu Xingan said loudly: "It's all the same, we all want to have a job after graduation."
Yan Zhen nodded and said, "Yes, it's just for a job. As long as I don't have to go to the countryside, I think it's fine."
The topic returned to work and no one discussed Zhou Chi anymore.
Xia Qingtang sat next to Hu Yanni. She put some melon seeds, peanuts and broad beans in her handkerchief and just sat there listening without saying a word.
Hu Yanni really wanted to talk to Gu Xing'an, but she was probably a little shy, so she didn't dare to go over to him.
Xia Qingtang waited for a while, and when he saw Gu Xingan going to the table to get some water, he walked over, patted his shoulder, and said, "Gu Xingan, Hu Yanni wants to ask you for advice on how to prepare for the college entrance exam. Can you tell her some experience?"
Gu Xingan immediately said, "Great, so Hu Yanni is also going to take the college entrance exam? I never thought of that."
Xia Qingtang brought Gu Xing'an to sit next to Hu Yanni, and then watched the two of them chatting about reviewing and preparing for the exam while he continued to eat melon seeds and peanuts.
At half past nine, Zhou Chi, who had been mentioned earlier, finally arrived. He rode a 28-inch bicycle, wearing a neat cadre uniform and carrying several neatly wrapped oil-paper packages. When he arrived, he greeted everyone in a loud voice: "Are you all here?"
"Aren't they all here? You're the only one missing!" Yan Zhen walked over and asked, "What are you carrying?"
"Here are some snacks. Take them and have some!" Zhou Chi handed a few packets of snacks to Yan Zhen in a very graceful manner.
Yan Zhen quickly took them and placed them on the table, then opened them one by one: "Come and eat, Leader Zhou is treating us to snacks!"
"Thank you, Zhou Chi." A classmate said with a smile, then went over and grabbed a piece of peach cake and started eating.
Zhou Chi waved his hand: "You're welcome! I eat this kind of snack all the time, it's not rare anymore."
A female classmate said, "Zhou Chi, I ran into you on the street last time and greeted you but you ignored me."
"I ignored you? How is that possible? I definitely didn't see it." Zhou Chi denied it flatly, and then looked around the activity room, as if he was looking for someone.
"Oh, so you didn't see me. I thought you looked down on me!" The female classmate said, "How come you, a college student who studied at the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University, wanted to get together with us?"
Zhou Chi didn't say anything until his eyes fell on Xia Qingtang, then he hurried over and said, "Hey, old classmate, we haven't seen each other for a long time."
Xia Qingtang raised her head and said, "Ah, it's Zhou Chi. I'm sure it's been a while since we last met. Hello."
"Hello... hello, how come you seem to be getting more and more beautiful? Even more beautiful than when you just graduated." Zhou Chi's ears were a little red, and his eyes were staring straight at Xia Qingtang's face without moving his eyeballs.
The female classmate immediately said, "So you came here for the class beauty."
Yan Zhen walked over with a smile and said, "Zhou Chi, our class beauty is already married."
Zhou Chi was shocked: "What? When did it happen? How come I don't know anything about it?"
Yan Zhen said, "We just found out about it too. The class beauty got married but didn't tell anyone else. If Gu Xingan hadn't run into her on the street, we wouldn't have known she was married. But marriage is a happy event, you should congratulate her."
Zhou Chi looked shocked and frustrated. He stared at Xia Qingtang, unable to utter a word.
Qiao Jianyi said: "Zhou Chi, if you like the class beauty, why didn't you pursue her earlier?"
Zhou Chi still had a sad face and didn't say anything. Yan Zhen patted his shoulder heavily and said, "Don't be sad, man. Let's go over there and talk. You are a big reporter now. I saw the photos you took in the newspaper last time. Come on, tell us, are you very busy at work?"
After graduating from the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University, Zhou Chi was assigned to work in a provincial daily newspaper. However, his grades were very poor, and his Chinese was even worse. When he was asked to write articles, he couldn't even use the punctuation marks correctly, and what he wrote was even more nonsense. However, his family was a cadre, and they couldn't let him do odd jobs or cleaning. Finally, someone came up with an idea and let Zhou Chi learn photography, and then he specialized in being a photojournalist. This job didn't require him to write articles, and he did it like a fish in water.
After they left, Hu Yanni leaned close to Xia Qingtang's ear and whispered, "Did Zhou Chi also write to you?"
Xia Qingtang said: "No, there is no letter from him in those letters."
"Then why is he like this? It's been so long since we graduated. If you had gotten married earlier, your children would have been able to walk. Why is he so surprised?" Hu Yanni pouted and turned around to continue asking Gu Xing'an for advice.
When talking about study, Gu Xing'an seemed very excited. He enthusiastically shared some of his previous experiences and said that he had some books to lend to Hu Yanni for review.
Seeing that they were chatting seriously, Xia Qingtang went to the table again, intending to get some snacks.
Two female classmates walked over and asked her about her current situation.
"The workshop in your cotton mill is very harmful to your health. You should be careful. If you have lung problems, it's no joke."
Xia Qingtang said: "Yes, I was also worried about this before. After all, many old employees retired early due to lung disease. However, fortunately, I have moved from the workshop to work in the trade union, so I don't have to worry about my health in the future."
"You're working in an office now?" The female classmate was surprised. "You don't usually interact with us. But when I saw you today, you were all over the news."
Another female classmate quickly asked: "How did you get transferred from the workshop to the office? It's very difficult."
Xia Qingtang briefly explained how she was noticed by the union chairman because of her writing skills, and the two female classmates looked surprised.
After a long while, the one on the left said, "Your grades were average when you were in school, but I didn't expect you can write articles now. It seems that you have changed a lot after graduation."
"It's been so long since graduation. As long as you read books and study, you will definitely change a lot." Seeing the disbelieving expressions on their faces, Xia Qingtang didn't say much. Instead, he found an excuse and went back to Hu Yanni.
After that, other students came to talk to her one after another. By the time everyone got to know each other’s current situation, it was already noon.
Yan Zhen said, "We have finished our tea and melon seeds and snacks, so today's small gathering ends here. I will arrange another gathering at the end of the year, and I hope everyone can come and join us then."
“By then, I hope more students will return to the city.”
"Right! I hope everyone can get back to the city safely!"
So the party came to an end. Yan Zhen and Gu Xing'an stayed behind to pack up their things, while the other classmates left in twos and threes.
Zhou Chi, who had been very depressed, suddenly ran over and said, "Xia Qingtang, I have a bicycle. How about I take you home?"
Xia Qingtang said: "Thank you for your kindness, but I also have a bicycle, and I was just about to take Yanni home."
After saying that, she walked to her bicycle and unlocked it with her key.
Zhou Chi seemed even more frustrated. Hu Yanni sighed slightly and said, "Zhou Chi, don't be like this. Qingtang is already married. It's impossible for you two to be together."
"I know, I'm just mourning my lost love, is that not okay?" Zhou Chi covered his chest with his hands, looking very sad.
Xia Qingtang found his expression a little ridiculous. She said, "You haven't even started your love, so what's the point of losing it?"
"You!" Zhou Chi glared, "What do you know? We artists are prone to sadness and grief!"
"Oh, then I won't disturb you from being sad. Just be sad slowly." Xia Qingtang looked at Hu Yanni, and they both couldn't help laughing.
Hu Yanni walked up to her and whispered, "This Zhou Chi is so funny. Let's go and ignore him."
Xia Qingtang sat on the bicycle and rode with Hu Yanni for a short distance when he suddenly braked and stopped.
Hu Yanni was caught off guard and quickly hugged her waist: "What's wrong?"
Xia Qingtang pointed to the front right: "Xie Xiaoshuang."
Hu Yanni looked in the direction and saw the somewhat unfamiliar Xie Xiaoshuang standing under a tree, looking at this place in a secretive manner.
Hu Yanni immediately jumped off her bike and ran over: "Are you really back in the city? Why didn't you tell us that you were back in the city? Also, why don't you go in now that you're here? How long have you been standing here?"
Xie Xiaoshuang has changed a lot. When she just graduated, she was a beautiful girl with big eyes, round face and white skin. She loved dressing up. She would always use osmanthus hair oil to comb her long braids to keep them neat and tidy. She would change her hair flowers or hairbands to different colors every week, and always chose the brightest clothes available on the market.
At that time, she was like a golden flower, full of vitality.
More than a year ago, she came back to the city from the countryside to visit her parents. The girls also met that time. Although she was much darker at that time, she was still very energetic.
But now Xie Xiaoshuang has cut off those two long black braids and has short hair that reaches the ears. She is dark and thin, and her big eyes have lost their former luster. She looks as if she has lost her soul, which makes people surprised and a little sad.
Hu Yanni asked several questions, but Xie Xiaoshuang didn't answer. Hu Yanni was a little anxious, so she reached out and pushed her shoulder: "Why don't you speak? Xiaoshuang, what's wrong with you?"
Xia Qingtang also pushed the cart over and said, "Xiao Shuang, is something wrong with you?"
Xie Xiaoshuang looked at Xia Qingtang in a daze. After a long while, she whispered, "Are you hungry? I'll treat you to a meal."
Hu Yanni said: "My mother is cooking at home, why don't you come to my house for lunch..."
"I won't go to your house. Let's have a meal outside. I'll treat you. I have money and tickets now." Xie Xiaoshuang said, "I will go back to the city during the Chinese New Year and go back to work after the Lantern Festival."
"Then why didn't you tell us?" Hu Yanni said, "Qingtang heard about you from Gu Xing'an. You didn't reply to our letter. Did we do something wrong?"
Xie Xiaoshuang looked at Hu Yanni's concerned eyes, which finally showed a little bit of spirit. She thought for a moment and whispered, "Something did happen to me, and I don't know what to say to you, so I didn't write back to you."
"What happened to you?" Hu Yanni asked anxiously, "Can't you even tell us?"
"I don't want to talk about it now."
Xia Qingtang said: "Then don't tell us now. Don't you want to treat us to a meal? Then let's go eat. There is a state-owned restaurant over there. Let's go over there and eat."
"Then my mother..." Hu Yanni turned to look at her.
Xia Qingtang said: "Auntie can't wait for us, so she should eat first. The three of us haven't seen each other for such a long time. I want to have a meal with Xiaoshuang, what do you think?"
Hu Yanni nodded: "Okay, let's go eat."
So Xie Xiaoshuang led the two of them forward. Her walking posture was completely different from the past. She always walked briskly before, and she was full of energy after going to the countryside. But now her steps seemed unable to be lifted, and both feet were dragging on the ground.
Her condition was obviously abnormal. Something serious must have happened to her, so serious that she herself didn't know how to explain it.
Xia Qingtang didn't know what he could do, but looking at Xie Xiaoshuang's expression, he decided to stay with her for now. Maybe after spending more time with her, she would be willing to tell him.
Hu Yanni held Xie Xiaoshuang's hand and whispered, "Have you been standing there all morning?"
Xie Xiaoshuang nodded slowly, and Hu Yanni said, "Why don't you go in? You must be so tired standing outside."
"I didn't want to go in, but I wanted to see both of you, so I just stood there and waited."
Hu Yanni felt a pang in her heart and held her hand even tighter.
The three of them arrived at the door of the state-owned restaurant. It was lunch time and it was very lively inside. They could smell the aroma of various foods.
Xia Qingtang locked the car and walked in with the two of them.
"There are seats over there. Let's go sit down first." Xia Qingtang led them over and sat down at an empty table in the corner. "What do you want to eat? I'll just have some noodles."
Hu Yanni also quickly said: "I can just eat noodles. Noodles are simple and quick to make. I can eat them in a while."
Xie Xiaoshuang rolled her eyes and said, "You don't have to save money for me. I have money and coupons, even meat coupons. Let's eat pork dumplings."
As she spoke, she slapped the money and tickets on the table.
Xia Qingtang nodded: "Okay, then give me three bowls of pork dumplings. There are many people. You guys take a seat. I'll go talk to the waiter."
Xie Xiaoshuang took the money and the ticket and stuffed them into Xia Qingtang's pocket. When she came back after ordering the food, she wanted to give her the change, but she waved her hand and said, "No, I don't need this little money right now."
Like Xia Qingtang and Hu Yanni, Xie Xiaoshuang came from a working-class family. She had many children, including an older brother, a younger brother and a younger sister, so she and her brother went to the countryside one after another. Her family conditions were more difficult than those of the Xia family, and there had never been a time when they "did not need this little money".
Xia Qingtang and Hu Yanni exchanged glances, and Hu Yanni said with some fear: "Xiao Shuang, what's wrong with you now?"
"It's nothing. I'm going to live a good life. Didn't you hear what the squad leader said? My family found a partner for me. He has money and money, and he also introduced me to a job. I don't have to suffer in the countryside anymore, and I can work in the city. We will get married next month, and I will enjoy a better life in the future. You should congratulate me." Xie Xiaoshuang opened her lifeless big eyes and said these words in a mechanical tone, which sounded quite scary.
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