Chapter 70
I haven't paid attention to the Kong family for a while. I didn't expect that Kong Liangjing was also fired from the unit. Isn't the Kong family in a mess now?
Both Kong Liangchao and Kong Liangjing lost their jobs and income. Let alone other things, food alone would probably be a big problem.
Xie Jinxuan whispered, "I've been too busy lately to ask, but the last time I asked for information, I heard that Kong Liangjing had also made some mistakes, which were more serious than the previous investigation. Judging from the situation, it's probably because the mess is too big and the elders of the Kong family can't handle it anymore, so Kong Liangjing was also fired."
Xia Qingtang was originally depressed because of Xie Xiaoshuang's matter. Even when he came here to watch the performance in the evening, he was just barely in high spirits. But now that he knew Kong Liangjing had lost her job, he suddenly felt much better.
Knowing that your enemy is having a bad time can really make you happy.
Thinking of this, Xia Qingtang became more determined. Not only did she want Jia Guangrong to cancel the engagement on his own initiative, but she also wanted him to pay the price he deserved.
What he did to Xie Xiaoshuang is unforgivable and he must be punished.
Of course, this matter is much more difficult than the Kong family's, because they cannot expose what happened that night. That is something Xie Xiaoshuang wants to hide for the rest of her life, and Xia Qingtang will let this matter rot deep underground.
Xia Qingtang lowered his head in deep thought, wishing that he could make Jia Guangrong get the punishment he deserved tomorrow and never let him turn over a new leaf again.
"Yu Jiankang! Why are you so cruel? Wow... I like you so much. I have liked you since middle school. You obviously know it! What's wrong with me? Why did you choose this woman? How is she better than me? Wuuuuuu..."
Kong Liangjing's loud crying pulled Xia Qingtang out of her deep thoughts. She looked over there again and heard the voice of an unfamiliar woman. The voice sounded soft and thin, and a little timid.
She said, "Comrade, dating should be based on mutual consent. Comrade Yu doesn't want to date you, but it's not like he made any mistakes. It's funny for you to say that. I may not be as good as you in every way, but I am better than you in one respect. I won't let Comrade Yu be laughed at by so many people in public. If you really like Comrade Yu, how could you do such a thing in front of so many people? Don't you know that Comrade Yu is a person who cares about face? You deliberately made trouble here and let so many people laugh at you. The more you do this, the more Comrade Yu will stay away from you. Not only will Comrade Yu stay away from you, but after you have caused so many troubles, no one will date you in the future."
The person who was speaking should be Yu Jiankang's girlfriend. Although her voice sounded thin and soft, her pronunciation was clear and she sounded very courageous. She was indeed much better than someone like Kong Liangjing.
Kong Liangjing yelled, "You cursed me! You dare to curse me that I can't find a partner! You stinky bitch really is not a good thing! Yu Jiankang, look at her, she cursed me!"
Yu Jiankang sneered: "She is not cursing you, she is just telling the truth."
After that, he shouted, "Comrade! Comrade! Aren't there any security personnel here? This female comrade doesn't even have a ticket, why are you letting her cause trouble here? Isn't there anyone to manage this place?"
At first, the staff thought it was just a common dispute between a man and a woman, so they didn't bother with it. They stood behind the crowd and watched with interest. When they heard Yu Jiankang's voice, two security guards pushed through the crowd and walked in: "Make way, make way, we are from the security department..."
Kong Liangjing did not have tickets for the show. She followed Yu Jiankang here and had not originally planned to watch any show. Moreover, the Kong family did not have the leisure time to buy tickets to watch a show.
The security guard checked her ticket, of course she couldn't produce it, but she didn't want to leave even if she couldn't produce it. Instead, she stood there and said confidently: "What's wrong with me not having a ticket? I haven't entered the venue yet, why do I need a ticket to stand here? Let me tell you, I come here often to watch performances, I know the rules here better than you do! In this place, you can stand even without a ticket!"
The security guard had no choice but to look at Yu Jiankang and the others helplessly.
At this time, a middle-aged female comrade who was watching the scene said loudly: "Then let this person stand here, and let the two young people go in first with their tickets. I can let them go in first. Come, you two young people, stand next to me!"
Kong Liangjing was furious and yelled, "Why would you, an old bastard, help them?"
The insults were too harsh to hear. The female comrade was probably not someone who could be easily provoked. She immediately fell into disgrace and started to curse at Kong Liangjing. She also said that she would ask the leaders of the Grand Theater and the Art Troupe to come out and see what happened. The Security Department would not take care of such a scene.
The onlookers all hated Kong Liangjing at this moment. After all, her mouth was too foul, and people with a little bit of common sense couldn't stand it, so they all said, "Kick this female comrade out. She's been making trouble. Can't you see? Where is your leader?"
When the security department saw that something was not right, they didn't care whether the seat was suitable for people without tickets. Two people immediately grabbed Kong Liangjing and forcibly took her out.
Although Kong Liangjing struggled desperately, as a woman she certainly could not defeat two strong men, so she could only curse even more unpleasantly and was taken out very reluctantly.
When she was taken out, she happened to pass by the queue of Xia Qingtang and Xie Jinxuan. Xia Qingtang looked at her with a smile. She stared at Xia Qingtang for a second and immediately recognized her: "You are the woman who cheated on my brother..."
But she was dragged out before she could finish her words.
After a brief period of chaos, the normal queuing and ticket checking finally resumed.
Xie Jinxuan asked: "How does this Kong Liangjing know you?"
"I don't know either. Maybe he has seen my photo somewhere." Xia Qingtang remembered that in her previous life, Kong Liangchao had asked her old classmates for many of her photos. Maybe he would ask them again in this life. If Kong Liangjing had seen the photos, she would certainly recognize her.
But these are all insignificant matters. The important thing is that the siblings Kong Liangjing and Kong Liangchao are now unemployed!
Xia Qingtang suddenly felt relaxed. After checking their tickets, he pulled Xie Jinxuan and rushed in and found their seats in the first row.
Before Xie Jinxuan even sat down, she greeted everyone nearby. Xia Qingtang followed her and called out to others. Some of them were familiar faces in the family compound. Some aunties gave her some candies when they saw her, and some even gave her some melon seeds and peanuts...
Xia Qingtang thanked him, took the snacks, wrapped them in a handkerchief and put them in his pocket, then looked around to see if there was anyone he knew.
Yu Jiankang and his partner were sitting in the fifth row not far away. The partner looked very unfamiliar and was not the person Yu Jiankang married in his previous life.
It seems that not only has she changed a lot in this life, but the people she knows have also become different.
While Xia Qingtang was still pondering these changes, the performance had already begun. She immediately shook off those irrelevant thoughts and focused on watching the performance.
The performance was wonderful. The actors on stage were all in high spirits. The actresses were all beautiful and energetic, with the most graceful figures. No matter what movements they made, they gave people a sense of elegant beauty.
After watching the wonderful performance, Xia Qingtang temporarily forgot about what happened during the day and just held hands with Xie Jinxuan and chatted in a low voice about the content of the performance.
Xie Jinxuan observed her expression carefully, and when she saw that she was happy, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
There were too many people leaving, but fortunately they were not in a hurry and just followed the crowd and walked out slowly.
It took a while to walk out of the theater. The sky outside was full of stars. Xia Qingtang looked at the deep blue sky and whispered, "Tomorrow will be a sunny day again. We can dry the quilts when we go out."
I don’t know how Xie Xiaoshuang is doing now, or whether she is living in the steel factory.
"Okay, I'll go back and collect the quilts before going to work in the afternoon, don't worry." Xie Jinxuan took her to the parking lot, found her bicycle, and then rode away among the crowd.
Xia Qingtang sat in the back seat, holding Xie Jinxuan's waist with one hand and putting the other hand in her pocket, still humming a song that was played during the performance just now. When the acquaintances in the compound heard it, they started humming along with her.
The Grand Theater is located in the city center, not far from the family compound, so almost all the people traveling with us are acquaintances. We ride bicycles together in front and behind, so we don’t feel scared.
When they reached a section of road lacking street lights, Xie Jinxuan suddenly turned around and said, "I think I saw the people who blocked us on the road before. They were the ones Kong Liangchao had brought with him."
"Ah? They haven't learned their lesson yet? Still want to stop you?" Xia Qingtang quickly opened his eyes wide and looked around, but found nothing.
Xie Jinxuan didn't react at all. She just continued to ride forward following the acquaintances in front and behind her, all the way to the gate of the family compound, and no one rushed over to stop them.
When we got home, Xie Jinxuan said, "There were so many people riding back with us. They were all from our compound. They would help if anything happened. There were only a few of them. They couldn't beat me alone, let alone so many people."
"Kong Liangjing must have seen me and told Kong Liangchao when he got home, so he sent people to block us on our way back. He was having a hard time, so he wanted to cause some trouble." Xia Qingtang frowned and said, "I just can't figure it out. Those little brothers followed him before because he could provide them with money and benefits. But now Kong Liangchao doesn't even have a job. Even if the Kong family can support him, they can't give him too much pocket money. So what did he use to bribe those little brothers?"
Xie Jinxuan pondered and said, "This is indeed a problem. Kong Liangchao has a bad character. It is unlikely that those people would work for him out of brotherhood, but he can still give those people benefits now... It is indeed worth investigating."
"Let's check the man from the day first, that's more urgent." Xia Qingtang said, "Anyway, the Kong family is already on its last legs. His grandfather's health is not very good, and there are scandals in the family one after another. He might be gone at any time. When he is gone, Kong Liangchao and the others will only get worse and worse. Now they still have Grandpa Kong to take care of them. This is their last glorious time."
Xie Jinxuan smiled and said, "Okay, I'll listen to you. By the way, let me tell you one more thing. In addition to Kong Liangjing, there is another person in the Kong family who will also cause trouble for them. If those things are revealed, the Kong family will probably have no face to live in this life."
"What? What's the matter? Tell me quickly."
"Kong Liangchao's lover has found several lovers outside, at least three of them, one of whom is Kong Liangchao's former colleague and his follower, flattering him all day long in the company. Xiang Qian found out about this. One night, the man drank with Xiang Qian, and after getting drunk, he told everything. He also said that Kong Liangchao's lover would bring out the Kong family's good cigarettes and good wine for him, and his words were very proud. Since this person has such a personality, he may tell other people. When many people know about it, this matter can't be covered up."
Xia Qingtang opened her eyes wide. She had thought that Kong Liangchao would definitely cheat on her after marriage, but she had never thought that the lesbian would do such a thing after marriage.
But think about it carefully, the woman married Kong Liangchao just to avenge him. What could make Kong Liangchao the most miserable? It must be to cheat on him!
Xia Qingtang immediately clapped his hands and praised: "Well done! I really look forward to the day when Kong Liangchao discovers the truth! It's a pity that I can't go and watch the excitement in person."
Xie Jinxuan smiled and said, "It's okay to secretly watch the fun, but you'd better not provoke them. They are already enemies, and if they get provoked and deliberately cause trouble, it will be very annoying."
"I know, I'm just talking. It doesn't matter whether you watch the fun or not. As long as Kong Liang doesn't do well, I'll be happy." Xia Qingtang hugged him and kissed him, then hurried to boil water to prepare for a bath.
There was no nightlife in that era, and coming home late from a performance was considered a rare occasion. By the time both of them took a shower and went to bed, it was already past ten o'clock.
Xia Qingtang hadn't slept so late for a long time. He was woken up by Xie Jinxuan at almost seven o'clock the next morning. He hurriedly washed up, ate two coarse flour buns, and hurried to work by bike.
The first task on Monday was to post the latest issue of the big-character poster on the bulletin board. Xia Qingtang and Feng Xinhui went together to post it, and then returned to the office and heard them talking about the latest performance of the art troupe.
"I heard it's a good show, but the tickets are so hard to buy, and I don't know when I can see it." Li Yue saw Xia Qingtang coming in, and hurriedly said, "Xiao Xia, Xiao Xia, it must be easy to buy tickets at your wife's house, right?"
"That should be the case. We went to see the show last night." Xia Qingtang said softly.
Li Yue looked envious: "Look, look, it's different when you marry well! We couldn't even buy the tickets, but Xiao Xia went to watch it easily."
It was indeed easy for Grandpa Xie to get tickets for these performances. After Xia Qingtang married into the Xie family, she had indeed watched several performances, but no one had asked her before and she had never mentioned it.
Zhang Ning asked Xia Qingtang for the first time: "Xiao Xia, for someone of your husband's grandfather's status, he shouldn't need to buy his own ticket to see a show, right?"
"Yes, we let the leaders watch every new performance first."
"If your wife didn't follow your grandfather's path, would she be able to buy the ticket?" Zhang Ning asked again.
Xia Qingtang understood what he meant and said, "Does the vice chairman want to ask my wife to help buy tickets?"
"Hey, my husband likes to watch a performance. We can still afford the tickets for the performance, but it's hard to get them in big deals. Can you go back and ask your husband for me? He also works in the provincial party committee, so it's easier for him to buy tickets from his unit than for us. If I can buy the tickets, I will definitely thank you." Zhang Ning said sincerely.
After being colleagues for so long, this was the first time Zhang Ning asked for help from him, so Xia Qingtang said, "Okay, I'll ask for the vice chairman when I get back. If it's available, I'll have him buy it directly."
Zhang Ning was very happy: "Thank you, and thank you my love."
"And me, and me! Xiao Xia, don't forget me!" Li Yue also said quickly: "I like watching performances, too."
"Okay, I will ask them all at once. But with so many people, we may have to buy tickets one after another. The vice chairman asked first, so we have to buy tickets for him first." Xia Qingtang said.
"Okay, okay, okay, whatever you say is fine. I'm counting on you!" Li Yue was very happy, and quickly walked over to pick up the thermos and add some boiled water to Xia Qingtang.
In fact, Feng Xinhui often helped Xia Qingtang add boiled water, but she did not do this to find someone to do her a favor, nor did she have any other ideas. She was just helping her colleague pour boiled water, so Xia Qingtang could accept it calmly.
But when Xia Qingtang saw Li Yue doing this, he quickly said, "Secretary Li, we are colleagues. I can do things like adding water myself. Thank you. I won't need you to do it in the future."
Li Yue smiled and said, "I'm looking for your help. It's my duty to pour you some water."
"But I haven't been able to help you yet. Let's talk about it when I can help you." Xia Qingtang was still polite.
She dared not owe any favors to some people.
When she got home that night, she told Xie Jinxuan about buying tickets for the show. He said, "You can buy them, but you may not be able to buy the tickets for the nearest show. But I will definitely buy the tickets for a month later. If you are sure you want them, I will let them know tomorrow."
"Thank you. I knew you had the ability to buy it." Xia Qingtang leaned in his arms and sighed, "But I feel embarrassed to bother you so much all the time."
"We are husband and wife, there is nothing we shouldn't be embarrassed about." Xie Jinxuan bent down and kissed her forehead.
"Because I'm always the one bothering you, not you bothering me."
"I just like you to bother me. Besides, these are all small matters. It's just buying a ticket or something. It's not like you want me to give hundreds of dollars to others. Why can't I agree to it?"
Xia Qingtang laughed: "Giving away a few hundred dollars to others, even if you agree, I don't agree."
The two of them were just chatting, but they didn't expect that a few days later, someone would actually come to borrow money, and the first thing he asked for was three hundred yuan.
"I know that this is a large amount of money. If I borrow it, it may take me a year or two to pay you back, but I can't find anyone else to borrow it from. I don't want to ask my family for help, so I can only come to you." After Luo Xiangqian finished speaking, he sighed heavily again.
Xie Jinxuan said, "What do you need so much money for? Do you want to buy something?"
"Actually, I also lent it to someone else. I don't know what the other person is going to do with the money. But I can assure you that the person is a good person, definitely not a bad person, and will definitely not use the money to do bad things! Whether the person pays back the money or not, I will definitely return the money to you within two years. But because of this, I dare not tell my family that I have no money but to lend money to others." Luo Xiangqian smiled bitterly: "Do you also think that I am a boring person? I have no money but to lend money to others?"
Luo Xiangqian is a very loyal person. He likes to help others. Now he asks his good friend to borrow money for others, which is in line with his character.
Xie Jinxuan said, "Since you are willing to lend so much money to someone, that person must be doing something important. But I am married now, and the money is in Qingtang's hands, so I can't make the decision alone."
Luo Xiangqian quickly looked at Xia Qingtang. He waited until the evening when both of them were at home and came over. In fact, he was asking Xia Qingtang to borrow money.
This is basically the case with most people nowadays, with all the money in the house being kept by the wife.
Xia Qingtang said: "We have three hundred yuan. Let Xie Jinxuan go to the bank to withdraw it tomorrow. You can come again tomorrow night."
Luo Xiangqian was very happy: "Thank you, Xiaoxia, thank you so much. I am really sorry to bother you this time! If it weren't for you, I don't know what I should do! I know that you two have plans for your lives and must have money in your hands."
"You just came back from the countryside not long ago, it's normal that you don't have any money." Xie Jinxuan said: "For a relationship like ours, don't keep saying thank you."
But Luo Xiangqian still said thank you many times and went back happily.
Before going to bed at night, Xia Qingtang took out a passbook and gave it to Xie Jinxuan, asking him to go to a nearby bank to withdraw money the next day.
Xie Jinxuan said: "Qingtang, thank you."
"Huh? This isn't my money. It's all given to us by your elders. Why are you thanking me?"
She only brought 200 yuan with her when she got married, and after that she only had 5 or 6 yuan left from her monthly salary. If you really count her own income, she doesn't have much spare money.
Xie Jinxuan said: "Of course I have to thank you. Three hundred yuan is not a small amount of money. You didn't even ask Xiang Qian to write an IOU, but you lent him so much money."
"Isn't this as it should be? Luo Xiangqian is your good brother. How can you not lend him money when he asks for it? If you don't lend it to him, will we still be friends in the future? Besides, I know he is a sensible and reliable person. Even if that person doesn't pay him back, he will find a way to pay us back." Xia Qingtang said, "I trust him, and I trust you even more."
Xie Jinxuan smiled and hugged her: "No matter what, I still have to thank you. I am also very happy that you have such a high opinion of my friend."
"Isn't your other good friend coming back soon? When he comes back, I will give him a good evaluation. I believe he is also a good and reliable person, right?"
Leng Feng would be back for vacation at the end of April. This time he sent a telegram to inform Xie Jinxuan and Luo Xiangqian, but Luo Xiangqian still complained about him for a long time, saying that Leng Feng was unreasonable.
Xie Jinxuan smiled and said, "Leng Feng is indeed a very reliable person, but you may not like him."
"I know that Lao Luo said he was cold-hearted and his words were harsh." Xia Qingtang said, "But I don't look at these things when I look at people. I only look at their essence."
Xie Jinxuan couldn't help but pinch her face: "Why do I remember that you liked me because I was tall and good-looking? Now you only look at the essence."
"How are they the same? From what I see, you are looking for a partner, and from what I see of others, I am looking at good or bad people." Xia Qingtang looked at the clock and said quickly, "I'm going to take a shower and go to bed first. If you want to read, read for a while longer. I'm really tired."
Xia Qingtang has been quite busy this week. In addition to going to and from work and studying English, she would also ride her bike to see Xie Xiaoshuang and accompany her with Hu Yanni.
However, the person Xie Jinxuan found has not yet brought back accurate investigation information. Xie Xiaoshuang is anxious, and Xia Qingtang is actually even more anxious, but he can only comfort her.
Today was Saturday, and normally the two of them would have had some intimate time together, but the next day was the day they had agreed to invite Xia Daming over for dinner, and Xia Qingtang was rather tired, so they didn't do that. She took a shower and went to bed alone.
Xie Jinxuan studied in the study until after ten o'clock before coming back to sleep. The next morning, the two of them woke up almost at the same time.
Xie Jinxuan immediately got up and prepared to go out for exercise, but Xia Qingtang stayed in bed and didn't want to get up.
Xie Jinxuan smiled and pinched her little face: "You sleep a little longer, it's still early, I'll bring you breakfast when I come back from exercise."
"Okay, go ahead. Exercise well and benefit me." Xia Qingtang reached out and touched his tight abdominal muscles, then turned over and continued to sleep.
In fact, Xie Jinxuan was aroused by her little action, but when she saw her turned over and fell asleep again, she could only smile and shake her head, put on her clothes, and walked out of the bedroom quietly.
When Xia Qingtang woke up again, it was almost eight o'clock.
She slept too long and felt a little dizzy. She went to the bathroom and washed her face with cold water before she finally woke up.
Xie Jinxuan was still reading in the study. When she heard the noise, she went to the kitchen. She stayed there for a while and then brought a fragrant plate and a large bowl to the dining table. "We went early today so there were fewer people. I bought fried dough sticks and fried glutinous rice cakes. I just heated them up in a pan. Come and eat."
In this era of food shortage, fried food is everyone's favorite. Xia Qingtang also likes to eat it, but the cafeteria only makes a small amount of fried food every day. You have to go very early to buy it. If you go a little later, you can only watch others eat it. Therefore, when they go to work, they always eat steamed buns, flower rolls, pancakes and other breakfasts that they don't have to fight for.
Xie Jinxuan learned how to fry foods from her Sixth Aunt. She would heat the iron pan on the stove, throw the fried foods in, dry-fry them for a while, and then take them out. They would then taste crispy and fragrant.
Xia Qingtang started to eat breakfast with mixed bean porridge. Fried food really made people happy. After she finished breakfast, the corners of her mouth were raised high.
After eating, Xie Jinxuan brought over another cup of hot tea: "Drink this to prevent stomach discomfort."
Nowadays, people seldom eat oily and meaty foods, so after eating fried foods, many people are accustomed to drinking some Eagle Tea, which is said to clear the stomach and intestines and prevent stomach upset.
Eagle Tea is called tea, but it is not actually tea leaves. It is made from the leaves of a tree that Xia Qingtang doesn't recognize. She doesn't like the taste very much, but Xie Jinxuan has already made it, so she can only wait until the tea is almost cool and then drink it down in one gulp like taking medicine.
"Okay, I'm done drinking, look." Xia Qingtang showed the cup to Xie Jinxuan.
Xie Jinxuan touched her head again: "Why is it like a child drinking medicine? Is this thing so hard to drink?"
"Well, it tastes bad. No matter how many times I drink it, it tastes bad." Xia Qingtang frowned and started looking for snacks under the coffee table.
Under the coffee table, there were candies and biscuits as usual. Because they were entertaining guests today, Xie Jinxuan went to buy egg cakes, peanut crisps, mung bean cakes, and glutinous rice osmanthus cakes after get off work yesterday. Xia Qingtang took out a bag of peanut crisps and ate a piece before he relaxed his brows: "This is still the best."
Xie Jinxuan said, "Then eat a few more pieces. When you're done, put the tea tray away and I'll go wash the dishes."
"Okay, go ahead." Xia Qingtang smiled sweetly at him and took another piece of glutinous rice cake to eat.
After tasting several kinds of snacks, Xia Qingtang took out a large tea tray and arranged the melon seeds, peanuts and four kinds of snacks into a beautiful shape on the tray.
She learned these things from others when she was a nanny. She can also peel fruits and cut fruit plates, and arrange them into grand and beautiful shapes. At that time, when guests came to my cousin's house, she would always ask her to prepare some beautiful dessert plates and fruit plates.
It's a pity that the conditions are not there now, as fruit is a rare thing, otherwise she could show off her skills to everyone.
After setting up the tea tray, Xia Qingtang took out the white porcelain cups used to entertain guests at home, put tea leaves in them and placed them next to the tea tray. When Xia Daming arrived later, he could pour hot water into the cups directly.
After finishing all this, she saw that it was still early, so she washed her hands, took out her books and started doing her homework.
After studying for such a period of time, Xia Qingtang's progress is still good. She can memorize and engrave in her mind all the content arranged by Guan Chenxiang within the specified time. Although it is a stupid method, it is quite useful.
Xie Jinxuan came out of the kitchen and saw her sitting at the dining table doing her homework, so she took out a book and studied with her.
The two studied until 9:20. Xie Jinxuan looked at the clock and said softly, "Qingtang, we should go to the door to pick up Dad."
"Okay, okay, wait for me to finish writing this sentence." Xia Qingtang finished writing the sentence at hand carefully, put away the book, and went out hand in hand with Xie Jinxuan.
The two of them have a very good relationship and are used to walking together hand in hand or arm in arm. In the beginning, there were always people in the compound pointing fingers at them, but over time, many young couples did the same as them, and now it is not uncommon to see them walking hand in hand in the compound.
When I walked to the main entrance, I saw Xia Daming wearing the clothes he wore on his son's wedding day, holding a cloth bag in his hand. He was standing very stiffly next to the guard room, looking at his toes nervously.
"Dad, we're here." Xie Jinxuan was the first to greet.
Xia Daming immediately raised his head and said, "You're here so early."
"Dad came early. When did he arrive? How long have you been waiting?" Xie Jinxuan asked, and then nodded to the person in the guard room.
Xia Daming said: "It didn't take long, just a while."
Xia Qingtang said, "Dad, let's go. Let's take a walk around the compound first, then come to our house and sit down. We'll go to grandpa and grandma's house at 11 o'clock."
"Okay, okay, I'll listen to you." Xia Daming was very nervous. He walked towards Xia Qingtang and the others, but ended up moving his hands and feet in sync.
"Dad, relax a little and don't be nervous." Xia Qingtang said.
"How can I not be nervous? Don't you see where we are..." Xia Daming didn't even dare to breathe.
"This is a family housing estate. The environment is indeed better than our cotton mill, but most of the people living here are ordinary people." Xia Qingtang said, "Even if they are not ordinary people, we haven't done anything bad, so why should we be nervous?"
Xie Jinxuan also said: "Yes, Dad, in fact, every family compound is similar, it's just a matter of the number of houses. Look, coming over here, that is the cafeteria of our compound, and over there is the basketball court. Qingtang and I also like to play table tennis in the back..."
Following Xie Jinxuan's introduction along the way, Xia Daming was no longer so nervous. He looked around curiously and began to imagine how Xia Qingtang usually behaved here.
It was a sunny Sunday morning, and of course the courtyard was full of adults and children out playing. Many people greeted them when they saw them: "Xiao Xie, are there guests at home?"
"Yes, this is my father-in-law. He came over to visit us today." Xie Jinxuan responded with a smile.
Xia Daming whispered to Xia Qingtang, "My son-in-law is not arrogant at all."
Xia Qingtang understood what he meant and said, "Xie Jinxuan is Xie Jinxuan. He is just a clerk. Why should he put on airs? Even if he really becomes successful one day, he will still be Xie Jinxuan. Wait until you meet grandpa and grandma, you will know that they have never been arrogant."
Xia Daming nodded silently and stopped talking.
After touring the compound and introducing who lived in each area, Xie Jinxuan and the others took Xia Daming to the small courtyard where they lived.
When Xia Daming arrived at the first house, he whispered, "This small yard looks nice. We can grow vegetables there. Our cotton mill is too small. We don't have space to grow vegetables."
"Yes, we are already eating the leeks we grew ourselves. They taste great, thanks to Xie Jinxuan's hard work in watering them." Xia Qingtang said with a smile.
Although Xia Qingtang had suggested planting vegetables in the family garden, the area was not large, but she had never planted vegetables in her life. Therefore, whether it was digging the ground in the beginning or watering and fertilizing now, it was all done by Xie Jinxuan. She was only responsible for cutting a handful of leeks when they grew and bringing them back for cooking.
Xia Daming said, "Xiao Xie, you are so busy with work, do you still want to grow vegetables?"
"Our work comes in waves, and we are not so busy every day. It may be busy again in a while, and I will have to accompany my leader on a business trip again."
"You still have to go on business trips, which is really hard."
"We are not that tired. If we have to talk about hardship, you are definitely the hardest-working." Xie Jinxuan said as she opened the door to her small courtyard. "Is Dad's back okay?"
"It's been fine recently. There are more young people in the warehouse this year, so we all feel a little more relaxed." Xia Daming followed the two young men into the small courtyard, looked at the neatly-knit vegetable plots and planted saplings, and smiled with satisfaction.
Xia Qingtang opened the door and walked in first: "Dad, come in and sit down. I'll make you some tea."
Xia Daming was helped inside by Xie Jinxuan. He stood at the door and looked around. Seeing that Xia Qingtang and Xie Jinxuan had both changed into slippers, he quickly said, "I'll change my shoes too."
"Here, change into this." Xie Jinxuan took out a pair of slippers for Xia Daming to change into.
When he came today, he was wearing a pair of mostly new socks with no patches or holes on them, so he could change his shoes without worry.
After changing his shoes, Xia Qingtang took him to visit the interior: "The living room is a little small, but it is enough for Xie Jinxuan and I. This is the bedroom, and this is the study. The light is very good. The bedroom faces south, and the sun can shine on the bed in winter, which is very comfortable. He usually uses the study more, and I like to read and study at the dining table, so this place is enough for the two of us to live in."
After looking at each room, Xia Daming kept saying "Great, great, this house is big enough for four or five people to live in, and it will definitely be comfortable for the two of you to live in now. The furniture is complete, and the quilt covers on the bed are all new. I... I am really relieved."
Xia Qingtang lives in such a nice house with everything she needs. One can tell at a glance that she lives a really good life.
Xia Qingtang took him to the sofa and sat him down, then made him some tea: "Dad, feel free to eat these snacks. Jinxuan bought them specially after work yesterday."
Xie Jinxuan also came over with his teacup. He smiled and said, "I don't know what kind of snacks Dad likes, so I bought some as well."
Xia Daming looked at the snacks and was a little hesitant to eat them. He said, "It's not a festival or a holiday, how can there be such delicious snacks? You guys eat them, you guys eat them, I don't usually like to eat these."
"Even if you don't like it, eat some. I won't pack it for you to take home. It will only benefit others later." Xia Qingtang said with a smile.
Xia Daming also smiled and said, "Now there are only your mother and I at home. Your brother has moved to Xiao Wu's yard. That yard is not bad either. It also has three rooms. It will be enough for them to live in when they have a child in the future."
"Are they doing well after they got married?" Xia Qingtang asked casually. She never met Xia Qinghai in the factory again after that.
"It's very good. Your brother said that although Xiao Wu has a bad temper, she is easy to coax. You just need to say nice things to her. I also heard that Xiao Wu asked her parents to find your brother a different job." Xia Daming said.
"The whole family are cadres, so they must hope that their son-in-law can at least be a clerk. But there are no office positions in the factory now. In two years, some people in the factory office can retire, and there is also the accounting department." Xia Qingtang said, stuffing a mung bean cake into Xia Daming's hand and asking him to eat it quickly.
Xia Daming quickly took out the cloth bag in his hand, and then said with a smile: "I almost forgot, this is what I brought for you. I thought that my son-in-law's family is well-off and has everything they need. I didn't know what gift I could give, so I went to the suburbs this morning and picked these."
The cloth bag he carried was filled with mulberries, which looked very fresh.
Xie Jinxuan said, "Dad, you went to the suburbs to pick fruits this morning, and you were at our door at nine o'clock. So what time did you leave?"
"Hey, it's not that late. I get up early anyway. I'm sure you all like these fruits. I'll give some to your grandparents to try. They're all freshly picked." Xia Daming smiled brightly.
Xie Jinxuan said quickly: "Thank you, Dad. I'll put them in a bowl and send half of them over now. The fruit will get rotten if left for too long, so it's better to eat it early."
Some of the fruits at the bottom of the bag were indeed crushed, so Xie Jinxuan put the good half at the top into a basin and sent it over there first.
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