Chapter 81
Xie Jinxuan looked as if he should be like this. He said, "Since you said that last time, I have started collecting antiques from different people. I have been collecting them slowly, and just a few days before your birthday, I have stockpiled a box. See if it's enough. If not, I will buy some more later."
Xia Qingtang looked at her lover's calm and handsome face and couldn't help but say, "I think there are still big differences between our ideas."
She had envisioned collecting just a few antiques, some porcelain ornaments and one or two paintings and calligraphy by famous artists, which would have been enough. She had never imagined that in such a short period of time, Xie Jinxuan would bring back such a big box of things!
With so many antiques here, what else can we do in the future? We can make a good living just by selling antiques.
Xie Jinxuan was puzzled: "What's the difference? Did I do something wrong?"
"Open the box first and let me see." Xia Qingtang said softly.
Xie Jinxuan took out the key and opened the small lock on the box, then lifted the lid, revealing a box full of antiques.
It was similar to what Xia Qingtang had thought. There were nearly twenty pieces of porcelain in there, all of which were small and easy to carry, such as teapots, wine pots, brush washers and the like. There was also a pile of rolled-up calligraphy and paintings along the edge, and judging by the colors, they were indeed from a long time ago.
Xia Qingtang knew nothing about these things. The only time she saw antiques up close was when she accompanied her cousin and her children to visit a museum.
But at that time, people watched through the glass window, not like now, where there is no distance at all and people can even hold it in their palms to watch.
Xia Qingtang knew that antiques were best not to be touched casually, so he used a handkerchief to pick up the nearest wine jug and took a look at it.
Xie Jinxuan said, "Would you like to take a look at these calligraphy and paintings? There are a few works by famous artists here, and I think they are okay."
"I can't understand calligraphy and painting, and I don't know any famous artists. It would be troublesome to open it. Forget it, I won't look at it anymore." Xia Qingtang said, and carefully put the wine jug back.
Xie Jinxuan said, "Do you think it's okay? I'm looking for reliable people. These are things left by their ancestors. Logically, there shouldn't be fakes. If they are fake, then their ancestors were also deceived, and they didn't intend to deceive me."
"I don't know how to appraise antiques, but with such a big box, at least half of it must be real, right? That's enough, absolutely enough." Xia Qingtang said, "You have collected so many, it's really beyond my expectation."
"Is this a lot? I thought when you said collecting some antiques, you meant like some families in the past, at least one whole cabinet full of antiques. Just like when grandma was young, her dowry could hold several boxes of antiques." Xie Jinxuan said softly.
Xia Qingtang held his forehead with his hand: "You are worthy of being grandma's grandson. The tradition of the wealthy family has been passed down to you."
After all, the environment that people like Xie Jinxuan grew up in is different from that of ordinary people.
Xie Jinxuan laughed, "Maybe it's because these things didn't cost much. I just exchanged them with some coupons and food. The passbook you let me use before didn't take out much money. Of course, I guess in a few years, I won't be able to buy these things at such a price. So, I thought that while those people are hungry now, I can exchange a few more things for them, so that we can both get what we need."
Xia Qingtang said: "It doesn't matter. If you can't find anyone to collect them in the city, you can go to the countryside to collect them later. There are many inconspicuous places in the countryside that store antiques. Maybe a big bowl for feeding chickens is a good thing from the Ming Dynasty."
These are real events that happened, and Xia Qingtang has read related reports in the newspaper.
"But we don't know anything about antiques. Unless I study a related major in college, I definitely won't be able to find antiques on my own," said Xie Jinxuan.
Xia Qingtang asked curiously, "Does the provincial university now have an antique major? Oh, no, it should be an archaeology major."
"Yes, there are, but there are not many teachers. Several of the previous professors have passed away, and now there is a lack of successors." Xie Jinxuan said: "Besides, even if you pass the exam, you may not be assigned to this major."
"It doesn't matter if you don't study this. This box of things alone is enough for us to use in the future. If you can exchange for something later, you can do so. If not, it's okay. These are enough for future use." Xia Qingtang said, "As for the major you choose, it depends on fate. Besides, you want to follow in your grandfather's footsteps in the future, and studying archaeology would be a deviation."
"That's true." Xie Jinxuan said, "Then let's slowly move this box of things back to the third floor over there, okay?"
It is indeed much safer over there in the small Western-style building. Firstly, there is someone there every day. Secondly, the patrols over there are actually stricter than here. After all, all the people living there are important people.
"Okay, put it back there. You'll be on a business trip again soon, and it would be bad if someone else breaks in and steals things. When you go on your business trip, I'll lock the house and move back to my grandma's place to avoid any trouble."
Xie Jinxuan had been in the city for a while, and it was time for him to accompany his leader on a business trip.
Fortunately, the weather in May was good, and the place they were scheduled to go on a business trip was also a beautiful place with mountains and rivers. Xie Jinxuan would not suffer any hardship when she went there, so Xia Qingtang was very relieved.
After viewing the antiques, Xia Qingtang saw that it was getting late, so he quickly closed the box and said to Xie Jinxuan, "Although I am very excited to see these antiques, it is really too late. Let's go wash up and go to bed, otherwise we really won't be able to get up tomorrow morning."
Of course, she was the only one who couldn't get up, because Xie Jinxuan could still be full of energy the next day even if she only slept for four or five hours.
Xie Jinxuan smiled and nodded, pushed the box under the bed, and hurried to the bathroom to prepare the bath water for her, so that Xia Qingtang could take a bath first and go to bed quickly.
Although Xia Qingtang fell asleep first, she went to bed too late. When she was woken up by Xie Jinxuan the next morning, she was still groggy and couldn't open her eyes for a long time.
She sat on the bed hugging the quilt, muttering softly: "I really don't want to get up... Why isn't today Sunday..."
Xie Jinxuan smiled and said, "If you really don't want to get up, I can go to the factory and ask for leave for you. You don't have to go to work today. You were tired yesterday and didn't sleep well, so why don't you go today? You work so hard, it's normal for you to ask for leave occasionally."
Xia Qingtang took a deep breath, recovered, shook his head and said, "Forget it. Since I started working, I haven't asked for leave except when I had a high fever. I don't want to ruin my perfect attendance record. Fortunately, tomorrow is Sunday. I can go home early tonight and get up later tomorrow morning. Let's just muddle through today."
Fortunately, the union doesn’t have any important work today, and Xia Qingtang’s Voice of Workers will not publish a new issue until the Monday after next, so there is no need to worry about not having enough energy to work.
As he spoke, Xia Qingtang mustered up the courage to get up from the bed, then rushed into the bathroom and washed his face with cold water.
The effect of this was very obvious. Soon, she woke up with the help of cold water. However, her big eyes still showed a hint of fatigue, but fortunately it was not too obvious.
When I walked out of the bathroom, Xie Jinxuan had already placed breakfast on the table. Today's breakfast was leavened oil cakes from the canteen. They were made of white flour mixed with cornmeal, and filled with chopped pickles and chili peppers. After being steamed, they were lightly fried in oil to alleviate the rough texture of the cornmeal cakes, making them delicious.
But generally speaking, people still prefer to eat steamed buns, flower rolls and dumplings. The appearance of this fried cake on the table today means that Xie Jinxuan also went very late.
"Go and have your meal. I'll make you some tea. One cup of strong tea will keep you energetic for the whole morning." Xie Jinxuan said as she opened the tea can on the coffee table.
Xia Qingtang sat on a stool, grabbed a steamed dough pancake and took a bite, muttering, "I didn't sleep well, why don't I even have an appetite to eat."
This is too rare. You know, Xia Qingtang has always had a good appetite and has always felt that he doesn't have enough food. It's rare for him to not be able to eat like this.
Xie Jinxuan was stunned for a moment, then immediately walked over and touched her forehead: "It seems a little hot, shall I take your temperature?"
After saying this, without waiting for Xia Qingtang to respond, he placed the cup of brewed strong tea in front of Xia Qingtang and turned to look for the thermometer.
Xia Qingtang ate the fried dough cake while measuring her temperature with a thermometer. By the time she finished one fried dough cake, her temperature was also measured.
Xie Jinxuan took the thermometer and took a look at it, saying, "37.1 degrees. You don't have a fever, but your temperature is a little high. You should not ride your bike today. Take the bus. If you are late, you are late. Director Qi allowed you to be late yesterday."
"Okay." Xia Qingtang nodded slowly while holding the cup of strong tea, "I understand."
"Also, you should pay attention to your physical condition. If you feel dizzy, your head is heavy, and your body is weak and powerless, then you must be sick. Go to the factory clinic immediately to measure your temperature. Remember?" Xie Jinxuan frowned slightly and reminded with a worried look on her face.
"Remember, don't worry, I'm not a child anymore, I know how to take care of myself." Xia Qingtang said, "Besides, my colleagues in the office are all very nice to me. If I look strange, Secretary Feng will be the first to notice it."
"That's good. Drink your tea quickly. I'll take you to the bus. Also, regardless of whether you have a fever or not, don't even think about going to class at noon. I'll go to Teacher Guan's house and ask for leave for you."
"Okay, I'll listen to you today." Xia Qingtang drank the strong tea in one gulp, then put down the teacup with a smile, stood up and was about to get his backpack, but was stopped by Xie Jinxuan again.
"Wait, you can't wear the ring on your hand to work." Xie Jinxuan touched her head helplessly, "Are you too sleepy or feeling uncomfortable?"
"I don't know, but it doesn't matter, it's just a small problem." Xia Qingtang smiled sweetly at him, "Because I'm still thinking about the happiness of celebrating my birthday yesterday."
Xie Jinxuan took off the gold ring on her hand, then rode his bike to take her to the bus stop.
Perhaps the strong tea took effect, Xia Qingtang slowly came back to her senses on the bus. Although she arrived at the office a little late, because of the special circumstances yesterday, even Chairman Qin didn't say anything.
Feng Xinhui had already typed out the application for Zhao Meizhen's requests that morning. The factory did not dare to be negligent and quickly stamped it. The finance department issued the first payment that day, which was signed and collected by Feng Xinhui.
Li Yue kept talking: "Xiao Xia, is your father's injury serious? The factory gives so much food allowance, and two people are there to take care of him. This treatment is unprecedented."
Xia Qingtang said: "It was indeed quite serious. It took a long operation to reconnect the bones. There were still external injuries on the body and a lot of blood was lost. Afterwards, I couldn't move for a long time. I don't think I could take care of him by myself."
According to Xia Daming's situation, it would be impossible for one person to take care of him at the beginning, and it would get better in the later stages.
"Then why don't you go and take care of your father? Look, your brother doesn't have to work to take care of others, how comfortable it is. You can also apply to the factory and take turns with your brother." Li Yue said: "I really want to stop working!"
Before Xia Qingtang could say anything, Feng Xinhui said, "Comrade Xia Qinghai is in the third workshop with many people. We can arrange for him to take over if he is missing. But there are only so many people in our office. If Xia is missing, how can we carry out the work? Forget about other things. Who will write Chairman Qin's speech? Who will handle the Workers' Voice? We can't do these things."
Xia Qingtang immediately cast a grateful look towards Feng Xinhui. She was indeed very grateful to Secretary Feng. She had also spoken up for her when they were in the hospital yesterday.
Sometimes I think, no wonder Feng Xinhui can take over Chairman Qin's position in the future, because people like her can speak for the employees and seek benefits. In this office, Feng Xinhui is also the most competent.
Li Yue heard Feng Xinhui's words and felt that it made sense, so she said, "Xiao Xia, it's a pity for you. The work here cannot do without you. Otherwise, you can just not come to work for two months."
Because Xia Daming's injury was quite serious, the factory gave Xia Qinghai two months of vacation at once. If it was not enough, it could be further delayed. It was imperative that Xia Daming was always taken care of so that the city leaders would not have to worry about it.
Zhang Ning smiled and said, "Xiao Li, you are still too young. Going to the hospital to take care of people is much more tiring than going to work. If you don't believe it, you can go to the hospital and try it. You have to work day and night in the hospital, and you have to get up at night to change the patients' feces and urine. Going to work is really comfortable. It only takes a few hours, and we can go home and rest after work. How can you get off work when taking care of people? You have to be around patients for more than 20 hours a day. You really don't understand. Xiao Xia's brother went to the hospital to take care of his father. This is a hard job for himself, and you thought it was a good job."
Li Yue really didn't understand. After hearing this, she immediately widened her eyes and said, "I really didn't expect that your brother is so good to you, Xiaoxia! Such a good brother, and you don't even talk to him. I say, you are a young man, you are just spoiled and arrogant. You don't even know your last name after marrying into a good family. Your natal family is always your natal family. When your natal family treats you well, that's the real good. After all, they are your biological children. As for your husband's family, they treat you well because they hope you will give birth to children for them. You have been married for less than a year, so you don't think it's a big deal. If you still can't give birth to children after a long time, you will see that they will definitely not treat you well."
What Li Yue said was not wrong, because some in-laws were indeed like this, for example, the Kong family. When their daughter-in-law was unable to give birth, they would try every means to kill her. If they failed to kill her, they would drive her out of the house.
Li Yue's own in-laws were pretty much the same, so her words came from the bottom of her heart.
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. If they don't treat me well, I can treat myself well. To put it bluntly, it's fake to expect others to treat you well in this world. Only if you can stand on your own feet, have your own income, have your own food, and treat yourself well, that's the real thing. Okay, I have to go to the workshop, so I'll leave first."
After saying that, Xia Qingtang walked out slowly, holding his big notebook and pen.
There is still a long time before the next issue of Workers' Voice is posted. Xia Qingtang could have chosen not to go to the workshop for the interview today, but she felt dizzy and didn't want to listen to Li Yue talking about Xia Qinghai and the Xia family in the office, so she made an excuse and ran out.
Since she was already out, she went to the workshop, maybe it would change her mood.
Xia Qingtang went to a workshop and was warmly welcomed by her fellow workers as soon as she entered. They all asked her about Xia Daming's injury and whether her work was hard recently.
After chatting with her former coworkers for a while, Xia Qingtang suddenly felt much more comfortable and her head was not so dizzy anymore. Then, according to the planned schedule, she found a down-to-earth and hardworking old employee to interview her.
Because it was a very familiar environment, Xia Qingtang did not return to the office after the interview, but stayed in a workshop to drink water and eat peanuts with Wen Xiaoli and others who were resting. Then he slowly returned to the office when it was almost noon.
She and Feng Xinhui have always been the two most diligent employees in the union. Since everyone else can slack off at work, so can she.
She was indeed not in a good condition today. Although she didn't have a fever, her overall condition was not right. It would be okay for her to take a moderate rest. After all, there was no urgent work at hand. Today was Saturday, and everyone was looking forward to getting off work.
After finally getting through the morning, Xia Qingtang went to the cafeteria to eat lunch. Thinking that she didn't need to go to the teacher's class, she went back to the office and lay down on the table to have a sound nap.
After waking up, I felt much better. In the afternoon, I finished all the remaining minor work for this week and then read the newspaper in the office.
It was almost four o'clock. Feng Xinhui finished her work and walked to her desk and said, "Xiao Xia, I have to go to the hospital to send money to your father and mother. Your mother needs to confirm and sign for the things. If you have nothing to do now, why don't you come with me to the hospital?"
Although Xia Daming was not a qualified father, Xia Qingtang was still a little worried about his injuries. It was working hours now and going there would not delay anything, so Xia Qingtang put the things on the table into the drawer and went to the hospital with Feng Xinhui.
When she arrived at the inpatient department, she finally saw Xia Daming, who was awake. He was lying motionless on the bed near the wall. His expression still looked somewhat painful. His dark face was bloodless and his lips were pale.
Xia Qinghai was not in the ward at the moment. Zhao Meizhen stood up immediately when she saw Feng Xinhui coming over. She said, "Secretary Feng, you still remember to come over? I've been waiting for you for a whole day. When will the money and subsidies that the factory wants to give us be given to me? Look, look, my son and I are here today to take care of our old Xia. We pay for everything we eat, drink and use ourselves. I've been waiting for you and you still don't come. I'm still thinking about you. The factory can't go back on its word, right?"
Feng didn't have a good impression of Zhao Meizhen, but when it came to work, she said calmly, "There are procedures for applying for anything in the factory, and you have to register it, and get the signature and seal from the leader. I said I would send it to you today, but it's not time to get off work yet. Your family is not so poor that you can't even afford to eat, so it's a joke to say this."
Zhao Meizhen said, "Alright, alright, stop talking. You're the only one who has so many reasons. Just give us the money that the factory should pay us. Why should I waste my words on you?"
Feng Xinhui opened her backpack and took out some papers and an envelope. The envelope contained money and food coupons. These included the food expenses for Zhao Meizhen's family of three in the hospital during this period. They were all taken out by the finance department today.
Feng Xinhui is a very serious person, so each amount of money is clearly written down according to category and time on a piece of paper. Even this piece of paper has been signed by the factory leaders and Chairman Qin to ensure that there are no mistakes.
She handed all the items to Zhao Meizhen, and after confirming them one by one, she counted the money one by one in front of her.
Zhao Meizhen was not well educated, but she had never had any problems counting money. Even so, she was still not at ease and counted it three times with her own hands before making it count.
After confirming that everything was correct, Feng Xinhui said, "Now that it has been confirmed, please ask Comrade Zhao to write me a receipt to confirm that you have received the first month's money and food coupons, and the amount is correct."
Zhao Meizhen was naturally in a better mood after receiving the first month's compensation and a large amount of food expenses. So she happily followed Feng Xinhui's instructions and wrote a receipt for her on a blank piece of paper, signed her name at the end of the receipt, and put a red fingerprint on it.
Feng Xinhui put away the paper, and Zhao Meizhen asked again, "Secretary Feng, what about next month's money after this month's payment? When will it be paid to us?"
Feng Xinhui didn't expect this person to be so anxious, so she said calmly, "One month at a time, and next month when the time comes I will list them one by one for you as I did today, and then send them for signature and stamping, and then send them to you when they are done. Don't worry, this is the factory's promise, and you will not be shortchanged a penny."
Zhao Meizhen was extremely happy, as these fees for accompanying the patient and the meals in the hospital were all huge sums of money that fell from the sky for no reason. With the free money, she could save her own pension and food coupons.
Although his lover was injured, the family got a great deal. If she was hospitalized for three months, she could save three months' salary and food coupons. How lucky!
Therefore, Zhao Meizhen smiled and said, "Oh, I definitely believe the factory. I'm just asking. I'm afraid you'll be busy with work and forget about it. Anyway, if you don't send it to me next month, I'll go to the union to ask you for it. Don't forget, the big leader in the city has said that he will pay close attention to Lao Xia's condition. If you default on the payment, I'll go to the big leader in the city to make the decision for me."
Feng Xinhui felt a little disgusted by such words, but it was working hours after all, so she still stood there seriously and made a promise to Zhao Meizhen without any expression.
While Feng Xinhui and Zhao Meizhen were settling accounts and paying money, Xia Qingtang walked to Xia Daming's bedside and gently asked about his condition.
Xia Daming's condition is relatively good, and the doctor has confirmed it. As long as he cooperates with the treatment in the hospital and rests well, his left leg will definitely recover. Besides, Xia Daming is less than 50 years old. After calcium supplementation and exercise, it will not affect his normal walking. It's just that it is indeed impossible for him to go out to do heavy work again.
Xia Daming himself was quite open-minded. He said, "You can't avoid getting injured. This isn't the first time our warehouse has been injured in recent years. Fortunately, mine isn't serious. Your mother told me that the factory will arrange for me to work in the cleaning team, which I think is great. After all, I'm already this age. It's good enough to earn 500,000 in our warehouse. If I can work in the cleaning team, I can work until I retire at the age of 60. By then, I'll get more pension than others. So I'm lucky to be injured this time."
Xia Qingtang said, "That's not the way to say it. An injury is an injury after all. You may not feel anything now, but your legs will hurt when it rains and blows in the future. But it doesn't matter. Xie Jinxuan also has old injuries. She has been seeing a Chinese doctor recently. The doctor is very good. After one course of treatment, Jinxuan's injuries have improved a lot. She no longer hurts when it rains and blows. After you are completely healed this time, if the doctor here says it's ok, I will let Jinxuan take you to see the Chinese doctor and help you take care of yourself. Otherwise, with your condition, when you are in your seventies or eighties, you won't be able to walk when the weather changes."
Xia Daming felt some pain in his body, so he kept a serious expression. In fact, he was just enduring the pain. But after hearing what Xia Qingtang said, he couldn't help but smile.
He said, "Qingtang, thank you. I'm not a good father, but you are still willing to be so kind to me. I really feel ashamed and happy."
Xia Qingtang said matter-of-factly, "Don't be happy. I'm not being very good to you. It's just that if your illnesses can be cured while you're young, I'll spend less money on you when you're old. If you can't walk in the future, I'll have to hire a nanny to take care of you. I'm letting you get treatment now for my own good, so you don't have to worry about more trouble in the future."
These words sounded a bit harsh, but Xia Daming didn't find them offensive. He smiled and said, "I still want to thank you. You are a kind-hearted child. Your parents-in-law and your grandparents are right. You are an especially good child. We are the ones who have always let you down."
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "You don't have to say such things now. I've been married for a long time and don't live in your house anymore. There's no need to say these things. You and I are not enemies, and I hope you can be healthy. You can rest here and recuperate. You can be discharged from the hospital after your injury is completely healed. The doctor said you will need rehabilitation later. Don't be lazy. Tell Xia Qinghai if you need anything. He has a powerful father-in-law now and is not short of money. You don't have to save money for him."
Xia Daming quickly said: "Don't worry, I will."
Seeing that Feng Xinhui and Zhao Meizhen had already handed over the bed, Xia Qingtang said, "There is one more thing. Tomorrow, Xie Jinxuan's grandmother and father will come to the hospital to see you. Remember to tell Zhao Meizhen not to do anything rude. Of course, it would be best to tell Xia Qinghai to let Zhao Meizhen stay at home tomorrow morning and not to come to the hospital to disturb her."
Xia Daming nodded immediately and said, "Don't worry. When your brother comes over tonight, I will tell him to ask your mother to stay home tomorrow morning and not go out. Otherwise, with her temper, I don't know what rude words she will say. I know they are all very kind to you over there. Your brother and I can't help you in any way, but at least we won't let your mother hold you back. You can rest assured about this."
Xia Qingtang nodded and said, "Okay, let's do this for now. Secretary Feng and I should go back soon. You should take good care of yourself. I'll come to see you later when I'm free."
The cotton mill is not far from the hospital, so it is not difficult to come and see Xia Daming when he is free at noon. Even if he is an ordinary colleague, Xia Qingtang can treat him like this.
Xia Daming looked very happy: "Okay, come when you are free, forget it if you are not free. I know you are very busy at work and there are many things to do at your in-laws' house. Just live a good life and don't worry about me. I have your brother and your mother here. I have two people to take care of me. I am fine."
Feng Xinhui had finished talking to Zhao Meizhen. Seeing Xia Qingtang coming over, she said, "Master Xia, you should stay in the hospital and take good care of your injuries. Xiao Xia and I will go back to the office first because we still have work to deal with. If you have any questions, you can report them to the factory, whether you go to our union or the factory office."
Xia Daming quickly said, "Okay, okay, thank you, Secretary Feng, you care about me so much and take care of us Qingtang. Thank you so much."
Feng Xinhui smiled and said, "We are all colleagues, and we should help each other. We will leave first. Goodbye."
After saying that, Feng Xinhui walked out with Xia Qingtang. Xia Daming whispered, "Mother, please see Secretary Feng off!"
Zhao Meizhen sneered: "What are you sending? Isn't the factory right next to it? Don't they know the way?"
It was not until they reached the outside of the inpatient department that Feng Xinhui said, "I think your father is not a bad person to you. He speaks more reasonably than your mother and is quite polite."
Xia Qingtang said: "My dad is not a bad person, but he is not much better. He is just an ordinary cowardly person."
"At least he won't trip you up or make things difficult for you. That's the kind of father we need. My father is like that too." Feng Xinhui patted her shoulder, as if to comfort her.
The two of them walked slowly to the office, and soon it was time to get off work.
Xia Qingtang walked downstairs with a few colleagues. Li Yue asked curiously, "Why didn't you ride your bike today?"
Xia Qingtang said: "I bought air for my tires, so I didn't ride my bike. Besides, it's very convenient to take a bus. I have to catch a bus, so I'll leave first!"
After saying that, she strode away with her bag on her back.
When I walked to the gate of the cotton mill and the guard room, I saw Xie Jinxuan standing outside the door. He was pushing Xia Qingtang's ladies' bicycle and waving at her with a smile.
Xia Qingtang was very surprised, and hurried over and hugged his arm: "Why are you here? You haven't gotten off work yet, is it okay for you to come here early?"
Xie Jinxuan said, "I'm a little worried about you. I'm afraid you might have a fever today. I happened to be not busy today, so I told my boss and left work early. I thought you would endure a little illness, and it would be bad if you overslept on the bus. I'll ride my bike to pick you up. If you're not feeling well, I can take you to the hospital right away."
Xia Qingtang was particularly happy. She knew that Xie Jinxuan was a very considerate and attentive person, and he always took good care of her. But today, seeing him come to pick her up after leaving get off work early, she still felt particularly sweet.
She smiled and said, "I'm fine now, and I'm not sick. I just didn't sleep well last night, so I'm not energetic. I've been fine all day today. I took a nap on the table at noon, and I felt more energetic in the afternoon. I also went to the hospital with Secretary Feng to see my dad."
"I'm glad you're okay." Xie Jinxuan said, and reached out to touch her forehead. She found that her forehead temperature was indeed normal, so she felt relieved.
Pushing the cart to the main road, Xie Jinxuan asked again: "How is Dad's health now? Has he woken up?"
"He's awake. He must be in a lot of pain. When we went in, he was lying there with his teeth clenched. I guess the painkiller has worn off. But he's in good spirits and was very happy to see us. Today, the factory sent the money and food coupons that Zhao Meizhen asked for. With these things, she will take good care of Xia Daming, so don't worry."
Xie Jinxuan, the son-in-law, actually cares more about Xia Daming's health than her daughter. Of course, on the one hand, Xie Jinxuan is a kind person. On the other hand, it is also because they are outsiders and have no grudges against each other, so she cares about him without any scruples.
But Xia Qingtang is different. She has let go of a lot of family affection, but when facing Xia Daming, she still thinks of his inaction in his previous life. Therefore, she cannot show care and concern without any guard. She always feels that if she is too nice to him, she will be at a disadvantage.
So it was just right for her to keep this distance now, and as for the other parts, she would let Xie Jinxuan help her complete them.
The two of them rode their bicycles back to the compound. When they passed by the basketball court, they saw Luo Xiangqian playing basketball with others again. He was running around laughing and looked very happy.
Leng Feng was standing nearby. When he saw them riding their bikes over, he nodded at Xie Jinxuan from a distance.
Luo Xiangqian also ran over and said loudly, "Jinxuan, did you go to pick up Xiaoxia from get off work? I just went to your house and there was no one there."
Xie Jinxuan said: "Yes, I left work early today and went to pick up Qingtang. She felt a little uncomfortable when she got up early, and I was worried that she would have a fever."
"Oh, is everything okay now? I see Xiaoxia looks good, so she probably doesn't have a fever?" Luo Xiangqian asked.
Xia Qingtang said: "It's okay, I just didn't get enough rest last night. After all, I came home too late and only slept for a few hours, so I felt groggy in the morning. I had a good nap at noon, and I felt energetic in the afternoon."
Leng Feng didn't say anything. He just stood quietly by the side, occasionally glancing at Xia Qingtang.
The two of them chatted with Luo Xiangqian for a few words, and as they were talking they saw Du Cheng and his mother walking towards them.
Xia Qingtang hadn't seen Du Cheng for a while. Although they all lived in the same compound, Du Cheng lost his job after returning from there. Now he is being raised at home by his parents. He is considered a waste in the eyes of everyone, so he almost never goes out.
Xie Jinxuan said that the last time Du Cheng went out was when he followed his parents to explain and apologize from house to house. Since then, he has never left the house again.
Therefore, Du Cheng and his mother, who went out again, attracted everyone's attention. Many people remembered what happened before and were whispering to each other.
Du Cheng still looked so thin. His hair hadn't been cut for a long time and had grown very long. The bangs in front of him tightly covered his eyes. He walked with his head lowered so his eyes and expression could not be seen at all.
His back was hunched, and his feet rubbed on the ground as he walked, as if he couldn't lift the soles of his feet. He looked completely lifeless.
His mother also lowered her head and hardly dared to look into the eyes of any passerby. No one greeted them. Everyone stared at the two of them with strange eyes as they slowly walked over there.
When she got closer, Xia Qingtang discovered that Du Cheng was holding his mother's hand like a little child, and there were many red pimples on his neck and cheeks, like rashes.
Luo Xiangqian was a man who would never give up his brother's grudges. Seeing that Du Cheng and his mother did not want to attract attention, he deliberately shouted, "Hey, Du Cheng, old classmate, where are you going?"
Du Cheng and his mother were both startled, especially Du Cheng. His reaction was very intense. He hid behind his mother like a frightened little animal.
He hunched over, leaned his forehead against his mother's back, and began to make whimpering sounds like a little animal begging for mercy.
His mother's eyes instantly turned red, and she shouted, "Luo Xiangqian, what are you doing? Did our Du Cheng provoke you? Why are you trying to scare him?"
Luo Xiangqian laughed: "I call this scaring people? I was just saying hello to him. It's your son who is guilty of his crime. If he didn't do anything bad, what would he be afraid of?"
The young people on the basketball court all followed suit and said, "That's right! You haven't done anything wrong, so why are you afraid? Just saying hello is scary. Your family is really weird."
As the crowd cheered, Du Cheng looked even more frightened. He kept shaking and muttering in a low voice: "Mom, Mom, save me, save me."
This action shocked everyone, even the group of young people who were making a fuss stopped.
A mother-in-law asked sympathetically, "Mr. Du, is your child stupid or crazy?"
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