Chapter 19
A nosy neighbor smelled a quarrel and ran away, wanting to call more employees to come and watch the fun.
Zhao Meizhen, who was standing in the corridor, was so angry that she was shaking all over. She looked at the two people's tightly clasped hands and shouted at the top of her throat: "You shameless bitch! You got married? You actually got married? You didn't even tell your family about your marriage? Where did this wild man come from? How did you get married? We don't even know how you got married?"
Xia Qingtang said calmly: "Go to the factory to get a certificate, then you can go to the street office to register for marriage. It's very simple. Mom, don't you know how to get married?"
"Street registration? Why didn't Director Wu tell us when you went to register?"
"I went to register on my lover's side of the street."
Zhao Meizhen didn't want to believe it. She rushed over and grabbed Xia Qingtang's arm, screaming, "Show me the marriage certificate! Show me the marriage certificate!"
"Mom, calm down. The marriage certificate is in my bag. I'll show it to you. Don't hurt Qingtang." Xie Jinxuan protected Xia Qingtang by her side, and then blocked Zhao Meizhen's tearing.
Zhao Meizhen yelled, "Fuck you! Who is your mother? I have never acknowledged you! How dare you call me mom?"
"Okay, if you don't want to call me mom, then call me auntie. Aunt Zhao, Qingtang and I are indeed married." Xie Jinxuan calmly took out his marriage certificate from her bag and showed it to Zhao Meizhen.
Xia Daming also hurried over to look at it together. After looking at it several times, Zhao Meizhen felt a chill in her heart, knowing that the marriage certificate was indeed real and Xia Qingtang really married this man.
Zhao Meizhen grabbed Xie Jinxuan's sleeve and yelled, "What do you do? Did you lie to our Qingtang?"
"I am a former soldier and currently work in the provincial party committee. My name is Xie Jinxuan and my family lives in the city. Qingtang and I are high school alumni and we got together after being introduced by someone. I guarantee that it is all legal and compliant." Xie Jinxuan said slowly.
Zhao Meizhen looked at Xie Jinxuan's half-new clothes and leather shoes, and had already determined that this person's conditions were definitely not as good as Kong Liangchao's, because he didn't even wear a watch. In this era, only people without ability could not afford a watch!
And her beautiful daughter, who had been a rare commodity for so many years, was married to an ordinary person! Zhao Meizhen's heart was bleeding...
Kong Liangchao stood behind and sneered: "You really have a marriage certificate? You are a great family. Do you know the consequences of playing with me like this?"
Zhao Meizhen suddenly reached out and snatched the marriage certificate from Xie Jinxuan's hand, and then tore it into several pieces. She looked crazy and shouted, "This doesn't count! It doesn't count! I've already torn it up for you, and you're not married yet! You must marry Kong Liangchao! If not Kong Liangchao, then Political Commissar Yang! You are my daughter, who allowed you to marry someone casually?"
Xie Jinxuan smiled gently, picked up the torn marriage certificate, and said softly: "Aunt Zhao, there is a registration record over there on the street. This one is torn up. I can go and get a new one. Qingtang and I are indeed a legal couple."
Zhao Meizhen screamed in despair: "I will fight you! If you die, there will be no use for the marriage certificate!"
Xia Daming held onto the frantic Zhao Meizhen tightly, and said in a deep voice: "Mother, calm down! Even if you beat Xiao Xie to death now, what's the point? Qingtang is already married..."
Before Zhao Meizhen could say anything, Kong Liangchao roared, "That's right, your daughter is already a slut! Do you think I would still want this slut if you tore up the marriage certificate? Bah! Xia Qingtang, I tell you, no one in this city dares to play with me like this! If you play with me like this now, I will make you live a life worse than death! I will make your whole family live a life worse than death!"
This incident was a great humiliation for Kong Liangchao. Even though he could still stand firmly in the same place, he had actually whipped Xia Qingtang's corpse thousands of times in his heart.
Xia Qingtang said in a deep voice: "Comrade Kong, when did I ever play with you? We were not introduced by the organization, nor did we fall in love. We have no relationship at all. Moreover, I remember that I clearly rejected you! But Comrade Xie and I are now a married couple with a formal marriage certificate."
"You still dare to say that you didn't play tricks on me? Last time at Director Wu's house, was it you who proposed to get engaged to me?"
"I never said such words! Because I rejected you, you asked Director Qi to transfer me from a workshop to a warehouse as a porter. I suffered so many injuries in the warehouse and was even hospitalized. You hurt me so much, how could I possibly yield to a demon like you? How could I possibly want to get engaged to you?" Xia Qingtang said coldly.
With Xie Jinxuan by her side, Xia Qingtang felt safe and confident. She was not afraid of Kong Liangchao and the Kong family at all.
"How dare you lie? Your parents heard it that day. It was you who proposed to get engaged to me!" Kong Liangchao screamed, "Zhao Meizhen! Xia Daming! You two, say something!"
Zhao Meizhen was so angry at this time that her limbs were numb. She could hardly stand up and had no strength to speak.
Xia Daming was not a fool. Things had already come to this, so he certainly could not stand on Kong Liangchao's side. He whispered, "My daughter was injured and hospitalized because of you. She really can't agree to get engaged to you!"
"Okay, you family, the younger one lies and the older one helps to cover up the lie! Fine! But it doesn't matter, I will go find Director Wu to testify now!" Kong Liangchao shouted.
Xia Qingtang said calmly, "What testimony can Director Wu give you? Everyone knows that you have given Director Wu a lot of benefits. Her testimony is not trustworthy. You can ask Director Wu to come over. In front of so many of our neighbors, see what testimony Director Wu can give you. If Director Wu comes, I would like to ask her, as a women's director, she does not make decisions for us grassroots women, but because she received benefits from you, she helps the tyrants and forces good women to marry. What kind of women's director is she? The things she helped you with, I, the neighbors, have seen, and she comes to testify for you? Don't you feel guilty?"
These neighbors of the cotton mill had no dealings with families like the Kong family, and no conflicts of interest. They all watched Xia Qingtang grow up. Everyone knew about the hardships and injuries Xia Qingtang had suffered in the warehouse in recent times. They also knew that she was sent to the warehouse by the factory director because she had offended a man named Kong.
Now that Xia Qingtang said this, the neighbor with a strong sense of justice spoke up first: "You are such a shameless person! I heard that our Xiao Xia was taken to the warehouse by the factory director because she offended you! So you even forced a working-class woman to marry you! We are in a new society now, and you actually forced a working-class woman to marry you! Are you a shrew?"
"That's right! You are such a bad person. It's not the right time to do such a thing! You are a jerk!"
"□□!"
"Let's go find □□u! Ask him why such a person can work in the Food Bureau?"
"Walk!"
At this moment, the meeting to reverse the chaos and oppose politics has not yet started, so the atmosphere is still similar to before. Everyone is cautious in what they say and do, for fear of being accused of high accusations and causing trouble.
After the neighbors made such a fuss, Kong Liangchao originally thought that he was particularly right, but his enthusiasm quickly died down and he even wanted to run away.
A wise man never suffers a loss in front of him. He and his mother are the only two of them. What would he do if they were beaten up by a crowd of people here?
But I couldn't bear to leave like this, so I could only stand there with gritted teeth. My brain felt like it was burning dry and I didn't know what else I could do to relieve the anger in my heart.
Seeing that the neighbors' shouting was getting louder and louder, Kong's mother, who had been sitting as calm as a rock in the house, finally walked out slowly.
She was wearing a white dacron shirt with fine stripes, through which you could see her white undershirt. She was wearing a pair of clean black trousers with the seams ironed straight, a pair of shiny black leather shoes, her short hair was combed meticulously and pinned behind her ears with a wire hairpin, and she was carrying a large black leather bag in her hand. She looked like a cadre, completely different from the residents here.
Xia Qingtang looked coldly at her slightly droopy triangular eyes and her dry and thin flat nose, and couldn't help but recall how they looked when they came to her house to propose marriage in the previous life.
At that time, Kong's mother had no smile on her face, just like she does now. Her expression was even uglier than it is now, as if someone owed her a lot of money.
Although Kong's mother looked very unhappy now, she was obviously in much better spirits than in her previous life. This was probably because she knew that her son would not marry this poor worker, so even though she was angry, she was also very fortunate at the same time.
Seeing Kong's mother coming out, Kong Liangchao immediately shouted, "Mom! This family is too much!"
"What else is there to say to such people? Don't argue with them. Don't lower your status." Kong's mother patted her son on the back and glanced at everyone coldly.
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "What do you mean by lowering your status? I am a proletarian. What class is this comrade? Is he higher than me?"
"You are so sharp-tongued, but you can only talk nonsense here." Kong's mother said with great momentum: "Originally, you did this to tease my son, and we could go to your leader and sue you..."
"Go ahead. Director Qi and the Party Secretary's homes are over there. Do you need me to lead the way? I'll take you there now!" Xia Qingtang said very seriously.
Kong's mother was a person who had experienced many ups and downs. Seeing Xia Qingtang's calm and determined expression, she hesitated for a while and then said, "I just don't want to argue with people like you. My son has studied at the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University. How can a female comrade like you who is a habitual liar be worthy of my son? And look at the mess in your family. Your daughter is married and your parents don't even know about it! I am very glad that you don't have the opportunity to marry such an outstanding person as my son, because you are not worthy at all! Son, calm down and come back with me. Today, let's just think of it as us stepping on dog shit when we go out and just go home and wash our shoes."
If there is any grudge, just go home and talk about it. Can’t the Kong family help out such a small working-class family?
Kong's mother winked at Kong Liangchao, and he immediately understood and continued, "I will listen to you, mom, and I won't argue with such a despicable person anymore. Mom, let's go back and wash our shoes!"
Mother Kong nodded with satisfaction and said, "Comrades, please return the things we just brought to us."
Zhao Meizhen stood there unable to move. Xia Daming walked into the room silently, took out a few cloth bags and handed them to Kong's mother. One could vaguely see a bag that seemed to contain Moutai liquor.
Mother Kong motioned her son to pick up the bag and started to walk out. When she reached Xia Qingtang, she lowered her voice and said, "Xia Qingtang, if you dare to embarrass my son like this, I will not let you go."
"I'll wait for you." Xia Qingtang smiled slightly, not caring at all.
Mother Kong looked at Xia Qingtang's fearless eyes and was slightly stunned. It was only when Kong Liangchao pulled her that she came to her senses. The mother and son then slowly walked out of the family quarters under the watchful eyes of many neighbors.
After the two of them left, the distraught Zhao Meizhen seemed to have just found her soul. She cried out "Aiya" and sat on the ground and cried bitterly: "It's over! It's over now! Will my Qinghai never come back? My Qinghai!"
Xia Qingtang said: "Your internal retirement has been completed, and the acceptance documents from Big Brother have also been received. If the Kong family really did something to prevent Big Brother from coming back, you can go to the higher authorities and sue them."
Director Qi had just been criticized by the city. No matter what, he would not dare to accept benefits from the Kong family and do anything now, so Zhao Meizhen's worries would not come true.
Xia Qingtang taught Director Qi a lesson purely for his own sake, but Xia Qinghai could benefit from it, which was already a good deal for their Xia family.
However, Zhao Meizhen didn't understand all this. She only knew that the Kong family could send Xia Qingtang to the warehouse to suffer with just one word. But now that they had completely offended the Kong family, was there any chance for her son to survive?
She screamed and jumped up from the ground, then rushed towards Xia Qingtang: "You black-hearted bastard! Why did I give birth to you in the first place? I have been so good to you for so many years, how have you repaid me? Xia Qingtang, you unfilial thing, aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning!"
Xie Jinxuan pulled Xia Qingtang behind her. Zhao Meizhen could only use her hands to desperately beat Xie Jinxuan's arms. In the end, it was Xia Daming who pulled her away.
Xia Qingtang said coldly, "I don't think I did anything wrong. For my eldest brother's future, you wanted me to marry into the Kong family to bring him benefits and money, but I've already said I don't want to, but you forced me to run away from home and wanted me to marry into the Kong family. You treat me well? Is that how you treat me well? This is not the old society anymore. Why don't you dare to go to the party secretary with me to seek justice? See who is wrong? Also, since I was a child, I have always eaten the least in the family. If there were any good things, you would leave them for my eldest brother. When my eldest brother was still at home, he ate dry food and I ate porridge. There was a scrambled egg on the table, but I was not allowed to touch it with a chopstick. Do you think this is good to me? Thank you so much!"
Zhao Meizhen was so angry that she was shaking all over. She was about to rush over to fight Xia Qingtang, but Xia Daming hugged her tightly: "Mother of the child, stop it!"
"I'm making a fuss? Who is making a fuss? Look at your daughter. She's married to someone we don't even know about! She didn't even tell us she was married!"
Xia Daming glanced at Xia Qingtang, his eyes also showed disapproval: "Qingtang, if you don't want to marry into the Kong family, you don't have to do such things to anger us."
"Dad, what are you talking about? I'm not getting married to piss you off. I'm getting married because my lover and I are in love and have the same goals. We want to live a good life together." Xia Qingtang raised Xie Jinxuan's left hand and said seriously, "I'm an adult with a job. I have a certificate from the factory and a marriage certificate from the street office. It's legal and reasonable. Whether you're happy or not, Comrade Xie and I are already a family."
"Okay, we're a family! We're a family! Then get out of here with him! Get as far away as you can! Don't ever come back to my home again! Anyway, you're independent now, you have a job, you have a lover, you're great! Get out of here!" Zhao Meizhen screamed and started crying again.
Zhao Meizhen's dream of marrying into a cadre family was shattered, and she was really going crazy.
Xia Qingtang said: "You don't have to tell me, I will leave too. I have had enough of this home without any warmth. But I still have some things in the house, I have to pack them up and take them away."
She would never set foot here again, so she planned to take all her belongings out of the shed. For this purpose, she put two large cloth bags in her cross-body canvas bag.
After saying that, she pulled Xie Jinxuan to open her shed and started to pack up.
Zhao Meizhen wanted to rush over to make trouble, but was held down by Xia Daming: "Don't make a fuss. The child is already married. Do you really want to end up estranged forever? Calm down. Let's ask about Xiao Xie's background and see if the child has been deceived. If he is really a good young man, then get married... then get married. Qingtang is old enough to get married."
The female neighbors around also advised: "Yes, since the children are already married, I think the young man is also handsome and has a job, isn't this good?"
"Get out! What do you know? I have raised this daughter of mine for so many years, just for her to marry a man like that? What do you know?" Zhao Meizhen was extremely emotional and blurted out the true words that she could not say.
In this day and age, even if you want to curry favor with the rich and powerful, you can't say it out loud.
An auntie said with a smile: "Old Zhao, you are not marrying your daughter off, you are selling her! Your daughter is right, this is not the old society anymore."
"Who told her daughter is so pretty? There are dozens of units, big and small, nearby, and I don't know how many people came to propose marriage, but Old Zhao didn't like any of them. After careful selection, he chose the one who lives in the cadres' building, but who knew that it didn't work out... Oh, not only did it not work out, we even became enemies." Another aunt said sarcastically. She also had a daughter, but she was not pretty, so she hated Zhao Meizhen who often boasted about her daughter.
Zhao Meizhen was even more furious when she saw that everyone was saying she was wrong: "You are just saying the grapes are sour! My daughter has that fate, why can't I help her fight for it?"
"You did try, but your daughter is not happy about it. She just wants to marry an ordinary man. Hahahaha!" the aunt laughed.
Zhao Meizhen now found an outlet for her anger. She immediately broke free from Xia Daming and rushed over to start a fight with the aunt.
The auntie was not as strong as Zhao Meizhen in fighting, but she was very good at talking. She dodged and said with a smile: "It's useless for you to hit me. The Kong family made your daughter work in the warehouse before. She is almost disabled. Now your whole family has offended them. You should think about how to save your life!"
These words were like sharp knives stabbing Zhao Meizhen's heart. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Her face became redder and redder. Suddenly, her eyes rolled back and she just pouted.
Everyone quickly helped Xia Daming to rescue Zhao Meizhen. They applied cooling oil and pinched her Ren Zhong acupoint. Someone was fanning her. After a while, Zhao Meizhen finally woke up.
"Mother, how are you?" Xia Daming squatted beside her, holding a glass of cold water, with a worried look on his face.
Zhao Meizhen glanced at him, tears rolling down her cheeks: "Xia Daming, it's over, our family is over..."
Just then, Xia Qingtang and Xie Jinxuan came out carrying large and small bags. They packed all the personal belongings in the shed with old bed sheets, and they had completely moved.
Seeing Xia Qingtang coming out, Zhao Meizhen started to kill with her eyes again. She used the most vicious words to curse Xia Qingtang, saying that she would die a miserable death, be abandoned, and have no children or grandchildren. Xia Daming frowned when he heard it, and the neighbors also blamed her for being wrong.
Xia Qingtang looked very calm. She had experienced all the things that Zhao Meizhen cursed her with in her previous life. In fact, it was just like that. Didn’t she survive it?
As for this life, she has already changed her path. Even if Xie Jinxuan betrays her in the future, she has nothing to be afraid of. She can just pack her luggage and run to the special economic zone. Isn't it easy to support herself?
However, Zhao Meizhen is definitely not a normal parent. No matter how normal parents are, they would never curse their children with such language.
"Mom, you've said so much. I think we can no longer have any contact with each other." Xia Qingtang said lightly.
She had had enough of Zhao Meizhen and didn't want to devote her whole life to working like a slave for her and Xia Qinghai anymore. Since Zhao Meizhen hated her so much, they might as well just never have anything to do with each other again.
"I'm breaking off relations with you! I'll pretend that I never gave birth to a daughter like you! Get out of here! Get away from me! I've never given birth to a beast like you!" Zhao Meizhen roared at the top of her lungs.
Some older mothers-in-law wanted to persuade them, but they were scolded away by Zhao Meizhen.
Finally, everyone looked at Xia Daming. Xia Daming had never seen such a scene before. When he saw Xia Qingtang and Xie Jinxuan turning around and about to leave, he quickly shouted, "Qingtang, wait a minute! Your mother is just saying this in anger. You don't really take it seriously, do you? You are our daughter... Besides, you are married now. Your family is your support after all. If you encounter any problems, you can come back and discuss it with us."
Xia Qingtang said: "Dad, can you really be my support? If you really can be my support, then why did you want to help my mother let me marry into the Kong family?"
Xia Daming was slightly stunned and speechless.
"Let her go, let her go..." Zhao Meizhen lay dying on the ground, just telling her to go away.
"When you are old and need my support, I will fulfill my legal obligations and responsibilities. I won't talk about the rest." Xia Qingtang said, "I'm leaving. Goodbye."
After saying that, she led Xie Jinxuan and walked out step by step in front of so many neighbors.
Once upon a time, she had walked out of here in such a miserable state. That was after she was fired from the factory and kicked out of the house by Zhao Meizhen and Xia Qinghai. She had nowhere to go, and no matter how much she begged them, she could no longer stay at home and could only roll out of the house in a miserable state.
If her cousin's family had not been in need of a nanny at the time, she would probably have ended up in despair.
She was still carrying large and small bags and walking out under everyone's gaze, but this time, her mood was completely different.
She tilted her head to look at Xie Jinxuan beside her, and the man just happened to tilt his head to look at her. Their eyes met, and Xie Jinxuan smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'm here."
Xia Qingtang smiled slightly: "I know, I'm not worried."
She is no longer the Xia Qingtang of the past. She is about to start a new life without any fear or worry.
The neighbors were silent. After the two young men had completely disappeared, someone whispered, "This Xiao Xia is not simple. Did he really move away like that?"
"Since we have already obtained the marriage certificate, it is natural for me to live in my husband's house."
"We all watched her grow up, and we've never heard of her dating."
"We don't know that she is dating anyone. No one in our workshop knows about it." A female worker in the workshop said softly.
"That young man looks nice. I hope Qingtang gets along well with him." The aunt next door sighed, "Girls grow up and can't be kept. It doesn't matter who they marry."
At this time, Xia Qingtang and Xie Jinxuan had already walked to the next intersection. They stood there discussing where to go.
"So many things definitely can't be put in the Hu family. I've already troubled them so much. These things need to be put somewhere else." Xia Qingtang said softly: "But the house you applied for will not be approved for another two months, right?"
Xie Jinxuan said, "Why not put you at my house? We are married now, so my house is your home. Also, I can take you back to meet my parents. I only wrote a letter to tell my grandmother about our marriage, and no one else knows about it yet. If I take you back now, they will definitely be very happy."
Xia Qingtang said: "But isn't it inappropriate for us to go to your house like this today?"
"There's nothing inappropriate about it. My parents are both the best-tempered people. Even though they may feel it's a bit sudden to bring you back now, they will definitely be happy for us."
Xia Qingtang hesitated for a while, then asked, "But there are so many people living in your house. If I carry all these things over, will there be a place to put them? Will it affect the lives of your family members?"
Xie Jinxuan said: "There is space in my room. There is space under the bed. It is just enough to put down so many things."
Xia Qingtang thought it was quite appropriate, so he nodded and said, "Okay, I'll leave it at your house. Then... shall we go to your house now?"
"Yes, let's go now. We can still make it in time for lunch. Today is a holiday, so everyone must be at home." Xie Jinxuan happily led Xia Qingtang to a bus and began to introduce her to some of her family's situations.
"My grandfather is a very serious and principled man. He looks a little fierce, but he is actually the most reasonable person. He also likes the younger generation to act like a spoiled child to him. As long as I act like a spoiled child, my grandfather will agree to everything I say. My grandmother is the kindest person. She is not tall, but in good health. She always likes to rush to cook and is never idle. She went to a girls' school when she was young. When she sees you, she will definitely like you. My parents are very busy. They get up early and go to bed late. I was brought up by my grandmother when I was a child. However, they are also reasonable people. They are strict with me, but not excessively. My younger brother is smarter than me. He studies well, and I hope he can get into college later. The future of the world still depends on intellectuals." When Xie Jinxuan talked about her family, her face was full of gentle smiles, which showed that the atmosphere in their family must be very good, and Xie Jinxuan must be very loved by her family.
Xia Qingtang listened slowly, and his tense mood gradually relaxed.
A family that can raise a person with a character like Xie Jinxuan cannot be that bad.
Moreover, Xia Qingtang will live alone with Xie Jinxuan in the future, so even if they really can't get along, it's not a big problem.
After getting off the bus, the two of them continued walking along the road. Xia Qingtang looked at the road and was a little surprised: "Go further ahead, isn't that the family quarters of your unit?"
In front is the family quarters of the provincial party committee compound. Xia Qingtang has passed by here before, so he is very familiar with it.
Xie Jinxuan said: "Yes, didn't I tell you? We live here, in the house that my grandfather allocated to us. Actually, my father could have also been allocated a house, but he followed his style and gave it to someone else, so we all live in my grandfather's house."
Xia Qingtang was slightly stunned, vaguely feeling that something was wrong, but couldn't put it into words. He could only follow Xie Jinxuan slowly to the gate of the compound and watch him greet the guard with a smile.
The security guard was a young man. When he saw them carrying large and small bags, he asked, "Brother Xie, what are you moving? Do you want my help?"
"No need, you go about your business, I can handle it." Xie Jinxuan said with a smile.
"Really?" The security guard ran out, "Xie Ge, I'll help you move in."
"Really, there's no need. You're the only one here right now. If you move things for me, who will watch the door? Just stay here." As Xie Jinxuan spoke, she slowly walked away, and the guard gave up.
Xia Qingtang said: "This person is really enthusiastic."
"Yes, Xiao Liu is a warm-hearted person. You will know it later. I will introduce you to each other later."
The environment of the provincial party committee compound was much better than that of the cotton mill family quarters. There were bungalows, small courtyards, four-story collective buildings, two-story buildings for cadres, and a three-story residence with courtyards in front and back. It was for people of high rank to live in.
In addition to sufficient housing, there is also a canteen, basketball court, small playground, nursery, infirmary... everything you need. Living here, you can live a good life without leaving the compound.
Xie Jinxuan slowly introduced Xia Qingtang to some of the buildings they passed by, and told him some interesting things that happened here when he was a child, which made Xia Qingtang feel more relaxed.
But as they walked, Xia Qingtang felt something was wrong, because the place they were walking in had passed by bungalows, small courtyards and four-story collective buildings, and was heading towards the area of single-family small buildings.
She felt a little uneasy, but the two young men walked quickly. While Xie Jinxuan was talking, they had already brought her to a beautiful three-story building. Through the courtyard door, she could clearly see that half of the building was planted with flowers and trees, and the other half was planted with some vegetables, including leeks and peppers, and the peppers were growing very well.
The three-story building looks very grand, and the glass windows upstairs appear clean, obviously someone cleans them regularly.
Xia Qingtang's mood quickly fell to the bottom. She looked at Xie Jinxuan, her voice trembling: "Xie Jinxuan, is this your home?"
"Yes, this is my home. To be exact, this is my grandfather's home." Xie Jinxuan was still smiling, but soon he noticed that Xia Qingtang's face was pale and his lips were trembling slightly, as if he was sick. He anxiously put down the big bag in his hand and asked, "Qingtang, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?"
Xia Qingtang dodged his hand that was stretched out to test her forehead temperature. She felt dizzy and said, "You live in a three-story building. Why didn't you tell me before?"
Xie Jinxuan was a little confused: "I...didn't I tell you? But I told you that there are seven people living in my house. I thought you could guess that the house wouldn't be too small, otherwise how could they accommodate everyone..."
"I thought you couldn't find a wife because your family was too big!" Xia Qingtang felt very upset. She almost cried. "You are from a cadre family! Why didn't you tell me?"
"I...I thought Third Aunt must have told Aunt Li. Didn't they tell you?" Xie Jinxuan held Xia Qingtang's arm and said very seriously: "Qingtang, please believe me, I absolutely don't mean to deceive you! Everything I said is true."
Xia Qingtang calmed down and recalled all the exchanges between her and Xie Jinxuan. Indeed, he had never lied to her. She had mistakenly thought that he must be in very poor condition. She had misunderstood...
"But, with your conditions, why don't you have a bicycle, don't you wear a watch, and you dress so simply...you..." Xia Qingtang felt that this was not his fault. After spending so many times with Xie Jinxuan, he was really always so simple. Who could have guessed that his family conditions were so good?
Xie Jinxuan explained anxiously, "I think I'm well dressed. How can I be considered simple? There are many people who have a harder life than me... My grandfather has always taught us to be simple and hardworking and not wasteful. As for the bicycle, I haven't bought one yet, but I've got the ticket. I was thinking of buying a new one after you move in so I can take you to and from get off work. And I have a watch, but the strap is broken and I haven't had time to repair it yet, so I put it in my pocket to tell the time."
As he spoke, Xie Jinxuan took out a watch from his trouser pocket and showed it to Xia Qingtang, then he explained solemnly: "I really never wanted to hide anything..."
"You have such good conditions, why can't you find a partner? You said before that you have been looking for half a year and still haven't found one."
"Maybe it's because... I have you in my heart." Xie Jinxuan smiled bitterly, "Even though you didn't reply to my letter before, I knew I had no hope, but I still couldn't help but think of you. When others introduced me to someone, I would secretly compare them with you in my heart. They are not as good as you..."
After hearing this, even though Xia Qingtang still had a lot of complaints, he couldn't say anything unpleasant at this moment.
She stared blankly at Xie Jinxuan's affectionate and sincere face, not knowing whether she should turn around and run.
Living in a three-story building in the provincial party committee compound, Xie Jinxuan's grandfather must be a very powerful cadre, and his conditions are much better than the Kong family...
She thought of the troubles and tortures inflicted by Confucius' mother, and the fear in her heart began to creep out.
No, she doesn't want to experience the pain of her past life again!
"Hey, Jinxuan is back? Didn't you say you had something to do today? Why are you back? It just so happens that we are about to have lunch!" A tall aunt suddenly came out with a basin of water. Seeing Xie Jinxuan standing outside the door, she quickly poured the water on the vegetable field and strode to the courtyard door. When she saw a charming young girl standing behind Xie Jinxuan, she was immediately startled, "Oh! Who is this? Is this your girlfriend?"
Before Xie Jinxuan could say anything, someone in the room heard her words and ran out: "What? A partner? Jinxuan brought her partner back?"
A petite old lady with gray hair and a middle-aged lesbian with a very good temperament both ran out. Even if Xia Qingtang wanted to run, it was too late now.
She stood outside the yard gate and felt herself growing more and more uncomfortable.
But they did look very friendly. The old lady had a kind smile and bright and gentle eyes. The middle-aged female comrade looked like a cadre, but her smile was also very gentle, as if she was afraid of scaring Xia Qingtang.
"Grandma, Mom, Aunt Six, let me introduce you. This is not my partner. This is my lover, Comrade Xia Qingtang. We registered our marriage earlier this month." Xie Jinxuan introduced solemnly, "Today is Mid-Autumn Festival. I want to bring Qingtang back to show you."
Xie's mother said, "Marriage is such a big thing, why didn't you tell your family? We can give you a feast and celebrate."
"We have special circumstances, so we chose to register secretly. But don't worry, we will have a chance to hold a wedding banquet later." Xie Jinxuan looked at Xia Qingtang nervously, "Qingtang, right?"
Xia Qingtang nodded reluctantly: "Yes..."
Grandma immediately smiled like a flower: "Getting married is a good thing, it's really great! After getting married, you are a family! Your name is Qingtang? This name is really nice. Come on, come in and let grandma take a good look at you!"
Grandma didn't give Xia Qingtang any time to explain. She grabbed her arm and led her inside.
Xia Qingtang was pulled into the house before she even had time to react. As soon as she entered the house, she saw a clean entrance hall. Beyond the entrance hall was the living room, where she could see a sofa set covered with white floral fabric, a large coffee table, various low cabinets, tall cabinets, a radio, a floor clock... Xia Qingtang was dazzled by what she saw.
There was no one else in the living room at the moment, so grandma shouted over there, "Old man! Come out quickly! Our Jinxuan is back with her lover!"
Suddenly, a very energetic old man rushed out from a room on the first floor. He looked to be in his early sixties, tall and thin. He was holding a pair of glasses. He looked at Xia Qingtang seriously with a serious face, and then said, "What's your name?"
The old man's intimidation was too strong, so Xia Qingtang could only answer: "My name is Xia Qingtang."
"What kind of job do you do?" Grandpa asked again.
"I'm a textile worker in a cotton mill." Xia Qingtang raised her chin slightly, with a neither humble nor arrogant attitude.
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