66. These two women
The first time Xu Wenqiang went to the library, she was captivated by the bright lights and spacious study tables in the study room. She threw herself onto the table almost greedily and said to Xiao Cheng, "I wish the desks in our classroom could be as spacious as this."
Xiao Cheng said, "Don't even think about it."
Xu Wenqiang was just talking.
During this time in the library, Xu Wenqiang felt a long-lost sense of peace and comfort.
Every weekend evening, she would finish her day at the farmers' market, go home to take a shower, change clothes, then ride her bike to the place where she had agreed to meet Xiao Cheng.
On the way to the library, it was already getting dark. She and Xiao Cheng rode side by side under the streetlights, barely speaking. She had been talking all day in the market to do business, so now she had no energy left and just wanted to breathe quietly.
Xiao Cheng didn't have much to say, but he would glance at Xu Wenqiang from time to time, watching her short hair gradually grow into a medium length, watching the hair on her forehead brush across her stubborn brows.
That's enough.
When they arrived at the library's study room, the tables were large enough for them to sit facing each other. Xu Wenqiang began working on the special test Xiao Cheng had prepared for her, while Xiao Cheng began marking the papers Xu Wenqiang had completed.
Xu Wenqiang sometimes felt sleepy, but she felt that time in the library was precious and rare, so she forced herself to stay awake. Unfortunately, she couldn't resist the sleepiness, and even if she propped up her forehead with her hand, she would still doze off.
At such moments, Xiao Cheng would stop, put his hand on his chin, and quietly look at Xu Wenqiang across from him. Until Xu Wenqiang could no longer hold on, her head suddenly fell off, and then she suddenly woke up.
Xu Wenqiang's first reaction was to look at Xiao Cheng opposite her.
Xiao Cheng was still carefully marking the test papers for Xu Wenqiang, his expression calm, as if he was unaware of everything.
Xu Wenqiang would lazily lie on the table and quietly look at Xiao Cheng opposite her.
Xiao Cheng then stopped and looked at Xu Wenqiang.
"What's wrong?"
"fine."
Xu Wenqiang sat down and continued with the unfinished test.
The two would leave the study room half an hour before the library closed and go to the library's lounge area to explain the test questions. After they finished explaining the questions, the library would also close, so the two would pack up and leave.
Xiao Cheng will first send Xu Wenqiang home, and then go home himself.
It was late at night, and the streets were deserted of traffic and pedestrians. Xu Wenqiang and Xiao Cheng rode their bicycles under the streetlights, their figures shortening and stretching, yet always staying close together. Occasionally, their figures would overlap, neither of them aware of it, only glancing up at the other before looking away.
Xu Wenqiang had reminded Xu Yanmei that she would be home around ten o'clock, but when she walked into the house at half past ten, she still saw Chen Long flirting with Xu Yanmei in the living room.
All three of them were stunned.
Xu Wenqiang was the first to react. She turned around and said, "Put on your clothes and get out!"
"Wen Qiang, I'm back." Chen Long said with an apologetic smile as he put on his clothes tremblingly, "Actually, I was about to leave anyway."
"Why are you panicking?" Xu Yanmei grabbed Chen Long and shouted at Xu Wenqiang, "What are you yelling about? Didn't you know this a long time ago?"
Xu Wenqiang clenched her fists, "What do I know?"
Xu Yanmei sneered, "Stop pretending. You've been saying things with hidden meanings all day long. You've either been reminding me that Chen Yang is coming back or repeatedly asking what time he'll be home. Aren't you afraid of catching us?"
Xu Wenqiang unclenched her fist and turned around, "Mom, since you've seen it all, why don't you stop?"
Xu Yanmei rolled her eyes. "You already know everything, why should I hold back?"
Seeing Xu Yanmei like this, Xu Wenqiang looked at her coldly and asked, "Mom, are you worthy of Aunt Lu Xue?"
When he heard the word "Lv Xue", Chen Longxian's face changed, "I'm going back." He shook off Xu Yanmei and ran away.
Seeing Chen Long running away, Xu Yanmei angrily picked up the cup on the coffee table and threw it on the ground, "Xu Wenqiang, am I your mother, or is Lu Xue your mother?"
Xu Wenqiang glanced at the debris on the ground, then raised her head and said, "You gave birth to me, so of course you are my mother, but even if you are my mother, you are too shameless."
"Xu Wenqiang, you actually scolded me, you beast!" Xu Yanmei jumped up and slapped Xu Wenqiang. "I gave birth to you and raised you. I've endured so much hardship and suffering, and in the end, you scold me! Get out of here, get out of here!"
Xu Wenqiang rubbed her face with the back of her hand and said expressionlessly, "I know. I'm leaving." Then she left without looking back.
After leaving home, Xu Wenqiang walked aimlessly.
In her mind, she could see Lu Xue being pushed to the ground, and then Xu Yanmei hugging her and crying...
These two women, one married, the other unmarried. One seemed to have a happy life, the other looked as if she would never find happiness again. One endured untold suffering, toiling for half her life, only to die suddenly in a filthy market. The other, also struggling to survive, to support the daughter who called her shameless, struggled daily in this filthy farmers' market.
These two women, one is dead, and the other is still alive.
These two women are clearly two people, yet they seem like one person...
Xu Wenqiang's heart suddenly surged with a rage that wanted to destroy everything. She wanted to tear everything to pieces, she wanted to smash everything to pieces...
But she could do nothing. She could only stand on the deserted street late at night and cry bitterly.
"Xu Wenqiang!"
Xiao Cheng threw down his bicycle and ran to Xu Wenqiang.
"Xu Wenqiang, what's wrong with you?"
"Xiao Cheng, I..."
After Xu Wenqiang's anger, she suddenly became aggrieved. Especially after seeing Xiao Cheng suddenly appear in front of her, her tears welled up as if she had seen a long-lost relative.
Seeing Xu Wenqiang's tears, Xiao Cheng took her into his arms without saying anything and said, "Don't cry."
Xu Wenqiang buried her head in Xiao Cheng's arms and cried even harder, "I want to cry."
Xiao Cheng touched Xu Wenqiang's head and said, "Then cry."
Late at night, tree shadows danced on the deserted streets. In the boundless night sky, a sky filled with silent stars. Xu Wenqiang wept uncontrollably, while Xiao Cheng remained silent.
"Xiao Cheng."
"I am here."
Xu Wenqiang reached out and hugged Xiao Cheng's waist.
Xu Wenqiang's warm tears fell on Xiao Cheng's neck and seeped into his skin and blood. Xiao Cheng sighed and hugged Xu Wenqiang tighter.
After a long time, Xu Wenqiang was tired of crying. She withdrew from Xiao Cheng's arms and said with a nasal voice, "Didn't you leave?"
Xiao Cheng reached out and wiped away the remaining tears on Xu Wenqiang's face, then said, "If I say that my heart suddenly started beating wildly and I was worried about you, so I ran back to find you, would you believe me?"
"I don't believe it." Xu Wenqiang said.
Xiao Cheng smiled and took out a pair of gloves from his schoolbag and handed them to Xu Wenqiang. "The weather is getting cold, you should wear gloves when riding a bike. When I bought some for myself, I also bought a pair for you, but I forgot to give them to you just now."
Xu Wenqiang looked at the pair of pink gloves in Xiao Cheng's hand and hesitated to take them.
"What's wrong?"
"It's too pretty for me."
"What about this one?"
Xiao Cheng took out another pair of dark brown gloves from his schoolbag and gave them to Xu Wenqiang.
"If I continue to say it's inappropriate, do you have anything else in your schoolbag?" Xu Wenqiang looked at Xiao Cheng's schoolbag.
"I still have one pair." Xiao Cheng took out the third pair of all-black gloves from his schoolbag, "but this is the last one."
Xu Wenqiang stroked the three pairs of gloves and asked in a low voice, "If I want them all, will you give them all to me?"
"Of course I'll give them to you," Xiao Cheng said. "I was afraid they wouldn't suit your taste, so I bought a few extra pairs. If you like them all, of course I'll give them to you."
Xu Wenqiang really became greedy and put all the gloves into her schoolbag.
Xiao Cheng curled his lips. He spent an entire afternoon picking out three pairs of gloves without wasting a single bit.
"Xiao Cheng."
"Um."
"My mom kicked me out. What should I do?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
