83.What is that sound?
The Qingshi Farmers' Market doesn't completely close until New Year's Eve. Then, it won't reopen until the sixth day of the first lunar month. This is the only time the farmers' market has a break throughout the year; there are no other days like this.
Xu Yanmei and Xu Wenqiang both woke up early. They had to clean the house and put up Spring Festival couplets, and the whole day would be busy from morning till night.
In fact, the spring cleaning should have been done long ago in other families, but Xu Yanmei and Xu Wenqiang were used to putting it off until New Year's Eve. In previous years, Xu Yanmei always directed Xu Wenqiang to do this and that, but this year, Xu Yanmei was obviously a little absent-minded.
Seeing this, Xu Wenqiang pulled Xu Yanmei along to put up the Spring Festival couplets. After all, even if they didn't clean up, they could still celebrate the New Year. But if they couldn't even put up the Spring Festival couplets, then there was no way they could celebrate the New Year.
After pasting the Spring Festival couplets, the festive atmosphere of the New Year is felt inside and outside the house.
Xu Wenqiang cheered up, but when she discussed with Xu Yanmei what to cook for dinner, Xu Yanmei was still indifferent. "You can make whatever you want to eat. I don't care."
Xu Wenqiang asked again how they were going to spend the next few days after the Lunar New Year, and whether they wanted to go shopping. Xu Yanmei waved her hand and said, "Go wherever you want, just leave me alone."
Xu Wenqiang didn't say anything more and continued cleaning.
As the sun was about to set in the afternoon, mother and daughter began preparing dumplings. As usual, Xu Wenqiang kneaded the dough while Xu Yanmei minced the filling. Xu Yanmei's cooking wasn't particularly special, except for her flavorful filling. So, whenever dumplings were made, Xu Yanmei was always responsible for preparing the filling.
The mother and daughter were busy in the kitchen, each busy at their own pace. Xu Wenqiang felt that the silence between them was too cold, so she made small talk: "I wonder who will host this year's Spring Festival Gala, I wonder if the skits will be interesting, and who will sing the last song of "Unforgettable Tonight"..."
Suddenly, Xu Yanmei, who was chopping stuffing, suddenly threw the kitchen knife onto the chopping board. The knife did not fall firmly and hit the vegetable washing basin next to it. The kitchen knife and the vegetable washing basin fell to the ground one after another, making a series of harsh noises.
Xu Wenqiang glanced at the chaos in front of her and turned her head without saying a word.
She had hoped to gloss over the situation and get through the New Year, but it was clear that her thoughts were unimportant and her efforts were all in vain. Xu Yanmei simply didn't take the New Year seriously, nor did she intend to celebrate it properly.
After venting her anger, Xu Yanmei walked out of the house with an expressionless face.
Xu Wen continued to knead the dough. After finishing, he picked up the kitchen knife, washed it, and started to chop the stuffing.
No matter what the outcome, as long as the sky didn't fall, they would have dumplings to eat in the evening. So Xu Wenqiang decided to prepare the dumpling filling first and wait for Xu Yanmei to come back and add the seasoning.
She knew that Xu Yanmei had gone to find Chen Long.
She also knew that Xu Yanmei had not had a good time recently.
During the day, Xu Yanmei had to focus most of her energy on making money through business, and the rest on dealing with the malicious looks and gossip in the market, leaving her no time to think. At night, when it was late and quiet, she was obviously exhausted, but she couldn't sleep well.
One night, Xu Wenqiang got up to go to the bathroom and saw Xu Yanmei sitting on the sofa, smoking alone.
This was the first time Xu Wenqiang saw Xu Yanmei smoking, but Xu Yanmei looked very comfortable holding the cigarette, and it didn't look like it was her first time smoking.
"Mom, when did you learn to smoke?"
"When did you learn this?" Xu Yanmei squinted her eyes and blew out a smoke ring. "I started smoking before you were born. When I got pregnant with you, everyone said smoking was bad, so I stopped."
Xu Wenqiang was momentarily dazed. Everyone said quitting smoking was difficult, but she had never imagined that Xu Yanmei had also gone through this kind of hardship for her.
Now, for a man, she lit that boring cigarette again late at night.
"Mom, stop smoking so late at night and go to bed."
"If I could sleep, could I not sleep?"
Xu Yanmei finished the cigarette in her hand, took out another one and lit it.
Ever since Xu Yanmei and Jackie Chan's affair was discovered, they haven't seen each other. Whether Chen Long can finally send Chen Yang away, and whether their relationship will ever blossom or bear fruit, remains unknown. Xu Yanmei has persevered until now, simply waiting for Chen Long to give her a result.
Chen Long said he wanted to send Chen Yang away, but how could that be so easy? Chen Yang was already tall and strong. Did he have to knock him unconscious and throw him into the car to take him away?
Xu Wenqiang even felt that if the result was not coming, it probably meant there would be no result.
So, if Xu Yanmei wants to make a scene, then let her do it. No result is still a result, and giving up early is also a result.
But thinking of Xu Yanmei who was lonely that night, Xu Wenqiang left the mess in the kitchen and went to Chen Yang's house.
As soon as I walked into the Chen family’s gate, I could hear Xu Yanmei’s screams and roars inside.
"never mind?"
"What do you mean by forget it?"
"Chen Long, explain it to me clearly!"
Xu Wenqiang walked over quickly and heard Chen Long say impatiently, "Xu Yanmei, I've had enough. I'm tired of being pointed at and criticized by others, tired of being poked in the back and scolded, tired of hiding at home all day like a rat crossing the street... I've had enough!"
"Chen Long, being scolded or gossiped about is nothing." Xu Yanmei's voice softened. "They can talk about their own things, and we can live our own lives. They can say whatever they want, and we won't listen."
"You say it so easily, but do you think everyone is as shameless as you?" Chen Long's words were filled with sarcasm and contempt. "I am also a respectable person in this market. I can't be as shameless as you."
Xu Wenqiang rushed in when she heard this, "Chen Long, are you speaking human language?"
"Xu Wenqiang, you naughty girl, if you don't behave like a grown-up, I'll slap you." Chen Long raised his hand and gestured at Xu Wenqiang, then retracted it. "But you've come at the perfect time. Take your mother back quickly. We can talk about anything after the New Year."
Chen Long was busy trying to send Xu Yanmei and her daughter away, but Xu Yanmei refused. She pushed Chen Long away, pointed at his nose and said, "Chen Long, you promised me that you would send Chen Yang away before the New Year and then live a good life with me. Did dogs swallow all your words?"
"I admit, I did say I wanted to send Chen Yang away, and I also thought about living a good life with you, but Xu Yanmei, you have eyes and ears, can't you see how people in the market see you and what they say? Also, do you know what Chen Yang is like now?"
"What happened to Chen Yang?" Xu Wenqiang asked immediately after hearing this. She had felt strange since entering the Chen family; she had never seen Chen Yang.
"Chen Yang, he..." Chen Long hesitated to speak.
"How is he?" Xu Wenqiang asked.
"He hasn't eaten for several days." Chen Long looked towards a closed room. "Ever since that day, I brought him home from the hotel and locked him up for fear that he would cause trouble. At first, he was making a fuss, so I starved him and didn't give him any food. Later, when he didn't have the energy to make a fuss anymore, I brought him food and water, but he refused to eat. I was afraid that he would get sick from hunger, so I forced him to eat—"
Xu Wenqiang was anxious, "You are illegally imprisoning me, you are abusing me!"
"What nonsense are you talking about, you little girl? I'm his father, so what if I lock him up for a few days?"
"Even if you are his father, you have no right to control Chen Yang's personal freedom!"
"Xu Wenqiang, don't think you can show off in front of me just because you've been in school for a few days." Chen Long's momentum weakened. "Besides, I didn't want to lock him up for a long time. He was the one who went on a hunger strike with me and insisted that I break up with Xu Yanmei. He made me lose my temper and I don't want to bother with Xu Yanmei anymore. I wanted to go to your house after the New Year to make things clear, but I didn't expect you to show up."
Xu Yanmei was annoyed when she heard this. "Chen Long, is this all you can do? Just because someone says a few words and your son makes a fuss, you let yourself be led around by the nose? What kind of man are you?"
"Why do you care what kind of man I am? I'm not your man anyway."
"You're not my man. Have you forgotten the time when you couldn't get off me?"
As Xu Yanmei and Chen Long's argument grew increasingly turbulent, Xu Wenqiang suddenly shouted, "Listen, what's that sound?"
Listening carefully, the sound came from underground, one after another, like the footsteps of evil spirits from hell.
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