Chapter 9 Is her frigid, deadbeat husband coming back? ...
They received the telegram? Such a quick response?
Qin Xiang wanted to find someone to cover her shift, so she rode her bicycle all the way to the phone booth. Many people were watching her on the way, probably because they had all heard the news that her husband, who had been missing for many years, had called her.
"Think about it, you've finally arrived. I was originally going to call your mom, but your husband heard you're at the factory too, and he said he wanted to say a few words to you..."
Qin Xiangxiang got off the bus, remembering to lock her bicycle. Xiao Ding from the phone booth urged her, "You're still locking it? You're at the factory. Hurry up and answer the phone."
Qin Xiangxiang took a deep breath and walked into the phone booth. Recalling the man's stern and handsome cold face in her memory, she felt a little scared. However, she then remembered the comments in the original book and thought, what is there for a drama queen like her to be afraid of?
Do it the way you should.
The little troublemaker strode confidently across the threshold, sat down on the small yellow stool, picked up the telephone receiver, and the operator transferred her to another line. After a short while, the call was connected, followed by a loud crackling noise, but no one answered.
Qin Xiangxiang cut to the chase: "When are you coming back to finalize the divorce? Are you going to take the child with you?"
"Did I do something wrong?"
Qin Xiangxiang said disdainfully, "Do you think you're so great?"
She thought to herself: Actually, it's pretty good. They send money on time every month.
If he could consistently send money every month on time, he would be a good husband even if he didn't come home. But he ended up having an affair with that female lead, Lin Xiuqin, and they couldn't have a daughter.
"sorry."
Hearing the apology from the other end, Qin Xiangxiang was secretly delighted. This little troublemaker of hers might not be good at much, but she was good at taking advantage of others. After all, you apologized first.
"I'm so pitiful. Today, some female workers mocked me, saying that my husband hasn't come back to see me even once in several years, that I have no man who wants me, and that I've found another wife over there and don't want me and my son anymore..." The little drama queen became more and more pitiful as she spoke, and her acting addiction kicked in. She raised her hand and wiped away the unfounded tears from the corner of her eyes.
"Think about it, I'm the one who wronged you."
Li Jianzhi apologized expressionlessly, but inwardly he was cursing: Li Jianzhi, you scumbag!
Having served in the military for so many years, he hated the kind of scumbag men who lived apart from their wives and children and didn't care about their families. He never expected that he himself would become such an irresponsible man.
He felt deeply apologetic towards his wife; she was young and beautiful, and marrying him was like living a life of widowhood, which was quite difficult for her.
Now that he has transmigrated into the original body, he must take on the responsibilities of the original body; they are all the same Li Jianzhi.
...His wife has a pretty nice voice.
"Think about it, who in your factory is making fun of you for not having a man? Tell me their name, and I'll report it to your factory leaders." Li Jianzhi's tone unconsciously carried the questioning and commanding tone of a superior.
Having spent a long time in the military, he became accustomed to following orders and giving commands, and his speech developed a serious tone that made people feel like he was being lectured by a leader or class teacher. However, he himself never realized it and thought that his speech was very natural.
For ordinary people who are usually carefree and cheerful, talking to him can be quite nerve-wracking.
His former female friends had also commented that he put pressure on people, but Li Jianzhi never felt that way. He always felt that he respected women and only scolded men, never putting pressure on women.
Qin Xiangxiang: "??????"
She shrugged. How could her husband, whom she hadn't seen for years, suddenly become so fierce, even more so than the headmaster she had ever met at school?
"You are my wife, I won't let them bully you or gossip about you."
Qin Xiangxiang: "..." Huh?
The little drama queen had a strange expression on her face. She thought to herself, "Who are you? Who is this person who hasn't come home for years and doesn't want children?"
She whispered, "Now let's talk about the divorce."
"Think about it, I'm sorry. These past few years, I haven't been home and have devoted myself to my work, which has made you suffer."
Are you angry? Actually, it's because you miss me, isn't it?
Qin Xiangxiang broke out in a cold sweat: "..."
She thought that when her cold-hearted husband learned that she wanted a divorce, he would be like the heartless, sexually frigid man in her dream, coldly saying "I agree," completing the formalities, and then not saying another word to her.
"Think about it..." Li Jianzhi's Adam's apple vibrated more noticeably. He deliberately lowered his voice, making it deeper and more magnetic. He had seen online that women need emotional support the most. "You miss me, don't you?"
Qin Xiangxiang: "..." You're dreaming.
"Yes, I've thought about it." Even if Qin Xiangxiang was stupid, she knew that she was still at the factory, so it was inconvenient for her to scold this jerk. He had just said that she was a divorced woman who had been abandoned and was demanding a house. She couldn't possibly not think about it.
"I miss you too, I carry your photo with me every day."
Qin Xiangxiang's expression was bright: "..."
She was thinking, "Is your boss next door? He carries her picture with him every day, and he won't even have a daughter in his dreams. What a frigid bastard!"
"Anyway, I'm going to divorce you."
"Think about it, we should talk more and communicate more. In a few days, I will come to Shanghai with Political Commissar Wang to visit you and the children at home."
Qin Xiangxiang: "???"
Why is this man suddenly coming back? He's not like the one in my dream.
“Before I come back, I’ll take some time to go to Mingzhou. Is there anything you want? I’ll buy you and the kids some gifts.”
Qin Xiangxiang said expressionlessly, "Then you should buy lots of delicious food."
"good."
"I'll talk to you about the divorce when you get here."
Li Jianzhi smiled slightly: "Don't throw a tantrum, we won't get a divorce."
Qin Xiangxiang was speechless and choked with emotion. "Please, leave me."
After hanging up the phone, the pretty little drama queen stared at the receiver, feeling a sudden panic. Was her frigid husband coming back?
He refused to get a divorce.
She stomped out of the telephone booth, got on her bicycle and rode back to the workshop. She pedaled hard, and when she saw the workshop gate, she wondered what she was panicking about.
Qin Xiangxiang is a real troublemaker. If he doesn't divorce her, she'll make him suffer in silence!
Judging from his tone, he seemed to feel quite guilty towards her. Well, she hadn't been forced to go to the island with the army, and the two of them hadn't gone through a long period of arguing and torment. He hadn't been home for several years, so naturally he felt guilty towards his wife.
Guilt is good!
The man should compensate her whatever money he has left.
After hanging up the phone, Li Jianzhi's face remained as cold and stern as ever. No one could tell that he was feeling anything. He ignored the probing gazes of those around him and walked out with a serious expression.
Once outside, the sea breeze ruffled his clothes as he gazed at the vast ocean, unable to resist recalling and pondering the phone call he had just made.
...It's quite sweet.
Although I've never met her, I can vividly picture her appearance and demeanor through her photos and voice.
She said she missed him.
She pitifully said that others laughed at her for not having a man, and that she was so pitiful... Hearing this, Li Jianzhi felt a tickle in his heart and really wanted to hold her in his arms and coax her gently.
When asked what gift she wanted, she said she wanted something delicious—how adorable she is!
The old Li Jianzhi was a real scumbag, but from now on, the new Li Jianzhi will become a loving husband.
When it was time to hand over the shift in the afternoon, Qin Xiangxiang breathed a sigh of relief. Being a textile worker wasn't particularly tiring for her. Just like practicing the piano, she would unconsciously immerse herself in the movements of her fingers, naturally forming a rhythmic melody. Without thinking, she would move with her body, and time would pass by unnoticed...
It wasn't exactly grueling, but I felt physically exhausted afterward. That's one of the advantages of working the early shift; if it were the late or night shift, it would be unbearable.
This is her third day on the early shift. She can rest tomorrow and then work the night shift the day after tomorrow.
She thought she had to treat herself to some meat.
—In reality, Qin Xiangxiang, a self-proclaimed drama queen, wants to treat herself every day.
If she went to buy pork now, she might not have the same luck as yesterday, so Qin Xiangxiang gave up on buying pork. She thought that she had gotten extra oil coupons yesterday, so she wanted to have something big today, like fried fish, or just buy some seafood.
The coastal waters of Shanghai are abundant with seafood and aquatic products, with countless fishing boats in the port. It is March now, which is not actually the best time to eat seafood. You have to wait until around Qingming Festival, when the fish become more plentiful and plump, especially the mackerel after Qingming. They return to the coastal port to spawn, their bellies full of roe and milt, making them extremely delicious.
Qin Xiangxiang loves to eat fish roe!
In my dream, one of the advantages of going to the island with the army was the abundance of seafood: large and small yellow croaker, mackerel, ribbonfish, shad, pomfret, shad... especially wild large yellow croaker and shad, which are rare and hard to come by. These are not easy to buy in Shanghai. Being close to the sea, you can always have a bite of the freshest seafood.
Of course, there was also an abundance of salted fish that couldn't be eaten... always salted fish... all kinds of salted fish.
One of the salted herrings that left a deep impression on her was the three-cooked herring from Mingzhou. This herring is essentially salted herring that has been pickled three times – not just once, but three times in a row. It's quite strange; after being pickled three times, it's steamed with eggs or minced meat. The fish meat is a beautiful bright red, smells slightly pungent, but tastes incredibly delicious, especially the part with the roe. The fish meat melts in your mouth, and the roe is distinct. This kind of salted fish becomes more fragrant the more it's fermented, much like stinky tofu.
Qin Xiangxiang rode her bike to buy seafood and found that ribbonfish were available today, but they were all small and not very plump. The larger ones were less than three fingers wide and cost 25 cents a pound, while the smaller ones were less than two fingers wide and cost 18 cents a pound. The price of ribbonfish generally fluctuates between 10 and 50 cents depending on the quality. Ribbonfish from the East China Sea are fattest around the winter solstice, and better quality ribbonfish cost 46 cents a pound, or even 55 cents a pound.
Seafood and aquatic products in Shanghai are mostly available openly, with fresh fish sold out as soon as they are gone. Occasionally, during the Spring Festival, "fish tickets" are required to purchase fish, which requires citizens to queue up in the middle of the night. The number of kilograms of fish that can be purchased with a fish ticket varies from year to year.
Qin Xiangxiang picked out four relatively large ribbonfish, weighing about three and a half pounds each, which cost her 87 cents. She really intended to treat herself well.
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