◎Two in One◎
Zhang Rong and Li Zhengxia really experienced the incident at the Xu family, and they even helped look after Xu Shengwei and Xu Shengya for a few days.
Recalling the incident at the Xu family, Zhang Rong sighed, "Your grandmother had such a hard time at that time. There were three children in the family, two of whom were still little, and your husband was only a few years old, a half-grown child. It was all up to your grandmother to support the family."
"If you ask me, Sister Yun is amazing. She has managed to survive such hard and difficult days. It's not easy." Li Zhengxia really admires Zhou Yun.
"Thanks to your care, they wouldn't have survived." Liang Baozhen then turned the conversation to the National Cotton Mill. "The mill was pretty good back then, and it always looked after Sheng Jie's family."
"Yes." Zhang Rong had seen it all along. "That national cotton mill was indeed kind-hearted. Not only did they provide compensation, they also reserved a job for the Xu family. Later, they changed the factory director and he even came to visit us."
Liang Baozhen quickly grasped the key point of Zhang's words, "Did you come to our house after the National Cotton Mill changed its director? Was it the current director Chen Yong?"
"Yes, it should be the third year after your parents-in-law got into trouble. The director of the National Cotton Mill was changed. The new director looked quite fierce, but surprisingly he had a kind heart. However, he did not enter your parents-in-law's house, but just looked outside. I happened to run into him, and he asked me how the Xu family was doing. At that time, little Xu had joined the army, and your grandmother was the only one at home with the two little ones."
"What did he say?"
"They didn't say anything. They just heard that the Xu family was doing well now, and they smiled and left." Zhang Rong couldn't help but sigh, "This National Cotton Factory is really kind. Even though the factory director has changed, he still cares about this matter and comes to visit in person. How nice."
This is indeed in line with Chen Yong's character. Liang Baozhen knows what kind of person he is and is worried, so she has to go back and take another look. She is relieved only when she sees that the Xu family has completely accepted the result.
Otherwise, why would he come to her house again? If she said that Xu Mingyuan and Wu Huacui's deaths had nothing to do with him, Liang Baozhen would not believe it.
After talking with Zhang Rong and Li Zhengxia for a while, Liang Baozhen was about to call Xu Shengya to go home, but just as she reached the middle of the yard, she was pulled aside mysteriously by Cheng Caili.
"Are you going to Widow Chen's house?"
"Yes, Xiaoya is at her home, playing with Song Xinhe and the others."
"Come back later. I want to tell you something. I almost forgot it just now!" Cheng Caili is a person who can't keep things to herself. Once she gets some news, she can't wait to share it with others.
"What's the matter?" Liang Baozhen was aroused by her curiosity.
"I know who the man behind Widow Chen is."
"Ah?" When talking about the man behind Chen Yulian, Liang Baozhen's mind flashed a can of tea leaves, which appeared in two different places. "Who?"
"It should be someone from the National Cotton Mill."
"How do you know that?"
"Last time I went to the street behind the National Cotton Mill to look for a tailor, and guess what, Widow Chen actually hurried past me, with her face half covered, as if she was afraid of being seen. Later, I saw a tooth powder in the hand of her girlfriend, with the words "National Cotton Mill" printed on it. Think about it, Chen Yulian lived a comfortable life, and someone must have given her money, most likely a man from the National Cotton Mill."
Thinking of the tea jar in Chen Yong's office, Liang Baozhen asked casually, "Which man?"
"How would I know?" Cheng Caili spread her hands, somewhat helplessly, "It's good enough that I can find out it's from the National Cotton Factory."
"Have you told anyone else about this?" Liang Baozhen knew that Chen Yong was a cruel and ruthless person. If Cheng Caili really found out about her extramarital affair, Cheng Caili might not be in good shape.
"No, look around our hospital, is there anyone I can talk to? You know I don't like chatting with those aunts. I feel uncomfortable talking after you left." Cheng Caili felt a little depressed. She knew the big news but had no one to share it with. How uncomfortable it was. She didn't even tell Lu Yuan.
"Then you must not tell anyone else about this."
"Don't worry, I will definitely tell you who we are!"
"Remember, don't tell anyone, and it's best not to tell Brother Lu either." Liang Baozhen was worried that she was still trying to guess who the man behind her was, so she reminded her, "Don't worry about it, and don't get too involved with Chen Yulian."
"Her? I'm too lazy to associate with her. Besides, she's even more lazy to associate with the people in our courtyard."
Cheng Caili was right. Chen Yulian had never been interested in interacting with her neighbors. In Liang Baozhen's memory, Chen Yulian had no interest in anything and was lazy, but she always wore expensive clothes made of fine fabrics.
It seems that Chen Yong gave her a lot of money.
"Xiaoya, get ready to go home." Liang Baozhen stood at the door of Chen Yulian's house with a photo of her parents-in-law in her pocket.
"Sister-in-law, right away!" Xu Shengya had a lot to say to her three good friends after coming here. The four girls have grown up and now they especially like to get together and whisper.
At this moment, the four of them were in Song Xinhe and Song Xinmiao's room, talking with the door closed. The widow Chen Yulian was sitting on the sofa. When she saw Liang Baozhen coming in, she stood up, greeted them, and prepared to make tea for them.
"Come in and sit down."
When Liang Baozhen heard this, she recalled the rare time she had a conversation with Chen Yulian during the years she lived in the compound. She was also invited by Chen Yulian to sit in the house and wait for Xu Shengya to come out.
Now that time has passed, the two of them are sitting on both sides of the square table again, drinking tea together.
Chen Yulian looked at the woman opposite her. She had beautiful eyebrows and eyes, and her every move seemed to have an indescribable style. When she thought that she was a student from Peking University, she couldn't help but feel a little jealous.
She could not read or write in her life. There were five children in her family, three girls and two boys. Her eldest and second sister were married to older men by their parents in exchange for dowry for her third brother to marry a wife. Chen Yulian was lucky enough to be the youngest. She found a handsome man and lived a good life, much better than her eldest and second sisters.
But Chen Yulian was also unfortunate. A good family was broken up in an instant. After the husband's death, the mother and her two daughters had a hard life.
Looking at Liang Baozhen's appearance, she married into the city from the countryside and was admitted to university. A few days ago, she heard people in the courtyard talking about how she had already joined the TV station and was living in a spacious courtyard. Look how promising her life was.
"I didn't expect you to be so lucky."
Chen Yulian's words were incoherent and Liang Baozhen didn't quite understand why she came up with such an insight, but she was sure of one thing: there was no malice in her words.
"You've moved to such a big courtyard, but you're still thinking about this place?"
Liang Baozhen smiled, "After all, I've lived here for so many years, so I naturally have feelings for it. I came back to see everyone. Besides, my parents-in-law's anniversary is coming soon, and some things were left behind when we moved them. Aunt Zhang is helping us put them away, so I came to get them."
"The anniversary of your parents-in-law's death?" Chen Yulian remembered. She had heard that the couple who were the heads of the Xu family passed away due to an accident. Everyone in the yard was shocked at that time.
"Yes, my grandmother told me that my parents-in-law are very nice people. What a pity." Liang Baozhen took out a photo from her pocket and handed it to Chen Yulian, as if she was casually chatting with a neighbor. "I have only seen this photo. Xiaoya looks a lot like her mother. She is very beautiful."
Chen Yulian looked at the old photo that was handed to her and felt that it was somewhat familiar. She moved closer and saw a beautiful girl with a bright smile in the photo... She remembered that she had seen her at Chen Yong's place!
It turns out that this person is Xu Shengjie's mother?
How did Chen Yong have the photo of Xu Shengjie's deceased mother and hide it for so many years?
Many questions flashed through Chen Yulian's mind, but she remained calm. After a brief pause, she continued to compliment him as usual, "She is indeed beautiful."
Liang Baozhen remembered Chen Yulian's instant reaction, exchanged a few words with her, and then took Xu Shengya home.
After returning home, she told Xu Shengjie about the relationship between Chen Yulian and Chen Yong, especially Chen Yulian's reaction when she saw Wu Huacui's photo. This was very strange for Chen Yulian, who was always indifferent to everything.
"When has Chen Yulian ever cared about other people's affairs? When she saw my mother's photo, she immediately leaned over to look at it. Her eyes didn't look right."
"Do you think she knows that Chen Yong pursued my mother?"
"I'm not sure if he knows, but I guess he heard or saw something from Chen Yong, which led to his reaction."
Chen Yulian really couldn't figure it out, the only explanation was that Chen Yong was interested in Xu Shengjie's mother?
After saying hello to the two ladies, she hurried out to meet Chen Yong. The two had maintained this kind of relationship for many years. When she arrived at the secret room and pushed the door open, she saw Chen Yong already sitting on the sofa.
Chen Yulian looked at Chen Yong. This man had taken good care of himself in his middle age. He looked tall and dignified, but he still spoke softly in private.
"Yulian, why are you late today?"
Chen Yulian didn't dare to say that she was delayed by Liang Baozhen, and just blamed the two children, "Xinhe and Xinmiao are making a fuss and don't want me to go out."
"It's normal for a child to be his own mother."
Chen Yong had a rare chance to relax here, so he let Chen Yulian massage his shoulders and neck and rub his temples. The two talked in low voices and the atmosphere was harmonious.
Seeing Chen Yong gradually relax, Chen Yulian curiously mentioned the photos she had seen in Chen Yong's notebook before, "You come here often, aren't you afraid that your wife will find out?"
Daughter-in-law? Chen Yong felt annoyed when he thought of Guo Mingli. His wife was good in every other aspect except that she was not gentle and considerate enough. In this respect, Chen Yulian was better.
"She is so careless that she can't find it."
"If she finds out, she will mess up your family. There is one outside and another in the notebook. Can she bear it?" Chen Yulian asked tentatively.
Hearing that there was a photo in the notebook, Chen Yong's face suddenly changed. He turned around and looked at Chen Yulian standing behind the sofa with a cold face. He had come directly from the factory after finishing his work and had not noticed that he had put Wu Huacui's photo in the notebook. As a result, the photo fell to the ground and was picked up by Chen Yulian. Chen Yong had warned her at that time and asked her to pretend she had not seen it. Unexpectedly, this person brought up the old matter again today.
"If I tell you to forget this, then please forget it completely and don't mention it again in the future."
Chen Yong looked stern when he frowned, and his gruff voice made people feel scared. Chen Yulian agreed timidly, and when she saw the man leave angrily, and when Chen Yong's back disappeared from her sight, she put away her frightened look, frowned and thought, it seemed that something really happened, and it was a big deal.
Otherwise, Chen Yong, at this age and in this position, would not behave so out of control.
Chen Yong, furious, returned home and ran into his wife Guo Mingli. Guo Mingli had already gone out to the department store at this time, and neither of them expected the other to be at home at this time.
"Why haven't you left yet?"
"I forgot to take something." Guo Mingli took one look at the man and knew that he was in a bad mood. "Why did you go home?"
Chen Yong was so angry that he didn't notice that it was not time to get off work yet. He just explained, "I came back to get the documents."
After that, I went back to my room.
Guo Mingli was too lazy to care about Chen Yong's business affairs. Just as she was about to go out to buy something, she suddenly smelled a faint fragrance at the door. It seemed like the scent of a woman brought back by Chen Yong who had just returned from outside.
——
Xu Mingxia's family stayed in Beijing for a week before leaving. In such a short time, Shanshan had already been loved by her aunt's family. Before leaving, her aunt gave Shanshan a red envelope containing RMB 1.68.
Shanshan stood next to her great-grandmother and mother, waved goodbye to her great-grandmother's family, and watched her father send them to the train station.
After everyone left, Shanshan opened the red envelope and asked her mother to save her small amount of money.
Yes, Shanshan is now very conscious of saving money, because her father bought her a beautiful piggy bank. The piggy bank is made of ceramic, with a cute piggy, a mouth for putting money in, and a rubber plug at the piggy's butt, which can be opened to insert three fingers to take out money.
Now Shanshan has to save money on her own.
"Okay, one dollar and sixty-eight cents, do you want to release it yourself or should I?" Liang Baozhen pointed the piglet's mouth towards it.
"I'll put it in, I'll put it in!" Shanshan held the bills and put them in one by one. The last eight cents was three coins. When they were put into the piggy bank, they made a clanging sound. Shanshan liked to hear this sound. Sometimes she would open the pig's butt to take out the coins and throw them back in through the pig's mouth...
Zhou Yun watched his great-granddaughter putting in and taking out coins over and over again, and laughed at the sound of the coins. He said to his granddaughter-in-law, "Shanshan loves to hear these things."
"Of course I do. There are so many things I like to do all day long."
After hearing the coin sound several times, Shanshan prepared to change her clothes. The family of three would go to her cousin's house for dinner tonight. Only Zhou Yun and Xu Shengwei would be at home for dinner tonight.
After Xu Shengjie sent his aunt and her family onto the train, he returned home and just as he took a breath, he was ready to set off again.
After searching for some time about their parents' affairs but still having no clue, the couple decided to ask around, but today was Mengmeng's birthday, so they had to go there first.
Originally Liang Baoying wanted to invite Zhou Yun to come over to liven up the party, but Zhou Yun was older, so it was better not to bother him.
Three families were squeezed into their crowded tube-shaped building. Song Jianguo borrowed an eight-person table from next door, and everyone sat there.
Mengmeng is the little birthday star today. Both her second uncle and third aunt’s families gave her gifts. Her parents also made her a beautiful new dress. She was so happy and had a bright smile on her face.
However, the one who was happier than her was Shanshan.
Shanshan knew it was her cousin's birthday, so she imitated her father and uncle's way of toasting and insisted on raising a small bowl of orange soda to clink glasses with Sister Mengmeng.
After touching the bowl, she opened her mouth wide and took a sip comfortably. It was so sweet!
In order to drink orange soda, Shanshan clinked bowl with Mengmeng six or seven times during the meal.
Liang Baozhen, who originally asked Shanshan to drink only half a bowl of orange soda, said: "...Don't think I can't see your little tricks."
"In the blink of an eye, Mengmeng has grown so big. When I gave birth to her, she weighed only four kilograms." Liang Baoying recalled the appearance of her daughter when she was just born, so tiny and wrinkled, which made her heart soften.
"Children grow up fast. Mengmeng grew up in the blink of an eye." Liang Baozhen has felt quite emotional since she became a mother.
Xu Shuping ignored Liang Baojun who was drinking and joined the conversation between the two mothers. She stroked her belly with one hand and said, "I just don't know how hard it is to give birth to a child."
"It's hard work, and I suffer a lot."
"When you and Baojun have children, you will understand that it is really hard, but when you see your children, you will be so happy. It is hard to explain."
"Actually..." Xu Shuping looked at Liang Baojun, who was drinking and eating, and talking excitedly with his brother-in-law and brother-in-law, and patted his hand, "You tell everyone."
"What?" Liang Baoying was a little confused. Her sister-in-law was still acting mysterious.
Liang Baozhen was somewhat aware of it and looked at Xu Shuping with a smile, "Is that so?"
"Um!"
Liang Baojun put down his chopsticks and announced to everyone, "Shu Ping is pregnant, just three months, I'm going to be a father."
It was another happy event. Everyone held up their wine glasses and soup bowls and clinked their glasses to congratulate each other. Shanshan couldn't wait to ask her mother to give her another sip of orange soda. She clinked her two little hands on the bowl and clinked glasses with her uncle and aunt. Oh, she was so happy that she could drink soda again.
After dinner, several men went to wash the dishes. The two Liang sisters took Xu Shuping to teach them their experience in pregnancy and fetal care. From time to time, they reminded Liang Baojun, who was busy in the kitchen, to be obedient to Shuping and take good care of her. Liang Baojun naturally agreed to all their requests.
After the excitement died down, Liang Baozhen and Liang Baojun's families left and went home. Liang Baozhen couldn't help laughing when she saw her second brother Xu supporting Shu Ping and reminding her to walk carefully and not to fall.
"My second brother was not like this before. I never thought he would be like this after finding a partner and getting married."
Xu Shengjie feels the same way. "Starting a family is different. The burden on your shoulders is heavier."
Shanshan, who was sitting on her father's shoulders at the moment, said: "..."
Am I being implied? Shanshan is not heavy!
Once the seeds of doubt are sown, they cannot be controlled. The scent that Guo Mingli smelled that day seemed to linger on her nose. She was sure that it was the scent of women's perfume because she had smelled it in the department store. In the past few years, as the department stores have opened up, they have gradually added some high-end perfumes. But this perfume was not her favorite, so she was quite impressed.
Chen Yong is actually messing around outside?
The person Guo Mingli trusted and loved the most was her son Chen Siming, so she only mentioned this matter to Chen Siming.
On the sofa in the living room, Chen Siming was holding his son and playing. He had been patient and calm over the years, and had made considerable achievements with his elder brother. He had only realized the importance of luck in the past few years following his elder brother Chen Sixian. Chen Sixian seemed to be successful in everything he did. He married a daughter of a high-ranking official, and made a fortune by trading foreign exchange during the reform and opening up. Later, he was preparing to open a factory...
Chen Siming saw it all and felt jealous, but he knew that the more his elder brother obeyed him, the more he would cling to him.
Now his career is going smoothly and his family is doing well. Dong Jiayan also gave birth to a son for him, who is three years old this year.
Seeing that his mother seemed to want to say something mysteriously, he sent his son to play somewhere else. As a result, when he turned around, he heard his mother say that his father might have someone outside.
Speaking of someone outside, Chen Siming's first reaction was the photo of a young girl that was clipped in his father Chen Yong's notebook. However, he investigated and found that the person in the photo was Wu Huacui, who had been dead for many years.
"Mom, don't think too much."
"Am I such a fool?" Guo Mingli still had confidence in her intuition, "I think your dad is really having an affair out there!"
"Well, don't do anything rash. I'll help you check it out. But I trust my dad and he wouldn't do such a thing."
Guo Mingli is not a person who sits and waits for death. Ever since she began to suspect Chen Yong, she has been paying attention to his whereabouts intentionally or unintentionally. In the past, she was a hands-off manager, eating and drinking every day and making appointments with some cadres' wives to buy things. Her life was leisurely and comfortable. However, in the past few days, she put all these thoughts aside, and finally she discovered something wrong.
Chen Yong would leave the National Cotton Mill early every Wednesday afternoon, but he did not go home or go out for social events. Instead, he went to a tube-shaped building quite far away from his home.
When Guo Mingli saw the graceful Chen Yulian enter the same room, she understood everything.
She was not an impulsive person. She quietly found out Chen Yulian's name and address, walked to Yueya Hutong and knocked on Chen's door.
Chen Yulian naturally knew Chen Yong's wife. She seemed to know that this day would come, so she calmly let the two girls go out to play. Instead, it was Guo Mingli who closed the door.
How could she not want to make a big deal out of this matter and let everyone see this bitch who seduced her man? But if this matter became a big deal, Chen Yong would be ruined because of his behavior, and she would be laughed at by everyone. When the Chen family fell, how would she be able to live a good life?
"Chen Yulian, right?" Guo Mingli looked at the coquettish woman arrogantly, her eyes full of disdain and contempt.
Chen Yulian looked at the unexpected guest without changing her expression, but the next second, she was slapped in the face. Guo Mingli glared at her fiercely, "Your man is dead, but you still want to seduce my man? You are such a slut!"
Guo Mingli's voice seemed to be filled with poison. She felt a pain in her heart when she thought of that scene. "Give up on this idea as soon as possible. Don't flirt with Chen Yong again. If I find out again..."
"What can you do?" Chen Yulian said with a mocking smile, a bit sad. "If you have the guts, open the door and make a big fuss about this matter, let everyone know that Chen Yong, the director of the National Cotton Mill, has a problem with his work style. Let's see who will be more uncomfortable, him or me?"
"you!"
Guo Mingli was furious. She had expected that this unruly widow would beg for mercy in front of her, would be grovelling and crying for her to let her go, but now she was still so arrogant?
"You shameless bitch!" Guo Mingli's disguise was torn apart carelessly by Chen Yulian. She stepped forward and pulled Chen Yulian's clothes, trying to scratch her face with her nails.
But Chen Yulian was not someone to be trifled with. She quickly pushed Guo Mingli away and took the opportunity to slap her back, "You should go back and tell Chen Yong about this."
People were coming and going outside. Aunt Li was coming back with today's newspaper, greeting everyone to come and see the special food for the Spring Festival. Guo Mingli was more afraid of people knowing about this than Chen Yulian, so she just glared at her fiercely and hurried home.
When Chen Yong returned home, Minrui noticed that something was wrong with his daughter-in-law. He turned his head and saw that her face was red and swollen.
"What's wrong with you?"
Guo Mingli felt wronged and resentful, and she slammed the man who was messing around outside, "It's all because of you!"
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