Chapter 40

Lu Xiaojing exclaimed, somewhat surprised that Jiang Nian was married.

What was even more surprising was that she was widowed at such a young age, and she suddenly felt a little sympathetic towards her.

Hu Zhongming also looked at Jiang Nian in surprise. Lu Yu glanced at Hu Zhongming, and a cold chill oozed from his eyes, which made Hu Zhongming's back a little cold. He withdrew his gaze and talked to Lu Xiaojing.

Lu Yu stayed with Jiang Nian all the time. He stood up when Ge Jie came over after lunch. He glanced at Hu Zhongming who was still sitting there and said to Jiang Nian, "Call me if you have anything. I'll come to see you in a few days."

Jiang Nian nodded gently, "Go slowly on your way."

Lu Yu glanced at Hu Zhongming coldly again, and his cold voice seemed to be a little harsh, "Are you not leaving yet?"

Hu Zhongming was stunned for a moment before he realized that the other party was talking to him. He wanted to talk back, but when he saw the coldness in Lu Yu's eyes, he was inexplicably startled, but still said with dignity, "What does it have to do with you whether I leave or not?"

Then he said to Lu Xiaojing, "I'll come to see you in the evening."

When the two of them went out, Ge Mei greeted Lu Yu first, She then said to Hu Zhongming, "This is where we women stay. Don't come here unless you have something to do."

Hu Zhongming said, "I know, I know."

Lu Xiaojing whispered to Jiang Nian, "My boyfriend is just like that. Just ignore him."

Jiang Nian: "Okay."

Ge Mei took Jiang Nian to the compartment. Lu Xiaojing followed behind and sat next to the window, embroidering with a small embroidery stand. Ge Mei glanced at Zhai Peipei who was sitting on the bench concentrating on embroidering. She didn't even look at Jiang Nian who came in, so she smiled and said, "Sister Zhai, this is Jiang Nian, the new female comrade in our embroidery village."

Zhai Peipei didn't raise her head, but threaded the needle on the embroidery cloth and replied, "I know."

Jiang Nian called out politely, "Sister Zhai."

The other party still said "Okay" indifferently.

Sister Ge smiled a little embarrassedly and said to Jiang Nian: "That's Lu Xiaojing. I saw you just sat together. You should have known each other."

Jiang Nian smiled and said, "Yes."

So Ge Mei said to her, "You sit there. I put the drawings in the cabinet. You can start working after you are familiar with it."

Jiang Nian took the drawings from the cabinet and spread them on the table. He first looked at the drawings on the drawings, and finally sat on the bench to organize the silk threads and started working. Zhai Peipei and Jiang Nian sat on each side. Neither of them spoke. Lu Xiaojing came over from time to time to watch Jiang Nian embroidering, asking this and that.

Jiang Nian felt a little headache, but still answered patiently.

Zhai Peipei seemed to be unable to bear the noise, and turned her head to glance at Lu Xiaojing, with an obviously impatient tone: "Can you please stop talking? It's so noisy."

Jiang Nian glanced at Zhai Peipei quietly, pursed her lips and said nothing.

Lu Xiaojing snorted, winked at Jiang Nian, turned her head and sat by the window to continue embroidering.

The state-owned embroidery shop of this era was not big, and generally there were two or three embroiderers. Few people nowadays have the leisure to buy embroidery to hang at home. Most people worry about their lives every day. Although the city is good, it feels suffocating to think about a whole family squeezed into one room.

Therefore, the business of the state-owned embroidery house was not particularly good. Half of the orders came from the port city. Ge Mei was the one who negotiated and ran errands for the business in the embroidery house. The embroidery patterns in their hands were also carefully selected by Ge Mei

. When it was getting dark, Lu Xiaojing pulled the light rope. With the bright light, Jiang Nian embroidered for a while before stopping. Zhai Peipei left first, Lu Xiaojing and Hu Zhongming left, and only Jiang Nian, Ge Mei and Zhang Xiao were left.

On the way back to the dormitory, Ge Mei told Jiang Nian about the embroidery house. There was a rule in the state-owned embroidery house that embroiderers here were not paid monthly, but were paid according to the embroidery patterns they embroidered, such as the remuneration she received twice.

As for Zhang Xiao, he is Ge Mei's new apprentice, responsible for entertaining guests, and has a salary of twelve yuan per month. Although Ge Mei did not say it, Jiang Nian can almost guess that Zhang Xiao should have some kind of relationship with Ge Mei.

Jiang Nian thought that Zhai Peipei had a problem with her because of these two embroidery projects.

The second embroidery project paid a little more money, and Zhai Peipei wanted to take it, but Ge Mei gave it to her.

The dormitory and the state-owned embroidery house are separated by two roads, but not too far. There are four beds in the dormitory. Lu Xiaojing and Zhai Peipei's beds are next to each other, and Jiang Nian and Zhang Xiao's beds are next to each other. After Ge Mei arranged everything for her, she went home first. Before leaving, she told her to go to the state-owned embroidery house at eight o'clock tomorrow morning.

Zhai Peipei came back from the canteen, washed up and lay down on the bed to sleep, ignoring Jiang Nian and Zhang Xiao who came in.

Zhang Xiao and Jiang Nian went to the hot water room to get some hot water, Zhang Xiao said: "We came back late today and missed the canteen meal, so we can only eat some steamed bread tonight."

The two returned to the dormitory, Zhang Xiao took out corn cakes and pickled cabbage dumplings from the cloth bag, and asked Jiang Nian: "What do you want to eat?"

She thought that if Jiang Nian didn't bring any food, she would give her some.

When Jiang Nian came out of the family compound, she brought some homemade pastries with her. She took one out and gave it to Zhang Xiao: "I'll eat this."

Zhang Xiao looked at the pastries that Jiang Nian handed to her. Not only did they look good, they also smelled particularly fragrant. She swallowed her saliva and said a little embarrassedly: "Thank you, Sister Jiang."

Jiang Nian glanced at Zhai Peipei who was already lying in bed, hesitated for a moment, and still didn't call her.

The other party had some opinions about her, so she didn't rush to put her face in the cold butt. So after eating with Zhang Xiao, she went to the bathroom to wash up and went back to the dormitory to rest. Jiang Nian lay in the unfamiliar room, looking at the dark beams above, turned her head and whispered to Zhang Xiao: "I don't sleep well. If I bump into you, wake me up."

After saying that, she pursed her lips a little embarrassedly.

Zhang Xiao thought that Jiang Nian's sleeping posture was bad, that is, kicking the quilt and snoring. Unexpectedly, after a night of torture, Zhang Xiao no longer thought so.

How can this be a bad sleeping posture?

This is clearly a fight with someone in a dream.

Sometimes he flipped to the left, sometimes to the right, or he just stuck to her, hugging her with his arms and legs. Fortunately, Jiang Nian was thin, otherwise, those arms and legs would suffocate her.

Jiang Nian looked at the dark circles under Zhang Xiao's eyelids and said a little embarrassedly: "I'm sorry."

Zhang Xiao smiled and said: "What's there to be sorry about? It's okay. Everyone has shortcomings. You look good, you are good at embroidery, and you are gentle. It is normal that you have a bad sleeping posture. Otherwise, God would be too unfair if you got all the good things."

Jiang Nian was amused by Zhang Xiao's words.

When she and Zhang Xiao got up, Zhai Peipei had already washed her face and walked out, but Lu Xiaojing was still asleep in bed. It was unknown what time she came back last night. Zhang Xiao called Lu Xiaojing, and Lu Xiaojing turned over and said in a daze: "You go first, I'll come later."

After washing up, Jiang Nian and Zhang Xiao went to the canteen to have breakfast. The cotton mill was close to the state-owned embroidery factory, and the canteen of the cotton mill was also large. Ge Mei discussed letting a few people go to the canteen of the cotton mill to eat, and gave them money and tickets.

While eating, Jiang Nian learned about Zhai Peipei from Zhang Xiao.

Zhai Peipei is almost fifty years old, and has a son and a daughter. I heard that her daughter married a worker in a cotton mill. She has no job and stays at home to take care of the children. Her son-in-law seems a little reluctant, thinking that he paid a dowry to marry Zhai Peipei's daughter, and he still has to spend money to support her. They often quarrel about this.

Zhai Peipei is close to her daughter, so she often goes to persuade them to stop quarreling. She just came back from her son-in-law's place yesterday, so her face was not very good.

After breakfast, the two went to the bathroom to wash the aluminum lunch boxes and went to the state-owned embroidery house. On the way, they met several men walking together, one of whom was Lu Xiaojing's boyfriend Hu Zhongming. Seeing Jiang Nian and Zhang Xiao, Hu Zhongming greeted them: "Jiang Nian, Zhang Xiao, have you two just finished your meal?"

Jiang Nian thought she didn't know him, let alone being familiar enough to call her name, so she ignored him and walked away.

Just now in the cafeteria, Zhang Xiao also told her about Lu Xiaojing and Hu Zhongming, saying that Hu Zhongming was a restless person who wanted to talk to a woman whenever he saw her. Every time he came to the state-owned embroidery house, Zhang Xiao didn't want to pay attention to him.

Moreover, they were both not young anymore. Lu Xiaojing always wanted to get married and urged Hu Zhongming to meet his parents, but Hu Zhongming always made excuses. They had several arguments at the gate of the state-owned embroidery mansion over this matter.

Hu Zhongming made it clear that he was just playing around with Lu Xiaojing.

Jiang Nian hated people like Hu Zhongming the most. She felt disgusted just by looking at him.

Seeing Jiang Nian walked away with a cold face, Zhang Xiao just nodded to Hu Zhongming and hurriedly followed Jiang Nian. After the two walked away, the person next to Hu Zhongming asked: "Brother Zhongming, who is that woman? She is so beautiful, but she doesn't give you face and doesn't even respond to your greeting."

Hu Zhongming sneered: "The new female comrade in the state-owned embroidery manor is a widow."

The man said: "Brother Zhongming, I don't mind that she is a widow. Why don't you ask Miss Jing to introduce her to me?"

Hu Zhongming didn't say anything. He still remembered the man in military uniform yesterday. It seemed that he cared a lot about this widow, and she was a soldier's widow. Although he was angry about Jiang Nian's loss of face just now, he didn't dare to offend the man.

.Jiang

Nian and Zhang Xiao went to the state-owned embroidery house. Ge Mei and Zhai Peipei had already started to work.

Lu Xiaojing came all the way here on time. After entering, Ge Mei said a few words to her. She nodded and admitted her mistake and ran into the compartment. She first looked at Zhai Peipei, then looked at Jiang Nian and said, "Why didn't you call me when you left?"

Jiang Nian: ...

"Zhang Xiao called you, and you said let us go first and you can sleep for a while."

Lu Xiaojing didn't say anything.

Jiang Nian was embroidering seriously, but from time to time she could hear Lu Xiaojing's hissing sound next to her. She turned her head and saw Lu Xiaojing's index finger with blood on it, wiping the snow with her hand silk.

She just glanced at it and continued to embroider, but Zhai Peipei said: "Can you stop making noise?"

Lu Xiaojing replied angrily: "This place is not yours alone, you can leave if you are not used to it."

She knew that Zhai Peipei was angry about her daughter's matter, but she was also angry. She

talked to Hu Zhongming for a long time last night, hoping that he would agree to take her to meet his parents, but Hu Zhongming refused to agree, and she ran back in the middle of the night.

Zhai Peipei stood up and glared at Lu Xiaojing coldly: "Don't you look at yourself? Your embroidery skills are neither good nor bad. You are too picky and you can't get married. This is a workplace. Don't vent your emotions at work and disturb others. And if your blood stains the embroidery, will you use your salary to compensate?!"

Lu Xiaojing couldn't stand others mentioning her age. She got angry and quarreled with Zhai Peipei.

Jiang Nian: ...

It's really lively everywhere.

She didn't try to stop the quarrel, but just lowered her head and embroidered her own picture silently.

Zhang Xiao ran in from outside to try to mediate the quarrel, but the two of them didn't take her seriously at all. They continued to quarrel, and the quarrel became more and more fierce. In the end, even Zhang Xiao, who was trying to mediate, was scolded. Lu Xiaojing scolded her: "What qualifications do you have to come in? How good do you think you can be? If you were not a distant relative of Sister Ge, how could someone like you come to the state-owned embroidery house? Stop talking to me. It's none of your business to interfere in my and Zhai Peipei's affairs."

Lu Xiaojing had long been fed up with Zhang Xiao. She came to the state-owned embroidery house with her embroidery skills, while Zhang Xiao got in through connections.

As for Lu Xiaojing's embroidery skills, she knew that she couldn't compare to Zhai Peipei. Ge Mei didn't allow her to embroider large-scale embroidery at all. She could only embroider some cheap small embroidery. The money she got every month was sometimes less than half of Zhai Peipei's.

But Zhang Xiao could stay in the embroidery shop without knowing anything. Ge Mei not only taught her the skills, but also paid her a salary. Although Zhang Xiao also did cleaning and reception work in the embroidery shop, she sometimes felt unconvinced when she thought about it.

Zhang Xiao was shut up by what she was told and dared not say anything. Her eyes were a little red.

Zhai Peipei said to Lu Xiaojing: "How dare you say that to Zhang Xiao? Isn't it Zhang Xiao who does all the cleaning in the embroidery shop? Isn't it Zhang Xiao who receives the guests who come to the embroidery shop? Although her embroidery skills are not impressive now, I think if she learns more, she will surpass you in two years."

Jiang Nian looked at Zhai Peipei in surprise. She already had white hair on her temples. Maybe it was because she stayed in the city for many years. She looked younger than Aunt Zhao.

She didn't expect Zhai Peipei to speak for Zhang Xiao.

Sister Ge said that she was arrogant and not easy to get along with. She thought so when she first came yesterday, but after this quarrel, she no longer thought so.

The quarrel between the two ended after Ge Mei appeared.

Ge Mei scolded Lu Xiaojing for a few words, and asked Zhai Peipei to be more considerate, and finally called Zhang Xiao outside to comfort her. At noon, Lu Xiaojing left first, and Zhang Xiao came in and called Sister Zhai, and then went to the cafeteria with Jiang Nian.

Before Jiang Nian left, she glanced at Zhai Peipei who was still embroidering. When she and Zhang Xiao went to the cafeteria to eat, she heard Lu Xiaojing's voice coming from not far away, complaining to Hu Zhongming about Zhai Peipei, and finally said that Ge Mei was partial.

She turned her head and saw Hu Zhongming eating his rice with his head down in a somewhat impatient manner.

When the meal was almost over, Jiang Nian heard Lu Xiaojing ask, "When are you going to take me to meet your parents? We have been talking for half a year. You can delay it, but I can't. I will be thirty after this year."

Hu Zhongming said, "My parents are busy. I will take you to meet them at the end of the year."

When Jiang Nian and Zhang Xiao left the cafeteria, Lu Xiaojing had not finished talking about meeting Hu Zhongming's parents.

She returned to the state-owned embroidery house. As soon as she pushed the door open, she heard the sound of benches being mopped on the floor. So she walked quickly into the compartment. There was no one in the compartment except Zhai Peipei. Jiang Nian glanced at Zhai Peipei, who was embroidering with her head down, and vaguely saw a little panic on her face.

She pursed her lips and sat in front of the embroidery. She looked at the embroidery and saw no trace of anyone touching it.

As if she could see what she was thinking, Zhai Peipei next door said unhappily: "Don't worry, I'm not that mean to mess up your embroidery."

Jiang Nian: ...

She admitted that she had maliciously speculated about others, but it was not wrong to be careful outside.

Jiang Nian glanced at Zhai Peipei, and she was not embarrassed by having her thoughts exposed: "Sister Zhai, I'm sorry."

She stopped talking and embroidered seriously.

Zhai Peipei didn't reply to her.

Lu Xiaojing came on time again, and her face was not very good. It was obvious that she had a breakdown with Hu Zhongming again.

After embroidering for an afternoon, it was time to get off work. Jiang Nian stretched her waist and heard the ringing of the phone outside. Zhang Xiao said hello and ran in to call Jiang Nian: "Sister Jiang, your phone."

Jiang Nian probably guessed that it was Lu Yu calling.

Her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason. She stood up and walked out of the cubicle. She picked up the phone and put it to her ear, whispering, "Hello."

"It's me."

Lu Yu's voice came from the other end of the phone. The man's voice was low and deep, penetrating the receiver and drilling into her earlobes, making her feel a little tingling.

She suddenly felt that Lu Yu's voice was really nice.

Jiang Nian asked, "What's wrong?"

Lu Yu said, "Are you used to it there?"

"Yeah, I'm used to it."

"Is it cold in the dormitory?"

"Not cold."

Both sides fell into a brief silence, and Jiang Nian brought up the topic first: "Have you had dinner?"

"No, I'll go later. What about you?"

Jiang Nian said, "I'll go later too."

She paused and asked, "Are you used to the meals in the cafeteria?"

Lu Yu seemed to smile: "I've been eating there for many years, and it still tastes the same." After he finished speaking, he paused and added, "My sister-in-law's cooking is still the best."

Jiang Nian didn't know what was wrong with her, her face was inexplicably hot.

She pursed her lips and smiled: "When I'm done with my work in the next two months, I'll go back and cook some delicious dishes for you."

Lu Yu's low laugh came from the other end: "Okay." After

hanging up the phone, Lu Xiaojing came out and asked: "Jiang Nian, who called you?"

Jiang Nian said: "A family member."

Lu Xiaojing and Zhai Peipei didn't know the relationship between Jiang Nian and Lu Yu, and Jiang Nian didn't want to say much, but even without her saying it, Lu Xiaojing could guess that the person who could afford to use the phone must not be an ordinary person. She tentatively asked: "Is he your late husband's comrade-in-arms?"

Jiang Nian replied: "Yes."

Lu Xiaojing became curious instantly: "He cares so much, does he like you? Your husband is dead, and he just happened to have the opportunity. Was he interested in you before your husband died?"

Jiang Nian: ...

She thought Lu Xiaojing was just talking nonsense.

No matter who Lu Yu likes, he can't possibly like her. She didn't want others to fabricate Lu Yu's reputation, so she explained: "He and my late husband are brothers, so he took care of me more. Don't guess."

After that, she and Zhang Xiao went to the cafeteria.

Lu Xiaojing looked at Jiang Nian's back and curled her lips: "What's there to be said?"

On the way to the cafeteria, Zhang Xiao said to Jiang Nian: "Jiang Jie, don't take what Jie Lu said to heart."

She knew the relationship between Jiang Nian and Lu Yu, but she didn't tell Jie Zhai and Jie Lu.

Jiang Nian pursed her lips and smiled: "I'm worried."

After dinner, they went back to the dormitory to wash up and go to bed. During the past ten days, Jiang Nian's job was to embroider, eat and sleep. Occasionally, she heard Lu Xiaojing complaining, but Zhai Peipei's face was not very good. I wonder if she was still worried about her daughter.

It was around six in the evening when work was over and it was already dark. Zhai Peipei and Lu Xiaojing left first, and Jiang Nian stayed inside. She wanted to finish the last bit of embroidery for this part. Zhang Xiao came in and said, "Jiang Jie, I'll go to the cafeteria to get you food."

Jiang Nian smiled and said, "Thank you."

She lowered her head and continued to embroider. Not long after, she heard the sound of a door opening outside. She thought it was Zhang Xiao who came back from getting food, so she said, "You eat first, I'll be done soon."

"Sister-in-law, it's me."

The curtain of the partition was lifted, and Lu Yu's deep voice became more and more magnetic in the cramped embroidery room.