betray?
In a daze, Yu Chunsheng heard someone in the audience calling his name from his past life.
He glanced around briefly, then looked away with a self-deprecating smile. Only Yu Chunsheng remained here; Kong Lin would no longer be there.
His wife, sitting opposite him on the stage, was still playfully winking at him. After the curtain call, Yu Chunsheng walked over to her, picked up the piano, and left the stage.
Xu Tangmian put down her accordion and jumped behind him, resting her head on his shoulder and asking him in a coquettish tone, "What are we going to do this afternoon? The school gave us a half-day off."
Yu Chunsheng glanced around in a panic, and seeing that no one was looking at them, he smiled and flicked her nose before pushing her head away.
"I have something to do this afternoon," he said with a helpless expression. "It's about work. I can't just stay home and sit around the stove all the time, can I?"
Xu Tangmian naturally felt bored; today was her birthday.
She shook her head and helped him tidy up the table, then suddenly remembered something and asked him, "Shall I go with you to the interview?"
"Who brings their wife along when looking for a job?" Yu Chunsheng said with a smile. "If you're bored, go help someone with some work. I saw the villagers busy in the fields early this morning."
Xu Tangmian, as if facing a formidable enemy, frantically waved her hands and said, "Actually, lying at home isn't boring. I borrowed a few books from the library that I haven't finished reading yet."
When the topic of borrowing books came up, Xu Tangmian sighed again: "You, you messed up Song Weidong's books like that. Now that Xiaotao and I haven't reconciled, how are we going to return them?"
"I'll return it later." Yu Chunsheng walked over and ruffled her hair, saying affectionately, "You should also be more mindful of the boundaries in your interactions with men and women. I don't mind you spending more time with Song Weidong, but what if other people misunderstand?"
Xu Tangmian was already upset because of the estrangement between her and Li Yutao. She hadn't done anything wrong, and it seemed to be about Song Weidong's side, so why was everyone speaking up for Song Weidong and wronging her instead?
Now, having been told this by her closest person, even though she knew she should keep her distance from Song Weidong, she couldn't help but say it in a fit of pique:
"So what if it's a misunderstanding? We're completely innocent. Are you going to arrest me like a hooligan?"
She grew angrier as she spoke, completely oblivious to Yu Chunsheng's changed expression.
He lowered his head and said timidly, "Whatever you want, I'll be your witness."
The two had another meal together outside. Xu Tangmian walked home, while Yu Chunsheng rode his bicycle to town.
Despite saying she wasn't bored, Xu Tangmian couldn't resist rolling up her trousers and getting into the fields when she saw the villagers working.
She couldn't interfere with other people's land, but there was clearly a pair of Warrior shoes that she had given to impoverished students lying on the edge of the field, so Xu Tangmian had to go down and have a chat with them.
Her student, Luo Hui, went to work in the fields as soon as he got home for the holidays. Looking at the several knife marks on the legs of the child who was not even ten years old, Xu Tangmian couldn't describe how she felt.
Poor adults and poor children, then they have a bunch of silly children.
Are we really going to let Luo Hui continue living this kind of life?
Xu Tangmian picked up a sickle and walked to the ridge, calling out to Luo Hui, "Kid, you're already working right after the holiday?"
Upon seeing her arrive, Luo Hui took off his straw hat in surprise and handed it to her, "Teacher, why are you here again?"
"You don't welcome me?" Xu Tangmian laughed and started cutting weeds with him, but having never held a sickle before, she couldn't use it properly. Before she could even cut the grass, she cut her calf because of the wrong direction.
Dark red blood flowed down the wound to her ankle, and Xu Tangmian could only endure the pain and retreat.
The pain was a minor matter; it was just a superficial injury without any serious damage to bones or muscles. Xu Tangmian only felt that she had intended to help others, but instead of being able to do anything, she had only delayed their work.
It would be embarrassing enough in front of ordinary people, let alone one's own students.
Therefore, she repeatedly refused Luo Hui's offer to accompany her to the clinic, even though the child insisted on taking him, saying that the work in the fields was just odd jobs that could be done or not.
Although Xu Tangmian had never done farm work before, she understood that farming depended entirely on the weather. It might be sunny today but rainy tomorrow, and the work in the fields couldn't be delayed for even a moment.
After she reasoned with him and appealed to his emotions, she finally managed to prevent her students from sending her to the clinic.
Although Song Weidong was back, he probably still had to visit relatives. Xu Tangmian thought it was just a minor injury, and that she could just apply some mercurochrome and bandage it up when she got home.
Unexpectedly, Song Weidong had returned to the clinic. Xu Tangmian thought this was a good opportunity, and decided to ask him how he planned to tell Xiao Tao about his situation.
The wound had stopped bleeding as I walked, leaving only a few curved, dried bloodstains from the wound to my ankle, and the area near the heel of my white cloth shoes was stained red.
When Song Weidong saw her, he greeted her with a smile, but then he noticed the bloodstains on her legs and quickly got up to take a look.
He still needed crutches, so Xu Tangmian felt embarrassed to let him come over. She quickly walked a few steps to the table and gestured for him to sit down.
"What happened?" Song Weidong asked her, frowning.
"I got cut by the sickle while working in the fields, but it's nothing serious."
"A sickle?" Song Weidong stopped holding the cotton swab. "It's probably rusty. You can't stay here; go to town for a tetanus shot."
"Huh?" Xu Tangmian didn't expect it to be so troublesome. "Can't you just bandage it? You can apply some iodine solution or alcohol or something."
Song Weidong shook his head, his gaze falling on what was behind her, before quickly lowering his head and saying, "Go on, I won't go with you."
Xu Tangmian found it strange. When did she ask him to accompany her? Following his gaze, she turned around and saw Li Yutao standing at the door of the dispensing room, leaning against the door frame and staring at the two of them.
Xu Tangmian: "..."
"Xiao Tao, don't misunderstand. I didn't mean for Dr. Song to come with me. I'm leaving now! I'm leaving now."
Xu Tangmian tried to avoid it, secretly wondering why she never learned her lesson and kept doing things that could cause misunderstandings.
Unexpectedly, Li Yutao called out to her.
She asked, "Where did Brother Yu go? Wasn't he here during the performance this morning?"
Xu Tangmian had no choice but to stop and reply, "He lost his job and spends all day loitering around at home. He said he's going out to look for a job this afternoon."
Li Yutao said "Oh" without paying much attention, and then said, "Then I'll go with you to get the injection."
Um?
Xu Tangmian was somewhat surprised, "You're coming with me?"
"What, you want this old man to come with you?"
Song Weidong clicked his tongue, seemingly somewhat helpless.
Xu Tangmian was amused by her words, but quickly shut up when she remembered that the two of them were still in a cold war. Although she felt that she could go to get the injection alone, she agreed to it because she wanted to ease the tension with Li Yutao.
Li Yutao pedaled for nearly an hour before finally bringing her to town. Having just finished her injection, Xu Tangmian thought that since her injury was to her leg, not her foot, and it was just a superficial wound, she was about to discuss with Li Yutao going back to let her ride.
Then they saw Li Yutao pushing her cart, furtively peering at the people in the mall through the shop window.
Xu Tangmian stepped forward and patted her lightly on the shoulder, smiling as she said, "If you want to buy something, go inside and take a look. What are you doing here?"
Li Yutao was startled. She put her index finger to her lips and shushed her, then pointed at the person inside.
Looking in the direction she was looking, the man inside, chatting and laughing with a woman while shopping, was none other than Yu Chunsheng.
But didn't he say he was going to look for a job this afternoon?
Xu Tangmian forced herself to calm down and not to make malicious assumptions about Yu Chunsheng. Maybe that woman was the HR person?
Li Yutao, however, refused to listen. She quickly set up the bicycle frame and was about to go inside, angrily shouting, "I thought he was some kind of good person, but he turns out to be a scumbag who's all show and no substance!"
Xu Tangmian grabbed her arm and tried to calm her down, but she turned around and scolded her: "Why are you so weak? Don't think you can't let him go just because he has a good-looking face. I'm going to teach this scumbag a lesson!"
With that, she struggled and rushed out. Xu Tangmian had no choice but to call out, "Brother Song, what brings you here?"
Li Yutao did indeed turn around. Taking advantage of her distraction, Xu Tangmian pulled her into a side alley.
Worried that she might make a big fuss if she went forward rashly, Xu Tangmian could only coax her in a low voice: "Please don't go. That person must be from HR. It must be a misunderstanding."
Li Yutao said, "Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, we can just go up and ask clearly, what are you afraid of?"
Xu Tangmian couldn't quite explain what she was afraid of. She was also a little worried about how to handle the situation if it were true.
Although she was good friends with Xiao Tao, Song Weidong, and many other people here, the only person she truly considered family was Yu Chunsheng.
They've done the most intimate things in the world, spending every day together. Even if there isn't much affection between them, they've long since become intertwined in each other's lives. If he really cheated, would she have the courage to divorce him?
Xu Tangmian wished she hadn't seen anything.
She walked back to her bicycle with her head drooping, kicked the stand aside, and said dejectedly, "Go if you want, I don't care about these things."
A sullen whimper and frantic stomping came from behind. Xu Tangmian turned around, smiled, and waved to Li Yutao, "Alright, come over here, I'll buy you some peach shortbread."
When they entered the mall again, Yu Chunsheng was nowhere to be found. Xu Tangmian weighed out two catties of peach shortbread and handed it to Li Yutao, saying with a light laugh, "Why are you angry if I'm not? Come on, have something good to calm your nerves."
Li Yutao rolled her eyes. "We hunt geese every year, and now the geese have pecked our eyes out."
Xu Tangmian said dramatically with a helpless expression, "I'm not interested in your 'old man,' you see? Even if Yu Chunsheng finds other women outside, I still only like him. Don't worry about it."
Li Yutao glanced in the direction where Yu Chunsheng had been, then muttered to herself, "It wasn't me who hoped he would find it..."
Perhaps out of sympathy for her, Li Yutao softened her attitude towards her considerably, and even took the initiative to share the process of her reconciling with Song Weidong.
Xu Tangmian was preoccupied with whether Yu Chunsheng had found another woman or not, and had no interest in listening. When she came to her senses, she only saw Li Yutao lost in her memories, looking down shyly: "And then he agreed to get back together with me."
...
Xu Tangmian clapped her hands: "Hahahaha, that's great!"
——
After taking her home, Li Yutao skipped off to the clinic.
From a distance, she watched the two chatting and laughing in the clinic.
Thinking back to Song Weidong's indifferent expression when they first met, and looking at him now, Xu Tangmian couldn't help but feel that she had finally done a good thing since coming to this era.
But what about my own feelings? Sigh…
It's only a little past four in the afternoon, but she already feels very tired and just wants to go back and get a good night's sleep.
When Xu Tangmian walked into the living room, she felt strange. Why were the curtains drawn in broad daylight?
She suddenly had a terrible and disgusting thought: Could Yu Chunsheng really have cheated on her and even brought another woman home...?
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