Fang Qiao: "I've thought about it. I originally thought An'an playing table tennis was just a passing hobby, but I didn't expect her to get more and more into it. Back in Heshan, she would run to the school table tennis table every day after finishing her homework to practice. I can see that she really loves table tennis, and I support her learning it. It's just that the level of the teachers outside varies greatly. We don't have the resources to contact good teachers who have actually played in international competitions and achieved results, and the teachers we can contact are too average. I plan to send her to a professional sports school for two months of intensive training this summer to see if she can find a good teacher."
“Your idea is good,” Wang Yun agreed. “It’s not easy for a child to have something they like. As parents, we should support them and not hold them back.”
Everyone was very considerate. After eating and playing, they took the initiative to clean up the house before leaving. They washed the dishes and utensils, wiped the tables, swept the floor, and returned the tables and chairs borrowed from the neighbors.
After everyone had left, Fang Qiao specially pulled Xiao Jing along, and took Fang Hai and Dong Ping, who had stayed behind, to the garment factory to look at the remaining stock.
Fang Qiao rode his bicycle ahead with Xiao Jing in the back, while Fang Hai and Dong Ping followed behind on another bicycle.
The two bicycles were a short distance apart.
After crossing the road, the two bicycles pulled away, and Fang Qiao finally spoke up: "Xiao Jing, are you unhappy about something today? Can you tell your sister-in-law?"
Xiao Jing was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously protested, "Sister-in-law, I didn't..."
"Don't hide it from your sister-in-law." Fang Qiao said softly, "Your sister-in-law has lived under the same roof with you for more than ten years. We're closer than sisters. If something's wrong with you, do you think your sister-in-law wouldn't notice?"
Xiao Jing fell silent, and said somewhat awkwardly, "Sister-in-law, I... I didn't mean to hide it from you, it's just... there are some things I can't say."
"Is it about dating?"
Xiao Jing pursed her lips and gave a soft "hmm": "I have a crush on someone, but he... seems to be deliberately avoiding me."
"Why is that? Is it because you like him unilaterally, and he doesn't like you back?"
"I don't know." Xiaojing's eyes were a little confused. "I feel like he likes me too. The way he looks at me isn't innocent at all. He was very good to me before. He would take me out to eat, buy me soda, take me shopping, and even cook for me. He didn't have much money, but he was very generous when it came to spending it on me."
“I didn’t realize it before, I just considered him a friend. Later… later I found out that I liked him a little, and he liked me too, so I gave him a little hint. But from that day on, he started avoiding me.”
"Today was the same. I originally wanted to bring him home, but I couldn't find him when I went to his workplace. His colleague said he had quit. I looked around the neighborhood but couldn't find him. It was all because of him that I wasted time. In the end, I rushed around but still arrived late."
Fang Qiao's eyebrows twitched slightly as she probed subtly, "You were originally going to bring him home today, weren't you?"
Xiao Jing nodded: "Originally, yes, but he avoided me and even stopped working."
"Do I know this person?"
"..." Xiao Jing remained silent for a long while before giving a somewhat embarrassed "hmm".
Fang Qiao: "Could you tell me who he is?"
Xiao Jing hesitated for a long time before saying, "Sister-in-law, he's avoiding me. It's not certain that things will work out between us. Please don't tell anyone."
"Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret and I absolutely won't tell anyone."
“Yes, it’s Brother Zhou Xueyi.” Xiao Jing closed her eyes, steeled her resolve, and said, “He’s the one who pulled me out of the river ten years ago when I jumped in.”
Fang Qiao was taken aback, then laughed: "It's him? That's really fate."
She thought of Xiaojing's classmates, the clothing factory's partners, Heshan's neighbors, and friends in society—she thought of countless people, but she never expected it to be Zhou Xueyi from her hometown.
But upon closer reflection, it does indeed make perfect sense.
Xiaojing has a negative attitude towards men, but Zhou Xueyi saved her life and is her savior, so she feels a natural sense of trust and closeness towards him.
He knew her past, pitied her experiences, and cared for her in every way, unknowingly melting her heart, which was as hard as ice.
It was only natural that the two developed feelings for each other over time.
Fang Qiao couldn't understand why Zhou Xueyi, who clearly liked her, would distance himself from her.
“I also think our fate is quite deep. Otherwise, with such a big country and such a big capital city, how come we would meet here again?” At this point, Xiao Jing snorted: “I really don’t know what he was thinking. We’re all young, and we clearly like each other. Why can’t we talk about it openly and honestly? He’s playing the deliberate distancing game. Tian Tian and Chen Yan don’t want to use it. They think it’s childish!”
"Yes, if you have the chance, you should have an open and honest talk with him. If there are obstacles, try your best to overcome them. I don't believe there's any difficulty that can't be overcome. In any case, it's better than lovers missing each other because of a misunderstanding and regretting it for the rest of their lives."
Xiao Jing finally understood, and Fang Qiao encouraged her.
Xiao Jing nodded: "Sister-in-law, you're right, that's what I think too. I'm thirty years old, and this is the first time I've ever liked a man. No matter what his unspeakable difficulties are, I have to find out. That way, even if we don't end up together in the future, I won't have any regrets."
"It's good that you can figure it out."
Xiao Jing pressed her head against Fang Qiao's back and whispered, "Anyway, I've long been prepared to never get married. If it really doesn't work out, I'll just not get married. I raised all the children myself, so they won't neglect me in my old age."
"You're thinking too far ahead. You're only thirty, still in your prime. Even without Zhou Xueyi, there are other good men out there. Are we going to have to eat hairy pork without him?"
Xiao Jing chuckled twice but didn't reply.
Turning a corner, Fang Qiao suddenly remembered something: "By the way, what about Tian Tian and Chen Yan? What happened between them?"
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