Just moments ago, Aunt Qi was all high and mighty, but now she seemed drained of all her energy. If it weren't for Aunt Wang and Aunt Zhu supporting her, she would have collapsed to the ground. Her son, Qi Mingyun, not only ignored her but also glared fiercely at his mother, demanding an explanation. The elderly men and women who had come with her also chimed in, asking, "What happened? You were fired for no reason?" While everyone was concerned for Aunt Qi and her son, only Uncle Zhou noticed Xia Liang standing to the side, sneering.
Grandpa Zhou's gaze met Xia Liang's, and in an instant, a thought flashed through his mind: Could it be that Aunt Qi's son was...? The more he thought about it, the colder he felt, and he broke out in a cold sweat. Those around Grandpa Zhou noticed his unusual behavior and followed his gaze, seeing Xia Liang standing in the doorway. One person exclaimed in surprise and pointed at Xia Liang. Attracted by the commotion, everyone followed his finger in Xia Liang's direction. Someone said, "Could it be that Xia Liang fired your son?" Another immediately retorted, "No way! Xia Liang may have some skills, but she wouldn't have stooped to the cannery!" They all lived in the same alley; everyone knew each other's backgrounds.
Xia Liang sighed impatiently, seemingly annoyed by the delay, "Sigh! If you have something to do, go and take care of it! I'm busy, so I won't entertain you any longer." After saying that, she turned to go into the house, but Aunt Qi suddenly lunged at Xia Liang like a zombie. Just as she was about to pounce on Xia Liang, Tian Longhui, who was on guard, grabbed her arm and shoved her away with a forceful movement.
Aunt Qi scrambled to her feet, her eyes bloodshot as she glared at Xia Liang: "Did you, you little whore, make my son lose his job?" Xia Liang sneered, remaining silent. Even at this point, she was still spewing vulgarities; she was utterly absurd. Aunt Qi barked at Xia Liang like a madwoman. One of the people who had come along couldn't stand it any longer and stepped forward, saying, "Xia, did you have Qi Mingyun fired?" Xia Liang glanced at the speaker and slowly nodded. A collective gasp swept through the crowd. It really was Xia Liang. Some thought it was fortunate they hadn't offended her, otherwise, who knew what methods she would use? Others felt Xia Liang was ruthless; they were all neighbors in the same alley, and for her to act this way over such a small matter was simply too much.
Xia Liang saw everyone's expressions and knew what they were thinking. Too lazy to argue, she said directly, "That's right, I'm the one who told you to fire Qi Mingyun. After all, you're all high-class people from Beijing; you shouldn't care about working in a factory run by a country bumpkin like me." Everyone stared in shock. They only knew Xia Liang owned a clothing store, not a factory! No matter how many clothing stores she owned, they couldn't compare to the profits of a factory! Some of the people who had come seeking justice already regretted offending Xia Liang for the sake of Aunt Qi and the others.
Hearing Xia Liang admit it himself, Aunt Qi pointed at Xia Liang's nose and said, "Why did you fire my son? He's so outstanding and hardworking, what right do you have to fire him?" Xia Liang scoffed, "He is indeed very outstanding and hardworking, so a small place like this can't accommodate such a big shot. I suggest he find another job." It's a joke. Chen Yanling just called the cannery, and the factory leaders all thought that Qi Mingyun was lazy and the factory manager found out, and they said they would fire him immediately. If he were truly talented, they wouldn't be in such a hurry.
Qi Mingyun retorted, "Comrade Xia, I've always worked diligently at the factory. Why are you firing me for no reason? Even if you and my mother have a minor disagreement, that's just a neighborly squabble. How can you treat it like this at the factory?" Xia Liang, seeing his self-righteousness, laughed, "Are you teaching me how to do things? And what do you mean by 'a minor disagreement'? That's not what she said when she was trying to smear me. It's only in the modern society; if it were ancient times, she probably would have drowned me in a pig cage with just a few words!" Qi Mingyun was speechless. He could only glare fiercely at Aunt Qi before turning around and going home.
The neighbor, seemingly a saint, said, "Xia, look, we're all neighbors, there's no need for this." Xia Liang glanced at the old woman who was speaking so casually, wondering why she hadn't said a word of justice when Aunt Qi was scolding her. Now she was acting like a good person. Xia Liang didn't want to give such a person any face: "Aunt Qi said that if I, a country bumpkin, hadn't married into the city, I wouldn't have the chance to whine in front of her. I have no choice, after all, Aunt Qi's son is from the city, and he probably wouldn't want my little factory. That's all, everyone. I'm very busy and don't have time to waste here with you. I won't entertain you today, but I'll invite you in for tea another time." After saying that, she turned and went back into the house, with Tian Longhui and Zhou Xiong following behind and closing the door.
As everyone watched the dark gate slowly close, no one dared to say anything. Those whose families worked at the cannery were the first to leave, as if they were afraid that Xia Liang would come out, see them, remember their appearance, and then fire their family members as well.
Others also advised Aunt Qi, "You need to take care of your health! If you can't find a job, you can always look for another one." They made it sound so easy, but jobs aren't easy to find these days, and if they were, she wouldn't have had to give one up. In the end, Aunt Qi was helped home by her neighbors and husband. They said she'd been sick for several days, but Xia Liang didn't care. It wasn't her problem anyway. Now, when she went out, the neighbors avoided her as if she were some kind of plague, which made Xia Liang feel much more at ease.
Two days before her eldest daughter's piano competition, Xia Liang went to the factory to pick up some fabric, intending to make her daughter a little dress for the competition. She called her eldest daughter over to take her measurements, and Xia Liang was thinking about what kind to make. The little one asked first, "Mommy, can you make me a red dress? I want to wear a red dress." Seeing the hopeful look in her daughter's eyes, Xia Liang couldn't refuse and could only hug her daughter, saying, "Of course you can. Do you want a long one or a short one, sweetheart?" Gu Yunxi gestured to her knees, "Mommy, it should be this long. If it's too long, I'm afraid she'll step on it when she goes on stage." Xia Liang thought of some celebrities in later years who tripped and fell on their dresses on the red carpet, and imagined her daughter stepping on her dress. She felt that her daughter was right; too long would be inconvenient.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com