The sky was already bright. The miners had finished their breakfast and were about to go down the well. Zheng Qinglan and Shang Liu Xin were still sleeping soundly. The courtyard they lived in was dozens of meters away from the miners. Normal noise wouldn't disturb them. Moreover, they were young and were at the age where they liked to sleep. It was not until the bicycle bell rang outside the door that they woke up from their deep sleep. The bicycle bell outside the door rang slowly as if it was joking. "Who?" Shang Liu Xin asked. The person who rang the bell outside answered,"I'm an old neighbor."”Zheng Qinglan recognized Lan Guiying's voice. "Sister-in-law, what's the matter?"”"Whose car is this?" Lan Guiying asked.”"No customers. I borrowed someone else's car. Is there anything you need?" "It's nothing. The workers are about to go down the well. I saw that you haven't opened the door yet, so I came over to ask. I was afraid that you would delay your work.”"Oh, no, I'm already up.”"Then I'll be leaving." The footsteps gradually faded away. Shang Liu Xin hurriedly put on her clothes and said,""Qinglan, get up too. Aren't you going to work today? I'm definitely going to be late today." "No, the director gave me half a day to come down for something.”"I was wondering why you remembered to come here tonight. So you came along the way.”"You're really calculative. I came here specially to see you last night and went to work today. I should say that I came specially to see you and work.”"You don't have to say such flowery words. I know what I'm doing. Fourth Aunt has already gone to my house to tell my parents about our wedding date. My mother has some ideas and said that you should personally go to my house to tell them about our wedding date.”"Your parents won't disagree with the wedding date because I didn't go, right?”"That's not the case. I advised my mother a little, saying that you're busy with work and it's inconvenient for you to run around.”" Then, do they have any requests?" "What request? Just do it according to the customs of the village. During the ceremony, he would prepare eight 'eights' worth of gifts and buy a few clothes.”"Do you have any requests?" "As long as you treat me well, I don't ask for anything.”"That's for sure. If I don't treat you well, who else can I treat well?”"You're putting it nicely now. You didn't anger me to death on the way to your house last time, but when I arrived at your house, you ignored me. You're afraid that I can't tell.”"You're overthinking it. Didn't I drink too much last time? It won't be like this in the future.”"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. When are you leaving? You won't be able to eat breakfast in the canteen now. I'll cook noodles for you before you leave.”"No, you go to work. I'll go out and buy some food. When are we going to get our marriage certificate?”"How about this? We'll go to the village to get the certificate first and then make an appointment.”Hearing the word " certificate ", Zheng Qinglan suddenly remembered that Shang Liu Xin wanted him to accompany her to the village to get the marriage certificate. Her bright and sunny heart instantly darkened. The muscles on his face twitched, and his tone was no longer as gentle as before. He poured some hot water and washed his face briefly. Shang Liu Xin handed him the skincare cream, but he didn't even look at it. He reached his finger into the bottle and rubbed it on his face. Then, he put on the hat on his clothes, covering his face tightly. He opened the door a crack and looked outside for a while. After confirming that there was no one, he turned around and said to Shang Liu Xin,"Don't tell anyone that I'm here.”"We're about to get married. If I'm not afraid, what are you afraid of?”"Isn't it because we haven't even gotten the village's certificate? It was as if they were really married. Who was as bold as you?”Hearing this almost straightforward sarcasm, Shang Liu Xin's heart sank to the darkest bottom of the sea and reached the peak of anger. Tears gushed out, and she said in a mournful and sharp tone,"Zheng Qinglan, I did have a disgraceful experience, but that's not a reason for you to mock me. I didn't hide my past from you. If you look down on me, don't look back after you leave this door today. If I'm already pregnant, I'll give birth to the child and raise him alone.”Zheng Qinglan's heart softened. He turned around and closed the door. He hugged Shang Liuxin and wiped away her tears, saying gently,""I didn't mean to mock you. I just said it casually. Don't think too much. If you're pregnant, this is our child. I have to be responsible for him. How can I let you bear it alone?”"Last time, you made me angry and ignored me. You said that you drank too much, but you didn't drink this time, right?”"I didn't drink. It's my fault for not knowing how to speak.”"As the saying goes, your words represent your inner thoughts. If you think I'm dirty, it's not too late to leave me before you get married.”"Liu Xin, please don't say these sad words again. I don't mean to despise you. I have been dealing with you for almost two months. You know that I'm not a slippery person. Sometimes, I accidentally hurt people with my words. I will change in the future.”"What's bothering you?" Zheng Qinglan couldn't answer this question. If she said that she didn't feel bad, then what she said just now was fake. If she said that she felt bad, then it meant that she cared a lot about Shang Liu Xin's past. Even though this was the truth, Shang Liu Xin would definitely not be satisfied with this answer. She would still cry. After thinking about it, she could only give a vague answer. "Let's not talk about these unhappy things, okay? If it's in the past, let it be in the past." "Can you let it go?" "If you can let it go, then I can let it go. Let's not mention it again in the future.”Shang Liu Xin sighed. "How about this? After we go back today, I'll ask the director for half a day off and accompany you to the village to get the certificate, okay?”"Do as you see fit. I'm usually at the mine. Come and find me when you come over. If I have anything to do, I'll leave a note for you. It's stuck in the crack of the door.”"Alright, it's settled then. Then I'll go. You eat something yourself.”Shang Liu Xin said,"You go, don't worry about me."”
Zheng Qinglan ran out of the mine. She bought a bag of toothpaste, a toothbrush, and a bag of biscuits from a roadside shop. She brushed her teeth by the river and ate the biscuits by the river bank. The sun had come out, and when it shone on people, it felt warm, just like Shang Liu Xin's warm body. He narrowed his eyes. The sunlight was warm and dazzling. It would be great if it was warm and not dazzling. Such a life would not be exchanged even if it was given to an immortal.
He had chosen and done it himself. No one had forced him. On the contrary, many people had advised him, but he had chosen to do so. Who could he blame? He could only blame himself. Zheng Qinglan stood up and pushed the bicycle. Since they had already come this far, they could only move forward. Zheng Qinglan got out of the car when she was about to reach Jin Ling's shop. She steadied the car and rubbed her face a few times. Then, she opened her eyes and moved her eyebrows to move the muscles on her face. She tried her best to be gentle and natural. Then, she took a few deep breaths and tried to squeeze out the unhappiness in her heart. He closed his eyes and thought for a few seconds. After making sure that he had adjusted his mental state to a more normal state, he got on the bike again and stopped in front of Jin Ling's shop. He listened carefully to make sure that there was no one inside. He got off the stand, parked the car, and walked into the shop with his bag. As expected, Jin Ling was the only one in the shop. She was reading a book with her eyebrows furrowed. Zheng Qinglan couldn't help but be moved. She had never seen Jin Ling reading like this before.
"Jin…Jin Ling!"
Jin Ling raised her head and was stunned for a moment. Then, her tightly knitted brows relaxed and a handsome smile immediately floated on her face. "Qinglan, oh, Brother Qinglan, it's you. What brings you here?”"It's good news. The spring breeze blew me here.”"What good news?" Zheng Qinglan frantically zipped her bag, but she couldn't open it even after trying several times. "Brother Qinglan, don't worry," Jin Ling said with a smile,"I'll open it for you."”"No need, no need." Zheng Qinglan calmed herself down, unzipped her bag, and put her hand inside. However, she didn't take her hand out immediately. Instead, she looked at Jin Ling with a smile and said,""Jin Ling, guess what I brought you?”Jin Ling frowned and thought for a moment before saying,"To eat, play, or watch?”"You can say that you saw it, read it, or think about it.”"Haha, don't you understand? You're giving me the answer. It's a book. You brought me a book, right? Whose book is it? Why is it so mysterious?”"Try guessing again. The range won't be very large. This person is very special to you.”"Then who is it? Is it from China or a foreign country?”"Of course it's from China." "Mao Dun, Ba Jin, Lu Xun or Guo Moruo?”Zheng Qinglan shook her head. " Shuting, Beidao…" Jin Ling said a name and Zheng Qinglan shook her head. "Please note that this person is very special to you.”"Then who is it? I've listed all the Chinese authors I like.”"He can't be called a writer yet. He can only be considered a writer, but he will definitely be a writer in the future.”"Then who is it? I've read many articles by different authors.”"Haha, let me tell you, this person is far away in the sky and near in front of your eyes.”"Ah, then it's you. Why didn't you tell me directly? You're so annoying!”"Wrong, it wasn't me." "Who is that? This is really confusing." "Is there a third person here besides you and me?”"Are you talking about me? Did I publish something?”"You're so smart. You've finally guessed correctly this time. Haha, here, this is the newspaper.”"Brother Qinglan, are you saying that I published my work? Hurry up and let me take a look." Zheng Qinglan handed the newspaper to Jin Ling. This time, it was Jin Ling's turn to tremble. " You were talking about me just now," Zheng Qinglan said with a smile." Now it's your turn. Do you want me to open it for you?"”"Who uses you?" He rolled his eyes at Zheng Qinglan, and her smile grew wider. All the depression he felt just now disappeared without a trace. As long as Jin Ling was happy, he always felt comfortable and happy. He didn't feel any mental burden at all.
Jin Ling opened the newspaper and found her work. She glanced at it and then looked up at Zheng Qinglan, as if she was sure that this was real and not a dream.
"How is it? Are you happy?" "Of course I'm happy. Aren't you happy?”"Look at what you're saying. If you're not happy, can I specially deliver the newspaper for you? Do you know how cold it is today?" "Thank you for your hard work!" Jin Ling then noticed that Zheng Qinglan's lips were a little dry.
"I'm sorry, Brother Qinglan. I was so happy to see you that I forgot to get you a glass of water. Wait a moment, I'll make tea for you."”Zheng Qinglan was about to drink some water, so she didn't say anything. Jin Ling went to the back to get some water. Zheng Qinglan felt relieved. She had thought that Jin Ling would be cold and distant when she saw him, or she would be indifferent and make him feel awkward, or she would be in pain like last time. Unexpectedly, Jin Ling's attitude towards him was still the same as before. Even the way she addressed him and the tone of her voice did not change.
Jin Ling came from behind with a big cup of hot water and handed it to Zheng Qinglan, saying,""I'll pour it for you after you finish it." Zheng Qinglan sipped her water and said," You're not the only one who's happy. I'm happy too. Our director is also very happy. He said that you're a good seedling and asked you to work hard. He'll do his best to help you." He also said that you are stronger than me." "I'm stronger than you." Jin Ling chuckled.”She smiled and changed her words." I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. I'm just joking with you. I've just published a piece of work, and you've published more than me." I debuted earlier than you, but your starting point is higher than mine. The first few manuscripts I published were only considered tofu blocks and matchboxes. The quality of the journals I published was not high either. Some were even mimeographed. Look at you. You were selected by the provincial key journals as soon as you made your move. Awesome, I have to admire him. The younger generation is really formidable.”"Go to hell. You're only two years older than me, and you're already calling me a junior?”
"You're younger than me, so it's only natural for me to call you younger.”
"Then I should call you mister.”
"That's right. You should call me sir.”
"In your dreams, I won't call you mister. It's so old-fashioned. I'll just call you Qinglan…Brother Qinglan, how natural is that?”
Jin Ling's words not only touched the nerve in Zheng Qinglan's heart, but also reminded her of her own memories. The cheerful atmosphere suddenly became cold. They didn't speak and just sat there silently. On the surface, they looked as calm as water in a tank, but in fact, their hearts were like boiling magma underground.
Zheng Qinglan was the first to break the silence. She called out in a low voice," Jin Ling..." Jin Ling replied with a " hmm " and looked up at him with a burning light in her eyes.
"Do you still hate me?" Zheng Qinglan didn't dare to look at Jin Ling.
"What do you think?" Jin Ling sighed lightly." This is fate. What can I do if I hate it?" These days, I often think about it, but I can't come up with a conclusion that can convince me. I have parents who have loved me since I was young, a brother who has always taken care of me, and a sister-in-law who treats me like her own sister. There's no need to talk about my parents and brother, but my sister-in-law treats me really well. It can be said that there's no other person like my sister-in-law in this area. Don't you think this is my good fortune? Say that my life is good, but what I want can only be seen slipping away from me.”
When the customers arrived, Zheng Qinglan took the opportunity to go to the back while Jin Ling was greeting the customers. Firstly, she wanted to pour some water, and secondly, she wanted to prevent the customers from spreading rumors about her. Most of the customers in Jin Ling's shop were villagers nearby. One of the characteristics of the villagers was that they liked to inquire about other people's private affairs. A young lady and a young man were sitting there. They were definitely going to be associated with and discussed by others. Zheng Qinglan wanted to avoid this kind of association and discussion. She didn't want Jin Ling to be used as a topic of gossip because of her. After the customer left, Zheng Qinglan walked in from behind. After a moment of silence, she continued the topic,""Jin Ling, I am just an ordinary person. I think of myself as a scholar, and a poor scholar at that.”Jin Ling interrupted him. She seemed to be teasing him, but also seemed to be accusing him."Alright, don't make yourself sound so pitiful. You're afraid that I'll pester you, so you're trying your best to belittle yourself. I just want to ask you one thing, do you really love Shang Liu Xin?”
"Jin Ling, can we not discuss this now? It's meaningless now."
" But why are you so vague? I heard my cousin talk about her. You're a person who pursues purity, how could you…" Zheng Qinglan suddenly became angry."Why are you prying into other people's privacy?”Jin Ling was anxious." I didn't ask around. My cousin only mentioned it when we were talking about you. I told him not to say it outside, and he agreed.”Zheng Qinglan knew that she had wronged Jin Ling, so she said,""I'm sorry. I feel bad talking about these things. I've wronged you. I apologize!"
"No need. I understand. Brother Qinglan, marriage is not a child's play. It is a matter of lifelong happiness. Have you really made up your mind?”
"How could I not know the importance of marriage to a person's happiness? But just like you said just now, this is fate. She barged into my life, so I couldn't reject her.”
"Brother Qinglan, I believe that you don't mean what you said. Your explanation is also very far-fetched. You have to pay a heavy price for treating marriage with the reason of fate. It's a lifetime of happiness.”
"Since you've done it, you won't regret it. Even if you regret it, you have to do it.”
"Brother Qinglan, why are you doing this? Why?”
Zheng Qinglan remained silent. After a while, she said," Jin Ling, the director arranged for me to come to you for half a day. It's almost noon now, so I have to go back. You have to read and write more, just like before. Don't let the director down." Give me a call if you want to read any books or submit any manuscripts. Give me the pen and I'll leave you my phone number. Give me your phone number too. I'll call you often.”Zheng Qinglan put the note with Jin Ling's phone number into her book and said,""Go ahead. I'm leaving." Jin Ling didn't say anything. She sent Zheng Qinglan out of the shop. She watched Zheng Qinglan get on the bike and leave. Then, she came back and sat in front of the counter in a daze.
The conversation with Jin Ling just now seemed like a lifetime to Zheng Qinglan. The first half of the conversation was filled with joy and passion, while the second half of the conversation about his marriage was filled with anger and depression.
Zheng Qinglan felt that it was very troublesome when she had to accompany Shang Liu Xin to the village accountant to get the certificate and when she had to go to town to get the marriage certificate. Originally, if he asked for leave from the leader for these matters, it would be a fair and aboveboard matter. When he asked for leave from the leader, he would bring a handful of candy and a pack of cigarettes. If he asked the leader to eat candy and smoke, the leader would definitely open the door and generously approve the leave. However, Zheng Qinglan didn't want Luo Tianyin to know that she was getting married, so she couldn't ask for leave. Finding another reason to ask for leave was no different from lying. Zheng Qinglan had never done such a thing before, let alone deceiving Teacher Luo, who had done her a great favor. After thinking about it, Zheng Qinglan had no choice but to find an excuse to take leave.
On Friday morning, Zheng Qinglan went to Luo Tianyin's office and said,""Teacher, I want to take a day off."
"What's the matter?"
"My family introduced me to a partner and asked me to go on a blind date tomorrow.”The excuse he gave was a blind date, which was similar to getting a marriage certificate. This made Zheng Qinglan feel less guilty.
"Oh, where are you from?"
"I heard from my dad that it's from a neighboring village."
"That's good."
Zheng Qinglan's hands were shaking as she handed over the request for leave. Her forehead was covered in sweat, but Luo Tianyin didn't notice it. She signed Zheng Qinglan's request for leave as she usually did. Zheng Qinglan felt lost as she held the leave slip that she had obtained through a half-trick. Not only did his relationship with Shang Liu Xin have a moral obligation, but it was also about to have a legal obligation. He had forced himself to walk step by step until today. At first, he thought that he was very simple and that he only needed to be open-minded. However, things were not as simple as he thought. Shang Liu Xin's matter had spread far and wide, and people's understanding of it was far beyond his imagination. If he walked together with Shang Liu Xin, he would undoubtedly become the topic of discussion. What would people talk about? There were two reasons. One was Shang Liu Xin's past, and the other was that he was a fool who picked up trash that others didn't want. No one would say that he was kind. Even though this kind of kindness wasn't considered noble in marriage, it was the reason Zheng Qinglan married Shang Liu Xin. It was to let Shang Liu Xin get rid of the blow of her failed relationship.
This time, Zheng Qinglan ate her meal calmly and went shopping on the street. She bought a pound of candy and a pack of cigarettes. When he was shopping on the street, he originally went to Jinzhu's shop, but he was afraid that Jinzhu would ask him why he bought so many candies, so he didn't buy them from Jinzhu's shop, but bought them from other shops. When he left, Xianglan smiled and said to him,""Brother, come over often when you have nothing to do. We're not outsiders. Jin Zhu often talks about you and says that you're a dutiful person.”" Yes," Zheng Qinglan replied." I think so too. We really hit it off."”However, he quickly walked away, afraid that Xianglan would mention Jin Ling.
The wind was very strong, and it was against the wind. Zheng Qinglan rode hard. Sometimes, she couldn't ride anymore, so she got off and pushed the bicycle. It was early anyway, so Shang Liuxin would definitely be at work when she arrived. Why didn't he go to Jin Ling's place? Thinking of Jin Ling, Zheng Qinglan's heart warmed up, and the speed of the bicycle naturally increased.
When Zheng Qinglan appeared in front of Jin Ling, she said with a smile,""Brother Qinglan, what's wrong?”"Yes, something else. But it's still early. I came in to see what you're reading.”Jin Ling showed the cover of the book to Zheng Qinglan. It was a book called " Decamon."
"Brother Qinglan, what's up today? Business or personal?" "You've never asked me this before. Why are you asking me this today?”"Because you used to come here just to work, but it's different now.”Zheng Qinglan stopped talking. "Then it's a private matter, and it's definitely a relatively big private matter."”"You're smart." Zheng Qinglan squeezed out a smile. "It's obvious that you won't ask for leave for small matters. Tell me, are you getting married?”Zheng Qinglan hesitated for a moment before admitting,""Yes." "I've told you everything I need to say. There's nothing else to say now. I can only say my blessings. Brother Qinglan, I sincerely wish you happiness.”"Thank you, Jin Ling. I also hope that you can find your own happiness one day.”"Don't worry about that. I don't want to think about it now. Zheng Qinglan took out a handful of candy from her bag and handed it to Jin Ling. Jin Ling waved her hand and said,""I have a strange habit. I can't eat candy since I was young. Whenever I eat it, my stomach hurts badly.”Zheng Qinglan put the candy into her bag and said,""I've never heard of such a strange illness.”"There are more than a hundred people and all kinds of things. There are many strange things that you haven't seen.”Jin Ling wasn't in the mood to talk today. She had lost her usual warmth and interest. There was a hint of reproach in her words. Zheng Qinglan clearly felt this and knew that there was no point in staying any longer, so she said,"Jin Ling, go ahead. I'm leaving.”Jin Ling didn't say anything. Zheng Qinglan felt a little awkward. She walked out of the shop and looked back. Jin Ling didn't send her out. Instead, she turned around and looked into the yard. It seemed that there was something worth paying special attention to. After Zheng Qinglan left, Jin Ling sighed in the room. Her tears fell silently for herself and Zheng Qinglan.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。