The days passed by so quickly. In the blink of an eye, the Spring Festival had passed. Zheng Qinglan had to go back to work in the city. What about Shang Liu Xin? It was impossible for her to go back to the mine because once she got married, Shang Liu Xin's registered permanent residence would be moved to the village where Zheng Qinglan lived. Shang Liu Xin was no longer a member of the Black King Village. If she went back to work, it would be a little unfair. Moreover, Zheng Qinglan didn't want Shang Liu Xin to return to that place. He thought to himself that living in such an environment, it was inevitable that he would be reminded of some of the things that had happened there in the past. Thus, when Shang Quangui came to tell them that the village still wanted Shang Liu Xin to go back to work, Zheng Qinglan firmly opposed it, but Shang Liu Xin was willing to go back. Shang Quangui saw that they couldn't make up their minds, so he said,""You guys have a good discussion. Once you've decided, give me a reply so that I can report to the village committee.”
"If I don't go back to work in the mine, where can I go?”"You can either stay at home or go to the city with me.”From Zheng Qinglan's perspective, whether Shang Liu Xin went back to the mine, stayed at home, or went to the city with him, he was not satisfied. Zheng Qinglan didn't want to go back to the mine. Staying at home, Zheng Qinglan was afraid that Shang Liuxin and his mother would have a conflict. Luo Tianyin already knew about Shang Liu Xin's past, so he felt that it was a little difficult to face it. His colleagues might also know about it, and even if they didn't know about it now, they would find out about it through various channels in the future. How could he raise his head in front of his colleagues? The most ideal was that he hoped Shang Liu Xin could go to a completely unfamiliar place, a place where no one knew about her past. However, such a place was definitely very far away and was not realistic for the time being. After weighing the pros and cons, he felt that it would be safer to let Shang Liu Xin follow him to the city. After all, only Luo Tianyin knew about Shang Liu Xin's past. The others would only know about it after some time. Perhaps, before they knew, he would have already arranged for Shang Liu Xin to go to an unfamiliar place. Before she left, he should make sure that she didn't show up in public. He should also try his best to avoid her from coming into contact with her colleagues in the cultural center to avoid discussion and trouble.
After making up his mind, he said to Shang Liu,""You don't have to go back to work anymore. Come with me to the city.”"Then what do we live on?" "You already have a child, so you won't be working in the mine for long. Come with me to the city. We'll cook ourselves. It won't cost much living expenses.”Shang Liu Xin felt that what Zheng Qinglan said made sense and agreed. Zheng Qinglan went to her father-in-law's house and told him that Shang Liu Xin wasn't going back to the mine. Shang Quangui felt that it was a pity, but he also felt that Zheng Qinglan's words made sense, so he went to the village and asked them to find someone else to take over Shang Liu Xin's job.
After returning from her father-in-law's house, Zheng Qinglan discussed with Shang Liu Xin,""Stay at home for a few days. I'll report to the unit first. I've just started work, so I don't think there's much work to do. At most, I'll make a plan or something. I'll take some time to walk around the streets and see if I can find a suitable house. If there is, we'll move there and not stay in the office.”Shang Liu Xin said,"Why do you want to move out? Isn't your house quite spacious?"”"That house is fine for people to live in, but it's definitely not suitable for cooking. The space is too narrow. If they insisted on burning it inside, it would make a mess of the unit's house, and the leaders would be dissatisfied.”"Can you find a suitable house? How much would that cost? Can we afford it?”"It probably won't be very expensive. There aren't many people renting houses now. It shouldn't be a problem for us to save some money.”"Then I want to go with you to look at the house. I'm afraid that I won't like the house you choose.”"Don't worry. The house I choose will have a place to live, a place to cook, and a place to eat. It won't be too far from the office.”"I still can't. Once you leave, I'll be alone at home. How can I live?”"How can you be alone? You have grandma, parents, and sister at home. Besides, I'll be back on Saturday. Maybe I'll find a house within this week.”"I don't know about others, but your mother seems to be very dissatisfied with me. I haven't seen her smile in the days we've been married. Tell me, how am I supposed to stay in this house?”"Don't think too much about it. Mom has been busy for the past few months for our marriage. She might be tired. She'll get better slowly after a while. You have to be patient and don't talk about this and that so that it won't cause misunderstandings and ruin our relationship.”"Say this and say that, what did I say?" You'll be biased towards your mother." Zheng Qinglan didn't think that Shang Liu Xin would say this. She was angry and disappointed, but she held it in. "You have to understand what I mean. I'm not talking about what you said. I'm just reminding you to be careful in the future.”"What do I have to pay attention to? I'll take responsibility for what I do and say. I don't need you to remind me.”Ever since he knew Shang Liu Xin, Zheng Qinglan had never thought that she would talk to him like this. It seemed like his understanding of Shang Liu Xin was too shallow. If Shang Liu Xin stayed at home with this attitude, she would definitely have conflicts with her family. Zheng Qinglan already felt that she had let her family down. If they had a conflict again, she would feel even more sorry to her family. Outsiders might even laugh at her. It's not good to stay at home, and it's not a good idea to bring it to the office. What should I do? The most important thing now was to ease the atmosphere and not make his relationship with Shang Liu Xin sour. Thinking of this, Zheng Qinglan asked Shang Liu Xin,""You don't want to stay at home, and it's not appropriate for you to go to work. Where should you go?”"Why isn't the unit suitable?" "Didn't I just say that the house is too small and there's no place to cook? How about this? I'll send you back to your mother's house for a week.”Shang Liu Xin suddenly clapped her hands, saying,"Okay."”"You agree?" "I don't agree. There are rules in the countryside. You can't live outside for the first month of marriage.”"That's the old rule. It's time to change it. Besides, you don't live outside because you're pregnant.”"I still don't agree." "I just realized today that you're not easy to talk to. If you don't agree, what should I say?”"I meant something else when I said yes. It's your fault for guessing blindly without understanding.”"Then what do you mean?" "Don't I have a coal stove and pots and pans in my house in the mine? We'll go over tomorrow and bring them with us. Then, we'll go to the city.”"There are so many things and two people. There's only one bicycle. How can we carry it?”"Those pots and pans aren't heavy, just a big bag is enough. The problem is that coal stove, it's heavy, and I'm afraid it might break on the road. We don't need to bring this coal stove, we'll get a new one when we get to the city.”
He couldn't decline anymore, otherwise, Shang Liu Xin would definitely become suspicious. Zheng Qinglan calculated that there was still one day before they officially started work. They could use this day to do what they needed to do, then live in seclusion and try to avoid contact with outsiders. He could only watch as he walked. After making up her mind, Zheng Qinglan told her parents about his and Shang Liuxin's plan. His father said," It's not easy to live outside. You have to be mentally prepared. You're already married. You're no longer a child. You have to be more tolerant when things happen.”His mother said," There are still some cooked vegetables for the new year at home. Bring some over. There are also some radishes and cabbages in the vegetable garden. You should also bring some over. However, it is definitely not enough to just eat these things that you brought over. You have to buy some fresh ones frequently. Shang Liu Xin is pregnant, so you have to take good care of her. Don't mistreat her food and drink.”
Just as Zheng Qinglan expected, when he and Shang Liuxin brought pots, pans, and vegetables to the unit, there was no one there. Zheng Qinglan pushed open the iron door. The door creaked. Zheng Qinglan's heart skipped a beat when she heard it, as if she was afraid of alerting others. Shang Liu Xin didn't mind. She asked Zheng Qinglan to take off the things on the bicycle, then she took one and went upstairs. Without the key, she stood upstairs and urged Zheng Qinglan loudly,""Hurry up. You're dilly-dallying and not neat at all.”Zheng Qinglan frowned and silently carried her things upstairs. She walked to Shang Liu Xin and said,""Can you keep your voice down? You're afraid that others won't know that you're here.”"So what if I'm here? I'm here openly, not a thief. Why hide?”"Alright, put the things outside first. I'll clean the house before moving the things in.”
Shang Liu Xin said," Anyway, I don't plan to stay here for long. I'll just sweep the dust and let it pass."”Zheng Qinglan took a basin of water from the tap outside and sprinkled it on the floor. Then, she started to sweep the floor carefully. Shang Liu Xin also took a cloth to wipe the table and the windows. The two of them were really fast. In less than a meal, they had cleaned up a small room. The room looked brand new.
"If only we had a small kitchen, we wouldn't have to move.”" Let's not talk about this now," Zheng Qinglan said." I have to go and pay my respects to Teacher Luo."”"Which Teacher Luo?" "He's the director of our cultural center. He was my language teacher in junior high school. He was the one who arranged for me to work here.”"Why haven't I heard you mention this before?" "I never mentioned that he came here before. You stay here alone and don't go anywhere. I'll be right back.”"Look, it's getting late. What if your teacher asks you to stay for dinner?”"I won't be eating at Teacher Luo's place. At most, I'll have a cup of tea there and say a few words before coming back. On the way back, I'll buy a rice cooker and we'll cook together.”"Is your teacher home?" "He's definitely here. He's going to officially start work tomorrow. He must have come back to make preparations.”
Zheng Qinglan bought two bottles of wine and two snacks on the street and hurried to Luo Tianyin's house. Just as she expected, Luo Tianyin and her wife were both at home. Zheng Qinglan paid her respects to her teacher and his wife. Mrs. Luo said," Qinglan, your teacher and I don't have time to join in the fun when you're getting married. How can we be embarrassed when you come to visit us?"”" Don't say that," Zheng Qinglan said." It's only right for me to visit you and the teacher. Thank you for taking care of me."”Luo Tianyin said," There's no need to be so polite. Qinglan, what are your plans? I'm talking about how are you going to arrange Shang Liu Xin?"”"Thank you for your concern, Teacher. I want her to work in the mine for another half a year. It's close to her family's home. The village has also asked for her opinion. She asked for my opinion.”"That's the only way. I'll pay attention to see if there's a suitable job for her. After all, separation is not a solution.”"Thank you, teacher!" "What is her specialty?" "Specialties? Teacher, I'm really not sure about this. I'll ask her when I go back and tell you.”Mrs. Luo said," The mine usually starts after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. There's still a week or so. You didn't bring her out to play. The streets are very lively on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. You know that."”Zheng Qinglan coughed and quickly took a sip of water to calm herself down. She said,""I told her to come to the city with me for a few days. She said she was afraid of the crowd and noise, so she didn't come.”"Congratulations, Qinglan. You're going to be a father."”Zheng Qinglan chuckled and said,""Mrs. Xie, you guys go ahead. I have to go.”Luo Tianyin said," It's a little strange. You came to visit me and left without even eating. How can that be?" Old woman, go cook. Come, Qinglan, sit here and drink tea. I'll go help you with your wife. The dishes were all ready-made. After cutting a few dry plates and stir-frying a few side dishes, they would be ready soon.”Zheng Qinglan said," I really don't need to trouble you. I have a cousin who is married on this street. My brothers and I have made an appointment to visit her family. If I don't go, they will be anxious."”Luo Tianyin let go of Zheng Qinglan's hand and said,""Since you've made an appointment, I won't force you to stay. I'll invite you to dinner again if there's a chance.”"Don't stand on ceremony," Zheng Qinglan said.”
When they returned to the cottage, Shang Liu Xin had already cut the vegetables and was waiting for Zheng Qinglan to buy the rice cooker to cook.? Zheng Qinglan took out a bag of snacks and said," You must be hungry. Eat something first. You rest. I'll cook."”As he spoke, he tore open the packaging and took out a piece of snack to pass to Shang Liu Xin. Shang Liu Xin's brows curved into a smile. She took the snacks and said,"You're thoughtful. You're indeed a little hungry. Do you feel sorry for me or your son?”"It hurts." Shang Liu Xin fed Zheng Qinglan the snacks and said,""You should eat too. You must be hungry too. You rode so far and didn't rest when you came to the city. You went to visit your teacher and rode so far.”"It's okay for me to be hungry for a while, but I can't starve you. You eat, I'll go wash the rice and cook.”Zheng Qinglan had already asked the salesperson how to use the rice cooker when she bought it. Now, she knew how to operate it without reading the manual. After he cooked the rice, he placed the dried vegetables that Shang Liu Xin had cut into the steamer that came with the rice cooker to steam. There was no stove or wok, so this was the only way to deal with the lunch.
After lunch, they took another nap. Zheng Qinglan was deep in thought when she woke up. "What are you thinking about?"”"You have to go to work tomorrow. Everyone at work will be coming back. What are you going to do?”"I'm right here. We're an open couple, not a sneaky couple.”Zheng Qinglan felt disgusted by the words "Lu Shui couple". He said coldly,"You know how to say that. Do you know the trouble? What if she wanted to eat wedding candy? What if I want to smoke wedding cigarettes?" "That's easy. Buy two catties of sugar, two packets of cigarettes, a packet of tea leaves, and boil two bottles of water.”"Then what if they want to attend the wedding? You can burn it. Is there a place to burn it?”"Isn't there a restaurant? Just bring it to the restaurant." "The restaurant won't open until the fifteenth.”"They might not even ask you for wedding wine.”"What do you know? I've been with them for several years and I still don't know. There are several drunkards among my colleagues. They usually find excuses to drink when they have nothing to do. Moreover, this is a very high-sounding reason.”"Do they know that we're getting married?" "I didn't tell them, so they don't know. When I asked Teacher Luo for leave, I only told him. I told him not to tell anyone else.”"Why?" "No reason, just…just afraid of trouble.”"If you let the word out, if others are willing to reject your favor, then so be it. If they reject your favor, then you can treat them to a drink and a meal. If you don't reject your favor and don't treat them to a meal, then they won't have anything to say. If you don't tell them, they will say that you are stingy. You really don't think before doing things. You leave the words for others to say.”Zheng Qinglan thought to herself,'You're right. If I were to marry someone else, I would have sent an invitation long ago.' However, he could only keep this in his heart and not say a word to anyone.
"It'll be over soon.”"How long will that take?" "A month or so." "Then what do you think we should do?" "Then I'll have to trouble you. Before everyone comes to work tomorrow, go out for a walk on the street or close the door in the house. Don't let them see you.”"Oh my god, I'm being sneaky. If people find out, they'll laugh to death.”"Who knows if you don't tell me?" "I'm uncomfortable. Why do I need others to know? I didn't steal or rob. I'm hiding like a thief.”Zheng Qinglan thought to herself,'I'm the one who deserves it. If you're not feeling well, my heart is like a piece of porcelain.' His face darkened and he did not speak. "If I hide tomorrow, there's still the day after tomorrow. If I hide on the first day, there's still the fifteenth. I can't hide like this, right?”"Who asked you to keep hiding? Didn't I say it just now? It'll be fine if it's a little longer? Or we can find a house outside and move out in two days. Then, we won't have to worry about meeting them.”"Are you that worried that I'll meet someone from your unit? Do I look like a pig? Will I embarrass you?”"You're thinking too much. I just don't want to cause trouble.”"Alright, I'll go shopping tomorrow before the people from your unit come to work. I'm afraid I'll get sick from hiding in the house for half a day.”
The next morning, Zheng Qinglan felt that the weather was especially cold when she was still in bed. She stuck her feet out of the blanket. After a short while, she felt as if there were countless needles pricking her. Soon, she heard someone stomping her feet and complaining,"The weather is really evil. My toes are so cold that they look like dogs biting them.”Zheng Qinglan hesitated. It was such a cold day, wasn't it too cruel to let Shang Liu Xin go out? Why don't you just stay in the house? He nudged Shang Liu Xin and said," Do you feel it? The weather is especially cold today. Why don't you just stay in the room and don't go out?"”"If someone sees you, I won't let you lose face.”"How can you say that? How many times have I told you? I just don't want to cause trouble.”"I know what you're thinking. I'll just go out.”"Sleep for a while more. I'll get up and boil water to cook noodles first.”
Zheng Qinglan got out of bed and walked outside. Her tears couldn't stop flowing. Shang Liu Xin shouldn't have stayed outside on such a cold day. Sigh! After washing up, he used the rice cooker to boil water to cook noodles. Seeing that the water was already bubbling, he patted Shang Liu Xin and said gently,"Get up. I'm going to cook the noodles soon.”Shang Liu Xin moved, as if she was unwilling to get up. Zheng Qinglan said,"Get up. The water for brushing your teeth is already poured. It's warm. The water for washing your face is also poured. If you don't get up soon, it'll get cold.”Shang Liu Xin stood up with a stiff face. Zheng Qinglan saw that she was almost done washing up, so she put the noodles into a bowl and mixed the vegetables that she hadn't finished yesterday into the noodles. When she was mixing, she chose the meaty dried vegetables and put them into Shang Liu Xin's bowl. She also put a spoonful of pork fat into her bowl. She dipped her chopsticks in pork fat to show her appreciation. Seeing that Shang Liu Xin was done washing, he brought the bowl over and handed it to her, saying,""Eat slowly. Be careful that there are chicken bones inside.”Shang Liu Xin picked up a piece and put it into her mouth. She said," Smells good." Zheng Qinglan felt relieved after hearing that. Shang Liu Xin ate very quickly. Zheng Qinglan said,""Eat slowly, what's the hurry?" Shang Liu Xin said,"You're not in a hurry now. It's almost eight o'clock. He's going to work."”"It's really cold outside. Why don't you not go out? If he knows, then he knows.”Shang Liu Xin didn't say anything. She threw away her bowl and chopsticks and walked out. " Then don't stay outside," Zheng Qinglan said." There are many people in the department store, the assembly hall, and the train station. It's warmer there. I'll come to you when I'm free."”Shang Liu Xin ignored him and walked out. Zheng Qinglan felt a sour feeling in her heart and a cold sensation in her nose. She let out a long sigh and tears rolled down her face again. She quickly wiped her tears away and turned around to clean up the dishes. She put them on the table and covered them with a newspaper. Then, she put the pots, pans, and rice dishes she brought yesterday in a corner and covered them with a snakeskin bag. As soon as she put it away, she heard someone coming upstairs. Zheng Qinglan quickly wiped her hands and walked out of the door, closing the door behind her.
The first to arrive was Zhang Changfeng. Zheng Qinglan raised her hand and greeted him with a smile.""Big Brother Changfeng, Happy New Year!" " Happy New Year, Little Zheng!" The two of them quickly walked towards each other and shook hands. "Little Zheng, you're early." "I'm afraid I won't be able to make it in time. I arrived yesterday. Come, let's sit in my office. I have hot water there. Have a cup of tea to warm yourself up. This damn weather is really annoying.”"Xiao Zheng, when I entered the door just now, I saw a woman leave our place. Did you see her?”"No, no. What kind of woman is she? Before you came up, I was in the room. I heard someone coming up the stairs, so I came out.”"Oh, he might be looking for someone. He went out again when he couldn't find her. Hey, Xiao Zheng, how did you spend the Spring Festival?”"Same old, visiting relatives and friends, drinking tea and wine.”"Nothing new?" "No, what new content can I have? From what you said, you have a new way to celebrate the Spring Festival?”"There are both old and new. The old ones are like you, visiting relatives and friends, drinking tea and drinking wine. The new ones are just a few new friends who are all doing business. After they heard about my salary, none of them said that I was poor and asked me to resign and follow them to do business. They even said that they would help me inquire about the shop front and help me with the goods. After I got familiar with them, they would let me do it myself. They said that there were many people who couldn't make up their minds and didn't dare to do business, so there weren't many people doing business now, especially those who did big business. Just opening a shop was much better than being a poor scholar.”"Are you tempted?" Zhang Changfeng stared at Zheng Qinglan and asked," Little Zheng, tell me the truth. You've encountered such a good thing. Why would you care about it?"”"I never thought about it, and I've never encountered something like you. It's meaningless to say whether I'm tempted or not. However, I also have business friends who can help you ask around and see how the business is doing.”"Nowadays, a lot of people hide their money and don't show off their wealth. They're afraid that the policy will change and they'll settle the score with them later.”"My friend's family is doing business. Other than the children studying, all the adults are doing business. There are shops in the city and in the countryside. They were also very sincere people, so they probably wouldn't hide much.”"Alright, help me ask. Be quick so that I can make a decision as soon as possible.”"You're asking, but are you really going to leave this industry to do business? After all, they had been doing business for more than ten years. Once they were familiar with it, they had to start all over again. If they made a loss, how would they pay back the debt?”"It's not that I haven't thought about what you said. I've also told my friends about my worries. They all laughed at me for being timid. They said that in this day and age, the brave die from over-eating, the timid die from starvation, and the smart die from exhaustion. They said that they would help me pay for the capital first. They didn't want me to pay for the losses. It was really infuriating to see all of them rich and overbearing, treating money as if it was not money. Take a guess at their educational level. None of the four of them graduated from junior high school. Two of them went to the third grade of primary school, which was the level of primary school before the cultural revolution. Two of them barely made it into junior high school, but they did not finish their first grade. Compared to them, I'm still a technical secondary school graduate and a legitimate official, but I can't shake my head in front of them. It couldn't be helped. Who asked him to have a flat pocket!”" Those who are brave will die from overfilling, those who are timid will die from starvation, and those who have brains will die from exhaustion. It's quite easy to say, and it sounds fresh. The first two sentences are easy to understand, but those who have brains will die from exhaustion. How can it make sense?”"It means that people like to be overcautious, hesitant, and unable to make up their minds. They told me to be decisive and not drag things out.”"From what they said, as long as they are willing to go in, they will definitely earn a lot of money.”"Yes, that's what I mean. Tell me, how can I not be tempted? Our salary is only enough to ensure that we won't starve to death. Help me ask around quickly. If it's feasible, I'll also apply for leave without pay. If the business is really as good as they say, I'll take you out too. This cultural center is a real Clearwater Yamen. Even if we move that ten-thousand-ton hydraulic press here, we won't be able to squeeze out two taels of oil.”"Okay, I'll help you ask when the shops on the street open. You can think about it during this period of time.”"Yes, I should think about it. After studying for more than ten years and writing for more than ten years, I still can't bear to lose it just like that. Xiao Zheng, I met my cousin this year."”Zheng Qinglan's heart skipped a beat, and the muscles on her face twitched involuntarily. She opened her mouth, but could only utter an " Ah!" In order to cover up his loss of composure, he picked up the already cold tea and blew it twice. He took a sip and swallowed it in two gulps. Zhang Changfeng saw Zheng Qinglan's emotional fluctuations and said,""I also told her that I wanted to do business. She didn't persuade me to do business, but she's a real businessman now. She's very busy all day and hasn't even rested for the New Year.”"How is her business doing?”"I asked her and she said it was okay. It was much better than working in the cotton mill.”As the two of them were talking, they heard a few people talking and laughing as they came upstairs. Zhang Changfeng and Zheng Qinglan stood up at the same time. Zheng Qinglan made a gesture of "please" and the two of them walked out of the office one after the other.
There were a total of four people. The first was Luo Tianyin, followed by the bald Xiao Danian, the short Nie Yingquan, and He Xianru. She was known as He Xiangu. Zhang Changfeng quickly greeted them,""Director Luo, Happy New Year, Celestial Maiden He, and a few brothers, Happy New Year!”" Hello, Ms. Luo." Zheng Qinglan also greeted them." Happy New Year, Big Sister He!"”The four of them also hurriedly returned their greetings. " Ms. Luo," Zheng Qinglan said," Big brothers and sisters, come to my office and sit for a while. Have a cup of tea to warm yourself up."”As he spoke, he glanced outside. Luo Tianyin said," That's good too. It's the first day of work for the new year, and everyone hasn't had time to prepare yet. You can sit here with Little Zheng and have a drink of water. Then, you can tidy up your office. After that, you can think about it and draw up a plan for the first half of this year. The theme of the plan is how we literary and art workers should adapt to the new situation and provide good literary and art works for the current social and economic development. We must adapt to the reality of our place and not make empty promises. He typed the draft in the morning, handed it in in the afternoon, and rewrote it if it didn't meet the requirements. Of course, I'm just worrying about myself. I'm just a writer. No one will be someone that others look down on. I fully believe in everyone. As usual, everyone can settle lunch by themselves, and you can have dinner at my place. The same old rules apply. Enter empty-handed and go home drunk and full. Those with family members, bring them along. Those who don't, unless you don't let me know. If I know, I'll be criticized.”Xiao Danian said," Director, every year you let us eat and drink at your house for free. We are all scholars and we want to maintain our reputation. If you set such a rule, we will lose our reputation."”"You're right. Scholars say that the friendship between gentlemen is as light as water. You guys are bringing this and that. Isn't it changing 'as light as water' to 'as sweet as honey', or' as fat as oil'? How is this still like a gentleman? It's very tacky. Let's go back to our own business. I'll invite those who haven't arrived yet later.”He Xianru said,"I won't bring anything anyway. I'll just bring paper and ink. When you guys drink, I'll borrow the curator's treasure land and write a copy on the spot…"" That's elegant. I support it. By the way, I'll keep the words you wrote with me for the time being. When the ink is dry, I'll return them to you. You can do whatever you want with them.”He Xianru said," You're too serious. It's just an impromptu calligraphy and painting. It's worthless. You can just leave it at your place."”"Rules can't be broken," Luo Tianyin said.”Xiao Danian said,"We didn't bring anything else. We only brought the cigarettes we smoked and the wine we drank."”Luo Tianyin waved her hand." Old Xiao, don't bully me because I'm poor. I can still afford to pay for your cigarettes and alcohol. I'll repeat myself. You'll be barehanded, drunk, and full."”Everyone shook their heads and smiled bitterly." Cough, we're always troubling you. Where can we put our faces?"”"It's settled then. I'll get off work at five in the afternoon. I'll be waiting for you at home at five-thirty.”
Everyone followed Luo Tianyin's instructions and gathered together to talk about what they had seen and heard during the Spring Festival. They also talked about their plans before returning to their offices to clean up and write down their plans. Because there was a banquet that night, everyone knew very well that they did not invite each other to drink at any of the restaurants and went back to their own homes.
Seeing that everyone else had left, Zheng Qinglan ran down the stairs to find Shang Liuxin. Where would she be on such a cold day? It was really torturous. Fortunately, everyone was still celebrating the new year. Other than the department stores and bus stops, no other units were open. There were not many pedestrians on the street. Zheng Qinglan looked around as she walked, but she couldn't find anything in the mall. She found the bus stop and searched inside and outside the bus stop, but she couldn't find anything. Where did it go? It was really difficult for her to wander outside alone on such a cold day. There was no one to talk to, and she had nothing to do. She was worse than a beggar. A beggar had something to do, but she had nothing to do. She was completely aimless. She must have feelings for me in her heart. I hope she doesn't. Even if she does, I hope she doesn't think of me like this. Although I'm still brooding over her past and keeping it a secret, if she finds out that I don't want her to meet the people in the unit because of her past, she will definitely be disappointed, sad, angry, and blame herself. There will also be those indescribable emotions. This will definitely be a heavy blow to her. However, I didn't do this entirely out of my own psychological needs. I don't want our lives to be affected. I know that the foundation of our relationship isn't solid. Even a little wind will set off a huge wave. At that time, it won't just be the two of us who will be hurt, but our families too. We and our families will become the topic of conversation after dinner. "What's worse is that our child will be hurt, even the greatest harm. Someone might look at him differently. This is absolutely unfair to him. He's innocent. Since we brought him into this world, we have to be responsible for him, protect him, and keep him from harm. She had brought this upon herself. Why was she careless? Why did she hand herself over after meeting that dog only once or twice? All along, I've only hoped to love one person in my entire life and give my all to that person, but now, is Shang Liu Xin still a complete person? It was impossible. Her body had already been occupied by someone else. There must be a place for that dog in the depths of her heart. If she didn't hate that person, that position would be very obvious. If she hated that person, this position would definitely be very prominent. Even if she took this matter lightly, she would never forget that man completely. There would still be a place for him in a secret corner of her heart. Oh my god, if she had treated this matter so lightly, would she still have any sense of shame?
It was unacceptable that she still missed that man, but was it good to hate that guy who deserved to go to hell? This way, she would often think of the grudges she had with that guy who would die ten thousand times over. Was this a good feeling? Definitely not. It's definitely not a good feeling for her or me. My "purity" will continue to be discounted. Sigh, what's the use of thinking about this now? The most important thing now is to find her and let her go back. I should respect her and care for her. Even if she's not my wife, as a human being, she should receive the respect she deserves. Besides, she's not only my legal wife now, but she's also my wife in a practical sense. We live together, and she's pregnant with my child. Not being able to accept her past was one thing, and giving her respect from a human perspective was another. It was natural for a husband to give love and care, even though this love was easier said than done.
Zheng Qinglan searched for Shang Liu Xin while thinking about something. Her heart felt heavy. She walked to the department store again. She should go in and take a look. Perhaps she didn't see it just now. Perhaps she had also arrived at this place at this time. Zheng Qinglan walked into the department store again and searched the counters one by one. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. Shang Liu Xin was in front of the counter, bending over to look at something. Zheng Qinglan walked over and wanted to complain, but she asked,""What are you looking at? It was easy to find." "I was shopping somewhere else just now and just got here. Aren't we going to buy a stove to cook? Let me take a look. There are coal stoves, electric stoves, and kerosene stoves in this mall. Which one do you think is better?”"Although the electric stove is clean, the electricity is not normal. There are frequent blackouts, and the electricity bill is high. It was convenient to use the kerosene stove, but it was not easy to get kerosene. One had to find connections to get it. It was okay to find someone once or twice, but it would not work if it was used too many times. Although it was troublesome to start a fire with a coal stove, most people used coal stoves now. It was also convenient to buy coal. When they were not cooking, they could put a pot of water on it and have hot water all day long.”"Then let's buy a coal stove. It's a little troublesome to start a fire, but I have nothing to do at home.”"There's no place to buy it today. Why don't we come back in two days to buy it so that we don't have to move after buying it?”"Okay, I'll buy it in a few days. You're done in the morning? It's still quite fast." "It's just the first day of work. There's not much to do. It's just that everyone meets and chats a little. Then, they talk about their work plans and calm down. Let's go back." "What do you mean by going back? If I go back, I'll come out again.”"Let's talk about it when we get back. We can't just skip lunch, right?”"If you don't want to eat, then don't eat." "If you don't eat, the child in your stomach still needs to eat.”Shang Liu Xin didn't say anything. Zheng Qinglan pulled Shang Liu Xin's hand and walked out.
The moment they entered, Zheng Qinglan hugged Shang Liu Xin and said,""Liu Xin, it's been hard on you today, letting you freeze outside for half a day.”Shang Liu Xin happily said,"Qing Lan, this is the first time you called my name. In the past, it was always you. Tell me, why did you suddenly call my name today?"”"I don't know either. I just say whatever I want. I don't have any special thoughts. You've worked hard today. I apologize.”"No need, no need. I'm just strolling outside. When I'm tired, I'll find a place to sit. I didn't pick a load or a head. It was good to move around often like this. In the future, it would be less difficult to have children. Qinglan, I can feel the child moving inside. It's so magical.”"It's good that you don't mind.”"To be honest, I don't understand why you want me to hide out, but you have your reasons, so I won't think about it anymore.”"Alright, you rest. I'll cook lunch, just like last night. It's very simple. Sigh, Teacher Luo is treating tonight. Come with me.”"Are you the only one, or is there someone else?" "All the colleagues in the unit are going." "If I go with you, won't your plan to deceive everyone be in vain?”"Then I won't tell them that you're my wife.”Shang Liu Xin laughed until she leaned on the table. After laughing, she said,"It's the same as not saying anything." "Then I'll say that you're my cousin. You're visiting relatives on the street. Come over to my place to play for a while. Someone will pick you up at night.”"A man and a woman of similar age are still together at night. Do you want them to suspect that we have an abnormal relationship? Besides, if they find out about our relationship in the future, they will definitely have all kinds of questions. With how eager people are to ask questions about such things, they will definitely not stop until they analyze us thoroughly. Were they an illegal couple? Were they fighting? Are you willing to become the topic of conversation for these people?”"What you said makes sense. It's not suitable for you to be my cousin. How about this? Let's cook more for lunch. I won't go to Teacher Luo's house. I'll have dinner at home too. After dinner, we'll go shopping.”"Then how are you going to explain this to Teacher Luo and your colleagues? If you don't go, they will always remember this matter. If you go, it will also save Teacher Luo's worries. Otherwise, they will miss you and haven't treated you to a meal yet.”"Wouldn't that mean you'll be alone at home again?”"It's fine. You can go. He used to eat alone in the mine and was used to it.”Hearing Shang Liuxin mention the mine, Zheng Qinglan thought of what Lan Guiying had said about Shang Liuxin. She immediately felt unhappy and mumbled something. Shang Liuxin thought that Zheng Qinglan was upset because she didn't go to the banquet with him, so she didn't care about what he said.
After lunch, the two of them took off their clothes and took a nap in bed. There was still half an hour before work. Zheng Qinglan woke up. He could have slept for a while, but he had to get up. Seeing that Shang Liu Xin was still asleep, he hesitated for a moment before pushing her, saying,""I'm up. You can continue sleeping." "What time do you guys go to work in the afternoon?"”"Two o'clock. It's the first day of the New Year. Besides, we're going to visit Teacher Luo's house tonight. Teacher Luo must be preparing at home. Sleep here this afternoon. Don't come out.”"Sleeping in bed for half a day won't do. I can't stand it. I'll get up too. It's more interesting to walk around the streets.”Zheng Qinglan didn't say anything else. "This is the key to the room. I only have one. We'll leave at about five o'clock.”
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]