Read Novel Full Chapter 117
Chapter 117 : Pick You Up in Shanghai City
After saying that, he handed the baby in his arms to Jiang Li. The sleeping Nannan had no idea of his father’s discomfort and even spit out some fragrant milk foam.
Jiang Li held the almost five-month-old chubby boy in her arms, feeling a little heavy. “Have you decided on a name for the child?”
Qin Xiaoting shook the sister in her arms with a loving smile. “The sister’s name is Liu Hening, and the brother’s name is Liu Hean. In this life, I just hope that the two of them will be happy and safe.”
“He Ning, He An, what lovely names.”
Lunch was prepared under the supervision of two men: Qi Shaoqiang was the chef, and Liu Lixin was his assistant. They also brought Qin Xiaoting’s secret braised meat.
Jiang Li even queued up in advance to buy a crispy roast duck from a state-owned restaurant. She sliced the duck and ate it with shredded green onions, cucumbers, and sweet noodle sauce wrapped in a roll.
The duck bones were not wasted; they were boiled with cabbage into a snow-white thick soup, sprinkled with a little pepper. One bowl of this would make you feel at ease.
The steamed sea bass was firm and sweet, the sweet and sour spareribs were soft and boneless, sour and sweet, and the fried shrimp were spicy and flavorful.
They attended classes, set up stalls, strolled in their spare time, and made appointments with Qin Xiaoting to try some delicious food. The days passed in this way.
In the blink of an eye, Chen Xianyun in Bailutang received a letter from Jiang Li. The postman stopped at the entrance of Qi’s house and shouted, “A letter from Haicheng. Is Chen Xianyun here?”
Jiang Hongmei, who was mending clothes under a tree, suddenly looked up at the postman. The postman, confused by the woman’s piercing stare, felt a little frightened.
Chen Xianyun came out of the yard with dried beans in her hand, looking very happy. “Here it is!”
“I’m from Haicheng. Lizi and Shaoqiang wrote to me.”
The members who were originally gathered in twos and threes all started talking at once. “Hurry up and ask someone to read it.”
Chen Xianyun was literate but only knew a few simple words. She quickly grabbed a child who was in junior high school and stuffed a handful of fried soybeans into his mouth. The child then began reading while shaking his head.
“Mom, grandma, are you both okay? Shaoqiang and I are doing fine, and both our work and studies are going well.”
After reading this, Chen Xianyun’s heart finally settled. The two children were so far from home, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t worried.
“Shaoqiang found a job? You’re really capable!”
“People are capable, and they’re the same wherever they go.”
The news of Qi Shaoqiang’s resignation was initially kept secret, but as the days passed, it spread throughout the team that he had resigned and gone to Haicheng with Jiang Li.
There were all kinds of comments, such as, “He gave up such a good job and ran off to Haicheng with a woman. He must have been kicked in the head by a donkey.”
Some others said, “Just wait and see. Jiang Li will abandon Shaoqiang sooner or later after she goes to college. How can a college graduate still want a man without a job?”
“Two young people left their parents at home and went to the big city to enjoy themselves. I think Chen Xianyun will have a hard time in the future.”
The old lady was fine with these words, but Chen Xianyun got angry after hearing them. However, Lin Huaihua would come to persuade her from time to time. “This team is like this. When your Shaoqiang joined the army and didn’t go home for several years, I said all kinds of nasty things to him, but he still got through it. Later, when Shaoqiang sent money back and your family built a big house, they came running to curry favor with you. They are all fence-sitters. You just treat their words as nonsense.”
“Mom, grandma, we’ve settled down in Haicheng. After the two-month holiday, we will come back and pick you and grandma up to Shanghai City.”
As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a big stone was thrown into the water, and the team members started chattering.
“Oh my god, Shaoqiang’s family is really rich. Did he buy a house in Haicheng?”
“Jiang Li is such a good child. She even thought of taking her mother-in-law to live with her. Shaoqiang’s mother, you are so lucky.”
After hearing this, Chen Xianyun felt as happy as if she had drunk honey water. The two children never forgot her wherever they went, and that was enough.
Although she was happy inside, she still refused. “I don’t know how to do anything. Going to Haicheng will only cause trouble. I won’t go.”
“Besides, I’ve lived in the countryside most of my life and live a very comfortable life. Even eating vegetables in the city costs money, and I can’t add burden to my children.”
“Shaoqiang’s mother, when you go to Haicheng in the future, could you bring some things back for us? I heard that things in Haicheng are fashionable and cheap, much better than those in the county.”
“Yes, Shaoqiang’s mother, you’ll be a city dweller from now on, but don’t forget us!”
“You’re getting more and more outrageous!” Chen Xianyun waved her hands, escaping from the crowd of people who were clamoring to help carry things or asking her to take them to Haicheng, and went back to the kitchen.
Jiang Hongmei, who overheard all of this, tightened her fingers. Zhuang Xiaobao rushed over and hit her on the back. Jiang Hongmei screamed as she realized the sewing needle had been deeply embedded in her finger.
“Zhuang Xiaobao, what are you doing!”
Zhuang Xiaobao didn’t feel guilty at all. “Stepmother, I’m hungry, cook for me.”
He didn’t even look at Jiang Hongmei’s wound, turned around, and rushed into the yard again.
“Dad, you’re back.”
Zhuang Xiaoyu came out to greet them. Zhuang Guoliang was carrying a backpack with various bamboo baskets tied to it, all filled with leftovers from the market.
After working in the fields for several months and being exposed to the wind and sun, his originally snow-white skin first turned red. Then, after shedding a layer of skin, the new skin that grew out was dark.
He ignored Jiang Hongmei, who was sitting at the door, and silently took out a two-finger-wide piece of pork from the backpack, rinsed it with water, and put it into the pot to cook.
Zhuang Xiaoyu helped to light the fire and drooled over the piece of uncooked pork.
Ever since Jiang Li and Qi Shaoqiang left, Zhuang Guoliang had learned the truth about Jiang Hongmei’s rebirth. The two fought and quarreled, and it eventually turned into this silence.
Looking after the two children was harder than he had imagined. Just because of Zhuang Xiaobao’s violent and vicious temper, Zhuang Guoliang had beaten him several times, but the result was the opposite of what he had hoped.
When the father and son met, it was like they were enemies. Only Jiang Hongmei occasionally said a few words to Zhuang Xiaobao.
Xiaoyu seemed fine on the surface, but Zhuang Guoliang gradually discovered that she was no longer the simple and kind-hearted daughter he had known.
If you looked closely at all the trouble Xiaobao caused, you would find some shadow of Xiaoyu behind it.
Zhuang Guoliang scratched his hair in annoyance. This child had been beaten and scolded, but why was he still like this?
“Give me a few dollars. My family needs to buy salt.”
Jiang Hongmei reached out to Zhuang Guoliang, who was very impatient. “Why are you asking for money again? Didn’t I just give it to you two days ago?”
“That was Zhuang Xiaobao’s tuition, and it’s all spent.”
Zhuang Guoliang had no choice but to take out some money from his pocket and give it to Jiang Hongmei.
Jiang Hongmei was also impatient. “Why is it only 50 cents?”
“That’s all I have. If you want it, take it.”