r18novel Chapter 1178 will not be addressed.
Chapter 1178 will not be addressed.
Jia Zhangshi kept her head down, chewing loudly until her face was flushed. Oil dripped down the corners of her mouth, forming dark dots on her blue cloth jacket. She didn't bother to wipe it off, just kept stuffing the food into her mouth, even carefully picking the bits of meat out of the bones with her front teeth, afraid of wasting a single drop.
Huaihua and Xiaodang had just timidly picked up two pieces of meat and put them in their bowls, but before they could even take a bite, Jia Zhangshi slapped their hands with her chopsticks, making them pull their hands back in pain. "Eat slowly! Nobody's going to take it from you!" she yelled, her eyes wide and her voice sharp and shrill. Then she turned and stuffed a large piece of fatty and lean meat into her own mouth, her cheeks bulging like they were stuffed with two walnuts.
Qin Huairu sat on the small stool opposite Jia Zhangshi, silently shoveling rice into her bowl without saying a word. Her bowl contained only a few wilted greens and a small spoonful of meat broth; there was hardly a speck of oil on the rice. Yet, she felt a sense of relief—today's meat meal was a good start. Since He Yuzhu was willing to help the first time, there was no worry about a second time. From now on, the family's grocery basket wouldn't be so empty it could reflect a person's image, and the children could occasionally enjoy some meat.
The unspoken secret in her heart, like a seed that had sprouted, quietly pushed its way up the soil—if she got closer to He Yuzhu, and their relationship warmed up, could she ask him to help, to pull some strings, to bring Banggeng back from the countryside? That child was suffering in the Great Northern Wilderness, and she, as his mother, couldn't sleep at night. The thought had barely surfaced when she quickly suppressed it, her face flushing as if burned. She quickly lowered her head and took a sip of soup to hide her unease.
At night, Qin Huairu lay on the creaking earthen bed, listening to the even breathing of Huaihua and Xiaodang beside her, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier. The day's work as a kitchen helper at the factory had left her with a sore back, and the vague, inexplicable thoughts in her mind helped her drift off to sleep. In her dream, she was filled with He Yuzhu's image: he stood at the gate of the courtyard, carrying a heavy basket of vegetables—roast chicken, cured meat, and vibrant greens—smiling at her with a憨厚 (honest and simple) smile…
In the west wing, Madam Jia was still awake. Leaning against the headboard, she puffed on her pipe, the embers flickering and casting shadows on the wrinkles on her face. Earlier at dinner, she had noticed Qin Huairu adding two extra spoonfuls of broth to the piece of cured meat He Yuzhu had brought, and the eagerness in her eyes as she held the bowl was obvious to anyone. And a few days ago, she had seen Qin Huairu hanging clothes in the yard; even though she had finished long ago, she deliberately lingered in the direction of He Yuzhu's house for a while, humming a tune—her behavior clearly indicated ill intent.
She knew all about these things perfectly well, but she didn't say a word. After all, it was a family scandal; if she brought it up, not only would Qin Huairu lose face, but she, as the mother-in-law, would also lose face. Besides, if Qin Huairu could really win over He Yuzhu, it wouldn't be a bad thing for the family—at least they wouldn't have to eat cornmeal porridge every day, and she could benefit a little and eat more meat. She tapped her pipe; a spark flashed in the darkness before going out. Some things are better left unsaid than spoken of. As long as there were tangible benefits, what was wrong with playing dumb?
The moonlight shone through the window paper covered with old newspapers, casting faint, crooked shadows on the ground, like someone's eyes, quietly listening in the darkness to the unconcealed thoughts in this courtyard.
Days slipped by, like the leaves of the old locust tree in the yard, growing greener and deeper without anyone noticing. A gust of wind would blow, and a few would fall silently, burying themselves in the soil. Ran Qiuye and Lu Jia grew closer, often taking advantage of the afternoon free time to chat. Lu Jia would hold her hand, asking about the little things during her pregnancy—what to pay attention to when the baby moves, what to do if she gets leg cramps at night—her tone full of the nervousness of a new mother. Ran Qiuye would also gather out the clothes her child had outgrown and the old swaddling clothes, fold them neatly, and bring them to her, occasionally teaching her a few tricks to soothe a baby. However, Ran Qiuye always remembered Gu Nan's advice, maintaining a just-right distance, mostly offering daily care, never getting involved in the deep entanglements of the yard, and if the topic of someone else's family's gossip came up, she would just smile and change the subject.
Meanwhile, Qin Huairu and He Yuzhu's interactions became increasingly frequent, like vines twining around the pillars in the courtyard, unknowingly becoming tightly entwined. Today, Qin Huairu stood at the courtyard gate, looking out, and saw He Yuzhu returning from get off work. She greeted him with a smile: "Zhuzi, we're out of soy sauce at home. Do you have some available?" Without a word, He Yuzhu turned and went back into the house to fetch a new bottle, even pushing back the empty bottle Qin Huairu offered: "Take it and use it. We'll talk about it when we run out." Tomorrow, when He Yuzhu came out of the canteen, he would surely have a couple more hot steamed buns in his hand, heading straight to the Jia family's house: "Sister Qin, the canteen steamed a few extra today. Let the kids have something to eat." Qin Huairu would then pull his arm and invite him into the house, her voice as warm as the spring sunshine: "Come in and have some water. I just made some tea."
Lu Jia saw everything clearly, her mind as clear as a mirror. The unfamiliar perfume lingering on He Yuzhu, the mud from their yard on his trousers when he came home late, and the undisguised dependence in Qin Huairu's eyes when she looked at He Yuzhu… she noticed it all perfectly, yet always pretended to be oblivious. She quietly served herself her meals when it was time to eat, and went to her prenatal checkups alone with her medical records, always wearing a faint smile, though that smile rarely reached her eyes, like a lake covered with a thin layer of frost—seemingly calm, but frozen beneath.
The entire courtyard seemed to be enveloped in an eerie tranquility. Smoke from the chimneys rose as usual in the morning and evening, drifting wisps across the roof tiles; the sounds of children's laughter still echoed in the alley, startling the sparrows beneath the eaves into flight; and Uncle San still sat on a small stool at the doorway in the evening, calculating how much profit he had made from the day's groceries. Yet, upon closer inspection, one could sense an undercurrent of unspoken tension beneath this tranquility—was it the fleeting coldness in Lu Jia's eyes as she lowered her head to drink her soup? Was it Qin Huairu's overly warm, even slightly ingratiating smile as she handed something to He Yuzhu? Or was it the unnatural urgency in He Yuzhu's steps as he turned to leave the Jia family home, as if afraid of being seen?
Gu Nan had been paying close attention to Lu Jia and Ran Qiuye's interactions these past few days. Seeing that the two were only chatting about mundane things like groceries and children, he didn't ask any further questions. But another string in his heart remained constantly on his mind—Zhu Tao.
Since the newly transferred factory director arrived at the steel rolling mill, he had been outwardly polite, nodding and smiling at everyone, and never arguing with anyone. However, every time Gu Nan made eye contact with him, he could sense the scrutiny hidden in the other man's eyes, as if he were weighing a piece of goods. The old colleagues in the factory said privately that this deputy factory director had connections and a very strong background. These days, they had been openly and secretly asking people to inquire about his background, even digging up the technical renovation project that he had been in charge of three years ago.