Chapter 330 - 229: You’re the One I’m Scolding

Chapter 330: Chapter 229: You’re the One I’m Scolding

After seeing Zhao Zhitian off, Huang Xiaohong noticed something was wrong with her niece. The smile vanished from her face. With a dark expression, she walked to Huang Xiaomei’s room and knocked on the door.

"Xiaomei, Zhitian’s gone. Can your aunt come in?"

After a moment, Huang Xiaomei’s voice, sounding strange, replied, "Come in, Auntie."

Huang Xiaohong pushed the door open and went inside. She saw that Huang Xiaomei’s eyes were red, as if she had just been crying, and her brow furrowed even more tightly.

"Xiaomei, what’s wrong? Did you and Zhitian have a fight?"

"No, Auntie. We didn’t fight."

Huang Xiaomei shook her head, denying it, but Huang Xiaohong was still anxious. Thanks to Huang Xiaomei’s stable relationship with Zhao Zhitian, her husband had earned the favor of Zhitian’s father, Zhao Wenming—the regional logistics director. He had even mentioned helping him get a half-rank promotion. If Xiaomei and Zhitian fought, or worse, broke up, her husband’s career would be knocked right back to where it started.

"Then what is it? You’re going to worry your aunt to death, you child. Do I have to beg you to tell me?"

Seeing that Huang Xiaomei still wouldn’t say what had happened, Huang Xiaohong’s expression hardened, and she pretended to be angry.

Huang Xiaomei was staying with her aunt, and it was her uncle who had arranged for her to attend school here. Seeing her aunt get angry with her, she quickly recounted what had just happened.

"Liangzi... Liangzi came looking for me."

"Liangzi? You mean your old boyfriend from the countryside, Zhang Liang?"

When Huang Xiaomei nodded, Huang Xiaohong let out a breath of relief for some reason. ’As long as she didn’t fight with Zhao Zhitian, it’s fine.’ Recalling the look on Zhao Zhitian’s face as he left, she hastily reminded her niece.

"So what if he came? He’s just some little hoodlum from the Commune. Does he think he can turn the world upside down? The most important thing for you right now is to maintain a good relationship with Zhao Zhitian. You’ll get married as soon as you graduate, and then you’ll have a stable job and a bright future. Do you think your father-in-law will just stand by and watch you go back? Of course he’ll arrange a good position for you. This is about your entire life!"

"Mm, I know, Auntie. But... what if Liangzi finds me here?"

Huang Xiaomei subconsciously didn’t dare to see Liangzi. She knew she was the one who had broken her promise, and for some reason, she was afraid to face him.

"Find you here? How? The district is huge; it would kill him to search it. How could he possibly know you live here? And even if he does find this place, so what? All the cadres live around here. Do you think they’d let him run wild? Besides, Xiaomei, it’s not that I’m trying to criticize you, but what the hell are you afraid of?"

"Let me ask you, did you two get married?"

"No."

"Did you two sleep together?"

"No."

"Did you two kiss?"

"We did."

"Ugh... that’s not important. You didn’t sleep together and you didn’t get married, so that means there’s nothing between you, understand? It’s perfectly normal to break up if you don’t get along. Of course, it would be best if he doesn’t mention the kissing. It wouldn’t be good if Zhitian found out. You know Zhitian; he’s always been proud. If he knew about this, he’d probably feel awkward about it."

Huang Xiaohong had faltered for a moment, but she still hurried to give her niece advice.

"Mm, I understand, Auntie."

Huang Xiaomei sighed, her heart settling. She was a little afraid to face Liangzi, but she didn’t regret her choice. After coming to the district and seeing the clean, tidy streets, the three- and four-story buildings, and the respectable lives of the city folk, she knew what she wanted. ’I want to spend my nights in a big brick house, bright with electric lights, not go back to being cooped up in a smoky adobe hut with a kerosene lamp, living a boring, impoverished life.’

"Alright, don’t overthink it. We have to go to the guest house for dinner soon. A lot of high-ranking leaders will be there today. If it weren’t for Zhitian and his father taking us, we’d never have the chance to eat so well. Hurry up and get ready. Don’t keep Zhitian waiting. We should head over early today."

"I know, Auntie. I’ll go wash my face and hair right now."

"Okay, and wear your prettiest outfit."

"Okay, Auntie."

Neither Huang Xiaohong nor Huang Xiaomei could have imagined that the "little hoodlum from the countryside" they were talking about was currently walking slowly toward the guest house with Zhao Wendong.

"Dongzi, am I a total loser?"

Liangzi asked Zhao Wendong dejectedly. Zhao Wendong glanced at him, smiled without a word, and put an arm around his shoulders. He walked with him in silence along the wide road. ’Women are the catalyst for a man’s maturity,’ he thought. He believed Liangzi could pull himself together.

The two returned to their room at the guest house and took off their coats. They picked up the metal thermos, poured themselves a cup of hot water each, and drank slowly. Liangzi was in a daze, while Zhao Wendong was studying everything in the room: the thermos, the light bulb hanging from the ceiling, and the radiator and its pipes.

Zhao Wendong went closer and touched it. It was slightly hot. ’I can’t believe they already have central heating at this time,’ he thought. ’Unfortunately, even if I build my own house, it’ll be a long, long time before I can have heating. Steel production still has decades to go.’

"It’s so warm."

Liangzi came over too, touching the radiator and sighing in admiration before his expression darkened. No wonder Huang Xiaomei wanted to stay in the city; even the winters here were warm.

Seeing him like this, Zhao Wendong felt bad for him. "Liangzi, what if I find a way to get some payback for you?"

"Thanks, Dongzi, but forget it. It wasn’t easy for her to get out of there either. I’ll just wish her the best. From now on, she can walk her sunny path, and I’ll walk my single-plank bridge."

Liangzi refused Zhao Wendong’s offer with a bitter smile. He believed that since Dongzi had said it, he surely had a way to do it. But he was tired; he thought it was better to just let it be. He would consider it the last thing he ever did for Huang Xiaomei.