As soon as work started, Xiao Liu told his leader about his resignation. It had taken a great deal of effort to secure the two spots at the factory through school recruitment, and now that Xiao Liu wanted to leave, despite occasionally being reprimanded for mistakes, they tried their best to keep him.
"...with such unfair treatment, it's impossible to keep anyone." He had endured it for a long time, but now that he was leaving, he finally had a good vent. Xiao Liu then walked away without looking back.
...
"Sister, are you going to the city with Auntie Guiying to sell crabapples? Can I go with you?" Early in the morning, Lin Xiaohui had tidied herself up. Seeing Lin Xiaoyue about to leave, she smiled and asked.
"Really?" Lin Xiaoyue thought she had finally come to her senses and would settle down. She was very relieved. After telling her mother-in-law, she took Lin Xiaohui downstairs. Zhao Guiying was already waiting.
The three of them went to villagers' homes together. With Lin Xiaohui helping, they bought an additional thirty catties today.
They took a car to the city. At the train station square, there were already two stalls selling things: one selling melon seeds and peanuts, and a small cart selling big twisted doughnuts and soda.
Lin Xiaoyue and the others were simple. Since they carried their soil baskets, they even saved on plastic sheets. One person collected money, and another weighed the goods.
Lin Xiaohui felt it was embarrassing and stood a bit farther away from the two. In her mind, she was pondering how to bring up the matter of her and Li Weimin with her sister Lin Xiaoyue.
Business was good. As soon as they arrived, customers came to ask for prices. In less than half an hour, three to four catties of crabapples were sold.
"Sister, I want to tell you something."
Since there were no customers at the moment, Lin Xiaoyue walked over. "What's wrong, Xiaohui?"
"Sister, you say it will be difficult for a woman like me to live alone with Yang Yang in the future. What do you think if I could find someone to share the burden?"
Lin Xiaoyue thought she was worried about her future life and couldn't help but comfort her. "I'm very happy that you can get over the shadow of that surnamed Lu, but after all, you've been hurt once. You need to be cautious when looking for someone again. Besides, your brother-in-law and I are here to help. We're not in a hurry. You saw that selling crabapples, though hard work, is quite profitable if you do it well."
Lin Xiaohui couldn't hear any of what Lin Xiaoyue was saying. Selling crabapples could only last for a month or two, not all year round. Even if there was business all year, she didn't want to endure the hardships of sun and wind.
"Sister, I saw Li Weimin yesterday. I was too young and foolish before and didn't listen to you and brother-in-law. I think he's actually quite good. If I could marry him, I promise to live a stable life from now on."
Hearing her words, Lin Xiaoyue looked at her for a long time without speaking.
Lin Xiaohui immediately became anxious. The reason she came out this time was to find a quiet moment to talk to her properly. What did it mean if she didn't speak?
"Sister, do you also think I'm not good enough for Li Weimin because I'm married and have a child? I didn't spend that much time with Lu Chengming, and Lu Yang isn't mine. I know Li Weimin has been promoted, but think about how old he is. I'm only twenty-one, several years younger than him. Besides, I'm not bad-looking. He hasn't found a partner all these years, doesn't that mean our fate is still intact?"
Lin Xiaoyue hadn't expected her to have such thoughts. If she hadn't married Lu Chengming and caused so much trouble, her sister would naturally have been happy to see her and Li Weimin together. But in the current situation, even as Lin Xiaohui's own sister, she knew she was no match for Li Weimin.
"Don't think about Li Weimin anymore. Your sister-in-law Li Shu has already introduced her classmate to him. She's a university student, and your brother-in-law said Li Weimin is very willing. They even had dinner at the Gu family's yesterday."
"What?!" Hearing that Li Weimin had already found someone, and she was a university student, Lin Xiaohui's face turned extremely ugly.
And as soon as she thought it was introduced by Chen Lishu, that bitch was always opposing her.
Not only did she snatch Gu Xingdong, but now she was also interfering with Li Weimin's affairs!
"If you've truly come to your senses and want to live a good life, I think it's better to go back to your hometown. Although junior high school students don't have much advantage in the city now, back home..."
Before Lin Xiaoyue could finish speaking, Lin Xiaohui angrily retorted, "You just can't stand me and think it's an eyesore that I'm living at your place with the child, right? You're forcing me back to my hometown. What's so good about my hometown? Since I've come out, I'll never go back to the countryside in this lifetime."
After speaking, Lin Xiaohui turned and left without looking back.
Watching her receding back, Lin Xiaoyue could only turn back to the stall helplessly.
"Did the sisters quarrel? If you ask me, your sister's temper, and in this situation, it's better to let her go back to her hometown. You two can't keep living apart like this, can you?" Zhao Guiying thought Lin Xiaoyue was too good-tempered. She was raising the mother and child, yet she still had to endure Lin Xiaohui's cold shoulder. If it were her, she would have slapped her long ago.
"Sigh," Lin Xiaoyue sighed. "Every family has its own troubles. My dad passed away last year, and my mom's health isn't good. With her temper, if she really goes back, I'm afraid my mom will get anxious and upset."
Zhao Guiying fell silent. Coincidentally, a customer arrived, and the two of them quickly greeted them enthusiastically.
Lin Xiaohui walked out two streets in anger before her footsteps gradually slowed down.
There was nowhere to stay in the city. Just as she was about to find a bus stop to take a bus back to the military dependents' area, her peripheral vision suddenly caught a figure. She felt it was somewhat familiar and couldn't help but look more closely. Upon suddenly remembering who it was, her eyes lit up, and she quickly quickened her pace to follow the figure.
"Brother Peng!"
Qiu Peng had just alighted from the train and was looking for a place to stay when he suddenly heard someone calling him. Feeling vigilant, he quickly turned around. He saw a young girl in her early twenties, but he couldn't remember where he had met her.
As he was thinking, Lin Xiaohui had already approached.
"Brother Peng, don't you remember me? Changling Town, Qingfeng Commune?"
Qiu Peng suddenly remembered. Two years ago, when his wife was arrested, he had indeed gone to that Changling Town to lie low for a while. He guessed this woman was either a buyer or a seller.
To prevent others from recognizing him, he always wore ragged clothes and had a beard. He didn't expect this woman to recognize him after such a long time.
However, it was better to be careful. He couldn't admit it. "You have the wrong person."
Although Lin Xiaohui was not entirely sure at first, hearing his foreign accent now, she was even more convinced.
"I bought a little boy from you before. He's over a year old now, and I don't want to raise him anymore. Do you want to buy him?"
Anyway, that scoundrel Lu Chengming had long since disappeared to enjoy himself. Dragging a burden like him, she had no advantage in marrying someone like Li Weimin. It was better to be lighter on her own.