Seeing that Tang Rubao’s room had an extra desk, Zhou Jingran frowned suspiciously.
When did she, who could barely read, bring a desk into her room?
There were some books on the desk. Could she even understand them?
Zhou Jingran walked in, stood in front of the desk, and looked down at a book cover.
Storytelling?
He thought of Chen Xiaomin, who lived in the family compound.
He had heard that she earned money by submitting her stories to story magazines.
Could Tang Rubao have borrowed these stories from Chen Xiaomin?
He was about to reach out and flip through the books when a voice called from outside: “Xiao Zhou, come out for a moment.”
Hearing Cheng Gang’s voice, Zhou Jingran quickly withdrew his hand.
He left the room and closed the door.
The movement was a bit too forceful, and the lock he had twisted broke and fell to the ground.
“Xiao Zhou, open the door,” Cheng Gang’s voice rang out again.
Zhou Jingran didn’t pick up the broken lock, he quickly went out to open the door for Cheng Gang.
Cheng Gang walked into the house and asked, “Where’s Comrade Xiao Tang?”
Zhou Jingran looked at the envelope in Cheng Gang’s hand, puzzled. “Political Commissar, she took Anlai out for a walk to clear her head.”
Cheng Gang walked to the sofa and sat down, handing the envelope to Zhou Jingran. “I originally wanted to submit it, but thinking about Xiao Tang’s feelings for you, I held it for two days, and thankfully I did.”
Zhou Jingran was even more confused as he took the envelope from Cheng Gang, expression blank.
Cheng Gang looked at him earnestly. “Others may not know how Comrade Xiao Tang feels about you, but I do. Now that you’ve adopted a child, for the sake of the child, why not stay married?”
Hearing this, Zhou Jingran was shocked. “Political Commissar… a marriage without divorce…”
What does that mean?
Seemingly guessing something, Zhou Jingran quickly opened the envelope and took out the letter inside.
This isn’t just a letter, it’s a divorce application!
Seeing Zhou Jingran turn pale, Cheng Gang assumed he was determined to get a divorce and immediately began scolding him: “Comrade Tang has always taken such good care of you and has done nothing to wrong you. I’m returning this divorce application to you!”
“Xiao Zhou, you’re outstanding at work and a good soldier, but in personal matters, you are very unqualified. I’m giving you one more chance. Live a good life with Comrade Xiao Tang. Tear up this divorce application!”
Zhou Jingran looked down, his deep black eyes wide with disbelief, staring at the divorce application in his hand.
He hadn’t written this application.
How did it end up in the political commissar’s hands?
He looked up blankly at Cheng Gang. “Political Commissar, this divorce application… where did it come from?”
Cheng Gang saw how dazed he looked and got angry. He suddenly stood and waved his hand forcefully: “When Comrade Xiao Tang submitted this divorce application, her eyes were swollen, even though she said that you had already agreed. But I could tell she couldn’t bear to part with you, she only wanted to make your relationship with Comrade Tu Xiuxiu a reality. Now that you have a daughter, you need to carefully decide whether you’ll choose Comrade Xiao Tang or Comrade Tu Xiuxiu!”
After speaking, Cheng Gang strode away, not giving Zhou Jingran a chance to respond or submit a divorce application.
Even after Cheng Gang left, Zhou Jingran kept hearing the words, “When Comrade Xiao Tang submitted this divorce application…”
So Tang Rubao had secretly handed the divorce application to the political commissar without his knowledge?
When the political commissar asked him that day, she deliberately made it seem like he had written the divorce application himself.
Such a twist of fate…
If the political commissar hadn’t withheld the application and submitted it directly, he and Tang Rubao would have successfully divorced a month later.
He looked down, utterly shocked, at the divorce petition in his hand.
The handwriting… it’s exactly the same as his.
Even the political commissar couldn’t tell the difference…
Zhou Jingran’s eyes suddenly turned cold, a deadly chill radiating from him.
Tang Rubao is barely literate, it’s impossible she wrote such a divorce application.
Divorce application…
Adopting a child…
Could that woman be a spy, deliberately getting close to him?
An hour later, Tang Rubao returned with Anlai.
She saw Zhou Jingran sitting upright on the sofa.
She didn’t greet him or react to his scrutinizing gaze.
When she reached for her keys, she noticed the lock had been broken and fallen to the ground.
She was taken aback.
Then she suddenly turned, glaring angrily at Zhou Jingran. “You broke my lock?”
Zhou Jingran smiled faintly. “I saw your door was locked, so I touched it out of curiosity, and it broke. The lock you bought isn’t sturdy enough. I’ll go to town later and buy you a sturdy one.”
Tang Rubao frowned in confusion.
She bent down and picked up the lock.
Zhou Jingran stood up. “I’m going out. Besides the lock, do you need me to buy anything else?”
Tang Rubao shook her head calmly. “No need.”
He broke her lock, so it was only right he buy her a new one.
After Zhou Jingran left, Tang Rubao returned to her room.
Was the lock genuinely flimsy, or did Zhou Jingran deliberately break it?
She looked around the room.
The things on the bed and the books on the desk were exactly as she had left them.
She walked to the table and opened the drawer.
The completed manuscript lay neatly inside.
The lock probably really did break when Zhou Jingran touched it.
Her room was currently empty, with neither money nor tickets.
Zhou Jingran wasn’t the type to break into someone’s house and steal things.
Tang Rubao put the matter out of her mind. After taking a shower, she and Anlai sat on the bed and chatted.
Anlai looked down at the floral dress she was wearing; it was beautiful, and she liked it very much.
She looked up and smiled at Tang Rubao. “I have a mother now, I’m not a little beggar anymore.”
Tang Rubao pinched her little face. “You are Mom’s precious daughter, of course not a little beggar.”
Anlai pouted. “The young lady who came to our house tonight, even though she knows I have a mother, still thinks I’m a little beggar.”
“What?” Tang Rubao asked in surprise.
“The young lady who came with that auntie tonight was secretly calling me a little beggar.”
“How do you know she was secretly calling you that?”
“I heard it. I even heard her thinking that her mother doesn’t give her eggs and that she doesn’t like her mother.”
“???” Tang Rubao opened her mouth in shock, recalling the scene.
She hadn’t heard Ke Xin speak.
She thought to herself… could it be? Could it be that Anlai can understand Ke Xin’s innermost thoughts?!
Tang Rubao excitedly cupped Anlai’s face in her hands and asked eagerly, “Was it what she thought in her heart?”
Anlai nodded, blinking her dark eyes. “Yes, I can hear her saying it in her mind.”
“Anlai, this is a secret. You can only tell Mom, not anyone else. Otherwise, they’ll think you’re a monster and kidnap you. Understand?”
Tang Rubao hugged Anlai tightly, giving her instructions.
Anlai nodded obediently.
“She’s named Ke Xin. Did you only hear Ke Xin’s thoughts? What about her mother’s thoughts?”
Tang Rubao wanted to know if Anlai could read everyone’s mind.
Anlai thought for a moment and shook her head gently. “I only heard Ke Xin’s words.”
Tang Rubao kissed Anlai on the forehead. “Anlai is amazing. Remember, this is a secret between you and Mom. Don’t tell anyone.”
Anlai nodded obediently.
Tang Rubao hugged Anlai and lay down. “Let’s sleep. Tomorrow, Mom will take you to town.”
The next day.
Upon arriving in town, Tang Rubao’s first action was to go to the post office to mail her manuscript.
As she led Anlai into the post office, a tall figure appeared from behind a pillar near the entrance.
He stood at the door and watched Tang Rubao buy stamps, take an envelope and pen, sit at the table, and write the mailing address on the envelope.