Over the past two days, Qiao Lanshu had gone on two more matchmaking meetings with Company Commanders. In fact, she rather admired Qin Yuanzheng.
He seemed very determined to introduce military officers to her.
But she actually had no insistence on marrying a military officer.
Qiao Lanshu had originally wanted to marry Qin Yuanzheng, but after realizing that it was impossible, she no longer wanted to.
All she could think about was settling the matter with Sun Mingyong, after which she planned to return to Yangcheng.
When the time came, she would have her father buy her a job. She did not really want to go to the countryside.
Meanwhile, over the past few days, Sun Mingyong had been frantic trying to scrape together one thousand yuan and five hundred yuan worth of ration coupons.
He did not dare tell his wife and could only think of a way to handle it himself.
Over the course of two days, he had borrowed from every colleague and friend he could find at the factory.
But although he could keep this matter hidden from everyone else, he could not hide it from his father-in-law.
After all, his father-in-law was Wei Zhengye, a director at the Food Factory.
That day, his father-in-law, Wei Zhengye, came to find him. With a grim expression, he asked, “Mingyong, I heard that you’ve been asking people everywhere to lend you money these past two days?”
With his father-in-law staring at him, Sun Mingyong broke out in a cold sweat. He quickly said, “Dad, it’s like this. My mother has fallen ill. My family sent me a telegram saying that her condition isn’t very optimistic. I can’t get back for the time being, so I was thinking of sending them some money and ration coupons.”
Wei Zhengye had only one daughter and no son. He doted on his daughter as if she were the apple of his eye. Although he had never demanded that Sun Mingyong marry into the family, under the current circumstances, Sun Mingyong was practically a live-in son-in-law anyway.
Hearing this, Wei Zhengye looked somewhat surprised and said, “Your mother wasn’t working as an elementary school teacher in Yangcheng? How was she still fine last month, only to become seriously ill this month?”
Sun Mingyong’s face was full of bitterness as he said, “Who could have expected it? Life is unpredictable. I really want to go back, but the factory’s business has been very busy lately, and the children need to attend school. They can’t do without me either…”
As he said this, he was currying favor with his father-in-law.
His mother was seriously ill, yet he still had no intention of returning. That would make Wei Zhengye value him even more.
Sure enough, when Wei Zhengye heard this, he knew that Sun Mingyong had no intention of leaving, and he was very satisfied.
He said, “Since that’s the case, you should have told me. When something happens, you should turn to your family for help. There’s no need to borrow money from outsiders.”
Then he asked, “How much are you still short?”
Sun Mingyong immediately said, “Dad, there’s no need. I’ll find a way myself. Besides, I’ve already gathered enough money. I’ll take the afternoon off to send it.”
When Wei Zhengye heard this, he did not ask any further.
He had never intended to give Sun Mingyong too much money in the first place. Sun Mingyong was his son-in-law, not his son—why give him so much money? What if he ran off?
After leaving the factory, Sun Mingyong took out the money he had gathered and counted it. It was exactly one thousand yuan.
He had also gathered enough ration coupons.
But he estimated that it would take him two or three years to pay off the debt he had incurred this time.
Fortunately, he had already managed to fool his father-in-law, Wei Zhengye. In the future, he would not have to worry about his wife asking questions.
Holding the money he had gathered, Sun Mingyong went to the back gate of the Food Factory and waited for Qiao Lanshu to arrive.
To be honest, he felt extremely uncomfortable about handing over so much money all at once.
He earned only forty yuan a month. Occasionally, thanks to his connections through the Business Department, he could make a little under-the-table income, but it was not much.
One thousand yuan was already two years of his wages.
And that was not even counting the five hundred yuan worth of ration coupons.
Qiao Lanshu really had some nerve asking for so much!
Qiao Lanshu arrived soon after. The moment she saw Sun Mingyong, she felt a physical revulsion. She could not even be bothered to speak and simply held out her hand. “Where’s the money?”
Looking at Qiao Lanshu, who was wearing a gray padded coat and wrapped herself tightly in a large scarf, leaving only her small face exposed, Sun Mingyong reluctantly took out the money and coupons and said,
“Lanshu, now that you’ve taken the money, let’s consider our matter settled. Don’t tell my wife about this. Also, after you go home, explain things to Uncle Qiao as well. I have my own difficulties; I didn’t deliberately mean to treat you this way…”
Qiao Lanshu snatched the money and coupons from him and glared at him. “You’re so long-winded.”
With that, she turned and left, not even bothering to say another word to him.
Sun Mingyong: “…”
As he watched Qiao Lanshu’s retreating back, a vicious look suddenly appeared in Sun Mingyong’s eyes.