Wei Pei reached out and grabbed her sister’s sleeve.
Wei Nan stayed silent, gently patting the back of her sister’s hand to comfort her.
The two of them picked out the fabric but didn’t make the clothes at the middle-aged woman’s tailoring shop. Instead, they took the fabric to the cotton shop.
Earlier, Wei Nan had noticed that besides making quilted linings, this shop also sold cotton without needing coupons and took orders for making cotton jackets and pants.
It seemed that people who ran this kind of business usually had their own sources for materials.
The sisters paid for one set of cotton clothes each, measured their sizes, and left. Even though they didn’t have the new clothes yet, just thinking about how their future would get better made them happy.
On the way home, they didn’t even go through the main gate of the residential compound before Wei Nan spotted Xu Qiaoqiao waiting there.
Seeing her, Xu Qiaoqiao started calling from afar, “Wei Nan, come help me carry these! They’re so heavy!”
The two girls ran over together.
Xu Qiaoqiao was carrying a lot of packages: Sachima, peach cookies, Kaikouxiao biscuits, crunchy twists, and even vegetables, radishes, potatoes, and a piece of meat!
Wei Nan stared blankly at the pile of food.
“Did you just rob the grocery store?” she asked dumbly.
That comment instantly cracked Xu Qiaoqiao up.
She laughed and gave Wei Nan a playful pat on the back, teasing, “After a year, your mouth hasn’t slowed down a bit. If you didn’t still look the same, I’d think you got a whole new brain.”
Then she reached out to pat Wei Pei on the head, greeted her, and shoved the snacks into Wei Nan’s hands.
“Take these! Hurry home, this wind is stiffening my bones!” she said with familiarity.
Wei Nan didn’t refuse and took the bundles. The three of them went back home together.
Once inside, Wei Pei automatically and willingly went to boil water to make sweet drinks for her sisters.
Xu Qiaoqiao, being naturally familiar, didn’t wait for any invitation and began inspecting the house inside and out.
After looking around, she clicked her tongue and said, “Not bad, this house is pretty big. Even bigger than mine. There are five people living in my house! You two sisters living here alone is really nice.”
Wei Nan smiled faintly. “The living space isn’t that big. This used to be a restaurant, so it wasn’t really suitable for living.”
Hearing this, Xu Qiaoqiao couldn’t help but ask, “Xiao Nan, why don’t you just reopen the restaurant? The place is perfect, nothing extra needed. Your situation is so much better than other young intellectuals returning to the city. Why bother looking for a job? Even if you get a job, no one would prioritize you when they see your place!”
“But I don’t know how to cook,” Wei Nan said gloomily.
She knew very well that running a restaurant would make her stand out to any employer, but not knowing how to cook was a serious drawback.
“Then learn!”
Xu Qiaoqiao rolled her eyes. “Who’s born knowing how to cook? Did your dad know? Did your family ever have him cooking?”
Wei Nan searched her memory. Indeed, there were no memories of Wei Damin cooking at home.
But, just because he could learn doesn’t mean she could!
It wasn’t that Wei Nan didn’t want to learn; she simply had a physiological aversion after breaking so many pots in the past.
Still, she couldn’t explain this to Xu Qiaoqiao, so she had to change the subject.
“Qiaoqiao, just come visit next time, don’t buy so much stuff. Why did you even buy all this?”
These days, no one’s salary was high, and that pile must have cost quite a lot.
Xu Qiaoqiao rolled her eyes and chuckled lightly. “What are you thinking? I’m just happy you’re back. Next time I won’t buy anything, okay? Do you know how much I spent today? I used up all my pocket money! If I kept buying, you’d make me feel like my heart’s bleeding!”
She even exaggeratedly patted her chest.
Wei Nan didn’t expect Xu Qiaoqiao to be so straightforward and lively and couldn’t help laughing along.
At the same time, she felt that their distance had grown much closer.
The two of them chatted and laughed for a while, and Wei Pei brought over the hot water she had just boiled.
Wei Nan was about to ask Xu Qiaoqiao where to buy bedboards when they heard a knock on the door.
“Wei Nan? Wei Nan, are you there?” It was Mei Xiaolin.
“I’m here!” Wei Nan quickly replied and opened the door.
Seeing a visitor at home, Mei Xiaolin greeted them first, then said to Wei Nan, “Come with me to the office first, quickly, hurry!”
“What’s going on? Is something wrong?” Wei Nan was startled by her tone.
“There’s a long-distance call for you. I told them to call back in half an hour, but you need to hurry. From your place to the factory, ten minutes isn’t even enough!”
Hearing it was a long-distance call, Wei Nan didn’t dare delay and ran out with Mei Xiaolin.
Only when they were almost out of the residential compound did she manage to ask, “Do you know who called? What did they say?”
“I don’t know. The line was bad; I couldn’t hear anything clearly. They talked for a long time, and I only caught your name. Fortunately, I answered, if someone else who didn’t know you had picked up, they might not have known who it was for.” Mei Xiaolin replied.
“Thanks, Xiaolin,” Wei Nan said gratefully.
Mei Xiaolin thought for a moment. “It was a guy. From his voice, he’s probably not very old. Oh, and he spoke Mandarin, it sounded like a broadcaster’s voice, really pleasant.”
She winked at Wei Nan and asked with a smile, “Xiao Nan, be honest… is it your boyfriend?”
Boyfriend or not, it couldn’t possibly be a boyfriend.
But from Mei Xiaolin’s simple description, Wei Nan could almost be certain: the person on the other end of the line had to be the one who had mysteriously disappeared for a year, the poor unfortunate girl’s so-called husband, Jiang Sirui.
He actually found this place!
The unfortunate girl had waited for him so bitterly, and he hadn’t been seen once.
What’s the point of coming now?
The unfortunate girl was already gone.
No, it still mattered, he had to come back so they could get divorced!
The thought that she was still legally married to a complete stranger she had never even met made Wei Nan feel completely unsettled.
She couldn’t help but quicken her pace, desperately hoping to get Jiang Sirui on the line so she could finally end this ridiculous marriage once and for all.
Unfortunately, when Wei Nan reached the main office, she ended up sitting there for a long time. Half an hour? More like an hour had passed, and there was still no call from him.
Xu Qiaoqiao was waiting at home, and Wei Nan couldn’t afford to linger any longer. She repeatedly instructed Mei Xiaolin that if the person called again, she had to make sure to get his contact information, ideally, the phone number, so Wei Nan could go to the telecom office and call him directly.
Mei Xiaolin, of course, guessed that the relationship between Wei Nan and the caller was complicated. She grinned mischievously, patted her chest, and promised she’d definitely help, but only if Wei Nan treated her to a meal afterward.
Wei Nan felt a little embarrassed but nodded in agreement.
Xu Qiaoqiao, realizing the call was probably from Jiang Sirui, was even more relieved. Thinking that the marriage she had encouraged hadn’t caused any major trouble made her happier than Wei Nan herself.
By the time Wei Nan got home, Xu Qiaoqiao had already started cooking the meat together with Wei Pei. The rich aroma of the stew reached even from a distance.
“Was it Jiang Sirui? What did he say? Did he mention when he would come to pick you up?”
The moment the door opened, Xu Qiaoqiao couldn’t wait and asked eagerly before anyone could step inside.
“He didn’t call again. I waited, but no one else called, and I’m not even sure it was him,” Wei Nan replied.
Xu Qiaoqiao’s face immediately fell. She thought for a moment, then shook her head firmly. “It had to be him, no one else. We’ve known each other so long, and with your quiet, stubborn nature, who else would call you? Who else but him?”
Wei Nan: “……”
Well, there was no arguing with that.
After all, Xu Qiaoqiao knew the original owner far better than Wei Nan did.
Xu Qiaoqiao’s cooking skills were pretty good, braised potatoes, radish stew with meat, steamed rice, and the aroma made Wei Nan’s eyes water.
This was real, home-cooked food!
It smelled absolutely incredible!
“Qiaoqiao, I should hire you to cook for me. Whatever the restaurant earns, we split it fifty-fifty,” Wei Nan said, savoring the last bite of rice, wiping her mouth, and letting out a long, satisfied sigh.
“How much can you pay me a month? Can you support me for the rest of my life?”
Xu Qiaoqiao snorted, then pointed at the table. “Enough talking. You’ve eaten your fill, so go wash the dishes. Someone who doesn’t cook still can’t leave the mess, right?”
“Yes, yes!” Wei Nan nodded obediently.
Although Xu Qiaoqiao’s words were sharp, it was clear she had a soft heart. She followed Wei Nan into the kitchen, pouring some hot water into a basin.
Watching Wei Nan’s expression carefully, she asked cautiously, “Xiao Nan, what are your plans next? Are you going to Beijing with Jiang Sirui?”
Before coming here, if she had known Jiang Sirui called, she would have immediately urged her best friend to go. No hesitation.
But now, seeing Wei Pei at home, Xu Qiaoqiao felt worried for Wei Nan.
She understood better than anyone that Wei Nan had little genuine feeling for Jiang Sirui. Their so-called marriage was largely one of obligation.
If he wanted to take Wei Nan with him, that would be fine.
But what if he refused to take Wei Pei?
Getting into Beijing would be difficult enough.
If he claimed household registration couldn’t be processed or relationships couldn’t be transferred, and refused to take Wei Pei, who could challenge him?
And if that happened, what would become of Wei Pei?
It would have been one thing if they never met, but now, seeing the child’s frail, skinny appearance…
Even Xu Qiaoqiao, trying to think practically for her best friend, couldn’t bring herself to suggest sending Wei Pei back to her grandmother.
Wei Nan, however, didn’t think that far; she had no intention of having any deeper connection with that person.
Hearing Xu Qiaoqiao’s question, she replied casually, “I haven’t thought that far. We’ll see later.”
Then she finally remembered her earlier topic: “Qiaoqiao, do you know where I can buy a bed? Doesn’t have to be with a coupon, even a used one is fine. I want to get one for me and my sister.”
Hearing this, Xu Qiaoqiao immediately slapped the bowl she was holding onto the table.
“Oh! I was just about to tell you, but I forgot when we got distracted. Don’t buy a bed, come get one from my house!
Before my brother got married, he and my younger brother used a bunk bed. Now he’s married and my younger brother lives at school, so the bed is just sitting there.
I’ll tell my family when I get home today. Don’t worry, my parents will definitely agree.
Tomorrow after work, I’ll come find you, and then we’ll go together. My brother happens to have the day off, he can bring the bed over and even help set it up for you!”
This news instantly thrilled Wei Nan.
She agreed immediately.
Then she said, “I don’t have anything going on tomorrow either. I’ll meet you at the civil affairs office at noon, so you don’t have to run back and forth.”
Xu Qiaoqiao thought for a moment, then agreed.
The two girls busily discussed getting a bed and tidying up the house, unaware that at the very moment, Jiang Sirui, the one who had previously called the office, had already begun his journey back to find his wife.