However, with Xu Chenghuai bringing it up first, Jiang Hua also thought of Director Chen’s matter.
She lifted her eyes to look at Xu Chenghuai and said carefully, “This morning, when I went to buy groceries with Auntie Chen, I heard her say that you and Director Chen have been working on a new project recently?”
Xu Chenghuai was momentarily stunned. Although he did not know why she suddenly mentioned this, he did not hide it and nodded honestly with a soft “Mm.”
Jiang Hua was very accustomed to his taciturn nature and did not feel displeased by it.
After thinking for a moment, she spoke again. “Is your new project very important?”
Xu Chenghuai’s movements paused. His gaze landed on her face with a fleeting trace of scrutiny, then quickly withdrew. He replied succinctly, yet with an implied meaning, “It’s very important, so I’ll be quite busy during this period.”
Jiang Hua’s mind was completely fixed on the three words “very important.” She did not notice at all that there was something else implied in his words.
In her heart, she was calculating how she should remind Xu Chenghuai without making him feel that it was sudden or strange.
Xu Chenghuai pressed his lips together.
Just then, Yunkai suddenly interjected for some reason. “Daddy, the projects you do all have to be kept secret. You mustn’t tell us.”
Jiang Hua froze and exchanged a glance with Xu Chenghuai before looking at Yunkai.
She asked, “Who told you that?”
The little fellow’s tender face scrunched into a frown. His tone and gaze were like those of a little adult. “Ma Fenghuo’s dad said it. He said there are many bad people outside, and we can’t let bad people know what we’re doing.”
Ma Fenghuo’s father was Xu Chenghuai’s colleague, named Ma Yuanhang.
Hearing Yunkai say this, Jiang Hua also remembered that in her previous life, after Director Chen passed away, Xu Chenghuai, who had originally been the most likely to take over his position, was affected by the incident, and so the person who ended up moving up became Ma Yuanhang.
Speaking of Ma Yuanhang, Jiang Hua felt nothing but gratitude toward him.
In her previous life, she had gone down a dead end and neglected the children’s education, which led to Yunkai having a very rebellious personality. After entering high school, it reached an extreme. Somehow, he learned to race motorcycles, accidentally injured someone, and stubbornly refused to admit it.
At the time, Xu Chenghuai happened to be away on assignment. Jiang Hua was completely at a loss. Fortunately, Ma Yuanhang helped mediate in the middle, and fortunately, the other party only suffered superficial injuries.
When Xu Chenghuai returned and learned of the matter, he immediately arranged for Yunkai to transfer schools. And after that incident, Yunkai inexplicably became extremely hostile toward Ma Fenghuo.
No matter how Jiang Hua thought about it, she could not understand how two people who had been so close since childhood could suddenly become enemies.
Xu Chenghuai noticed her distraction. His brows unconsciously furrowed slightly. He could not help glancing at her a few more times before turning his gaze to Yunkai and nodding lightly. “What Uncle Ma said is right.”
Yunshu, unwilling to be ignored, lifted her little face and repeated like a parrot in a childish voice, “Have to keep it secret. Can’t tell bad people.”
Jiang Hua immediately laughed and reached out to touch her soft, fine hair.
Yunkai’s little brows twisted together. “Then how do we know who’s a bad person?”
Hearing this, Jiang Hua’s heart stirred. She immediately picked up the thread of the conversation and took the chance to remind Xu Chenghuai. “There’s no need to distinguish who’s a good person and who’s a bad person. As long as it’s something we can’t say, then no matter who it is, we don’t say it.”
After she finished speaking, she thought for a moment and added, “And also, not only must we not say it, we also have to guard against people with ulterior motives quietly trying to find out.”
The two children nodded as if they half understood. In their two similar round eyes was a clear, innocent confusion.
To make sure that Xu Chenghuai had heard her, Jiang Hua deliberately sought his opinion. “Xu Chenghuai, don’t you think so?”
Xu Chenghuai had not paid attention to what she was saying at all. He only nodded instinctively. His mind was filled with how she had addressed him. In his memory, she had never once called him by his full name.
Seeing him nod, Jiang Hua thought he understood her meaning and immediately felt much more at ease.
This matter could not be mentioned repeatedly. Otherwise, Xu Chenghuai would definitely become suspicious.
So the topic temporarily ended there.
After finishing his meal, Xu Chenghuai returned to the research institute.
Everyone in the laboratory knew that he had gone home. Ma Yuanhang asked with concern, “Old Xu, how did it go? Nothing happened to Comrade Jiang Hua, right?”
Xu Chenghuai’s steps paused almost imperceptibly. Whether it was everyone’s imagination or not, Xu Chenghuai’s expression was still the same expression, yet they inexplicably felt that it was much colder than before.
Ma Yuanhang immediately exchanged glances with the others and shrugged.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the laboratory became unusually heavy. Everyone was itching with curiosity about what had happened in the Xu household.
Could it be that because Comrade Jiang Hua did not deliver food to Xu Chenghuai, he got angry?
How could that be?
Xu Chenghuai would not care about what Comrade Jiang Hua did.
On the other side, the Chen household.
After simply finishing lunch, Auntie Chen tidied up the dishes. Thinking of Jiang Hua’s changes, she could not hold it in and brought it up to Director Chen.
“I think Xiao Xu’s wife seems to have changed a lot. I don’t know what she’s been through,” she said.
Director Chen had the habit of drinking tea after meals. Holding the teapot, he brewed himself some tea and replied casually, “Then that’s really a good thing.”
Having been husband and wife for decades, Auntie Chen could naturally hear the implication in his words. She could not help looking at him. “Has Xiao Xu had any major developments recently?”
Director Chen said, “There’s a new project. If it’s completed smoothly, he’ll at least move up one level.”
Auntie Chen immediately widened her eyes in surprise and delight. She stopped clearing the dishes and hurriedly asked, “Then you can move up another step too?”
Director Chen glanced at her, unable to hide the joy on his face. “Don’t you want to move to the provincial capital to live?”
“What do you think?” Auntie Chen rolled her eyes at him irritably, but the curve of her lips could not be suppressed. “I want it so badly. I even dream about it!”
At this point, the expression on Director Chen’s face was restrained somewhat, and he turned to frown and sigh.
Seeing this, Auntie Chen paused again.
She asked tentatively, “Could it be that the project isn’t progressing smoothly?” After saying that, she paused and then comforted him. “It’s normal if it’s not smooth. Good things take time. If it were that simple and that smooth, you wouldn’t be able to go to the provincial capital.”
Director Chen waved his hand. “It’s not that issue. I’m not that concerned about whether I can move up. What’s important is the project itself.”
Auntie Chen simply stopped tidying up and sat down beside him.
Director Chen said, “This project is very important. Having only Xu Chenghuai participate isn’t enough. At least one more person needs to be added.”
“You already have someone in mind?”
“I do, but I still don’t trust him enough,” Director Chen said.
Auntie Chen immediately understood his concern. “You’re worried he’ll be jealous of Xiao Xu?”
Director Chen lifted the ceramic cup and took a sip of tea. “He has the ability, but he’s not as good as Xiao Xu. His personality is also rather extreme. I really can’t feel at ease.”
Hearing this, Auntie Chen also frowned. “Then you really do need to think it through carefully.”
…
The Xu family courtyard was located on the inner side of the compound. Although the compound itself was interconnected in all directions and had many entry paths, no matter which route one took, one would pass by many households.
Jiang Hua’s changes were bound to be noticed by someone. In an instant, it was as if a violent rain had fallen onto a calm lake, white jade beads splashing in all directions and stirring up ripples one after another.
Inside the compound, there was a place for people to rest, cool off, and chat. Flower beds bordered by stones surrounded it, planted with roses of various colors. Two weeping willows stood in the middle, and beneath the trees were smooth, clean stone benches. Willow branches swayed gently in the breeze, creating a scene that was both tranquil and full of everyday life.
Several people walked over from not far away, chatting and laughing, and sat down one by one on the stone benches.
“Have you seen Jiang Hua lately? I heard she seems to have changed a lot.”
“Yes, I heard that too. It seems she doesn’t go to the research institute anymore. Instead, Xu Chenghuai goes home to eat every day.”
“No way. I don’t believe it. Not long ago, when it was raining so heavily, she still braved the rain to deliver food. Now that the weather’s so good, would she really be willing not to go?”
“Exactly. I don’t believe it either. Who doesn’t know that Jiang Hua clings to Xu Chenghuai for dear life, afraid of being abandoned? But then again, being able to marry Xu Chenghuai is a blessing earned over several lifetimes. Of course, she has to hold on tight.”
“Oh come on, what’s the point of guessing like this? The Xu household is right next door. Why don’t we just go find her and see?”
As soon as these words were spoken, someone immediately looked toward one person in the group.
“Qingran, why don’t you take us?”
The woman called Qingran was named Li Qingran. She was Ma Yuanhang’s wife. She was not as striking in appearance as Jiang Hua, but she was still considered neat and delicate-looking.
Because Ma Yuanhang had a good relationship with Xu Chenghuai, she also had regular contact with Jiang Hua. It could be said that among everyone in the compound, she had the best relationship with Jiang Hua.
Being suddenly singled out, Li Qingran felt somewhat unhappy. She forced a smile. “We’ll run into her sooner or later. There’s no rush.”
As she spoke, she rolled her eyes inwardly. What kind of change could Jiang Hua possibly have? No matter how much she changed, she would still be an unpresentable clown. If she had a choice, she would not want any contact with her at all.
But with everyone insisting, Li Qingran had no good reason to refuse. In the end, she could only follow everyone toward the Xu household.
At this moment, Jiang Hua was at home teaching Yunkai and Yunshu to recognize characters. She planned to send the two children to kindergarten in the autumn term, so while she had time, she was teaching them some characters and also letting them learn simple addition, subtraction, and multiplication.
“Comrade Jiang Hua,” Li Qingran greeted her with a smile as she entered. “We thought we hadn’t seen you for several days and were worried you might be bored, so we specially came to chat with you.”
After saying that, Li Qingran stopped where she was. She waited for Jiang Hua to step forward cautiously and reservedly to speak with her in front of everyone.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Hua only glanced at them, then smiled politely but distantly and said, “I’m really sorry. Please have a seat over there first.” After speaking to the group, she added by way of explanation, “The two children are about to finish their lesson.”
Hearing this, Li Qingran froze for a moment. Her expression went blank. When she came back to her senses, she realized that Jiang Hua truly did not care about them at all. In Jiang Hua’s eyes, there were only the two children.
This was something she had never seen before.
The door to the main room was wide open. Sunlight slanted in through the doorway, falling on Jiang Hua’s side profile.
There was focus on her face, and the two children were equally focused. Their voices were clear and pleasant, like jade beads striking one another, carrying a sense of ease, composure, and open confidence.
Before anyone realized it, the group who had still been talking quietly fell silent and walked behind the mother and children.
Jiang Hua let the two children familiarize themselves on their own.
With so many people suddenly appearing in the house, Yunkai was not very happy. Yunshu’s mouth drooped into a pout. Together with her brother, she went upstairs, turning back every few steps.
Seeing this, surprise appeared on Li Qingran’s face.
She had dealings with the Xu family and knew very well how distant Jiang Hua had been from the two children.