Jiang Hua smiled as she looked at everyone, her tone familiar and calm. “It’s rare that everyone has free time. Why didn’t you go out for a walk?”
“Qinhai City is only this big. Where is there to go?” Li Qingran said.
Jiang Hua grabbed two handfuls of melon seeds and put them onto a plate, smiling as she handed it to everyone. “Going out for a walk doesn’t need a purpose. Relaxing the mind is also a kind of outing.”
“By the way, the supply and marketing cooperative has new fabric arriving tomorrow. If you’re free, we can go take a look together.” The person who spoke was sitting in the corner on a chair and had a very weak sense of presence, but Jiang Hua almost immediately recognized her. She was also the wife of one of Xu Chenghuai’s colleagues, named Song Jin.
In her previous life, the person Jiang Hua envied the most was Song Jin. She came from an excellent family background, with both her natal family and her in-laws in the capital. Her husband was also very capable and treated her with complete devotion. A few years later, he was transferred to the provincial level, while Xu Chenghuai, because of Director Chen’s matter, was delayed for more than ten years.
Song Jin was one of the few people who showed her kindness. When Jiang Hua first arrived at the compound, Song Jin would occasionally come to talk to her. However, Jiang Hua was too self-abased and always shut her out, so their interactions gradually became fewer.
Later, Jiang Hua often thought that if she had accepted Song Jin’s goodwill back then, would she have gained a close friend?
In fact, Song Jin’s words were merely out of politeness. She already had an answer in her heart. With Jiang Hua’s timid personality, interacting with so many people would be too stressful for her. She might not even be able to speak properly, so she would not go.
Jiang Hua thought for a moment, then blinked at her and said, “I actually want to go. Yunkai and Yunshu have grown quite a bit, and their clothes are all too short on them now. It’s just that I have other things to be busy with these next couple of days, so I might not be able to make the time.”
Song Jin widened her eyes slightly in surprise. “You really want to go?”
Jiang Hua smiled and glanced at her, deliberately using a questioning tone. “Would I lie about that? What, were you just being polite and didn’t really want to go with me?”
Song Jin hurriedly denied it. “What nonsense are you talking about?” As she spoke, she smiled again, her tone filled with relief. “Then I’ll come call on you tomorrow. If you’re free, we’ll go together.”
“Alright.”
The two of them talked as if no one else was around. Li Qingran considered herself the closest to Jiang Hua, yet she was left to the side. Moreover, Song Jin, whom she usually had to curry favor with, was actually being so courteous toward someone she looked down on.
Li Qingran’s face darkened, and she almost could not hold her expression together.
Everyone soon left the Xu household. Song Jin also did not linger and happily bade Jiang Hua farewell before returning home.
Not long after she arrived home, her husband Wen Bo also returned from the research institute. He came over cheerfully to help her sort vegetables.
“You went out this afternoon?” Wen Bo thought of how she had said she was bored at noon. Based on his understanding of his wife, she would definitely go out for a walk. He could not quite understand how his calm and rational parents-in-law had raised a wife with such a lively disposition.
A smile appeared on Song Jin’s face. “I went out, and I chatted with Comrade Jiang Hua for quite a while.”
Wen Bo raised his brows slightly in surprise. “Didn’t you say her personality made you annoyed just looking at her?”
Song Jin said, “That was true before, but I’ve discovered that Jiang Hua has changed. I get along very well with her, and we have many common topics. As long as she’s not like she used to be, I can become friends with her.”
The surprise on Wen Bo’s face deepened. In his impression, Jiang Hua always kept her head lowered and spoke in a very small voice. Based on his understanding of Song Jin, for Jiang Hua to catch her eye, the change must have been enormous.
Song Jin looked at him. “I think Jiang Hua has figured things out. Didn’t you also say she hasn’t been delivering food to Xu Chenghuai these past few days? She’s finally no longer putting all her attention on a man. This is truly a great thing.”
Wen Bo’s expression stiffened. He fell silent for a moment, then tried to fight for himself. “Jiang Hua and Xu Chenghuai are husband and wife. There’s nothing wrong with her focusing on her own man. That’s great. You should learn from her too.”
Song Jin immediately let out a cold laugh and lifted her eyes to look at him.
Wen Bo: …
He quickly said, “Forget it, I was just joking. You’re not allowed to learn from Comrade Jiang Hua. You’re you. You’re already the best.”
Only then did Song Jin withdraw her gaze.
Still, she was very happy. She had finally found a like-minded friend.
If it were not because she was truly too bored, she would not want to talk to that group of hypocritical women around Li Qingran at all.
The next day.
As dawn just broke, a streak of golden light pierced through the clouds and thick mist, falling into the Xu family courtyard.
Song Jin indeed came. When she arrived, Jiang Hua was still washing up.
Hearing the sound of her knocking outside, Xu Chenghuai was startled. He quickly retreated from the kitchen.
“It sounds like Song Jin’s voice?” Xu Chenghuai looked toward Jiang Hua. “Why is she here to see you?”
Jiang Hua glanced at him and quickly spat out the toothpaste foam from her mouth. “I made plans with her yesterday to go to the supply and marketing cooperative together today.”
Xu Chenghuai fell silent for a moment. “Then I’ll go open the door. I’ll leave the kitchen to you.”
Watching his back as he headed toward the door.
Jiang Hua: …
Despite the fact that Xu Chenghuai never nitpicked at her at home and would cook, wash the wok, wash dishes, do laundry, and clean, deep down, he still carried a bit of male chauvinism. He could do these things, but outsiders could not know about it.
Jiang Hua was also willing to understand him. After all, no one could completely not care about other people’s opinions.
She quickly wiped her face and put away her toothbrush and cup.
The courtyard gate opened, and Song Jin walked past Xu Chenghuai and entered. “Jiang Hua, have you eaten breakfast? If you haven’t, let’s go eat outside.”
Jiang Hua smiled. “So you came this early just to get me to go eat out with you?”
Song Jin smiled as well. Without looking at Xu Chenghuai, she stepped forward and directly grabbed Jiang Hua’s hand. “Let’s go. You’ve been in Qinhai City for so long and still haven’t eaten at a state-owned restaurant, right? I’ll take you to try it today.”
Listening to their conversation, Xu Chenghuai fell silent again. He did not know whether Jiang Hua had ever been to a state-owned restaurant, but thinking carefully, based on Jiang Hua’s personality, she probably never would go in her entire life.
Jiang Hua also fell silent for a moment, because what Song Jin said was true. Not only had she not been there in this life, even in her previous life, she had never gone even once.
She almost immediately agreed. “Alright, then I’ll go out to eat with you. Wait for me a moment. I’ll get a bag.”
Song Jin had not held much hope to begin with. She had not expected Jiang Hua to actually agree, and she was immediately overjoyed, quickly waving her hand to urge her on. “Go on, hurry up.”
Xu Chenghuai had also not expected Jiang Hua to agree so easily. His lips pressed together unconsciously.
Jiang Hua had already forgotten about the half-prepared food in the kitchen and had not noticed Xu Chenghuai at all. She instructed the two children, “Stay at home obediently. I’ll buy buns and bring them back for you.”
Yunkai curled his lips and turned his head away, not looking at her.
Yunshu, on the other hand, did not hide her displeasure. She puffed up her little cheeks and said, “Mommy, you have to come back quickly. I won’t be able to wait.”
Jiang Hua laughed and touched her head. “Alright. Then you have to listen to your brother.”
After saying that, she happily went out with Song Jin.
Xu Chenghuai, standing to the side: …
He quietly processed it for a while before realizing that he seemed to have truly been forgotten and ignored. From beginning to end, Jiang Hua had not thought of him at all?
Xu Chenghuai pressed his lips together. A trace of irritation flashed between his brows. In truth, his mood had not been very good these past few days.
Starting a few days ago, Jiang Hua seemed to have become a completely different person. In the past, she would fuss over him endlessly and care for him in every possible way, treating him as if he were even younger than Yunkai and Yunshu. Now, however, she ignored him at every turn and kept her distance from him. Not only had the daily food deliveries stopped, she did not even care whether he had eaten breakfast or not.
His gaze followed Jiang Hua in a deep, lingering way. He wanted to speak, to stop her, to question her, yet no matter what, he could not utter a single word.
Walking outward along the narrow path paved with stone bricks, crystalline dewdrops clung to the ferns and wild grasses on both sides, shimmering and dancing in the sunlight.
Song Jin recalled the look she had accidentally caught in Xu Chenghuai’s eyes just now and thought to herself that perhaps she had misunderstood Jiang Hua before. From what she had seen, Jiang Hua was not simply being one-sided.
Her temperament had always been straightforward, and she said directly, “I didn’t expect that you look so honest and proper on the surface, yet you hide your thoughts so deeply. Things have been spread into all sorts of rumors outside, and you still managed to endure it without explaining anything.”
Jiang Hua was taken aback. “What?”
Seeing that Jiang Hua still refused to admit it, Song Jin immediately rolled her eyes. “Stop pretending. I saw it clearly. The way Xu Chenghuai looked at you was full of grievance, like he couldn’t bear to part from you.”
Hearing this, Jiang Hua let out a quiet snort of laughter in her heart, thinking Song Jin was just trying to comfort her. She smiled and did not say anything.
Seeing her smile, Song Jin instead took it as a tacit agreement and could not help secretly labeling Jiang Hua as shrewd and good at putting on an act.
What timid persona? She was clearly playing the entire compound in the palm of her hand.
Only then did Song Jin truly look at Jiang Hua with fresh eyes.
Today, Jiang Hua was wearing a shirt with loose black trousers. Her sleeves were casually rolled up, revealing fair skin. Her shoulder-length short hair fell naturally, a few smooth strands lifting in the breeze. Her slender figure was upright and well-proportioned, and every movement, every smile and frown carried an air of ease and composure.
Song Jin found herself staring in a daze.
How had she never noticed before that Jiang Hua was this beautiful?
Jiang Hua could sense the gaze lingering on her, but she did not pay it any mind.
Outside the compound was a street lined with various shops on both sides, their goods neatly displayed. There were also small stalls along the roadside, mostly run by nearby rural farmers selling agricultural produce.
The state-owned restaurant was not far away. After passing through two streets, they arrived.
Although Jiang Hua had never eaten at a state-owned restaurant, she had plenty of experience going in and out of all kinds of eateries, so she felt no stage fright at all. Besides, having seen high-rise buildings of reinforced concrete, this small two-story state-owned restaurant in Qinhai City was nothing to her.
Song Jin noticed her calmness and poise. By now, she had learned to stay composed herself and was no longer as startled as she had been at the beginning.
In her heart, she had already concluded that Jiang Hua had been pretending to be weak while hiding her strength.
“We need to eat quickly, or we might not be able to grab any good fabric,” Song Jin said.
Jiang Hua could no longer remember this very clearly. In her previous life, the number of times she bought new things had been pitifully few. She quickly swallowed the food in her mouth. “Will there be a lot of people?”
“Of course.” In just the time it took to say a few words, the noodles in Song Jin’s bowl were already gone. “If you go late, you won’t even get scraps.”
Jiang Hua: …
She had thought Song Jin was exaggerating, but it turned out to be prophetic. They were only a little bit late, yet all the intact fabric was already gone, leaving only defective pieces and leftovers.
Li Qingran was also inside the supply and marketing cooperative. No one knew how she had managed it, but she was holding a full armful of good fabric all by herself. The people beside her were all looking at her with eyes full of envy and sour resentment.
Even Song Jin, who was usually quite generous with money, was shocked for a moment. “Li Qingran, did you pick up money or something?”
Li Qingran lifted her chin and replied bluntly, “None of your business.”
Her attitude was completely different from the way she used to fawn over Song Jin.
Jiang Hua could not help looking at her, a trace of inquiry flashing through her eyes.