novellhall Chapter 104 I know you don't like me
Chapter 104 I know you don't like me
Having cared for the children for so long, Zhuang Qingxiang can now distinguish which child is crying from which.
The one crying now is her Cheng Lin.
Zhuang Qingxiang didn't care about avoiding suspicion anymore. She quickly brought the tea in and placed it on the table, then hurried into the inner room.
Upon entering, I saw Kong Yazhen frantically holding the child, her face full of anxiety and apology.
"Brother Congyue, I'm so sorry. I just thought the child was cute and wanted to hold him, but he started crying as soon as I picked him up."
When Zhuang Qingxiang saw Lu Congyue reaching out to take the child, she quickly stepped forward and said, "Let me do it. The child might be shy. You two keep chatting."
Kong Yazhen handed the child to Zhuang Qingxiang without comment, and smiled at Lu Congyue: "Then let's go outside and talk, so as not to keep this sister-in-law from taking care of the child."
As they were talking, because of Xiao Chenglin's crying, Xiao Donghua also started to pout and cry.
Lu Congyue picked up Xiao Donghua from the kang (a heated brick bed) and said in a deep voice, "You guys go out first."
Hearing the two children crying in turn, Kong Yazhen frowned slightly and went to the outer room with Guan Jing.
The two people inside were comforting the child, while the two people outside were whispering to each other.
"Ya-zhen, you see? Raising a child isn't easy. It's fine if it's your own, but raising a stranger... why bother?"
Zhuang Qingxiang listened and secretly glanced at Lu Congyue.
Seeing his unpleasant expression, she quickly looked away.
"Yazhen, stand up for yourself. Your family background, education, and looks are all top-notch. What is that man? Your Uncle Lu and I only recognize you as our daughter-in-law. Just do what you're supposed to do. Don't always give in to him. Let me tell you, you can't always give in to a man..."
The sound got softer and softer and became inaudible.
Zhuang Qingxiang was on edge when a breath of hot air suddenly hit her ear.
"Don't listen to them, I don't like her."
Zhuang Qingxiang turned her head and saw Lu Congyue smiling at her.
Her heart skipped a beat. She wanted to say she hadn't thought much of it, but then she saw Lu Congyue lean closer again: "I know you don't like me, so you're definitely not worried. Never mind."
Zhuang Qingxiang: "..."
After Lu Congyue finished speaking, he carried Xiao Donghua out. Zhuang Qingxiang heard him tell the two people that since he had already adopted Donghua, he would not abandon him. He would raise the child as his own and they didn't need to worry about him.
Hearing that they were about to argue again, Zhuang Qingxiang sighed inwardly. She touched Xiao Chenglin and realized he had wet himself, so she quickly put him on the kang (a heated brick bed) and changed his diaper.
It was only when she changed her son's diaper that she noticed a bruise on his leg, which looked like it had been pinched.
Zhuang Qingxiang turned around abruptly to look towards the outer room, then bit her lip and looked away, giving her son an apologetic kiss.
No wonder my son suddenly started crying so hard...
It turns out that such an excellent person has a bad heart.
Factory Director Lu is such a good person, he definitely wouldn't be interested in her!
A short while later, Lu Congyue brought Xiao Donghua back and asked her to look after the two children while he sent the two uninvited guests away.
"They don't want to go to the county town guesthouse, so they can only stay in the old warehouse..." Lu Congyue asked for her opinion.
"Isn't that place too dangerous?" Zhuang Qingxiang had suffered a loss there and was wary of the place.
"It's all over now." Lu Congyue gave her a deep look. "There won't be any more problems in the future."
Zhuang Qingxiang smiled and said, "I have no objection. That's... factory grounds. There's no need to ask my opinion."
Lu Congyue nodded: "Yes, I won't stay there anymore."
After Lu Congyue and his men left, Zhuang Qingxiang felt uneasy, so she simply picked up her needle again and embroidered diligently for a while until her mind calmed down.
In the evening, Sun Yongxian ran over to tell her that Lu Congyue wouldn't be coming home for dinner that night, as he was taking people from Beijing to eat at the cafeteria.
After delivering the message, she asked in a low voice, "Sister Zhuang, I heard that young woman is Director Lu's fiancée, did you know that?"
Zhuang Qingxiang was taken aback, shook her head, then nodded: "I can probably guess."
"That older woman is Factory Director Lu's stepmother. She's so young and beautiful... I heard she's only twelve years older than Factory Director Lu, tsk..."
"I heard from my son Peiran that Director Lu and his biological mother have a terrible life because of this stepmother. They are bullied in the village like orphans and widows. Meanwhile, his biological father is doing very well outside and has married a beautiful concubine."
She's the younger wife, almost twenty years younger than Lu Congyue's father.
Zhuang Qingxiang felt a pang of sympathy as she listened to Lu Congyue's past.
She had lived through the days of being an orphan and a widow, without any support, and knew how difficult it was.
Lu Congyue must have had a tough time back then, which is why he softened and let her stay when he saw her coming to his door with two children begging for a way to survive.
"Sister Zhuang, did they bully you?" Sun Yongxian asked worriedly after telling him the gossip she had heard. "I heard that the one surnamed Kong is a college graduate and is now an official."
Zhuang Qingxiang sighed and showed Sun Yongxian Xiao Chenglin's legs.
The areas on the child's delicate skin that had been pinched and turned blue had turned purple.
Sun Yongxian often helped take care of the children and had grown fond of both of them. Seeing this, she couldn't stand it and immediately jumped up to confront Kong Yazhen.
Zhuang Qingxiang stopped the man, saying, "You have to catch the thief red-handed. I didn't see it with my own eyes, so I have no evidence."
"What evidence do we need? There are only a few people in the family. You and Director Lu wouldn't do something so underhanded, so it must be those two!" Sun Yongxian said angrily. "They're so heartless."
Although I was furious, there was no way to confront them; they wouldn't admit it.
Besides, they're from the capital; how could their slender arms possibly compete with their superiors?
"Don't be angry. I'll be more careful from now on and won't let the child out of my sight," Zhuang Qingxiang advised.
Sun Yongxian sighed, "I heard they're staying for a few days. Be careful."
He paused, then added, "I think you need to talk to Director Lu. Don't suffer in silence; these are his people, he has a responsibility to manage them!"
The more Zhuang Qingxiang thought about it, the more she felt that Sun Yongxian's words made sense.
When Lu Congyue returned, she invited him into the inner room and showed him the bruises on Xiao Chenglin's legs.
After reading it, Lu Congyue clenched his fist and was about to leave.
"Where are you going?" Zhuang Qingxiang hurriedly blocked the doorway.
"I was puzzled when Cheng Lin suddenly started crying this afternoon, turns out someone did it behind my back..." Lu Congyue's face was ashen. "My child was harmed, so whoever did it will have to be taught a lesson!"
"Let it go this time," Zhuang Qingxiang said softly. "They won't admit it even if I go! I'll be more careful in the future. What I was trying to say was, since they're staying for a few days, could you please not let them come to our house? I know this request is a bit unreasonable, but I'm afraid I might miss them..."
Before she could finish speaking, Lu Congyue said in a deep voice, "I didn't want them to come in the first place, but they insisted on coming... Child, I won't let them come again!"
"Thank you," Zhuang Qingxiang said softly.