novellhall Chapter 22 Brainwashing
Chapter 22 Brainwashing
As soon as you enter the courtyard, you can hear the silvery laughter of children and the gentle, happy laughter of women.
The two seemed to have something happy about them; their laughter could be heard from a great distance.
Lu Congyue stood there for a few seconds before continuing to walk into the house.
His laughter stopped abruptly as soon as he entered the house.
For the first time in his life, Lu Congyue felt awkward, and it was at home.
"Director Lu." Zhuang Qingxiang stood up abruptly.
Lu Congyue said expressionlessly, "Teacher Sun won't be able to come this afternoon. When Aunt Tian comes over, give her that one yuan."
"Oh, oh," Zhuang Qingxiang replied, her head bowed.
"Well...you guys continue eating."
As Lu Congyue was about to leave after speaking, Zhuang Qingxiang suddenly called out, "Director Lu."
"What's up?"
"I just wanted to ask if you have any cloth coupons. I can buy some cotton cloth and make two outfits for Donghua," Zhuang Qingxiang whispered. "I don't think he has many clothes."
Lu Congyue frowned upon hearing this, recalling when he went to hug Fang Donghua, he was wrapped in a thin old quilt, and there was also a small bundle containing a bib and a pair of open-crotch pants, both of which were old.
His biological mother cried her eyes out, but that didn't stop her from cruelly handing the child over to him.
"Brother Lu, please don't blame me or resent me. All I can do for Xinguo is give birth to this child, but my parents won't let me take care of him..."
Lu Congyue's eyes turned cold.
Fang Xinguo was his childhood friend, a brother he would risk his life for. They had promised each other that if anything happened to either of them, the other would protect their family.
When the news of Fang Xinguo's sacrifice came, he rushed to Fang Xinguo's home immediately. Seeing his younger brother and sister-in-law who were about to give birth, he felt sad for Fang Xinguo. If only he hadn't died, he could have seen his own child born.
Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs" in this world. Fang Xinguo died, and after his wife received the compensation, she gave birth to the child and said that she could not raise the child, even though he said he could send money over every month.
She said her parents wouldn't let her bring him, but actually they were introducing her to other men, and she was just eager to marry someone else.
Lu Congyue felt sorry for Fang Xinguo and the child. He didn't stop them and brought the child back to prevent the child from being corrupted by his biological mother.
It turns out that women are greedy and fickle!
Even though it was a hot summer afternoon, Zhuang Qingxiang suddenly felt a chill in the air, as if the temperature in the room had dropped several degrees.
She panicked a little, thinking that Lu Congyue had misunderstood something, and quickly explained, "Director Lu, I didn't want to take your cloth ration coupons. It's just that Donghua really needs clothes, and summer will be over soon, so we need to prepare clothes for him for autumn and winter, so..."
"I understand." Lu Congyue interrupted her, pulling himself out of his reverie. "Cotton fabric, right? I'll bring it back later."
Zhuang Qingxiang only dared to breathe normally after Lu Congyue walked out of the courtyard.
Director Lu was terrifying just now. Those gossiping villagers and team members should come and see for themselves. Who would dare to mess with someone as terrifying as Director Lu?
Even if her husband had treated her very well before he died, she would never have considered someone like Director Lu, even if she hadn't gotten married yet. A life lived in constant fear and anxiety will only lead to a short life!
"Mom, is Uncle angry again?" Little Qianyue asked softly.
"No, Uncle Lu... that's probably what he looks like. Actually, he's a very kind person," Zhuang Qingxiang coaxed the child.
Xiao Qianyue nodded: "Oh, I see..."
Looking at her daughter, who seemed like a little adult, Zhuang Qingxiang smiled.
In fact, Lu Congyue is not ugly, nor does he look fierce. He is actually quite handsome and looks like an upright and honest person.
He just has a very imposing and cold aura, and he can be quite intimidating when he has no expression.
Zhuang Qingxiang didn't want her child to be nervous or scared, so she decided to go out for a stroll again tomorrow.
In the afternoon, Tian Pandi arrived on time.
I don't know if it's because she came for three consecutive days and felt that she was familiar enough with Zhuang Qingxiang, but she started talking about things without any restraint.
"Director Lu's yard isn't small, but why is the house so small, just two rooms? How will you stay at night?"
"You sleep in the inner room with the child at night, while he sleeps outside? There's not even a door in between, just a curtain, what's the point?"
"You've been married before, don't you know what men are like? Aren't you afraid he'll sneak in at night?"
As she continued talking, things got increasingly out of line, and Zhuang Qingxiang, her face flushed, interrupted her: "Aunt Tian, don't talk nonsense. Director Lu isn't that kind of person."
Tian Pandi scoffed, "What do you mean you're not that kind of person? With your looks and figure, what man could resist you? Even if he doesn't touch you now, he definitely won't be able to hold back in time. A man and a woman alone together, if he sneaks in in the middle of the night, you won't be able to stop him. In the end, won't you be the one who suffers?"
"Auntie, I've been through this. What kind of people haven't I seen? Let me tell you, you have to be careful. He's the big factory manager. If he takes advantage of you, you'll get nothing and won't even get an explanation."
Zhuang Qingxiang closed her eyes.
If her treatment hadn't been ongoing, she would have kicked him out right now.
After enduring Tian Pandi's nagging until the treatment was over, Zhuang Qingxiang immediately took out two yuan and gave it to her, asking her to leave.
Tian Pandi was quite happy. The vegetables she grew in her private plot were so plentiful that she could eat them all, and she never expected to make a dollar from them. It was a free profit!
"Comrade Zhuang, if you need anything in the future, just have someone send me a message, or you can come directly to Xiya Village to find me. I can get you eggs and vegetables."
"Okay, I understand. Take care, Auntie."
Zhuang Qingxiang couldn't wait to say goodbye, and then she couldn't wait to close the courtyard gate.
Tian Pandi, however, blocked the doorway and earnestly advised, "You're only thirty, you still need to find a man. I'll come find you when I find one, okay? Remember that!"
"Okay, okay, I understand. Thank you, Auntie. Goodbye, Auntie."
Zhuang Qingxiang, exasperated, closed the courtyard gate.
The person is gone, but the words remain.
Zhuang Qingxiang hadn't thought much of it before. When she was at her parents' home, there were too many people in the family and not enough rooms, so she and her younger brother and sister all shared a room with a curtain in between.
But after talking for so long, when Tian Pandi came back and looked at the two rooms and the curtain again, she felt something was off.
The thought of herself inside while Director Lu was outside in the dead of night, with not a single safe door between them, actually made her feel uneasy.
I've really fallen under Aunt Tian's spell!
That evening, Lu Congyue worked overtime and didn't come home for dinner. After Zhuang Qingxiang finished eating and tidied up, she went back to the inner room to take care of the child. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she heard Lu Congyue coming back and suddenly became alert, listening intently to the sounds outside.
The sounds of footsteps, washing up, drinking water, and even the creaking of the wire bed when Lu Congyue changed clothes and went to bed could be heard clearly.
Zhuang Qingxiang then realized that a curtain really couldn't block anything.
I'm afraid that the people outside can hear everything I do inside.