A charming widow in her 70s married a factory manager and raised his children.

Chapter 231 He really did appear

Zhuang Qingxiang's heart trembled and her hands shook as she listened.

Unable to sleep at night, I lay awake thinking, unable to figure out whether I hoped Zhuang Luping would come or not.

When I woke up the next day, my eyes were bluish.

Dai Hongying thought she was nervous and scared, so she comforted her for a long time.

Perhaps because Lu Congyue had intervened, Zhuang Qingxiang had become idle, and no one had contacted her for several days.

To stop herself from overthinking, Zhuang Qingxiang bought fabric and started embroidering again.

Embroider handkerchiefs, embroider mandarin duck pillowcases, make shoes...

These can all be sold on the black market for money.

Of course, in front of Dai Hongying, he only said that he was just bored and afraid that he would get rusty.

Dai Hongying didn't like these delicate tasks; she preferred the pastries made by Zhuang Qingxiang.

Every few days, Zhuang Qingxiang would go shopping again, visiting the supply and marketing cooperative and the department store. This time she didn't buy anything, since those people didn't do any business with her and she didn't have any money. She just needed to pretend.

Ten days have passed in the blink of an eye, and what was bound to happen has finally arrived.

Zhuang Qingxiang had just bought a new piece of fabric from the department store that day, and was stopped by someone not long after she came out.

At first she thought it was the same person from before, but when she looked up, she was stunned.

The sixty-year-old man had only a few gray hairs and no wrinkles on his face. He looked just like a man in his forties or fifties, clearly a man who was living a very good life.

Hatred welled up in Zhuang Qingxiang's heart.

He was doing so well, but his mother was already dead.

Zhuang Qingxiang quickly lowered her eyes, afraid that she would not act well and that Zhuang Luping in front of her would notice her hatred.

"Qingxiang, you've grown up." Zhuang Luping's voice was slightly excited. "Now that you're grown up, you look more like your mother."

Zhuang Qingxiang's fingers trembled slightly, and she quickly pinched her palm hard.

"Haruka, don't you recognize your father? Your father is old, isn't he?"

Zhuang Qingxiang took a deep breath, raised her head, tears welling up in her eyes: "You haven't aged, Father hasn't changed..."

He actually came back!!

The roadside wasn't a place to talk, and Zhuang Qingxiang couldn't take him to the government compound, so she could only go to the park with him.

During working hours, there weren't many people in the park, and the two of them walked around in the park despite the freezing temperature.

Zhuang Qingxiang was very impressed with herself; she was able to quickly compose herself and perform in front of Zhuang Luping.

"Dad, they said you'd come back for me, and it's true! That's wonderful! I knew you wouldn't abandon me. When are we leaving? You'll take me with you, right?"

"I've had enough of this hardship here, for twenty years... I've always longed to return to your side and be the Zhuang family's daughter again."

"Dad, you must be doing very well now, right? They say you've become a high-ranking official..."

Zhuang Qingxiang rambled on and on, showing her strong desire to go with him.

Zhuang Luping, however, was getting a little impatient.

He had one wife and three concubines, and many children, but he never paid any attention to his daughter, Zhuang Qingxiang.

Now it seems that, apart from being pretty, this daughter is no match for her mother, the kitchen maid. That woman was the one who was sensible, honest, and obedient. Even after he slept with her and took her into his room, she still did her own work. When he asked her to leave, he could just give her some money and send her away. She never asked for anything more.

I never imagined that such an honest and virtuous woman would be so greedy after giving birth to a daughter.

Do you still want to go with him?

Zhuang Luping felt contempt in his heart, but a smile was plastered on his face: "Of course, I made this special trip just for you, otherwise I wouldn't have needed to come at all."

"Father, you're so good to me." Zhuang Qingxiang was extremely grateful.

Zhuang Luping said kindly, "I heard you married an official, and he treats you very well. Are you really willing to leave?"

Zhuang Qingxiang pouted: "He's alright to me... but that's only temporary. Who knows what will happen in the future? Besides, he's a pushover who even adopts other people's children. His meager salary isn't enough to live on. I still want to go with Dad."

Zhuang Luping nodded slightly: "Money is a good thing."

As he spoke, he took a small yellow croaker out of his pocket: "We haven't seen each other in a long time. This is a gift from your father. Take it."

Zhuang Qingxiang exclaimed in surprise, snatched it away, looked at it from left to right and even bit it with her teeth, and asked excitedly, "Really for me?"

"Of course it's true." Zhuang Luping smiled when he saw how happy she was. "You know how well-off we are. This is nothing. If you want more, Dad can give you even more."

It must be said, those words are extremely tempting.

Zhuang Qingxiang swallowed hard. "More? How much? Dad, what do you want me to do? I can do anything! Do you want me to go to Lu Congyue's place to get some documents? Whatever documents you want, I'll find them for you."

Seeing her so agitated and out of control, Zhuang Luping smiled and said, "Don't worry about your man's affairs. I have other tasks for you."

"What mission?"

"Let's go to the capital." Zhuang Luping lowered his voice. "Your husband is an official, so he can easily get letters of introduction. Try to get him to get two letters of introduction, and then we'll go to the capital together."

"Going to the capital? What for?" Zhuang Qingxiang asked, puzzled.

Zhuang Luping looked around with a smile: "Didn't you want to get rich? Dad will take you to get rich."

Zhuang Qingxiang hesitated, "Dad, you should know my situation. I have three children at home. He won't let me leave..."

"Didn't we hire a nanny? Let the nanny keep an eye on things! As for how to get him to agree, that's your problem. I hope we can leave within three days."

"Father, you're asking too much of us." Zhuang Qingxiang frowned.

Even if the mission required her to leave the provincial capital, she didn't want to. Her child was still so young; how could she leave with peace of mind?

Seeing that she wouldn't agree, Zhuang Luping's face instantly darkened: "Qingxiang, I'm not discussing this with you, I'm giving you an order! You're not just my daughter now, you're also my subordinate. Get the letter of introduction within three days, buy the train ticket, and go to the capital! Do you understand?"

Zhuang Qingxiang's heart tightened, and she pursed her lips, saying, "Letter of introduction... how should I write your identity and name?"

Zhuang Luping revealed his current identity to Zhuang Qingxiang: his current name is Huang Yan, and he is a purchasing agent at the winery.

Zhuang Qingxiang thought for a moment and asked, "If you insist on me going to the capital with you, you should at least tell me what we're going to do, right? And didn't we say we'd leave as soon as things here were over? Wouldn't going to the capital now be a waste of time? Father, you're not planning to leave me in the capital and go on your own, are you?"

Seeing her wary look, Zhuang Luping cursed under his breath and frowned, saying, "It's because we have to leave as soon as things here are over, and time is tight, that I have to ask you to find a way to get a letter of introduction and buy a train ticket. You have to get to the capital within three days. As for what you're going to do... you'll find out when you get there. The sooner you go and come back, the sooner I can take you away."

Seeing that she couldn't get any more information, Zhuang Qingxiang had no choice but to agree. She then asked Zhuang Luping if he was staying at a guesthouse before nervously returning home.

As soon as she got home, Dai Hongying looked at her with bright eyes.