novellhall Chapter 43 Lacking any imposing presence
Chapter 43 Lacking any imposing presence
Zhuang Qingxiang watched Lu Congyue buy things with a pounding heart, feeling as if the four yuan in her pocket, plus the five yuan she hadn't yet received, were already gone.
She only wanted three ounces of white sugar, but Lu Congyue bought a pound!
He only bought one of the small kitchen utensils, but he bought double the amount of ingredients and seasonings according to her requirements.
Zhuang Qingxiang closed her eyes tightly, pretending not to see it, and as if the money in her pocket was never meant to be hers!
Later, she simply picked up her child and found a place to sit, refusing to stay any longer.
"What else do you want to buy?" Lu Congyue asked.
Zhuang Qingxiang, carrying her son on her back and holding things in both hands, immediately shook her head: "No need."
Lu Congyue, holding Donghua in one arm and carrying things in the other, said, "Let's go back then."
While Zhuang Qingxiang was waiting for Lu Congyue to drive over by the roadside, the person she had met on the way rushed over.
"Big sister."
Zhuang Qingxiang stared at her younger brother, Qian Haoqing, whom she had raised with an extremely cold gaze.
This is the only blood relative in the family, her half-brother, nine years younger than her, whom she raised single-handedly.
But it was also her younger brother who, upon seeing someone offer a dowry of thirty yuan, immediately urged her to go with that person.
Qian Haoqing doesn't look like his mother, but like someone from the Qian family. He has light eyebrows, single eyelids, and high cheekbones, and looks quite cunning.
Zhuang Qingxiang loved him the most, but now she finds him utterly repulsive, neither like her mother nor like her.
Zhuang Qingxiang didn't know what he was thinking. The thirty yuan dowry wouldn't even reach his hands, so why was he so unwilling to accept her?
"Big sister." Qian Haoqing's eyes lit up with astonishing brightness. "I saw you! You came in a jeep, right? You saw me too, why didn't you give me a ride? Big sister, is that Factory Director Lu driving? You're with him? Good heavens, am I the factory director's brother-in-law?"
Zhuang Qingxiang didn't want to pay attention to him, but he spoke quickly and urgently and deliberately raised his voice, attracting the attention of people around them, so she had to interrupt him.
"You've got it wrong. I'm the factory manager's nanny. Also, I'm not your older sister. Please don't try to identify people randomly."
"Big sister, how can you say that? Have you married into a wealthier family and now you don't want to acknowledge your poor brother anymore?" Qian Haoqing cried out anxiously, pulling at her. "Mother died young, and you raised me single-handedly. We've depended on each other for so many years, how can you treat me like this?"
Zhuang Qingxiang could feel the contemptuous looks coming from others.
She gritted her teeth and stood firm, glaring at Qian Haoqing: "Are you blind? I'm holding a child in my arms, carrying another on my back, and there's another standing next to me. Are you trying to drag all four of us down and kill us for money?"
Qian Haoqing looked completely innocent: "Big sister, I was just too excited, I didn't mean it, you can't slander me like that."
"I'm not your older sister. My surname is Zhuang, and yours is Qian. When I was kicked out by my in-laws and couldn't even get into your house, we were completely cut off. Please stay away from me," Zhuang Qingxiang said through gritted teeth.
She just doesn't have the time right now, otherwise she would definitely give Qian Haoqing a good beating.
I've been holding this in for two lifetimes.
Qian Haoqing was embarrassed by being publicly reprimanded by her. Just as he was about to say something, Lu Congyue finally arrived.
He blocked Qian Haoqing's path and asked Zhuang Qingxiang, "Is this person bothering you? Do you need help?"
"I don't know him." Zhuang Qingxiang walked to the car with a cold face, ignored Qian Haoqing's shouts and got into the car. She almost bumped into the child in her arms, but Lu Congyue took Donghua in time and handed the child to her after she was seated.
Qian Haoqing looked at the tall Lu Congyue and swallowed hard. "Director Lu, I'm her brother, her own brother!"
"Make way!" Lu Congyue pushed people aside, got into the car, and started the car to leave.
Qian Haoqing was so angry that he stomped his feet and almost cursed loudly after inhaling a mouthful of exhaust fumes.
But even greater was the joy.
Zhuang Qingxiang looks like their mother and is very beautiful. No wonder she was able to hook up with Director Lu. At this moment, he already had countless thoughts in his mind, such as getting her to get him a permanent employee position.
As for Zhuang Qingxiang's attitude just now...
It's alright. No one understands Zhuang Qingxiang better than him. His older sister is the most soft-hearted and easy to manipulate.
The most important thing now is to hurry back and discuss with Dad what to do.
Qian Haoqing left in a hurry.
In the car, Lu Congyue glanced at Zhuang Qingxiang in the rearview mirror.
To be honest, her temper tantrums have no deterrent effect whatsoever.
"Was that your brother just now?" he asked.
Zhuang Qingxiang irritably adjusted her thick bangs, and Lu Congyue saw the sadness and frustration in her eyes.
"It used to be," she said, without elaborating further.
Lu Congyue didn't ask any more questions; there were some things he didn't need to ask her.
He quickly glanced at the thick envelope on the passenger seat before looking away and driving steadily.
Not long after leaving the county town, Xiao Donghua started crying and making a fuss. As soon as he started crying, Xiao Chenglin followed suit, and the two children cried so hard in the car that they almost lifted the roof off.
Zhuang Qingxiang put one down for Xiao Qianyue to protect, then hugged the other. She subconsciously put her hands on her clothes before remembering that she was in the car.
"Director Lu, could you please pull over?"
As she asked the question, Lu Congyue had already started to pull over and park the car. After stopping, he got out of the car and waited without waiting for her to say anything.
Zhuang Qingxiang quickly breastfed the baby; to be honest, having two children already made things quite easy.
After feeding him, he breathed a sigh of relief, straightened his clothes, and called out the car window, "Director Lu, it's done."
Lu Congyue then got into the car.
When they returned, it was not yet 11 a.m. The two of them put the child on the kang (a heated brick bed), and Zhuang Qingxiang quickly changed the child's diaper.
Before she was finished, Xiao Qianyue came running in, put the things she was carrying on the kang (a heated brick bed), and pushed them toward Zhuang Qingxiang.
"Mom, Uncle gave this to you, he said it was for you." Her eyes sparkled. "It's clothes!"
Zhuang Qingxiang was taken aback. She glanced at it and realized it really was a shirt—a white shirt.
"For me?" She couldn't believe it.
"Yes." Xiao Qianyue nodded vigorously.
Factory Director Lu bought her clothes? When did he buy them? Why did he buy her clothes?
Zhuang Qingxiang was filled with doubt and unease. After cleaning up the two children, she carefully washed her hands before picking up the white shirt.
Small collar, short sleeves, perfect for this season.
But these clothes must be expensive, right?
Zhuang Qingxiang had never seen anyone buy clothes; everyone bought fabric and made their own.
Zhuang Qingxiang took the clothes and went out to find Lu Congyue.
Lu Congyue had just put away all the things he bought and was about to drive the car to the factory area when he saw Zhuang Qingxiang come out with a white shirt. He said directly, "I bought this for you. Keep it."
"No, this is too valuable," Zhuang Qingxiang refused. "Director Lu, I can't accept it."
Lu Congyue frowned: "You don't need to be so polite with me. Besides, aren't you short of clothes?"
He had already noticed that she only had one summer dress, which she would wash and hang up at night, and then have Xiao Qian Yue take it in for her to wear in the morning before coming out.
She hasn't worn that piece of clothing she wore before, but Xiao Qian Yue's schoolbag is very similar in material and pattern to that piece of clothing.
"I don't know much about women's clothes, so I bought a white one and had the sales assistant pick it out. It should fit well," he continued. "You take good care of Donghua, so a piece of clothing is nothing."