They hadn't even met, how could they have gotten involved?
Seeing that Yan Guoguo didn't believe him, Zhang Liunian took a bite of meat and said sympathetically, "If you don't believe me, you can check. I heard they were childhood sweethearts."
"..."
Zhang Liunian's words instantly silenced Yan Guoguo.
The two of them really were from the same place. He remembered that when Qian Xuehai was about to be promoted to deputy factory director, his wife had indeed said a few words for him. At the time, he thought it was out of consideration for their fellow villager, but now he realized it might not have been the case.
So, were they really childhood sweethearts?
"I will investigate this matter thoroughly when I get back." Yan Guoguo's expression was not good. Seeing Zhang Liunian's look of knowing everything, he asked suspiciously, "You want to exchange this piece of information for two jobs?"
"Give me two job positions, and we can cooperate. I have even more explosive news," Zhang Liunian said confidently, putting down his chopsticks.
More explosive news?
What could be more explosive than him being cuckolded?
Yan Guoguo was furious. He wanted to vent his anger on Zhang Liunian, but he couldn't. This Zhang Liunian seemed to know a lot about him.
"What's your name, and where are you from?" Yan Guoguo wanted to figure out who Zhang Liunian was and why he knew things that Yan Guoguo himself didn't.
"Zhang Liunian, from Zhangjia Village in Shilidatui, a farmer," Zhang Liunian revealed his background without any fear of Yan Guoguo silencing him.
Yan Guoguo was stunned by Zhang Liunian's composure. How could a farmer know things he didn't?
Was he lying?
"Heh, so farmers these days know my business. Should I be happy about that?" Happy my foot! Yan Guoguo was about to explode. A mere farmer knew he was being cuckolded. Did he have no shame?
"You should be happy. Otherwise, you might never know these things until you die." Zhang Liunian picked up a peanut and tossed it into his mouth.
Zhao Zhijie, who was listening nearby, was confused and asked curiously, "What are you talking about?"
As soon as he said this, Yan Guoguo seemed to realize something and looked at his friend, "Old Zhao, you don't know about Qian Xuehai?"
"What could Deputy Factory Director Qian be involved in? Isn't he a good person?" Zhao Zhijie felt extremely frustrated. He had made the introductions and paid for the meal, but Zhang Liunian and Yan Guoguo were chatting so heatedly. This was not friendly to him.
Seeing Zhao Zhijie's ignorance, Yan Guoguo let out a heavy sigh. "I'll tell you later."
It seemed that not many people were aware of this matter, not even Old Zhao.
He looked back at Zhang Liunian, "As long as this matter is confirmed, I agree to give you two jobs and cooperate with you.
Can you tell me the more explosive news first?"
"It's not too late to tell me after you confirm it. Otherwise, I'm afraid your heart might not be able to take it." Zhang Liunian was genuinely looking out for him. Yan Guoguo's situation truly required a strong heart to accept.
Hearing Zhang Liunian say this, Yan Guoguo felt even more uneasy. According to him, there were even more unacceptable things.
"Fine, I'll go back and find out. If you're lying, you know the consequences."
"There are no consequences. I just hope Factory Director Yan's heart can be stronger."
"..."
After leaving the state-run restaurant, Zhang Liunian headed straight to the black market to make purchases. He was about to cooperate with the machinery factory and needed to buy a lot of things.
Iron pots, iron buckets, coal stoves,卤料 (lu liao - braising spices), and so on.
Yan Guoguo and Yue Zhijie also left the state-run restaurant shortly after Zhang Liunian, but they started talking again on the way.
"What? You want me to investigate Qian Xuehai? What happened to him?" Zhao Zhijie stopped and looked at Yan Guoguo, somewhat incredulously.
"That young Comrade Zhang Liunian just told me that my wife and he have been involved for a long time."
"..." Zhao Zhijie hadn't expected that the Comrade Zhang from earlier was talking about this. He stood there dumbfounded on the roadside.
"Impossible. Your relationship with your wife is so good. How could it be?"
"I don't believe it either, but I still want you to investigate. It would be best if it's not true."
"I'll have my apprentice investigate."
...
Because he had dinner with Yan Guoguo and the others, Zhang Liunian didn't return until three o'clock in the afternoon.
As soon as he reached the yard gate, Jiang Qingqing, with her visibly pregnant belly, walked over. "Liunian, have you eaten?"
Zhang Liunian hurried forward, put down his purchases, and supported her. "The sun is strong, why did you come out?"
"I had nothing to do and wanted to wait for you to come home." With the mute and the younger sister at home now, she really didn't have to do anything.
After all, their current output was only over two hundred, and with those two people, it was more than enough.
"Even if you have nothing to do, don't stay outside in the sun. Let's go!" As Zhang Liunian supported Jiang Qingqing into the house, Huabao clung to Zhang Liunian's leg.
Zhang Liunian let go of his wife and picked up his daughter. "Huabao, do you miss Daddy?"
"Huabao misses Daddy." Huabao nodded vigorously, her fluffy hair bobbing with her movements, incredibly cute.
Zhang Liunian reached out to pat her hair down, but the hair seemed to have a mind of its own and didn't want to lie flat.
Seeing that he couldn't flatten it, Zhang Liunian stopped trying.
"I ate lunch. Have you eaten?" Zhang Liunian asked his wife, holding his daughter.
Jiang Qingqing replied, "We've also eaten."
It was already three in the afternoon; if they didn't eat soon, they would starve to death.
"That's good." Zhang Liunian, hearing that his wife and daughter had eaten, played with his daughter for a while before resuming his work for the day.
As for the pile of things he bought, they were temporarily placed inside the house and would be organized later when he returned in the evening.
Meanwhile, Tu Meili, after confirming that Zhang Liunian's family was eating meat daily, found Wu Gudi and told her about it.
"Are you telling the truth? Where did they get the money?" Wu Gudi's heart felt uneasy upon hearing that her brother-in-law was eating meat every day.
Although she had gotten her money back last time, her husband had later taken it and said he was keeping it for himself and wouldn't give it to her.
What did this mean?
If the family's money wasn't managed by her, what was he keeping it for? To subsidize his younger brothers?
For this, she had a huge fight with her husband, but in the end, she couldn't overpower him and lost.
Now, hearing that her brother-in-law was living a life of eating meat every day, her feeling of imbalance instantly surfaced.
Why should they fight every day because of their brother-in-law, while he lived a comfortable life? It made her furious.
"I don't know how they got the money, but they are definitely eating meat. After all, I live next door to their house. The smell of meat wafts over to my house every day. It's hard not to know, even if I don't want to," Tu Meili said.
Speaking of Zhang Liunian's family eating meat, Tu Meili's expression was extremely unpleasant. Then she remembered the two extra people at Zhang Liunian's house yesterday and said to Wu Gudi, "Do you know your sister-in-law is back? She's living at Zhang Liunian's house now.
Yesterday, I found not only your sister-in-law but also a mute person at their house.
Do you think Zhang Liunian and his wife might be matchmaking for your sister-in-law?"
After discovering the two extra people at Zhang Liunian's house yesterday, Tu Meili had countless ideas.
After much deliberation, she felt that Zhang Liunian might be trying to set up her younger sister with the mute.