"Are you really alright?" Zhang Liunian asked expressionlessly for the umpteenth time, his long legs already eager to leave.
Qian Xueli, oblivious to his impatience, hopped twice and said with a smile, "I'm fine."
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhang Liunian dropped a "Good then," and strode away.
Qian Xueli was stunned. How could this person be like this?
Did he really believe she was fine just because she said so? And he just left like that?
This wouldn't do; she hadn't even asked which workshop he worked in or his name.
With that thought, she turned and grabbed Zhang Liunian's arm, "Wait!"
Zhang Liunian stopped, shook off her small hand, and said sternly, "Is there something else?"
He was in a hurry to sell crayfish and didn't have time to chat with her.
Qian Xueli felt a slight sting from his attitude and awkwardly withdrew her hand. "Um, I think my foot is hurting, and you need to take responsibility."
Foot pain?
She had been fine when she was jumping just now, so why did her foot suddenly hurt?
Zhang Liunian, not yet realizing her intentions, frowned and said, "Go to the hospital and register. I'll reimburse you for everything, alright?"
"No, I can't walk. How can I go to the hospital?" Qian Xueli said, leaning on the wall and lifting her right foot, acting as if she couldn't put any weight on it.
However, this action made Zhang Liunian see through her clumsy act. "You're not injured." With that, he took a stride, preparing to leave.
Seeing that Zhang Liunian had seen through her, Qian Xueli stopped pretending. She ran in front of him, spread her arms, and said stubbornly, "I don't care. You bumped into me just now, so you have to be responsible for me. Tell me, what's your name, and which workshop do you work in?"
So she liked him?
Zhang Liunian looked at her strangely. In her past life, Qian Xueli had married his business partner and lived a happy life. Why would she be interested in him?
"I have a wife and two children." Zhang Liunian was about to wave her away, but then he realized he and his wife didn't even have wedding rings.
It seemed he needed to take his wife to buy rings when he had the chance.
"Impossible. How could you have children? You look so young." And so handsome, not like a married man at all. These were Qian Xueli's unspoken thoughts.
"Why would I lie to you about this? Believe it or not." Zhang Liunian walked away directly, and this time she didn't stop him.
He returned to the construction site and put down the flatbed cart.
Turning around, he saw a middle-aged man pushing a bicycle standing next to Tang Kaiming, who was selling noodles.
Zhang Liunian didn't have time to concern himself with who this person was, as he had to sell crayfish after work at the construction site.
After everyone at the construction site had left, Tang Kaiming walked over, took out a handkerchief-wrapped bundle, and handed it to Zhang Liunian. "Comrade Zhang Liunian, this is your money. Please count it."
Zhang Liunian took it and counted. It was indeed 390 yuan. "That's correct. Where is he?"
"This is my eldest son, Dahai. When would be a convenient time for you to help him get into the factory?" Tang Kaiming pulled the man pushing the bicycle over and introduced him to Zhang Liunian.
"Uncle Tang, please keep an eye on the flatbed cart for me. We'll go now."
"Okay, I'll watch it and wait for you to come back."
"..."
About half an hour later, Zhang Liunian and Tang Dahai returned.
Everything went very smoothly, and Tang Dahai had also obtained his work permit.
Tang Kaiming gratefully held Zhang Liunian's hand without letting go. "Thank you, thank you so much."
"You're welcome. I also need your help with something. Do you remember what we discussed yesterday?" Zhang Liunian smiled at him.
Tang Kaiming certainly remembered. He pointed to Tang Dahai. "I remember. You can ride on his bicycle to the southern city; it'll be faster."
So the bicycle was for taking him to the southern city. Uncle Tang was really thoughtful.
"Then I'll have to trouble Uncle Tang to watch my flatbed cart again." Zhang Liunian felt a little embarrassed. He planned to give him a bowl of braised pork noodles in the afternoon.
"You helped me out so much; it's only right that I help you with a small thing." This bicycle belonged to their family, and it didn't require borrowing, so it wasn't much trouble.
And so, Zhang Liunian got on Tang Dahai's bicycle and headed straight for the inspection center in the southern city.
The inspection center in the southern city was a simple red brick building with just a sign hanging outside.
Tang Dahai was quite familiar with the place. After greeting the doorman, they quickly went inside and found his uncle.
Upon learning that Zhang Liunian only wanted to test the crayfish for poison and edibility, the uncle immediately began the inspection.
The results came out very quickly. In less than an hour, Zhang Liunian had the report.
Seeing the official seal and the "edible" result, Zhang Liunian let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Next, he had one more thing to do, which was to sign an agreement with the person truly in charge of Daming Lake and obtain the usage rights for the Daming Lake crayfish.
Although he had reached a simple cooperation agreement with Old Pot Head last time, he was merely a lake manager.
Once the news of the crayfish being edible got out, his words would be worthless.
Therefore, to prevent others from snatching the Daming Lake crayfish, he had to reach an agreement with the person responsible for Daming Lake.
Returning to Datang County, after bidding farewell to Uncle Tang, Zhang Liunian headed directly to the government office. Unfortunately, the old doorman said the county magistrate and the others were not in.
Meanwhile, Tu Meili, who had just finished lunch, finally welcomed her husband Zhang Liuhuo home.
As soon as Zhang Liuhuo returned home and took a moment to rest, he heard his wife crying endlessly.
"What's wrong?" He had only been away for a few days, and his wife was acting as if she had suffered immense grievance. What was going on?
"You don't know how much your cousin Zhang Liunian overstepped. When you were away, he beat me and Datou.
He also said he didn't have you in his eyes and that you weren't his brother.
The day before yesterday, he even revealed that I used to help educated youth get married, which prevented me from being the head of the Women's Federation. If I can't be the director, I have no income, and the family will have to rely on you alone. Tell me, is he being unreasonable?"
After Tu Meili finished speaking, Zhang Liuhuo's first reaction was disbelief.
As cousins for many years, Zhang Liuhuo knew Zhang Liunian's character well. To put it bluntly, Zhang Liunian was a spineless man who relied on his wife. He was a coward, a weakling; without Jiang Qingqing, he would have starved to death long ago.
How could such a person possibly lay a hand on his wife and son, let alone say such things? It was absolutely impossible.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Someone like Liunian, who is so timid and afraid of trouble, would dare to lay a hand on you?"
Zhang Liuhuo didn't believe his wife at all and thought she was spouting pure fantasy.
"It's true. These past few days when you were away, I don't know what happened to him, but he started making money and eating meat.
And his personality has changed quite a bit. He used to be good-tempered with everyone, but last time he hit me and our son for Jiang Qingqing and that bastard. Don't believe me, ask Datou."
Seeing that he didn't believe her, Tu Meili had to bring her son into it. "Datou, you tell him. Did Zhang Liunian hit you and me?"