The child's cry, like a thunderclap, instantly jolted Lu Chengming from his stupor. He immediately withdrew his hand, looking at Lin Xiaohui lying stiffly on the ground. A cold sweat broke out on his back.
"Xiaohui, are you alright?" Lu Chengming quickly leaned over to check on her.
"Cough, cough, cough."
After a long while, Lin Xiaohui finally coughed. Lu Chengming felt as if he had collapsed onto the ground, utterly drained.
...
After a night's rest, Chen Lishu didn't rush to the store. Instead, she decided to go back to the family residential area to check on things. Lin Xiaoyue was due to give birth before they went back to their hometown, and by now, her confinement month should have passed. Chen Lishu needed to see her, and besides, the house should also be cleaned after being empty for two to three months.
The weather wasn't too warm yet, so she didn't bring Rui Rui along for the trip. She went back alone.
After getting on the bus, she idly watched the scenery outside the window. When the bus stopped again, Chen Lishu casually turned her head and saw a woman carrying a child suddenly board the bus. Her hat and scarf covered most of her face, but Chen Lishu recognized her as Lin Xiaohui at a glance.
Lin Xiaohui also saw her and paused her steps as she was about to head to the back to sit. However, there were no other seats in the front and she was holding a child, so she ended up sitting not too far from Chen Lishu.
Neither of them spoke to the other. The child, however, had been crying incessantly since getting on the bus. Lin Xiaohui had to hold him upright and loosen the blanket wrapped around him.
Chen Lishu curiously turned her head to take a look. The child was about six months old, with small nose and eyes, and his skin was a bit dark. He didn't resemble Lin Xiaohui or Lu Chengming much.
"What, can't you give birth yourself, and you're envious of other people's children?"
Hearing Lin Xiaohui's sarcastic remark, Chen Lishu chuckled, "Perhaps those who have children might be. You, on the other hand..."
Chen Lishu didn't finish her sentence, but Lin Xiaohui understood. Her face contorted in anger.
They didn't speak to each other for the rest of the journey until they parted ways, Chen Lishu going home and Lin Xiaohui entering the opposite building's entrance.
After not being home for two to three months, Chen Lishu first cleaned all the rooms after entering. Then, she took the tonics she bought for Lin Xiaoyue to Wu Zheng's house.
...
Lin Xiaohui entered Wu's house. As soon as she saw Lin Xiaoyue, without even putting the child down, she ripped off the scarf covering her face and began to complain to Lin Xiaoyue tearfully, "Sister, that scoundrel Lu Chengming hit me. I want a divorce from him."
Lin Xiaoyue was startled to see the bruises on her face. She quickly and affectionately pulled her into the room to sit down. "What happened? How could he hit you?"
"You don't know, their family is simply a place where they eat people without spitting out the bones..."
Lin Xiaohui cried as she spoke, her voice a little high. The child in her arms, startled by the noise, immediately began to wail.
Finding him annoying, Lin Xiaohui shoved him onto a nearby stool and said irritably, "Cry, cry, cry, you jinx. I shouldn't have brought you back in the first place."
With her scolding and the child's cries, the second child, Wu Yang, who was sleeping in the inner room, was woken up and also started crying loudly.
Lin Xiaoyue's mother-in-law, afraid he would disturb Wu Yan, who was also asleep, quickly picked him up and handed him to Lin Xiaoyue to soothe.
"Sister, I've made up my mind. This time, I must teach him a lesson. I won't be leaving for a while. I'll stay at your place. When he reflects and realizes his mistakes, I'll consider whether to go back."
Lin Xiaoyue's eyes flickered with difficulty when she heard that she wanted to stay.
There were only two rooms in the house, for three adults and two children. Fortunately, Wu Zheng was usually on duty and not home during the day. With Lin Xiaohui and her child arriving, there was simply no space for them to stay.
But seeing her sister being beaten, she couldn't just stand by. So she nodded and said, "Alright, then I'll have your brother-in-law stay in the dormitory during this time."
When Chen Lishu arrived, all she could hear was the continuous crying of the two children. Wu Yan, who had been woken up, was also on the verge of tears, puckering his lips. However, upon seeing Chen Lishu, his attention was immediately diverted. He opened his little hands and toddled towards her, babbling indistinctly, "Auntie."
"Auntie didn't dote on you for nothing. After not seeing each other for two to three months, you still remember Auntie." Chen Lishu quickly put down the things in her hands and picked him up.
The two-year-old chubby boy was quite heavy. Chen Lishu held him for a while with affection before putting him down.
"Hello, Auntie." Chen Lishu greeted Wu's mother, handed over the items, and said to Lin Xiaoyue, "I wasn't here when you had the second child either. These are red dates and milk powder I bought for you. I haven't asked you yet, what did you have for the second child?"
Lin Xiaoyue said with some disappointment, "It's another boy. His dad said as long as he's healthy and safe, so he named him Wu Yang."
"What he's called isn't important, what's important is that you can give birth." Lin Xiaohui couldn't help but interject.
"Xiaohui!" Lin Xiaoyue scolded. Only then did Lin Xiaohui reluctantly shut her mouth.
Chen Lishu looked at her bruised and battered face and said with a half-smile, "Perhaps giving birth isn't always useful? The most important thing is to control your mouth, otherwise, you're prone to getting hit."
Lin Xiaohui was immediately infuriated. "You!"
"Sister-in-law, I have things to do this afternoon, so I'll be leaving now." With Lin Xiaohui present, she didn't want to stay any longer. After informing Lin Xiaoyue and bidding farewell to Wu's mother, Chen Lishu left.
After taking the bus back to the city, she first went to the store on the commercial street. Before the New Year, Wang Aixiang had reported to her that both cashmere coats had been sold, and quite a few cashmere sweaters had also been sold. Sun Wu, in particular, had called specifically to place an order for another hundred pieces.
"The weather is gradually getting warmer. The batch of woolen coats and jackets that were put away can also be displayed for sale now."
Wang Aixiang nodded upon hearing her words, "I'll bring the clothes over tomorrow."
Seeing that everything in the store was normal, Chen Lishu checked the accounts and then went home.
Time flew by, and it was the day for students to report. Zhang Xue had arrived the day before and specially came to Chen Lishu's house for dinner. After eating the much-anticipated cured meat, she returned to school with satisfaction.
"This semester, the department has recommended you to speak as the student representative. Prepare yourself well when you get back." The day before the start of the semester, Chen Yinchu specifically called Chen Lishu into his office and told her.
Chen Lishu was surprised that the department had chosen her as the student representative to speak, and she felt somewhat flattered.
"This is a good opportunity to showcase yourself, Xiao Chen. You must seize it. I can give you a heads-up: our university is actively applying to the higher authorities to obtain quotas for international students."
International students?
Chen Lishu was stunned upon hearing Chen Yinchu's words.
Due to the influence of political factors, economic conditions, and the general social background, during those turbulent years, the country sent out only about two hundred students abroad each year. However, with the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy, the quotas for overseas students began to increase year by year starting from 1978. In 1978 alone, the number increased to nearly seven hundred.