Chapter 355

Li Fen patted her own stubborn child, "Aren't you going to join the fun? Go on then. Remember to take off your shoes and pat down your pant legs; don't get any dust on things, or I'll beat you."

"Hmph!" Seeing that his mother had such high demands, the mischievous boy didn't want to roll around anymore; he turned his head and left the room.

As soon as he left, the other children also ran out.

"Hey, this brat, he even thinks I'm long-winded." Li Fen laughed in annoyance.

Li Yin said naively, "Big Sister is indeed long-winded."

"Go, go, go. I asked you to deliver food to Xiangxiang, and you're actually quite something, staying in the bridal chamber and not coming out. Hurry up and go out to greet the guests." Li Fen rolled her eyes at her.

"Sister-in-law, when I'm free, I'll talk to you about other things..." Yuan Xiang watched as Li Yin left these words behind and walked away with light steps.

"Yinyin has been spoiled by me and her brother to the point where she lacks social awareness; Xiangxiang, please don't mind her." Li Fen said to Yuan Xiang.

Her younger sister wasn't married yet and would be living under the same roof as her sister-in-law, so first impressions were very important; Li Fen was quite worried that her sister-in-law wouldn't like her sister.

Yuan Xiang said, "Mind what? Yinyin's personality is likable; both Zhaozhao and I like her."

"To be favored by both of you, she really is a fool with a fool's luck." Li Fen laughed.

Lin Zhao said, "Yinyin asked me to keep an eye out for a suitable young man for her."

There was no shock on Li Fen's face; she was very calm, as if she had known for a long time, "That girl, she's so desperate to get married that I don't even know what to say."

"She mentioned it to me before, but I didn't expect her to say it today. Zhaozhao, please help keep an eye out. If there's someone suitable, act as a matchmaker; if not, then forget it. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."

Lin Zhao nodded, "I know."

The lively wedding ended, and the guests departed.

It was still early, so Li Song took his new wife to familiarize her with their home and the surrounding environment; although there was no physical contact, every glance they exchanged was sweet.

On the day she married into the city, the unease in Yuan Xiang's heart was completely smoothed away by the Li family and the Lin family; the corners of her mouth turned up, revealing a happy smile.

Seeing the smile on his wife's face, Li Song wanted to make her even happier, so he talked about work.

"Wife, there's news about the job I was asking about."

Having lived for over twenty years, Yuan Xiang, who was hearing someone call her "wife" for the first time, instantly turned red; her face felt hot to the touch.

She hurriedly lowered her head, too nervous to look at anyone.

After realizing what the man had said, Yuan Xiang suddenly looked up, her face full of surprise, "A job? What job?!"

Li Song smiled and said, "A broadcaster, working in the broadcasting room of the county government building. The work isn't tiring; you just broadcast occasionally."

A broadcaster...

Yuan Xiang frowned, "Can I do it? There must be educational requirements to enter the county government building, right? I didn't even finish middle school."

"There are no educational requirements. I can tell you... that means you can do it." Li Song looked at her with encouraging eyes.

Yuan Xiang was a bit worried, "Do I have to speak in public? I'm afraid I'll stutter from nervousness."

"It doesn't matter if you stutter." Li Song said in a relaxed tone, "It's fine even if you can't speak standard Mandarin; what does it matter if you stutter when you talk?"

"Really?" Yuan Xiang was half-believing.

Li Song nodded, "You are my wife; would I lie to you?"

Yuan Xiang felt anxious in her heart, but also felt a surge of great emotion; thinking of something, she hurriedly looked at the man, "Such a good job, how could it be for sale?"

"I have an old comrade-in-arms who gave me the news. The county government plans to recruit a broadcaster. This is internal information. Knowing I was looking for a job, he told me in advance so I could prepare what needs to be prepared." Li Song said.

He had retired from the military a long time ago, but he had many capable comrades; when he asked for help, many people responded.

Li Song felt that the broadcaster job was the most suitable for his wife; the work content was easy, the people she needed to contact weren't that complicated, the environment was simple, and the workplace was close to home. Except for the low salary, everything about it was good.

He earned a lot, so it didn't matter if his wife's salary was a little lower; peace of mind was the priority.

Yuan Xiang's eyes lit up, and she praised, "You are truly amazing."

Li Song's mouth turned up, feeling secretly pleased.

Watching how Lin Zhao and Gu Gu Chenghuai got along, Yuan Xiang had learned a trick from her cousin, which was to say nice things.

She smiled at her husband and tried hard to soften her voice, "Then... I'll trouble you with my work matters. You are a glorious retired soldier; I trust you to handle things. When I get the job, I'll make dumplings for you."

Li Song's mouth turned up even higher.

After Li Song got married, his life with Yuan Xiang was harmonious and beautiful; Li Fen put down the heavy stone in her heart, and for the next period of time, she was all smiles, and her temper improved quite a bit.

Everyone at the supply and marketing cooperative knew her mood, teasing her from time to time; the sales clerks chatted about gossip, and work hours were no longer boring.

Previously, when Lin Zhao returned from Haicheng, she heard that Wang Ju was also getting married in October, but who knew that October had quietly passed, and she hadn't heard her mention it at all.

Wang Ju even asked for leave at the end of the month.

Lin Zhao was very puzzled, so she asked Li Fen about her situation.

"I'm not sure either." Li Fen said bluntly, "I wanted to ask before, but after saying just one sentence, I saw that Comrade Wang's expression wasn't very good, so I didn't have the heart to ask again, and later she asked for leave."

She lowered her voice, "I suspect there's a change in her marriage plans."

As for what kind of change? Anything was possible; she couldn't guess.

Lin Zhao frowned; she didn't say anything at the time, but after work, she came to the family building of the motor factory.

After asking people about the Wang family, under the strange gazes of the crowd, she arrived at the Wang family's door.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

After a few knocks, the door was opened.

It was a middle-aged man with a gentle temperament; it was Factory Director Wang, Wang Ju's father.

Seeing that it was a young lady at the door, Factory Director Wang guessed something and asked with a half-certain expression, "Looking for Wang Ju?"

Lin Zhao replied, "I'm A-Ju's colleague and also her friend. She asked for leave, so I came to see her."

A friend...

Factory Director Wang chewed on these two words in his heart, and the look he gave Lin Zhao was very strange.

His daughter had made a friend?!

"Come in." Factory Director Wang welcomed Lin Zhao inside, his tone slightly softened.

"Sit anywhere; I'll go call Wang Ju."

He walked to a room door, stopped, knocked gently a few times, and called out, "A-Ju, open the door; your friend has come to the house to find you."

Factory Director Wang wasn't sure if his daughter would open the door; Wang Ju hadn't left her room for two days.

Thinking of this, exhaustion flashed in his eyes.

Inside the room, the curtains were drawn, letting in a sliver of light; the lights weren't on. Wang Ju sat on the bed, her legs bent, her arms hugging her knees, burying her face in her knees, as if only this could make her calm.

Hearing the knock, Wang Ju raised her head, her eyes dazed.

A friend?

Did she have one?!

"The friend you made at the supply and marketing cooperative came specifically to find you; you should at least open the door..." The voice outside sounded again.

A glimmer of light burst into Wang Ju's eyes; she hurried to get off the bed, but her knee hit the nightstand, causing piercing pain, and she couldn't help but hiss.

The bang was very loud, and Factory Director Wang heard it clearly; his tone was tinged with worry, "A-Ju, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Wang Ju said.

Hearing this, Factory Director Wang almost wept with joy; finally... finally there was a reaction.

"It's good that you're fine; take your time."

As the words fell, the room door opened.

A girl appeared, looking exhausted with dark circles under her eyes.

Looking at his daughter's appearance, Factory Director Wang felt very heartbroken; he didn't know what had happened between Wang Ju and her fiancé, and he was afraid that if he asked too much... his daughter would shrink back into her shell again, so he only said carefully, "Are you hungry? What do you want to eat? Dad will go buy it for you?"

Wang Ju shook her head, "I don't want to eat."

Factory Director Wang's expression changed slightly, "How can you not eat? You haven't eaten properly for two days."

Wang Ju didn't speak again and walked toward Lin Zhao.

Arriving at the living room, she hurriedly poured water for her only friend.

"Zhaozhao, drink some water."

Seeing Lin Zhao staring at her, Wang Ju tidied her hair, "I haven't washed my hair for three days; I'm a bit of a mess."

"Who isn't like this at home?" Lin Zhao smiled, "I came uninvited; I hope I didn't disturb you."

Wang Ju followed Factory Director Wang everywhere and rarely settled down; she had very few friends, so she cherished a friend like Lin Zhao who she could talk to.

Hearing her words, she hurriedly waved her hand, "You didn't disturb me; I'm... very happy that you came to find me."

Lin Zhao's smile deepened, "It's good that I didn't disturb you; I was very uneasy when I came."

She looked at Wang Ju, "Are you okay? Why did you suddenly ask for leave? You look very tired; did you not sleep well?!"

"I have incense that helps with sleep at home; if you need it, I'll bring it to you at this time tomorrow." Lin Zhao said with concern.

Wang Ju looked at her steadily and suddenly hugged her; smelling the warm fragrance on her, the worry between her brows faded a little.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Lin Zhao saw that A-Ju had something on her mind, patted her shoulder, and said softly, "Friends don't need to thank each other."

Glancing at the dark circles under Wang Ju's eyes, she said, "Do you have something on your mind? If you don't mind me being long-winded, you can treat me as a tree hole."

Wang Ju let go of her arms, her eyes puzzled, "A tree hole?"

"Yes, a tree hole; you can pour out any worries to me, and I will keep it a secret, acting as if I heard nothing." Lin Zhao said seriously.

Seeing that Lin Zhao could pry open his daughter's mouth, Factory Director Wang's eyes lit up; he didn't disturb the two girls whispering and quietly returned to his room.

With only Lin Zhao, a friend, in front of her, Wang Ju's desire to confide reached its peak.

She said, "Zhaozhao, I ran away from my wedding."

The sentence made Lin Zhao dizzy.

"Ran away from your wedding?" She was very shocked.

Wang Ju's heart sank, thinking that Zhaozhao also couldn't accept or understand, just like the neighbors.

Who knew, just as her heart sank halfway, she saw Lin Zhao lean her body toward her, her eyes full of trust.

"What happened? Did your fiancé provoke you?"

"I understand your personality; if something you couldn't accept hadn't happened, you wouldn't have run away from your wedding for no reason."

Hearing this, Wang Ju's heart trembled, and her eyes suddenly felt hot.

"What happened? Have you already called off the engagement?" Lin Zhao continued to ask, adding a bit of worry to her words, "Calling off an engagement also requires methods; don't use a strategy where you kill a thousand enemies and lose eight hundred yourself."

Wang Ju's heart felt hot, and she looked at Lin Zhao with teary eyes.

Those unspeakable things now had infinite courage to be spoken out.

She took a deep breath, suppressed her nausea, and said, "Two days before the wedding date, I went to find... that person, and I saw him sitting on a man's lap... the two of them were still..."

She gestured with her fingers.

After speaking vaguely, Wang Ju's empty stomach churned, and she almost spat out bitter water.

Lin Zhao: "!!!"

"..."

She was incredulous, "Is it what I think it is? Or is it... am I too dirty?!"

Seeing her friend's shocked appearance, Wang Ju didn't know why, but she felt that being cheated on and having dirty water splashed on her wasn't a big deal; at least, at least she saw such an interesting expression on Zhaozhao, so that rotten person wasn't completely useless.

"It's just what you think it is." Wang Ju's eyes were complex; thinking of that scene, her head was still dazed, and she didn't even know how she got home that day.

"..." Lin Zhao's silence was deafening.

In this era, men and women had to be careful, careful, and more careful when dating, and men with men was even more intolerable to the laws of heaven; yet someone dared to openly challenge the rules!

A brave soul.

For the first time, Lin Zhao felt that she was not good with words; she weighed her words and comforted, "Knowing he's a rotten person before marriage is better than knowing after marriage. Does Uncle know about that person... *cough cough*?"

It wasn't that she couldn't say the words "likes men," it was purely because she was afraid A-Ju would vomit, so she used *cough cough* instead.

Wang Ju understood this principle, but, "My dad lost all face because I ran away from the wedding and was laughed at; I feel terrible."

Lin Zhao asked, "You didn't tell Uncle what you saw?"

"I, I didn't know how to say it." Wang Ju was very helpless, "I was very dazed at the time; by the time I came to my senses, the wedding was going to be held the next day, and I was afraid my dad would force me to marry that disgusting ghost, so I ran."

Afterward, a huge incident occurred, causing her dad to become a laughingstock.

Wang Ju had an introverted personality; when they first met, she wouldn't even raise her head to look at people, and her voice was like a buzzing mosquito. Now her personality was a bit more cheerful, but not to the point of speaking freely with Factory Director Wang.

Factory Director Wang was very good to her and didn't remarry for her sake, but he was busy with work and didn't spend much time at home. Wang Ju was a girl with delicate thoughts, and many things couldn't be said to her dad.

Lin Zhao: "..."

She didn't understand; what was there to be afraid of talking to one's own father?

She told her dad about small things like a desk mate writing her a note.

Of course, hearing that a little boy was seducing her, her dad's face would look very ugly, and he could frown for several days each time.

"You didn't tell Uncle later?" Lin Zhao continued to ask.

Wang Ju lowered her head, "Later... later, that family came to the family courtyard to make a scene. I saw that person and felt disgusted to the point of vomiting. They splashed dirty water on me, saying I... saying I was pregnant. My dad was furious, hit that person, and finally even called the police..."

Because of this incident, for the first time, she felt that it was really good to have more siblings in the family.

She and her dad were only two people, facing a dozen people; they were weak, and if it weren't for her dad being a factory director, their family would have suffered a lot.

"You didn't expose that rotten person's ugly deeds?!" Lin Zhao said, "Evil people must be dealt with by evil people; for that kind of family, you have to use ruthless moves."

"I exposed it; I said what I saw, but no one believed me." Wang Ju smiled bitterly, "Even my dad wondered if I had seen it wrong."

"Zhaozhao, I really didn't see it wrong; I saw it clearly."

She didn't tell her dad at the beginning because she had no evidence and felt her dad wouldn't necessarily believe her.

Wang Ju was full of grievances, and her eyes were red, "I'm clumsy with words and couldn't talk back to those people."

Lin Zhao's eyes were complex; it wasn't strange. With A-Ju's socially anxious personality, she couldn't even out-talk a child with a sharp tongue.

She had a sudden idea, "I have a way that might be able to clear your name and, by the way, let you vent your anger..."