CHAPTER 79: CHAPTER 79: STALKING

Tian Chenhui saw that his sister was not very happy and advised her, "It’s okay, this time the food factory was recruiting, and your brother didn’t get hired. I’m treating, and Wei Hua is paying to comfort me. With such a good opportunity, your second brother will definitely call you!"

"Don’t be polite; Wei Hua and I are like brothers in the village, indistinguishable, with strong feelings for each other."

Tian Xiang looked at her second brother speechlessly, not wanting to talk to him.

Lu Weihua laughed and said, "Comrade Tian Xiang, don’t feel burdened. This favor is on your brother’s tab."

Though he said so, Tian Xiang already felt that this person probably liked her and was using this opportunity to get close to her.

Anyway, they were already here, and the dishes were ordered. They definitely had to eat this meal.

The three of them were lucky as someone just left the spot by the window, so they went straight over and sat down.

When all the dishes were served, Tian Xiang realized she had ordered a vegetable dish she wasn’t particularly interested in.

Staring at that plate of vegetables, Tian Xiang smiled self-deprecatingly.

Come on, she wasn’t even considered worth mentioning by the others, but she couldn’t let it go.

Under a big tree not far from the Bridgehead Restaurant.

Meng Cheng’an, wearing a hat and a gray scarf, stood there silently, his eyes red, staring fiercely at the three people sitting by the window.

Lu Weihua, how does he know Tian Xiang?

And who is that man sitting very close to Tian Xiang?

Behaving intimately, smiling with their eyes, clearly indicating an unusual relationship.

Is he Tian Xiang’s brother or some relative?

Or is it...

Just the thought that it might be someone Tian Xiang is considering sends Meng Cheng’an into a jealous frenzy.

If it weren’t for the family issues, things between them would be fine, and it would be him sitting beside Tian Xiang today, but now...

Inside the restaurant, staring at that plate of vegetables on the table, Tian Xiang seemed to feel something and instinctively glanced outside.

That glance made Tian Xiang momentarily dazed, as if she saw Meng Cheng’an.

But when she focused and looked again, that figure disappeared.

Did she see wrong?

Tian Xiang frowned.

At this moment, Lu Weihua, sitting opposite her, asked, "Comrade Tian Xiang, what are you looking at? Why aren’t you eating?"

Tian Xiang quietly breathed a sigh of relief, "Nothing."

Lu Weihua restrainedly glanced at her and used the public chopsticks to serve her a big piece of meat.

Tian Xiang said, "Thank you, I’ll do it myself, you eat."

Seeing Tian Xiang’s beautiful eyes looking at him, Lu Weihua’s face went slightly red, and he laughed, "Then don’t be absent-minded, eat the meat."

Tian Xiang chuckled as she glanced at his reddened ears.

She was now almost certain that Lu Weihua would become a villain related to her.

After the meal, the three parted ways at the restaurant entrance.

Tian Xiang rode her bike directly back to the factory.

Tian Chenhui watched as Lu Weihua saw their sister off, bumped his arm cautiously, and said, "We agreed you could only treat her like a sister! Don’t have any other thoughts at all."

Although the Lu family’s condition is excellent, Lu Weihua isn’t very reliable, quite the playboy.

Lu Weihua clicked his tongue, "I know, you’ve said it dozens of times. She’s your sister, and also my sister, how could I mess around with my sister? Rest assured, I can distinguish between good and bad."

In the past, it was all just for fun, but now he’s serious.

This is not messing around, it’s a proper relationship aiming toward marriage.

Tian Xiang left, and Lu Weihua was still thinking of dragging Tian Chenhui to watch a movie.

Tian Chenhui didn’t go; he didn’t have any money on him now.

And when he left in the morning, Hu Honglian reminded her son that she’d check in at noon. Tian Chenhui didn’t want to be chased and beaten by his own mother, so he thought it better to go back obediently.

The two parted ways, and Tian Chenhui went straight back to Sanli Lane.

Lu Weihua felt a bit bored, originally intending to find a female classmate to watch a movie with, but Tian Xiang’s face floated into his mind, suppressing the stirrings in his heart.

Forget it, forget it, he’s really serious now, at least until he wins over the bride-to-be first.

On the other side.

Tian Chenhui hummed a song as he walked, feeling good to have treated his sister to a nice meal, completely unaware he was being followed.

Meng Cheng’an, pushing a bicycle, followed him all the way to the big shared yard where the Tian family lived. Only when he heard someone call out "Tian Chenhui" did he confirm that this person wasn’t Tian Xiang’s partner but her brother.

At that moment, the tension that Meng Cheng’an had carried all along the way slackened, leaning against the big tree by the roadside.

Thankfully, thankfully.

...

Outside the gates of the Mechanical Factory.

As Tian Xiang approached the entrance, she saw Widow Jiang with her head and half of her face covered by a large scarf.

Widow Jiang had become a celebrity on Red Fifth Street because of the Lu Feng affair. Although she covered her face, some familiar with her still recognized her, and many cast disdainful glances and pointed fingers at her along the way.

Widow Jiang felt very ashamed, kept her head down, but from time to time looked toward the factory gate and the road ahead, clearly waiting for someone.

Tian Xiang rode over, "Who are you looking for?"

Upon seeing her, Widow Jiang immediately smiled.

"Mr. Tian, I just went looking for you, and Uncle Wei said you had gone out."

So she was looking for her!

Tian Xiang nodded, "Do you need something?"

Seeing people frown and glance over, Widow Jiang pulled Tian Xiang to a nearby alley.

"Mr. Tian, this is the money for sending the telegram the other day, please take it."

Widow Jiang said, handing Tian Xiang three yuan.

The telegram didn’t cost so much; she only spent eighty-two cents.

If Widow Jiang hadn’t remembered this, she would have let it go, but since she came to return the money, Tian Xiang wouldn’t refuse to accept it.

She tried to return the excess money to Widow Jiang, but the latter held her hand.

Widow Jiang smiled awkwardly, "Mr. Tian, after all those things that happened before, the factory has canceled my settlement allowance. Otherwise, I could have given you more.

I know this money isn’t worth much, just a small token.

You helped me so much, consider the remaining money as a treat on me, please accept it."

Widow Jiang insisted on forcing the three yuan into Tian Xiang’s hand, so Tian Xiang accepted it and thought for a moment before asking her, "What’s your next plan?"

In the past two weeks, Widow Jiang had suffered a lot, although she didn’t go to prison, her settlement allowance was gone, and the house she lived in was reclaimed, subjected to educational reform and various things, she lost face entirely.

Tian Xiang hadn’t visited but heard about it from people at the factory.

Usually, after such incidents, there’s almost no face to stay here.

When Tian Xiang first met Widow Jiang, she wore a flowery dress, graceful and charming, twenty-seven or twenty-eight, still retaining her allure.

After these events, the woman, now with two braided pigtails and a plaid scarf covering her head, had lost her previous charm, becoming an honest little wife.

Widow Jiang smiled slightly, "I’m planning to return to the village."

"Return to the village?"

Tian Xiang was a bit puzzled; she remembered Widow Jiang’s parental home was here.

Widow Jiang explained, "I moved to the city with my mom when I was seventeen. We lived in the countryside before. After this happened, my parents feel I’ve disgraced them and haven’t shown up. Last time when you helped send the telegram, I contacted an old friend who doesn’t look down on me, and I’m planning to go back with him."

Alright then, at least she has a place to go.