CHAPTER 87: CHAPTER 86: GROWING SUSPICION

Women can be so calculating, they open and close their mouths full of schemes, completely ignoring the increasingly awful look on Xiaotong’s face.

Seeing Xiaotong’s face dark and ignoring her, the woman was slightly unhappy and poked Xiaotong again.

"What’s wrong, I was just asking if you could ask for a discount. If it’s not possible, forget it. Anyway, their stuff is quite affordable, even without a discount it’s still manageable."

Xiaotong gritted her teeth, where the woman poked happened to be the bruised area. After being poked twice by her, Xiaotong’s eyes welled up with tears from the pain, almost crying out loud, let alone daring to speak, as speaking would reveal everything.

Not getting a response, the woman left disappointed. As she left, Xiaotong heard her click her tongue, discussing with others as she walked away.

"I knew it was useless talking to her, they might not even be real sisters, that lady boss looks like a big star, truly beautiful, I couldn’t take my eyes off her today, tut-tut, I wonder how she maintains that skin, even smoother than an egg..."

"..."

The people left, yet the voices of others hovered around.

Xiaotong was so angry that her eyes flared up and smoke seemed to rise from her head, but she couldn’t rush over and retort.

Another cold wind blew by, and she hurriedly wrapped her coat tighter, her teeth chattered from the cold.

Thinking about how she had to use cold water to wash clothes and cook for Xie Fengmian to please him, Xiaotong felt a chill in her heart and her throat tickled, making her cough.

On her way home after buying groceries, she passed by the Love Vine Sweet and Spicy Duck store, which was still closed. Lifting her head to look at the striking signboard, she coughed twice and headed home with a gloomy face.

No matter what, Xie Fengmian must never know that Ye Manman has moved to town!

Recently, Xie Fengmian often doesn’t come home, always out and about. Xiaotong has no idea what he’s doing outside every day, only hoping to please him desperately when he’s home.

However, because she’s pregnant, they can’t do anything, and Xie Fengmian is becoming more and more impatient.

Today, Xie Fengmian left early in the morning again. After cooking, Xiaotong went to the factory to find him for lunch, only to be told by the workers that Xie Fengmian hadn’t been there at all.

Xiaotong immediately became suspicious.

She quietly returned home without a word, waiting silently until evening when Xie Fengmian returned, acting as usual by ignoring her, tossing his shoes at the door, and burying himself in sleep.

Xiaotong quietly picked up his stinky shoes that were thrown in different directions, brought hot water, and squatted by the bed to remove his socks and pants.

"Fengmian, take off your pants and socks, I’ve brought hot water, it’s cold, soak your feet before sleeping."

Countless times she held back the urge to question Xie Fengmian about his whereabouts during the day, gritting her teeth in humiliation, pretending everything was normal.

As expected, Xie Fengmian didn’t suspect anything, and although still impatient, he put his feet in the basin, allowing her to wash and dry them, then tuck him in.

Xiaotong had done this for many days, and though she increasingly felt Xie Fengmian’s feet, socks, and shoes reeked, she endured it all for the sake of preserving her identity status.

But if Xie Fengmian had someone else outside...

Xiaotong lay in the small room where Ye Guoqiang and Yang Xiumei had stayed overnight, her eyes blazing with anger.

Since she can endure humiliation to protect her current identity, she absolutely cannot allow Xie Fengmian to have someone outside, as that person could very much take everything she has away.

Absolutely not!

Another night passed, and Fengmian left early again.

Today, Xiaotong didn’t wake up early to irritate him, so Fengmian was in a good mood, his steps light as he left.

Unbeknownst to him, Xiaotong secretly followed him from a distance as soon as he left, stopping and observing everything about him along the way.

This was the best solution Xiaotong came up with during the night—follow him and confirm if such a person exists, and if so, she would make that woman regret it!

...

The shop’s opening went well, with crowds pouring in on the first day, but by the second day, things became more manageable, and He Chen could handle it alone.

Ye Manman also planned to do something herself.

She decided to visit the town’s publishing house.

Being the cashier was not Manman’s dream. Although helping He Chen was quite relaxing, it didn’t provide personal growth and meant nothing to her.

After the college entrance examination, she planned to enter the foreign language industry, although she still had a few months before the exam, she didn’t want to waste time improving herself during those months.

She had already read all the books they bought home, and couldn’t find any newly introduced books in the bookstore, so she turned her attention to the publishing house.

There’s a chance they might have them.

And there’s a chance they might need translations.

If needed, she could not only see the latest books but also earn considerable money with her language skills.

So she got dressed in new clothes early, and after helping He Chen manage the busiest morning hours, she quickly grabbed her little bag and headed out.

To avoid an incident like last time, He Chen insistently accompanied her outside this time, temporarily closing the shop to act as her bodyguard, trailing happily behind her.

"Manman, you don’t actually need to work, I can earn a lot, so you don’t have to work so hard."

Walking beside Manman, they discussed the translation work last night, but now that she was going to work for strangers, He Chen was still very worried.

Fearing she would get hurt, tired, bumped, or be eyed by someone.

"Who says I’m going to work?"

Manman walked leisurely as though shopping, seeming nothing like someone heading for a job interview, even buying a few lollipops and a candied fruit skewer along the way.

"I’m just finding something to do to pass the time, being home is too boring, and just being a cashier isn’t fulfilling and doesn’t enhance myself."

"And there won’t always be people buying sweet and spicy duck, right?"

The publishing house wasn’t far, they soon reached the entrance, Manman, holding a lollipop and having He Chen hold the candied fruit, critically eyed the shop decorations before going inside despite her dissatisfaction.

An old and broken-down building.

It wasn’t very crowded inside.

However, this town wasn’t developed, there was only this one small publishing house, so she could only try her luck to find some interesting but unread books.

"Excuse me, sorry to bother you, do you need a translator here?"

Manman, in a white coat with her hair in a bun, her fair face seemed to glow as she entered, brightening the dimly lit room where the president and members were preoccupied with checking references and translating articles.

"Yes! We do need translators here!"

"Comrade, are you a foreign language student on holiday doing some part-time work?"