Chapter 73

"Has Li Jinhu contacted you about the gathering, Dou Qing?" Cheng Jieming called out softly.

Dou Qing glanced at Cheng Jieming with her clear, dark eyes but did not speak directly, only nodding.

This nod seemed rather impolite. However, young and beautiful women had a special advantage in this regard. Although it was an impolite gesture, when Dou Qing did it, it somehow felt natural and justified.

Cheng Jieming looked at Dou Qing, who was looking down and silent, and suddenly remembered the line, "The most gentle is that low bow, like a water lily shy of the cool breeze." He quickly composed himself and silently warned himself, "Cheng Jieming, in matters of the heart, you must be devoted. Don't let your boldness lead to excessive desires. There are many beautiful women in the world, and since you have Gu Xixi, don't think too much!"

To avoid letting Dou Qing see his dirty thoughts, Cheng Jieming forced a smile and said, "Li Jinhu also called me, but the time hasn't been set. Did he tell you?"

"I refused!" Dou Qing said, then slowly closed her eyes.

Closing her eyes meant she didn't want to talk anymore. Although Dou Qing's expression was still pleasant to look at, Cheng Jiemin's pride made him close his mouth. He straightened his body and started to read the book he had brought.

However, at this moment, Cheng Jieming found he couldn't concentrate on reading. His mind was filled with thoughts of the girl beside him. From the fact that a car had been sent specially to take Dou Qing to the station, it seemed she was well-treated in the village. Her refusal of Li Jinhu's invitation and her conversation with him reflected that she was a woman of strong character.

Thinking of Dou Qing, Cheng Jieming also thought of Li Jinhu and the others. Li Jinhu was smooth-talking and eloquent, and he was probably doing better in the village than Dou Qing.

It seemed he was the most down-and-out.

After half an hour, the car finally started, creaking as it drove on the bumpy road, not much better than the bus Cheng Jieming had taken to the village. In the jolting, Cheng Jieming put away his book and slowly closed his eyes.

"Uh... uh... hmm..."

After some time, a soft moan woke Cheng Jieming from his daze. He looked up and saw Dou Qing had turned her head and was vomiting out the window.

She was carsick again!

Seeing Dou Qing carsick, Cheng Jieming couldn't help but recall the awkwardness of their previous car ride. As this thought flashed through his mind, he felt a stirring in his lower body.

Damn, this is too eager!

After taking a deep breath to suppress his improper thoughts, Cheng Jieming gently patted Dou Qing's back. Although there was a thick coat between them, he could still feel the slender outline of her back.

"Thank you, I feel better now." After a while, Dou Qing turned her head and forced a smile.

Although Cheng Jieming was a bit reluctant, he still withdrew his hand. Looking at Dou Qing's increasingly pale face, he said nothing more, knowing it wasn't the right time for her to talk.

"Crunch... crunch." Just as Cheng Jieming was about to take out his book and pretend to read, he heard the sound of someone eating in front of him. He looked up and saw a middle-aged woman eating an apple.

The bright red apple gradually shrank as she ate. After a moment's hesitation, Cheng Jieming walked over to her.

Dou Qing was also surprised to meet Cheng Jieming again. His act of helping her with her carsickness made her feel a bit strange. After thanking him, she didn't know how to face this young, handsome companion.

Just as the awkwardness set in, he left.

At that moment, a loud voice came from the front, "Young man, you're really careless. You have such a good wife, how could you forget to buy some fruit? Here, take these two..."

What wife? Dou Qing seemed to realize something, but her cheeks turned even redder.

"An apple can help with carsickness." Cheng Jieming held out two bright red apples and gently offered one to Dou Qing.

Looking at the apple, Dou Qing's fair face turned slightly red. She wanted to say something but ultimately said nothing, just took the apple from Cheng Jieming and began to eat it carefully.

After a three-hour journey, they finally arrived at Tianyuan Bus Station. Cheng Jieming got off the bus with his bag and turned to Dou Qing, who looked much better, and said, "Where are you going? I can take you there."

Before Dou Qing could answer, a woman with a waistline of at least three feet came down from the bus. She glanced at Dou Qing and said loudly, "Young man, carsickness is no small matter. Find a small restaurant and get your wife some water to drink."

Cheng Jieming was taken aback and looked at Dou Qing, who was blushing even more. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Thank you, I'll do that."

After the woman left, Cheng Jieming wanted to explain but didn't know what to say. Dou Qing looked at him and smiled, "I'll go first."

Watching Dou Qing's slowly retreating figure, Cheng Jieming shook his head and tried to push her image out of his mind. As he walked out of the station, he looked at the bustling crowd and the vehicles streaming in all directions, feeling a sense of estrangement.

It had only been ten days since he went to the countryside!

Before leaving, Cheng Jieming had left a message on Gu Xixi's pager, but for some reason, she hadn't replied. He quickly went to a public phone and dialed Gu Xixi's office number.

"Hello, who are you looking for?" A stern male voice came from the phone.

Cheng Jieming had eaten a meal with the people in Gu Xixi's office, but he couldn't recognize this person, so he said, "Hello, is Gu Xixi there?"

"Gu Xixi is in Beijing for a training course. She'll be back for the New Year." The person hung up immediately after saying this.

Gu Xixi was in Beijing for a training course? This news made Cheng Jieming's heart sink. He had returned to Tianyuan City not only to strengthen his connections but also to see Gu Xixi.

In the heat of their romance, they were already deeply attached to each other, and Cheng Jieming's reaction to Dou Qing on the bus was partly due to this.

The fire in his heart was doused by this cold water. As he subconsciously picked up his luggage and walked out, a thought crossed his mind: why hadn't Gu Xixi told him?

He had a pager, and it would have been easy for her to call him. This thought made him feel even more stifled.

"Clearance sale, clearance sale! The mall is closing tomorrow, all items are sold directly by the manufacturer!" A rough voice blared through a loudspeaker, drowning out all the noise around Cheng Jieming.

Although Cheng Jieming was in a bad mood, he still looked up and saw a large stall set up at the entrance of the Tianyuan Commercial Building, with several men shouting loudly.

It's not even the 20th of the month, why is the mall closing? Cheng Jieming walked over, puzzled. Before he reached the entrance, he heard one of the men shout, "Come and take a look! Military green coats for 50 yuan each! They used to be 60 yuan, but the mall is closing tomorrow, so it's a clearance sale."

"Why is the mall closing? It used to be very popular," a middle-aged man, who didn't sound like he was from Tianyuan, asked.

The man beside him, an old man, said angrily, "How can it not close? It's been losing money every day. During the New Year, they can't even afford to pay the basic salaries of the employees, let alone any benefits."

"Really?" The middle-aged man's eyes were full of disbelief.

"Of course, my neighbor's daughter works there, and now the couple is so worried about the New Year that their hair is turning white," the old man said, adding with a sense of relief, "A few years ago, I wanted my second son to work as a clerk in this commercial building after he graduated, but he was replaced because I didn't have strong connections. At the time, I felt bad, but now it seems that the tide has turned, and this year it's our turn!"

The old man's words drew sighs from the others. Another person said, "It would be strange if the commercial building didn't close. Not only are the clerks lazy, but the quality of the products is terrible. A few days ago, I bought a coat here, and it started to unravel after just two days."

As the crowd chatted, a memory from the black diary flashed through Cheng Jieming's mind. The diary had recorded something about the commercial building, mainly because it was the first time he and his wife had an argument: she insisted on queuing up in the supermarket to buy eggs that were 50 cents cheaper per pound.

"Chengping Supermarket, which used to be the commercial building, I don't understand why the private owner's business is so successful. In just a few years, the whole city of Tianyuan is full of Chengping Supermarkets..."

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