dkrc Chapter 13 Sending People Away
Chapter 13 Sending People Away
Gao Tingting threw down her bag and ran to the shoebox. She opened it and took a look; it turned out to be a pair of lambskin women's flat shoes.
"Wow, these shoes look so soft, bro, are they for me?"
She blinked expectantly.
Cheng Zheng slowly turned a page of his book and said casually, "It's a thank-you gift from someone else."
"Then I'll give it a try."
Gao Tingting excitedly took out the shoes and tried to put them on, but she couldn't get her heels in no matter what she did. When she looked at the shoe size, oh dear, it was size 35.
She usually wears size 38, and her expectations were immediately dashed.
"Oh dear, the size is too small, I can't wear it. Size 35 shoes are usually hard to find, I don't know why the person who gave it as a gift chose this size."
"Hey! They even included a few pairs of sheepskin insoles! They feel so soft, but why are they all so small... Who sent them?"
"You don't know him," Cheng Zheng said casually.
Gao Tingting said "Oh," and muttered, "Mom's feet are just like mine. Nobody in the family can wear them, and we can't exchange them at the store. It's a pity. Should we sell them?"
Upon hearing this, Cheng Zheng raised an eyebrow, looking disapproving: "Is this how you treat other people's feelings?"
Gao Tingting was a little embarrassed: "That's true, no matter what, it's someone else's good intention, how can I exchange it for money? Then... I'll give it away too, to friends who need it, and pass on this good intention?"
Cheng Zheng fell silent.
Gao Tingting immediately started thinking: Who should she give it to?
"By the way! Qingqing hurt her foot today. I noticed her feet seem quite small; she should be able to fit into these shoes! What do you think, brother?"
Cheng Zheng didn't react much, seemingly unconcerned: "Whatever."
"Speaking of which, bro, you know about Qingqing's injured foot today, right?"
Cheng Zheng hummed in agreement.
"No, is this all you're going to do?" Gao Tingting said anxiously. "Don't you even care? Qingqing is practically one of your people in the technical department. As her boss, you should be showing her some concern and then taking advantage of her vulnerability... I mean, I'm just kidding, hehe..."
Damn.
Gao Tingting covered her mouth guiltily.
Why did she blurt out what was on her mind?
Gao Tingting laughed awkwardly twice: "Brother, look, you're already 26. Your cousin is two years younger than you, and his child is already in kindergarten. Aren't you worried?"
Cheng Zheng raised an eyebrow and glanced at her, a smirk playing on his lips: "If you're in a hurry, you can get married first, since you already have a childhood betrothal."
"What kind of arranged marriage is this? It's a new society now, we don't do that anymore!" Gao Tingting's face clearly showed her refusal. Her arranged marriage partner was a short guy from the south, not even as tall as her. The adults had met him once last year during the Spring Festival, and she didn't want to marry a short man. She preferred tall people!
Cheng Zheng said seriously, "Our family owes them a huge favor, and I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter."
Gao Tingting: "I don't care, I'm not admitting it."
She quickly went upstairs to hide, and while she was at it, she went to the first-aid kit to find medicine for Lin Shuyao.
I thought I'd have to search high and low for a while, but when I opened the first-aid kit, the ointment was right there in the most conspicuous place.
And strangely, she only had less than half a bottle left after she used it last time, so how come the ointment is still intact and looks brand new?
Could it be that someone else commissioned another bottle?
Gao Tingting didn't think much of it and put the ointment and shoebox together, intending to take them to the factory the next day.
Instead of hoping her brother will find her a beautiful sister-in-law, she'd better take the initiative herself. Grandpa said that if she can help her brother find a partner, he'll help her get rid of the arranged marriage she was born into.
Coming downstairs, Gao Tingting checked the time; it was already 6:30. "Brother, why hasn't Mom come home yet? What are we going to eat tonight if she doesn't cook?"
Cheng Zheng slowly raised his head from the book: "If you're hungry, go to the kitchen and cook some noodles for yourself. You're a grown man now, don't expect your mother to worry about everything."
"Okay, I was just asking, would you eat if I cooked noodles?"
"I'm not hungry, you cook for yourself."
"oh."
Gao Tingting went into the kitchen, rolled up her sleeves, and was about to get to work when someone knocked twice on the kitchen window.
"Who is it?"
She opened the window, muttering to herself. It was a childhood friend from the same courtyard. "Tingting, they're showing the Soviet film 'Swan Lake' at the General Political Department Auditorium tonight. Hua Zi and the others have already gone to reserve seats. Are you going?"
"Go!" Gao Tingting's eyes lit up. She didn't even bother cooking the noodles; she rolled up her sleeves and ran out. Before leaving, she tossed a message to her brother in the living room, "Brother, I'm going to see a movie with Hua Zi and the others!"
The person just vanished without a trace.
Cheng Zheng continued reading on the sofa. A little while later, Gao Jie returned.
She looked haggard and somewhat dazed.
"Ah Zheng, find something to eat for yourself tonight. Mom is going upstairs to rest."
"Okay." Cheng Zheng wasn't very hungry to begin with.
The clock on the living room wall pointed to eight o'clock. Cheng Huazhang, Cheng's biological father, arrived home with his briefcase, while Cheng Zheng was still sitting on the living room sofa.
"I had a last-minute work meeting today, so I got back late. Have you all eaten yet?" Chen Huazhang put down his briefcase, unbuttoned his coat, and glanced at the dining table.
He hadn't eaten dinner yet. Usually, no matter how late he got home, there would be food left on the table for him, but today the table was empty.
Where's your mom?
Cheng Zheng didn't even lift his eyelids, his gaze fixed on the book in his hand, and said calmly, "Rest upstairs."
"I'll go upstairs and take a look." Cheng Huazhang hung his coat on his arm and walked upstairs.
When he reached the bedroom door, he pushed it open, but the door didn't budge.
I turned the doorknob, and the door was locked from the inside.
"Gao Jie? Is she asleep?"
It was quiet inside; there was no response.
He knocked again, this time with more force: "Gao Jie? Open the door."
It remained deathly silent, and an inexplicable unease instantly gripped him.
The two have been having a cold war recently because of Shen Qing's identity. He tried to coax Gao Jie, and she finally stopped mentioning divorce, but they haven't completely reconciled.
"Gao Jie! Gao Jie!"
He raised his voice and pounded on the door, but there was no response from inside. The ominous premonition grew stronger and stronger. He took a step back and suddenly kicked the door!
A loud bang echoed downstairs, and Cheng Zheng, who was in the living room, immediately put down his book, stood up, and strode up the stairs.