He didn’t dare to gamble on having a son, so he never had a son in his life.
Xu Fangfang’s ex-husband sounded quite dejected; he only thought about the two daughters he had with his ex-wife. Unexpectedly, when the younger one saw him, she burst into tears, drawing the attention of neighbors and passersby.
It brought some bad luck.
"I just came to see the kids," Xu Fangfang’s ex-husband said without much confidence, but he indeed came just to see the kids.
It was said that Zhenzhen was doing well in her exams.
Perhaps she might get into university in time.
"We’ve cut off ties, and the children carry my surname. I hope you won’t come here again," Xu Fangfang said assertively.
Zhenzhen and Nini didn’t have a father, but they had her as their mother.
As for her ex-husband’s life, she didn’t bother to pay attention.
Raising her two daughters was enough for her.
She wouldn’t consider anything else.
Xu Fangfang’s ex-husband couldn’t stay any longer either.
At lunch, Zhenzhen from next door brought over a plate of flaky pastries.
"Zhenzhen, there’s no need to be so formal."
"Grandma, my mom asked me to bring this over. It’s a speciality from Capital City."
Grandma Fang didn’t let Zhenzhen return with an empty plate; she sliced some sausages for her, which Zhenzhen initially declined.
"This is also a speciality from our hometown. Take it!"
That incident quickly passed.
"Sister Zhao, Officer Wang is patrolling around our garment shop again. I’ve seen him several times," a sales clerk whispered to Zhao Xinxin.
Officer Wang often came to their shop, and after many visits, they noticed it.
It seemed like Officer Wang had taken a liking to Sister Zhao.
Their boss’s surname was Zhao, and Sister Zhao also was named Zhao; there was some familial connection, but Sister Zhao was particularly friendly and kind.
Their salary at the garment shop, base salary plus commission, wasn’t insubstantial; on a good month, they could make over a hundred, which was something they hadn’t dared dream of before.
Zhao Xinxin found it hard to reject him, especially since he hadn’t yet expressed his feelings to her.
If she suddenly went up to him and said, "Don’t like me,"
it would seem rather foolish.
"It’s the summer break now, and there’s an increased fear of kidnappers in Capital City, so the patrols have increased."
Speaking of kidnappers, one sales clerk cursed openly, "Those kidnappers deserve to die a horrible death. My cousin was abducted by them and still hasn’t been found."
What they hated the most were the kidnappers.
With the summer break, schoolchildren were on vacation. The adults had to work, so children often went out on their own, which increased the chances of encountering kidnappers.
When Jianguo returned home after work and saw his mother hesitating to speak, he said, "Mom, if you have something to say, just say it."
Seeing you makes me anxious.
"Your aunt wants to set you up with someone, and I didn’t refuse."
His aunt had wanted to set him up previously.
It was a young worker in the factory.
He had outright refused at the time.
"You don’t have a partner, and you can’t just keep dragging this on without marrying. So, I didn’t refuse. When do you have a holiday? Why not meet her then?"
"Mom, don’t you know what’s on my mind?"
Mrs. Wang’s eyes brightened, but then she quickly dimmed again.
"Don’t you have no partner? Is there someone now? If there’s someone, why haven’t you brought them to meet us? How would I know if you don’t say you have someone?"
Jianguo was almost dizzy from his mom’s questioning.
Mrs. Wang looked at him, "I thought it was that sales clerk from the jewelry store, but I went there a few days ago and didn’t see the clerk?"
Had his mom actually gone to see Comrade Zhao?