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墨書 Inktalez
Sister Wu turned around upon hearing a voice and saw Lu Zheng. She smiled as she spoke, her smile tinged with a hint of bitterness that she concealed well.
"Lu Zheng, what brings you to the city today?"
She glanced at Wen Qian standing beside Lu Zheng, holding their child, and her surprise turned into joy. "Is this your wife and child? Oh my, you finally brought them over! I remember how I tried to persuade you before, but you weren't keen on it. Just look at how wonderful it is now that your family is together!"
She walked over and took Wen Qian's hand, examining her closely while smiling warmly. "Look at your wife; she's lovely, but a bit too thin. It's clear she's been through a lot. This is all your fault." She pointed at Lu Zheng playfully, scolding him with a smile.
Sister Wu glanced at the sewing machine nearby and leaned closer to Wen Qian, whispering, "I'll give you an employee discount; you'll save quite a bit."
Wen Qian smiled back at her. "Alright then, thank you, Sister Wu! I'll treat you to a meal later."
"What meal? How could it be on you? I’ll treat you instead! It’s not every day we get to meet; you have no idea how happy I am."
She looked at Wen Qian with fondness. The girl might be a bit thin and dark, but with some care, she would be just fine; her foundation was solid enough. "Otherwise, how could that child grow up so well-rounded?"
Lu Zheng had questions for Sister Wu but felt it would be rude to interrupt their lively conversation, so he decided to wait. However, he furrowed his brow as he observed Sister Wu, his expression filled with confusion and concern.
Why had Sister Wu suddenly come to work? Hadn't Brother Wu said that as long as he was around, he wouldn't let his wife work and suffer under others?
Could it be that something had happened to Brother Wu recently?
Sister Wu was busy discussing money matters with Wen Qian; this sewing machine was practically theirs now. Time was slipping away as they had already spent quite a while in the department store, and it was now noon.
After finishing work, Sister Wu planned to take Wen Qian and Lu Zheng out for lunch. However, as they walked along, Lu Zheng furrowed his brow and asked, "Sister-in-law, is Brother Wu home? We can just eat something at home; there's no need to spend money at a state-run restaurant."
Sister Wu's expression shifted awkwardly as she looked at Lu Zheng and forced a smile. "Whether Brother Wu is home or not, since you all came here with such difficulty, we should enjoy a nice meal together. I’m not short on money."
As she spoke, she tried to pull Wen Qian along with her. But Wen Qian could sense something was off; just looking at Lu Zheng's serious face made it clear that there was more to this situation.
"Sister Wu, why don’t we just go home and cook something? I’m quite good in the kitchen; let me show you my skills."
Sister Wu's smile faltered under the tension. Just then, a voice broke the silence.
"Ah! Lu Zheng! And Old Wu! What are you two standing around for?"
Wen Qian turned around and was surprised to find it was the kind-hearted older sister she had met while buying fabric earlier. The older sister walked over, smiling at them, and Lu Zheng greeted her.
"Sister Liu!"
"Oh, Lu Zheng! What are you all doing standing around? It's the middle of the day, why aren't you eating?"
Sister Wu chuckled, pulling her arm back. "Oh, I'm just getting ready to take them to the state-run restaurant for a meal."
"What state-run restaurant? Your home—"
Suddenly, Sister Liu's voice cut off, and she shouted. She slapped Sister Wu's arm playfully. "Old Wu, what are you doing? That hurts!"
Sister Wu shot her a knowing glance, and in a second, Sister Liu understood. She looked at Sister Wu in surprise.
"You mean, he doesn't know yet?"
Sister Liu quickly grasped what Sister Wu meant. The look on her face clearly indicated she didn't want Lu Zheng to find out about this.
"Forget it, we've been friends for so many years; I'll just go along with her this time."
"Alright then, let's eat at the state-run restaurant. No need to cook at home; it’ll just delay things."
"Come on, let's go! I’ll treat you all today," Sister Liu said generously as she reached to pull Wen Qian along.
Lu Zheng's frown deepened as he observed the odd behavior of both Sister Liu and Sister Wu. He suspected something was off at Sister Wu's home; otherwise, they wouldn't be acting so strangely.
Two people who have never acted before clearly couldn’t hide it now; it was obvious something was wrong.
"Alright, sisters, you don’t need to hide it from me. If you don’t tell me now, I’ll just ask someone else later. I will find out eventually."
As soon as Lu Zheng finished speaking, both Sister Wu and Sister Liu gradually stopped in their tracks.
Sister Wu looked at Lu Zheng with a wry smile. "Sigh, you really can’t hide anything from you."
"I didn’t mean to keep it from you; it’s just that your big brother specifically asked me not to tell you so you wouldn’t worry."
"Alright then, I won’t say anything more. After all, I promised your big brother."
She hung her head in despair, helplessly looking at Lu Zheng. "Just come back with me. You'll see for yourself, and then Brother Wu can tell you in person."
When Sister Wu spoke the last sentence, tears shimmered in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away.
Sister Liu comforted her from the side, "Don't be sad. Everything will be alright."
"Yes, everything will be alright!"
Wen Qian took out a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Sister Wu, looking at her with concern.
The journey home was silent; everyone remained quiet until they arrived.
At the door, Sister Wu paused, nervously clenched her fist, and let out a deep breath before finally opening the door.
As the door creaked open, a man's voice echoed from inside, "Is my wife back?"
"Yes, I'm back!"
Although she tried hard to conceal her emotions, the man inside quickly noticed something was off.
He anxiously asked, "What's wrong? Why does everyone seem so unhappy today?"
In an instant, Sister Wu felt overwhelmed; she covered her mouth as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"I'm fine!"
Lu Zheng hurried over and immediately spotted Brother Wu sitting in a wheelchair.
Brother Wu was anxiously pushing the wheels of his chair, sweat beading on his forehead. The moment he saw Lu Zheng, his hands froze mid-motion.
Lu Zheng set down Lu Chen and stared in disbelief at the scene before him.
The frail man sat in the wheelchair, his pants sagging beneath him, leaving two empty pant legs flapping in the air. The once tall and slightly plump man now looked emaciated as if he had just recovered from a severe illness, his complexion pale and unwell.
Brother Wu looked at Lu Zheng with excitement; his lips trembled as he tried to shift his wheelchair but found his hands shaking uncontrollably.
Feeling embarrassed, he attempted to turn away, but the wheelchair wouldn’t budge despite his efforts. Frustrated, he hit the armrest of the chair twice but didn’t dare to meet Lu Zheng's gaze.
Seeing him like this broke Sister Wu's heart; she rushed over and grabbed his hand.
With a choked voice, she shouted, "Old Wu, what on earth do you want to do?"
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