Chapter 203: Making Inquiries

Chapter 203: Chapter 203: Making Inquiries

He Wei had just opened her mouth when her throat tightened.

The words on the tip of her tongue were swallowed back down. She forced herself to hold them in, not daring to shout.

Her cheeks puffed out in anger, her face tense. Biting her lower lip, she spun around and stormed out of Director Cheng’s office.

The moment she was in the hallway, Yang Lei hurried over and asked right off the bat.

"Feeling better now?"

"It’s all over for me this time! Don’t even think about me getting a promotion!"

She shot him a vicious glare, her eyes practically bulging out of their sockets, then turned and bolted.

She went upstairs, walked in the door, and without even taking a sip of water, started efficiently stuffing clothes into a suitcase.

’I’m going to my mother’s for a while!’ she decided.

’You can take care of the kids by yourself and see what it’s like without a mother at home!’

Yang Lei hadn’t followed her back at all, so how could he know what she was up to?

He Wei had just left the main gate of the family residential compound, carrying several bags.

She looked up and spotted Song Yao, her large belly prominent, standing leisurely at the bus stop.

Just then, a bus screeched to a halt.

He Wei, luggage in hand, scrambled onto the bus in a few quick steps.

She deliberately turned sideways, trying to avoid being seen.

But Song Yao recognized her anyway.

Song Yao, however, paid her no mind. She simply picked an empty window seat, sat down, and fiddled with her fingers, not giving He Wei a second glance.

He Wei silently shuffled to the back of the bus and found a corner to sit in.

When Song Yao got off, she glanced at the rear door.

Seeing that He Wei was still on the bus, she didn’t think anything of it.

’It’s just a bus,’ she thought. ’Who gets on or off is none of my business. It’s not like I own the bus line.’

But He Wei just wouldn’t leave her in peace.

Song Yao had just stepped off the bus when the doors were already clicking shut behind her.

He Wei pounded on the doors, managing to get the driver to stop and open them to let her off.

By the time the panting He Wei jumped off, Song Yao had already turned the corner at the intersection ahead and was out of sight.

Fortunately, with her belly sticking out and her slight waddle, Song Yao was easy to spot from a distance.

He Wei hurried to keep up, tailing her the entire way.

Finally, she watched with her own eyes as Song Yao pushed open the glass door of an administrative department building and went inside.

He Wei froze on the spot, her mind buzzing as if it had exploded.

"A public sector office..."

Her lips trembled. She shivered in the middle of summer, her teeth chattering.

"She really got a job in a public sector office?!"

She had to rely on her grandfather pulling strings just to squeeze into a factory job as an accountant.

And among the families in the compound, that was considered a fantastic job!

Most of the wives weren’t even literate these days, let alone holding a salaried office job.

The majority of them didn’t even know how to use a fountain pen.

Those who worked had to stand for eight hours straight, and those who didn’t had no income.

A couple like her and Yang Lei, both Beijing natives, was a rarity.

When other men went to work, their wives would squat by the door, twisting hemp rope or sewing shoe soles.

But what about now?

A young wife from out of town had somehow waltzed her way into such a cushy and respectable office?

He Wei refused to believe it.

’She’s got to be kidding me! From out of town? Without even a local household registration, how could she land an iron-rice-bowl job like that?’

’No wonder she sleeps in late every day and rushes back at dusk... So that’s what’s been going on!’

Unable to contain her curiosity, she braced herself and sidled up to the guardhouse window, asking the old man with a sycophantic smile.

"Sir, I’d like to ask about something. That young woman who just went in, the one with the big belly, do you know what she does here?"

The old man didn’t even lift his eyelids. Cradling an enamel mug in one hand, he waved her away with the other.

"Where are you from? Taking a census?"

He Wei immediately straightened her back.

"I’m from Beijing! A genuine local! My family’s ancestral graves are in South City!"

She also pointed toward the entrance.

"That one just now, the one from out of town, what is she doing in there?"

The old man scoffed, blew the tea leaves from the surface of his drink, and then simply closed his eyes, leaning back in his chair.

He started humming a little tune as he rocked, completely ignoring her.

He Wei’s face flushed crimson. She wanted to curse him out but didn’t dare open her mouth.

In the end, all she could do was stomp her foot and turn to leave.

The heel of her shoe made a sharp CLICK against the concrete.

She hailed a taxi and went straight to her mother’s house.

When the driver asked for the street, she gave the address and added another sentence.

"Hurry up, I’m trying to make it in time for dinner."

Song Yao had no idea about any of this, nor did she care to know.

For the past few days, she ate when she should eat and slept when she should sleep, living a peaceful and stable life.

The work at the Cultural Relics Bureau was unhurried.

Whenever Song Yao felt tired, she’d take a car over to Yang Wanqing’s place to see her grandparents.

Yang Wanqing and Shen Lixin had moved back into the courtyard house.

The windows of the north-facing room were always open, letting a cross-breeze flow through.

The moment Song Yao stepped through the door, Yang Wanqing immediately called out to Xiao Xiao.

"Quick, quick, bring out all of Song Yao’s favorite foods!"

Hot pot was, of course, a must.

In this hot weather, the old couple hadn’t felt like eating it for a while.

But since their granddaughter was craving it, they immediately perked up and happily joined in.

Shen Lixin squatted by the stove adding charcoal. He singed his finger, pulled it back to blow on it, then reached out again to steady the rim of the pot.

Yang Wanqing used long chopsticks to pick up a slice of mutton.

She swirled it gently in the boiling water, immediately pulled it out, dipped it generously in sesame paste, and placed it in Song Yao’s bowl.

Before Song Yao had even settled in her seat, Yang Wanqing began firing off a series of questions.

"Are you settling in okay?"

"Is the food to your liking?"

"Are you eating well for lunch and dinner?"

"Should I have Xiao Xiao go over and cook for you?"

Song Yao waved her hands frantically.

"No, no, Grandma! Li Hanchen handles dinner, and I eat at the work cafeteria for lunch. Every meal has meat and vegetables, and it’s plenty rich!"

She even pinched her own cheek.

"Oh my, my face has gotten rounder. I think I’m starting to pack on the pounds."

Yang Wanqing smiled and patted her head.

"A little plumper is good. It gives you a healthy glow and looks auspicious. The baby in your belly will be more stable and grow strong."

"But are you able to handle going to work every day?" she asked with a frown.

"It’s a breeze! I go in late and leave early, and I can even nap for two hours at noon. There’s barely any work. I’m basically just going there to pass the time."

"Besides, just cooping myself up at home without moving isn’t good for the baby either."

Yang Wanqing nodded.

"That makes sense! If you don’t move around, childbirth will be difficult."

"Alright, as long as you know what you’re doing, don’t push yourself. Our family doesn’t lack anything. You just focus on eating well and taking care of yourself."

"If you ever feel unwell or unhappy about anything, you come right back to Grandma!"

Song Yao buried her face in her grandmother’s shoulder, nuzzling against her and saying softly, "Mhm, the second I feel bad, I’ll come running back to you to be spoiled."

Yang Wanqing’s eyes crinkled with a smile.

"Next month during the holiday, your great-aunt and grand-aunt are both coming back to North City. They’ll definitely be here."

"Really? Then you have to call me right away!"

"Don’t worry, it’ll be more reliable than an alarm clock!"

Song Yao ate until her belly was full and her cheeks were puffed out. With a bit of powdered sugar still on the corner of her mouth, she left with a bag of freshly made snacks from Xiao Xiao.

She stood at the door and thanked the driver, who then drove her safely home.

He Wei stayed holed up at her mother’s house for nearly a week.

Yang Lei never once showed up to take her home.

Her mother finally couldn’t hold it in anymore.

"It’s one thing to get competitive and throw a tantrum with outsiders, but what’s the point of giving your own husband the cold shoulder?"

"Look at you. If you really get divorced, what’s your plan? You’ll be raising two kids alone, and you’ll lose your housing allocation from your job."

"Do you think you’re still in your early twenties? That there’s a line of young men on the street waiting for you to pick one?"

"Once you’re divorced, where are you going to find another man like Yang Lei?"