Chapter 402 - Chapter 402: Their Industry
Chapter 402: Their Industry
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Ji Zixuan and Yang Jingyi had already eaten, so there were only four of them at the dining table.
Fang Xinyi did not have much of an appetite, but she still tried her best to finish all the rice in her bowl.
After dinner, Hu Chunli looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost time for school.
“Xinyi, do you know the number of your mother’s workplace? Shall we call your mother and ask her to come back?” Ji Yuanyuan held Fang Xinyi’s hand and probed.
When Fang Xinyi heard this, she nodded vigorously and said, “Alright.”
It was a simple word, but it sounded a little choked up when it was said.
Li Xu also looked up at the time and immediately discussed with Hu Chunli, “Send the children to school. I’ll take Xinyi outside to make a call.”
“Alright, that’s it then!” Hu Chunli nodded.
Li Xu urged Ji Yuanyuan and the other two, “Hurry up. Pack up and follow your Auntie Hu to school.”
Hearing this, Fang Xinyi looked at Ji Yuanyuan in panic.
“Don’t worry,” Ji Yuanyuan comforted her in a low voice, “My mother will not send you home before your mother return.”
Yang Jingyi also went forward, “That’s right, Xinyi. If your mother doesn’t come back today, you can sleep at my house tonight. 1 have several rooms!”
After being comforted by the two of them, Fang Xinyi’s expression relaxed a lot.
“Alright, alright, hurry up and go.” Li Xu urged.
They went out together, but they parted ways at the entrance of the neighborhood. Hu Chunli took the children to school, while Li Xu went to a small shop nearby to make a phone call.
The phone in the shop had been moved to her home in the city, so she could only call a small shop nearby.
Fang Xinyi’s mother had given her a number, instructing her to call her if anything happened.
Although Fang Xinyi had never called this number before, she had already memorized it by heart.
In the small shop, Fang Xinyi said as Li Xu helped her press the number.
A beeping sound rang out, and Fang Xinyi became a little nervous.
She had to control her emotions and not cry. Otherwise, her mother would definitely be worried.
Soon, the call went through.
Fang Xinyi shouted impatiently, “Mommy…”
“Who’s your mother? Where did you come from, little girl?” an old voice came from the other end of the phone.
Fang Xinyi was stunned for a moment and asked suspiciously, “Aren’t you my mother?”
“What’s your mother’s name?”
“Deng Juan!”
“Oh, her, she lives upstairs. She went out this morning and hasn’t come back yet!” the old voice continued.
Fang Xinyi’s expression was a little disappointed. She pursed her lips and did not speak.
Seeing this, Li Xu quickly took the microphone and asked, “Hello, I’m Deng Juan’s friend. 1 need to talk to her about something. I’ll call again tonight. Please ask her to come down and answer the phone.”
After Li Xu finished speaking, the old lady on the other end of the phone sneered and said, “In their industry, how can they say when they’ll be back? She’ll probably only returning by one or two in the morning.”
The old lady’s words stunned Li Xu. She subconsciously lowered her head and looked at Fang Xinyi.
She saw Fang Xinyi looking at her in a daze, her eyes filled with hope.
Li Xu covered the microphone so that her voice would not spread out, “What did you mean by what you said just now…”
“You guys don’t know?” the old lady seemed to realize that she had said something wrong and quickly said, “Forget it, forget it. I’ll tell her when she comes back that her daughter and friends are looking for her! I’m hanging up, I’m hanging up!”
Without waiting for Li Xu to speak, the call had already been hung up.
“Sigh…” Li Xu shouted, but the phone was already ringing.
Seeing this, Li Xu sighed helplessly and looked at Fang Xinyi, “Your mother is working and hasn’t come home yet. How about we call her tonight?”
Although Fang Xinyi’s expression was a little disappointed, she still replied sensibly, “Good!”
The children’s transfer materials had been filled out, so Li Xu did not have to go to school in the afternoon.
She was too embarrassed to go to Hu Chunli’s house, so she could only bring Fang Xinyi to the shop.
The employee who was looking after the store was also an old employee of the store. Her surname was Zhou, and Li Xu called her Sister Zhou.
Sister Zhou and Li Xu were also familiar with each other. When she saw Li Xu bringing a strange little girl over, she joked with her, “Boss Li, where did you kidnap this little girl from?”
“Yuanyuan’s classmate,” Li Xu said with a smile. “She has nowhere to go, so 1 brought her here for a while.”
Sister Zhou was picking chives when Li Xu sat down and chatted with her, “How’s your husband recovering? Are you alright?”
As she spoke, she pulled a stool over for Fang Xinyi and placed it beside her.
“It’s just a minor operation. He has recovered a long time ago. He can even work in the fields now.”
“That’s good. What about your son? How’s your son?”
“He’s pretty good. Ever since his father fell ill, he’s become a lot more sensible and knows how to study. He rose several places at last year’s final exam!”
The two of them talked as they worked. It was lunchtime, so there was no one in the shop.
Fang Xinyi sat at the side at first, still a little reserved.
As she listened, she felt more at ease.
Seeing that Sister Zhou had a basket of chives in front of her and her hands were free, she took a handful of chives and carefully picked them.
Seeing this, Li Xu quickly stopped her, “Put it down. You don’t have to do anything. There’s a faucet over there. Go wash your hands!”
Li Xu said as she pointed in the direction of the bathroom.
Sister Zhou also interjected, “That’s right. You’re already so old. You just need to study well. You don’t have to work.”
Fang Xinyi didn’t move. She said in a low voice, “It’s alright, Auntie Li. I often help my mother with chores at home. Anyway, 1 have nothing to do anyway.”
She worked very quickly and did not stop talking. It was obvious that she was a child who often did housework.
Li Xu sighed in her heart. Thinking of what she had heard on the phone just now, she did not stop her.
At around five in the afternoon, the children were probably out of school.
Li Xu brought Fang Xinyi to the path they had to take to return and waited.
The group of people returned to Hu Chunli’s house. Li Xu and Hu Chunli cooked together.
It was already six o’clock after dinner. Seeing that Fang Xinyi was a little restless, Li Xu took her out to make another call.
“Excuse me, is Deng Juan back?”
The old lady recognized Li Xu’s voice and said impatiently, “Didn’t I tell you this afternoon? She came back very late. She came back at eleven or twelve at night and at one or two in the morning.”
“Alright, then I’ll have to trouble you. I’ll call again tonight.” Li Xu hesitated for a moment before hanging up..