Chapter 113 - If his grandson was too useless, then he would just have her be his adopted granddaughter. (2)
“Rugui, she’s a friend of yours?” Uncle Zong didn’t dare to run during the middle stretch; as such, he was not panting right now.
Wen Rugui frowned almost unnoticeably. “Mmm.”
Didn’t his grandfather and Uncle Zong go fishing?
How was he here right now?
Uncle Zong pretended that he did not notice Wen Rugui’s expression. Clearing his throat, he said, “If she’s your friend, you should invite her over to our place. Why are you standing here?”
Tong Xuelu lifted her brows and looked baffled, “This one is…?”
Wen Rugui, “This is Uncle Zong. He was an orderly in the military and he’s here keeping my grandfather company after he was discharged.”
Orderly in military and company.
Tong Xuelu blinked and instantly had it all figured out.
Wen Rugui’s grandfather was no ordinary person.
Uncle Zong, displaying 8 teeth of his, had on him a kind smile. “Hi female comrade. How are you doing? The sun is beating down so hard right now. Why don’t you come over to our place and have a glass of water?”
Tong Xuelu shook her head, “No, it’s alright. I have somewhere else that I need to be. Maybe next time.”
This was not like her time. Men and women would not casually go over to each other’s places. Once they do, they would be at the point of betrothal.
Besides, she really had somewhere to go.
Uncle Zong looked disappointed when he heard that. “Oh, alright. Then you must pay us a visit when you have some more free time next time.”
Wen Rugui hadn’t expected Uncle Zong to assume the role of the host as soon as he had arrived. Frowning a little, he handed the stuff in his hands over, “Uncle Zong, this is the food that Comrade Tong has brought with her. Why don’t you take them home for me first?”
Oh my, what a kind, pretty, and virtuous girl!
Uncle Zong smiled so much that his face resembled a flower. “Sure, sure. Thank you, female comrade. You sure you don’t want to come over for a little bit?”
Tong Xuelu found the old man in front of her very funny. She shook her head again and said, “No, not this time. Maybe next time.”
“Yes, yes. There will be more opportunities in the future.”
Uncle Zong took Old Mr. Wen’s words to heart. He dared not force the girl at all.
Under Wen Rugui’s “intense stare”, he walked away with the food while turning around frequently as he left.
That longing look on him. Had he been more age appropriate, others might think that he was Tong Xuelu’s boyfriend.
Tong Xuelu busted out laughing from Uncle Zong’s behavior.
Wen Rugui blinked. “You mentioned earlier that you have somewhere else to be. Do you need help with anything?”
Tong Xuelu shook her head, “No, but there is something that I want to tell you. I’ve switched jobs. In the past, I worked at a garment factory in Yanqing County. I have recently exchanged my job with someone else, and now I work at the government-operated restaurant in the city, over in the southern part of town.”
Wen Rugui’s lips curved upward. “Congratulations. That’s a good job over at the government-operated restaurant.”
As he said that, he was calculating the time it would take to go from the military compound to the southern part of town in his head.
The sun was getting stronger, and Tong Xuelu was about to retreat. “Comrade Wen, you should hurry up and have your lunch. I shouldn’t keep you any longer.”
Wen Rugui wanted to say that she wasn’t keeping him but Tong Xuelu had already said goodbye to him.
“Bye, Comrade Wen.”
The bright sun was casting down on her and her eyes looked as lively as a deer.
Wen Rugui pinched his lips shut. “Bye, Comrade Tong.”
Tong Xuelu smiled, turned around, and left.
Wen Rugui looked at her from behind and, all the way until she disappeared around the corner, she had never once looked back.
He felt…. An odd emptiness inside of him.
***
The orderly finally walked back out after he saw that Tong Xuelu was gone. Smiling, he asked, “Is that female comrade your girlfriend?”
Wen Rugui frowned a little. “No, she’s a distant relative. Don’t you go spreading rumors around.”
The orderly nodded quickly. “Don’t worry. I have tight lips.”
Wen Rugui ignored him, turned, and headed in the direction of his house.