Chapter 15: Grown Wings

Shen Qingqing first went to the post office to call her supervisor to coordinate work matters.

Translation work could be done anywhere; she only needed to mail the manuscripts back periodically.

However, she wouldn't be able to return to the Capital in the near future, so her urgent tasks had to be reassigned to someone else.

Shen Qingqing was highly capable and proficient in three foreign languages, which earned her great appreciation from her supervisor.

Had her parents not passed away early, cutting off her linguistic training, she might have been even more outstanding.

Knowing that Shen Qingqing was heading to the Great Northwest to resolve family matters and needed time, her supervisor granted her leave without a second thought.

The supervisor didn't pry into her family business, only offering a single piece of advice

"Handle your matters well before coming back. Otherwise, if you're preoccupied with them, your work efficiency will suffer."

With her supervisor's words, Shen Qingqing felt much more at ease.

After finishing the work discussion, they exchanged a few pleasantries before she hung up the phone.

It took over two hours to get from the compound to the county town. If she hurried, Shen Qingqing could return to the compound the same day.

But she didn't want to be that exhausted.

Besides, even if she went back, she would just be staying in her room alone.

It was better to treat herself well; if she missed the bus, she would just stay at the county guesthouse.

She would let things take their natural course.

She planned to head to the supply and marketing cooperative first to buy some things.

In addition to her own daily necessities, she needed to buy two types of supplements to give to the Lin family.

The supply in a small county town couldn't compare to the Capital, and Shen Qingqing didn't know what kind of goods the cooperative carried.

She could only go see first, then decide what would be most appropriate to send to the Lin family.

Unfamiliar with the routes, it took her some time to ask for directions.

When she arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative, she saw Jiang Zhixun and Lin Fengmian from a distance.

The two of them were standing side by side in front of the counter.

Lin Fengmian was looking up at Jiang Zhixun, smiling brightly, though it was unclear what they were talking about.

Jiang Zhixun maintained his usual cold demeanor, occasionally nodding to indicate he was listening.

It was like a pebble tossed into a calm lake.

By the time she realized what was happening, Shen Qingqing had already turned and left the cooperative.

She didn't want to ask why Jiang Zhixun was here, nor did she want to know why Lin Fengmian was with him.

Lin Fengmian's behavior in the cafeteria that day had already explained everything.

Shen Qingqing gave a self-deprecating smile; entering the cooperative now would only make her an eyesore.

Lin Fengmian was hostile toward her.

Jiang Zhixun wanted to stay away from her.

It was better to have some self-awareness and not disturb them.

As if pursued by a ferocious beast, Shen Qingqing walked faster and faster, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.

Sensing something, Jiang Zhixun looked back.

"Brother Jiang, what do you think of this fabric? I want to make a set of clothes for Xiaobao to wear during the New Year."

Lin Fengmian didn't notice anything unusual about Jiang Zhixun. She excitedly held up a piece of cotton cloth in front of the man.

Originally, she had intended to stay far away from Brother Jiang, but after looking around, she hadn't found Shen Qingqing.

Seeing Brother Jiang shopping at the cooperative, she had followed him in.

Unknowingly, they had started talking again.

At this point, Lin Fengmian didn't want to be coy anymore. She hadn't done anything crossing the line, so why should she feel guilty?

If Shen Qingqing had an issue with it, that was just her being petty!

Pedestrians passed by the entrance of the cooperative, but none of them were Shen Qingqing.

Jiang Zhixun withdrew his gaze.

If she wasn't at the cooperative, had she gone to the bookstore or the post office?

Based on his understanding of Shen Qingqing, he couldn't think of any other places.

He quickly bought two cans of preserves to bring when he went to the Lin family for dinner.

Seeing that Jiang Zhixun was about to leave, Lin Fengmian bit her lip.

She put down the fabric in her hand.

"Brother Jiang, are you going to look for Comrade Shen again? I'll go with you."

Fearing his refusal, she added, "Many hands make light work."

Jiang Zhixun raised his hand to check his watch.

If they delayed any longer, he wouldn't make the bus back to the compound.

If he let Shen Qingqing wander around outside alone, the old man at home would give him a severe scolding if he found out.

After a moment of hesitation, he agreed to Lin Fengmian's suggestion.

However, he still offered a reminder: "Qingqing has a soft temperament, she cries easily, and she is quite sensitive. Don't say anything harsh to her when you meet."

Lin Fengmian's expression froze.

Though she hadn't had much schooling, she could tell whether words were kind or unkind.

Her lips twitched, and she squeezed her palm hard to suppress the surging bitterness in her heart.

"Brother Jiang, are you blaming me? That day in the cafeteria, I thought Comrade Shen was pestering you, so I..."

Jiang Zhixun's tone was indifferent. "I'm not blaming you. It's just that I didn't make things clear beforehand."

Lin Fengmian was sharp-tongued and never let anyone off easy.

But she was an exception in front of Jiang Zhixun.

She was terrified that he would find her rude and dislike her.

When she saw Shen Qingqing in the cafeteria that day, Jiang Zhixun's attitude had been strange, and in her anxiety, she had acted that way.

She didn't mind being criticized by her own brother.

But hearing Jiang Zhixun say this made her feel suddenly, intensely wronged.

In the cafeteria that day, it was clearly Brother Jiang who had made things difficult for Shen Qingqing first.

What was wrong with her standing on his side?

Her nose felt sour, and she felt an inexplicable urge to cry.

Lin Fengmian took a breath. "Brother Jiang, whether you believe me or not, if I had known Comrade Shen was your wife, I wouldn't have said those things."

Jiang Zhixun neither said he believed her nor that he didn't.

"It's getting late. Perhaps you should head back first, so your brother and sister-in-law don't worry."

Carrying his things, he left first.

Lin Fengmian could neither stay nor leave.

She felt even more aggrieved.

They had agreed to let her help find the person, so why the sudden change of heart?

Could it be that he was afraid Shen Qingqing would be angry if she saw them together?

Or was he afraid she would say something harsh and scare Shen Qingqing?

Thinking of Shen Qingqing's delicate appearance, the grievance in Lin Fengmian's heart turned into loathing.

That kind of woman must be very good at playing the victim!

A few tears and she could make a man ache for her.

Perhaps she had even gone to complain to Brother Jiang in private; otherwise, why would he suddenly say such things?

She wanted to see what Brother Jiang would do once they found Shen Qingqing!

And so, she jogged after him.

There weren't many places for entertainment in the county town, and Shen Qingqing didn't know where to go.

She didn't want to run into Jiang Zhixun and Lin Fengmian.

In the compound, she would follow her mother-in-law's wishes and cooperate with Jiang Zhixun to play the part of an ordinary couple.

She did this to repay the Jiang family's kindness in raising her over the years.

But while away from home, she didn't want to make things difficult for herself.

They were getting a divorce anyway; there was no need for excessive entanglement.

Passing by the cinema, she simply went in and bought a ticket.

By the time the movie was over, they would surely have left the county town.

However, by doing this, she wouldn't be able to catch the bus back to the compound and would have to stay in the county for one night.

Before leaving the compound, Shen Qingqing had told Xiao Li at the guesthouse that if she didn't make it back, it meant she was staying in the county, so there was no need to look for her.

Now that she had no worries, Shen Qingqing took her ticket into the theater.

She didn't know that Jiang Zhixun had searched everywhere he could, including the park and the state-run restaurants.

He had even nearly gone to report her to the police.

Seeing how worried Jiang Zhixun was about Shen Qingqing, Lin Fengmian felt very uneasy.

She said sarcastically, "She arrived early; maybe she bought some things and went straight back to the compound. Brother Jiang, don't be in such a hurry. Go back to the compound and check first."

Jiang Zhixun's expression was grim.

When he returned to the compound and didn't find Shen Qingqing, his aura turned deathly cold.

Xiao Li was puzzled. "Comrade Shen said she would stay in the county for one night. Captain Jiang, didn't she tell you?"

Without a word, Jiang Zhixun walked out.

He borrowed a car and headed back to the county town once more.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. The man slammed his hand against the steering wheel. "Shen Qingqing, you've really grown some wings!"

(End of Chapter)