Chapter 2: A Heart Full of Sincerity Fed to the Dogs

Tan Aizhi nearly wiped away tears as she listened: “This child, it’s not easy for him to get to where he is today!”

Sympathy was one thing, but when it came to her daughter’s lifelong happiness, she wouldn’t take it lightly.

She advised her daughter to spend more time together, but to never rush in headfirst. She should never let her emotions take over and end up stuck in something she couldn’t get out of.

When it comes to relationships, you have to talk and get to know each other well to understand if they are truly right for you.

Song Xilan blushed and said, “What are you talking about? We haven’t even gotten to that point yet!”

However, their relationship had been going on for a while now, and it hadn’t progressed much. They were still at the level where she gathered the courage to give him food, and he would smile and say thank you.

Unlike the other girls who admired him, she hadn’t even had the chance to cross the street with him, visit a park, hold hands, or even share a kiss.

Song Xilan was almost ready to give up. There didn’t seem to be much point in continuing to throw herself at someone who was indifferent.

Then, yesterday, Yang Jingyu suddenly had someone deliver a ticket to her for the New Year’s Day celebration at the city hall. He also had someone bring a message saying that he wanted to meet her and asked her to come backstage after the performance.

Song Xilan spent the whole night feeling like a little deer in her heart!

She rushed out early this morning to buy beef.

Yang Jingyu had once mentioned that his favorite food was the sauerkraut and beef dumplings her mother made. He also said that before going on stage, he couldn’t eat too much, as it would affect his agility. So after the performance, he would be tired and hungry, and she should bring him dumplings.

The family had a delicious breakfast of big buns and hot pig liver and pork intestine porridge, feeling content and ready to start the day.

The Song family all worked at the food factory and lived in the factory dormitory, just a few steps away from work—no need for bicycles, they could just walk there.

Song Baili was the factory director, Tan Aizhi worked in the finance department, and Song Xilan had just graduated from high school. Song Baili had arranged for her to temporarily work in the factory’s sales department. He planned to wait until the office director retired, and then promote people according to the established order, leaving a vacancy. He would then have her take the exam to fill the position, to avoid any rumors of favoritism.

Song Xilan actually enjoyed her job as a sales clerk. Every day, she met different people, chatting and laughing, and before she knew it, the day was over.

Tomorrow was New Year’s Day, so in the afternoon, the staff didn’t feel like working anymore. They cleaned up early and closed the store as soon as it was time.

Song Xilan hurried home. Tan Aizhi had already returned and was chopping the filling for the dumplings. Song Xilan quickly tied on an apron and washed her hands: “Mom, let me do it. You go make the dough.”

Tan Aizhi, who was from the southern region, wasn’t very good at making dough. She had asked the canteen master to teach her, but she still hadn’t learned how to roll out perfect dumpling wrappers. So, in their family, they would roll the dough into a big, thin sheet and then use a can lid to stamp out round wrappers.

The sauerkraut smelled delightful—Tan Aizhi had pickled it herself, with a sour and crisp texture, exuding a fragrant rice aroma.

Song Xilan chopped the beef, wrung out some sauerkraut, minced it finely, and mixed it with the beef, then let Tan Aizhi season it.

The family worked together: Song Baili was in charge of rolling the dough and stamping the wrappers. The mother and daughter wrapped the dumplings. The dumplings turned out round, full of filling, plump and white, just like how the Song family made them.

Song Xilan had already told her parents that she was going to the New Year’s performance tonight and planned to bring Yang Jingyu a box of dumplings.

So the dumplings were made in portions for four people.

In addition to the dumplings, Tan Aizhi had also made a pot of corn, carrot, and pork bone soup, and stir-fried some vegetables. The family enjoyed a warm, lively meal together.

Song Xilan hurriedly went to change her clothes.

The white, fitted cashmere sweater that her father had bought for her from Haicheng during his business trip, paired with the newly made red and black plaid suspender skirt, white knee-high socks, and black little leather shoes with button details.

She untied her braid, letting her hair cascade down with its natural curls, and clipped a rhinestone hairpin that her aunt had brought back for her from studying abroad. It sparkled brightly, much like the excited expression in her eyes.

Before heading out, she added a red woolen coat to the outfit, which made her complexion appear like creamy white jade, a truly beautiful sight.

Tan Aizhi packed the boiled dumplings into a lunchbox, wrapped it in a thick towel to keep it warm, and put it into a net bag, handing it to Song Xilan: “Don’t stay out too late. Come back early!”

Song Xilan’s cheeks, soft and pale with a hint of healthy pink, radiated with energy as she smiled brightly: “Got it, Dad, Mom. I’m off!”

She smiled as her daughter left the house. Once she turned back inside, the couple exchanged a sigh.

Tan Aizhi: “Lately, I’ve noticed how eager our Xilan has been to pour her heart out to others. I can’t help but feel uneasy. If it doesn’t work out, I just hope she’ll let it go. But now this guy suddenly comes back to bother our Xilan—what does that mean?”

Song Baili: “Don’t worry too much. I’ve had someone look into it to see what made that boy change his attitude all of a sudden.”

Song Xilan was pushing her bicycle and arrived at the door of another household in the same compound. She called out, “Qiaoling, let’s go.”

A young girl dressed in a blue corduroy jacket and black pants, with two braids, and a slim figure ran out: “Coming, coming!”

Without hesitation, she jumped onto the backseat of Song Xilan’s bike: “Let’s go!”

Zheng Qiaoling’s mother came rushing out, holding an old cotton-padded jacket: “It’ll be cold when you come back tonight. Wear this.”

Zheng Qiaoling didn’t seem too happy: “I’m not cold.”

But her mother insisted and stuffed the cotton-padded jacket into her arms: “Not cold? I know you too well. You just want to look good but end up suffering.”

Song Xilan laughed as she pedaled the bike: “Aunt Fang, we’re off!”

Zheng Qiaoling had grown up with Song Xilan, and they were classmates.

Zheng Qiaoling’s parents both worked in the factory’s workshop. After she graduated from high school, her family was worried that she wouldn’t find a job and would be sent to the countryside, so they arranged a job for her at the factory.

She had two younger brothers, and the wages of both parents had to support a family of five, so their living conditions were much worse than those of the Song family.

Her corduroy jacket was made two years ago, and she hadn’t worn it much, only bringing it out for important occasions. As soon as she got home, she would immediately take it off and put it away. Even after two years, it still looked new.

Thankfully, it had been made larger at the time, so even though she had grown taller over the years, she hadn’t gained much weight, and it still fit her well.

But in this cold winter weather, wearing just a woolen sweater inside and a corduroy jacket outside made her shiver in the wind. Despite this, she refused to wear the old cotton-padded jacket her mother had given her, holding it in her arms instead.

If she wore that jacket, then the corduroy jacket would be wasted, wouldn’t it?