Free Web NovelChapter 463: Chapter 463: A Sincere Apology
Yi Roujing suddenly couldn’t move her legs. This small alley had two windows: one large window that belonged to the post office’s office and a smaller one belonging to a storage room. She knew this because every time she came to the post office, she always chose this small alley on her way back.
She had passed by many times but it was the first time she heard such sounds. It was Sunday today, not many people were working at the post office, otherwise, they wouldn’t dare to have an affair here.
Yi Roujing was quite sure that one of them was Shao Meijuan and the other was some deputy director of the post office. Although she had thought that Shao Meijuan wasn’t a good person, she never expected a good college student to have an affair with a married man.
Yi Roujing listened a bit more and then walked away; it wasn’t her business anyway. It was up to them if they wanted to do it; she was just an eavesdropper for once, not wanting any more imagery, especially since that deputy director wasn’t eye candy.
"What are you doing here?" Yi Roujing was about to leave the alley when she remembered there was not much milk powder left at home. She planned to go to the Department Store to restock on her four kids’ food before heading home, and she barely walked a hundred meters when she ran into Liu Aihui, who had just walked out of a state-run restaurant.
Liu Aihui recognized Yi Roujing at once and pointed at her in surprise.
"Is it necessary to be so surprised to see someone on the street?" Yi Roujing was speechless. "And don’t point at people casually with your fingers, it’s impolite."
Liu Aihui pouted and retracted her hand.
"Liu," a rough-looking, rather burly young man walked out of the state-run restaurant after Liu Aihui, holding an oil paper bag in his hand.
"Mr. Li," Liu Aihui turned around and greeted him with a smile.
"Could you please take this to Meijuan? I’m in a hurry for work, make sure she doesn’t go hungry." The young man handed the oil paper bag to Liu Aihui and left.
"Okay, Mr. Li, I’ll make sure Meijuan gets it." Liu Aihui waved and said goodbye with a smile.
"Hmph, you’re still here." Liu Aihui turned around and said, while Yi Roujing kept walking without stopping, not wanting to talk to her.
"Hey, what are you doing, I’m talking to you." Liu Aihui quickly took a few steps to catch up.
"Are we that close?" Yi Roujing glanced at her.
"Why are you so infuriating?" Liu Aihui frowned.
"Maybe you are." Yi Roujing said calmly, "You start odd conversations, saying things people don’t like to hear, and you keep huffing and heying, what kind of manners are those?"
"It’s because you use your looks to string people along, that’s wrong." Liu Aihui said righteously.
"Who am I stringing along?"
"Our classmate, Xing Yazhong," Liu Aihui said as a matter of course. "Otherwise, at yesterday’s outing, why would he speak up for you?"
"Haha." Yi Roujing was amused, "He spoke up for me because I was in the right, plus he knows one thing."
"What’s that?"
"I’m married and a mom, and he respects me." Yi Roujing turned her head, her face almost up to Liu Aihui’s, with a distinctly mocking smile.
Liu Aihui’s eyes widened in disbelief, her mouth opened wide, and then her face showed embarrassment, apology, and awkwardness, all very vivid. Seeing this, Yi Roujing understood that at least she knew decency and shame.
"You’re married? You’ve had children? Really, it didn’t show." Liu Aihui spoke with a guilty tone, her shoulders shrinking, "I’m sorry, I had eyes but couldn’t recognize you, I’m foolish, I... I’m really very sorry."
Liu Aihui bowed deeply, offering a very sincere apology to Yi Roujing, who raised an eyebrow, "Alright, I accept your apology; it’s very sincere."
Face blushing, Liu Aihui straightened up, "Can I treat you to lunch then? We’re right at the state-run restaurant’s entrance."
Liu Aihui was from Jin City, and her parents were technical personnel at a machinery plant. With busy parents, she was mostly raised by her grandparents. Both grandfathers had been soldiers, known for their straightforwardness, which she inherited, making her even more direct, but her ability to correct her mistakes was a major advantage.
"It’s fine, I have to go home for lunch, I’ve forgiven you." Yi Roujing said indifferently.
With Yi Roujing being so forgiving, Liu Aihui felt even more ashamed and followed her along to the Department Store, where she not only accompanied her but also insisted on paying for and giving the tokens needed for the milk powder.
"Apologies require proper compensation," Liu Aihui insisted, "Don’t feel burdened, I only spend within my limits."
Yi Roujing couldn’t argue any further and accepted it, "Would you like to come to my home for lunch then?"
Taking four bags of milk powder from someone else made Yi Roujing feel embarrassed; it wasn’t cheap, you could eat meat for several meals, or buy several pounds of it, so she extended this invitation, especially since it was not far from Beiluo Lane.
Liu Aihui was surprised, and then happily agreed, "I didn’t have any plans when I left the house today."
"Not in a hurry to deliver this?" Yi Roujing glanced at the meat bun in her hand.
"I can give it to Meijuan in the afternoon. She does work-study out of town on Sundays and returns home at night." Liu Aihui explained naturally.
"That Mr. Li just now?" Yi Roujing couldn’t help gossiping, after all, she had just eavesdropped on Shao Meijuan moments ago.
"He’s from the same hometown as Meijuan, like a brother to her, so he takes care of her," Liu Aihui explained without hiding anything.
"Oh." Yi Roujing nodded.
The two of them walked for about fifteen minutes before reaching the house on Beiluo Lane, where Li Hongying opened the door.
"Mom, this is a student from the foreign language school I met at the outing yesterday." Yi Roujing smiled as she introduced Liu Aihui to Li Hongying and mentioned she bought milk powder for the children.
"Sister-in-law," Feng Lishu was in the yard watching two kids; Baozi was already quite capable and helped Feng Lishu take care of Dumplings and Tangyuan.
"Mom (Aunt)," the three children walked over when they saw Yi Roujing, with Dumplings and Tangyuan each grabbing one of her legs, while Baozi sweetly took the milk powder from her hands.
"Wow, your son is so big." Liu Aihui immediately recognized Baozi as Yi Roujing’s son because they looked alike and he was very handsome, "So good-looking, it’s the first time I’ve seen such a handsome child."
"So that aunty just now is your mother-in-law?" Liu Aihui leaned in to ask in a low voice, to which Yi Roujing nodded.
"Your mother-in-law is very kind to you." Liu Aihui commented sincerely. An only child without much direct exposure to in-law relationships, but having seen the neighbors’ and relatives’, she’d never seen a mother-in-law busy in the kitchen while the daughter-in-law sat outside waiting for food.
"My mother-in-law is skilled at cooking; we can’t really help her," Yi Roujing explained.
