Living like a widow? My rough neighbor is coaxing me to have a baby every night.

Chapter 195 Absence Makes the Heart Blossom

The sun was high in the sky, casting the shadow of the old locust tree in the backyard of the transport team into a tiny black dot.

The cicadas were chirping loudly in the treetops, but no one cared about their noise at that moment.

Beside the stone table, several women were so engrossed in their needlework that sparks were practically flying.

Red and green scraps of polyester fabric, with a few twists in their hands, become fashionable scrunchies.

These aren't just scraps of cloth; in their eyes, they're every penny. If they save up enough, it's like a big sum of money.

"Hey, little sister."

Aunt Hua had been holding back for a long time, but she was really itching to get closer to Li Xianglian. She shifted her position on the stone bench and moved closer to her.

"Did you... mention it to Captain Wei yesterday?"

Aunt Hua kept her voice low, but the area around her was so small that several pairs of ears immediately perked up.

Even while working, their eyes kept drifting over.

Li Xianglian paused in her needle-handling, nearly pricking her own finger.

Last night, Qin Rushan "bullied" her from every angle. All she could think about was begging for mercy and panting. She didn't have a single moment to think about other people.

"Auntie..." Li Xianglian's face flushed instantly, "Last night... I was too busy last night, um..."

She stammered for a while, too embarrassed to admit that she had forgotten about it, so she could only bite the bullet and say, "I...I'll definitely ask today! When Brother Shan comes back tonight, I'll have him go find Brother Wei."

"Oh dear, my dear Sister Hua!"

Sitting next to me was Aunt Liu, a straightforward woman who had been through it all.

She chuckled, snipped the thread with the scissors in her hand, and gave Li Xianglian a mocking look.

"You're only thinking about your rich husband, don't you even know what's going on with him?" Aunt Liu's loud voice rang out, and the women around her laughed along.

"Captain Qin was out driving for two days, that's to make a fortune. Now that he's back, it's like a honeymoon after a long absence! Those two are like dry wood meeting a raging fire behind closed doors, they don't have time to chat with you about trivial things."

"Exactly!"

Another plump auntie chimed in, rubbing the needle in her hair. "We all saw it yesterday. Captain Qin's eyes were practically begging to be tied to Xianglian and taken away. She's at that age where she's like a wolf in sheep's clothing, how could she possibly stay still at night?"

"If you ask me, Aunt Hua, you really have no sense of propriety."

Aunt Liu laughed so hard she almost fell over. "That couple is busy with their own thing in bed, and you insist on making them talk about your daughter's blind date? Isn't that a real mood killer!"

When these old women get together, they'll blurt out any dirty jokes.

Li Xianglian's face was now completely unsightly, so red it looked like it could bleed.

She buried her head low, wishing she could disappear into the pile of rags.

"Sisters-in-law... don't talk nonsense..." Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, but it had no intimidating power whatsoever.

"Are you embarrassed already?"

Sister Liu was overjoyed and gently nudged Li Xianglian. "This is a blessing! We want our husbands to do all that, but they complain about being tired! It's only because Captain Qin is so strong, a real iron man, that he's taken such good care of our sister. Her face is so radiant, you could pinch water out of it!"

Aunt Hua was a little embarrassed by everyone's teasing, but she still had her own plans in mind.

"Get out of here! You bunch of frivolous people!"

Aunt Hua spat, but wasn't really angry. She turned to Li Xianglian with a smile and said, "Little sister, don't think I'm being annoying. It's just that Captain Wei is too sought after. You don't know, the daughter of the textile factory manager seems to be eyeing him too. I'm just worried it might be too late, aren't I?"

"Exactly, exactly, we're just venting our frustrations."

Aunt Hua blushed slightly at everyone's teasing, but she wasn't really angry. She continued her needlework without stopping for a moment. "It's all for the child's good," she said. "That Captain Wei has a government job; he's powerful. Who among us ordinary folks wouldn't want to climb the social ladder?"

"You have to see if the branch is stable before you can climb to a high position."

Aunt Liu has a loose tongue; once she starts talking, she can't stop.

"Sister Hua, I'm not trying to discourage you. We've watched your Chunyan grow up; she's got high aspirations. But this Captain Wei is a stern-faced devil who deals with criminals all day long; he's clueless about romance. You might think he's a hot commodity, but maybe your Chunyan doesn't even see the potential in him!"

Upon hearing this, Aunt Hua's brows immediately furrowed into a deep frown, and she rubbed the needle in her hair twice. "Why wouldn't you like him? He's the head of the criminal investigation team! He's in charge of the entire county's security! How impressive! My Yanzi may work in an office, but for her to find someone like that, it's like our ancestors' graves are emitting auspicious smoke!"

"Tsk tsk tsk, this is just wishful thinking on your part as a mother."

Sister Liu pursed her lips, as if she were hiding some earth-shattering secret, feeling restless and uncomfortable. "The other day I went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy soy sauce, and when I passed by that state-run restaurant, guess who I saw?"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding women immediately perked up their ears, and even Li Xianglian couldn't help but raise her head.

These days, without television or cell phones, the only form of entertainment is listening to gossip and idle chatter.

"Who is it? Stop keeping me in suspense!" Aunt Hua's heart skipped a beat, and she had a bad feeling.

Aunt Liu smugly finished putting away the last thread, then slowly said, "I spotted your Chunyan! She was dressed so flamboyantly, like a modern woman in a magazine. But that's not surprising; what's surprising is that she had a man with her!"

"A man?" Aunt Hua's hand trembled, and the needle pricked her fingertip, making her hiss in pain. But she couldn't care less about the pain at the moment, and asked anxiously, "What does he look like? Is he Captain Wei?"

"Captain Wei? Give me a break!"

Sister Liu rolled her eyes. "Captain Wei is a well-known tough guy around here. The man with Chunyan is fair-skinned, with slicked-back hair that looks like it could be split by a fly. He wears sunglasses on his nose, bell-bottoms with legs so wide they could sweep the streets, and he carries a Sanyo radio cassette player, swaying as he walks."

This description is incredibly vivid.

These days, people dressed like this are either street thugs or spoiled rich kids from powerful families.

Aunt Hua's face turned half white instantly.

"That's...that's Zhao Guangming, the son of Director Zhao from the textile factory, right?"

A plump auntie who had been silent all along suddenly chimed in, "I've seen him twice. That kid rides his Happiness 250 motorcycle around the streets all day, driving like a madman."

"Yes, yes, yes! That's him!"

Sister Liu slapped her thigh. "The two of them were chatting and laughing, and Zhao Guangming even wanted to buy Chunyan a soda. They were so affectionate; they didn't seem like ordinary colleagues at all. I even wondered if they were dating?"

This was like pouring a ladle of cold water into a pot of boiling oil; the entire backyard instantly erupted in chaos.

"Factory Director Zhao's son? That Zhao Guangming?" Aunt Hua's voice changed.

If it were Wei Donghai, that would be a guarantee of a stable life; but Zhao Jianguo's reputation in the county town is notorious.

He just relies on his good father to laze around all day. He has the title of purchasing department staff member, but he does nothing but hang out with a bunch of bad friends and harasses young women and wives everywhere.

This is a typical "pretty but useless" pillow, all show and no substance, and it's even filled with rotten cotton!

"Really? Sister Liu, you can't just say things like that!"