Chapter 198: Jiang Qing’s Job

Chapter 198: Chapter 198: Jiang Qing’s Job

"What’s wrong this time?"

Zhang Jia Ming wiped his eyes and choked out, "Xiao Qing wants to divorce me, and she wants to get an abortion."

Lu Cheng couldn’t help but think, ’Just as I expected.’

When he heard Zhang Jia Ming say there was trouble at home, his first instinct was to wonder if Jiang Qing was causing problems again.

Although he couldn’t stand Jiang Qing and looked down on Zhang Jia Ming for being so spinelessly led around by a woman, Zhang Jia Ming was his subordinate, after all. Now that he was in trouble, Lu Cheng couldn’t just stand by and do nothing as his leader.

He called Zhang Jia Ming into his office to get the full story, then asked him:

"What are your thoughts on this? Do you want a divorce?"

Zhang Jia Ming nearly shook his head off. "I don’t."

He’d finally managed to get married, and she was even pregnant with his child. He was just about to have a happy family life—who would want a divorce?

Jiang Qing had made many mistakes, but everyone messes up sometimes. He couldn’t just think about getting a new wife because of this.

Understanding his position, Lu Cheng said, "You still have a few days of leave left this year. Go back home and sort out your family matters properly."

Zhang Jia Ming looked like he wanted to say something but held back.

Lu Cheng understood. "I’ll talk to the logistics department and get you a six-month advance on your allowance. Will that be enough?"

Tears of gratitude streamed down Zhang Jia Ming’s face. "That’s enough! Thank you, Camp Commander Lu!"

"Alright now. A real man sheds blood, not tears. Crying like this is pathetic."

Though Lu Cheng admonished him, he actually empathized deeply with Zhang Jia Ming’s situation.

He remembered when his own wife had been demanding a divorce. He’d been miserable and felt like his world was ending.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but add a few more words of advice. "Go back and have a good talk with your wife. Listen to her grievances. Women are actually quite easy to coax."

Zhang Jia Ming nodded emphatically.

...

When work let out at noon, Jiang Dahai took his lunchbox to the canteen to get food.

It was peak lunchtime, and the canteen was packed with workers. Long lines formed at both service windows.

Jiang Dahai had just found a line when Zhou Weiguang, who already had his food, saw him and said with a smile, "Jiang, you’re in for a good life from now on."

Jiang Dahai was confused. "What good life are you talking about?"

Zhou Weiguang pointed to the serving window. "Your Xiao Qing is serving food in the canteen now. From now on, whether you get a little or a lot will be up to her, won’t it?"

Jiang Dahai was quite surprised to hear that Jiang Qing was working in the canteen.

When he got to the front of the line, he saw it really was his stepdaughter.

"Xiao Qing, what are you doing here? Did you start working in the canteen?"

Jiang Qing gripped the ladle, her tone strictly business. "What do you want?"

Jiang Dahai asked for three liang of mixed-grain rice and two liang of vegetarian green beans.

While he ate, his workshop colleagues who knew him all teased him, saying he’d arranged a cushy job for his stepdaughter and wouldn’t have to worry about going hungry anymore.

No matter how much Jiang Dahai explained that he hadn’t arranged Jiang Qing’s job, no one believed him.

...

After her shift, Jiang Qing was about to head back to her place for a midday rest.

Jiang Dahai stopped her at the machinery factory gate. "Xiao Qing, where have you been staying these past few days? Are you doing okay?"

Jiang Qing’s face was mocking. "Don’t pretend to care about me. I don’t need it."

"Who arranged for you to work in the canteen?"

"You weren’t willing to help me, but someone else was."

Seeing that his stepdaughter wouldn’t say, Jiang Dahai didn’t press the matter. "Find some time to come home and visit. Your mother misses you a lot."

Watching Jiang Qing’s retreating figure, Jiang Dahai couldn’t help but worry.

’This stepdaughter of mine is just too stubborn.’

After work that afternoon, Jiang Dahai specifically waited for Zhou Weiguang so they could walk together, planning to ask about Jiang Qing’s job at the canteen.

Zhou Weiguang was the director of logistics, and the canteen was under his department’s purview.

"The previous worker, Xiao Zhuo, got pregnant and went home to have her baby, so Mr. Yang recommended your stepdaughter to take her place."

Zhou Weiguang looked at him, puzzled. "What, you didn’t know about this? I thought you pulled some strings with Factory Director Yang."

Yang Dong was Yang Zhigang’s own nephew.

Jiang Dahai shook his head. "I only found out today that Xiao Qing was working in the canteen."

"Well then, your stepdaughter is quite capable, pulling off something big so quietly."

Zhou Weiguang gave a cryptic smile, clearly not believing that Jiang Dahai had nothing to do with it.

With Jiang Dahai’s current backing, arranging a temporary job in the canteen for his stepdaughter would be nothing. He could probably get her a permanent position with just a word.

But Jiang Dahai was a low-key person and was unwilling to use his connection with the Lu Family for personal gain.

The next day, Jiang Qing found the time to return to the Jiang family home.

Li Hongying was thrilled to see her. "Xiao Qing, where have you been all this time? Your Uncle Jiang said you started working at the factory?"

Jiang Qing said coolly, "I’m just here to get some clothes."

Li Hongying brought out her luggage and watched her rummage through it.

"Your Uncle Jiang mentioned that Mr. Yang arranged your job. Why would he help you?"

Jiang Qing threw down the clothes in her hands and raged, "What gives you the right to investigate me? I finally found a way to survive, and now you want to ruin it? Will you only be happy when you’ve driven me to my death?"

Li Hongying said hastily, "Your Uncle Jiang is just worried about you. He’s afraid you’ve gone down the wrong path."

Jiang Qing sneered. "That’s ridiculous. If he really cared, he wouldn’t have kicked me out when he knew I had nowhere to go!"

"Your Uncle Jiang had no choice. This house belongs to Xiao Lu’s work unit; he doesn’t have the final say."

"In the end, I’m just an outsider. Otherwise, why can he live here, and you can live here, but I can’t?"

Li Hongying was struck speechless.

Jiang Qing sneered twice and went back to packing her clothes.

Li Hongying hesitated, then asked, "Xiao Qing, be honest. Did you use your Uncle Jiang’s and the Lu Family’s names to get Mr. Yang to arrange the job for you?"

Jiang Qing retorted mockingly, "I’m not you. I can survive without the Jiang family!"

"Then why would Mr. Yang help you get a job for no reason?"

"That’s my business. Stay out of it."

Seeing she wouldn’t talk, Li Hongying could only change the subject and ask about the baby in her belly.

When she learned Jiang Qing hadn’t had lunch, she hurried out to the corridor to cook her a bowl of egg noodles.

...

After work in the evening, Jiang Qing and Zhou Xiaoqing made plans to go to the night market.

The night market had only started up this month. Besides various food stalls, factories also sold off their surplus inventory there. Prices were much cheaper than in the stores, attracting large, bustling crowds.

After a full tour of the market, both of them were sweaty from the effort, so they found a *liangxia* stall and sat down to eat.

Halfway through their snack, Zhou Xiaoqing’s stomach acted up, and she had to go to the restroom.

She had bought a lot of trinkets, and it would be inconvenient to take them into the squat toilet, so she had to ask Jiang Qing to hold them for her.

"Give me your purse, too. You don’t want to drop it in the latrine pit."

Zhou Xiaoqing hesitated. She never felt comfortable letting someone else hold her purse.

But she was also worried it might really fall into the cesspit, just as Jiang Qing said, so she handed it over.

Watching Zhou Xiaoqing’s figure disappear into the restroom, Jiang Qing’s lips curled into a cold smirk.

Under the cover of night, she quickly unzipped a hidden compartment in Zhou Xiaoqing’s purse and slipped in several pea-sized stones.

Zhou Xiaoqing returned quickly.

After getting her purse back, she took the opportunity while grabbing a handkerchief to check the money inside. Seeing that none was missing, she finally relaxed.