The provincial capital, Jiangdong City, was divided into four districts: Zhongyang District, Guwei District, Qiyang District, and the Development District. Among them, the Central District and Guwei District were the old districts of Jiangdong City, while Qiyang District and the Development District were the new districts. After the reform and opening up, Qiyang District took the lead in the development of large-scale urban construction, vowing to become the economic and cultural center of Xijiang Province. After more than a decade of development, this goal had basically been achieved. Qiyang District, like its name, looked up to the international metropolis and advanced side by side. It set sail in the west and became an important hinterland for the development of a city.
Qiyang District's success was inseparable from the painstaking management of the city's successive leaders. The advanced urban management concept and scientific urban planning and design had become a banner and a model for the development of cities in the country. The "Qiyang Model" quickly swept the country and became the pride of Jiangdong City. On the street, a group of officials could often be seen swaggering, pretending to study and learn, which became a unique and beautiful scenery.
On the contrary, Guwei District was still like an old man, struggling at death's door to continue the long song of history. However, it was gratifying that some administrative agencies, social organizations, and schools were still distributed here, which could be considered as a life-saving straw for Guwei District. Although the development was slow, it relied on the experience of living off its previous capital and had a different style.
Xiao Yu's school was in Guwei District. Li Shu-man rented a house nearby to accompany him to school. Lu Yiwei found the address provided by Li Shu-man. After parking the car, he went to the nearby underground supermarket to buy some daily necessities, fruits, and vegetables for Li Shu-man, and a lot of snacks and school supplies for Xiao Yu. On the second floor, Lu Yiwei saw a jewelry store. He stopped to look and suddenly felt an inexplicable sadness.
After being married to Li Shu-man for three or four years, Lu Yiwei had never bought her a decent piece of jewelry. When they got married, their family was so poor that they couldn't even afford a wedding, let alone these luxuries. Fortunately, Li Shu-man's father, Li Dengke, had his own wishful thinking. He didn't ask Lu Yiwei for a single cent as a betrothal gift. Even the wedding was paid for by him. Li Shu-man had brought gold and silver jewelry with him as dowry, while Lu Yiwei's mother had only given him a jade bracelet that had been passed down from her ancestors.
The jewelry salesperson stood there in a daze. When she saw Lu Yiwei staring at a piece of jewelry, she immediately beamed with joy and greeted him with a smile, "Sir, you have a good eye. This platinum necklace is a new one that we launched today. It's selling very well. When your wife wears it, she will definitely praise you for knowing how to take care of others."
Lu Yiwei's legs didn't listen to him as he walked over. He placed the things in his hands on the floor and climbed onto the counter to look at them carefully.
The waiter continued to chatter, "Sir, you are our first customer today. If you buy, we will give you a gift. Would you like to pay in cash or by credit card?"
Lu Yiwei ignored the waiter and chose between the gold and platinum necklace. In his mind, the image of Li Shu-man wearing the necklace appeared. After a few thoughts, he pointed at a gold necklace and said, "Take this one out for me and put it on."
"Ah?" The waiter was shocked. Lu Yiwei saw that the waiter had misunderstood his meaning and added, "Try it on for me."
The waiter took out the necklace with some disappointment and skillfully put it on. She then continued, "Look at how beautiful it is. Your wife will definitely like it."
"Take out this platinum one and put it on." Lu Yiwei said again.
Jewelry and women are like cigarettes and men. If it's not as good as the shadow, it can be regarded as cleansing and natural. But if the ring is shaken, it can be regarded as a fragrance. Which woman doesn't love beauty? This has been the case since ancient times. Although the waiter in front of him wasn't very beautiful, but when she wore the necklace, she instantly became elegant, confident, and dignified.
Lu Yiwei nodded in satisfaction and said, "I'll take both of them. Wrap them up."
Hearing Lu Yiwei being so forthright, the waiter was overjoyed and excitedly wrapped them up. She then wrote out the receipt and said, "Sir, it's a total of 8,600 yuan. Do you want cash or credit?"
Lu Yiwei didn't have that much cash on him, so he took out a credit card and handed it to the waiter. After the transaction was completed, the waiter sent Lu Yiwei to the door. Looking at his handsome back view, the waiter sighed, "If I can find such a good husband, I'll be satisfied for the rest of my life. Sigh!"
Lu Yiwei carried the big and small bags to the car and placed the platinum necklace in the car before walking into an alley. The alley was very narrow with cars parked on both sides. There were also some peddlers occupying the road to do business, making the already narrow alley even more crowded. When people passed by others, they had to walk sideways. If they encountered a cyclist, they would have to stop and wait for the cyclist to pass before continuing.
The residents of the old city lived a comfortable life. When Lu Yiwei passed by a small park, he saw a group of old men and women wearing red and purple, dancing the Yangge, with a professional band performing. In another place, there were a few old men sitting under a parasol tree playing chess. There were also some who were carrying birdcages and strolling leisurely.
After several turns, Lu Yiwei arrived at an old-fashioned tube-shaped apartment according to the address provided. He looked up and came to the third floor before putting down the things in his hands and knocked on the door.
Li Shu-man was stewing ribs when she heard someone knocking on the door. When she opened the door, she saw that it was her husband that she had been yearning for day and night. She was extremely excited and blushed, "You're here."
"I've long said that I wanted to come and see you guys, but I couldn't find the time." Lu Yiwei smiled.
"Come in. Don't stand outside and talk. It's cold outside!" When he finished speaking, he took out a new pair of men's slippers from the shoe cabinet and placed it before Lu Yiwei before taking off the slippers for him.
"No need. Let me do it!" Lu Yiwei rejected Li Shu-man and passed the things in his hands to her. He changed into his slippers and entered the apartment. The apartment wasn't big, at most 50 square meters. It had two bedrooms, a living room, and a bathroom. It was enough for the mother and daughter. However, the apartment was a little old and unrenovated. The paint on the roof could still be seen peeling off.
Li Shu-man placed the things on the coffee table and said, "My aunt found this apartment for me. The rent isn't expensive. It's only 1,200 yuan a year. It's a good deal. Furthermore, it's close to Xiao Yu's school. It's just a few steps away. Overall, it's not bad. "
Lu Yiwei sat on the sofa. Li Shu-man quickly took out an unopened pack of cigarettes and an ashtray from the drawer under the coffee table and carefully placed them in front of Lu Yiwei. These were all prepared by Li Shu-man for Lu Yiwei.
Lu Yiwei's eyes were a little moist. He lit a cigarette and asked, "Xiao Yu went to school?"
"En." Li Shu-man sat on the sofa and reported, "Xiao Yu is very sensible. Her studies are good, and the teachers praised her for being smart." He pointed to a painting on the wall and said, "Look, this was drawn by Xiao Yu last night. She has been talking about you every day, asking me when you will come to visit her. If she sees you today, she will be very happy."
Lu Yiwei looked at the painting Xiao Yu had drawn on the wall. It was a man and a woman holding a little girl. Needless to say, the two adults must be him and Li Shu-man, and the little girl must be Xiao Yu. Lu Yiwei looked at the painting carefully. There was a line of young words below, "I love Daddy and Mummy." Although the words were crooked, he could feel the yearning for fatherly love.
Lu Yiwei choked with sobs. A seven feet tall man would only become so weak in the face of kinship and love. In order not to let Li Shu-man see his embarrassing look, Lu Yiwei held back his tears and asked in a hoarse voice, "How are you guys?"
Women understand men best. Li Shu-man could tell Lu Yiwei's mood through his voice. She was also not feeling good, but she did not want to talk about the same topic every time they meet. She nodded and said, "Good."
At this time, the sound of a pot boiling came from the kitchen. Li Shu-man quickly ran over and lowered the fire. She poured a cup of Tie Guanyin tea for Lu Yiwei and placed it in front of him, saying, "I stewed pork ribs, stay for lunch."
Lu Yiwei originally wanted to leave after meeting them, but he did not reject, "Okay, I will cook." After that, he got up and was about to take off his clothes.
"No need!" Li Shu-man quickly stopped him, "I can do it. You watch TV, it's still early."
In the past, Li Shu-man was a rich missy. She did not know how to cook or wash clothes, and all of this was done by Lu Yiwei. Lu Yiwei relied on his tenacity to not complain to move Li Shu-man's heart. Many people didn't think highly of their marriage, where they got married first and then fell in love. In the end, they got along very well. Now that Li Shu-man could support herself, a large part of it was forced out.
Lu Yiwei insisted on taking off his clothes. He planned to cook a big meal for the mother and daughter to reward them. He carried the groceries into the kitchen.
Li Shu-man looked at Lu Yiwei busy himself, as if he had returned to the past. The regret in his heart repeated over and over again. Who was the one who caused all of this today?
Li Shu-man did not cry like before, but she took off her apron and put it on Lu Yiwei. She stood at the kitchen door and watched her husband's every move.
Lu Yiwei was thinking about how to give the necklace to Li Shu-man, but he could not open his mouth. So he said, "I bought something for you and Xiao Yu. It's all in the bags. Why don't you tidy it up?"
Li Shu-man went to the living room and put the bags on the dining table. When she saw a delicate jewelry box, she could no longer control her emotions. She sat on the chair and cried bitterly.
Lu Yiwei washed the vegetables absent-mindedly, and he did not know if he should comfort her. At this time, Li Shu-man suddenly took the necklace and ran into the bedroom, gently closing the door.
After a while, Li Shu-man came out in a dress suit, wearing the gold necklace that Lu Yiwei bought for her. She shyly walked to the kitchen and asked, "Does it look good?"
Li Shu-man had a good foundation and was beautiful to begin with. But because of the misfortune of her marriage, she suddenly became a middle-aged woman. She did not care about her appearance and did not pay attention to her appearance. Now that she appeared in front of Lu Yiwei, his eyes lit up. He nodded with satisfaction and said, "It looks good!"
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