Chapter 149

“……”

Wen Rugui was dazed for a little while before he put the phone back.An Yuemei saw him turning around and quickly lowered her head pretending that she was working on something.As soon as Wen Rugui had walked away, she quickly rushed over to the office next door with her ceramic mug.“Big news, big news. That girl called Researcher Wen again!”“For real? Don’t tell me that Researcher Wen really has a girlfriend now!”An Yuemei shook her head. “Didn’t feel that way. He sounded very polite when he was talking to you. Would you refer to your lover as ‘Comrade’?”The others shook their heads. “No. Maybe when we had first met. Definitely not after our relationship is official.”So the person wasn’t Researcher Wen’s girlfriend then?They talked about it some more but still weren’t able to figure it out.Tong Xuelu hung up and heard the worker at the post office said to her, “That would be 30 cents.”Tong Xuelu felt pained all over again. She had barely spoken a few words and that cost her 5 eggs. How *** expensive!She dared not stay any longer after she had finished paying for her call. She hurried back to the government-operated restaurant.Seeing that Tong Xuelu was already back, Guo Weiping was surprised. “How come you are back so early, Big Sister Xuelu? I thought you would return around 4 or 5 like Big Sister Xiao Yan.”Tong Xuelu smiled and said, “I live further away. It’s difficult for me to go home and come back.”Truth was, she didn’t want to lose her job.Tan Xiaoyan had connections and Chef Meng was a seasoned veteran. Surely he had his connection as well. Nothing would happen to them if they were caught.The same could not be said about her. This job was very important to her for the time being.Guo Weiping acknowledged her and went back to chopping his carrots.Tong Xuelu nodded off inside the dining hall.Tan Xiaoyan, Chef Meng, and the others returned around 4 or 5 o'clock.The government-operated restaurant was bustling again and they had dinner at 5 o'clock.After they were done eating, the dinner crowd began to arrive and the tables at the government-operated restaurant were filled once again.Everybody was poor in this day and age but the government-operated restaurant was not short customers.Tong Xuelu watched carefully and many of those coming to the government-operated restaurant were dressed nicer carrying a briefcase with them. They were obviously office workers.Those with wife and children would rarely dine at the government-operated restaurant. After all, a meal would cost a lot with too many people.The government-operated restaurant closed promptly at 7 o'clock.Chef Meng divided up the leftover vegetables to everyone and Tong Xuelu got a share as well.Looking at the vegetables in Tong Xuelu’s hand and then her own, Tan Xiaoyan was disgruntled all over again. “She is new here. Why did she get more vegetables than me?”Chef Meng harrumphed through his nose and said, “It pleases me!”“……”She was so angry, so angry, so angry!Tan Xiaoyan was so angry that her face was red and she stared at Tong Xuelu viciously.Tong Xuelu couldn’t be bothered to pay her any attention. She thanked Chef Meng and headed home with her share of the vegetables.It was completely dark by the time she had arrived home.When Tong Jiaxin spotted her, he rejoiced. “Oh yay! Finally we will have dinner!”Tong Mianmian ran up on her two stubby feet, threw her arms around Tong Xuelu, lifted up her head, and said, “Big Sister, how were you gone for so long? Mianmian was so worried!”The little bun looked at her with her limpid eyes and her voice was milky like milk candy. It could melt one’s heart.Tong Xuelu squatted down and looked her up and down. “Did Mianmian have fun over at Grandma Shen’s when Big Sister was at work?”Tong Mianmian nodded like a little chicken feeding. “Yes! Grandpa Wei made us so much yummy food and Big Sister Zhuzhu taught me how to count.”“Were you able to learn them?”Tong Xuelu felt relieved when she saw that there were no wounds on Tong Mianmian and that her eyes were not reddened.