pertwk Chapter 4 You are not allowed to see that Uncle Lu anymore!
Chapter 4 You are not allowed to see that Uncle Lu anymore!
When Jiang Silu returned to school, it was already 8 p.m.
As soon as I entered the dorm, my roommate Song Miaomiao, who was watching a drama, asked curiously, "Silu, where did you go today? Why are you so late?"
Jiang Silu explained, "I went out today, and then it rained, and my bicycle tire also got a flat, which delayed me a little."
Song Miaomiao immediately complained, "Ugh, I'm so bored today since you're not here. Lu Yao and Shi Ting both went out."
There are four people in their dormitory.
They are Jiang Silu, Song Miaomiao, Lu Yao, and Liu Shiting.
Among them, Song Miaomiao has the best relationship with Jiang Silu.
The two became best friends in just over two months after the start of the semester.
Apart from Song Miaomiao, Jiang Silu's relationship with her other two roommates was just okay.
Lu Yao has a great figure. She has been learning street dance since she was a child and plays with boys every day. She often doesn't come back until almost curfew in the dormitory.
Liu Shiting is a local from Nanjing. When she doesn't have classes, she either drives out to play or goes home to stay, and rarely stays in the dormitory.
Yes, right after she graduated from high school, her father gave her a BMW as a coming-of-age gift.
This gap between the rich and poor naturally meant that Jiang Silu and Liu Shiting didn't have much to talk about.
However, Jiang Silu didn't think it was a big deal. After all, she felt that her life was pretty good now. When she didn't have classes, she could work part-time as a waitress in the cafeteria.
I did it for no other reason than to earn more money and ease my mother's burden.
With that in mind, she dialed Jiang Yixia's number.
"Feed~ Mommy."
"Hey Lulu~ Have you eaten yet?" A gentle and pleasant female voice came from the other end of the phone.
The voice was like honey soaked in warm water, with a touch of gentle laziness, and the last syllable rose slightly, wrapped in just the right amount of tenderness.
Jiang Yixia replied, "I've already eaten. I just ate in the cafeteria."
"Eat more. You're already thin enough, so don't worry about the money. If you run out of money, just tell Mom," Jiang Yixia instructed.
Jiang Silu playfully retorted, "Mom, how dare you say that to me? You're just as thin as me."
"You silly girl, Mom is thin because she's naturally thin; she can eat whatever she wants and never gain weight."
"Haha~ I was born that way too, I just took after you." Jiang Silu said playfully.
Hearing her daughter's answer, Jiang Yixia smiled and said, "I can't handle your mouth. When you come back for winter break, I'll have your brother teach you a lesson."
"Hehe~ My brother can't control me." Saying this, Jiang Silu said with a hint of grievance, "Mom, I miss you."
After hearing this, Jiang Yixia hesitated for a moment, then comforted her, "It's okay. If you really miss Mom, just take some time to go home this weekend."
"High-speed rail tickets are too expensive," Jiang Silu said with a pained expression. "A round trip costs several hundred yuan."
"What are you afraid of? Mom will reimburse you." Jiang Yixia pretended to be relaxed. "Mom's flower shop is doing very well, so you don't need to worry about money. But you, don't think about doing part-time jobs all the time. Mom will send you living expenses every month. Just focus on your studies at school, okay? Did you go to work at a part-time job again today?"
"no."
Jiang Silu suddenly remembered what had happened today, and she immediately said excitedly, "Mom, I went to the old town that you mentioned before today."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yixia's heart skipped a beat on the other end of the phone. She asked nervously, "What old town?"
"You mentioned before that you lived in that tiled-roof area in the southern part of Nanjing. I heard that area is about to be demolished and redeveloped, so this afternoon when I didn't have class, I rode my bicycle over there and took a picture of you as a memento. I'll send it to you now."
As she spoke, Jiang Silu opened WeChat and sent a photo to Jiang Yixia.
Jiang Yixia's fingers trembled as she clicked on the photo and zoomed in, and the familiar group of buildings immediately came into view.
Her eyes were a little red, and she stared blankly at the photo.
Seeing that Jiang Yixia hadn't spoken for a long time, Jiang Silu asked curiously on the other end of the phone, "Mom, have you seen the photos? Is it the place you used to live?"
"I saw it." After calming herself down, Jiang Yixia said in a composed manner, "Yes, it's the place where Mom used to live."
"Oh, right, Mom."
Jiang Silu couldn't wait to tell Lu Fan about her encounter today: "I also ran into your old colleague. That uncle said he used to work with you at Jinling Electronics Factory, and he even asked me if your name was Jiang Yixia. My bicycle tire had a flat at the time, and he helped me take it to the repair shop."
"An old colleague?" Jiang Yixia asked, puzzled. "Who?"
"His surname is Lu. He said that as long as I mention Uncle Lu to you, you will know. Mom, is he your old colleague?" Jiang Silu asked curiously.
As soon as Jiang Silu finished speaking, the receiver went silent, leaving only a faint crackling sound of electricity.
The next second, Jiang Yixia's voice suddenly rang out, devoid of its previous gentle composure, trembling uncontrollably, even tense and shrill: "Surname Lu? You said his surname is Lu?!"
The rising pitch at the end of the note concealed panic and disbelief, like a boulder being thrown into a calm lake, completely disrupting the rhythm of the originally gentle voice.
Even her breathing became rapid; her panic could be felt even through the phone: "Is he...is he around forty years old, very tall, and well-dressed?"
The urgency in his words almost burst through the receiver; every word carried an uncontrollable excitement, like an old wound that had been forcibly pressed down for many years being suddenly torn open.
All the deep-seated grievances, resentment, and fear surged up in that instant, causing her voice to tremble uncontrollably.
"Yes, Mom, do you remember him?" Jiang Silu replied, "He seemed quite composed, wearing a suit, unlike ordinary people. He even asked you about our family situation."
"Don't tell him!" Jiang Yixia interrupted her abruptly, her voice filled with urgency that seemed to burst through the receiver, her breathing heavy and rapid.
Even over the phone, I could imagine how tense she looked: "Lulu, listen to your mother. If you see him again, don't tell him anything about you, your brother, or me! Stay far away from him, understand?"
Jiang Silu was startled by her mother's unusually stern tone and asked worriedly, "Mom, what's wrong? Is he a bad person? But he doesn't seem like one, and he even helped me..."
"He's not a good person!" Jiang Yixia's voice was choked with suppressed sobs. The agitation from before hadn't subsided, and now there was even more grievance: "Just listen to me, don't have anything to do with him anymore! Mom... Mom is afraid he'll hurt you."
As she spoke the last few words, her voice weakened, trembling noticeably, as if she were trying her best to suppress something.
Although Jiang Silu was full of doubts, seeing her mother so emotional, she could only say, "Okay, Mom, I'll listen to you. I won't associate with him anymore. Please don't be angry or sad, okay?"
"Hmm..." Jiang Yixia's voice softened a little: "Anyway, be careful in the future and don't see him again."
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Silu looked at the "Mom" contact on her phone screen, feeling puzzled.
What kind of past did that gentle Uncle Lu have with my mother that made her react so strongly?
Meanwhile, Jiang Yixia hung up the phone and leaned against the door frame of the flower shop, completely exhausted.
Her face was as pale as paper, and her fingertips were still trembling uncontrollably. The memories that had just been forcibly suppressed surged back like a tidal wave.
The Jinling Electronics Factory, the ten-square-meter rented room, the argument in the rainy night, and the sight of Lu Fan surrounded by other women when he finally turned around.
Lu Fan... how did he find this place? How did he run into Lulu?
Was he here to collect a debt? Or did he want to ruin her peaceful life?
Jiang Yixia raised her hand to cover her chest, breathing heavily, her eyes instantly filled with tears.
"He's not a good person...he's not..."