Chapter 11 People can change
"Zhenzhen, I will work hard to make money and buy a car as soon as possible, so that you won't have to suffer from the cold in the future..."
"Zhenzhen, eat more. I won't mind you getting fat..."
Ye Zhenzhen dreamed of the past again, and the dream was full of beautiful things.
The cell phone rang loudly in the early morning, giving her a headache. She fumbled to pick up the call.
"Zhenzhen..."
Before she could feel sad, she sobered up instantly. She washed up quickly, put on some clothes and went out. The distance that was usually very short suddenly seemed long.
She rode her donkey to the downstairs of Lin Xiaoxi's house. The mottled wall showed cement. Countless wires were dangling from the upper floors, and yellow, white, and black power strips were hanging. There were battery-powered bicycles parked by the wall that were being charged. She took some effort to straighten a few battery-powered bicycles and put her own donkey in place.
She climbed the stairs with great effort. The light in the old house was not very good. There were many garbage bags piled at the door, which gave off a strange smell. There were swarms of green-headed flies buzzing around. Occasionally, a few thumb-sized cockroaches would pop out, scaring her to the point of giving her goose bumps.
She went to the fifth floor, walked through the corridor covered with red and blue advertisements, and knocked on Lin Xiaoxi's door.
Lin Xiaoxi's eyes were red and swollen, her hair was like weeds in a deserted yard, and the room was in a mess with clothes and sundries scattered all over the floor.
When Lin Xiaoxi saw her, she rushed over to hug her with grievance, and said in a sobbing voice:
"Zhenzhen, what should I do...I'm pregnant..."
She patted Lin Xiaoxi's back and kept saying:
"It's okay, Xiaoxi, I will stay with you."
Lin Xiaoxi cried even more aggrievedly, "Why am I so unlucky, I found out I was pregnant after breaking up."
A sweet photo of Lin Xiaoxi and her ex hung on the gray-white wall, half-falling. The photo swayed in the wind, as if it would fall in the next second.
Her eyes fell on the group photo. Xiaoxi still had photos as a souvenir after the breakup, but she didn't even have a group photo.
But which is more regrettable, having it or not having it?
"Xiaoxi, don't cry. Calm down first and think about your next plan."
After calming Lin Xiaoxi down temporarily, she came to the white electric kettle in the corner, bent down to pick up the clothes next to the kettle, and piled them all on the yellow wooden table.
Ye Zhenzhen picked up the electric kettle and went to the balcony. It was a small kitchen separated by wooden boards, and there was only enough space for one person to turn around. The gas stove was covered with grease, and several dishes were piled in the sink, with vegetable leaves and rice grains hanging on them.
She turned on the rusty faucet and moved the kettle closer. Through the greasy glass window of the small kitchen, she could see the pedestrians downstairs dressed simply. A young couple was hugging each other sweetly, and their laughter could be heard from time to time on the balcony.
The sound of running water brought her back to her senses. The water was about to overflow from the kettle. She carried the kettle back to the room and turned it on.
Lin Xiaoxi's face was covered with tears, she leaned against the bed, feeling depressed:
"Hazel, he knew I was pregnant and didn't plan to reconcile. He even refused to pay for the surgery..."
Ye Zhenzhen's throat felt blocked and she couldn't breathe. She felt like she would suffocate in the next second.
Lin Xiaoxi couldn't help sobbing again: "Zhenzhen, what should I do..."
Ye Zhenzhen was so angry that she was shaking all over, but she held back her useless scolding. There was no point in venting her emotions, she had to find a way to solve the problem, yes, solve the problem.
"Xiaoxi, stop crying and be obedient. Where does he work?"
"Zhenzhen, I won't go. It's too embarrassing..."
"Xiaoxi, do you have money for surgery? We need to solve the problem, your stomach can't afford it..."
It was not until Ye Zhenzhen's lips became dry and her throat became parched that Lin Xiaoxi was willing to cooperate and ask for the money.
Ye Zhenzhen rode a small electric scooter carrying Lin Xiaoxi, braved the scorching summer sun, turned into an alley, and came to a real estate agency.
It was a company of about 40 to 50 square meters, with various real estate information posted on the glass door.
Standing under the shop sign with red background and yellow characters, Ye Zhenzhen tightly grasped Lin Xiaoxi's hand to give herself courage.
As soon as I stepped into the door, I saw a middle-aged man wearing a loose white shirt and black trousers, with a dark and shiny face.
"Little girl, you want to rent a house?"
Ye Zhenzhen felt that Lin Xiaoxi wanted to withdraw her hand, so she had to hold her tightly.
Ye Zhenzhen smiled and said:
"Brother, we don't rent a house, we find someone."
Middle-aged man: “Who are you looking for?”
Ye Zhenzhen was lying in her heart, but pretended to be calm on the surface:
"Brother, let's look for Wang Yi, is he here?"
Middle-aged man: "He! He's taking a guest to see the house. He's been gone for a while. He should be back soon."
Ye Zhenzhen and Lin Xiaoxi turned around and prepared to go outside to wait for someone. Seeing that it was not easy for the two girls, the middle-aged man gave them two whitish plastic stools.
The two of them sat in the corner. Lin Xiaoxi wanted to retreat, and Ye Zhenzhen could only keep comforting her.
After waiting for about half an hour, Wang Yi came back humming a little tune. When Wang Yi saw Ye and Lin, he was surprised, but soon he turned indifferent and said, "Let's go out and talk. It will affect the company's business if we stay here."
Lin Xiaoxi saw that Wang Yi was trying to hide, but fortunately Ye Zhenzhen kept holding her tightly.
Ye Zhenzhen was a little unsure, "Wang Yi, we'll finish quickly, in five minutes."
"Lin Xiaoxi is pregnant. You must take responsibility. Either you marry her or you pay for the surgery. Lin Xiaoxi doesn't have the money for the surgery."
Lin Xiaoxi hid behind Ye Zhenzhen, lowered her head and wiped her tears.
Wang Yi had a dead pig fearless expression, "I don't have any money, what should I do?"
Ye Zhenzhen wanted to curse at the scumbag, but she suppressed her anger and said, "Then we can only sit here and wait until you have money."
After a long confrontation, Ye Zhenzhen felt weak in her heart. But things had to be solved, and she couldn't avoid it. She could only hold Lin Xiaoxi's hand tightly to gain some confidence.
Facing the gazes of the people around her, she summoned up the courage she had accumulated over the past twenty years. When she was cornered, the advice and observations of others were nothing compared to solving the problem and achieving her goal.
Wang Yi glanced at his colleague next to him, his face flushed, and asked tentatively:
"How much will the surgery cost?"
Ye Zhenzhen thought for a moment and said, "Four thousand." Lin Xiaoxi tugged at the corner of her clothes, but she ignored him.
Wang Yi's voice suddenly rose, "How much? Four thousand! Why don't you go and rob it!"
Ye Zhenzhen gritted her teeth and said, "Yes! It's four thousand. Lin Xiaoxi needs to rest after the operation and can't go to work. How are you going to compensate her?"
"You can stop loving her and break up with her. It's okay. There is no rule that says you have to spend your life with someone. But you have to be responsible for what you have done."
Lin Xiaoxi squatted on the ground and sobbed, her body shaking constantly.
Passersby also slowed down and looked in.
Wang Yi's voice was weak. "Four thousand is too much. I really don't have it. How about two thousand and five? If so, I'll give Xiaoxi an advance on his salary."
When Lin Xiaoxi took the two thousand five while crying, Ye Zhenzhen felt as if all her strength was suddenly drained away, and she instantly lost her temper. Perhaps the courage she had just injected into her was just a flash of inspiration.
The seat of the electric scooter parked under the shade of a tree was a little warm from the weather. At two o'clock in the afternoon, the sun made Ye Zhenzhen's eyes see stars, and the sweat was stuck to her body by the wind.
Lin Xiaoxi was sitting in the back seat of the electric scooter. "Zhenzhen, didn't you say it was only two thousand? Why did you ask for four thousand? Aren't you afraid he won't give it to you?"
The road surface was emitting wisps of heat, and Ye Zhenzhen felt a little dizzy.
She calmed herself down and said in a playful tone, "What if I asked for two thousand and he only gave me one thousand? Leave some room for each other. If you asked for five hundred more than expected and he feels that you gave me fifteen hundred less, isn't that good?"
The wind wrapped in heat waves rushed straight into her stomach along with her words, filling her belly with heat.
Lin Xiaoxi always has so many questions. "Then why don't you agree to talk about it outside? It's a bit embarrassing to stay in the company."
Ye Zhenzhen hadn't expected it to go so smoothly. Maybe God would occasionally have mercy on the world. "I'm afraid he'll cheat us and leave it in the company. If he cheats, his colleagues will know. Who would like a colleague with bad character?"
Lin Xiaoxi hugged her waist, feeling a little touched, "Zhenzhen, thank you, you are so kind!"
Ye Zhenzhen suddenly remembered that she was like this before, she also sat on the back seat of the electric donkey with her arms around Yu Hui's waist. She still thought of Yu Hui, those happy and sad moments...
She sent Lin Xiaoxi home, helped tidy up the room, and comforted the depressed Lin Xiaoxi.
"Henzhen, I'm afraid to go to the hospital."
"Xiaoxi, I will be with you. No matter how difficult the days are, they will pass."
Looking at Lin Xiaoxi who was barely asleep and still sobbing in her dream, Ye Zhenzhen couldn't understand why true love was not cherished? Why do girls always fall in love? Sometimes, love and being loved also require luck, and it is difficult to be proportional. But there is no point in tangling with these things. If you can't find the answer, don't look for it for the time being.
Ye Zhenzhen dragged her exhausted body back to the small attic and took a lazy shower. She collapsed on the bed and felt like she was floating on the clouds, with Lin Xiaoxi's words ringing in her ears.
"Zhenzhen, he was so good to me before! In order to save money to buy me a mobile phone, he even quit smoking. He said his biggest wish was to marry me, and that I would look great in a wedding dress..."
"Zhenzhen, why do people change so suddenly..."
Why do people change so suddenly? Ye Zhenzhen didn't know either.
Yup!
Why do people change when they say...