Life Plan

Chapter 37, Resignation

Liu Chichi sat in the restaurant with a carefully applied "light makeup" on her face, thinking that He Qingchi's problem was actually a family hereditary issue. This place was only two streets away from the old town where Jiang Xiaonv lived. Office buildings had sprung up, workers were in the flat factory buildings, and customer service was in the towering high-rise buildings.

I heard that He Qing's parents came to inspect the factory here, but because they couldn't return due to the typhoon, they decided to invite Liu Chichi's family to meet them.

Liu Chichi didn't know which factory they were in, or why they were so late.

But Liu Chunhong, who had always been furious about her late returns, suddenly became unusually tolerant. She drank two cups of chrysanthemum tea, occasionally rubbed her hands anxiously, and carefully checked Liu Chichi's makeup.

After Liu Chichi was forced to sit stiffly with her legs turned to the side, chest out, and head held high for almost an hour, He Qing finally arrived late with her parents.

Unlike Liu Chichi, who sat upright in a dress, He Qing and her father wore loose down jackets, and both wore frameless glasses. Her mother wore a soft cashmere shawl; the shop had no underground parking, and the wind and rain left damp marks on her, causing her to frown in displeasure.

Liu Chunhong stood up warmly to greet him, extending her hands. He Qing only shook her hands lightly, and his parents merely nodded slightly.

He Qing chose the restaurant and reserved the seats. The two sofa chairs in the booth were spacious enough to comfortably seat three people on each side, but after He Qing's parents sat down, they were too far apart, leaving no room for He Qing to sit down.

For once, Liu Chichi saw embarrassment on He Qing's face, which always exuded confidence and arrogance.

Liu Chunhong, with her sharp eyes, caught this subtle atmosphere and quickly stood up to invite He Qing to sit down next to Liu Chichi. The two of them stood up and led He Qing to a seat by the window.

Liu Chunhong settled Liu Chichi in a spot near the corridor, then pulled a wooden stool from a nearby table and sat down beside her.

If a toddler sitting in a high chair on the side is considered caring, then an adult sitting here seems superfluous. Liu Chichi felt a pang of sadness looking at her mother sitting at the table. She stood up to change seats, but Liu Chunhong quickly pulled her back down, laughing exaggeratedly, "You kids are sitting together to bond, right? I'll sit here so we can serve the food."

Liu Chichi wanted to speak again, but her mother pinched her palm while handing her cutlery, and she fell silent again.

He Qing smiled and introduced their parents. His father apologized without any sense of guilt, saying, "I was too busy at the beginning of the year, so I'm a little late."

Liu Chunhong quickly chimed in, her smile so exaggerated you couldn't see the whites of her eyes: "It's not too late, it's not too late. The bigger the business, the more work you have to do."

He Qing's mother had just taken off her shawl and said expressionlessly, "Yes, those of us who work in companies are not like temporary workers who can go wherever they want and do whatever they want."

Liu Chichi's face immediately turned cold, and she felt a chill on her cheeks, but her blush was too heavy for anyone to see her complexion. Liu Chunhong only froze for a moment before smiling again.

Liu Chichi couldn't stand seeing anyone treat her mother like this. She had a million harsh words she wanted to say, but in the end, she just lowered her head and said, "Then you can quit your job and work as a temporary worker."

She spoke tough, but didn't dare to raise her head. Before He Qing's parents could say anything, Liu Chunhong tapped her hand with her chopsticks: "How can you talk like that? So insensible. Is this how I've always taught you?"

The chopsticks landed right on the base of her index finger, the pain almost bringing tears to her eyes. Looking up, she met her mother's reproachful gaze. She turned to He Qing's mother and apologized, "I'm sorry, Auntie, I said something inappropriate."

He Qing could tell she had dressed up deliberately for the day, and he was immediately struck by her appearance as soon as she entered. The recent graduate carried the unique clarity of campus life and the naiveté of entering society, along with a few gentle quirks. At that moment, her eyes were red-rimmed, making her look as adorable as a rabbit spirit.

The pleasure of being pleased made He Qing quickly forgive Liu Chichi's "immaturity" and said in a protective tone, "Chichi is young, I will teach her more in the future."

His mother, seeing her son's attitude, spoke with a barely perceptible smile: "I didn't mean to criticize you. There's no such thing as a job being ranked. I was just expressing my feelings."

This meal was even more suffocating than being alone with He Qing. Liu Chichi felt like she was being pricked by needles. From the moment she sat down, her parents' gazes scrutinized her like a scanner.

When she heard the other person praise her for her beautiful appearance, Liu Chunhong quickly gave her a smug look, as if praising how suitable her makeup choice was.

Halfway through the meal, Liu Chichi's phone suddenly started vibrating incessantly. She turned on the screen and saw that the sender was Jiang Xiaonv, and the content was a series of voice messages.

Liu Chichi subconsciously reached for her phone, but the metal chopsticks in her hand were too slippery. She didn't notice that as she raised her hand, the chopsticks landed on the plate with a crisp sound.

Liu Chichi held her phone, too afraid to move. Dropping chopsticks at the table was considered very impolite by her mother. She froze for a moment before daring to turn her head. He Qing's parents looked at her with displeasure, and Liu Chunhong frowned and patted her hand: "Clumsy! People are asking you questions."

Liu Chichi hadn't been paying attention, and instinctively looked up in confusion: "What?"

He Qing interrupted, "My parents asked what your plans are for the future. How about quitting your job to take care of the family, like we agreed before?"

Liu Chichi was even more puzzled: "What did we agree on?"

All four people at the dinner table frowned. He Qing nudged her leg under the table, his brows furrowed with a helpless expression, like someone trying to coax a child: "Didn't we agree before that I would earn money to support the family, and you would be as beautiful as a flower?"

Liu Chichi never expected that the sweet words she had seen online years ago would sound like this to her ears. She didn't feel excited at all, and even felt a little disgusted: "My job is very good, and I have no intention of quitting."

"Chichi—" Liu Chunhong, who had been smiling obsequiously for a while, finally frowned. "Does a girl still need to prioritize her husband? Being a good wife and mother and raising children well is the most important thing."

Liu Chichi's fingers were almost clenched into fists, and the hard side of the phone made her fingers, which had just been hit, ache again, but she had no time to care.

Sixteen years ago, Liu Chunhong said that getting first place in exams was the most important thing; five years ago, she said that the college entrance exam was the most important thing; and a year ago, she said that taking the civil service exam was the most important thing. She studied for sixteen years, leaving early and returning late, and now she is told that being a good wife and mother is the most important thing.

Does being a good wife and mother require sixteen years of hard study and academic qualifications?

He Qing reached out and stroked her carefully styled hair: "I won't treat you badly."

This seemingly ordinary side bun had been permed before braiding, making the hairstyle look fluffy and delicate. It took the stylist an hour, not counting the pre-styling treatments. Liu Chichi subconsciously moved to the side; getting her hair done was hard work, and touching it would deform the curls.

Looking into Liu Chunhong's dissatisfied eyes, she seemed to see the dim, flickering light in the stairwell many years ago, like some kind of cage that had trapped her, but she was no longer nine years old.

There was no wicked mother-in-law, no snobbish father-in-law, and no difficult relatives making things difficult. It was just an ordinary dinner party that even her mother was satisfied with, but Liu Chichi suddenly started to dislike He Qing very much.

Why make decisions for her without her consent?

She simply put down the cutlery she had just picked up, lowered her head to avoid eye contact with anyone, and her voice revealed an undeniable firmness: "I will not resign."