Wife, please behave yourself.

Chapter 21 Suppressed Cries

"Remember to rearrange the counters and place them neatly according to their positions when handing over shifts."

"We need to stay alert, there have been a lot of petty thieves lately."

The employees handing over shifts kept giving instructions, which made Ning Mengyao, who was following behind, nod and listen attentively.

Ning Mengyao finally had a chance to catch her breath after the other person changed out of their work clothes and left, returning to her post at the cashier.

Numbly looking into the distance, he saw that the number of customers in the supermarket had already passed its peak.

A few customers came to the cashier after they finished shopping.

Holding the machine, I repeatedly scanned the QR codes on the products.

There wasn't a trace of a smile on Ning Mengyao's face; all she showed was physical and mental exhaustion.

Li Mingche wanted a new suit.

Not the kind of loose and baggy styles you find in department stores, but rather the kind that's a bit more upscale and custom-made.

Two thousand yuan.

In this day and age, it's equivalent to almost a month's income for an average person.

With little savings and Li Mingche having been unemployed for a long time, the burden of household expenses fell entirely on Ning Mengyao's shoulders.

The debts incurred after the failed business venture years ago had already left this family struggling financially.

Now her husband is even more insistent on buying a well-fitting suit.

Life is full of expenses.

As the customers left after checking out.

Ning Mengyao slowly lowered her head, holding the barcode scanner, seemingly lost in thought.

Her tired body hadn't had a proper rest, and the drowsiness that was making her vision blurry was now overwhelming.

She gripped the barcode scanner tighter and tighter, unsure if this was the life she had once dreamed of.

"Hello, checkout please."

The man's deep voice pulled Ning Mengyao back from her wandering thoughts.

Numbly, she picked up the items from the counter and scanned the QR codes on the lunchboxes one by one.

Although the discounted vegetables weren't very fresh, the discount tags made them significantly cheaper than buying them at regular times.

The goods were piled up on the table, almost like a small mountain.

However, the final calculated price was only a little over one hundred yuan.

"167, do you have a membership?"

How much cheaper is it to become a member?

"You can earn points, and one thousand points can be used to offset one dollar."

"Then I won't do it."

"Okay, do you need a bag?"

Do you charge for the bags?

"..."

"Yes, two cents."

With her eyes drooping, Ning Mengyao responded quickly, but her exhaustion left her with no strength to even lift her eyes.

"Here, you carry it."

"..."

It looks like we don't need bags anymore.

Looking down, I saw the man in front of me securing bags of vegetables to another person.

The remaining lunchboxes were carried by the little girl standing nearby.

Get your change.

He didn't stop until he saw the people in front of him leave, and they disappeared from his sight.

Ning Mengyao then said something in a low voice.

"Walk slowly."

Time seemed to pass slowly, and the supermarket was unusually quiet that night.

Alone at the cashier, Ning Mengyao fluttered her eyelashes, her eyelids feeling as heavy as if they were filled with lead.

I fear that once it closes, it will be difficult to open again.

With a crisp "click," a bottle of tea was placed in front of the cashier.

He mechanically reached out and picked it up, then scanned the code and spoke.

"3 yuan."

"I just happen to have some change."

Ning Mengyao quickly collected the three coins scattered on the table into the cash register.

He handed the receipt to the other person and then fell silent again.

He remained motionless with his head down.

Her lowered gaze fell upon a grown man's hand with distinct knuckles, gently pushing the canned tea towards her.

"..."

This behavior left the exhausted Ning Mengyao bewildered.

When she finally raised her face, a familiar face came into view.

"Drinking tea can slightly relieve drowsiness."

The cashier slightly raised their hand, gesturing for the customer to proceed.

"Consider this your way of repaying me for buying me lemon tea."

“Boss Liu?” “You finally recognized me.”

Upon seeing the woman finally raise her head, Liu Changcun, who had come to shop, smiled.

The smile only lasted for a moment before he quickly reverted to his usual expressionless demeanor.

The burdens of life have left this woman, who is not yet thirty, exhausted.

Liu Changcun is not a busybody.

However, when he saw that Ning Mengyao still had to work the night shift at the supermarket after getting off work, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her, as he had received tea and gifts from her many times.

When Ning Mengyao first started working at the flower shop, she didn't look as tired as she does now.

But as time went on, the weariness on her face grew deeper.

Previously, Liu Changcun only thought that the other party had irregular work and rest schedules, but now he met her again at the supermarket after she got off work from the flower shop.

Only then did he begin to understand why the other person was so tired.

"How long."

"..."

Staring blankly at the tea drinks on the stage, Ning Mengyao heard the man in front of her ask a question.

Unable to react for a moment, she refocused her gaze on the other person.

How long have you been working these two shifts?

Upon being asked again, Ning Mengyao truly heard the question this time.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly; she didn't understand why Liu Changcun was asking that question.

"Almost a month."

Do you have time to rest?

"some."

He responded.

Perhaps it was her basic sense of self-respect that made her reluctant to tell the bookstore owner, whom she was somewhat familiar with, about the troubles she was having at home.

"After midnight... you can lie down and take a nap for a while."

"..."

Hearing Ning Mengyao working so recklessly, Liu Changcun was quite puzzled.

The other person is still wearing that wedding ring.

Under the supermarket lights, the tiny diamond, almost invisible to the naked eye, did not sparkle at all.

"Doesn't your husband have a job?"

"..."

"Why would you need to work two jobs when you're already making money?"

"..."

Ning Mengyao, who had just been responding, now seemed to have her mouth glued shut.

Her face remained unchanged, but the hand holding the barcode scanner became increasingly uneasy.

The pent-up frustration in my heart wants to be shared with someone.

But how could she possibly ask someone else about something like that?

"Dad, my brother can't hold on much longer!"

The supermarket entrance is right outside the checkout counter.

The girl outside peeked out and anxiously called to her father inside the store.

Liu Songyan, carrying an enormous load of goods, is struggling to keep going.

The weight is alright, but the irregular packaging of large and small bags makes it impossible for him to exert his strength.

He turned around and answered.

Before parting, Liu Changcun took one last look at Ning Mengyao.

Seeing that the other person was still hanging her head, it seemed that she had lost all hope for life.

"Your health is the most important thing; don't overwork yourself."

After leaving behind his last words, Liu Changcun turned and hurriedly left.

A girl outside the supermarket cried out in alarm, but it was too late.

Goods fell to the ground, and the family of three began discussing a new round of cargo-carrying plans.

Outside the supermarket, the noise of the discussion gradually subsided.

Until Ning Mengyao inside the store could no longer hear anything.

His gaze fell upon the unopened bottle of tea in front of him.

The last words Liu Changcun said before leaving echoed in my mind.

Your health is the most important thing; don't overwork yourself.

It was just a simple expression of concern, but Ning Mengyao hadn't heard it in a long time.

A strange emotion welled up inside me, as if I couldn't suppress it at all.

A sudden heaviness settled in my chest.

He was panting heavily, but along with this action, a tear fell.

He lowered himself further and further until he was level with the cashier counter.

Inside the now-empty supermarket.

Suppressed, soft sobs could be heard.

(End of this chapter)