Ordinary World: Starting with a divorce from Tian Runye

Du Zhengxian walked quickly, almost jogging. Runye followed behind, her pace neither too fast nor too slow.

Every now and then, Du Zhengxian would turn back to look at her.

Runye's face was expressionless.

The summer sun was scorching, forcing people on the street to walk close to the walls. An old man selling melon seeds squatted under the shade of a tree, dozing off, while several donkey carts slowly walked by from the opposite direction and then slowly passed by.

Runye's neat short hair just past her shoulders was clutched in her hand, her knuckles turning white.

Why did you come here?

Caught in the act of adultery?

To catch Li Xiangqian in the act of adultery?

What attitude should we take towards Li Xiangqian and Du Lili later?

I feel like no attitude is right.

The movie theater is just ahead.

The cinema was next to the county revolutionary committee, in a drab two-story brick building. On the wall by the entrance was a red paper poster with the words "The Great River Flows On, Volumes 1 & 2" written in calligraphy.

It's all Li Xiangqian's fault.

He's being too outrageous; they're not even divorced yet.

Runye's thoughts shifted, and she felt so angry she wanted to stomp her feet.

Du Zhengxian walked to the entrance of the movie theater and turned around.

Seeing that Runye had quickened her pace and stood beside her angrily.

That's right, that's more like a wife catching her husband cheating.

As long as Runye keeps a close eye on things, nothing serious will happen.

It would be best to start a scene later with crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide to completely stop Li Xiangqian's bad behavior.

Du Zhengxian instantly felt much more upright.

cinema.

Du Zhengxian walked to the ticket window and straightened his back.

"I am Du Zhengxian from the county cultural center. There are some people watching a movie inside; I'm going in to find them."

The girl at the ticket window glanced up at him, then lowered her head to continue knitting.

"The movie has already started. Go in and don't make a sound."

Du Zhengxian straightened the collar of his short-sleeved shirt and glanced back at Runye.

Runye stood two steps behind him, her expression extremely complicated.

The two pushed open the door to the screening room.

It was pitch black inside. The screen was showing a scene of the Yellow River flooding, the thunderous sound of the water blasting from the speakers, making the plaster on the walls crumble. The screening room wasn't big, with seven or eight rows of wooden folding chairs, most of which were occupied, rows of dark heads bobbing back and forth in the light from the screen.

Du Zhengxian squinted as he scanned the floor row by row.

Third row, no. Fourth row, no.

The fifth row, on the side.

Du Lili's profile was illuminated by the light from the screen, sometimes bright and sometimes dark.

There was indeed a man sitting next to her.

Du Zhengxian turned around and glanced at Runye.

Runye paused for a moment.

The light from the screen shone on half of her face, and her lips were pressed tightly together.

Du Zhengxian took a deep breath, bent over and squeezed through the aisle between the seats, and quickly walked to the fifth row.

He grabbed Du Lili's arm.

Du Lili was so startled that she jumped up, almost scattering the sunflower seed shells on her legs all over the ground.

"Who?"

"I."

Du Zhengxian lowered his voice, panting heavily with anger.

"dad?"

Du Lili's eyes widened.

"Why are you here?"

The audience in the back rows began to boo.

"Shh...we're watching a movie!"

"Sit down in the front!"

Runye followed and stood behind Du Zhengxian.

Du Zhengxian didn't look at the person next to Du Lili, but only winked at Runye and gestured with his lips, meaning "You see for yourself."

Runye followed his gaze.

There was indeed a man sitting next to Du Lili. He had his back to them, sat upright, and stared intently at the screen without moving his head.

Good guy.

He sat upright, acting as if nothing had happened.

Runye was suddenly annoyed. She pushed through the crowd, went around to the man's side, bent down, and shouted coldly.

"Li Xiangqian".

The man visibly stiffened, then turned his head.

"Who are you?"

The man looked at Runye with some surprise, then glanced at Du Zhengxian beside him.

"curator?"

"Little Zhao?"

Du Zhengxian squinted and took a closer look, then exclaimed in surprise.

What nonsense is this?

Why is Xiao Zhao being dragged into this?

When did the internal relationships within the cultural center become so chaotic?

Xiao Zhao remained frozen in the chair, still holding half a sunflower seed in his hand, his mouth agape, the shell stuck to his lower lip.

Runye straightened up, paused for two seconds, then turned around and nudged Du Zhengxian's arm.

"What happened?"

Runye asked in a low voice.

Du Zhengxian looked helpless and frustrated: "I also want to know what happened."

"Xiao Zhao, what's going on?"

Xiao Zhao looked at Du Zhengxian with an innocent expression, just about to speak.

Du Lili's voice drifted over: "What...what are you doing here?"

She glanced at Du Zhengxian, then at Runye.

Du Zhengxian opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Where is Li Xiangqian?

Du Zhengxian blurted out this sentence.

Upon hearing the name "Li Xiangqian," Du Lili's expression instantly shifted from bewilderment to anger. She slammed her hand on the armrest of her chair, raising her voice.

"Don't mention that person!"

"Shh!" Another chorus of boos erupted from the back row.

Du Lili lowered her voice, but she could clearly not suppress her anger.

"He's untrustworthy! He promised so readily, but at the last minute he just handed the ticket to Xiao Zhao and ran off!"

She got angrier and angrier as she talked.

"I'd already bought the tickets. Two! And he just sent someone else to get rid of me!"

Xiao Zhao huddled in his chair, wishing he could fold himself into the gap between the seats. He was truly innocent. At noon, Li Xiangqian shoved the ticket into his hand, saying he couldn't go and shouldn't waste it. Xiao Zhao thought it wouldn't hurt to get a free ticket and watch a movie, so he happily came. After entering the theater and sitting down, he turned his head and saw Du Lili next to him.

The two stared at each other, both feeling a little awkward. But the movie had already started, and they couldn't very well get up and leave, so they reluctantly sat down.

Du Lili had a dark expression the whole time, cracking sunflower seeds loudly, while Xiao Zhao kept his neck stretched out, not daring to breathe.

Now another curator has arrived.

Xiao Zhao felt that he would never dare to take advantage of others for free again in his life.

"Are you going to sit down or not? If you're not going to, get out!" A young man in the back row finally couldn't hold back any longer.

Du Zhengxian snapped out of his daze and grabbed Du Lili, pulling her outside.

"Let's talk outside."

The four people filed out of the screening room.

The sun was so bright outside the movie theater that it hurt your eyes.

Du Lili stood on the steps, hands on her hips, still angry.

"You can't treat Li Xiangqian like a normal person. He forgets everything you agree on the moment you turn around. No, he doesn't forget; he does it on purpose!"

She turned to look at Runye.

"Runye, go back and talk to him. He clearly agreed, how could he do this?"

Du Lili's voice even sounded a little like she was about to cry.

Runye opened her mouth, unsure how to respond.

She had made a different preparation.

Although she herself didn't know what kind of preparation it was.

"Lili, don't be too angry. He's just like that...

Runye felt awkward after saying that. Her man didn't go to the movies with another woman, and she was apologizing to her and criticizing her man.

Du Zhengxian stood to the side, his old face turning red and white in turns.

After a long and arduous afternoon, running all the way, I ended up seeing Xiao Zhao.

The attempt to catch them in the act failed.

Xiao Zhao stood at the very back, with his hands clasped in front of him and his neck tucked into his collar.

Du Zhengxian glanced at him, and Xiao Zhao immediately lowered his head, staring at the tips of his shoes.

"Alright, everyone disperse."

Du Zhengxian muttered something and turned to leave. After taking two steps, he turned back and pointed at Du Lili.

"You, come back with me."

Du Lili snorted, ignored him, and turned to walk in another direction.

Du Zhengxian stood there, looking at his daughter's back, then at Runye, and then at Xiao Zhao.

"How utterly embarrassing!"

Du Zhengxian stamped his foot and chased after Du Lili.

Only Runye and Xiao Zhao remained at the entrance of the movie theater.

Xiao Zhao rubbed his hands together and gave a dry laugh.

"Who are you?"

"Runye, that... Xiangqian's family."

Runye looked quite embarrassed, and her voice grew softer and softer.

"Oh, Comrade Xiangqian's wife."

Xiao Zhao suddenly realized, then thought for a moment and asked, "You've come here?"

Runye glanced at Du Zhengxian, who had run off into the distance, and turned her head away angrily: "Director Du sent me."

"Du... Oh."

Xiao Zhao stroked his chin and nodded.

"Where is Li Xiangqian?" Runye asked.

Xiao Zhao shook his head and said, "I don't know, he just said he had something to do this afternoon."

"Xiangqian's wife, it's nothing, I'll be going now!"

Seeing that Runye was pondering and not speaking, Xiao Zhao simply said goodbye.

Runye nodded, still looking lost in thought. Xiao Zhao glanced at her, muttered a couple of words, and quickly left.

That person didn't come to the movie.

What did he do in the afternoon?

……