Making a living in Dongguan, her fiery red lips offer me tenderness.

"Sigh, I don't know if it's true or not, but he's quite humorous, so I guess it's true."

"Sister, are you out of your mind? You're talking about ducks? And you're a lawyer, for goodness' sake."

"Sigh, I was just curious at first, so I chatted with them a bit more, I didn't think anything of it."

"If you talk a lot, you'll gradually develop feelings for each other."

"I think you're sick. Break it off quickly, don't get any more involved."

"Yan'er, he asked me to support him and be his girlfriend."

"Sister, are you a three-year-old? Are you keeping a gigolo?"

"You know what, I actually had that thought for a fleeting moment."

"Sister, what are you thinking? Do you even know if he has any diseases? What if he has a serious illness?"

"Besides, is this kind of person reliable? What else can they do besides playing around and scamming money?"

"I know it's unreliable, but I'm just curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat, you know? Stop thinking about it and block me now."

"Yan'er, don't just talk about me. Aren't you also looking for a young man? He's only 24."

"How can those be the same? Ding Yang is doing hard labor; he's diligent and hardworking. How can those two things be considered the same?"

"Yan'er, I'm thinking, what if he doesn't actually do this? Maybe he's just talking nonsense?"

"Hmph, you actually believe that?"

"Yan'er, what time of night is the prime time for entertainment venues?"

"9:00 to 12:00, I guess."

"Yes, but he chats with me from 9 pm to 11 pm every night. Doesn't that make you suspicious?"

"He said he went to work at 2 a.m. At that time, how many people would still be going to entertainment venues? So I became suspicious."

"Chan'er, you haven't gone mad too, have you?"

"No, I'm a lawyer. I'm very clear-headed and rational. I'm not delusional. I just suspect that he said that on purpose."

"Chan'er, since you have such doubts, and Chang'an isn't that far away anyway, why don't you ask him where he works and go check it out?"

"Yeah, you're right. You can tell what's good for you as soon as you see it."

"Yan'er, isn't Ding Yang, whom you mentioned, also in Chang'an?"

"Yes, what's wrong?"

"Yan'er, why don't you come to Chang'an with me?"

"Chan'er, I don't want to see him right now."

"Oh, I forgot, you're pregnant. Never mind, then you shouldn't go."

"Chan'er, you're a lawyer, you've seen more than I have, but no matter what, you need to stay rational. If it really is some kind of 'crispy duck,' you absolutely mustn't touch it."

"I know, don't worry, I'm not that stupid or that depraved."

"Um!"

"It's so late, let's go to sleep. I'm hanging up."

"Um!"

the next morning,

Tan Yan got up and went downstairs for breakfast.

"Mom, where's Dad?"

"You're off to work now."

"Did they leave so early?"

"Xiao Li came to pick him up, and he left. Your dad is really motivated at work now."

"Yan'er, have some porridge first."

"Um!"

"Mom, have I gained weight again?"

"No, it's normal to gain weight a little during pregnancy, it's nothing."

"Sigh, I'm naturally prone to gaining weight. What will I do if I keep getting fatter?"

"It's okay, I'll lose weight after giving birth."

"Yan'er, has Xiao Yang contacted you?"

"No!"

"Yan'er, doesn't his cousin work at the company? Why don't you have his cousin notify him and have him come over?"

"You're pregnant, and he probably doesn't know yet, otherwise he would definitely have come."

"Mom, I don't want to talk to him anymore."

"Yan'er, he is, after all, the child's father. You still care about him. Although he made a mistake, for the sake of the child, let's give him a chance and forgive him."

"Mom, let's talk about it later."

"Yan'er, have you ever thought about this? You may be able to wait, but he might not."

"What do you mean?"

"Yan'er, he has no idea you're pregnant. He still thinks you've broken up and he'll never see you again. Will he find another girlfriend?"

"Didn't you say he was having an affair with that woman in Chang'an? Now you're ignoring him; aren't you just pushing him onto someone else?"

"Even if he's not with that woman, he's so handsome, what if he finds someone else?"

"Mom, there's nothing I can do if he wants to see me. Let him be. A leopard can't change its spots."

"Don't say things in anger, okay? He didn't know you were pregnant, otherwise he would have come over long ago."

"Either you're completely prepared to break up with him and never see him again, and this child has nothing to do with him, and you become a single mother. Otherwise, Mom thinks it's better to let him know."

"Mom, let me think about it. There's no rush."

"Yan'er, all men are like this. You have to turn a blind eye to some things, and you have to handle some things properly. If you're always nitpicking, you won't be able to get along with your partner."

"Your father has been bored too, and your mother has argued with him, but my feelings for your father have never changed."

"True love won't completely reject someone just because they've made one or two mistakes."

"Happiness is often in your own hands; if you take it too seriously, it will easily slip away."

Sometimes, giving others a chance is also giving yourself a chance.

"No matter what, he's the child's father. We don't want our child to be born without a father, do we? What will you say when the child grows up and asks, 'Where's Daddy?'"

"Mom, I understand."

"Yes, in the adult world, we still need to be more rational."

"I heard him say last time that his grandmother's 70th birthday is coming up soon, and I think this could be a good opportunity?"

"Mom, what do you mean? You don't mean you want me to go to his hometown in Hunan, do you?"

"No, you're pregnant now, it's not safe for you to go to such a far place. Mom was wondering if we could send a gift to his grandmother."

"Leave a good impression on his grandparents. Ding Yang has no parents and was raised by his grandparents. His feelings for his grandparents are extraordinary, and he must be very filial."

"How should I give him a gift? I don't even know where he lives."

"That's easy, just give his cousin a day off and let her take her home. It's her grandmother's birthday, won't she go back?"

"Mom, I understand."

……

In Chang'an, Dongguan, Ding Yang, having just unloaded a truckload of bricks, sat on the curb eating breakfast.

Just then, David called.

"Hey, Ding Yang."

"Dawei, what's wrong?"

"Ding Yang, come back for lunch. Today is Wang Chang's birthday."

"Okay, sure!"

After hanging up the phone, Ding Yang continued eating his breakfast.

Old Cai, a local contractor from Wusha, came over and handed the freight fee to Ding Yang.

Ding Yang took the money, took out a Double Happiness cigarette, and handed it to Lao Cai.

"Xiaoyang, how's business now?"

"There are too many trucks, not much business. My truck can't carry too much cargo either. I can only make a hundred or two hundred yuan a day to make ends meet."