Chen Liang looked at her again and pressed his lips together.
He said nothing.
Yet he had said everything.
When Song Ning returned to the Siheyuan Courtyard, there was a guest sitting in the living room.
Seeing Song Ning come in, Zheng Chunzhi rose to her feet, looking a little ill at ease.
"Comrade Song Ning! Hello! I... I've come without an invitation!"
"Factory Director Zheng! Welcome! You're hardly an uninvited guest! I've been hoping you'd come!"
Song Wang stood up to greet her. "Ning! Shall we eat first? Song Mei and the others have the food ready!"
Zheng Chunzhi said rather apologetically:
"I told Comrade Song Wang earlier that I'd come after dinner! But he said you had a lot to do and told me to come early and wait for you..."
Song Ning smiled. "Factory Director Zheng! Don't stand on ceremony! It's just a simple meal!"
Seeing how easygoing Song Ning was, Zheng Chunzhi smiled too. "Then I won't! Comrade Song Ning! You don't need to call me Factory Director Zheng, either! I'm twenty-seven this year. If you don't mind, call me Sister Chunzhi! I'll call you Song Ning!"
"Sure! Sister Chunzhi! Let's eat first and talk afterward!"
After dinner, Zheng Chang'an saw that Song Ning had other matters to attend to and tactfully stayed out of the way.
Once they returned to the living room, Song Wang poured everyone some tea.
Only then did Song Ning ask, "Sister Chunzhi! You haven't finished wrapping things up at the factory yet, have you?"
"Almost!" Zheng Chunzhi replied. "You probably know how things stand at the factory! The subdistrict office gave us a few days to wrap everything up! The second batch Comrade Song Wang brewed is still quite good! I contacted a few regular customers who buy in large