Lin Hao’s home was bustling. Guests arrived one after another, but the place was cramped, so they could not help commenting on it.
“Huilian, it’s time to buy a new house. Your home is so small.”
The short-haired middle-aged woman said this. She wore a light green skirt, and it was obvious at a glance that her family was not poor—at the very least, they were comfortably well-off.
She was Ye Huilian’s friend. They had gone to school together, but more than twenty years later, their lives had turned out completely differently. A sense of disparity had emerged between them.
Fortunately, their friendship was strong enough for them to keep in touch instead of becoming estranged.
“Meiyun, that sounds nice, but buying a house isn’t easy.”
Ye Huilian poured tea for everyone.
Her friend, Chen Meiyun, was a homemaker who knew how to enjoy life.
A woman in bell-bottom pants with shoulder-length curly hair was sitting on the sofa. She was also one of Ye Huilian’s close friends, and her name was Wang Qiaojuan.
Wang Qiaojuan surveyed Ye Huilian’s home and said, “Look at this place of yours. You can see from one end to the other at a glance. This house is outdated. Hurry up and buy a new one. Even if it’s difficult, you should still buy it.”
Ye Huilian said bitterly, “That would require money. I don’t have a secure government job like you, Qiaojuan.”
A plump middle-aged woman spoke up. Her name was Zhao Qingzhi, and she was the mother of one of Ye Huilian’s Kindergarten students. The two often kept in touch and knew each other well.
Zhao Qingzhi looked at Lin Hao and said, “Xiao Hao, work hard and earn money to buy your mom a house. It’s not good for the two of you to keep huddling together in this old house.”
This was not the first time Lin Hao had seen her. He nodded and said, “Okay, Aunt Zhao.”
Besides these three, there were two other middle-aged women among the guests, one fat and one thin. They were both Ye Huilian’s coworkers and had also come to attend her birthday party.
Wang Qiaojuan asked, “Xiao Hao, what were your gaokao scores?”
Lin Hao answered, “I got 500 points.”
Chen Meiyun set down the tea in her hand and said, “500 points? Have you decided where you want to apply?”
Lin Hao shook his head.
Ye Huilian’s plump coworker said, “Only 500 points? Xiao Hao, you could retake the exam. My friend’s child scored 560 points and still insists on retaking it.”
Seeing her son put on the spot, Ye Huilian smiled and said, “Everyone has their own choices. My son’s abilities are limited. Even if he takes it again, the result probably won’t be much different.”
The plump coworker said, “Fine, but without attending a good university, it will be difficult to find a good job after graduation, let alone buy a house.”
Ye Huilian found the topic awkward and said, “The food is almost ready. You all chat. I’ll go check on the kitchen.”
Chen Meiyun studied Lin Hao and asked, “Xiao Hao, do you have a Girlfriend?”
Lin Hao answered honestly, “No.”
“Sigh, poverty is the root of all trouble. Without ability, there’s no love.”
“Who could say otherwise?”
Lin Hao heard his mom’s two coworkers speak unpleasantly, but he did not retort. He acted as if he had not heard them.
Wang Qiaojuan’s eyes lit up. Lin Hao had decent self-control, so he would probably grow into a steady, hardworking man. She said, “Xiao Hao, if you want to find a Girlfriend, perhaps Auntie can help you.”
Lin Hao politely refused. “Aunt Wang, there’s no need. I’m still young, and I should focus on my Academic Affairs. I don’t want to date for the time being.”
“All right.”
Wang Qiaojuan and Zhao Qingzhi exchanged a glance. A handsome young man like him should not have trouble finding a partner. After all, university lasted four years, so he would meet his true love.
At that moment, Lin Hao received a call.
It was two friends arriving.
Lin Hao stood up and said, “aunties, my friends are here. I’ll go outside to meet them.”
“All right, go ahead.”
Faced with five aunties surrounding him, no young man could endure it.
In their eyes, Lin Hao had done remarkably well to hold out until now.
When they saw Lin Hao leave, the women exchanged glances and smiled.
It felt more like he had run away.
However, in less than two minutes, Lin Hao returned with two people: Fang Zhanpeng and Su Qingwei.
The air fell silent. The aunties sank into silence, every pair of eyes fixed on the newcomer.
After a while, Zhao Qingzhi was the first to break the silence. “Xiao Hao, is this your friend? She’s so beautiful!”
Lin Hao answered, “Yes.”
Chen Meiyun beamed. “Young lady, you’re so beautiful.”
Under the five aunties’ scrutiny, Su Qingwei’s cheeks faintly reddened. She said, “Hello, aunties. My name is Su Qingwei. I’m Lin Hao’s friend.”
Wang Qiaojuan praised her. “Little Su, you’ve amazed me. Auntie has lived this long, but I’ve seen few girls as exquisite as you.”
Su Qingwei’s voice was melodious. “Thank you for the compliment, Auntie. I was born this way.”
The women exchanged glances. They had thought Lin Hao had no luck with women, but this little fellow had already hidden away such a beautiful girl.
Fang Zhanpeng had little worldly experience. When he entered and saw so many aunties, he wanted to talk more with Lin Hao, but he now wished he could escape.
He was the only male there. If he had known, he would never have come.
Lin Hao brought them stools and said, “Sit down.”
“Young lady, how old are you?”
Ye Huilian’s thin coworker asked.
Su Qingwei replied softly, “Eighteen. I took the Gaokao this year.”
The thin coworker pressed on. “How many points did you get?”
Su Qingwei glanced at Lin Hao. When she saw him shake his head, she knew she did not need to answer or be overly polite.
Thus, Su Qingwei refused to answer. “Not many.”
The woman felt disappointed. She had wanted an opportunity to talk more and get closer to Su Qingwei. A girl this wonderful could be introduced to her son, which would be a tremendous gain.
The corners of Chen Meiyun’s lips lifted. She had noticed the interaction between Lin Hao and the girl and guessed that their relationship was more than superficial.
Chen Meiyun thought more highly of Lin Hao. She had watched him grow up and hoped he would make something of himself and repay his mom.
At that moment, Lin Hao’s mom, Ye Huilian, and He Guiying emerged from the kitchen with the dishes they had prepared.
Ye Huilian smiled and called out, “Dinner’s ready. Everyone, eat…”
Before she could finish, she noticed a young, beautiful girl sitting in the room.
Ye Huilian and He Guiying reacted the same way, both astonished.
Ye Huilian wondered when her son had gotten to know such a beautiful girl.
He Guiying, meanwhile, grew anxious. This was clearly Lin Hao’s friend—and a rival for her daughter!
Lin Hao had not been lying. He did know beautiful girls.
He Guiying felt that her daughter would have a difficult time.
After her surprise passed, Ye Huilian became happy. She brought the dishes to the table and asked, “son, are they your friends?”
Lin Hao introduced them. “Mom, they’re both my friends. This is their first time visiting our home. This sturdy, handsome man is my classmate, and the girl is a friend I happened to meet.”
Fang Zhanpeng was indeed sturdy, standing 185 centimeters tall. He lived up to his name.
However, beneath Fang Zhanpeng’s powerful exterior was a shy heart, and he was especially bad at chatting with girls.
At the same time, this fellow could talk endlessly with other boys.
Ye Huilian smiled and greeted them. “Everyone, sit down and eat. I couldn’t afford to buy a cake, but it’s fine not to have one.”
“Okay.”
“We’ll eat dinner and skip the cake.”
“Cake isn’t filling anyway. There’s nothing special about it.”
Given Ye Huilian’s income, her friends could understand why she did not want to spend money on a cake.
But the two coworkers also thought she was being stingy. They had come specifically for the cake and felt displeased when there was none.
The plump coworker said, “Xiao Hao, when are you going to buy your mom a cake?”
Everyone looked at Lin Hao. Apart from Su Qingwei and Fang Zhanpeng, they all assumed he could not afford to buy a cake.
Lin Hao looked at his mom and said, “mom, today is your birthday. Close your eyes and make a wish.”
“Can wishes come true?”
“They can.”
“Then make a wish.”
At that moment, Ye Huilian closed her eyes and began making a wish. She hoped she could earn a great deal of money, buy a new house, and that Lin Hao would soon find a girl he liked.