Zhang Yunxiao didn’t chase after Chu Xuanxuan. Instead, he waited outside the tailor shop for a quarter of an hour until Feng Mingshu came out and spoke to him.
Yet he wished he hadn’t heard those words.
The young man’s eyes were red at the corners as he stubbornly demanded an answer: “Why? Why did you change your mind after just a few days?”
“Is it because of Chu Xuanxuan? There’s nothing between us. I just look after her more because of our parents’ relationship. If you don’t like it, I’ll never pay attention to her again…”
Seeing Zhang Yunxiao’s stubbornness and panic, Feng Mingshu felt somewhat puzzled.
She was certain that the most ambiguous incident between them had merely been agreeing to take the entrance exam for Bincheng University together—a common promise many classmates made, nothing particularly significant, far from crossing any boundaries.
After repeatedly confirming she had a clear conscience, Feng Mingshu interrupted him: “Classmate Zhang, I’m going on a blind date soon. If you keep coming to find me, it might cause misunderstandings with my date. That wouldn’t be good.”
Hearing her words, Zhang Yunxiao froze, his mouth agape, disbelief filling his eyes: “You’re going on a blind date?”
“Yes, I’m going on a blind date. The other person is a very good man.” Feng Mingshu curved her lips into a sweet smile.
Well, what she was actually thinking of was braised pork.
…
Zhang Yunxiao returned to the residential building in a daze, not knowing how he got there. It wasn’t until he saw Chu Xuanxuan chatting and laughing with his mother in his home that his eyes widened, and he blurted out: “Why are you in my house?”
“How are you speaking to her?” Zhang’s mother noticed something was wrong and immediately scolded her son. “Apologize to Xuanxuan right now.”
Chu Xuanxuan’s eyes reddened with grievance, but she understandingly spoke up for him: “Auntie, I don’t blame Yunxiao. He’s just in a bad mood.”
Zhang’s mother immediately became alert: “Why is he in a bad mood? Xuanxuan, tell me the truth—did he go see that Feng girl again earlier?”
Chu Xuanxuan glanced secretly at Zhang Yunxiao, then bit her lip and shook her head: “Auntie, I won’t betray Yunxiao.”
“You silly girl—”
“Mom, don’t bother. She’s going on a blind date! She never had any interest in me!” Zhang Yunxiao shouted, then rushed into his bedroom and slammed the door shut.
Zhang’s mother was startled by her son’s outburst. She stepped forward to knock on the door but hesitated. Noticing the pleased expression on Chu Xuanxuan’s face, she felt somewhat uncomfortable but didn’t show it. Instead, she said considerately, “Xuanxuan, you’ve had a long day. You should go back and rest.”
“Auntie, I’m not tired…”
“Xuanxuan, be good and go rest. When your Yunxiao feels better, I’ll invite you over to chat with me.”
Chu Xuanxuan was immediately comforted, thinking this meant Zhang’s mother valued her. She happily said goodbye and left.
The Chu family lived in another residential building—specifically, a tube-shaped apartment building—while the Zhang family lived in the Expert Building.
The latter was built in the 1950s for Soviet experts, featuring independent kitchens and bathrooms with about a hundred square meters of space. After the Soviet experts left, these apartments were allocated to factory leaders of sufficient rank, as well as workers with special skills and contributions.
The Chu family were ordinary workers, assigned a single room of about twenty square meters in the tube-shaped building. Divided by a curtain, the inner area contained bunk beds for the children, while the outer area held the couple’s bed and a dining table, making the space completely full.Yu Xiuchun sat by the dining table knitting a sweater. When she saw her daughter return, she immediately asked about her progress with the factory director’s son.
Yes, Zhang Yunxiao’s father was the factory director, and his mother Wang Sujuan served as the director of the women’s workers’ committee in the labor union. As the only child of such parents, he naturally attracted the attention of many.
Chu Xuanxuan had successfully secured a place by Zhang Yunxiao’s side, and she was quite proud of this achievement. Although Feng Mingshu had angered her earlier at the tailor shop, she remained satisfied with the current outcome. Happily, she recounted to Yu Xiuchun her interactions with Zhang Yunxiao and how much Wang Sujuan valued her.
Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Yu Xiuchun slammed the half-finished sweater onto the table, poked Chu Xuanxuan’s forehead, and scolded, “You foolish girl! You’re being cheated and still helping them count the money!”
“Wang Sujuan is clearly using you as a stepping stone to push Feng Mingshu aside. Once she’s done, she’ll pull the rug out from under you and kick you to the curb. And you’re still gloating? What is there to gloat about!”
Chu Xuanxuan was stunned and burst into tears. “Mom, what you’re saying can’t be true. Auntie really likes me…”
“How did I give birth to such a stupid child? If she truly liked you, she wouldn’t have just sent you away!”
After berating her daughter, Yu Xiuchun gritted her teeth in anger. “I, Yu Xiuchun, am not someone to be trifled with. If Wang Sujuan dares to use my daughter, she’ll have to compensate by giving me her son as a son-in-law!”
“Mom, you have a plan, right?” Chu Xuanxuan wiped her tears, grabbed Yu Xiuchun’s hand, and looked at her with hopeful eyes.
Yu Xiuchun snorted. “I naturally have a plan. But we can’t ignore the Feng family either. We need to find out if that wretched girl is really going on a blind date. We mustn’t be fooled by her bluff!”
…
The New Year was approaching, and the weather grew colder each day. Feng Mingshu loved lounging in her mother’s room on the first floor, where the bedding was warm and cozy. This morning, she had overslept again and even missed breakfast.
The small Western-style house was built during the Republic of China era. Back then, the Feng family was wealthy and enjoyed luxuries, so the house was equipped with modern hot water heating that provided warmth around the clock.
So, when she had made that remark about avoiding extravagance at the tailor shop the other day, Feng Mingshu had felt a twinge of guilt. But with the experiences of her past fifteen years in her previous life, her skin had thickened considerably, and that guilt quickly faded.
She picked up the watch from the bedside table and glanced at it—a quarter past eight. Not feeling hungry, she decided to linger in bed a little longer when faint sounds of an argument drifted in from outside.
She immediately got up, hurriedly threw on some clothes, and opened the door to find Yu Xiuchun arguing and tugging with Wang Ma at the entrance to the living room.
“What right do you, a servant, have to chase me away? I’m your mistress’s own sister! Where is she? Tell her to come out and see me!”
“I’ve already told you, the mistress has gone out on business. Even if you’re her relative, you should observe proper manners. When the host isn’t home, how can you barge in like this?”
“Pah! Since when does a servant like you get to teach me manners? You’re just a lowly attendant. Hurry up and bring me some tea, along with snacks and fruits…”
Seeing Yu Xiuchun putting on airs, Feng Mingshu walked over and sneered, “This is New China now. Our household has no ‘lowly attendants.’ Wang Ma works here doing household chores, just like salesclerks and train attendants earn their living through labor. There’s no distinction between high and low status. Keep your outdated, decaying ideas to yourself in your own home.”
Seeing Feng Mingshu defending her and standing up for her against her own relative, Wang Ma’s eyes reddened, and she choked up as she called out, “Young…””Wang Ma, don’t call me Xiao Mingshu anymore, I’m all grown up now.” Feng Mingshu linked arms with Wang Ma, her tone coquettish.
Wang Ma came to her senses and corrected herself: “Alright, I’ll drop the ‘Xiao’. From now on, I’ll just call you Mingshu. There’s warm congee and eggs on the stove, Mingshu, go eat quickly.”
While the two were speaking intimately with linked arms, Yu Xiuchun across from them was fuming: “You wretched girl! Now that you’re grown, you’ve become sharp-tongued and don’t even respect your elders anymore! I’ll teach you some manners on your mother’s behalf!”
As Yu Xiuchun viciously raised her hand, Wang Ma immediately stepped forward to protect Mingshu, but she wasn’t as fast as the person who came through the door, who directly clamped down on Yu Xiuchun’s wrist. The pain made her scream: “Where did this brute come from? Let go of me!”