Inside the house.
Yan Guifang had already heard Mei Suqin’s voice but didn’t greet her immediately. Instead, she sat at the small dining table, her gaze fixed coolly on the person at the door.
Mei Suqin, in turn, didn’t bother questioning Bei Qinghuan further and walked in with a beaming smile. “Oh, my dear in-law, look how busy I’ve been. It’s been days since I last came to see you. What happened to your hand?”
Yan Guifang sneered inwardly.
Heh, it’s been years since you last set foot in your in-law’s home, yet you say it’s only been a few days.
Are you made of a net bag, to be so full of it!
But Yan Guifang, being older, was more composed than Bei Qinghuan.
Even though she was displeased, she still exchanged pleasantries with Mei Suqin before firing her jab.
“It has been a few days. You’re the vice-director’s wife, after all, so of course, your life is better than mine. For us, each day feels like a year, while for you, a year passes like a day. No wonder you look so young.”
Mei Suqin acted as if she hadn’t caught the sour undertones, seating herself to the side with a smile even more artificial than when she had entered.
“Hahaha, look at you, always making fun of me. I was busy finding a job for Zhenghua, that’s why I didn’t come to see you. But now that his job is settled, I came right away to discuss the children’s wedding. They’re not young anymore; it’s time they got married.”
Yan Guifang froze.
She couldn’t help but exchange a look with Bei Qinghuan.
Bei Qinghuan was also stunned.
Tsk, so she didn’t come to break off the engagement.
Then what was the meaning of ignoring her earlier?
Before Bei Qinghuan could figure it out, Mei Suqin spoke again.
“Guifang, our families have been old friends for so many years, so I won’t beat around the bush. On our side, Zhenghua is our only son, so everything will be his in the future. On your side, it’s not easy for you to manage the household alone. So let’s not bother with all the formalities and save where we can. We’ll provide a sewing machine and a bicycle. Your side can prepare a dowry of a similar value. What do you think?”
Yan Guifang was still in a daze.
Today’s Mei Suqin was unexpectedly straightforward.
It almost made Yan Guifang think she was dreaming.
After all, in all the years of their engagement, the Qin family had hardly ever given any decent gifts for the holidays.
And now she was saying they would give a sewing machine and a bicycle as a betrothal gift?
Had the sun risen from the west?
Yan Guifang was at a loss for words, simply staring at Mei Suqin in disbelief.
Mei Suqin’s smile grew even wider, her smugness finally showing.
“You’re overjoyed, aren’t you? Our Zhenghua is now a permanent worker at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Any woman who marries him will live a life of bliss! From now on, you have to treat him well. A son-in-law is half a son, so you can’t leave him out when you have good things!”
Of course, Yan Guifang wasn’t overjoyed; she was just too surprised. For now, she could only play along with a smile. “I’m poor, I don’t have any good things. Letting our children marry is really a disservice to your Zhenghua.”
Mei Suqin slapped Yan Guifang’s hand playfully to show affection.
“Listen to you. We’ll be one family from now on, so what’s this talk of disservice? Even if he feels wronged, he’ll have to bear it, hahaha! By the way, for the date, I think September first is a good day. What do you think?”
It was already mid-July. There was only a little over a month until September first.
So rushed?
Yan Guifang demurred, “As for the date, I’ll go ask Huanhuan’s grandfather and then give you a reply.”
Mei Suqin shot her a sidelong glance, an expression that said, You’ve gotten a good deal and you’re still playing coy.
“Fine, fine, you’re the mother-in-law, you have the final say! But let me be blunt. With our family’s current status… right? And Zhenghua is so handsome. The sooner they get married, the better for both of them. Otherwise, at his Supply and Marketing Cooperative, so many girls are chasing him! I don’t mean he’ll fall for them, but those young girls will throw themselves at him, and you can’t even stop them. If you drag this on, he might get snatched away! Hahaha, am I right?”
Yan Guifang endured the provocation with a beaming smile.
“Alright, I’ll report to her grandfather tomorrow and give you a reply as soon as possible. Um… Suqin, why don’t you stay for dinner?”
Mei Suqin waved her hand. “No, Zhenghong said she wants to eat at a restaurant since it’s Sunday. We’ll head out as soon as I get back!”
Zhenghong was Mei Suqin’s daughter, two years younger than Bei Qinghuan. She had luckily missed being sent to the countryside and was thoroughly spoiled by Mei Suqin’s side.
However, it looked like a heavy rain was about to fall. Eating at a restaurant?
Are you crazy or am I?
It was just showing off.
Yan Guifang, inwardly despising Mei Suqin for being such a phony, said no more and called to her daughter, “Huanhuan, see Auntie Mei out.”
Bei Qinghuan emerged from the kitchen just then with a cup of tea. “Auntie Mei, you’re leaving already? I just made you some tea!”
The wedding had truly been settled in the time it took to brew a cup of tea.
Even buying vegetables at the market wasn’t this fast.
Coupled with the fact that she had come empty-handed, it was as if she was trampling the Bei family’s dignity into the mud.
Mei Suqin was still smiling. “No, we’re going to a restaurant. We go to a restaurant once a week! How about it, Huanhuan, why don’t you come with us?”
Bei Qinghuan knew, of course, that this was just false politeness.
So, with a placid expression, she went to open the door and stood by it to see her guest out. “No, thank you. We’ve already cooked. Please be on your way.”
“You’re such a polite child.” Mei Suqin gave Bei Qinghuan an appreciative smile before leaving.
But then, Bei Qinghuan heard another sentence: [Pah! You poor thing, what’s with the long face? If it weren’t for the fact that your dowry’s medicinal formula can sell for a fortune and your kidney can save my life, I couldn’t be bothered with you!]
This time, Bei Qinghuan saw it clearly—Mei Suqin had not opened her mouth.
So, what she had heard was Mei Suqin’s…
Inner voice?!
Including what she had previously thought were auditory hallucinations, they must have been Mei Suqin’s unspoken thoughts, right?
Bei Qinghuan was so shocked she froze completely.
Yan Guifang heard Mei Suqin’s footsteps descending the stairs for a long time, but Bei Qinghuan hadn’t turned back. She couldn’t help but call out to her, “What are you looking at? Come in and eat.”
But when the food was actually brought out, the mother and daughter thought about what had just happened. They looked at each other, and for a moment, neither had any appetite.
Yan Guifang then said, “Huanhuan, put half of the braised pork in a lunch box, add some of your pickled cucumbers, and scoop in some rice. Take it to Representative Jing. The day I fell, if Representative Jing and the others hadn’t passed by and taken me to the infirmary, I would have died from the pain in that alley.”
“Representative Jing? That Jing Xiao?” Bei Qinghuan hesitated. “Mom, Representative Jing isn’t like us. If he wants to eat something, he can just have the canteen make it for him. Would he really crave a bite of this meat?”
Yan Guifang shot her a look. “Do you think people who eat at the canteen every day get anything good? Besides, the canteen isn’t even open today since it’s Sunday. Otherwise, you tell me, what do you have to thank him with?”
Bei Qinghuan had nothing.
Having just returned to the city from the countryside in a remote province, what good things could she possibly have to give as a gift?
But Jing Xiao was the Factory Military Representative of the 3508 Factory, a leader in charge of three thousand workers and a family compound of nearly ten thousand people. She was supposed to give him this?
It was too shabby.
Yan Guifang sighed. “It’s not just this. It’s the thought that counts. It’s still warm, that’s why I’m asking you to make the trip. I’ve already asked someone to buy some good Malted Milk Powder. Now go, it’s in the leadership residential area, Courtyard No. 3. I’ll be angry if you don’t go.”
Bei Qinghuan had no choice but to pack the food.
As she was about to leave, Yan Guifang added a reminder, “When you see him, you must call him ‘Uncle’! All the children of the factory employees call him that.”
Bei Qinghuan agreed, placed the lunch box in a net bag, and hurried out the door.