When they arrived at the People’s Restaurant, Su Meier looked up at the grand characters displayed above the entrance.
The people who could afford to eat here were usually government employees or members of the middle and upper classes.
Although her current identity was that of a country girl, the soul inside her felt no intimidation whatsoever.
However, she wasn’t very familiar with the dining procedures here.
Seeing everyone lining up, she guessed this was the payment counter.
She hesitated for only a moment before Tong Youyi had already joined the queue.
Su Meier quickly followed behind, quietly observing.
When it was finally their turn, Su Meier learned that customers first had to purchase meal tickets.
She watched as Tong Youyi pulled out a thick stack of grain coupons from her shoulder bag.
The stack was so thick it looked like a bundle of cash worth ten thousand yuan.
Su Meier nearly blacked out at the sight.
That was a huge fortune!
And she just carried it around in her bag?
Wasn’t she afraid of getting robbed?
Su Meier quickly stopped Tong Youyi from taking out the coupons and stuffed them back into the bag.
“I already said this meal is on me!”
After speaking, she discreetly glanced around to see if anyone had noticed.
Then she pulled out three yuan from her pocket.
She looked at Zheng Qingning standing behind them and said to the cashier,
“Three bowls of plain noodles. Add one fried egg to each.”
She had just seen the noodles at a nearby table.
They contained only a few chopped scallions and looked painfully plain, without a single piece of meat.
So she had made the executive decision to add eggs.
“Oh, and give me one jin of braised pork as well.”
Since they were already here, she wasn’t going to deprive herself of a proper meal.
The cashier’s eyes had practically lit up the moment she saw the stack of grain coupons in Tong Youyi’s hands.
Her professional smile became exceptionally enthusiastic.
Her fingers rapidly moved across the abacus.
“Three bowls of noodles cost forty-eight cents. Three eggs cost three cents. One jin of braised pork belly costs fifty-six cents. Altogether that’s three liang of grain coupons, two liang of meat coupons, and one yuan thirty-four cents.”
“Alright.”
Su Meier immediately handed over the required tickets and money.
Internally, however, she was busy complaining.
Eating a meal in this era is such a hassle. Everything requires tickets. Without them, you can’t even buy food.
Since Tong Youyi had been firmly prevented from paying, she simply let it go.
There would be plenty of opportunities in the future.
If Meier wanted to treat them this time, then so be it.
Leaning close, Tong Youyi whispered,
“Meier, why are you treating her too?”
Seeing Su Meier’s puzzled expression, she continued,
“If you ask me, paying her bus fare would have been enough. Then you’d be even.
Look at how stingy she is. She came to visit you and didn’t even bring a gift. There’s no sincerity at all, yet you’re still buying her lunch.”
Tong Youyi cast a disdainful glance at the tagalong behind them.
She really had the nerve to follow them.
The only reason Tong Youyi hadn’t exposed Zheng Qingning in front of Aunt Liang earlier was because Zheng Qingning had paid the bus fare for her.
That made it awkward to criticize her.
But now Su Meier was paying for both transportation and lunch.
Tong Youyi could no longer hold back.
She had to explain exactly what kind of person Zheng Qingning really was.
“Youyi, don’t say that.”
Su Meier shook her head.
“Whether her intentions are genuine or not, the fact that she came means there was at least a little sincerity involved. This meal is one I should pay for.”
What came next would be her finishing move.
She intended to completely sever this fake friendship.
Hearing the familiar tone, Tong Youyi felt as though the sky had collapsed.
She looked at Su Meier in disappointment.
“Meier, you haven’t changed at all. You still trust her that much.”
“No. I’ve changed a lot. So much that you don’t even recognize me anymore.”
For some reason, Su Meier blurted out the strange response.
Tong Youyi burst out laughing.
“Meier, now I believe you’ve changed. The old you would never make jokes like that.”
Su Meier was speechless.
Was that supposed to be funny?
At most, it had sounded a little melodramatic.
After stamping the receipts, the cashier handed over four tickets.
“Alright. Wait until your number is called at Window Number Two. Bring these tickets there to collect your food.”
“Thank you.”
Su Meier accepted the tickets.
Good grief.
It was practically self-service.
You had to do everything yourself.
She handed two of the tickets to Tong Youyi and Zheng Qingning.
Everyone could collect their own food.
There was no way she was carrying everything herself.
She wasn’t a waitress.
Taking the ticket, Zheng Qingning looked embarrassed.
“Meier, this really isn’t necessary. You’re spending so much money. Your family doesn’t have it easy either.”
Su Meier’s brows immediately furrowed.
Again.
Here she goes again.
Never-ending, wasn’t it?
So what if she came from the countryside?
Did city people automatically rank above everyone else?
Where did that sense of superiority come from?
She honestly wanted to kick her across the room.
Looking at her coldly, Su Meier said,
“You’re right. My family doesn’t have it easy.”
“Being friends with you was truly me reaching above my station.”
She paused.
“How about this? Let this meal be our final farewell. Consider it the conclusion of whatever friendship we once shared.”
“From now on, we’ll each go our separate ways.”
With that, Su Meier grabbed the stunned Tong Youyi and headed toward an empty table in the corner.
Leaving Zheng Qingning standing there frozen.
Tong Youyi felt as though everything that had just happened was a dream.
She pinched her own cheek hard.
“Ow!”
It hurt.
Which meant it was real.
Countless times in the past, she had tried to persuade Meier not to get too close to Zheng Qingning.
Every attempt had failed.
Eventually, she had simply accepted Zheng Qingning’s presence.
Now, after giving up hope entirely, Meier had suddenly come to her senses on her own.
“Meier, you’re serious this time, right?”
Tong Youyi asked cautiously.
“I’m serious.”
Su Meier looked earnestly at the girl who had clearly been well protected all her life.
If Tong Youyi weren’t genuinely such a good person, Su Meier might have cut ties with her too.
Suddenly, Tong Youyi leaned closer.
“Meier, there was something I never told you because I didn’t want to upset you.”
“But now that you’ve broken things off with her, I’m finally going to say it.”
“Zheng Qingning really has her eye on your boyfriend.”
“I’ve seen her several times using visits to see you as an excuse to chat and laugh with him.”
Su Meier nodded.
“Thank you for telling me.”
“I suspected it before too, but I never had any concrete proof.”
“Whenever I questioned her, she’d start crying and acting pitiful. Every time, I ended up believing her.”
Whether the original owner had known or not, Su Meier couldn’t tolerate it.
Tong Youyi looked relieved.
“Meier, you’re just too sentimental.”
“Numbers seventy-eight, seventy-nine, eighty, and eighty-one! Collect your meals at Window Number Two!”
A waitress dressed in a white apron and sleeve covers called out while holding a list.
The two immediately took their tickets and went to claim their food.
Inevitably, they crossed paths with Zheng Qingning again.
This time, however, nobody spoke.
Not long after Su Meier and Tong Youyi set down their food, before they had even started eating—
Thunk!
Another bowl of noodles appeared on their table.
Both women looked up.
It was Zheng Qingning.
She had followed them after all.
“Zheng Qingning, how can you be this shameless?”
Tong Youyi scolded her bluntly.
“We already made ourselves perfectly clear, and you’re still forcing yourself onto us!”
Zheng Qingning’s eyes reddened.
Her voice trembled with tears.
“I… I really couldn’t find anywhere else to sit.”
She looked at them helplessly.
“Meier, Youyi, I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Why are you treating me like this?”
She genuinely couldn’t understand.
The Su Meier she knew had always treated her with wholehearted sincerity.
She would never have acted this way.
Everything had happened so suddenly that Zheng Qingning still hadn’t fully processed it.