Chapter 148: The Pitiful Are Always Detestable in Some Way
The aunties were all talking at once.
“I still feel uneasy about that family being released. What are we going to do?”
“Wu Xiuli is such a menace. Even though she was arrested, it’s still made all of us feel on edge.”
“Exactly. Xiyue, how’s your neck and your hands? Are they any better?” Auntie Liu asked with concern.
Everyone turned their eyes toward her.
Ning Xiyue smiled naturally. “Much better now, they don’t hurt so much anymore. Thank you, aunties, for your concern.”
“That’s good. That Wu Xiuli really is a disaster — hurting so many people. Thankfully she was taken away.”
Auntie Liu gestured for the others to come closer, lowering her voice as she continued gossiping.
“You wouldn’t believe it — ever since Wu Xiuli’s family was arrested two days ago, Wang Big Mouth’s grin has gotten even bigger. She’s been laughing every day, bragging about how her daughter-in-law brings luck. She says every time they announce a happy event, the neighbors end up arrested. She even spent a fortune buying her daughter-in-law a sewing machine. It’s secondhand, but looks brand new.”
As Auntie Liu spoke, she gestured to show just how wide Wang Big Mouth’s grin was, and how nice the sewing machine looked.
One auntie sighed with envy. “Who would’ve thought Wang Big Mouth would be so generous toward that educated youth girl? I should’ve introduced my niece to Li Jiandang back then.”
Auntie Zhang, who knew a bit more, disagreed. “Generous? I don’t know about that. I overheard that Wang Fenglan actually paid quite a bit of money herself to get that machine. Xiyue, you’re from the same educated youth compound — have you heard anything?”
“No. She’s been busy with her wedding plans, and I’ve had my own things going on, so we haven’t seen much of each other.”
Ning Xiyue shook her head — she truly didn’t know.
If that rumor was true, Wang Fenglan must have been completely lovesick — not only giving herself but also her money.
But Ning Xiyue didn’t quite believe it. Given Wang Fenglan’s straightforward and hot-tempered personality, she probably wouldn’t do something that lowered her status like that.
Auntie Qian, however, took the story as fact.
“No wonder Wang Big Mouth’s suddenly so generous — even buying such a rare sewing machine. So that’s what happened.”
Ning Xiyue crouched quietly on the side, not speaking, just listening to the gossip.
“With the Wu family arrested, her family’s probably the happiest. They’re about to hold a wedding. And now that Li Cuihua’s been released at this critical moment, do you think the two families will clash again?”
“Hard to say. We’ll have to wait and see.”
And they did wait — all the way until the wedding day of Wang Fenglan and Li Jiandang.
At Wang Fenglan’s invitation, all the educated youths from the compound attended the wedding.
When the bridal party arrived, Wu Guifang and Zhao Jianshe — who were closest to Wang Fenglan — were in charge of escorting the bride. The rest of the educated youths followed behind the bride to Li Jiandang’s house.
Many familiar faces from the production team were there too.
There were quite a lot of people, and even more helping out, making the scene lively and festive.
It really was true — when a family had a big event, the entire team would come together to help.
By the time the educated youths arrived, many guests were already at Li Jiandang’s home.
They had agreed beforehand that each would contribute a one-yuan gift — no more, no less — and since they were invited by the bride’s side, all the gift money would go to Wang Fenglan. As for Wang Big Mouth’s family, they decided they would hand the gift to them directly when they got there.
When Wang Big Mouth saw the educated youths arrive, she was overjoyed. She knew they were generally better off than the regular production team members, so their gift money wouldn’t disappoint her.
She had been in the same work team as Ning Xiyue before, so she was most familiar with her. Naturally, she called out to her first.
“Xiyue, you’re here! Come in and sit.”
“Congratulations, Auntie,” Ning Xiyue said politely with a bow, offering blessings. Noticing Wang Big Mouth holding a notebook to register the gift money, Ning Xiyue smiled. “Auntie, which room is Sister Fenglan in? We’d like to give the gift to her.”
Wang Big Mouth’s smile grew even wider when she saw the red envelopes in Ning Xiyue and the others’ hands. “This way — I’ll take you there.”
Yu Zhiyu, Wang Jiandong, and Xia Zhipeng — being men — thought it inappropriate to go in, so they handed their gifts to the girls to deliver.
Ning Xiyue and the others followed Wang Big Mouth into the room, gave the gift to Wang Fenglan, and then left.
After walking them to the door, Wang Big Mouth turned back inside.
Liu Yao, watching her movements, asked Ning Xiyue, “Xiyue, do you think she’s going back to ask Sister Fenglan how much we gave?”
“Obviously,” Ning Xiyue shrugged.
Chen Yechu, who understood just how realistic and fickle people — especially the aunties — could be, snorted. “Why else do you think she personally came out to greet us, escorted us in herself, and is now going back?”
Wang Mengmeng noticed her coming out again. “Look, she’s smiling, but there’s a hint of displeasure in that smile.”
Still practicing her reading of people, Liu Yao turned to the “masters” for insight. “Why’s that? Does she think we gave too little?”
Wang Jiandong glanced at her and explained casually, “No, it’s because we gave what she expected, but the money didn’t go into her hands. Comrade Wang Fenglan probably refused some of her suggestions. That slight unhappiness means she’s still figuring out a way to get it and can probably manipulate the situation.”
“Comrade Wang, impressive. You see right through people.” Ning Xiyue gave him a thumbs-up.
Liu Yao’s eyes sparkled with admiration. “Comrade Jiandong, how do you know so much? Amazing! Please teach me more.”
“Just watch and analyze more, and you’ll figure it out,” Wang Jiandong waved her off, retreating back into his usual background role.
Liu Yao turned to Yu Zhiyu and Chen Yechu. “Cousin, Yechu, what do you think?”
Chen Yechu: “Comrade Jiandong is right.”
Yu Zhiyu: “Yechu is right.”
Chen Yechu shot him a glare, cheeks turning pink.
“Pfft, you two are hilarious,” Wang Mengmeng laughed at their synchronized responses.
Ning Xiyue’s lips curled too. Yu Zhiyu was clearly a Chen Yechu loyalist — his answer was always, ‘Whatever Yechu says is right.’
Just then, the ever-out-of-place Xia Zhipeng appeared with a pot of tea and asked eagerly, “Mengmeng, do you want some water? I’ll pour it for you.”
Everyone at their table turned to watch his “performance.”
Wang Mengmeng’s smile vanished, replaced by impatience and disgust. “I don’t want any. Stay away from me. I get annoyed just looking at you.”
“Then have some candy. These wedding candies are really sweet,” Xia Zhipeng said, seemingly oblivious, pulling out a few pieces of candy he had managed to grab and offering them to her.
“I said stay away. Don’t you understand words?”
Trying to remain polite since this was someone else’s wedding banquet, Wang Mengmeng didn’t yell, but she did push his hand away with her handkerchief — a bit forcefully.
The candy dropped to the floor.
Xia Zhipeng’s face showed nothing but hurt as he slowly crouched down to pick them up — only for a nearby child to snatch them up before he could. None were left for him, and someone even stepped on his hand in the process.
Holding his hand, he sat sadly in a corner, looking pitifully at Wang Mengmeng, heartbroken.
Chen Yechu looked away, silently sneering. Tch. Scumbag. Serves you right.
Ning Xiyue was on Wang Mengmeng’s side too. She felt no sympathy for scumbags. As the saying goes, “The pitiful always have something detestable about them.”
Before, when Wang Mengmeng liked him, he couldn’t care less. Now that she disliked him — even found him repulsive — he was suddenly trying to act attentive and devoted, playing the “repentant bad boy” routine. What a pathetic scumbag.
Wang Jiandong interrupted his self-pity. “Comrade Zhipeng, the bride and groom are coming out. You’d better smile.”
