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What if it was really like what Zhao Ni said, that Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe's marriage was the result of a scam?
Qian'e could not help but feel happy when she thought of that. If this was true, she could expose Qiao Mei! Then, Qiao Mei would end up like her and Xia Zhe would fall in love with her.
It was true that Qiao Mei had tricked Xia Zhe into getting married back then, but now that Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe were open about the fact that they liked each other, Qiao Mei could pretend that the earlier part never happened.
Qiao Mei grinned at Qian'e and said,
Xia Zhe and I actually had an arranged marriage when we were children. My grandfather and Xia Zhe's grandfather made an agreement a long time ago regarding their grandchildren. If there's two boys, the boys will join the army together. If there's two girls, the girls will become sisters. If there's a boy and a girl, then the two children get married.
Everyone was not too familiar with Xia Zhe's family and did not know whether what Qiao Mei said was true. However, since she could even say such a thing, then Qiao Mei's grandfather was definitely not some small fry.
Then why did Qiao Mei's grandfather return to the countryside?
Everyone felt uncertain as they looked at Qiao Mei and Qian'e, waiting to see what happened next.
Nonsense! Xia Zhe grew up in this compound. How can he know you!
Qian'e roared.
Qiao Mei smiled disapprovingly and said,
It was both our grandfathers who made the decision, not me. How would you know what our grandfathers talked about? If you don't believe me, you can ask Xia Zhe's grandfather yourself.
When the neighbors heard this, they felt that it made sense. With Old Master Xia's temper, if Qiao Mei really had wanted to trick Xia Zhe into getting married or if she had any ulterior motives towards Xia Zhe or the Xia family, she would have already been dealt with.
Moreover, everyone had seen the expression on Xia Fang's face when she brought Qiao Mei back. She looked even happier than if it was her own son bringing her daughter-in-law back. Qian'e must be overthinking the situation.
Everyone shifted their anger to Qian'e again. It was also impossible for Qian'e to really go to the Xia family to demand an answer.
Zhao Ni made a move to drag Qian'e home. It was almost time for the hospital staff to get off work and the girl's father, Qian Wang, was about to knock off soon. Furthermore, Qian Wang had always known about the shenanigans that Zhao Ni and Qian'e got up to.
It was just that Qian Wang had a good temper. In the past, he would not have married Zhao Ni if not for the fact that she had insisted on marrying him, and caused a scene that made everyone know about it. Fortunately, Zhao Ni kept an even temper after her marriage and took care of her husband and taught her children well.
The good times did not last long. Ever since Qian'e fell for Xia Zhe, there had not been a day of peace and Qian Wang just turned a blind eye to it. In addition, he and Xia Fang were colleagues, so it was even more difficult for him to say anything.
Zhao Ni was not working at the moment and solely depended on Qian Wang to support her. Even if she went around throwing tantrums, she would be fine as long as she did not let Qian Wang catch her in action. She hoped that Qian Wang would not find out about this whole incident, otherwise she would have a difficult time for a while.
Why are you dragging me! Don't make me go back! I want to take a good look at this vixen's face!
Qian'e scolded Zhao Ni as she was being pulled away.
Qiao Mei did not care about how badly Qian'e cursed at her and just quietly rubbed her stomach with a nonchalant expression. Her action made Qian'e even angrier.
Qian'e broke free from Zhao Ni and rushed towards Qiao Mei. Nobody could react in time, and it so happened that Xia Fang and Qian Wang saw this scene as they returned on the hospital shuttle bus.
As Qiao Mei turned her body sideways, Qian'e shot past her due to the momentum, crashing into a tree by the roadside.
Qian'e! What are you doing!
Xia Fang shouted at Qian'e.
Everything in her hands dropped to the ground. She had wanted to come back and make chicken soup for Qiao Mei, but she did not expect to encounter such a thing.
Qian Wang was also stunned when he heard Xia Fang calling out his daughter's name. He turned around and saw Qian'e bent over the ground, moaning as she held onto her wrist.
Oh my, Xiao'e! What happened to you!
Qian Wang rushed to Qian'e to see if she was hurt in any other way.
Xia Fang and Qian Wang focused their attention on each child from their families. Zhao Ni did not dare to say anything as she stood at the side. If Qian Wang found out about what happened, she would definitely have to go back to her family. If that happened, her own sisters-in-law would mock her again, and she just could not take the insults.
Her own brothers were all doing very well and they all thought that she had married well and was doing the best among them. However, after what happened in her family, everyone mocked her and looked down on her.
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Mei Mei, are you hurt?
Xia Fang looked at Qiao Mei worriedly.
I'm alright, Aunt. I'm fine and not injured at all.
Qiao Mei looked at Xia Fang obediently.
After being assured that Qiao Mei was really feeling fine, Xia Fang heaved a sigh of relief, though her anger had not subsided.
I told you to rest at home, but you insisted on going out. See how you've met a lunatic on your way,
Xia Fang said sarcastically as she glanced sideways at Qian'e, who was on the ground.
Aunt, I was at home… It's just that…
Qiao Mei said aggrievedly. Before she could finish speaking, Qian'e interrupted her.
Who are you calling a lunatic!
Qian'e roared at Xia Fang.
Then why did our Mei Mei come out and how did you meet her?
Xia Fang had heard Qiao Mei's reply. If Qiao Mei did not come out on her own accord, then Qian'e must have gone looking for her.
Earlier, she had left in a hurry and did not pay much attention when she passed by Qian'e at the courtyard door. She did not expect that Qian'e would take advantage of her absence to go to her house to bully Qiao Mei!
I… I…
Qian'e stammered, unable to speak.
The elderly female neighbor at the side said,
Fang'er, she went to your house and knocked on the door. The noise she made summoned almost everyone in the building.
After Xia Fang understood what had happened, she looked at Qian Wang and said,
Chief Qian, let me know how you think we should handle this matter. Your daughter went to my house to drag Xia Zhe's wife out and deliberately hurt her. Our Mei Mei is currently pregnant! Tell me what you think we should do.
When Qian Wang heard this, he felt so ashamed that he did not dare to look up. When Qian'e saw how weak her father was, she shouted angrily at the crowd,
What proof do you have that I did it deliberately! So what if she's pregnant! As if no one else had been pregnant before!
As soon as she said that, Qian Wang gave her a slap to stop her from talking. Qian'e looked at Qian Wang in shock, unable to believe that her father had just hit her.
Even if Qian'e was divorced and had been pregnant, she should not say such shameless words in public. Qian Wang could not stand it anymore.
Qian Wang stood in front of Qian'e and blocked her from everyone's view as he said,
Chief Xia, I'm so sorry about this. I'll come to your house later and formally apologize to you. Look at Xiao'e, her hand might be fractured. Why don't I bring my child for treatment first, then when I'm back, I'll definitely come and apologize to you and Xia Zhe's wife. What do you think?
They were both colleagues from the same hospital, and Xia Fang knew Qian Wang as someone that could be trusted. She nodded and did not say anything else.
Just as Qian Wang was about to leave with Qian'e, Qiao Mei said,
Let's pretend that this incident about the love letter never happened. Don't come looking for trouble. Who knows if you'll produce a letter in the future and say that Xia Zhe gave it to you. If I find you doing that, I'll sue you for slandering a soldier!
Given that everyone had come down to watch the commotion, plus the people who had just gotten off work and were passing by, she decided to take the chance to address this matter directly. This would also prevent Qian'e from having any ulterior motive and causing trouble for Xia Zhe. Otherwise, it would be difficult to deal with the fallout from the issues in the future.
Qian'e glared at Qiao Mei and said fiercely,
Just you wait! We're not done yet!
After she said that, Qian Wang dragged her off to the hospital to see a doctor. When Zhao Ni saw Qian Wang and Qian'e leave, she also quietly slipped away and disappeared into the crowd.
Seeing that the matter had been resolved, the crowd dispersed and everyone returned home. Xia Fang went home with Qiao Mei and looked at her silently with a serious expression.
Qiao Mei also knew that she was in the wrong. She lowered her head and stood in the room, not daring to move.
Why are you standing, come here and sit down,
Xia Fang said sternly.
Qiao Mei slowly walked to the sofa and sat down, looking at Xia Fang obediently.
Aunt, I was wrong. Please don't be angry.
Faced with those big round eyes and sweet voice, Xia Fang could not bear to flare up at Qiao Mei even if she was angry.
Then tell me, what did you do wrong and how were you wrong?
Xia Fang still looked at Qiao Mei with a serious expression.
She had to teach Qiao Mei a lesson for what happened today. Qiao Mei must understand that she could not go out casually or come into contact with Zhao Ni and Qian'e. It was really too dangerous.
Qiao Mei blinked her big eyes and mentally counted the number of things she had done wrong. Xia Fang looked at how serious Qiao Mei looked and almost did not have the heart to make her say it.
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I… I shouldn't have opened the door. I should have stayed at home. I shouldn't have contradicted Qian'e and quarreled with her. I shouldn't have angered her and made her attack me.
The more Qiao Mei spoke, the less confidence she had. She did not even dare to raise her head to look at Xia Fang.
When Xia Fang heard this, she wondered how it turned out that Qiao Mei was the one who made Qian'e so angry?
That a girl who looked so well-behaved could make Qian'e so angry.
And you did it on purpose?
Xia Fang asked.
Qiao Mei quickly shook her head and said,
I didn't! It's because she slandered Xia Zhe and I got so angry that I spouted some nonsense which made her angry, then she just came at me…
Xia Fang also knew what kind of person Qian'e was and did not blame Qiao Mei. She already heard from the neighbors that Qian'e had caused quite a commotion. Otherwise, Qiao Mei would not have opened the door.
Give me your hand,
Xia Fang said.
Qiao Mei reached out her hand in fear, not knowing what Xia Fang was going to do.
Xia Fang suddenly reached out and gently smacked Qiao Mei's palm. Qiao Mei was so shocked that she let out a cry.
I'm teaching you a lesson. Let's see if you still dare to do it in the future!
Xia Fang said as she pretended to be angry.
Qiao Mei knew that Aunt was no longer angry. She smiled and leaned over to hug Xia Fang's arm, saying sweetly,
Yes I know, Aunt. I won't do it again. Don't be angry anymore! I know you're the best!
Xia Fang was so tickled by Qiao Mei's flattery that she smiled and did not mention the incident again.
In the past, she had wanted to have a daughter, but she gave birth to a boy instead and was depressed for a long time because of that. She then waited a long time for someone in the Xia family to have a daughter. It turned out to be Xia Zhe's older sister, Xia He.
However, Xia He was not gentle and quiet at all, and she even inherited the temper of Xia Zhe's father, Xia Mao. The eldest brother of the Xia family, Xia Wen, turned out to resemble Xia Zhe's mother, Xu Lan.
This also shattered Xia Fang's dream of raising a daughter. The Xia family either had boys or girls who behaved like boys. There was not a single gentle and quiet girl.
Now that she had Qiao Mei with her, Xia Fang was overjoyed. Even if Qiao Mei said that she wanted to eat all kinds of delicacies tomorrow, Xia Fang would find a way to get them for Qiao Mei.
Qian'e was taken to the hospital by Qian Wang and diagnosed with a broken wrist. After getting a cast on her arm, she followed Qian Wang home. Along the way, Qian'e kept thinking about how she could have her revenge. She would not let the matter today rest just like that.
These things had to be repaid one by one!
Back then, in order to marry Xia Zhe, she had waited bitterly. Now, Xia Zhe had married a beautiful wife and forgotten all about her.
If you think you want to have a peaceful life, hmph, no way!
Qian'e had already thought of how to proceed with her plan. First, she needed to look for a person, He Mei.
She hated this person to the core, but she had to get this person to help. She could not carry out the plan herself and must get someone to do it for her.
It was all thanks to He Mei that Qian'e ended up in her current state!
He Mei also liked Xia Zhe, but she had never said anything about it and kept it to herself. Qian'e treated He Mei as her best friend and told He Mei everything that was on her mind. This was how He Mei found something to use against her.
Back then, He Mei was the first person she told when she fell for Xia Zhe. It even made He Mei so curious about the person who made Qian'e so infatuated. When He Mei returned home with Qian'e after school and saw Xia Zhe, He Mei also fell in love at first sight and vowed to have Xia Zhe for herself.
He Mei often came up with ideas for Qian'e. She asked Qian'e to be more attentive to Xia Fang and to visit Xia Fang at home more often. She told Qian'e to draw attention to the matter so that once his parents found out about what was happening, they would definitely have to agree to the relationship. Then, Xia Zhe would be able to marry Qian'e.
Qian'e firmly believed in He Mei. In the end, the plan backfired and what she received was a warning from Xia Zhe's mother, Xu Lan.
Later, after Xia Zhe went to the army, Qian'e gave up on the idea of liking Xia Zhe and started dating Ma San before getting engaged to him.
Initially, Qian'e had refused to let Ma San touch her, so she told He Mei about the matter and asked her for help to think of a way to deal with it. She did not expect He Mei to say that since they were already engaged and would definitely get married, there were certain things that should be done. He Mei told her that there was no need to hide from him or reject his requests, otherwise she would seem very pretentious.
Qian'e believed what He Mei told her and went all the way with Ma San.
No one would have expected He Mei to then introduce her cousin to Ma San.
Her cousin even got pregnant!
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Qian'e could not believe this piece of news. She had always thought that He Mei was her best friend and did not expect He Mei to plot against her.
He Mei forced Ma San to marry her cousin and asked Ma San to leave Qian'e.
In the end, Ma San was so blinded by the He family's power and wealth that he gave up Qian'e. Not long after, Qian'e also found out she was pregnant, but as it was an ectopic pregnancy, there was nothing she could do but to terminate it.
Ma San ignored Qian'e completely as he saw no value in her, so Qian'e went to meet He Mei when she was at her wits' end.
It was He Mei who came up with the idea for Qian'e to go to Ma San's house and cause a scene. She told Qian'e not to let go of the issue so quickly.
In the end, Ma San pushed her in a fit of desperate anger, causing her to have a miscarriage and ending up in the hospital. As she did not manage to seek timely treatment, she had to have her uterus removed.
Initially, only a few close colleagues knew about her pregnancy. It was not a good thing, so only her close relatives and friends knew about it. However, the fiasco made the matter known in the entire capital.
Ma San's family felt that Qian'e was to be blamed for making them deal with such an unlucky matter. Qian'e was only the daughter of a doctor in the hospital. The He family was one of the most powerful families in the capital and they could not fall out with the He family because of this matter.
From then on, Ma San also completely detested Qian'e and wanted to have nothing more to do with her.
After experiencing all this, Qian'e went to He Mei's house to vent her grievances. Before she left, she happened to catch a glimpse of He Mei's mocking face reflected on a glass surface. Only then did she realize that He Mei was the mastermind behind everything that happened.
She had been played like a fool by He Mei.
After returning home and thinking about all the events carefully, she realized that she had been deceived by He Mei all along. In fact, He Mei also liked Xia Zhe, and had done all of this on purpose.
Up till today, He Mei was probably still waiting for Xia Zhe to marry her. The reason why He Mei had not gotten married was because she was waiting for Xia Zhe to return.
Now that Xia Zhe was married, Qian'e felt that she had to share the good news with He Mei. She did not want to be the only one to know about this. She decided to make use of the nasty He Mei to get her revenge and be able to take back everything that belonged to her!
Qian'e asked her father, Qian Wang, to go home first and she turned around to go and look for He Mei at her original workplace.
Qian'e hesitated for a moment at the entrance of the hospital, but she still braced herself and went inside. As soon as she entered, the nurses and doctors next to her looked a little awkward, but they were all busy with their work since it was still working hours.
He Mei used to work at this hospital. She was not a doctor though, but an administrative staff member. The He family was a sponsor at this hospital and often funded its medical equipment.
Ever since the year when she was diagnosed with ectopic pregnancy and came here for surgery, Qian'e had not returned to the hospital again. In this era, getting pregnant out of wedlock was more humiliating than being caught red-handed in bed.
In Qiao Mei's case, the situation was not discovered and she had gotten married straight away. Otherwise, she would have a rough time as well.
Qian'e went straight to He Mei's office as if she did not sense everyone's attention on her.
He Mei was joking around with her colleagues in the corridor. Once she saw Qian'e, she had an awkward look on her face. Her colleagues were all new and did not know much about Qian'e. They were all curious about who Qian'e was to be able to make He Mei react so strongly.
He Mei, who's this?
one of the colleagues asked.
He Mei smiled and said,
It's my friend. Please excuse me while I go talk to her.
He Mei excused herself politely and quickly walked towards Qian'e. She pulled Qian'e back to her office and locked the door.
Why are you here?
He Mei clearly showed her impatience as soon as she entered the room.
Hmph, am I still your friend now?
Qian'e asked mockingly.
Don't forget our agreement!
He Mei roared.
Qian'e did not think much of it. They had made an agreement previously when Qian'e wanted to denounce He Mei and expose her crimes after discovering that she was the one who had done all those things.
However, He Mei already prepared a backup plan against Qian'e. She told Qian'e that if the matter was exposed, her parents and all her relatives and friends would be out of work.
Her father, brother and sister-in-law were all doctors who worked in this hospital. At that time, they did not hold very high positions. If they have to leave the hospital, it would be hard for them to find another place of employment.
He Mei even told Qian'e that if she did not go ahead with the denouncement, her family could get promoted or transferred to better positions.
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Her father, Qian Wang, was the pillar of the entire family. If her father did not have a job, the entire family would lose its foundation. Although Qian Wang had a weak character, he still had a backbone. He told Qian'e not to give in and said that the whole family could go overseas in the worst case scenario.
However, her brother and sister-in-law did not share the same view. They had just settled down in the capital and finally found decent jobs, and had just been allocated a place to live. If they had to choose to leave now, it would be no different from killing them.
In the face of her brother and sister-in-law kneeling down to plead with her, Qian'e had no choice but to put aside her hatred for He Mei. She told herself that she would endure it and never forget it, and to always keep it in her heart.
I didn't forget. I just came by to see you,
Qian'e said as she sat on the sofa.
Now that Qian'e and her mother, Zhao Ni, were not working, and her brother and sister-in-law had stable jobs, she was no longer afraid of anything and behaved more impudently than before.
To see me? You? Hmph, don't tell me you have a favor to ask of me,
He Mei said as she looked at Qian'e mockingly.
He Mei had always looked down on Qian'e. In the beginning, she treated Qian'e as a friend because Qian'e was obedient and dumb, and liked to follow her around like a dog.
Of course, she was willing to be
friends
with her then. However, now that Qian'e was no longer of any use to her, there was no longer a need to put on a show of them having a close sisterly relationship.
As if there's anything I can ask of you. I'm here to tell you some good news,
Qian'e said.
What kind of good news can you have? Are you pregnant again?
He Mei looked at Qian'e derisively and glanced at her stomach.
Qian'e was so angry that she wanted to go up and hit He Mei. She suppressed the fury in her heart and said,
I came to tell you that Xia Zhe is married and even has a child now.
He Mei was drinking water when she heard that, and got so shocked that she dropped the glass in her hand and it shattered on the ground.
What! Xia Zhe is married! When did this happen? It's impossible that I don't know about it. How can I not know that Xia Zhe got married?
He Mei stood up and interrogated Qian'e.
Qian'e watched He Mei's reaction with satisfaction. This was what she wanted and she had achieved her goal. She just knew that He Mei would not be able to accept the fact.
How are you related to Xia Zhe, and why do you need to know? Who do you think you are?
Qian'e said as she looked at He Mei.
He Mei looked at Qian'e coldly. She wondered if Qian'e's was telling the truth, but she knew that there was no need for Qian'e to lie to her. She had always been very concerned about anything related to Xia Zhe, and had even gone around asking for news about Xia Zhe some time back.
A few months ago, someone had even tipped her off that there was a possibility that Xia Zhe would be promoted and he could then return to the capital for a vacation. She had been waiting for that day to come.
Impossible. Maybe you're lying to me.
He Mei looked at Qian'e calmly.
Qian'e laughed and said,
Me? Why would I lie to you, you're the only one who likes to tell lies.
He Mei sat back in her chair and thought carefully about what Qian'e said. She would need to find someone to investigate this matter and could not just listen to the one-sided story from Qian'e.
You can doubt me, but his wife is already here and she's already three months pregnant. You can forget about marrying into the Xia family. She's at Xia Fang's house now. If you don't believe me, you can go and take a look,
Qian'e said nonchalantly.
Three months? How is that possible?
He Mei always had her informers in the army. Every once in a while, they would send news to He Mei and they also helped her to keep an eye on Xia Zhe. Three months ago, Xia Zhe did not even take any break, so how could he have a child!
This was impossible! It was definitely fake news!
Where did you hear it from and is it true? Are you here just to scare me?
He Mei still did not believe Qian'e.
Qian'e did not seem to mind He Mei's attitude and recounted everything that had happened today. He Mei listened to the whole story and thought that Qian'e did not seem to be lying. He Mei thought that the story seemed to be true, but she wondered how the woman in the story managed to hook up with Xia Zhe. The timing was off, so could it be that her informers in the army were lying when they sent her the message?
It was not a matter that could be easily resolved. Qian'e had only mentioned Xia Zhe's new wife, but not Xia Zhe, which meant that this woman had come to the capital by herself. In that case, she had to take advantage of that to investigate the matter properly during this period of time.
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You can just continue to wait! She's an 18-year-old sweet young woman and she's really beautiful. Look at you, you're already an overaged girl that nobody wants!
Qian'e said as she smiled and walked out.
Her main purpose was to bring the news to He Mei. As for what would happen next, she believed that He Mei would not be able to sit still. He Mei had been waiting for Xia Zhe for so many years, and now that Xia Zhe had suddenly gotten married, she definitely could not accept it.
Over the years, while waiting for Xia Zhe to return, He Mei had done many heartless things. She kept herself in the know of everything that was related to Xia Zhe, and whenever there were women who liked Xia Zhe, she eliminated them one by one.
There was a time when Xu Lan took a liking to the Ma family's daughter, who was also Ma San's younger sister. After He Mei found out about it, she plotted for Ma San to be with her cousin. This way, she could ensure that not only Qian'e could not be with Xia Zhe, but the Xia family would also no longer consider the Ma family's daughter out of concern over the Ma family's reputation.
He Mei thought that she would have a chance once there were no more families of equal status to the Xia family in the entire capital. The main issue was that there were some grudges between the He family and the Xia family. Otherwise, He Mei would have long gotten her family to propose marriage to the Xia family.
He Mei hurriedly called her mother.
Hello! Ma! Ask someone quickly! Find out whether Xia Zhe is married!
He Mei said anxiously.
Married? I didn't hear anything about it. The Xia family is a rich and influential family. If he is married, they definitely won't be able to hide the fact.
He Mei's mother did not take He Mei seriously. After so many years, she was already used to her daughter behaving like this whenever she heard news about Xia Zhe.
Hey, it's true! Quickly ask around! His wife has already come to the capital!
He Mei said anxiously to her mother.
Hearing her daughter's anxiety, He Mei's mother quickly said,
Oh, alright, alright. Hang on and I'll go and ask around.
After He Mei ended the call, she slammed the phone onto the table angrily. She looked at the window and wondered how she should start investigating the matter.
Oh my. Mrs. He, did something happen at home?
Mrs. Zheng asked.
He Mei's mother was called Li Xiu. Her family was in business and could be considered to be quite well-off. Nowadays, she went around dining and entertaining every day and did not care about family matters. Within the circle of rich wives, she was one of those that the rest of the women envied.
He Mei called me in a rush and said something about the Xia family.
Li Xiu looked lost and did not know what to say as she turned to Mrs. Zheng.
Xia family? What happened with the Xia family?
Mrs. Zheng asked.
Mrs. Zheng was Zheng Yuan's mother. During this period of time, Zheng Yuan had gotten into some trouble. Although she had not been punished yet, Mrs. Zheng had lost her prestige in the eyes of these people she hung out with.
I don't know. Have you heard anything recently?
Li Xiu asked.
No, but let me call my Zheng Yuan and ask her,
Mrs. Zheng said.
Alright, then I'll have to trouble you, Mrs. Zheng,
Li Xiu said with a polite smile.
Mrs. Zheng looked at Li Xiu obsequiously and said,
Oh my, it's not a big deal. Just hang on for a bit.
The Zheng family and the Xia family always had a very good relationship, so everyone respected Mrs. Zheng. Zheng Yuan was also very close to Xia Zhe, so everyone used to think that the Zheng family had the greatest chance of having a marriage alliance with the Xia family. However, they did not expect Zheng Yuan to get into trouble in the army recently. Therefore, they all thought that the Xia family probably would not consider the Zheng family anymore.
All these made He Mei happy for a while. However, now that a new problem had appeared and He Mei had started to investigate it, it made the He family uneasy as well.
Everyone did not think highly of Mrs. Zheng recently and she was not treated as well as before, so she could only curry favor with the He family.
She quietly went out to make a call to Zheng Yuan. Nowadays, Zheng Yuan was living in the small house in the capital that she bought herself and did not stay with her parents. She was afraid that her father would be angry when he saw her, so she did not return home.
Hello, Yuan Yuan, it's mom,
Zheng Yuan said with a smile.
What's wrong, mom? Did something happen at home?
Zheng Yuan asked.
No, I just heard someone say that Xia Zhe is married, so I wanted to ask you. You were previously in the same army unit as Xia Zhe so I thought it best to check with you,
Zheng Yuan's mother asked carefully.
After such a long time, Zheng Yuan had already gotten over her issues and did not feel awkward at all.
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Ah, Xia Zhe, he's married. Xia Zhe's wife is already expecting. Don't tell me you still want to persuade me to be with him,
Zheng Yuan said.
No, it's just that I heard Mrs. He talking about it just now and I was curious, so I came to ask you,
Mrs. Zheng said.
Zheng Yuan knew that her mother had always been hanging out with the circle of rich wives in the capital.
The so-called circle of rich wives referred to a group of full-time wives from the rich and influential local families, who had nothing to do at home and would gather together for a meal and have tea, or to go shopping, doing floral arrangements and going for beauty treatments.
It was just like how a few women in the village would sit down and chat together. The nature of it was similar, but the slight difference was that these women could find out quickly what was happening with the other influential families. The information they garnered could be quite helpful for their own families, be it for families who were business partners connected through marriages or families who needed topics for their casual chats at home.
The Zheng family had always been indifferent to the affairs of the other families, even matters related to the Xia family whom they were very close to. However, Mrs. Zheng had always wanted to gain a foothold among these full-time wives and make the others envious of her, as she was blinded by her own vanity.
Don't go around saying these things. It's better that you don't get involved in other people's family matters,
Zheng Yuan said helplessly.
I know, I know. I'm just curious, so I came to ask you. I won't tell others. Alright, I'm hanging up now.
Mrs. Zheng hung up the phone in a hurry, checked her appearance, and walked back into the house.
When everyone saw Mrs. Zheng came back, they looked at her curiously. One of the women could hardly wait and she asked,
Mrs. Zheng, I wonder if you managed to find out anything.
Mrs. Zheng was not in a hurry to say anything. Everyone was waiting for her to speak, and given that it was rare for these women to ask her for a favor, she wanted to put on some airs.
I say, Mrs. Zheng, don't keep us in suspense. We're all so anxious to know,
Li Xiu said.
Ahem, I found out just now. Xia Zhe is indeed married and his wife is pregnant.
After Mrs. Zheng finished speaking, everyone was shocked.
Sigh! This Xia Zhe doesn't seem like such a person. He got married without saying anything!
one of the women said.
In my opinion, this matter isn't that simple. But I'm curious about whose daughter married into the Xia family?
another woman said.
Everyone started discussing among themselves but Li Xiu just listened quietly. It had been a long time since her daughter, He Mei, had set her heart on marrying Xia Zhe.
In the past, many good families had proposed marriage to He Mei, but she never agreed to any of them. She even wanted to run away from home because she was so intent on marrying Xia Zhe. Now that Xia Zhe had gotten married quietly, there was going to be a huge commotion when He Mei heard about it.
Hey, Mrs. Zheng, I'm curious how your Zheng Yuan knew about this. Has she met Xia Zhe's wife?
one of the women asked curiously.
Our Yuan Yuan didn't tell me anything about that, but the entire matter is true,
Mrs. Zheng put a mask on her face and said with her eyes closed.
Li Xiu was unable to just sit around here and do nothing. She hid her anxiety and said,
Everyone, I still have something on at home tonight, so I won't be staying here with you any longer. I will cover all the expenses today. I'm really sorry to have to go.
Oh my, Mrs. He, what are you saying!
Then go back quickly. Be careful on the road!
Let's meet another day, Mrs. He!
Li Xiu hurriedly got into her car and asked the driver to drive home quickly. Looking at the time, He Mei would be home from work soon, so she had to go back and talk to her about this.
When she reached home, Li Xiu asked her helper to prepare dinner first. She went upstairs and called her good friends one by one to try and find out more information.
In the end, she received confirmation that this matter was true.
Xia Zhe was really married!
He Mei ran home as soon as she got off work. The moment she entered the house, she shouted,
Mom! Are you back!
Hey! Don't shout. If your father sees it, he'll say that you have no manners,
Li Xiu said sternly.
He Mei was so anxious that she did not care about that. She asked anxiously,
Is Xia Zhe really married?
Li Xiu knew that she could not hide it from He Mei. Even if she did not say it now, He Mei would still find out later.
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Yes, I called up many people just now and they all said that this matter is true. Xia Fang's neighbors all saw Xia Zhe's wife,
Li Xiu said.
When He Mei heard this, she suddenly seemed to lose her strength and collapsed on the sofa.
Xiao Mei! What's wrong!
Li Xiu rushed forward to help He Mei when she saw that He Mei almost fainted.
She had waited for Xia Zhe for so many years! How could Xia Zhe have gotten married!
Who exactly was this new wife of his! What kind of extraordinary abilities did she have for Xia Zhe to take a fancy to her!
He Mei was so angry that she felt dizzy and she had no idea how to deal with this matter. When Xia Zhe was still single, even if he took a fancy to some girl, the relationship could not progress as long as the He family put a little pressure on him.
However, now that Xia Zhe was already married, it was impossible to make Xia Zhe marry her.
Unless… unless Xia Zhe got a divorce! Yes! A divorce!
Mom, who did you hear this from? Is it true? Did you find out who that woman is and what her identity is?
He Mei held Li Xiu's hand tightly.
Li Xiu felt bad seeing her daughter like this, and kept trying to comfort He Mei to prevent her from doing anything stupid.
He Mei's father, He Guo, happened to return home at this moment. When He Mei saw her father, her tears began to fall uncontrollably.
What's going on? Who bullied our Xiao Mei?
He Guo asked.
Dad, quickly call up Uncle Xia and ask him if Xia Zhe got married?
He Mei said tearfully.
He Guo laughed and said,
Xiao Mei, did you have a nightmare? If Xia Zhe is getting married, how can he not inform the people in the capital? Aren't you thinking too much?
Li Xiu looked at He Guo earnestly and said,
It's true. Zheng Yuan from the Zheng family said that it's true.
Immediately, He Guo stopped smiling and looked at Li Xiu and He Mei sternly. The news might be fake if they heard it from anyone else, but Zheng Yuan and Xia Zhe were in the same army unit and Zheng Yuan herself was bent on marrying Xia Zhe. If she said it was true, then it was probably true.
Don't panic, Xiao Mei. I'll call your Uncle Xia and ask him.
After saying that, He Guo went to the phone and dialed the Xia family's number.
Hello.
The Xia family's helper picked up the phone.
Hello, I'm He Guo. I would like to speak to Xia Mao,
He Guo said patiently.
Alright, please hold on. I'll go look for him.
Not long after, Xia Mao picked up the phone.
Hello, Lao He, you really haven't called me in a long time. What's the matter?
Xia Mao asked.
Brother Xia, you've been too nonchalant about Xia Zhe's marriage. You didn't tell us and I had to hear it from others,
He Guo said in a teasing manner.
When Xia Mao heard that it was because of this matter, he thought that it was unfair to say he hid it from everyone. He was actually the one who had been kept in the dark!
Xia Mao laughed and said,
It's not that we didn't tell anyone. It's because Xia Zhe is still in the army and hasn't come back on leave, so the wedding ceremony has been delayed. When Xia Zhe is back, I'll get him to send you the wedding wine. It's a rather special period now, so we won't be hosting a banquet. Besides, it's inconvenient for our Xia Zhe's wife.
Inconvenient? How is it inconvenient?
He Guo was baffled by what he heard and asked in confusion,
What's wrong, is Xia Zhe's wife sick?
No, no, no. Xia Zhe's wife is pregnant. The weather is hot now and it'll be tough to host a big banquet. So we won't be doing that part, but we'll definitely send you the wedding wine when Xia Zhe comes back.
That's really double happiness for your family. My congratulations, I'll be waiting for the wine. Brother Xia, I'll hang up first. Let's meet another day when there's a chance,
He Guo said.
Alright. Go ahead.
Xia Mao hung up after saying that.
Sitting in the living room, He Mei and Li Xiu looked at He Guo and waited for him to tell them the truth.
He Guo was also feeling very angry about this. He had hinted to Xia Mao countless times about the matter of their two families becoming in-laws. Every time, Xia Mao would either tactfully reject him or change the topic, adamant about not discussing the marriage of their two children.
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Yet now, Xia Zhe had secretly gotten married and even had a child, and no one had any inkling about it.
What else is this except looking down on the He family!
The He family could be considered one of the richest families in the capital. Although they were not in the military and he only had one daughter, He Mei, he had worked hard to build a successful business.
Unless it was because Xia Mao felt that the He family had no successor with only one daughter!
Dad, is it true?
He Mei looked at He Guo anxiously.
He Guo nodded and said,
Married and already having a child. You should just give up on the idea of marrying Xia Zhe.
When He Mei heard this, she cried uncontrollably. Li Xiu's heart ached when she saw He Mei like this and she cried along.
Cry, cry, cry! What are you crying for! Must our He family definitely marry into the Xia family!
He Guo pointed at He Mei and scolded her.
He quickly instructed someone to do a detailed check on the background of Xia Zhe's wife, so that he could find out more about this woman who made the He family suffer a loss that they could not talk about. He must take revenge!
Not long after, a set of documents was sent to the He family house.
He Guo went through all the information and threw the documents on the coffee table in disdain after he finished.
A village girl whose father died a long time ago and her mother even remarried. She grew up with her grandfather who is terminally ill and a retired soldier. She can be said to be a girl with completely no background,
He Guo said.
He Mei picked up the documents on the coffee table and read them carefully.
Dad, her grandfather's name is Qiao Qiang. I think I heard my grandfather mention this person before.
He Mei looked at He Guo in confusion.
It had been a long time, so He Guo was unable to recall any details immediately, but he thought that this probably explained why the Xia family found such a girl suitable to be Xia Zhe's wife.
Even so, Qiao Qiang was suffering from a terminal illness and was an old thing who did not have long to live. There was nothing he could do or achieve anymore.
What do you think?
He Guo asked He Mei as he looked at her.
He Mei remained silent. For a moment, she had no idea what to do.
Dad, I still want to marry Xia Zhe,
He Mei said.
He's already married! He even has a child! What nonsense are you talking about! Our He family doesn't need such a person!
He Guo said angrily.
He Mei said nonchalantly,
So what if he's married. It can still end in a divorce.
You good-for-nothing! Those who get married and then divorced have a stain on their reputation. What use would he have! What good will that do for our He family!
He Guo said with a frown.
A divorce is not always a man's fault. If he's a victim of deception, then he doesn't have to bear the consequences!
He Mei said as she looked at He Guo.
When He Guo heard this, he knew that his daughter already had an idea on how to deal with the situation. His daughter always had many tricks up her sleeve, and tricks really did come in handy in some situations.
You have an idea?
He Guo asked.
Three months ago, I had asked people in the troops for an update about Xia Zhe. During that time, Xia Zhe was always in the army and did not put up any request to go on leave. How could this woman get pregnant during that period of time?
He Mei said.
As He Guo thought about it, he felt that what He Mei said made sense. He did not hear about Xia Zhe going on leave as well. With Xia Zhe's character, he would not go against the rules and go out on his own without permission.
He Mei looked at Qiao Mei's photo on the document and subconsciously clenched her fists, crinkling the paper in her hand.
It was impossible for Xia Zhe to be attracted to such a village woman. Even if Qiao Mei managed to get one chance with him, it would not be possible for her to get pregnant after just one try.
It was not as if He Mei had not tried to seduce Xia Zhe before. Once, when it was raining and she was drenched, she tried to lean closely on Xia Zhe. However, Xia Zhe did not even offer to help her and just asked someone else to take over. He then left heartlessly and did not even look at her.
She would never believe that Xia Zhe would be tempted by this woman and sleep with her after only meeting her once.
He Guo felt that He Mei made sense. Taking the He family as an example, he was one of three brothers but there were still very few people in their family. His eldest brother changed two wives before he had his first child, and his third brother had not married yet as he was unwell and no one knew if he would survive his illness.
Therefore, he did not believe that Xia Zhe could make Qiao Mei pregnant with only one try.
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He Guo looked at He Mei quietly and tried to think of a countermeasure. Li Xiu, who was at the side, did not say a word. She never had any say in these matters.
Dad, do you know this woman Qiao Mei's grandfather? I think I really heard my grandfather mention his name before.
He Mei asked as she pointed at the name on the paper.
He Guo leaned back on the sofa and tried very hard to recall this person. He suddenly thought of something and said excitedly,
I remember now! Your grandfather really seemed to have mentioned it before.
In the early days, the He family was also part of the military. They were originally not in business but when it got to He Guo's generation, all the children were all physically weak, so they were not able to enlist in the army as they wished. This resulted in most of them going into business.
This Qiao Mei's grandfather, Qiao Qiang, has some form of relationship with the Xia family. In the past, Qiao Qiang had saved the life of Xia Zhe's grandfather, Xia Jun. Look at the timing. It's likely that Xia Jun asked Xia Zhe to visit Qiao Qiang on his birthday,
He Guo said.
Even if he went there during that period of time, how can everything happen after just one visit? If we count back the dates, she got pregnant around that time, didn't she?
He Mei said as she looked at the dates..
I'm guessing that Qiao Mei did something shameful and Qiao Qiang was in a hurry to find Qiao Mei a husband. Xia Zhe just happened to be there,
He Guo said after some thought.
When He Mei heard this, her eyes lit up and she said agitatedly,
That's right! Xia Zhe might not even know about it! Or maybe Xia Zhe knew about it but had no choice but to agree because he wanted to repay the debt of gratitude!
Yes! Xia Zhe must have been deceived. The truth of this matter must be made public!
That must be it. Otherwise, why would Xia Zhe only send his new wife back and not come back himself,
Li Xiu echoed.
It was rare that He Guo only ignored her this time and did not reprimand her for talking.
Leave this matter to me. I'll get my subordinates to go to that village to gather information and bring that man back,
He Guo said.
Since the Xia family was still useful to him, he would give them another big gift.
Qiao Mei could not help herself from sneezing twice. She frowned and rubbed her nose.
Who's scolding me behind my back…
Qiao Mei muttered to herself.
After a good night's sleep, Qiao Mei and Xia Fang decided to take a walk around the surrounding area. It was the weekend and Xia Fang wanted to accompany Qiao Mei to go out and have some fun.
After breakfast, the two of them went straight to the largest department store in the capital. It was the most well-stocked store with the widest range of products.
Qiao Mei only had eyes for the fabric department and ignored everything else.
There were all kinds of fabrics and materials of good quality, and Qiao Mei was dazzled by the selection.
Aunt, choose a few fabrics that you like. I'll make clothes for you!
Qiao Mei said.
What? You want to make clothes for me?
Xia Fang was a little surprised. Even when she was young, only her grandmother would make new clothes for her. The rest of her clothes were all store-bought. There were very few people who could make their own clothes nowadays.
She had seen the clothes that Qiao Mei made and indeed liked them very much.
Today, Qiao Mei was wearing one of the maternity dresses that Xia Fang bought for her. It was a bright red dress that Xia Fang had bought for the joyful color. It looked especially stunning on Qiao Mei.
I can't wear the type of clothes that you young people like,
Xia Fang said.
Qiao Mei's clothes were either maternity wear or slim-fit dresses. Xia Fang was already in her 40s and if she wore the same kind of clothes, people would point fingers at her.
It was not Qiao Mei's fault. She had a good figure and so long as she altered her clothes a little and took it in at the waist, it would make her look curvy and eye-catching.
Qiao Mei originally did not want to dress so conspicuously. The Xia family was considered a reputable family in the capital. If she met someone who knew them and caught their eyes, she might get criticized and it would not be good if Xia Zhe's mother, Xu Lan, got to hear about it.
Although Qiao Mei was not afraid of Xu Lan, she was still Xia Zhe's mother after all. Qiao Mei wanted to make sure that she did everything right, and not put herself in a position where she could get reproached by others.
Before leaving the house, she had wanted to change back into something more muted, but Xia Fang told her to wear red while she was still a newly wedded woman, otherwise there may be very few chances to do that in the future. It would also make up for the fact that she did not get to wear a nice wedding gown when she got married.
What Xia Fang said really resonated with Qiao Mei, so she went along with it and wore bright red clothes most of the time.
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Aunt, just go ahead and choose. I know how to make clothes of different styles. Don't worry,
Qiao Mei said to Xia Fang.
Xia Fang did not reject the gesture anymore. She chose a few comfortable plain-colored fabrics and a few bright-colored ones for Qiao Mei. These were currently the most fashionable ones in the capital.
Qiao Mei should dress up and look pretty at her age. If not, did she want to wait until she was in her 70s or 80s to wear such pretty clothes?
After buying the fabrics, Xia Fang brought Qiao Mei to buy some fruits and pastries. She was concerned that Qiao Mei was usually home alone when she was at work. If Qiao Mei got hungry and felt too embarrassed to ask for help, went out to buy food and then ran into Qian'e and her family of lunatics, that would be a disaster.
She thought that it would be good to buy some pastries so that there was always something to eat at home.
Qiao Mei hurriedly pulled at Xia Fang and said,
Aunt, I don't really eat pastries. Let's not buy any.
These must not be real pastries, they must be made of gold. A catty of pastries actually costs 20 to 30 dollars. How many families can afford this?
Although Xia Fang was the chief physician of a large hospital, she drew a fixed salary, as did Xiang Jin, her husband. Xiang Jin did not have much of a future in the army and was just waiting to retire.
They also had a son who was studying in the south and was not married yet. It may seem that Xia Fang's family was very rich, but in fact, they did not have much savings. They just fared slightly better than ordinary families.
Mei Mei, look at this. This cream pastry is very delicious!
Xia Fang said as she pointed at the pastry.
No, I don't like cream,
Qiao Mei said.
Then what about this one with meat floss?
No, no. Who knows what meat that is.
What about this? This bread is the shop's signature item. Look at this.
Who knows if the flour is good or not!
Whatever Xia Fang said, Qiao Mei would condemn the item. The shop assistant did not know what to say and could only look at them awkwardly.
Xia Fang did not get angry. She knew that Qiao Mei was actually concerned for her, but she still wanted to buy some. No matter what, she could not let Qiao Mei suffer.
Then I'll decide. I'm going to buy this bread because I like it,
Xia Fang said helplessly.
Aunt, if you like it, I can make it for you! I know how to make it!
When Qiao Mei saw that Xia Fang really intended to buy the bread, she wanted to grab Xia Fang and leave.
The shop assistant could not take it anymore and said,
Our pastry chefs are all top-notch pastry chefs from overseas. Do you know how to make pastries?
Hey, how can you talk like that!
Xia Fang said angrily as she looked at the shop assistant.
Before Qiao Mei could even react, Xia Fang already got angry. She hated it when people criticized the kids from her family.
Seeing Xia Fang's strong reaction, the shop assistant quickly looked down and stopped talking, knowing that this was not a person who could be bullied.
Hey, say something. This shop has been open in the capital for a long time. Is this how they teach you to treat their customers?
Xia Fang said.
It was obvious to the shop assistant that Xia Fang was a local from the capital when she said that she knew how long the shop had been open for. Moreover, this shop was quite high-end. The fact that Xia Fang could come here often proved that she had the spending power.
The shop assistant had thought that these two critical people were just ignorant passers-by and did not expect to offend someone of a certain status.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry. What's happening with the two guests?
the shop manager said, running over from the back of the shop.
I want to know how you choose your shop staff, and how they are allowed to criticize your customers. After all, this shop had been open for so long and I'm also a member here. I don't know how you expect us to come back if you treat us this way,
Xia Fang said angrily.
Xia Fang was not lying when she said that she was a member of this shop. In the past, Xia Zhe did not like to eat rice and only liked the bread from this shop, so she would shop here every few days. Of course, Xia Mao was the one who paid for all the purchases.
Upon hearing that she was an old-time customer, the shop manager became even more respectful.
I'm really sorry. This shop assistant is new and hasn't learned the ropes yet. I hope you don't mind. Let me know which pastry you wanted just now. Please tell me and I'll wrap it all up for you as compensation, if that's alright with you?
the shop manager said.
Qiao Mei was a little surprised to hear this. This shop manager seemed to be quite good at doing business and must be quite capable to be able to manage such a big shop.
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Do you think we're hard up for your pastries? Get your shop assistant to apologize, or I'll cancel my membership.
Xia Fang took out her membership card from her pocket and slapped it on the table.
When the shop manager saw that the membership number on the card was 26, his attitude became even better.
The current membership numbers were already in the tens of thousands. Any customer with the membership number below 100 was a very long-time customer who patronized the shop when it first opened. The shop could not afford to lose repeat customers like them.
The shop manager gave the shop assistant a kick and whispered angrily,
Hurry up and apologize! Otherwise, don't even think about working here anymore!
The shop assistant looked down and said respectfully,
I… I'm sorry. I spoke without thinking. I'm sorry, it's my fault. I hope the two of you won't be angry anymore.
After that, Xia Fang did not make things difficult for the shop assistant anymore. She took her card and turned to leave with Qiao Mei.
The shop manager caught up with her and said,
This is the cake that you were looking at just now. Please take it as the shop's gift to you to compensate for your experience. Of course, I know that it's not much, but I hope you won't be angry with the shop assistant anymore and don't take it to heart.
Seeing that the shop manager's attitude was so good, Xia Fang did not say anything else. She took the cake and left.
Qiao Mei followed closely behind Xia Fang and smiled to herself happily. Given how gentle Xia Fang usually behaved, she did not expect Xia Fang to have such a side to her.
Xia Fang saw Qiao Mei snickering and asked curiously,
What are you laughing at?
Oh me, I'm laughing at the fact that Aunt also has such a side,
Qiao Mei said laughingly.
Xia Fang looked at Qiao Mei in embarrassment and said,
That's because someone bullied you. That won't do. I can't let anyone bully you!
Aunt, let's not be angry with them anymore. Come, let's go somewhere else to take a look.
Qiao Mei pulled Xia Fang to the home furnishing section.
Xia Fang looked at Qiao Mei, thinking that given this child was so obedient and also knew how to make clothes and bake cakes, she must have done the hard farm work in the countryside as well. Yet, after she came to the city, she did not take advantage of anyone and did not covet everything she saw.
It seemed that Qiao Qiang had taught this child well.
Aunt, can we buy an oven?
Qiao Mei looked closely at the oven in front of her.
Do you really know how to bake cakes?
Xia Fang looked at Qiao Mei in surprise.
She had thought that Qiao Mei was just joking and did not expect her to really know how to bake cakes.
Yes I do. When I was in the county city previously, I watched how people make those big cakes. They're not as exquisite as the ones in the capital, but the logic should be quite similar.
Qiao Mei checked out the buttons on the oven seriously.
My grandfather even got me an earth kiln at home and told me how to use it and how it worked,
Qiao Mei said earnestly as she looked at Xia Fang.
Xia Fang decided to buy it since the child liked it, but when she looked at the price, she realized that it cost 600 dollars.
It was really not cheap, but since Qiao Mei liked it, she would still buy it!
The two of them then walked around and bought all the ingredients for the cake. As for the oven, the department store would send someone to deliver and install it at their house.
For such valuable items, the department store would provide for delivery and installation.
After they reached home, Qiao Mei went into the kitchen and started getting busy without even taking a drink or resting.
She began to ferment the dough, make the cream and prepare the other ingredients.
Since they had already bought everything, she definitely had to show off her skills. Otherwise, Aunt would have bought the oven for nothing.
It did not take long for the oven to be delivered to the house and the workers installed it quickly.
She decided to make a simple cake for Aunt first as it was the easiest. Then, she would make the cream cake and meat floss bread that they saw in the shop today.
Xia Fang wanted to help out, but she did not know what to do, so she just carefully wiped the oven interior clean.
After all, Qiao Mei would also be eating the food that was being prepared. She was pregnant, and needed to be careful about what she ate.
Xia Fang's eyes widened when she saw Qiao Mei turn ordinary egg whites into cream. It seemed that Qiao Mei really knew what she was doing.
Qiao Mei smiled at Xia Fang and said,
Aunt, I really know how to do this. Go and rest in the living room for a while. I'll be done soon.
As she finished making a few batches, the entire corridor and passageway was filled with the fragrance of cakes.
Qiao Mei took a piece of cake for Xia Fang to try. After taking a bite, Xia Fang's eyes widened.
This is too delicious!
Xia Fang said in surprise.
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And it's so much cheaper than the ones at the department store!
Qiao Mei said.
Xia Fang looked at the ingredients in the kitchen and did some calculations. One catty of eggs was only about one dollar and the flour was only a few cents. After adding the sugar, oil and other ingredients, the total cost was probably around three dollars.
The cost of making so many cakes was at most five dollars, but the shop sold the cakes at such a high price. No wonder Qiao Mei stopped her from buying the cakes.
Qiao Mei thought that if she opened a cake shop in the capital, it should be much more profitable than going back to the countryside to grow bean sprouts. Growing bean sprouts was a tiring and time-consuming business, and there would be times when the harvest was not good. It was different making cakes. The raw materials could all be bought off the shelves, and she just had to make them.
Moreover, it was more profitable than selling bean sprouts.
Qiao Mei started thinking about the cost of opening a shop in the capital.
Xia Fang suddenly looked at Qiao Mei and asked,
Mei Mei, what do you plan to do after this?
Huh? After this?
Qiao Mei looked at Xia Fang in confusion.
Yes, meaning in the future. I suppose you will become a military spouse,
Xia Fang said.
Definitely. Besides, Xia Zhe also wants me to become a military spouse and stay with him in the army,
Qiao Mei said excitedly.
However, Xia Fang was filled with worry. She became a little unhappy to hear Qiao Mei say so firmly that she wanted to become a military spouse.
Qiao Mei did not understand why Aunt looked so ill at ease when she talked about being a military spouse.
Mei Mei, I've also been a military spouse for a period of time before. It's a very tough thing to do. You may be in the mountains or by the sea, or even on an island. Do you want to follow him even though you have to take care of a child as well?
Xia Fang said worriedly.
It was then that Qiao Mei understood Xia Fang's worry and she said with a smile,
I'm not afraid of hardship. Our village is also in the mountains. To go to town, we have to walk a distance of 15 kilometers on the mountain roads, and further if we go to the county city. Moreover, the natural environment there is rough. When we go out in winter, the cold can freeze off our ears!
Well, it… it's not as tough as that…
Xia Fang looked at Qiao Mei with some heartache.
She did not expect Qiao Mei to have gone through such a tough life when she was young. These were things that she could not imagine. Even when she followed Xiang Jin as a military spouse, her life was not as tough as what Qiao Me described .
Xia Fang suddenly felt that there was nothing bad about having a daughter-in-law from the countryside. Girls in the city did not suffer much from a young age. What city girls saw as hardships were not hardships in the eyes of village girls. The village girls would just see that as part of life and deal with it.
Moreover, Qiao Mei was sensible and had a good heart and a sense of propriety. She had been taught well by Qiao Qiang and did not behave like an uneducated boor at all.
It turned out that Xia Fang had also thought that only a young lady from a big family in the capital was worthy of her Xia Zhe. Now, it seemed that Xia Zhe was the lucky one to be able to find a wife like Qiao Mei.
Qiao Mei silently packed the rest of the cakes into boxes and put them into her backpack.
Aunt, let's go and distribute the cakes to the others. There's so many that we won't be able to finish them. Let's share with everyone!
Xia Fang looked at Qiao Mei, feeling gratified that the girl knew the ways of the world as well.
She had heard from her neighbors about what happened to Qiao Mei in the courtyard yesterday. The neighbors said that Qiao Mei was smart enough to see through the schemes of Qian'e and her mother, and managed to protect Xia Zhe's reputation.
This young lady was really smart. Their Xia Zhe was really lucky.
Xia Fang brought Qiao Mei to visit every household in the compound to express her gratitude. She also introduced Qiao Mei as her niece-in-law to everyone, confirming Qiao Mei's status in her family.
Qiao Mei's baking skills received praise from everyone. A few people even expressed interest to learn from her.
Qiao Mei's smile froze on her face. It was starting to look like she would have no time to rest during this period of time, given the number of women who told her that they wanted to learn how to bake cakes.
Xia Fang saw the awkwardness on Qiao Mei's face and rejected everyone upfront.
Since our Mei Mei is pregnant, she can't be too tired. She needs to rest well.
Everyone understood what Xia Fang meant. Furthermore, if anything really happened to the baby, they would not be able to bear the consequences as well.
They all knew the kind of person Xia Fang was. She may look like a friendly person, but in reality, if someone really provoked her, even an immortal from the heavens could not save the person.
She could not even be bothered to respect the hospital director, let alone a few neighbors. They all thought that it would be better not to agitate her.
Everyone gave up on the idea of going to Xia Fang's house to pick up some culinary skills.
234
After returning home, Qiao Mei was so tired that she sat on the sofa and did not want to move.
After keeping her keys, Xia Fang said to Qiao Mei,
Mei Mei, there is an art to getting along with the neighbors. You don't have to treat them well just because they have helped you. They really only just want to watch the fun. Besides, the neighbors only spoke up for you because Qian'e and her mother had offended them previously.
If you give them attention and agree to whatever they say now, then they will think that you're easy to bully and come asking you for other things next time. Just remember their kindness and stand up for them when they need your help next time,
Xia Fang said as she sat down beside Qiao Mei.
If you help them with everything now, they will feel like they are allowed to give you unsolicited advice on your family matters in the future,
Xia Fang exhorted Qiao Mei earnestly.
Qiao Mei nodded thoughtfully. She recalled that in her other life, there was a young couple who lived next door. The other neighbors wanted their help with everything and they found it hard to reject the requests because they wanted to be neighborly. After a while, the neighbors became even more demanding and started to ask them for more things.
There were many such neighbors around. She understood what Xia Fang meant and nodded.
If you remember the auntie in floral clothes you saw yesterday, she likes to borrow things the most. She will borrow onions from you today, salt from you tomorrow, and two eggs from you the day after tomorrow. After that, she'll borrow physical objects and then she won't return them to you at all. How are you going to ask for them back since they're all just really small things, that's when it will become difficult to get your things back.
Ah! You mean such a person exists! How can she have the cheek to borrow something every day?
Qiao Mei asked in surprise.
Not only that, she even laughed at others. That auntie even bragged often about how much money she had saved,
Xia Fang said.
At first, her son and daughter-in-law felt embarrassed, but as time passed and they heard from the auntie how much money she had saved, they actually felt that it was quite a good deal and stopped being concerned about it.
There's also the family downstairs. They often look for their neighbors to repair things that are broken at their house. That's fine, but they don't even bother to say thank you after that. Then they would complain that the repair work was not up to mark and that the people who helped out should not have bothered if they are not skillful. Yet, the next time the thing is broken, they still look to the same people for help.
There's also the Zhang family from the unit next door. They have five boys and they can't afford to feed them, so they let the children go around to other people's houses to ask for food. Seeing that they're just children, the neighbors are too embarrassed not to let them in. As time passes, these children will come on time at mealtimes. It is really unbearable.
After saying all that, Xia Fang sighed and said,
Just you wait and see. After we give them the cake today, they'll dare to come over for their meals tomorrow.
Qiao Mei's eyes widened in disbelief. There were really all kinds of people in the world.
How old are these children?
Qiao Mei asked.
The oldest is twelve years old and the youngest is four years old. They must be eating at someone's house at this hour. The family doesn't care about these children's meals at all,
Xia Fang said.
When Qiao Mei heard this, she was so scared that she did not know what to do. She liked children and had four younger siblings at home, but she did not think that she could handle these children.
I'm definitely going to go shopping and not stay at home tomorrow. I can't let them grab hold of me,
Qiao Mei said fearfully.
Taking care of someone else's children was a very difficult task. It was fine if the children were sensible and obedient, but if the children were unreasonable brats, the carer could not beat them nor scold them. Otherwise, it would become the carer's fault.
That would really be very infuriating.
Do you know the way? Will you get lost?
Xia Fang asked worriedly.
Qiao Mei took the paper and pen beside her and drew a map on it. She studied in the capital in her other life. Even though she had not been to all the areas and there might be some deviations in the map she drew, the general route should be correct.
How did you know this?
Xia Fang looked at Qiao Mei's map in surprise. The route she drew was quite accurate.
Ah… I… I bought the newspaper. I saw it in the newspaper,
Qiao Mei said with a smile.
Xia Fang was a little surprised when she saw the words written on the hand drawn map. She remembered that the information she received previously stated that Qiao Mei had never gone to school and did not have much of an education.
However, looking at the handwriting on the paper, although the words were not very good-looking, they did have some character to them.
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Xia Fang looked at the paper in her hand carefully and asked Qiao Mei,
You know how to write?
When Qiao Mei married Xia Zhe, even though the Xia family were not informed about it earlier, they had done a detailed investigation on her after that. The fact that Qiao Mei did not go to school had really troubled the Xia family when they first knew.
However, Xia Zhe had already married her. Xia Zhe's elder brother, Xia Wen, then said that he would be the tutor for Xia Zhe's child in the worst case scenario. Xia Wen was a university professor in the capital and a mild-mannered man who was well-liked by his students.
In the end, this issue was dropped as the family believed that a child brought up by Qiao Qiang would not have a bad character. Coupled with Xia Zhe's insistence, everyone let him have his way.
I've never gone to school, but my grandfather taught me at home. My grandfather studied in a private school in the past,
Qiao Mei said.
Oh I see.
Xia Fang was relieved. Qiao Qiang's educational level was similar to that of the old master of the Xia family, so that would mean that Qiao Mei had some basic academic education.
Have you thought about what I asked you before? About your plans for the future?
Xia Fang asked.
Qiao Mei lowered her head in deep thought. Qiao Mei had thought carefully about what Xia Fang told her the last time, but she still preferred to be by Xia Zhe's side. However, she did feel that the child should not have to follow her.
Xia Fang hesitated for a while before saying,
Actually, my suggestion would still be that you don't become a military spouse. It would be best if you want to stay in the capital. After all, it would be helpful for the children's education and it also won't be so tough on you.
Qiao Mei looked at Xia Fang and nodded. She knew how difficult it was for Xia Fang to say all these. After all, Xia Fang was only an aunt and not her mother-in-law and she was crossing a line by saying all these. However, Qiao Mei knew that Xia Fang really had her well-being at heart.
No one would want to separate a newly wedded young couple and ask the bride to live with her in-laws alone and take care of the children on her own. However, Qiao Mei understood that the suggestion was for her own good.
Even Qiao Mei's own mother, Li Gui, would not have such foresight.
Thank you, Aunt. I'll think about it carefully. You're right, I have to think about the child too,
Qiao Mei said to Xia Fang with a smile.
Xia Fang was relieved to hear that Qiao Mei understood what she meant and did not misunderstand her intentions.
Then tell me what you have in mind. Let me see if I can help you?
Xia Fang said.
I want to study,
Qiao Mei said excitedly.
Study?
Xia Fang did not expect that. She thought that Qiao Mei would want to find a job so that she would be able to earn money to supplement the family income.
She did not expect Qiao Mei to want to go to school. For a moment, she did not know what to say.
With Qiao Mei's good culinary skills, if she were to become a baker, she could definitely become an outstanding pastry chef after a few years. Once she was ready, they would be able to recommend her to go to a big hotel and get her a job that was easy and not tiring, doing something that she liked.
Or she could work in places like restaurants, clothing factories, or the supply and marketing cooperative. These were also very good workplaces. Although one could not get rich working at these places, one need not worry about covering basic expenses.
Then which school do you want to go to and what do you want to learn?
Xia Fang asked.
I want to go to high school.
Qiao Mei looked at Xia Fang firmly.
Qiao Mei did not dare to say that she wanted to go to university. Although during this period in time, it was already possible for people to enter university by way of an
admission recommendation
.
If you want to go to high school, you might as well go to university,
Xia Fang said.
With the Xia family's ability, it was not an issue for them to recommend her for admission. It was not that difficult to put up an admission recommendation these days. Factories, villages and public institutions could all put up recommendations for their people to go to the university. Students were accepted not for their academic qualifications, but rather for their class backgrounds.
However, Qiao Mei did not want to be this type of university student. She looked at the dates and knew that the college entrance examination would resume in a few years. By then, she would be able to enter university in a proper manner.
There was nothing wrong with being accepted into university on the basis of class background. However, she just thought that if she was known to be part of the first batch of university students who entered by passing the college entrance examination, it would be a badge of honor and make a world of difference to her reputation.
It was said that after the college entrance examination was reinstated, everyone who sat for the examination made it into university, so long as they had been to school before. Therefore, she thought that it would be safer to have a high school education.
That policy was still hearsay at the moment. She was concerned about not being able to take the examination if there were any changes, so having a high school education first would still be safer. It meant that, no matter what happened, she could still apply to take the examination later.
236
Aunt, I just want to have a high school education. I want to see if I can study,
Qiao Mei said.
Xia Fang thought that Qiao Mei really just wanted some form of academic certificate and said confidently,
That's easy. When I have a day off, I'll go to the school nearby and tell them to put your name on the list!
Qiao Mei smiled and said,
Aunt is the best! Thank you, Aunt!
So, the feeling of not having to take an examination is so good.
Xia Fang smiled at Qiao Mei, amused by how such a small thing could make her so happy.
Qiao Mei knew that it would definitely be a good thing to improve herself. This way, it would address the issue that the Xia family was so concerned about. Having a good educational level would also be better for the children. When the time came, she need not have to worry about the future for Xia Zhe's children.
That would allay one of the Xia family's worries.
She would write to the Xia family about this when she was free, so that they would feel at ease.
During this era, studying was a useless endeavor for ordinary people. Studying did not guarantee one a job at a good workplace, and it also cost money. When one reached an age when one could earn money, their family would straightaway ask them to go to work.
It was possible to find a workplace by way of an introduction, otherwise the children in a family could take their parents' place at the workplace when the parents got old.
In the afternoon, Qiao Mei had a lot of free time, so she drew many clothing designs for Xia Fang to choose from. At night, she quickly made a simple long shirt dress that looked both dignified and age-appropriate.
Xia Fang liked it so much that she could not bear to put it down. It made her look particularly elegant.
It made her aware that Qiao Mei made really beautiful clothes and her designs were very unique. She thought that not only could Qiao Mei be a pastry chef, but she could also work at a clothing factory.
Xia Zhe was really lucky to have found such a good wife. It looked like they would have good days ahead.
There was no need to think about which workplace was suitable for Qiao Mei for the moment. The main thing was for her to give birth to the baby safely first and they could think about everything else later.
Early the next morning, Qiao Mei and Xia Fang went out for a walk. As soon as they went downstairs, they saw five to six children glaring at them in the courtyard.
Their gazes were like those of hungry wolf cubs, making Qiao Mei's hair stand on end.
These children knew that Xia Fang was not to be trifled with, so they were waiting for her to leave before looking for Qiao Mei!
After all, this was what Qian'e had done previously. These children knew they could follow suit.
Qiao Mei quickly followed Xia Fang out of the apartment complex. As soon as she stepped out, she felt relieved. These children did not look like they were easy to deal with.
Xia Fang stuffed 50 dollars into Qiao Mei's hand and said,
Go shopping in the department store today. It's a hot day, so don't stay outdoors for too long. I'll be back as soon as I get off work tonight.
Aunt, I have my own money! You don't need to give me any!
Qiao Mei quickly rejected Xia Fang.
Keep your own money and spend it slowly. This is from me, just take it. I'm in a hurry to go to work, so I'd better get going.
With that, Xia Fang went off to work.
Qiao Mei took the bus to the nearest antique market.
The antiques now were probably very cheap and not marked up to very high prices yet. If she could keep a few of them over the years, she would be rich in the future!
Only rich families would be interested in these things. Ordinary families would treat such things as worthless and sell them away. This allowed many people to pick up valuable items for next to nothing.
Qiao Mei wanted to be one of those people who picked up something valuable for next to nothing.
At this time, the works of famous local artists were not popular. People did not cherish them and felt that imported works were the best and that these old items were useless.
People who did not know their stuff would sell them for one to two dollars. Qiao Mei wanted to find shops like these so that she could get good bargains at dirt cheap prices!
As she explored the area, Qiao Mei saw an old house that looked as if it had been there for a long time. She imagined that there would probably be something valuable inside, so she could not resist going in to take a look.
She crossed the threshold and pushed the door open. The creaking sound made by the door was like an old man's groan, detailing its age.
The house was very big and filled with many things. There were all kinds of shelves at the side with many old items on them. This place looked more like a supply and marketing cooperative selling worthless junk rather than an antique shop.
237
Even though the shop was big, there were no employees except for a middle-aged man behind the counter.
Qiao Mei did not hear the man speak even after she had been in the shop for a while. He did not solicit business like what people did at the other shops.
The shopkeeper imagined that a young lady would not know much about antiques and likely found the items interesting without knowing anything about the value. He focused on wiping his beloved grasshopper cage and did not pay any attention to Qiao Mei at all.
Qiao Mei did not mind at all. She was just here to take a look. Besides, many things were broken and tattered and there was nothing that attracted her.
Tsk, tsk, tsk,
Qiao Mei said as she looked at the things on the shelf.
Upon hearing the sound, the shopkeeper looked up at Qiao Mei and said,
Oh my, little girl. What's the matter, are you looking down on my things?
Qiao Mei finally heard the man speak. She smiled and said,
No, I don't look down on them. I just feel that everything looks the same and there's nothing interesting. There's nothing good..
At this point, the shopkeeper became unhappy. He stood up and walked out from behind the counter and said,
Look at these things of mine, and tell me which ones you don't think are good.
Qiao Mei pointed at the calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall and said,
These calligraphy and paintings are all new and don't have any history to them. They don't look like they have any heritage value.
Also, these chinaware look like they were all made in recent years. They look so rough and of inferior quality.
This one is passable, but it has cracks and is very difficult to maintain. I think we can forget it.
This… this… and this…
Qiao Mei gave him her comments about almost everything in the shop and was basically spot on in her observations.
The shopkeeper had looked down on her in the beginning, but now he admired this young lady a little. It was not an easy thing for her to be able to appraise these old items at such a young age.
You have fairly good taste. I don't put the good stuff here. It would be a waste to put them here,
said the shopkeeper.
Qiao Mei looked at the shopkeeper. She thought he had a weird temper and found him very interesting. What a fascinating person.
That's not true.. Look at the bangle behind your counter. The color and transparency are both not bad. It's of good quality,
Qiao Mei said as she pointed at the shelf behind the counter.
You have good taste. This jade bangle is indeed a valuable thing. Can you afford it?
the shopkeeper said.
When Qiao Mei heard this, she felt that he was looking down on her and was a little unhappy.
If you can show me something really good, then I can afford it,
Qiao Mei said boldly.
She was not spouting nonsense without any basis. Before she left the house, she had put all her money in her bag. She had come out today with the intention to buy antiques.
Although jadeite seemed very valuable, its price would stay the same even after the economic boom in the future. Unless it was imperial green jade of good color and transparency, she did not intend to consider the jade bangle.
This one is 100 dollars,
said the shopkeeper.
So it's 100 dollars. I want to know if you have anything better, much much better than this.
Qiao Mei looked at him earnestly.
The shopkeeper sized up Qiao Mei carefully. She really looked like she was a serious buyer.
He took out an exquisite yellow rosewood jewelry box from the cabinet behind him and opened it carefully. Inside the box was a set of tian-tsui hairpin and earrings with kingfisher feather inlays.
It immediately piqued Qiao Mei's interest. Such craftsmanship was really rare as it was only nobles and high-ranking officials who could afford such jewelry in the past. After that era, it became even rarer.
They were all very difficult objects to maintain.
How much is this?
Qiao Mei asked excitedly.
This is really expensive. Do you really want to buy it?
the shopkeeper asked.
Just tell me how much it is,
Qiao Mei said.
It will cost you 800 dollars,
the shopkeeper said.
She thought that 800 dollars was not considered too expensive, so she decided to buy it. Then she wondered if there was anything better.
It was said that every shop had its own treasure that was worth a lot of money and she wondered if this shop had any. She did not believe that an item which cost 800 dollars was the most valuable item in the shop.
It seemed that this shop owner was still unwilling to take out his treasure and she needed to continue asking for it.
Qiao Mei slowly closed the box and said,
I'll buy it. Do you have anything better?
238
This is not good enough? Then what is considered good?
The shopkeeper looked at Qiao Mei indignantly. He could not believe that this little girl could afford anything that cost a sky-high price and decided to show off to this unsophisticated girl today.
The shopkeeper took out a box carved with butterflies from under the counter. The box looked very crudely made.
The box was not light either. It contained a set of jewelry comprising a bangle, a necklace, earrings, a ring and hairpins.
It was a complete set of jewelry and the quality looked extraordinary. Although the set of jewelry was made recently and had no historical value, it would become really valuable once it was kept for a few decades.
She thought that it would be quite nice to buy the set for Aunt. The jadestone and precious gems used in the jewelry were of good quality. Even if they were not antiques, it would still give a noble air to whoever wearing them.
Mister, one look and I can tell that it's something from recent years. It's so new that it's not even from the same era as that bangle,
Qiao Mei said.
During this era, no one paid much attention to antiques and literary playthings. They all felt that anything with beautiful workmanship was good enough when in fact, the most valuable things were those that had experienced the passage of time.
The shop owner looked at Qiao Mei in confusion and said,
This is the jewelry that someone ordered from me. After that, she didn't want it anymore. A lot of manpower and resources went into the making of this set of jewelry and I'm amazed you don't like it.
It was not that Qiao Mei did not like it, but it was far too different from the antiques she had imagined. She thought that she would be able to find something exceptional, but the items in front of her were only good enough to give to Aunt as a present.
How much is this?
Qiao Mei asked.
Qiao Mei thought that if the set was more than twice as expensive as the earlier bangle, she would have to think about it carefully.
Qiao Mei picked up the bright green bangle from the box. Under the sunlight, it looked even more translucent and warm, and it even made the sunlight seem dim compared to its shine.
Qiao Mei suddenly felt that the energy flow in her body became much faster than usual, which surprised her. The golden energy wrapped around her body and quickly flowed to Qiao Mei's hand.
After circling the bangle twice, the energy returned to Qiao Mei's body. Qiao Mei felt that her body had undergone a change. It seemed to have become cooler than before and her essence, energy and spirit felt better.
It was currently the hottest month of the year and people on the streets were drenched in sweat from the heat of the sun. Qiao Mei had also walked over from the bus stop in the same way.
When she first entered the house, she was covered in sweat. The house was not ventilated and it was very stuffy. Now that she was wearing this bangle, she actually started feeling cool.
It appeared that this bangle had some form of spirituality which was helpful to her. No matter how much it cost, she had to buy it.
This, this…
Who asked you to take it out! This is mine!
Before the shopkeeper could finish speaking, he was stopped by someone outside.
Two people suddenly rushed in from the entrance of the shop. When the shopkeeper saw who it was, he smiled so fawningly that the flesh on his face seemed meshed together.
It seemed that these two people were not to be trifled with, and they must come from well-to-do backgrounds. Otherwise, the shopkeeper would not behave like this.
It was only then that Qiao Mei had a clear look and realized that it was two women who came in. One woman was thin and tall, with a temperament that seemed gentle and refined. The other woman was slightly shorter and appeared to be arrogant and willful.
What right do you have to say that it's yours?
Qiao Mei questioned.
The woman did not bother to listen to Qiao Mei. She moved forward and pulled the bangle on Qiao Mei's hand as if she was determined to take it off.
Qiao Mei frowned and said,
Let go.
Are you going to remove it or not? If you don't, I will do it!
the woman said as she pointed at Qiao Mei.
It had taken Qiao Mei some effort to put on the bangle, so it would not be not an easy task to remove it. If Qiao Mei did not want to take it off, it would definitely be difficult for others to do so.
I'm telling you! Don't come over! I'm a pregnant woman!
Qiao Mei said as she flung the woman's hand away.
Upon hearing that Qiao Mei was pregnant, the other three people in the shop did not dare to make any rash move.
The woman stared at Qiao Mei's stomach and then at Qiao Mei's face with a mocking smile.
You already have a child at such a young age? Don't tell me you got yourself into trouble?
the woman said mockingly.
The other woman accompanying her did not say anything or mock Qiao Mei. She just watched quietly from the side.
239
Qiao Mei did not bother to argue with such a person. She pointed at the rest of the jewelry in the box and said to the shopkeeper,
Please wrap these up and let me know how much it is.
The name of the arrogant and domineering woman was Qi Ling.
Qi Ling went forward and closed the box.
This is mine. You take that off.
Qiao Mei looked at the woman in front of her impatiently and said,
Who are you? Did you order this?
Qiao Mei turned to the shopkeeper with a questioning look.
The shopkeeper hurriedly shook his head and said,
No, no, she didn't order this.
Qiao Mei turned to look at Qi Ling again.
He said you didn't order it. Let go,
Qiao Mei said with a frown.
When Qi Ling heard this, she panicked and shouted at Qiao Mei,
This is the jewelry my sister ordered! I'm here to collect the goods today!
The shopkeeper started sweating when he heard that.
Such orders were not allowed nowadays, but people did it in private, just like the black market in the village. However, these were all things done under the table so no one would speak about it in public like that.
No! Absolutely not! We don't accept orders!
The shopkeeper hurriedly denied it.
You! The two of you!
Qi Ling pointed at Qiao Mei and the shopkeeper, so angry that she could not speak.
Do you believe that I can make sure that your shop can't continue operating!
Qi Ling said as she pointed at the shopkeeper.
People who could open a shop on this street were capable in their own way. Without some connections, one would not be able to achieve anything.
The shopkeeper was not scared of Qi Ling's threat at all. In the beginning, he had just found Qi Ling troublesome and was afraid that she would wreck the things in his shop. He had thought it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Ling Ling, stop fooling around here.
The woman who had kept silent stepped forward to stop Qi Ling.
She was He Mei. She had some free time today and was just accompanying Qi Ling to this place.
Qi Ling pointed at the box and asked,
How much is this?
Oh this, I'm not selling it,
the shopkeeper said nonchalantly as he sat in the rocking chair behind the counter.
Hey! You! You clearly wanted to sell it to her just now! Now you say you're not selling it!
The anger that Qi Ling just managed to suppress threatened to flare up again.
He Mei said amiably,
Old sir, just name your price. We really like it too.
The shopkeeper was appeased by He Mei's polite tone and said casually,
It's 1,500 dollars.
What do you mean by 1,500! We agreed on 1,000 back then. How can you suddenly change your mind!
Qi Ling roared.
Qiao Mei rubbed her ears impatiently. Qi Ling's voice was really ear-piercing.
Alright, 1,500 dollars. I'll take it.
Qiao Mei quickly opened her bag and took out 2,300 dollars. She did not even care about negotiating the price and just wanted to leave this place quickly.
Including the items from before, the total is 2,300 yuan. Come, check if the amount is correct,
Qiao Mei said as she looked at the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper was a little surprised. He had just made a casual remark and did not expect this little girl to have money.
Qi Ling stood rooted to the ground in a daze. She had only brought 1,200 dollars with her when she came out. She did not expect the items to be so expensive, so she could not afford the asking price, and now she could only stand there and watch.
The Qi family looked rich from the outside but was actually not, and they needed to cozy up to the He family. Everyone in the family had to come together to pool the amount of 1,000 dollars, so it would be impossible for Qi Ling to go home and get another 1,000 dollars.
I'm sorry, Sister Xiao Mei. I had wanted to buy it for your birthday gift. Take a look around this place and see if there is anything else you like!
Qi Ling said as she held He Mei's hand.
Only then did Qiao Mei understand that Qi Ling had intended it as a big gift for someone.
It was already considered luxurious to buy a birthday present costing a few hundred dollars, but she had intended to give a present worth thousands. They did not seem to be relatives, so she must be trying to curry favor with the other woman.
The shopkeeper looked at the two of them with scorn in his eyes.
He Mei was so angry that her face turned green, but she still had to maintain her grace and not let others see her embarrassment.
When Qi Ling saw that He Mei was angry and refused to speak, Qi Ling thought that she was sulking because she did not manage to get the set of jewelry.
What's your name!
Qi Ling said.
240
Anyone in the capital who could afford to spend 2,000 dollars at one go must not be from an unknown family. She wondered why she had never seen this person before.
Qiao Mei.
She was not afraid that these two people would come looking for her, so she told them her name.
It would have been better if she did not tell them, but once she did, He Mei became suspicious.
Her name was Qiao Mei and she was pregnant. It was too coincidental.
Your name is Qiao Mei? Who is Xia Zhe to you?
He Mei asked in disbelief.
Oh, she even knew Xia Zhe. Alright, this must be another one of her man's romantic debts.
He's my husband. Do you know him?
Qiao Mei smiled innocently after saying that.
He Mei said mildly,
My grandfather and his grandfather used to be comrades-in-arms. Our fathers are also good friends, so I do know him.
Oh, I see.
Qiao Mei packed her things and prepared to leave.
Qi Ling did not know about the grudge between the two of them, and Qiao Mei was even more unaware. Qi Ling felt that since they knew each other, Qiao Mei should be able to let her have the set of jewelry so that she did not have to go home empty-handed.
Qi Ling went forward and said to Qiao Mei,
Since you know each other, why not let Sister Xiao Mei have this set of jewelry. It's her birthday today.
He Mei was already angry, but she did not expect Qi Ling to make things even more awkward. How could she ask Xia Zhe's wife for jewelry?
He Mei held on to Qi Ling's arm while smiling at Qiao Mei. She seemed to be keeping quiet, but she was actually warning Qi Ling and looking at Qiao Mei at the same time.
Qiao Mei could tell that this He Mei was not someone easy to get along with. She was good at pretenses.
How much would you give me for it?
Qiao Mei looked at Qi Ling and said nonchalantly.
Qi Ling was so silly that she really thought that Qiao Mei was going to give in to He Mei. She said to Qiao Mei,
How about we split this gift between us. I'll give you 1,000 dollars, that means I pay a bigger share and you don't lose much. We'll then give the jewelry to Sister Xiao Mei.
Qiao Mei asked in a confused manner,
What do you mean by I don't lose much?
Qi Ling thought that Qiao Mei was a fool so she said excitedly to Qiao Mei,
That's right, we all know one another. Today is Sister Xiao Mei's birthday so you should get her a gift too. You bought this set for 1,500 dollars and now I'm giving you 1,000 dollars. Do you think you're losing out?
Qiao Mei did not know what to say as she watched Qi Ling explain herself. It seemed that Qi Ling was the real fool.
As Qiao Mei did not say anything, Qi Ling did not know what Qiao Mei was thinking. She only knew that she must give He Mei a nice gift today, otherwise she would not be able to explain herself when she got home.
Qiao Mei really could not take it anymore. This Qi Ling was too clingy and unreasonable. She leaned against the counter and almost fell asleep as she listened to Qi Ling talk about what to do next.
Hey! Are you listening to me or not!
Qi Ling stomped her feet in anger.
She pointed at Qiao Mei and said,
Haven't you heard of the He family! There are so many people who want to celebrate Sister Xiao Mei's birthday with her, you're the only person who doesn't know how to cherish the chance! If not for your husband being…
Wait, who is your husband?
Qiao Mei said without looking up,
Xia Zhe.
Qi Ling's eyes widened. She had heard about Xia Zhe's marriage and thought that he married He Mei. It was no secret that He Mei had been waiting for Xia Zhe to return.
However, just as she wanted to congratulate He Mei, she realized that the bride was not He Mei but someone else. She did not expect the person to be this woman here.
Qi Ling's eyes widened as she looked back and forth between Qiao Mei and He Mei. In the end, she could not help but ask,
Sister Xiao Mei, is it him?
He Mei frowned and did not say anything. However, Qiao Mei's interest was piqued when she heard what Qi Ling said. So this person really had some form of relationship with Xia Zhe, and it was really a romantic debt.
At He Mei's age, she was considered one of the oldest single women within the prominent families. However, the He family was rich and powerful, so no one dared to say anything about her. They only gossiped behind her back.
Qi Ling's father had instructed Qi Ling not to introduce boyfriends to He Mei, otherwise it could be disastrous. Everyone knew that He Mei was waiting for Xia Zhe.
Now that Xia Zhe was already married, Qi Ling thought that if she were to introduce a boyfriend to He Mei now and succeeded in doing that, she would be able to become even closer to the He family!
Qi Ling shook He Mei's arm and asked,
Am I right, Sister Xiao Mei!
He Mei stood there in silence.