“Ziyu, what’s wrong?”
Wang Jianhua noticed Xia Ziyu had stopped walking. Turning back, he saw her lips trembling and followed her gaze to find Xia Xiaolan smiling at him.
The smile’s meaning was ambiguous, leaving Wang Jianhua momentarily blank.
He shared Xia Ziyu’s question – how did Xia Xiaolan get into this gathering?
Wang Jianhua instinctively searched for Ji Jiangyuan but didn’t see him. Xia Xiaolan stood among middle-aged women, and though Guan Hui’e looked familiar, he didn’t make the connection between her and Xia Xiaolan.
His second impulse was to approach Xia Xiaolan, but remembering his past losses of face before her, he hesitated.
“Why have you both stopped?”
Ran Shuyu was eager to catch up with old friends. She had spotted Guan Hui’e with a group, and while secretly envying Guan Hui’e’s good fortune and resenting the Zhou family’s success, she still wanted to approach them.
Seeing both Xia Ziyu and Wang Jianhua dazed, Ran Shuyu looked around excitedly:
“Jianhua, remember your Aunt Guan? Zhou Cheng’s mother – you used to play together in the same compound, remember?”
“Aunt Guan? Zhou Cheng?”
Wang Jianhua hadn’t seen Guan Hui’e for seven or eight years and needed Ran Shuyu’s help to recognize her – the familiar-looking woman from earlier.
But Wang Jianhua remembered Zhou Cheng clearly.
They weren’t particularly close in the compound. That kid was arrogant, and younger but able to form his social circle. Wang Jianhua had found Zhou Cheng annoying then, and recently, when out with old friends, everyone mentioned Zhou Cheng’s success – a battalion commander at 20 with the rank of major.
Having wasted several years in the countryside, such talk made Wang Jianhua uncomfortable.
Ran Shuyu, oblivious to Wang Jianhua’s discomfort, eagerly pushed forward, while Wang Jianhua and Xia Ziyu remained rooted in place.
Especially Xia Ziyu, whose face had turned ugly. Ran Shuyu silently cursed this bearer of bad luck, wondering what trouble Xia Ziyu would cause now.
…
Seeing Xia Ziyu first, then Wang Jianhua, and finally Ran Shuyu – the whole family had arrived. Remembering Ran Shuyu’s previous visit to the Zhou house, Xia Xiaolan knew she would likely come over to greet them.
Xia Xiaolan was wary of Xia Ziyu, who loved making ambiguous remarks in public, deliberately leading people to negative conclusions.
Though Xia Xiaolan could expose her, she felt that since Guan Hui’e had kindly brought her to the gathering, causing a scene would reflect poorly on the Zhou family. She needed to give Guan Hui’e some warning.
“Aunt Guan, I need to tell you something.”
Guan Hui’e glanced at her as others teased good-naturedly:
“What secrets are you sharing with your future mother-in-law that we can’t hear?”
“Don’t tease the young girl – she’s shy, not thick-skinned like you!”
Xia Xiaolan played along, feigning embarrassment, making everyone laugh more heartily.
Walking a few steps to two chairs, Guan Hui’e had her sit down: “Are you worried about the Ji family? Their presence or absence won’t affect anything…”
“No, Aunt Guan, I need to tell you something. Aunt Ran who visited your home – I know her son, Wang Jianhua. He was a sent-down youth in my village, and he’s dating my cousin… I just saw them here. How should I put this – I have bad relationships with all my paternal relatives, and this cousin has the most conflict with me.”
Xia Xiaolan spoke briefly as Ran Shuyu was approaching, leaving no time for details.
Explaining her grievances with Xia Ziyu and Wang Jianhua would take time, and she wasn’t sure if Guan Hui’e would want to hear it. The original Xia Xiaolan’s baggage couldn’t be discarded, and while Wang Jianhua wasn’t exactly an ex-boyfriend, there had been ambiguity.
Xia Ziyu’s hostility stemmed from fears that Xia Xiaolan might steal Wang Jianhua back. No matter how much Xia Xiaolan insisted she wasn’t interested in this man Xia Ziyu treasured, would Xia Ziyu believe her?
Guan Hui’e immediately sensed there was more to the story.
How small was the world?
Wang Jianhua had been sent down to Xia Xiaolan’s hometown, and Xia Xiaolan had known Ran Shuyu’s identity since their last meeting but hadn’t mentioned it?
Knowing this wasn’t the time for details, Guan Hui’e grasped the key point: Xia Xiaolan and Ran Shuyu’s future daughter-in-law were cousins who didn’t get along!
“It’s fine, what are you afraid of? You think I’d believe others over you?”
Guan Hui’e wasn’t foolish – any conflicts should be resolved at home, not made into a public spectacle for others to mock the Zhou family.
Xia Xiaolan quickly flattered her, “I just didn’t want anyone upsetting you with nonsense.”
Without this warning, Xia Xiaolan couldn’t predict what Xia Ziyu might do. Originally, she’d thought Wang Jianhua was just unfaithful but normal. After the incident at Huaqing’s gate, she understood completely – how could any man involved long-term with Xia Ziyu be normal?
Two abnormal people together could multiply the destructive power!
Just as Xia Xiaolan finished speaking with Guan Hui’e, Ran Shuyu approached. Hearing others praise Zhou Cheng’s girlfriend, Ran Shuyu felt bitter. Had she known they’d meet Guan Hui’e and Zhou Cheng’s girlfriend, she would never have let Xia Ziyu come.
Comparisons were odious – how could Xia Ziyu compare to Zhou Cheng’s girlfriend?
“Comrade Shuyu, it’s been years! Comrade Guangping’s fortunes have finally turned – your family’s days will be better now.”
“Yes, that must be your son, Jianhua, right?”
Surface politeness costs nothing. Though the Wang family’s reputation wasn’t great, Wang Guangping was still a deputy director in the Higher Education Department with Aunt Zhan. She couldn’t ignore Ran Shuyu without appearing to isolate a colleague’s family!
Though Wang Guangping’s reinstatement came with back pay of twenty to thirty thousand yuan, why did his family still look so shabby?
Ran Shuyu called out:
“Jianhua, come meet the aunts and uncles!”
As Wang Jianhua moved forward, Xia Ziyu followed. What was there to fear with Xia Xiaolan present? This was the gathering Xia Ziyu had dreamed of – after their engagement and attending this event, the Wang family couldn’t easily deny her status.
Wang Jianhua greeted people, and Xia Ziyu followed suit, their relationship obvious to all.
Aunt Zhan laughed: “Did you and Comrade Hui’e arrange this? Both bringing out your future daughters-in-law?”
Ran Shuyu wished no one had mentioned this, but with Aunt Zhan’s comment, she had to continue the introductions: “This is Jianhua’s girlfriend, Xia Ziyu, they attend the same school.”
Aunt Zhan pointed at Xia Xiaolan and Guan Hui’e, laughing, “What a coincidence, her son Zhou Cheng’s girlfriend is also surnamed Xia.”
Who was Zhou Cheng’s girlfriend?
With only Xia Xiaolan and Guan Hui’e in the corner, Wang Jianhua couldn’t deny the obvious even if he wanted to.