Zhou Cheng was promoted to Deputy Regiment Commander.
Although the Zhou family tried to keep a low profile, the news spread like it had wings. Beijing wasn’t that big, and everyone who should know about it did!
Zhou Yi heard this news from Tong Lili’s mouth.
She and Tong Lili had fallen out before – at that time, Zhou Yi wanted to get along well with Xia Xiaolan. Since Tong Lili wouldn’t give up on Zhou Cheng, Zhou Yi naturally distanced herself from her. However, when Xia Xiaolan stood by and didn’t help with her relationship with Yuan Han, Zhou Yi became angry and resumed contact with Tong Lili.
She thought Tong Lili had let bygones be bygones, not realizing that Tong Lili renewed their friendship just to watch her misfortune.
In Tong Lili’s mind, while her partner might not compare to Zhou Cheng, she was delighted that Zhou Yi had ended up with Yuan Han, whom she considered a pretty-faced freeloader.
None of Zhou Yi’s friends were invited to her wedding, and everyone in their former social circle said Zhou Yi had gone crazy.
Tong Lili just wanted to see how crazy Zhou Yi could get! Since Zhou Cheng completely rejected her, Tong Lili didn’t want to see the Zhou family doing well. She was content to watch from the sidelines and stir up trouble occasionally, making Zhou Yi’s life more uncomfortable.
When the Tong family heard about Zhou Cheng’s promotion, they mentioned it to Tong Lili, praising her eye for talent in spotting someone with such a promising future.
Tong Lili’s current boyfriend wasn’t too bad either – a few years older than her and considered promising by others. However, he wasn’t as handsome as Zhou Cheng, neither as tall nor as good-looking.
When her family mentioned Zhou Cheng’s promotion, Tong Lili complained, “What good was my good eye? If only the family had fully supported me back then!”
“What nonsense are you talking about, girl? Zhou Cheng himself didn’t like you – how could we force him to be with you? Don’t bring up the past. What’s wrong with your current boyfriend? You two should discuss and set a wedding date soon!” Mother Tong urged her to marriage again.
She had to keep a close eye on her daughter – Zhou Yi was a cautionary tale. If they had arranged an early marriage, the Zhou family wouldn’t have faced such embarrassment.
Since Tong Lili seemed to be associating with Zhou Yi again, Mother Tong worried that Zhou Yi might lead her daughter astray. If Tong Lili brought home some pretty boy claiming true love and insisted on marrying him, it would drive Mother Tong crazy.
“Alright, alright, how annoying! I know!” Tong Lili responded.
It was indeed time to get married. She had been dating her match from the arrangement for several months, and he wasn’t young either. His family was also eager for marriage.
Tong Lili kept making excuses to delay, feeling resistant to marriage. Earlier, when the Jiang family from Jinling was causing trouble, demanding Zhou Cheng take responsibility for their daughter, Tong Lili had secretly rejoiced, thinking Zhou Cheng and Xia Xiaolan’s relationship might be in trouble. After all, with Xia Xiaolan studying abroad, such a long-distance relationship could easily fall apart.
But her joy was premature – the Jiang family’s commotion gradually died down.
Tong Lili knew why she kept making excuses. She still felt quite unwilling to let go – having liked Zhou Cheng for so many years, she felt she still had a slim chance as long as he remained unmarried.
But she was older than Zhou Cheng, and both her boyfriend’s family and her own were pushing for marriage.
Zhou Cheng could wait another three or four years to discuss marriage, but could Tong Lili wait that long?
Knowing she would likely marry her current boyfriend, Tong Lili felt complicated emotions… Being as difficult as she was, she went to torment Zhou Yi when she felt down.
Tong Lili had visited Zhou Yi and Yuan Han’s rented courtyard many times.
This time, she encountered Yuan Han washing a pig’s stomach by the well.
Zhou Yi had mentioned that it was a custom from Yuan Han’s hometown – pregnant women should eat pig stomach stewed with green fruits after seven months to reduce fetal heat, supposedly giving the baby good skin and fewer rashes. Who knew if it was true, but Zhou Yi enjoyed eating it, probably because Yuan Han made it himself.
Seeing such a tall man squatting by the well-cleaning pig organs, Tong Lili sneered – it looked so undignified!
If a capable man did such things, it would be considered caring for his wife. But when a useless man did the same thing, it was because this was all he could do – such a worthless man! Tong Lili didn’t even want to look at handsome men without capability. No matter how handsome, could they compare to Zhou Cheng? Zhou Cheng was both handsome and capable.
Yuan Han noticed her.
He felt quite embarrassed.
When Zhou Yi’s friends had visited before, they behaved properly in front of her, but once she wasn’t around, these so-called friends showed their arrogance, looking down on him, including Tong Lili!
That’s why Jiang Hong thought Yuan Han had become dishonest lately – how could he stay honest when people like Tong Lili kept provoking him?
If the Zhou family didn’t give him a good future, what was the point of enduring all this humiliation?
The more he didn’t want to be looked down upon, the more embarrassing it was to be caught washing a pig’s stomach by Tong Lili…
Tong Lili’s eyes were full of mockery. Hearing the TV from inside, she knew Zhou Yi was home.
“I’m looking for Zhou Yi,” she said as if speaking to the air, not even bothering with a greeting, and walked straight into the main room.
Yuan Han squeezed the pig’s stomach in his hands until it was deformed.
When Tong Lili entered, the TV volume lowered as Zhou Yi started talking with her.
Suddenly, Zhou Yi’s voice turned sharp: “Are you serious? Zhou Cheng got promoted to Deputy Regiment Commander?”
Yuan Han’s ears perked up, and he couldn’t help but move closer to the window with the pig stomach, trying to hear more clearly.
Did Zhou Cheng get promoted?
Wasn’t Zhou Cheng only 23 years old… Feelings of jealousy and resentment arose – it was all because the Zhou family had power and influence, otherwise, how could that young Zhou Cheng get promoted?
Tong Lili smiled sweetly, “What? As an outsider, I’ve heard about it, but you don’t know, Zhou Yi?”
Indeed, even Tong Lili had heard such good news, while she remained in the dark – clearly, she had been excluded by her family.
Zhou Yi forced a smile: “My belly’s gotten bigger lately, so I visit home less often. You know my family’s place has stairs, unlike this single-story courtyard where I live with Yuan Han, which is more convenient.”
Tong Lili held back her mockery and nodded seriously: “That’s true, with your belly so big, going up and down stairs would be too tiring. I must say, you’re working hard now. We never saw you this serious about work before. When did we become like those people waiting for their next meal? Working 30 days a month, those people wish they could work 31 days just for overtime pay, but we never needed that!”
Tong Lili didn’t need it.
Zhou Yi did.
For one thing, she dared not disobey her father – if she performed poorly, her father would think Yuan Han had influenced her.
For another, though Zhou Yi and Yuan Han lived sweetly together, one person’s salary had to cover two people’s expenses, plus occasional supplements for the pregnant woman. Without working, where would the money come from?
Previously, Jiang Hong had managed everything, and Zhou Yi never had to worry about these things. Now she finally understood how troublesome it was to arrange daily life.
Food costs money.
Clothes cost money.
Electricity cost money.
Coal for winter cost money.
The courtyard had a well, so the water was free, but everything else in this home required money – money that came from her work.
Tong Lili remained as glamorous as ever, while Zhou Yi hadn’t bought new clothes in a long time. Her old clothes stretched tight over her pregnancy-swollen body. Comparing their situations, Zhou Yi suddenly felt indescribably wronged!