Suppressing her displeasure, Ling Yi said, “Coffee beans should be ground with a grinder. If you like coffee, I’ll bring you a grinder another day.”
Su Yu watched all this with detached observation, suddenly understanding why Ling Yi had insisted on bringing her along, and why she’d brought a Moka pot and coffee beans but no grinder. Bringing Su Yu to disguise personal motives as business while delivering the grinder next time would give her a legitimate reason to keep visiting Fang Muyang. The coffee beans would inevitably run out, necessitating more deliveries, and maintaining the connection. However, the flowers showed interest while the stream remained indifferent—Fang Muyang didn’t play along, even suggesting she use a rolling pin to grind the coffee.
Fang Muyang asked Fei Ni, “Do you like coffee?”
Fei Ni shook her head.
Fang Muyang smiled at Fei Ni and said, “If you don’t drink it, I can’t be bothered to make it.” He turned to Ling Yi, “Better keep the grinder for yourself—it would just gather dust here.”
Ling Yi’s good mood evaporated. Fang Muyang’s words implied her coffee was meant for Fei Ni, and once Fei Ni showed no interest, her coffee became superfluous.
While Ling Yi was at a loss for words, Su Yu suddenly remembered Fei Ni worked at the hat factory, and noticed the small print in the newspaper stating that Tian Xueying had also worked at the hat factory before retirement. The newspaper was cautious about publications then, verifying contributors’ information and sometimes specifically noting their workplace.
She asked Fei Ni rather inappropriately, “This Tian Xueying is also from your hat factory—do you know her?”
Fang Muyang took the newspaper, examined it carefully, and pointed at the small print, saying to Fei Ni in feigned surprise, “Isn’t this your mother’s name—Tian Xueying? She used to work at the hat factory. I thought it was just someone with the same name, but it’s her.”
Fei Ni gave Fang Muyang a look and smiled sheepishly. Was it something to brag about when family members wrote articles praising him? Yet he seemed determined to let everyone know.
Su Yu smiled at Fei Ni, “Please tell Aunt Tian I enjoyed her article. If there’s a chance in the future, I’d love to visit her.” Though the article reviewed the comic book, the comic was adapted from her writing. While her article had received some praise before, the aspects she was most proud of had gone unnoticed. So although many had praised her, their compliments missed the mark and didn’t bring her much joy. But this review had highlighted those overlooked elements, making her feel truly understood. Now she realized Fei Ni’s “adequate” assessment wasn’t from lack of appreciation but from modesty about her family member’s work.
Fei Ni didn’t respond, but Fang Muyang smiled and said, “I’ll certainly pass that along.”
Only then did Ling Yi realize whose work she had been praising, and remembering how she had analyzed the article’s merits in front of Fei Ni, her face burned. She could only imagine how Fei Ni must be laughing at her internally.
Though Su Yu had initially suggested leaving, she was now chatting with Fei Ni with no sign of departing. Ling Yi couldn’t help saying to Su Yu, “It’s getting late, we should go.”
At Ling Yi’s words, Su Yu told Fei Ni they’d chat more another time.
Seeing Ling Yi about to leave, Fang Muyang told her to take the coffee beans too. “Fei Ni doesn’t drink coffee, and I can’t be bothered to make it—it would be wasted here.”
Ignoring Ling Yi’s changing expressions, Fang Muyang continued, “Though your Moka pot came at a good time. Fei Ni loves tea, and I haven’t tried brewing it for her in a Moka pot yet. I can try it today. Thank you on Fei Ni’s behalf.”
Ling Yi stiffly said it was nothing.
But Fei Ni said, “Using this pot for tea would be wasteful. Since you don’t want coffee, let her take everything back.” She didn’t think the pot was suitable for tea, and even if it was, she had no intention of using it.
By now, Fei Ni was fairly certain Fang Muyang wouldn’t like Ling Yi, and that giving her his university spot was probably out of sympathy. She could guess what kind of life Ling Yi had led in the countryside. Someone like that, having been coddled before, couldn’t handle any setbacks. As proud as she became after her father’s status was restored, she had been equally defeated during her time in the countryside. Others’ suffering was magnified tenfold in her perception—if Fang Muyang hadn’t given her his university spot, it was uncertain whether she would have survived until her father’s rehabilitation.
Fei Ni didn’t approve of Fang Muyang giving his spot to Ling Yi, but what was done was done, and she couldn’t force him to regret it. Just seeing the Moka pot reminded her of Ling Yi’s newly privileged arrogance, destroying any desire to drink tea.
After Fei Ni’s stance, Fang Muyang could only smile and tell Ling Yi, “Then we’ll have to trouble you to take it back—we don’t need it. Better give these things to someone who needs them.”
The double meaning was clear, and Ling Yi couldn’t even manage a fake smile anymore.
Next door, Section Chief Xu saw the two young women leaving Fei Ni’s room. One was particularly beautiful, rivaling Fei Ni, and he couldn’t help looking a few extra times. Ling Yi had known she was beautiful since childhood and was used to strangers’ special attention, but today her bad mood made her particularly sensitive to stares, as if everyone was laughing at her.
She looked Section Chief Xu up and down, her gaze containing contempt and impatience. Finally, without saying a word, she just snorted and left him with a disdainful back view. Though she hadn’t spoken, Xu understood her eyes’ meaning: What right do you have to look at me? Go look in a mirror! To Xu, even her departing figure seemed to radiate contempt for him.
Section Chief Xu was very self-aware about his appearance but had always believed looks were the least important for men. He thought men who were too handsome seemed cheap—in the old society, they would have been actors. Though actors were now “performance workers” in the new society, being too handsome was still a burden for men in other professions. He believed a man who looked too good must have mediocre work abilities, like the pretty boy next door who could only get housing through Fei Ni.
Ling Yi’s glance was like a needle, instantly deflating Xu’s bloated self-confidence. But his self-esteem rebounded—surely she had looked at him that way because she didn’t know his position.
Back inside, Xu casually mentioned to Wang Xiaoman, “Fei Ni had visitors?”
“They said they were from the publishing house, bringing reader letters for Little Fang. Who knew he could draw comic books? Making money from manuscripts while working as a waiter.” Beyond her envy, Wang Xiaoman used the neighbor to criticize her husband, “Little Fang is so capable, he even washes his clothes and bedding, and doesn’t let Fei Ni cook.” The implication was clear: you might earn less than next door, how dare you let me wash your clothes and cook?
Xu’s self-confidence, like an inflated balloon, was immediately punctured by his wife’s words. Embarrassed and angry, he burst out, “It’s always Little Fang this, Little Fang that with you—why don’t you go marry him! You’re always comparing me to others, saying I’m not good enough at this or that. Why don’t you mention that you’re not as young and pretty as her? I never begged you to marry me!”
Hearing this, Wang Xiaoman’s temper flared, “Looking like you do, you dare complain I’m not pretty enough? Look in the mirror! You think Fei Ni would ever look at you?”
Xu wanted to argue more, but having recently learned how thin the walls were, he didn’t want to give the neighbors something to laugh about. He had to swallow his anger and remain silent.
After seeing the guests out, Fang Muyang peeled another tangerine, ate one segment himself, and then removed the white pith from another segment in his mouth before offering the clean segment to Fei Ni.
“Next week when we visit Mom, we’ll tell her someone liked her article and wants to visit her.”
Fei Ni stuffed a tangerine segment into Fang Muyang’s mouth and said, “Why couldn’t you just say you didn’t know? Why tell people the article was written by family? Now everyone knows we’re like the old woman praising her melons!”
Fang Muyang laughed, “How can you sell melons without advertising? There’s nothing wrong with promoting family. Ask Mom when she’s free to meet them.”
“My mother’s not free.”
“Isn’t Mom retired? What’s wrong with taking the time to meet someone? I’ll talk to Mom next Sunday.”
“My mother didn’t write that article.”
Fang Muyang popped another tangerine segment in his mouth, “Not written by Mom? Then who was it? Such a kind person, writing an article under someone else’s name.” He smiled at Fei Ni, “I wonder who this kind person is? I must thank them properly. Writing an article praising me without wanting credit or payment—if I weren’t already married, I’d offer myself in gratitude.”
Fei Ni knew Fang Muyang was playing dumb and going along with her words: “I don’t want you anymore—give yourself to whoever you like.”
“That won’t do—I’m the faithful type.”
Fei Ni stood on tiptoe and poked Fang Muyang’s forehead with her finger, “Just keep pretending.”
“What am I pretending?”
“You knew all along I wrote that article.”
“Oh, so it was you!” Fang Muyang feigned revelation, “No wonder the praise was so on point—I must study it carefully again.”
“Now you’re getting carried away. Don’t mention this to anyone else.” Fei Ni stuffed another tangerine segment in Fang Muyang’s mouth, “And stop being so mushy in front of others—have you no shame?”
“Mushy? I don’t see it. Point it out so I can improve.” Fang Muyang smiled at Fei Ni, “It’s strange—the same tangerine tastes better when you feed it to me than when I eat it myself.”
“I’m ignoring you.”
Though Fei Ni ignored him, Fang Muyang deliberately pressed closer, leaving her helpless to do anything but let him.
After a while, Fei Ni asked, “What did your parents mail you?”
“What do you mean ‘your parents’? They’re our parents. Our parents mailed you two big jars of tea leaves, saying they’ll send more when you finish these.”
“They mailed them to you.”
“They were for you. The old man says my palate’s only fit for cheap tea.” He’d once used his father’s red tea to make tea eggs and got chased with a beating.
That evening, Fang Muyang brewed Da Hong Pao tea for Fei Ni, bringing it to her, “Try it—if you like it, I’ll brew it for you every day.”
“Not this late at night! What if I can’t sleep?”
“Then we’ll do something else.”
Fei Ni was firm, “I won’t drink it, and neither should you. If you drink it and disturb my sleep, I’ll kick you down.”
They shared the bed at night, and if Fang Muyang couldn’t sleep, she wouldn’t rest well either. Though their current bed was sturdy, being a loft bed, it made all the expected noises.
However, when Fang Muyang drank the tea and couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning in bed all night, Fei Ni didn’t kick him down—she just left many marks on his body.
Early the next morning, Fang Muyang made tea eggs with Da Hong Pao, peeled one, and brought it to Fei Ni’s mouth, asking if it was good.
“You used these tea leaves to make tea eggs?”
“Since you won’t drink the tea, it would be a waste. Better use it for eggs.”
For a week straight, Fei Ni had a Da Hong Pao tea egg every morning.
When Fang Muyang wanted to make more tea eggs, Fei Ni said, “Let’s keep the tea leaves for drinking.”
But Fang Muyang was generous: “The Da Hong Pao is better for tea eggs—don’t we still have Zhengshan Xiaozhong?”
Fang Muyang developed many new ways to drink red tea: red tea with milk powder, red tea with condensed milk, ginger red tea…
Fei Ni drank the ginger red tea Fang Muyang made her while writing an article for her sister-in-law. Besides borrowing her mother’s name, Fei Ni had also used her sister-in-law Lin Mei’s name when reviewing the comic book. When the pastry shop manager discovered Lin Mei had published an article in the newspaper, he asked her to write another article about common issues in pastry shop operations. Unable to refuse, Lin Mei had to ask Fei Ni to write it.
After the article was finished, Lin Mei brought Fei Ni ten jin of pastry vouchers.
Fei Ni divided the vouchers into three parts: one for herself, one for her parents, and one for Fang Muyang’s parents.
Before she could use the vouchers to buy pastries to mail to the elderly couple, Fang Muyang told her, “Don’t mail anything—the old man and Mom are coming back soon.”