Sun Lifang cast a suspicious gaze at Gao Guihua, asking, “Really?” Gao Guihua quickly nodded, her face etched with a sincere expression. Sun Lifang, for the moment, was convinced.
However, Xu Ying wasn’t so easily fooled. She knew Gao Guihua was the type who wouldn’t lift a finger unless there was something in it for her. There was definitely an ulterior motive lurking. Xu Ying had no idea what Gao Guihua was planning, but then she received the exciting news that her uncle was getting married!
“Why so fast? They’re not even engaged yet!” Xu Ying exclaimed, having just returned from a break, only to be met with this significant announcement.
Xu’s mother, casually sewing clothes, shrugged it off. “It’s quick, yes. Your uncle will be twenty-four after the Chinese New Year, and your little aunt isn’t getting any younger; she’ll be twenty-three soon. In the countryside, that’s not considered young at all. The son of your uncle’s next-door neighbor, who’s the same age as your uncle, already has a child over three years old!” Her mother wouldn’t be this anxious about her younger brother’s marriage otherwise.
Xu Ying conceded that it made sense. Still, she didn’t want to marry so early, preferring to wait until she was at least twenty. Moreover, the college entrance examination was set to resume in almost two years, and she certainly didn’t want to attend school with a swollen belly; that would be exhausting.
“Oh, by the way, Daya came to see you a while ago,” Xu’s mother chimed in. “But you were too busy then, so she left. It seemed like she wanted to tell you something. Do you want to go find her?”
Upon hearing Lu Daya’s name, Xu Ying immediately stood up. “Mom, I’ll just go and find Daya.”
“Alright, remember to come back for lunch later,” Xu’s mother called out, but Xu Ying had already vanished.
She rushed to find Lu Daya. “Sister Da Ya, my mother said you came to see me a few days ago? What’s wrong? What’s the matter?” Xu Ying’s curiosity was piqued.
Lu Daya, however, had a flushed complexion and a coy demeanor. Even Xu Ying, despite her occasional naivety, could tell something was up with the girl. She instantly winked, a playful smile gracing her lips. “Why are you blushing?Are you seeing someone!”
Lu Daya looked genuinely shocked, her pupils dilating. “How did you know?”
Xu Ying feigned mystery. “I figured it out with my fingers.”
Lu Daya suddenly became very curious. “Then do you know who my partner is? Can you calculate that?”
This truly stumped Xu Ying. She was no real fortune teller, but she played along. “Let me guess, is this man your colleague?”
Lu Daya nodded in surprise, her eyes gleaming even more as she looked at Xu Ying. “Wow, you look so smart in your clothes!”
“Isn’t he also handsome?”
“Yes, yes!”
It would be strange if he wasn’t, for beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. Even if he wasn’t conventionally attractive, he would seem so to her.
“Taller than you?”
“Right!”
There were only a handful of teachers in the commune. Xu Ying had met almost all of them when she visited Director Sun. It certainly wasn’t her second brother, and the other two male teachers were also ruled out as they were married; Lu Daya wouldn’t be so foolish as to pursue a married man for a second marriage. That left only a few female teachers, and Xu Ying found herself in a predicament.
Soon, her face turned extremely grim. “Is it Sun Yiliang?”
Lu Daya’s smile broadened, and she looked at Xu Ying with admiration. “Yingying, why are you so smart? How do you know everything!”
Xu Ying, however, was far from happy. Sun Yiliang was not a good person. In her previous life, he had been Chen Yanran’s lackey, helping her commit many malicious deeds. How was he with Daya in this life? Could he be acting on Chen Yanran’s orders?
“Da Ya, does your family know that you’re seeing Sun Yiliang?”
Lu Daya shook her head. “I don’t know. I didn’t dare to tell my parents. Besides, Yi Liang said the relationship isn’t stable yet. We’ll wait until we’re stable and want to get married.”
Xu Ying let out an angry laugh. What did he mean, “want to get married”? Didn’t that imply he was just being a scoundrel? Falling in love wasn’t just about getting married. Don’t talk about it now, wait until you break up. What was the point of being together secretly without a name or status? Moreover, a girl’s reputation was so crucial in those times. This person clearly didn’t want to take responsibility.
“Sister Da Ya, don’t be deceived. Since you two like each other and are dating, why doesn’t he want to tell your family? What does he mean by this? He plans to fall in love with you and then break up when he gets tired of it. No one knows you’re in love anyway. Even if you’re unwilling to break up then, it won’t affect him if he doesn’t acknowledge your relationship.”
Lu Daya’s face was filled with hesitation. “Yi Liang isn’t such a person, is he?”
Xu Ying knew that Lu Daya would likely not believe anything she said at this moment. After all, women in love often seemed to lose their minds. She smiled and said, “I’m just guessing, but these things are all up to your own feelings. Our girls’ reputation is important. Just be careful and don’t do anything excessive.”
When Lu Daya heard this, her face turned as red as a monkey’s bottom, and she nodded quickly. “I definitely won’t.”
Xu Ying couldn’t say anything more, so she simply nodded.
Lu Daya sat there, chattering incessantly. “Do you know Sun Yujuan? She’s actually Yiliang’s sister.”
Xu Ying feigned shock.
Lu Daya continued, “Since I’m with Yi Liang, then his sister is my sister. I want Yujuan to come to my house and live with me. What do you think?” She hadn’t dared to tell her mother about this yet. After all, adding another person to the family was a significant matter. She had a salary now, and her mother’s attitude toward her had improved considerably. The worst she could do was give Sun Yujuan money for food.
When Xu Ying heard this, she rolled her eyes. ‘Sister’? How could they not be in love!
“I think it’s extremely inappropriate. First of all, you and Sun Yiliang are just in love and have no public relationship. Furthermore, your relationship with Sun Yujuan isn’t good. Sun Yujuan and Chen Yanran also had very particular temperaments in the Educated Youth Institute. A future sister-in-law didn’t get along well, wishing they could stay far away from each other. If you bring people here, if there’s a stalemate, it won’t be helpful then. Maybe Sun Yiliang will even resent you!”
Why had Lu Daya thought so little? She just wanted to help Sun Yiliang’s sister. Now, after hearing Xu Ying’s analysis, she was so frightened that she patted her chest. “Fortunately, I didn’t take her home. If the relationship is in trouble, it’s better not to help.”
“Sun Yiliang’s monthly salary is the same as yours. You have to give some to your mother. If he spends it himself, he will definitely keep the money in his hand. He didi’nt give money to his own sister to spend. Why is it your turn to give?!”
“Don’t be stupid. Didn’t Sun Yiliang say that he isn’t sure whether he can marry you? In this case, if you spend money on his sister, if they break up in the future, wouldn’t that mean you will lose both your life and wealth? Listen to me, save the money for yourself, and use it as a dowry when you get married. Don’t let the money you save be spent on others.”
Lu Daya suddenly realized that coming to Xu Ying had been the right decision; otherwise, her money would have been wasted. “Xu Ying, thank you, I know what to do.”
“Well, a woman’s money is her sense of security. If you have money, even if your parents kick you out, you will still have money to rent a house. Therefore, this money is extremely important. If you are not with someone you can trust for life, don’t spend a penny on him.”