Mu Shuang especially liked the notion of someone perfect like Yun Jian matching an equally perfect guy. Although she did not make any sound, her hands were already clasped together like she was a witness to the birth of a match made in heaven.
For some reason, Yun Jian could hear the smoky fume and aggressiveness in Si Yi’s words. It was a thick, explosive sense of possessiveness—about as strong as the lingering scent of the rocket firecracker after it was lit up that she used to play with.
“You’re so busy. You don’t have to come,” Yun Jian pressed her lips together before saying something like this.
Right after she said that, Si Yi’s hushed voice replied, “Xiao Jian, are you being naughty again when I’m not around? Hmm? I’ll teach you a lesson when I come back.”
When Si Yi said that he would teach Yun Jian a lesson, it did not sound like it was going to be the regular thing one would expect. It sounded more like a couple flirting and had a suggestive tone.
Mu Shuang grabbed a pillow and buried her face into it once she heard that. She did not—absolutely did not hear—what Si Yi told Yun Jian! She was still a young girl, she did not want her mind to be tainted!
Yun Jian’s cheeks turned an obvious shade of pink. It was after a moment of silence that she spoke, “I’m going back to Longmen City now. Talk to you later.”
“Okay,” Si Yi’s single-worded reply sounded in a low rumble.
Yun Jian was still a little pink, slightly surprising Mu Ying. It was obvious that Si Yi was still not happy on the other end of the line. When Yun Jian was about to hang up, she told Si Yi on the phone abruptly, “I’ll wait for you to come back.”
She hung up straightaway after that and stood up.
“Whoa, jiejie and jiejie’s husband are so loving!” Mu Shuang who had her head buried in the pillow looked up and clapped as she winked mischievously.
Yun Jian could not even defend herself against the comment and flushed scarlet, walking out of the door with her backpack after she told Mu Ying and Mu Shuang “I’m leaving”.
“Hehe, jiejie blushed!” Mu Shuang grinned at Mu Ying after Yun Jian left, so the latter did not hear it.
The bus ride from Min City to Longmen City took about one to two hours. Yun Jian had not been back to Longmen City for a month now and it was around 9am when she arrived.
Qin Yirou had yet to finish work. It had been some time since she resigned from her previous job and became a housewife at home, but she suddenly felt like she had no social circle being a housewife at home.
One had no idea about the world outside if one did not take the initiative to go out.
Furthermore, the children had all gone to school despite Qin Yirou being home. Although she would go out for exercises, she did not know a lot of people, so she did not really have anywhere to go. It was also unrealistic to expect that she would spend all day with Mrs. Yang even when they got along well.
With her social circle in consideration, Qin Yirou went to look for a job. This time, she found one as an employee of a florist. Her monthly salary was 800 yuan and was considered a fair wage for a florist employee in 1999.
It would not do for Qin Yirou to be a janitor in Yun Jian’s company, New Cruise. Moreover, it was rather easy being a florist worker, so Qin Yirou worked in a florist now.
The employees working in the florist were usually middle-aged women in their thirties and forties. It was the largest florist in Longmen City, too, taking up a wide surface area.
Qin Yirou was currently chatting with a peer who was arranging flowers. This woman who was around her age came from a decent family background and was here for social life like she was. What was different was that the woman was dressed quite fashionably while Qin Yirou wore generic brands.
The woman did not know about Qin Yirou’s family or economy status. Her name was Liu Shan. She was a local and had a son who was a sophomore in senior high school.
When parents hung out together, it was inevitable that they talked about their children. This woman named Liu Shan was the same.
“Yirou, I heard that your kid has just finished the Senior High School Entrance Examination. Which senior high in Longmen City did she get into?” Liu Shan asked quite confidently as she looked at Qin Yirou.
The parents in Longmen City loved comparing grades—whoever’s children who got into an excellent senior high school would be considered successful; those with weaker grades or did not get into a good senior high school would be said to have failed in life and become dregs of the society!
“My daughter’s got into Min City Military School,” Qin Yirou answered with a smile.
“What? A girl in a military school? Yirou, you let your daughter does whatever she wants? Shouldn’t a girl be studying in a normal senior high, get a stable job upon graduation, and marry someone nice?”
“What’s your daughter thinking? Why didn’t you advise her?”
Liu Shan was taken aback at the answer she heard before she shot a series of reply.
“I’m the one who wanted to study in a military school and my mom’s never opposed to me choosing the path I want.”
A melodic voice of a girl rang from the entrance. It was Yun Jian who spoke indifferently as she stepped into the florist with her backpack, her pretty face attracting praises from the florist workers.
It was until she walked to Liu Shan that she smiled and said softly, “One should pursue their dream. If they keep choosing to do what they don’t want to do… the beggars begging on the streets will just keep increasing.”
Liu Shan was the type of person who judged a child’s success by their grades. She had helped her son in his studies and the latter finally got a regular senior high school—albeit it being the worst out of all, but she was proud of it because a lot of other children could only get into vocational high schools.
Liu Shan froze after hearing what Yun Jian said. Why did she feel like the girl was talking about her son who she had forced to study…
