NOVPUB
Chapter 164: Chapter 163: Doing What’s Shameless
"I heard a noise like something being smashed, so I came to see what’s going on." Li Nuanchun pointed to the iron basin in her hand, "What are you doing! Why would you smash a perfectly good iron basin?"
Such a good iron basin wouldn’t be cheap to buy and replaced. She just smashed it up right away, making Li Nuanchun feel heartbroken. To herself, she thought that young people these days haven’t experienced hardship, they don’t value possessions.
In front of outsiders, Li Meiyu couldn’t directly admit that she was protesting against Tong Yao, or else people would think she’s jealous of Tong Yao eating dumplings. So she euphemistically said, "This piece of junk is an eyesore, I planned to smash it up and sell it as scrap."
"Selling such a good iron basin as scrap is such a waste." Chen Yanmei wanted to put Baodan on the ground and take a look at the iron basin, but as soon as Baodan’s feet touched the ground, she curled up and didn’t want to put pressure on them. She clung to her neck and wouldn’t let go. Yanmei had no choice but to say, "Meiyu, this iron basin will only sell for twenty cents at most if it’s scrap. How about I buy it from you for fifty cents?"
If she were to buy this large iron basin for washing faces from the store, it would cost at least four yuan. So buying it back for fifty cents is like making a killing, even if the iron basin was broken and needed repair, it wouldn’t cost much.
Li Meiyu, already irate, expectedly didn’t appreciate the daylight robbery by Chen Yanmei. Li Meiyu replied grimly, "I haven’t bought a new basin yet; I still need this now." She thought, fifty cents for her four-yuan iron basin? Might as well rob the bank.
She needs it and still smashes it and says she wants to sell it? Is she making a fool out of her?
Chen Yanmei became unhappy. Her face became severe, her nose no longer looking like a nose, her eyes no longer looking like eyes, she said, "Meiyu, it’s not like this, our courtyard, there was never such noise whenever you are here. If you still need this basin, why did you smash it? You scared Baodan, she is definitely going to have nightmares tonight."
Li Meiyu was so furious that she glared at Chen Yanmei. She subconsciously wanted to retort, but on second thought, she had already fallen out with Tong Yao. If she had a falling out with Chen Yanmei, it would appear to others that she was unsociable.
She was in a bad mood, and forced smiles were beyond her. She dismissed them straight-faced, "I’m tired, I want to take a nap, you all should go first!"
Chen Yanmei pouted and left with Baodan.
Li Nuanchun sidestepped to the kitchen, "Sister, are you chopping the stuffing for dumplings?"
Tong Yao looked at Li Nuanchun and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, your timing is perfect. Don’t bother cooking tonight, come and have dumplings with us, I’m making extra tonight." She had heard the commotion next door earlier but was busy chopping the stuffing and didn’t bother to intervene.
Before she went out in the afternoon, she distinctly remembered the pot cover being neatly arranged. When she came back after a while, the pot cover was sideways, and it was obvious, even without thinking, that Li Meiyu had visited the kitchen in her absence to find something to eat.
Fortunately, she didn’t make too many dumplings in the afternoon, so she packed them all up.
"You can just make enough for you and your husband. Officer Dai has a big appetite, he can eat a large bowl in one meal." Li Nuanchun thought Tong Yao was only being polite and didn’t take it seriously. So she directly declined.
Tong Yao lifted the lid on the basin, and said crisply, "Sis, do you think the flour I mixed will be enough for the four of us to eat?"
Originally, she had planned to invite Li Nuanchun to eat dumplings. Li Nuanchun actually wasn’t so bad despite her affair with Liu Gensheng. She was helpful in times of need. It is beneficial to get along better with her. After all, there is an old saying that your close neighbors are better than distant relatives.
"Enough, enough, enough." Li Nuanchun thought Tong Yao was just being polite and didn’t expect her to really make such a big dough. Li Nuanchun was so happy that she nodded her head and quickly washed her hands to help, "Girl, let me help you wrap them. You have so many dumplings, when would you finish wrapping them all by yourself?"
"Sure!" Tong Yao agreed, vacating a spot for Li Nuanchun immediately.
Tong Yao was in charge of wrapping the dumplings, while Li Nuanchun rolled the dumpling wrappers. Both of them worked seamlessly together. As they worked, Li Nuanchun chatted away, watching Tong Yao wrapping dumplings, Li Nuanchun finally understood why Li Meiyu smashed things around.
She whispered so that only the two of them could hear, "No wonder Meiyu was going on like she had a fit. She probably wants to eat dumplings. The couple does not cook, they eat at the canteen every day, and they might miss home-cooked food after a long time."
Before Tong Yao could respond, she continued, "In my opinion, it’s the doctor Liu who’s the problem. How good his ex-wife was! She had a good temper and was industrious; she took care of him like he was her king, but he insisted on a divorce. Now he lives like he’s inferior."
Tong Yao snorted with laughter, "I think Doctor Liu is having a pretty easy time now. He even tried to persuade Ahchen to divorce me recently."
"What?" Li Nuanchun was shocked with her eyes wide open, "Doctor Liu actually did such a disgraceful thing?"
There’s a saying: you’d rather destroy ten temples than break up a marriage. Doctor Liu actually advised a young couple to divorce, is that human behavior?
The couple lives happily, he even tried to instigate a divorce, he really would do anything shameless! Fortunately, Officer Dai is sensible and didn’t heed his words.
Tong Yao pouted her lips and feigned anger, "I was also surprised at the time, what business does my marriage have with Doctor Liu, why would he meddle in it?"
In fact, Tong Yao does not like gossip, but sometimes you have to chat amongst women, to blend into the group, never put yourself on a pedestal, acting like a proud fighting cock not mixing with anyone, in that case, you would never make friends.
It would do no harm to chit-chat with neighbors occasionally, bringing down one’s air.
"Doctor Liu must have been brainwashed by Meiyu, else why would he do such disgraceful deeds behind the scenes." Li Nuanchun speculated. She had no evidence but changed the subject slightly embarrassed, "Sis, to be honest, when you first moved into the residential area, I thought you spent money freely and couldn’t manage your household. But as time went by, I found that other than you being a lavish spender, you are good in everything."
She spends money generously, but it doesn’t affect herself, and Li Nuanchun sees this clearly. She was disgusted at the beginning, but later when she wanted to speak out, she decided to keep her mouth shut.
Tong Yao will tighten her belt and penny-pinch when life gets tough, she doesn’t need to be told by others.
Besides, she’s from Kyoto and her family is rich. It’s normal for her to spend.
"At that time, Ahchen and I had just gotten married, there were many things we needed to buy. Now, we don’t have a child, so life is easy, we don’t want to make ourselves suffer. Even if we have a child, both of us are working, and it will be easy to raise a child."
Li Nuanchun laughed, "The thinking of young people nowadays is different from our generation. But what you said is right, if you are not willing to spend money now, after getting married and having children, you will be even less willing to spend."
