NOVPUB
Chapter 24: Chapter 24: The Rivals Meet on a Narrow Path
Teacher Wang felt that Li Meiyu was being a bit too harsh, but he was unaware of the circumstances, so he diverted the topic, "The airflow from your electric fan is too weak, why not consider installing a ceiling fan?"
"A ceiling fan can’t be moved between rooms." Mentioning the fan reminded Li Meiyu of yesterday’s incident. She complained, "Yesterday I was set on buying a large pedestal fan. I had already negotiated the price with the boss, but a young girl snatched it away. I thought it wasn’t worth quarreling over a fan, so I didn’t argue. Nowadays, these young girls take advantage of their good family conditions and are completely lacking in etiquette. I’m afraid the next generation they raise will be even worse."
The other teachers echoed Li Meiyu’s words, criticizing the girl. They even brought up several examples to support their point. Seeing everyone agreeing with her, Li Meiyu’s mood improved. She picked up the kettle on the table, found it empty, then took it straight to the kitchen.
...
Back in the room, Tong Yao was busy folding clothes. Si Chen had gone downstairs to move tables and chairs. When he returned, he ran into Li Meiyu exiting the kitchen. Seeing Si Chen carrying two stools, she hurriedly stopped him, "Doctor Si, could you lend me your stools? My friend is coming for dinner and we’re short of seats."
Si Chen slightly raised his brows, handed her a stool, and Li Meiyu eyed the other stool in his hand, "Doctor Si, could you lend me that one too? I will return them to you after dinner!"
"Yaoyao needs to sit," he tossed out a sentence, then headed back to his room.
Having been refused, Li Meiyu was somewhat displeased. It was just a stool, who cares?
In the residential compound, everyone greets her as Teacher Li. Amongst all the doctors’ wives, she has the highest educational level. Yet, this was the first time she was ignored in such a way.
She considered returning the stool, but then realized there still wouldn’t be enough seats and decided against it.
Tong Yao, in her room, heard Li Meiyu’s voice. Somehow it sounded familiar, but she couldn’t recall where she had heard it before. Seeing Si Chen enter the room, she asked, "Who were you talking to just now?"
"Teacher Li, Dr. Liu’s wife from next door." Si Chen put down the stools, looking at Tong Yao slowly folding clothes, and reminded her with a frown, "Listen to the doctor’s advice, try not to work during your recovery."
After saying this, he walked over and quickly folded the clothes. He even put them neatly into the bedside cabinet. Tong Yao’s mouth twitched, barely resisting the urge to argue with him. She mumbled, "There’s no TV at home, I don’t know anyone here, if I don’t do some work, I’ll go crazy, right?"
The moment the words left her mouth, Tong Yao regretted it. She was just trying to find something to do to kill time, but boredom was indeed an issue. Could she have hurt Si Chen’s masculine pride?
Si Chen was silent for a moment before seriously saying, "A black and white TV costs 501 yuan, we should be able to get one by the end of the year. When we have money, we can change it to a color TV."
Tong Yao was surprised by Si Chen’s words, was he trying to spoil her? Wondering, she gave her thigh a painful pinch. Si Chen and Shiya were so infatuated with each other. He wouldn’t spoil her, he probably just wanted to watch TV himself.
Suddenly, her stomach let out a loud growl, as though attempting to ensure everyone else could hear it. Tong Yao gave her belly a quick pat, annoyed by its lack of discretion. It wasn’t even midday yet, and anyone would think she’d been starving for hundreds of years.
A glint of amusement appeared in Si Chen’s eyes, "Hungry?"
Tong Yao kept a straight face and nodded, "Too much exercise this morning."
If anyone heard her, especially those partaking in heavy labor, they would surely bust a gut laughing. She ate more than Si Chen did in the morning, and he was the one carrying all the purchases. Her greatest exertion was probably walking a few steps. Compared to her previous life, where she would spend whole days shopping, this was nothing.
"I’ll cook some food." Si Chen grabbed the vegetables from the table and headed out.
Tong Yao thought for a moment and decided to follow. With over a kilo of meat, if Si Chen was too stingy to cook it all and it went off by the evening, she would have cause to complain. She needed to keep an eye on him.
Seeing her follow, Si Chen spoke flatly, "The kitchen is hot, stay in the room and use the fan."
His cooking skills were not amazing, but he could manage to prepare a few home-style dishes.
Tong Yao retorted, "I’ll come out when I feel warm."
It was midday, and other families were also starting to cook, the smell of cooking wafting through the hallway. Stepping into the kitchen, a wave of heat hit her. It was like sitting next to a furnace, and the kettle on the stove was also emitting a stream of white smoke. Tong Yao thought the kitchen had caught fire and looked at Si Chen with confusion.
"Are you boiling hot water?"
Si Chen raised his brow, "Aren’t you?"
Tong Yao, "..."
Without a doubt, both of them understood that Li Meiyu, the neighbor, was the one boiling the hot water. It was fine to use each other’s things, they were neighbors after all, and she wasn’t a petty person. But to use someone else’s things without informing them, wasn’t that a failure as a teacher?
Without even meeting this teacher, Tong Yao already had doubts about her character. She casually turned off the gas and, puffing her cheeks like an irritated steamed bun, said, "I happen to be thirsty."
After saying this, she took the boiling kettle straight back to the room. Si Chen didn’t stop her, which made Tong Yao feel a little better. If Si Chen had stopped her for fear of offending someone, she wouldn’t stand for it. If it happened once, it could happen again. If not reprimanded, this Li Meiyu was sure to cause more trouble in the future.
No sooner than Tong Yao had returned to the room, Li Meiyu walked into the kitchen. Seeing Si Chen there, she paused momentarily before circling around with a stern face. While mumbling to herself, she wondered, "Where did the kettle go?"
When Si Chen ignored her, she adjusted her face and asked, "Doctor Si, did you see the kettle?" Her tone was as if she was using her own belongings. n𝚘𝚟pub.𝚌o𝚖
"Yaoyao took it to drink water."
Si Chen’s voice was cold, not like the other doctors, who would greet Li Meiyu with smiles. Coupled with these words, Li Meiyu’s face fell, and she complained, "But it was hot water I boiled! You just took it without asking me!"
"When you used our things, you didn’t greet us either, did you?" Tong Yao stood at the kitchen door, looking at Li Meiyu and thinking to herself. It was really a small world. No wonder Li Meiyu’s voice sounded so familiar, it turned out she was the woman from the fan store yesterday.
"What are you doing here?" Li Meiyu stared at Tong Yao in disbelief, her voice shrill.
Looking at Li Meiyu’s expression, Si Chen introduced with a frown, "Tong Yao, my wife."
"..." Li Meiyu stared at Tong Yao with a look of disgust for a while, then sneered, "What bad luck."
After that, she turned to leave. At the door of the kitchen, she suddenly stopped and, in an educational tone, said to Si Chen, "Doctor Si, it’s not for me to say, but your taste in choosing a wife is really not that great. If you don’t manage your wife well, everyone in the yard will end up being offended by her."
Tong Yao was so irritated that she laughed, then shot back, "I’ve seen many people who gossip and stir up trouble behind others’ backs. But to confront someone and provoke a fight between a couple, this is the first time I’ve met such a person. Aren’t you afraid of biting your tongue? Is this how you teach students? I would call this misleading the younger generation."
