Chapter 79

Chapter 79

This year, Wang Meili was in a bad mood and had little enthusiasm for preparing New Year supplies. It wasn’t until the 20th of the twelfth lunar month that she finally started preparing.

As soon as they arrived, her thoughtless daughter kept asking for this and that, as if her bad grades had no effect on her at all. She had only been on good behavior for a few days right after receiving her report card, but for the rest of the time, she ate and drank as usual, living quite happily.

The more Wang Meili thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt. She had been upset since that day and couldn’t help but snap at her.

Xu Jia immediately flew into a rage, and the mother and daughter started arguing right there on the street.

It’s worth noting that Wang Meili wasn’t like this before. When Xu Jia had good grades, Wang Meili would move heaven and earth to get even the most extravagant requests, like wanting the moon. But now, Xu Jia’s lousy grades not only humiliated Wang Meili but also dashed her hopes of raising an outstanding child. She no longer treated Xu Jia with the same patience and devotion as before.

Xu Jia, too, was immature. Having been spoiled as a little princess since childhood, she couldn’t possibly accept being treated like everybody else.

She wanted to buy cookies and a bunch of other snacks, but Wang Meili looked at what money she had and refused. The two had just finished arguing when they saw Xu Meng pushing a cart stacked to the brim with New Year goods. Apart from a case of liquor, every single item in that cart was something Xu Jia loved to eat.

Add to that the purchases made by the three kids, and it looked even more extravagant.

Their cart was overflowing with goodies!

All those things must have cost a few hundred bucks.

Xu Jia had been pampered by her parents growing up, but she had never spent money so lavishly. Now, her cousin—whom she had always looked down on—appeared to be living extravagantly, which instantly made Xu Jia see red.

“Xu Meng, what are you doing here…?”

“Buying New Year goods,” Xu Meng said with an eye roll. “What a coincidence, you’re here too. What did you buy?”

Xu Jia immediately felt embarrassed. Earlier, her mother had only bought a few pounds of melon seeds and some candy before preparing to leave. In previous years, her mother would buy snacks for her by the case. But now, the one spending money so freely was Xu Meng. Xu Jia was green with envy, wishing she were Feng Yanwen’s daughter instead.

Wang Meili noticed all of her daughter’s petty reactions.

She never expected her daughter to be so shameless. She had taught her since childhood not to stare at other people’s food or belongings, yet Xu Jia’s eyes were practically bugging out.

“Let’s go! What are you staring at?”

Wang Meili quickly dragged her away, and the mother-daughter pair fell into another round of the blame game.

“Mom, Xu Meng bought so much New Year stuff…”

“Oh? Xu Meng also came in third in her grade!”

“Why do you keep bringing that up? Did I want to fail on purpose?”

“Did I tell you to cheat?”

“See? I knew you’d be like this. If I didn’t do well, you’d treat me like this. Don’t blame me for cheating—first, think about yourself. You’re the one who pushed me to do it.”

Xu Meng watched as the mother and daughter gradually walked away. She had never compared herself to Xu Jia, but Xu Jia seemed to have always enjoyed competing with her since childhood. Whatever friends Xu Meng made, Xu Jia would try to befriend them too. Whatever school Xu Meng attended, Xu Jia would insist on going there as well, always trying to outdo her.

“Cousin, who was that?”

“Nobody important,” Xu Meng replied, her good mood returning just as suddenly.

Back at home, they divided up their haul—some for themselves, some to take back to her grandmother’s house, and two large gift packages as New Year gifts for the two training teachers. After the New Year, classes would resume, and the weekend training sessions would continue even after the school term started. These two teachers would keep coming, so maintaining a good relationship was important.

For dinner, they had dumplings. Xu Meng prepared the filling, Huang Xiaoying kneaded the dough and rolled out the wrappers, and the three little ones did the wrapping. By the time Feng Yanwen came home from work, the house was a hive of activity.

Just as she was about to enter the yard, someone called out to her: “Teacher Feng.”

Feng Yanwen responded and turned to walk inside.

The woman stopped her, smiling as she asked, "Done teaching for the day?"

She looked Feng Yanwen up and down.

Feng Yanwen was tall and slender, kept herself in good shape, and had a bookish vibe.

Dressed in a long, belted cotton coat and accustomed to standing tall at the lectern, she carried herself with an upright and dignified posture. Chen Xiangju thought to herself with some envy. Though she was less than ten years older than Feng Yanwen, they might as well have been from different generations.

Feng Yanwen nodded. She had taught all day and looked worn out—most people wouldn’t keep her talking in this state.

Even so, half of her business relied on the goodwill of neighbors, so she wouldn’t be rude to them.

As Feng Yanwen turned to leave, the woman grabbed her arm. Though her eyes curved in a smile, her smile didn't reach her eyes. "What happened to that foreigner who used to come around here?"

Feng Yanwen replied coolly, "What about him?"

The woman was Chen Xiangju, known in the neighborhood as Auntie Chen. They’d dealt with each other a few times during the recent beef bone distribution, but they weren’t close. Auntie Chen’s question was nosy, and Feng Yanwen’s displeasure was understandable.

Chen Xiangju glanced inside. "Oh, nothing, just curious. He used to come by often—were you two involved or something?"

Feng Yanwen’s face fell. "Auntie Chen, why are you being nosy? What’s it to you?"

"Teacher Feng."

"Fine. He was my student and a friend. He’s gone back to his home country now."

"Right, he’s a foreigner—he could find anyone he wants." Chen Xiangju muttered under her breath before getting right to the point. "You’ve been divorced for a while now. Don’t you plan on remarrying?"

Feng Yanwen frowned.

Many had brought this up before, like Chang Xi's mother, who had enthusiastically tried to set her up with someone from the railway bureau. Feng Yanwen usually played along with their good intentions.

She wasn’t opposed to remarriage—especially after spending time with Smith, she realized she wasn’t against dating. But formal matchmaking felt different, with both sides ticking off requirements like a shopping list. If she were still twenty, she might have accepted it. But at thirty-seven, she knew how much she valued her peaceful life now.

Chen Xiangju lowered her voice. "Don’t you want to give it another shot? At your age, you could still have another child."

Feng Yanwen smiled. "If the right person comes along, I wouldn't say no."

"So, what kind of person are you looking for?"

"I haven’t really thought about it in detail. They're probably waiting dinner for me—Auntie Chen, why don’t you come in and eat while we talk?"

In those days, inviting someone home for dinner was often just politeness—a subtle way to end a conversation. Anyone who actually took the offer would be seen as having no social sense. Chen Xiangju wasn’t one to miss hints. She waved her hand. "No, no, you go ahead. I’ve already eaten. We’ll talk more later."

As Chen Xiangju left, Feng Yanwen finally breathed easy.

Divorced and living alone, she knew exactly what the neighbors were speculating about.

When Feng Yanwen returned, the children at home whooped and scrambled to get water boiling. As she stepped into the yard, the middle kid yelled, "Auntie Feng, we’re having dumplings tonight!"

Feng Yanwen relaxed. "Good..."

Coming home to a meal and the lively chatter of children was just what she needed.

With one more child around, the atmosphere at home had changed completely.

As soon as Chen Xiangju left, two women in their fifties approached from behind.

Both of them were of short stature, with the old woman somewhat stooped. She looked around the yard for a while before finally asking, satisfied, "Is this house hers? Why are there so many kids in the yard? I heard she only had one child."

The old man was looking around too.

The courtyard wasn’t small, with two main rooms side by side and probably two more out back. A row of small side rooms likely served as the kitchen and storage. The girl they had seen earlier carrying things had come from there.

Chen Xiangju pulled them a bit farther away, stopping just where they could still see into the yard. She watched as Xu Meng entered the house first, then carried in a basket of coal from outside. She couldn’t help clicking her tongue. Earlier, when they had gone inside, they noticed how warm the house was even during the day—clearly, the wall heaters were going. This Teacher Feng lived pretty freely with her money, seemingly unable to hang onto a dime.

These days, most families weren’t that well-off. Keeping the wall heaters going like this every day would burn through hundreds in coal money over a single winter.

Before they entered, they had also noticed a washing machine under the eaves.

This Teacher Feng—whether she was being modest or had truly made good money—spent in a way that would make any old-timer wince.

The old woman noticed it too and immediately started clucking about how reckless the woman was with her money.

"The house is rented. The oldest kid among those children is actually the landlord," Chen Xiangju pointed at the eldest child.

Elders always loved to criticize. The two shook their heads in unison. The old man said, "This woman is too free with her money. How can she spend like this? I thought the house was hers. If she’s renting, how can she afford to heat the walls? A woman who can’t manage her life like this—no one in our village would want her, especially with a ready-made family. Sure, the kid’s older and doesn’t need much care, but she still has to go to school. That’s years more of putting food on the table."

He shook his head disdainfully.

Chen Xiangju had made this introduction out of goodwill, only to be met with scorn. Feeling slighted, she shot back, her face darkening, "Brother-in-law, look where we are. This is the capital. Unless it’s a family property passed down or someone got lucky and hit the jackpot, who can afford to buy a courtyard house these days? Even this kid’s place was inherited from ancestors."

What a joke. Your son may be accomplished, but all he got was a shoebox in one of those tube apartments.

Do you even own a place? Have any money? You're not exactly rolling in it yourself.

A family of three crammed into one room, yet you dare look down your nose at others?

Elders always disapproved of young people’s extravagance. The old woman added a few more critical remarks.

Chen Xiangju said, "Forget it. I’ll introduce someone else if a better match comes along."

The old man hesitated, "Didn’t you say she earns quite a bit?"

Chen Xiangju let some irritation seep into her voice, "She runs classes with hundreds of students. She’s not some clock-puncher making a few hundred a month. She’s a real entrepreneur. Ever heard of the capital’s railway bureau? She landed a big contract with them—tens of thousands in training fees?"

The "tens of thousands" was an exaggeration, of course. The exact figures were just the neighbors guessing.

Among themselves, they speculated that Feng Yanwen made several thousand a month—which was why Chen Xiangju had the confidence to make the introduction. The old couple had initially turned up their noses at her being divorced and having a child, but upon hearing about the monthly income, they fell silent.

Salaries were generally low. Their son’s current earnings were even less than his military stipend had been. After supporting his younger siblings, there wasn’t much left. A wealthy wife would ease the burden.

The old man’s expression remained stern, but the old woman softened slightly. Pointing at Xu Meng, who had just stepped out of the house, she asked, "Is that her daughter?"

Chen Xiangju: "Yes—"

The old woman smiled, "She’s already a grown girl. At that age back home, she’d be working."

Chen Xiangju had done her homework before making the introduction. "She’s an excellent student, and Teacher Feng dotes on her. If she gets into university, she’ll definitely send her. She’s got a capital residency, top grades—getting into college won’t be hard."

But supporting a university student for several more years put a damper on the old woman's interest.

A pretty girl wasn’t a bad thing. At this age, she’d be ready to marry in a couple of years. Good looks could command a bigger dowry, and with a capital residency, marrying a non-local could double it. But if she went to college, that would be trouble. Three to four years of university meant tuition, living expenses—everything cost money.

Chen Xiangju could read the old woman’s thoughts. It was too early for this. Jumping straight to how much she earned and what price her daughter could fetch—had they even considered whether she’d agree to their son, or if she’d even look their way? If this weren’t her own cousin, she’d have walked away long ago.

Her cousin and brother-in-law were impossible to please—so much so that their son was still single in his thirties.

My cousin had been transferred from military service to an administrative unit in Beijing. He had solid qualifications, but he couldn't shake off the burden of his many siblings back home, all needing a helping hand. His military allowances before the transfer and the severance pay from the army were all spent supporting his family. By his thirties, he had saved nothing. Fortunately, he had a Beijing household registration. Since obtaining it, the elderly parents felt as if they had hit the jackpot, as if with just a little push, their son could marry into high society.

Well, too bad the Qing Dynasty is long gone, and there are no noblemen left.

In their eyes, their son was a treasure, always dreaming of climbing the social ladder.

My cousin was once a battalion-level officer. Earlier on, he wasn’t without opportunities. Several superiors had tried setting him up with their relatives, and he had dated quite a few. One girl was particularly beautiful, and they even reached the stage of discussing marriage. But once the parents met and made a slew of demands, the girl’s family backed out. They weren’t blind—they didn’t mind the man’s modest family background, but overbearing parents would make married life miserable.

Back then, they thought they still had options. For their son’s sake, they visited the military unit several times, and every visit sabotaged another relationship.

Only when he was well into his thirties did they realize they’d messed up.

She escorted the elderly couple back, and along the way, they bickered in their local dialect.

Just then, they passed by Wang Shuanzhu, who overheard their conversation and froze, casting a deep glance toward Feng Yanwen’s residence.

Lately, it seems more and more people have been trying to play matchmaker for Teacher Feng.