Chapter 18: Flower Appreciation Banquet

Chapter 18: Flower Appreciation Banquet

"Sis, don't cry yet. Look, your husband didn't really do anything wrong. We can talk this out properly. Or have him come in so we can give him a piece of our minds. How can he ignore your health like that!" Sister Qian sided with Li Guihua and laid into the man first.

Li Guihua shouted toward the door, "Wang Fugui, get your ass in here." Then she gave them an awkward smile. "My husband's here too."

After a beat with no one coming in, Li Guihua stomped over and yanked him inside.

"If you can do it, don't be ashamed. What's there to be ashamed of? These are all government officials—they've seen it all. Wang Fugui, I'm telling you, I really can't stand you anymore. I want a divorce." Li Guihua chewed him out the whole way in.

Everyone turned to look at Wang Fugui. He was about five-foot-seven, average build, average face, and overall appeared honest and simple. If Li Guihua wasn't lying, then looks really could be deceiving.

"You... hurry up and come home with me. Haven't you shamed me enough?" Wang Fugui said with an awkward expression when he saw Sister Qian and the others.

"You do it every day without any shame, so what do I have to be ashamed of? Officials, it's him. I really can't take it anymore. I want a divorce." Li Guihua turned away, refusing to look at him.

"Sis, you two aren't that young. Got kids?" Sister Qian poured Li Guihua a glass of water.

"Three—two boys and a girl." Bringing up the kids just made Li Guihua angrier. "He didn't even leave me alone when I was pregnant. The doctor said no sex in the first trimester and last trimester, but he wouldn't listen. Two days before I gave birth, he dragged me into bed one more time. Officials, I really can't stand him."

Wang Fugui slunk to the corner and squatted, head hanging, looking totally humiliated.

"Sis, besides this, does Comrade Wang have any other issues? If not, and you have three children together, this doesn't have to lead to divorce. You can talk it out. Don't worry—we'll have a word with Comrade Wang." Sister Qian first calmed Li Guihua down.

Meanwhile, Sister Li had Wang Fugui sit off to the side and asked directly, "Is what your wife Li Guihua said true or not?"

"No." Wang Fugui opened his mouth, then glanced at Li Guihua. "It's not as bad as she makes it sound. And if she really didn't want it, how could I force her?"

"Wang Fugui, you're lying! One time I said no and ran, but you caught me and dragged me back. You even tied me up with a rope..."

"Shut your mouth!" Wang Fugui glared at Li Guihua. This woman—why did she have to spill everything?

"Then just tell me—is it true or not?" Li Guihua pointed at Wang Fugui's nose and demanded.

"Yeah, but you were moaning in pleasure too!" Wang Fugui also lost his temper and stood up, raising his voice.

"Bullshit! I was... I was in pain! Even if food tastes good, you can't eat it all the time!" Li Guihua's face turned bright red.

"You're the one talking bullshit! You were in pain and you..."

"Enough! In public, what is this nonsense?" Director Zhang came out, first calming the couple down, then looked at Lin Zhijin. "Enjoying the drama?"

Lin Zhijin quickly shook her head. Was she really that transparent?

"Take your book to my office and study. I'll test you later." A young girl like her, getting so into listening to married couples' business.

Lin Zhijin hugged her books and left, dragging her feet.

Li Yue squeezed Lin Zhijin's hand and shot her a look—'Go on, sis. I'll fill you in later.'

Lin Zhijin shot Li Yue a grateful look, then sat in Director Zhang's office, restless and fidgeting. What happened after?

After about half an hour, Director Zhang pushed open the door, glanced at Lin Zhijin, and began quizzing her directly.

"Not bad. Don't get cocky—you've only just started. There's still much to learn. Alright, you can go now." Director Zhang waved her out.

The moment she got out, Lin Zhijin immediately went to find Li Yue. "Did those two leave? What happened? How did the director handle it?"

"With elderly parents and young children, and no principled mistakes, how could they get a divorce? The director criticized Wang Fugui—said no matter how much he likes it, he must respect his wife's wishes. He made him write a guarantee that all marital relations must have his wife's consent from now on, or we'd help Li Guihua get a divorce." Li Yue summarized briefly.

Li Yue looked Lin Zhijin up and down. "Xiao Lin, have you ever dated anyone?"

She had dated before, but Lin Pandi hadn't. Since she was now Lin Pandi, she'd answer according to Lin Pandi.

"No."

"Xiao Lin, don't listen to the director. We women need to date around—how else will we know if someone's good or bad? You can't tell just by looking. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye out for you. If I find a good one, I'll introduce him to you." Li Yue looked at Lin Zhijin's pretty face, searching her mind for suitable male comrades.

Sister Qian, who had just returned from seeing the couple off, patted Li Yue's arm. "Don't go introducing just anyone. Our Xiao Lin is so beautiful—she has a house, a bicycle, and a job. She should find someone with all the right qualifications."

Lin Zhijin smiled and shook her head. "My standards aren't high. I only have one requirement—they have to catch my eye. As long as they're pleasing to look at, everything else is negotiable."

"Ooh ooh ooh, 'catch your eye'—you just mean handsome!" Li Yue bumped Lin Zhijin's shoulder. "But with looks like yours, you really can't settle for someone ugly. You wouldn't look right standing together."

"I disagree with that. You should find a man who treats you well. Like my husband—he's average-looking, but he gives me all his wages, and I make all the decisions at home, big or small." Wang Chunhua said smugly.

Sister Li glanced at her and said flatly, "If he's so great, why haven't you brought your children back?"

Wang Chunhua was so angry she was fuming. "Li Jiaojiao, why do you always have to pick on me?"

Sister Li's face darkened, and she turned away without responding.

Lin Zhijin was stunned for a moment. So Sister Li never introduced herself by name because she was embarrassed by it?

She snuck a peek at Sister Li. Li Jiaojiao—it didn't quite match her valiant and spirited image, but the contrast was endearing. Very cute.

The next day, Lin Zhijin wore a light blue dress with a white knitted cardigan, nude stockings, and black leather shoes. The only accessories were a pearl hairpin and a delicate bracelet—simple and elegant.

Standing at the entrance of the Chen residence, this was her first time back since leaving. She showed the invitation to the gatekeeper, then stepped over the threshold. Looking at the familiar screen wall, she felt a surreal sense of time having passed.

"Ninth Concubine, the madam instructed me to wait for you here. Please follow me." Xia Lan stood by the side of the ornate gate, waiting for Lin Zhijin.

"Xia Lan? Don't call me that anymore. I'm no longer the Ninth Concubine of the Chen household." Lin Zhijin said seriously.

Xia Lan's eyes flickered. Chunlan was right—the Ninth Concubine really had changed a lot.

The two arrived at the back garden, where many flowers were in full bloom—colorful, competing in beauty. It was indeed lovely.

"Oh, isn't this Ninth Sister? No wait—silly me. You're a commoner now. What should I call you? Xiao Lin? Pan Di?" the Seventh Concubine said with a smile, looking at Lin Pandi.

"Seventh Concubine, hello. My name is Lin Zhijin now—zhi for knowledge, jin for the hibiscus flower. I work at the Women's Federation in the Military Control Office." Lin Zhijin smiled and extended her hand. Seeing the Seventh Concubine frozen in place, she withdrew it without any awkwardness and turned to the First Madam. "Long time no see, First Madam. Thank you for having Chunlan deliver those pastries. I was truly flattered."

"You can even use idioms now? Seems like you've learned quite a bit at the Women's Federation!" the Second Concubine said sarcastically while fanning herself.

Lin Zhijin just smiled. It was still cold in April—waving a fan around all day like that, weren't you afraid of catching a chill?

"You really went to work?" The First Madam looked Lin Zhijin up and down. She was more confident, more poised. Could a single job really change someone this much?

"Yes, Director Zhang thinks highly of me, and my other colleagues treat me well too." Lin Zhijin said with a beaming smile.

A flicker of displeasure passed through the First Madam's eyes. It was all that so-called liberation's fault—this talk of equality for all—throwing the Chen household into chaos. They'd been too busy to keep an eye on Lin Pandi, and she'd slipped right out of her grasp.

Looking at the increasingly beautiful Lin Zhijin, with her current status, she could barely match her younger brother from her natal family.

"Lin Zhijin—that's a lovely name. Did your leader pick it for you?" The First Madam had someone serve Lin Zhijin tea, then asked, "I heard you've been staying at a hotel these past few days. What's that about? Is the house in the eastern part of the city not comfortable?"

"No, my neighbor's place was burglarized, and I was too scared, so I applied for a dormitory. The dorm needs some renovation, so I'm staying at a hotel for a few days." Lin Zhijin didn't hide anything—since the First Madam knew she was at a hotel, she certainly knew about what happened on Maple Leaf Lane.

The First Madam nodded and gestured to a young woman beside her. "This is my niece, Xianxian. She's the same age as you. Let her show you around the garden—she knows the Chen estate better than you do."

“Really? I stroll through this garden often, and all the prettiest flowers are right here. I’m good just looking at them from right here,” Lin Zhijin said, unsure what the First Madam was scheming, but certain it boded no good—she wasn’t about to fall for it.

A flicker of irritation crossed the First Madam’s eyes, then she spoke with a hint of sadness, “Ah, Zhijin, you’re pulling away from me now.”

Lin Zhijin blinked her big, clear eyes, looking at her with a puzzled look. “I just don’t feel like touring the garden—how does that make me distant from you, ma’am?”

The Seventh Concubine let out a snicker. “Are you dumb or what? She means you’re not as obedient to her as you used to be.”

“Oh! Then I’m sorry, but my supervisor said I’m not one of the Chen family’s concubines anymore—I’m a cadre in the Women’s Federation now, and I only have to listen to her from now on.” Lin Zhijin nodded with certainty.

The First Madam was fuming. Lin Zhijin might be pretty, but she was as stubborn as a mule—she couldn’t see past her own nose.

The Second Madam Chen shot her a look, a smirk on her face. Back then, she’d been furious when Lin Zhijin clung to the First Madam, but now, in just a few days, Lin Zhijin had been swept up by those Liberation Army people, didn’t know which way was up—downright foolish.

The First Madam took a deep breath. “You should indeed listen to your supervisor. But that three-courtyard house the master gave you—why are so many people coming and going lately? Are you planning to move there? Didn’t you say you applied for a dormitory?”

“That’s right, that house is the dormitory,” Lin Zhijin said cheerfully and innocently.

“What? That’s the house the master gave you—how could it become a Liberation dormitory?” the Second Concubine asked, stunned.

Lin Zhijin looked at them like they were clueless. “Because I donated it to the state, of course. Besides the house, I also donated the land and the mountain the master gave me—otherwise, how would I have gotten this job?”

Her words were like a drop of water in a hot oil pan—it sizzled and splattered onto everyone present.

“What? You donated the fields, the mountain, and the house?” The First Madam and the others jumped to their feet in shock.

Lin Zhijin nodded, rising as well, and declared passionately, “Yes! You don’t realize how hard things are for our country right now—so many soldiers are fighting without enough to eat. It’s truly heartbreaking. As a Chinese citizen, of course I had to do my small part.”

To the First Madam and the others, it seemed Lin Zhijin had been completely brainwashed by those Liberation people, which was why she’d given all of it away.

“No, the deed is still in my hands,” the First Madam said, holding her head, which was pounding.

“The PLA has taken over all civil and military matters in the southern city—everything from before has to be re-registered. That deed you hold is void now. Didn’t you know, First Madam?” Lin Zhijin blinked her big, innocent eyes.

“You… how could you donate what the master gave you?” The First Madam was so angry she saw black—that was supposed to go to her younger brother.

“Exactly, that’s Chen family property—what right do you have to donate it?” the Second Madam Chen demanded sharply.

Lin Zhijin took a step back, looking startled. “But it was given to me by the master, and it’s in my name. The director said I have the authority to decide.”

“Nonsense! Those are all Chen family possessions,” the Second Madam Chen spat, furious.

Lin Zhijin stared at them, ‘at a loss,’ her face paling. “I… I have things to do—I should go now.”

Before they could snap out of it, she turned and bolted.

Hmph, she’d told them plainly—her things were donated to the state. If they wanted them back, they could ask the state. They’d better not try any tricks on her again.

As for whether the First Madam or Second Master Chen would be furious enough to choke—what did that have to do with her?

Author’s note:

None.