Chapter 36 Great at Compliments

Chapter 36: Really Knows How to Compliment

Lu Yun was genuinely curious.

Chen Qiao said that their neighbor from the communal courtyard who had gotten divorced and moved back home was currently dating someone, and might be getting remarried. The person she was marrying was actually a relative of Chen Qiao's, and Chen Qiao had been hesitant about it these past few days.

Lu Yun: "Is there anything between you and that divorced woman from Chen Qiao's courtyard compound?"

Sun Zhi swore to Lu Yun, a hint of affection in his eyes, "What do you take me for? How could I possibly have anything to do with her? I'm married. If I did something like that as a married man, wouldn't that be cheating?"

Lu Yun wasn't interested in Sun Zhi's bullshit. He didn't seem drunk at all, and even drunk, he shouldn't be saying this stuff.

Sun Zhi: "If I had married you back then, my family wouldn't be in this state now. Why don't you like me? If you married me, I would definitely be a good man!"

Lu Yun: "Cut the act. You're not drunk."

He wasn't completely drunk. He was just using alcohol to numb himself. If he were really drunk, he wouldn't have any sense left.

Sun Zhi: "I'm drunk, I'm really drunk!"

Lu Yun: "Zhao Lan? What are you doing back?"

Sun Zhi: "We're just talking, don't get the wrong idea!"

Sun Zhi didn't see Zhao Lan; instead, he saw Lu Yun smiling at him. Sun Zhi was so angry he pounded the wall. Why was he still so drawn to Lu Yun even now?

Chen Qiao wasn't entirely convinced by what Lu Yun said. Lu Yun took a sip of tea and comforted her, "He didn't sound the least bit guilty saying that. He must have had the idea before but was too scared to go through with it."

Chen Qiao: "Let me think about it."

That relative was someone Chen Qiao usually got along with pretty well.

At noon, the cafeteria made dumplings. It was the winter solstice, and you're supposed to eat dumplings on the winter solstice.

The cafeteria had two kinds of dumpling fillings: pork and napa cabbage, and pork and sour pickled cabbage. Lu Yun got some of both. She tasted them, and maybe because the cafeteria got really good pickled cabbage this year, Lu Yun preferred the pork and sour pickled cabbage ones—they were really tangy and refreshing.

Lu Yun: "If they were dumplings with sour cabbage and crispy pork bits, they'd be even better."

Chen Qiao's mouth was watering just from Lu Yun talking about it. She also wanted to eat sour cabbage and crispy pork dumplings now.

At lunch, Lu Yun managed to eat herself stuffed.

In the office, Lu Yun thought about Zhou Yanze.

She wondered if Zhou Yanze had eaten dumplings for the winter solstice.

Maybe it was fate—Lu Yun saw Zhou Yanze as soon as she got off work. Chen Qiao didn't want to be a third wheel and took off fast.

Lu Yun: "It's the winter solstice today. Did you eat dumplings?"

Zhou Yanze: "No, I didn't. Did you?"

Lu Yun smiled. "Yes, I did. At noon our cafeteria had pork and napa cabbage and pork and sour pickled cabbage, but I prefer dumplings with sour cabbage and crispy pork bits."

Zhou Yanze: "I know a good spot. Want to go?"

Lu Yun: "Sure."

The sour cabbage and crispy pork dumplings were more flavorful and not greasy. The dumpling place also had dumpling soup and vinegar for dipping. They tasted better and were more refined than the cafeteria's.

Lu Yun ate almost a whole plate in one go and was pretty stuffed. She couldn't eat the last few no matter what.

Zhou Yanze ate the rest of Lu Yun's dumplings without batting an eye, smiling at her.

He was already good-looking to begin with, and Lu Yun couldn't help staring at Zhou Yanze. Zhou Yanze's ears turned red, but he refused to look down and gave Lu Yun a shy little smile.

This guy was totally cheating, right?

The two of them went on a date to eat dumplings for the winter solstice. It was cold, and Lu Yun didn't want to hang around outside, so Zhou Yanze walked her back like before.

Zhou Yanze: "It's really close by."

Was it really that close? It wasn't exactly close from the dumpling place, was it?

Lu Yun looked at the alley and thought it was pretty close.

Lu Yun realized she hadn't noticed Sun Zhi outside the alley today—it was Zhou Yanze who noticed. It wasn't until Lu Yun was about to go back that Zhou Yanze reminded her. Lu Yun didn't want to deal with Sun Zhi.

Lu Yun: "Walk me to the entrance of the courtyard compound."

Zhou Yanze smiled. "Alright."

Sun Zhi watched the two of them together—a good-looking couple—and felt even more miserable. Did Lu Yun like him just because of his looks? When he was with Lu Yun, he'd never once seen her smile like that!

Sun Zhi: "How can you be so shallow!"

Lu Yun understood what Sun Zhi meant, and she replied, "I'm just pretty shallow."

Lu Yun didn't care what Sun Zhi thought, and she didn't see anything wrong with being shallow. She liked handsome men and wanted a good life—that was shallow, sure. Who didn't want those things? Didn't Sun Zhi want a good life and like beautiful women?

Zhou Yanze: "That's good."

Lu Yun: "Good?"

Zhou Yanze: "You're really positive about life."

Lu Yun had never thought of it that way—that she was really positive about life. This man really knew how to compliment people. Lu Yun liked it and thought what he said made a lot of sense.

Sun Zhi, on the other hand, wasn't like that. He didn't seem to have a positive attitude toward life at all.

Lu Yun: "What about you? Are you really positive about life too?"

Zhou Yanze thought for a moment. "I'd say I'm pretty positive about life now."

The Lu family had also made dumplings today—the sour cabbage and crispy pork kind that Lu Yun liked. They had saved some for her, but Lu Yun was too full. She tried one when she got home and didn't eat any more.

She could eat them tomorrow. The leftovers would make great pan-fried dumplings.

Sun Zhi was even more miserable. He opened another bottle of alcohol. Why couldn't he let go? A cursed fate—it had to be a cursed fate!

Han Shenzi and Sun Zhi's father called Sun Zhi back inside.

Han Shenzi: "Is that child really yours?"

It wasn't just Sun Zhi who had doubts—Han Shenzi and Sun Zhi's father did too. If they hadn't doubted it, they wouldn't have let Zhao Lan go back to her parents' house alone. After Zhao Lan returned to her family, they hadn't even told Sun Zhi to go to the Zhao family.

Han Shenzi: "The matter of the child can't be taken lightly. If you raise a child your whole life and then find out it's not yours, just thinking about it makes you feel wronged!"

Sun Zhi: "I really don't know."

Aunt Han: "If that's the case, I'll keep an eye on their family these days to see if any man goes to find Zhao Lan. If a man does go to find her, then the child might not be yours, and if it's not your child, we definitely can't raise it! If it's a boy, we'd have to give him a job and help him find a wife and have children later on."

Aunt Han was truly upset, just like Sun Zhi. She scolded Sun's father, "This is the daughter-in-law you found! I'd have been better off finding Sun Zhi a wife in the city myself! Even an ordinary woman would be better than Zhao Lan!"

Sun Zhi was depressed. That was right—even if it wasn't Lu Yun, a plain, average woman would be better than this. Now he was impotent, and on top of that, Zhao Lan was pregnant and he didn't even know if the child was his!

Sun's father stayed silent and didn't say a word. Zhao Lan was the daughter-in-law he had chosen. He had thought the Zhao couple were honest people, but who knew that was all just a facade. He had thought Zhao Lan was virtuous, but who knew that was fake too. This whole family were masters of putting on an act!

In Red Star Commune, everyone said the Zhao family were honest folks and that Zhao's father was a good man. Their reputation was especially good.

Lu Yun got her wish and had the fried dumplings with sauerkraut and pork cracklings in the morning. They were fragrant with oil and had a crispy bottom, though they could get greasy if you ate too many. Fortunately, the family had made mung bean porridge, and eating them with that helped cut the grease.

When she arrived at the office, Chen Qiao asked Lu Yun how the blind date went yesterday.

Lu Yun: "Very well."

Chen Qiao: "Tsk tsk tsk."

Lu Yun wasn't shy and repeated firmly, "Very well."

Of course it was very well. That face was just too good-looking.

Lu Yun was truly satisfied.

Sister He spent the morning not just knitting but also learning a new pattern. She specially knitted one for Lu Yun and gave it to her, but Lu Yun refused to take it for free and paid her.

Lu Yun bought yarn often these days, so she knew the prices and labor costs. The yarn she bought was a bit cheaper, and she paid Sister He market rates, if not a bit more.

Lu Yun whispered to Sister He, "I want thirty of these. I'll bring you the yarn tomorrow."

Sister He's face lit up with joy. "Great, great, great."

Sister He was kicking herself. If she'd known this would happen, she should have gotten on Lu Yun's good side right away when she first joined the office. At the time, she'd just thought Lu Yun was pretty but didn't seem easy to get along with. Who knew she'd end up relying on Lu Yun for money?

Chen Qiao: "Why are you looking at me?"

What for? She must be jealous of how close they'd gotten.

There wasn't much work that morning. Lu Yun wasn't tired, but she'd been sitting too long, so she got up and went for a walk. She'd planned to just walk around once and come back, but she didn't expect to stumble onto some gossip.

Sister Lü was exasperated. "What do you mean 'come to our workshop, I have experience'? What experience do I have?!"

It was the deputy factory director speaking. He looked troubled. "I have no choice. He helped the factory secure orders, and he wants to get his girlfriend a job."

Sister Lü: "Isn't his dad the factory director? Why doesn't he ask his dad to set it up? Even if he helped our factory, if his girlfriend wants to work here, can't she get an office job? Logistics, now that would be great! Do you know how bad I want to transfer to logistics!"

Deputy Factory Director: "His girlfriend's the independent type. We can't even tell her her boyfriend arranged the job."

Sister Lü was so angry she almost laughed. "What is she, some kind of princess?!"

Deputy Factory Director: "Lu Yun's cousin used to work under you, so you have experience. For now, we're putting her under you. But don't treat her like you did Lu Yun's cousin. You have to be nice to her. If she doesn't want to work, she doesn't have to. What matters is the factory's orders. I hope she'll stick around at the factory!"

The deputy factory director reassured Sister Lü, "Don't worry, she won't be in the workshop forever. I hear she's sweet but a bit stubborn, so she's not suited for the workshop either. Once the chance comes up, we'll move her to the office. I'll see if there's a good spot for her."

Lu Yun got back to the office, and Chen Qiao asked, "What took you so long?"

A garment factory, and a girl who's sweet but stubborn?

Lu Yun filled Chen Qiao in on the gossip, and Chen Qiao's reaction was the same as Sister Lü's. "What is she, some kind of princess?"

Who can say?

Lu Yun was very practical. She knew she would never do what that girl did. It wasn't that the girl was wrong, just that they had different personalities.

Author's note:

None