1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 8 Ambiguous glances
"Zhang Dafeng's boyfriend is really blind."

My cousin was still furious and complained indignantly, "He's a provincial government official, yet he can't tell the difference between good and bad people, and he actually fell for her."

"You can know a person's face but not their heart."

Lin Xiyu wholeheartedly agreed, saying, "Some people may appear glamorous on the surface, but they are actually rotten to the core."

"You're absolutely right."

My cousin deliberately raised her voice and shouted towards the west room: "Marrying a woman like this, who is two-faced, will only bring unrest to the household. Whoever marries her will be unlucky."

His shout was so loud that everyone in the courtyard could hear it.

"Liu Lei, what are you saying?"

Zhang Dafeng stormed out of the house in a rage, pointing her finger at her nose and yelling, "If you dare say that again, I'll tear your mouth apart!"

"Come on, tear it!"

My cousin was just in the mood for this, and she quickly rolled up her sleeves, ready to fight.

"Dafeng, that's enough, stop making a scene?"

Zhang Dafeng's older brother's right eyelid twitched, and he chased after her, repeatedly giving her meaningful glances and pulling her back.

Inside the room, her boyfriend also looked unwell, his eyes lowered and he remained silent, lost in thought.

Zhang Dafeng was frightened and dared not throw another tantrum, letting her older brother pull her back.

"Tch~~, if you're so tough, don't be a coward!"

My cousin, having missed her chance to shine again, spat towards the west room, utterly frustrated.

"You two, stop standing under the tree."

Fearing she would cause more trouble, her aunt called out through the curtain of the west room, "Everyone outside, go watch the phone booth for your aunt."

"okay."

Lin Xiyu obediently agreed and pulled her cousin away in a flash.

-

Half an hour later, the negotiations between the two families finally came to an end.

The Zhang family agreed to compensate the aunt with a new clay pot and an additional 10 yuan for medical expenses.

Zhang Dafeng's boyfriend left with a dark face, as if someone owed him a hundred dollars.

"Pah, finally gone." My cousin spat in the phone booth, clapped her hands in celebration, and respectfully sent off the plague god.

"This person doesn't seem to have a good temper."

Lin Xiyu was a little worried: "If we offend him, will he retaliate against us later?"

"What are you afraid of?"

My cousin rolled up her sleeves, revealing her fierce side: "These days, the tough are afraid of the stubborn, and the stubborn are afraid of the reckless. What are we poor folks afraid of? At worst, we'll fight him to the death."

"Who are we going to fight to the death with?"

A mocking laugh came from outside the phone booth, startling her.

"Gu Bin, what brings you here?"

Lin Xiyu was both surprised and delighted to hear the sound. She pushed open the door and, sure enough, saw a familiar figure riding a bicycle.

Gu Bin was still wearing his school uniform, a white short-sleeved T-shirt paired with dark blue loose-fitting sweatpants, looking exceptionally refreshing and pleasing to the eye.

"Why am I here?"

Gu Bin braced himself on one leg, leaned forward, and gave her a sharp rap on the head: "We agreed to contact each other by phone, but no one has answered. I've called more than a dozen times and still can't get through."

"Uh."

Lin Xiyu was embarrassed and covered her forehead, explaining with an awkward smile, "I'm sorry, something came up at home, and there was no one in the pavilion at noon."

"What happened?"

Gu Bin glanced in the direction Zhang Dafeng's boyfriend had left, lost in thought.

"this one"

Lin Xiyu stammered, too embarrassed to speak.

"Xi Yu, who is he?"

My cousin peeked out from under the door, her suggestive eyes constantly glancing at the two of them.

"classmate."

Lin Xiyu seized the opportunity to change the subject: "We're in the same class. He probably came to see me about the documentary."

(End of this chapter)