Sisi brought gifts for both Zhong Juying and Zhong iying. Zhong Juying had grown into a slender and graceful young lady, still shy and timid, blushing whenever she saw soone.
Zhong iying, on the other hand, was quite outgoing. Her looks didn’t have the delicate beauty of Zhong Juying’s, but her cheerful and generous personality, coupled with a tall, good figure, also made her a pretty girl.
After graduating from high school, Zhong iying started teaching at Luoling Primary School, which was considered a very respectable job for a girl, but she herself didn’t like it much. She always wanted to go out and see the world.
The three childhood friends reunited, everyone was very happy. Sisi gave them the gifts she brought, a pink crystal bracelet for each. It wasn’t anything too expensive, but it was very suitable for girls to wear.
Both Zhong Juying and Zhong iying loved the bracelets and imdiately put them on their wrists.
"Thank you, Sisi, this bracelet is really beautiful, it must have cost quite a bit of money, right?" asked Zhong iying.
"It’s nothing, they are made of crystal, not particularly precious. Pink crystal bracelets are very suitable for girls, they’re good for attracting romance," Sisi joked.
Zhong Juying’s face turned red at once, but Zhong iying didn’t mind at all, and tickled Sisi while saying, "I’m not in a hurry, but Juying might have soone in mind."
Sisi perked up, "Who is it? Do I know him?"
Zhong Juying, her face flushed, covered Zhong iying’s mouth with her hand. Zhong iying dodged and laughed, "It’s Jin Duofu, the snot-nosed kid you used to share a desk with back in the day! I’ve seen Jin Duofu co to bring things to Juying several tis."
Zhong Juying, both shy and anxious, kept shaking her head in denial, "Don’t listen to iying, Sisi, there’s no such thing."
Sisi smiled slyly, thinking to herself that she was clearly denying it too much and it must be true. She couldn’t believe that Zhong Juying could end up with Jin Duofu, and laughed at the mory of that boy always sniffing up his snot.
"Does Jin Duofu still eat his snot? If he still does, Juying, you can’t marry him!"
Zhong iying laughed too, "That’s long gone, he’s now a fine-looking young man, working a tractor in the village, and he’s very capable."
"That’s great, it’s good to be capable, Juying won’t have a hard life later on," Sisi said like a wise old person. It sounded as if she were sending off her own daughter to marriage, which made Zhong Juying laugh, and she no longer kept it a secret.
"We’re just starting out, Duofu is a good person, and he treats quite well, but I haven’t agreed to him yet."
"Why haven’t you agreed?" Sisi and Zhong iying asked simultaneously.
Zhong Juying’s face clouded with worry, and she spoke softly, "Duofu’s Mama wants soone with high status. My Sister said that his Mama openly stated in the village that she expects her future daughter-in-law to co from a good family background, with good conditions, good looks, and also to be generous and capable. I don’t et his Mama’s requirents."
"She’s acting as if she’s the Emperor choosing a bride? Juying, your family’s condition is even better than Jin Duofu’s, what requirent could you possibly not et?" Zhong iying scoffed.
Zhong iying’s words were not wrong, after Zhong Juying’s father had recovered his health, he and her brother Zhong Shouliang started a furniture business that was so busy they could barely keep up. Their standard of living had improved by leaps and bounds, and they had already beco one of the rich families in the village.
"My family is considered to be middle farrs," Zhong Juying said with a hint of self-deprecation.
"Juying, why do you still care about this ’rich farr’ label? The Central authorities have already issued docunts to remove these labels from everyone. There’s no longer any differentiation between rich and middle farrs; now everyone is equal. You shouldn’t always feel inferior to others," Sisi couldn’t help but advise.
She also rembered the probing eyes of Jin Duofu’s Mama when she ca to their house, which indeed didn’t seem benevolent. She seed rather opportunistic—having such a mother-in-law must be exhausting, right? Especially since Zhong Juying has such a soft and pliable personality.
"Yeah, that Jin Duofu’s Mama is really annoying, treating her son like a treasure. Juying, it’s better not to marry into such a family to avoid future troubles," Zhong iying directly advised Zhong Juying to break up with Jin Duofu.
However, Zhong Juying’s face showed reluctance, it seed her feelings for Jin Duofu were quite deep. After pondering for a mont, Sisi asked:
"Juying, does Jin Duofu usually listen to his Mama? If Jin Duofu is a son who is extrely obedient, following his Mama’s every whim, I think it’s better to suffer the short pain than the long pain. You should listen to iying and find soone better!"
"Yeah, Juying, Sisi is right. If Jin Duofu is that kind of obedient son, once you actually marry him, he will definitely side with his own Mama. You’ll be miserable by then. Think about it carefully," Zhong iying added.
Zhong Juying nodded solemnly; the two in front of her were her best friends, and she also knew that these were words only true friends would say. She had to seriously consider her marriage.
Seeing her friend heeding the advice, Zhong iying was very happy and shifted the conversation to another topic.
"Sisi, do you know, Gao Hongi got married. She married to Baita Town last year. The guy is a soldier, dark and strong. He really matches Gao Hongi. When they stand together at night, you can’t distinguish one from the other. But I think that guy is not too bright."
"How do you know he’s not bright? You haven’t even talked to him," Zhong Juying couldn’t help retorting.
"Would a bright person fall for Gao Hongi?" Zhong iying gave her a look.
Sisi snorted with laughter, and Zhong Juying couldn’t hold back her laughter either. Zhong iying continued to speak seriously.
"You guys have no idea, ever since Gao Hongi married that soldier, she’s been acting so high and mighty. When she sees us, she looks skyward, always bragging about how well her Ah Mu is performing in the army, and that he’s about to get a promotion soon. Pfft, as if we don’t know that her man has been a soldier for four years and is still at square one!"
"He’s been a soldier for four years and hasn’t made a na for himself?" Sisi was surprised. It shouldn’t be that bad, right? Even a snail would have traveled so distance by now.
"Yeah, he’s going to be discharged next year, and he didn’t even manage to switch to a civil position. He’ll co back and farm just like the rest of us. What’s there to be so smug about?" Zhong iying looked disdainful.
"What happened? How did Gao Hongi offend you?" Sisi was amused. By nature, Zhong iying wasn’t the type to gossip about others.
"You guys don’t know how annoying Gao Hongi’s Mama is. She’s always going around the village saying I’m too picky, and that I’ll end up an old maid soon. She also said that I could never have the good fortune that Gao Hongi had, finding such a good son-in-law. Pfft, you think I wouldn’t be mad?"
Zhong iying was really irate when talking about Gao Hongi; she rattled on and cursed Gao Hongi’s family until she was finally calm.
Sisi shook her head; this family was indeed unusual. But it’s just marrying a soldier, is that really necessary to arouse so much enmity?
"Forget it, don’t get angry over such people. iying, you’ll definitely marry soone a hundred tis better than Gao Hongi, and that will drive her mad," Sisi consoled her.
"Of course, even if I choose blindly, I’ll end up with soone better than that block of wood. I’m only nineteen years old now, what’s the rush," Zhong iying said, as if it were only to be expected.
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