Chapter 83

Second Lieutenant Du walked into the restaurant leisurely, looked at the beer on the table and said with a smile: "You guys are drinking so early in the morning?"

Only then did Zhaoqing dare to raise her head and greet Lieutenant Du, feeling extremely nervous, fearing that the woman opposite would immediately lose her temper and give everyone a cold shoulder. However, Yueming wasn't as impatient as she had expected, and enthusiastically said to Lieutenant Du, "Senior Du, what a coincidence! Have a drink too!" Then, she called to the waiter in English for the cups and cutlery.

Second Lieutenant Du took out two movie tickets from the pocket of his military uniform jacket, placed them on the table, and said with a smile, "You're welcome. Zhaoqing was worried that movie tickets were hard to buy, so she called me to ask for them. I just took some time to deliver the tickets. I have military duties to attend to and cannot drink." Although he said this, he stood motionless by the table.

Yueming glanced at Zhaoqing with a half-smile: "You are so ignorant. Senior is so busy and you still order him around!"

Zhao Qing gave Lieutenant Du a wry smile and said, "Senior, if you're not so busy, why don't you sit down and chat for a while? It's been a while since we last met."

"That's right, that's right," Yueming agreed, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from her Oxford bag and handing it to him. "If you can't drink, it should be okay to smoke a cigarette, right?"

Lieutenant Du and Zhaoqing stared at the cigarette in her hand at the same time, not knowing what to say.

Zhao Qing was the first to break the silence, pointing at her cigarette and scolding her, "Why are you still smoking? What did you learn back home? Your fiancé doesn't care about you either."

Lieutenant Du took off his hat and placed it on the table. He sat down next to Zhaoqing and said to her face to face, "Are you targeting me with this behavior? If you don't want to see me, you can just say so directly. There's no need to use this method."

Yueming smiled innocently and asked in confusion, "It's just a cigarette. Don't you sell cigarettes to women?"

Second Lieutenant Du didn't answer. Of course, his cigarettes were sold to women, too. Even the ladies of Kunming played mahjong, puffing away at a cigarette in one hand while drawing cards. But seeing Yueming, a young woman, leer at him with a cigarette in her mouth, he found it truly difficult to adapt.

Seeing that the two were silent and had complicated expressions, she smiled again and said, "Don't think too much that I've made bad friends in Yunxiang. My future mother-in-law taught me to smoke. If the occasion is right, she will also take me out for a few drinks." With a cigarette in her mouth, she lowered her head and searched for a lighter in her bag. After searching for a while without finding one, she was about to ask Lieutenant Du across from her if he had one when the blue-eyed waiter came over and handed her a light. With the crisp sound of the lighter clicking, a puff of white smoke floated up. Yueming nodded and smiled at the blue-eyed waiter and said, "Thanks."

Seeing her wanton look, Zhao Qing couldn't help but ask, "What kind of in-laws did you find? Your mother-in-law actually lets you smoke?"

Yueming chuckled. "That's nothing! My fiancé even taught me how to gamble! He took me to cockfighting, dog racing, and rooster racing. He took me to every gambling house on the street. If he got into a fight with someone, I'd stand by and help him hold his clothes and cheer him on."

Seeing Zhaoqing's eyes widening, she stopped smiling and said seriously, "Now you know why I'm looking for a country boy? Yunxiang is very tolerant of women's words and deeds, even a little indulgent. Of course, I like him when I'm engaged to him, but besides love, the main reason is that my heart is wilder. I want to enjoy Yunxiang's freedom, but I also covet the convenience and prosperity of Kunming. The young masters in Kunming won't tolerate a girl like me who is so unruly."

Lieutenant Du looked at the girl before him. Her eccentric face, shrouded in a shroud of smoke, revealed a unique charm. She effortlessly switched between elegance and vulgarity, demonstrating to the world that she was free to do as she pleased and cared nothing for their opinions. When I was in a good mood, I would show you my civilized side. When I was in a bad mood, I would scold you, even if the devil came.

But he felt that the girl in front of him was like a bluffing little fox, waving her claws to reject him.

Yueming had previously treated her senior, Lieutenant Du, coldly and indifferently, not wanting to openly antagonize him. After all, she would be returning to Yunxiang soon, and the chances of them meeting again were slim, so why bother going to such lengths to offend him? He was in the military, and what if she needed him for something after she and Yunkai moved back to Kunming? It was better to make a good connection than to have a sour enemy, right?

But this guy was too low-brow. He knew she was engaged but he colluded with Zhaoqing to set up a chance encounter. She didn't want him to see the vicious temper she had developed in Yunxiang, because he was afraid that he would really learn from Ximen Qing and think he was Pan Jinlian.

Looking at the girl in front of him who was deliberately acting arrogant and mean in front of him, Lieutenant Du smiled. She didn't know that men preferred little foxes, especially this little fox who was very good-looking.

He didn't actually have any evil intentions. Putting aside her engagement, her father was no pushover. The civil war was raging, and the Yunnan Army, unloved by their grandmothers and uncles, wasn't getting the chance to be rewarded for their service, so they were the first choice for cannon fodder. His father was only a doctor, yet he thrived in Kunming. The inside story was obvious. Where he spent most of his earnings was a well-known secret in Kunming. If he dared to act rashly, his rank would likely be torn off the next day.

He had once admired this girl, but she was naive and ignorant. When they met again, he would marry someone else. He had regrets, but since he had decided to join the army, he was ready to die for his country. Now, he just wanted to stay with the girl he loved, to do a little for her, to please her, like any other suitor. He liked her, and even liked the way she was trying to scare him off. So, he didn't care about her attitude, because he wasn't looking for a result.

He put on his hat, stood up, straightened his clothes and said to Yueming, "Camel cigarettes are too strong and not suitable for girls. When I go back, I will ask my family what kind of cigarettes are suitable for girls and bring a few packs to your home." His tone was calm and casual, as if his own cigarette factory was like a grocery store.

When Yueming heard he was going to send cigarettes to her house, she was so frightened that she almost dropped the cigarette in her hand. If he really did send it, not to mention what her father would look like, Liu Ma would be the first to jump out and twist her ears.

She forced a smile and said, "That's not necessary. I don't smoke often, so I won't bother Senior Du."

Lieutenant Du took out a lighter from his jacket pocket and handed it to her: "This one is windproof. I'm giving it to you."

Yueming looked at the lighter in his hand, the silver shell of which was engraved with Zippo. She was a little confused about his tactics and said calmly, "I have my own lighter."

Lieutenant Du placed the lighter on the table and said with a smile, "Nothing special, it's just a wedding present from you, senior."

Without waiting for Yueming to refuse again, he turned and left. Looking out the window at the cloud of dust rising from the military jeep, Yueming turned to look at Zhaoqing, who was watching the show with great interest, and asked sarcastically, "Wang Po, are the sausages delicious?"

Seeing that she didn't seem genuinely angry, Zhao Qing said with a smile, "It tastes pretty good."

Seeing her fearless smile, Yueming threatened her, half-truthfully, "From now on, I'm going to attack, insult, and ridicule you wholeheartedly. I hope you can remain as calm as I was just now. This way, our friendship can continue, okay?"

Zhaoqing...

Yueming was worried that Lieutenant Du would actually send cigarettes to her home, and she was worried about returning the lighter to him. However, she didn't wait for Lieutenant Du, but instead received good news from Master Wei Wu.

A villa with front and back gardens by the lake. The owner, feeling the domestic situation was deteriorating, wanted to sell all their assets to support their son in France. They were eager to sell it, and the asking price was not high: 150,000 yuan.

Having a ready-made house certainly saved a lot of trouble compared to just buying a piece of land. Yueming went with Wei Wuye to see the house and was very satisfied. But she refused to buy it in front of the owner. She thought to herself that although the price was not expensive, since she was in a hurry to leave, she would definitely bargain down.

On the way back, she thanked Wei Wuye and said, "Uncle, you've really taken the trouble. I like this house, but I'd still like to trouble you to negotiate with the owner. Since they're going to France, I'll offer 35,000 francs in cash, saving them the trouble of exchanging money at the bank and the bank fees."

Wei Wuye thought for a moment and decided to bargain for 10,000 yuan according to the exchange rate. However, foreign currencies have been tightening in recent years and exchange has been difficult. It would save a lot of trouble if she paid directly in francs.

Master Wei Wu helped negotiate, and when the owner heard Yueming could give them francs directly, he immediately agreed. They couldn't take 150,000 yuan with them, and the bank wouldn't exchange it for so many francs. Going to the black market would only result in even greater losses.

After the terms were agreed upon, Yueming called and invited Mr. Luo to come out for a meeting, and asked to exchange 30,000 francs.

Young Master Luo Er nearly spit out his coffee, covering his mouth with a handkerchief and laughing horribly, "Sister-in-law, are you asking for such a large sum of money to dump Yun Er and go to France for a carefree life? Uh, can you take me with you?"

Yueming rolled her eyes at him and said, "Be careful or I'll tell him you teased me and have him break your legs."

Remembering Yun Kai's vicious elbow during the fight in England, Second Young Master Luo stopped joking and said seriously, "Such a large sum of money is not something that just any bank can provide you."

Yueming smiled and said, "That's why I came to you. My father helped you get into Kunming. It's time for you to return the favor."

Her directness confused Second Young Master Luo, who said somewhat awkwardly, "I'll have to send a telegram back to ask. This is not a small amount. Your government is very strict. If we are caught with such a large amount of foreign exchange inflow and outflow, it will be difficult to deal with us."

Yueming chuckled and said, "Don't worry, I don't intend to take advantage of you. I will trade with gold, not silver."

Hearing that they wanted gold instead of silver, Young Master Luo became cheerful. "Sister-in-law, you're slapping me in the face. Given my friendship with Yun Er, I'd have given you the exchange even if you used silver! But I can't make the decision at home. Even if I wanted to help you, I couldn't do anything without my father's approval. Since you're really in urgent need of money, I'll make my own decision for once."

What a sweet talker!

Looking at the sincere smile on Mr. Luo's face, Yueming sneered, "Now that we've discussed the money, it's time to talk about love."

"Love?" Young Master Luo pretended to be surprised. "Are you really going to take me to France?"

Yueming almost jumped up and hit him with the ashtray, but she suppressed the urge to hit him and said coldly, "You really have never been beaten by Ayun, right? I'm talking about my classmate Xu Zhaoqing."

Mr. Luo pretended to be confused and said, "What's going on between Miss Xu and me? We are just ordinary friends."

Yueming placed the coffee heavily on the saucer and warned him with narrowed eyes, "Ordinary friends! You can French kiss an ordinary friend? You've played around quite a bit! I'm warning you, kissing is fine, but if you dare to lead her into doing anything else, I guarantee you won't be able to leave Kunming."

Mr. Luo Er...this little cutie's harsh words are not scary at all. He even wants to rub her head.

Yueming had her own account, and Lan Yingde was often away from home, so the household expenses were all given to Yueming for her to manage. But Yueming felt it was best not to hide the use of such a large sum of gold from her father. It was impossible to hide it; Lan Yingde would surely know the next day as soon as she went to transfer the funds. She decided to tell her father everything that night.

When they got home, Ye Hu told her that there was a telegram from Meng Ning. Yue Ming was very happy, thinking it must be from Yun Kai.

She calculated the day Yunkai would come back and wrote him a letter, telling him that she had returned to Kunming. She also picked out some interesting things to tell him, and at the end she expressed her deep longing for him and her regret that she could not come to Kunming with him. It took up three full pages.

She returned to her room holding the thin telegram paper, wondering what he would say to her.

I closed the door and sat at the table, excitedly opened the telegram, and there was only one word on it: "Pooh"

Yueming stared at the word "Pooh" in disbelief, which seemed to be spitting everywhere. She read the telegram over and over again without giving up, but there was still only one word.

She angrily threw the telegram on the table and secretly cursed Yunkai for being boring and sending a telegram just to scold her.

She was really at a disadvantage. She wrote a three-page letter, and he just replied with a "Pah"? She suddenly didn't want to buy the house anymore.

In the evening, Lan Yingde returned home and Yueming told him about buying a house. Lan Yingde listened to her talk about the reasons and the whole process of buying a house. He was stunned for a long time. After a long silence, he sighed and said, "How can you be so decisive? You didn't even discuss it with me beforehand. Fifth Master is just being ridiculous. How could a child like you do this for you without telling me?"

Yueming said calmly, "This is easier because I'm young. If you say the location is bad or the price is too high, you can't say anything because Fifth Master has put in so much effort. But it's different with me. If you're not satisfied, you can just say I'm a child and refuse the deal."

Lan Yingde looked at her: "Have you thought about how to persuade Yun Kai? He may not be happy with your arrangement."

Yueming smiled. "You don't even need me to push you too far. Didn't you already make all the arrangements? He's back in the world of pleasure, so there's no way Yun Xiang can keep him. You bought the rubber plantation and the sugar factory, but are they just decorations? Sooner or later, our family will all leave."

Lan Yingde sighed: "You don't have to buy it in Kunming!"

"It's better to be prepared. You've been doing business in Kunming for half your life, and our family has made friends with so many powerful people there. No matter how things go, Kunming is our last resort. Take advantage of the panic now and grab a bargain. Even if we suffer a loss, this little money won't be a big loss for our family."

Listening to her clear analysis, with clear plans for the future and the future, Lan Yingde said with relief: "My Yueming has really grown up."

The house purchase went much more smoothly thanks to Lan Yingde's intervention; payment and the exchange of deeds took only a day. Since Yueming was determined to buy, he didn't bother to look at the house. Having seen so many Western-style buildings and mansions, even lived in a Tusi residence, he was confident Yueming wouldn't spend 30,000 francs on a shabby house.

The landlord had some property that had not been dealt with and could not move out for the time being. He discussed with Lan Yingde about getting a grace period for moving, but they were not living there for free and could pay rent.

Lan Yingde gently said that everything should be based on their convenience, so they didn't have to pay rent. When they were about to leave, they just had to tell the servants at Lan's house on Zhuji Street, and they would go to collect the house.

When Liu Ma learned that Yueming had bought a new house and was planning to move in with her son-in-law, she was overjoyed. She cooked for Yueming the potato and ham gongguo rice she had longed for, and also bought some pickled eggplant and fish to go with the rice.

Yueming grumbled as she ate, "I've been asking for potato and ham rice for days, but you're only making it for me when I'm leaving. Are you tired of me? I'm leaving so you can be happy and grant me whatever I ask for."

Aunt Liu gave her a chopstickful of pickled eggplant and scolded her, "What nonsense are you talking about? How did I bother you? This potato rice tastes better with pickled fish. As soon as you asked for it, I went to ask Xiao Yuxi every day. Other places have more rice and noodles in their pickled fish than vegetables, so it tastes rough. I'll make it for you as soon as their new pickled fish jar is opened."

Liu Ma even fried the pickled fish she bought with rapeseed oil, making it incredibly fragrant. Yueming chewed it while snorting, "You're just annoying me, huh! If you annoy me, I'll be annoying you too. If you treat me badly, I won't come back. I'll live in the big house by the lake by myself, and I won't take you with me."

Ye Hu and Ai Ye watched in amazement as Yue Ming and Liu Ma were playing tricks on them. Liu Ma was not angry at all. Instead, she hugged her heart and coaxed her.

Lan Yingde was already accustomed to this and ate his meal calmly.

Departure was inevitable. The day we left Kunming, the weather was beautiful, the sky incredibly blue. The car we took back was quite spacious: a military vehicle and a private car, not as crowded as the way we came. But we had bought so much stuff that both cars were completely packed.

Lan Yingde asked the military vehicle to drive slower, as he had not driven for many years and was a little rusty.

The car started slowly. Yueming looked at Aunt Liu, who was standing at the gate, waving goodbye to her. She was wearing a blue coat, and she hadn't had time to untie the apron she had been wearing while cooking for her. She stuck her head out and waved vigorously at Aunt Liu, "You must take good care of yourself. Don't go far away to buy groceries just to save money. I'll be back soon, and I'll pick you up to live in the big house by the lake."

Aunt Liu clutched her sleeves to wipe her tears, and Yueming couldn't help but burst into tears.

She leaned on Lan Yingde's shoulder and choked up, "Dad, it's so sad to say goodbye."

Lan Yingde comforted her: "Didn't you say we would be back soon?"