Chapter 90
◎ The rain was getting heavier, with raindrops as big as soybeans falling from the foggy sky.
The rain was getting heavier, with soybean-sized raindrops falling from the foggy sky, and dirty water splashing onto the steps in front of the cafe.
Bei Bitang asked Feng Guangmei to wait at the door while she drove over and took her home.
Feng Guangmei just opened her mouth to say that she was going over when she heard someone shout, "Sister-in-law!"
A yellow Santana slowly drove over, the driver's window rolled down, and a young man stuck his head out and shouted to Feng Guangmei.
When she met Xie Weiran, Feng Guangmei's face lit up with joy. Xie Weiran must have gone to check the shop and then drove home.
Now Bei Bitang didn't have to take a long detour to send her home. In fact, she could have taken a taxi back, but Bei Bitang refused.
Feng Guangmei's guess was correct. Xie Weiran spoke up the next second, "Sister-in-law, Brother Weisheng asked me to pick you up."
Zhong Weisheng didn't dare to disturb his wife from reminiscing about the past with her good friend, but he was also afraid that Feng Guangmei would be reluctant to take a taxi and go home in the rain.
Recently, Feng Guangmei has been thinking about the family account book, and feels that the couple's savings are too little.
He thought of riding a bicycle to pick someone up, and it just so happened that his neighbor and childhood friend was going out to check out his own store, so he asked him to pick up Feng Guangmei and take her home.
Xie Weiran opened the car door, held up a large black umbrella, and strode towards Feng Guangmei.
Suddenly he stopped in his tracks, with a dazed look on his face, as if someone had pointed a finger at him.
The rain was so heavy that Xie Weiran couldn't see clearly just now. Now that he walked a little closer, he saw Bei Bitang standing beside him.
She has a tall and slender figure, a face like the bright moon, gentle and proud, and she is so radiant.
Seeing Xie Weiran staring at someone with his soul out of his body, Feng Guangmei turned around to glance at Bei Bitang, who had a calm expression, raised her voice, and said jokingly, "Hey! There's a silly boy staring blankly!"
Xie Weiran came to his senses, his face flushed all the way to the back of his ears. He smiled at Bei Bitang embarrassedly.
Bei Bitang saw that this man had a very good appearance, was handsome and extraordinary, had a neat flat head, and when he smiled, two dimples appeared. It was obvious at a glance that he was a cheerful and cheerful person.
Bei Bitang suddenly smiled.
The umbrella in Xie Weiran's hand tilted and almost fell to the ground.
Feng Guangmei burst into laughter, and Bei Bitang also turned her head slightly, trying hard to suppress the smile on her face.
After Feng Guangmei had finished laughing, she jokingly said to Xie Weiran, "Aren't you here to pick me up? Why are you constantly looking at other people?"
Xie Weiran scratched his head, held the umbrella over Feng Guangmei's head, and urged, "Sister-in-law, let's go. Brother Weisheng is still waiting for you at home."
He didn't dare look at Bei Bitang again. If he didn't leave, he would make a fool of himself again.
Feng Guangmei glared at him and said maliciously, "Let's go."
This silly boy, why doesn’t he have his usual cleverness?
Xie Weiran suddenly had an idea and turned to face Bei Bitang. He lowered his head slightly and asked softly, "Comrade, where are you going? Let me take you there."
Bei Bitang shook her head and smiled, then said softly, "You can send Guangmei back. Be careful on the road and stay safe."
The voice was as clear as spring water and the words were so gentle that Xie Weiran's heart was captured instantly.
He nodded blankly.
The yellow Santana disappeared from Bei Bitang's sight like a dissipating rainbow. She opened her bamboo umbrella and walked towards her car.
"Still watching?" Feng Guangmei, who was sitting in the back seat, joked.
Xie Weiran felt poked by someone and hurriedly looked away from the rearview mirror.
Feng Guangmei raised her eyebrows and smiled, then fell silent. She leisurely picked up the clothing magazine on the seat and read it, waiting for Xie Weiran to ask.
In less than a minute, Xie Weiran couldn't hold back any longer and said with a licked face, "Sister Guangmei, who is that?"
Feng Guangmei put the magazine down heavily and said something off topic: "Oh, you're not calling me sister-in-law anymore, you're calling me sister?"
Not getting the information he wanted, Xie Weiran, a 1.80-meter-tall man, was resilient and pleaded pitifully, "Sister Guangmei, please be kind and tell me who she is. From now on, I'll call you sister. In my heart, Brother Weisheng comes second to you. I'm just your hardworking little brother."
Feng Guangmei covered her mouth and smiled, then suddenly said seriously, "She is my good friend. She just came back from Germany. My friendship with her is just as deep as yours with Wei Sheng."
Xie Weiran's eyes widened, and he said immediately, "She is that Bei Bitang!"
After dating Zhong Weisheng, Feng Guangmei mentioned Bei Bitang in front of him frequently. As one of the military advisors, Xie Weiran certainly knew this person.
Feng Guangmei raised her eyebrows and asked, "How is it? Do you still want to get to know each other?"
The reason why Feng Guangmei asked this was because of Kong Baoer's matter.
Three years after Kong Baoer gave birth to her son, her marriage life gradually became dull, and Li Jieqi had to return to Hong Kong every two months.
Kong Baoer stayed in Shanghai to take care of the children, while Li Jieqi was like a bird out of a cage, running straight towards the group of beautiful women. He finally got a girlfriend.
The truth was revealed only when a young Cantonese-speaking girl came to his door.
Kong Baoer only asked Li Jieqi if it was true. Seeing Li Jieqi's guilty face, she divorced him without hesitation, ignoring Li Jieqi's kneeling plea and other people's persuasion.
The son belonged to her, Li Jieqi paid the son's alimony in one lump sum, and also divided the common property during the marriage.
The marital house was given to Kong Baoer, but she thought it was unlucky. After the divorce, she took her son back to live with her parents and asked her son to change his surname.
For a time, the alley was full of rumors, and everyone was laughing at Kong Baoer. A flamboyant divorced woman was kicked out of the house, and her ex-in-laws didn't even want her grandson.
Feng Guangmei was furious, and of course she had to stand up for her good friend. Standing under the scorching sun, she shouted at the top of her voice, "What's so rare about men?! Men in the alleys earn only fifty or sixty yuan a month, and they can't even support their families, and their wives have to go to work to earn money! If Sister Baoer wanted to, she could hire a hundred strong, good-looking young men! Twelve hours out of a twenty-four-hour day belong to Sister Baoer! What if a man could be turned into silver, or even gold?"
Feng Guangmei kept making indirect accusations and no one had anything to refute her.
And if you think about it, yes. What's there to be pitied about Kong Baoer? She lives in a big house, drives a car, and her parents help take care of their son, treating her like a child. She has two nannies to serve her, and even someone carries her bag when she goes shopping.
After Kong Baoer moved back, she bought all the houses on her floor, connected them up and renovated them, providing everything for daily living, including a driver and a nanny.
We didn't move out of the Shikumen until our son was about to go to school.
When Feng Guangmei got married, she was even more bold and asked Kong Baoer to be her bridesmaid.
Kong Baoer did not refuse Feng Guangmei's kindness. When preparing for the wedding, she invited Feng Guangmei to visit the beauty salon and also went to Hong Kong for a full body treatment. The two of them beautifully served as bride and bridesmaid.
Once she became a bridesmaid, Kong Baoer met a new love interest, although she thought it was a bad one at first.
Zhong Weisheng invited two groomsmen, both of whom were his neighbors and playmates. In addition to Xie Weiran, there was also one named Qian Zizai.
When Qian Zizai came to pick up the bride, he was just like Xie Weiran today.
After a casual glance at Kong Baoer, Qian Zizai immediately fell in love with her, and from then on he pursued Kong Baoer relentlessly.
Every day off, he returned to the city from the military area in the suburbs and acted like a good uncle to Kong Baoer's son. But Kong Baoer treated him like a piece of dog-skin plaster that could not be thrown away. In the past year, his attitude has softened somewhat.
Xie Weiran watched Qian Zizai's pursuit of Kong Baoer, and was very glad that he did not fall in love with Kong Baoer at the wedding, otherwise he would have been the one suffering for so many years.
As soon as he said this, he was punched on the shoulder by his good friend Qian Ziyi.
He recalled the scene when Zhong Weisheng was chasing Feng Guangmei, and sighed, saying that the alley where Feng Guangmei lived was really a place of outstanding people and talent, and each one was harder to chase than the other. He would avoid that area in the future, and he didn't want to fall like them.
These words were also said in front of Feng Guangmei.
When Feng Guangmei asked this, Xie Weiran suddenly remembered the big talk he had said, and he really wanted to slap himself.
Xie Weiran smiled awkwardly, raised his brows, and said loudly, "I said the wrong thing back then. I hope you won't hold it against a mean person like me! If I don't meet this Miss Bei Bitang, I won't be able to sleep tonight."
Feng Guangmei snorted coldly and said, "She's harder to pursue than Baoer. Have you thought about it?"
Xie Weiran smiled confidently and said, "How do you know if you don't try? Even if you can't catch her, making friends is good."
Feng Guangmei smiled without saying anything, staring at the back of Xie Wei's head.
Xie Weiran coughed lightly and said flatteringly, "Sister Guangmei, you know everything about my personal and family situation. Am I worthy of being your friend?"
Feng Guangmei looked around the interior of the car and said in a cold tone, "You drive a Santana, but Bitang drives an Audi, the one that costs over 500,000 yuan."
Xie Weiran was startled, then said with a determined look, "Then I'll have to work hard and try to get a new car by the end of this year."
Although Feng Guangmei was eager to make a move and felt that Xie Weiran was just barely a good match for Bei Bitang, she had to first test Bei Bitang's willingness to have a boyfriend before deciding whether to introduce them to each other.
So from then on, no matter how Xie Weiran joked around, she kept her mouth shut tightly.
Bei Bitang's boss Dave and his wife Anne are both lively and sociable people.
Bei Bitang had just signed an employment contract with Hu Fener and moved into the export apartment with her daughter and Hu Fener. Two days later, she was going to attend a dance party hosted by Dave in the name of introducing her.
The dance was held in the private house purchased by Dave. Bei Bitang went home to have dinner with her daughter first, and then arrived at the scene at seven o'clock in the evening.
In the spacious and elegant European-style living room, there is an empty space in the middle, which is used as a dance floor. On both sides are two long tables covered with dark red velvet tablecloths.
On one side are freshly baked cookies, desserts, ham and fruits, and on the other side are juice, soda, beer, champagne, brandy, whiskey...
There are several large white flower balls hanging on the walls around. Outside the hall, in the front and back gardens, and beside the windows, there are many temporary flower stands with small pots of flowers on them.
White orchids, pink roses, yellow sunflowers, lavender sunflowers...they are fragrant, fresh and elegant, and there are too many varieties to count.
The huge crystal chandelier was sparkling, and the invited band sat in a corner, set up their instruments and played live.
He was dressed in a tuxedo and his waiter was dragging a silver tray, moving nimbly among the elegantly dressed guests.
As soon as Bei Bitang entered the door, she kissed Anne, who was wearing a bright red low-cut fishtail dress, on the cheek, shook hands with Dave, then took a glass of orange juice from the waiter, took a sip, and then walked to stand under a Roman column.
Bei Bitang was not alone. Although Anne and Dave were welcoming guests at the door, other senior executives of the company, when they saw Bei Bitang, came over to chat with her like cats smelling fish.
Bei Bitang had a faint smile on her face as she drank juice and chatted with them.
After a while, everyone arrived and the host of the night walked in. Everyone fell silent at the same time.
Anne and Dave gave a few brief opening remarks before signaling the orchestra to begin playing.
Everyone dispersed in all directions, looking for their own dance partners. Bei Bitang accepted the invitation of a single man nearby, took his hand, and slid into the center of the dance floor.
Dave and his wife Anne danced a song first, then Dave reached out his hand to Bei Bitang. Bei Bitang smiled at Anne naturally, then put her hand on Dave's shoulder.
At the outermost edge of the dance floor, Xu Zeli said this with a cheerful face to the beautiful female companion he had just started chatting with, while he subconsciously glanced at the people around him.
Xu Zeli had gone to great lengths to get the admission ticket to tonight's ball from a playboy.
What do those young men who only know how to spend money know? Even when they come to such an important social occasion, they can only pick up women. They are just born with good luck. Sooner or later, he will step on them under his feet.
Xu Zeli felt indignant and arrogant.
Suddenly, Xu Zeli's gaze paused and fell on Bei Bitang, who was standing in the middle of the crowd and was surrounded by many people.
"What's going on?!" the dance partner complained angrily, and Xu Zeli almost stepped on her foot.
Xu Zeli quickly turned around to deal with the current situation.
He put on a gentle face and said in a gentle voice, "I'm sorry, I was just too engrossed in my work."
It was obvious that this dance partner was not someone who could be easily flattered. She rolled her eyes, let go of Xu Zeli's hand, and said arrogantly, "I won't dance with you anymore! If your dancing skills are poor, just practice more! What excuses are you making?"
The dance partner turned and left. Xu Zeli's face turned cold behind him and his eyes looked towards the center again. He was in a hurry to figure out something, so finding another dance partner was not so important.
Xu Zeli left the dance floor and stood in a place with a wide view, staring at Bei Bitang.
He rubbed his eyes vigorously several times to make sure that he had not recognized the wrong person. That person was indeed Bei Bitang.
The outline is still the same, but Bei Bitang's temperament has changed drastically.
She was wearing a three-dimensional Hepburn little black dress, with a princess bun that didn't look out of place at all. A small pearl necklace with three circles around her neck, the pearls were shiny and made her neck look even more slender and fair.
Xu Zeli couldn't help licking his lips. Suddenly, he felt his mouth was a little dry, so he drank a big gulp of whiskey.
He raised his foot to walk towards Bei Bitang, then hesitated and turned to walk towards the bathroom on the first floor.
Xu Zeli stood in front of the bathroom mirror, adjusted his tie, wet his hands, and wiped them on his head to make his hair smoother and blacker.
Looking at myself in the mirror, dressed in a suit and with shiny hair, I felt satisfied and left the bathroom.
Xu Zeli took a deep breath of the fragrance in the living room, his face full of confidence, his chin slightly raised.
But the next second, he became timid. He noticed with his sharp eyes that those who were clinking glasses with Bei Bitang put their glasses down.
What does this mean? It means that Bei Bitang was able to stand in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by everyone, not as a beautiful vase or someone's female companion, but because of her own ability.
Xu Zeli gritted his teeth, his face embarrassed. If he walked by, there would be so many people around that Bei Bitang wouldn't be able to see him, a small character, and he would have no way to end the situation.
Xu Zeli had no choice but to stand aside and wait for an opportunity.
A black veil covered the moon, and a few faint stars hung in the night sky. On the large terrace, through the colored glass door, the sounds of laughter and music from the living room could be faintly heard.
Bei Bitang breathed in the refreshing air, lowered her head, and reached out to touch the rose branches.
"Baby, how was it? Did Annie and I have a good party?"
Bei Bitang smiled, then slowly turned around, raised the wine glass in her hand, tilted it towards Dave, and said with a smile, "If the dance you and Annie organized is not good, then the sun will rise from the west. Dave, thank you and Annie for inviting me. I had a great time tonight."
Dave laughed heartily, then said seriously, "Thank you, too, for coming to China to help me. The people I'm in charge of have caused a huge mess, and headquarters is very unhappy with me. I'm really fed up with all this."
Who would like to work in a developing country? Even though this place is classified as a Category III region by the group, the welfare subsidies are first-class. After coming here, life in all aspects is not as bad as imagined.
But in the eyes of the arrogant Germans, he looked down on this land.
Bei Bitang smiled and said sincerely, "Of course not. Dave, you're one of my mentors, and Annie and I are friends, so naturally I have to help you. Don't worry about headquarters. If you ask me privately, I won't say anything I shouldn't. There's an old Chinese saying that a county magistrate is not as good as the current one. I've always thought that's true."
Bei Bitang said it sincerely and shamelessly. She is in management, not in technology. Being aloof will not work for her. She must express her loyalty to her boss anyway.
She knew that the headquarters thought she was too young and that someone must be placed in a position to keep her in check for at least several years. It would be useless for her to rush into the position, as it would only offend Dave.
Besides, Dave is undoubtedly a good boss. I have worked under him for a period of time and I know his style very well.
Dave knew that he was not as capable as others, so he never interfered with the work of capable subordinates, nor did he take all the credit for his subordinates' achievements.
The boss governs by doing nothing, but you cannot be too strong and ignore him. Just give compliments when they are due.
Dave smiled with satisfaction, raised his glass to Bei Bitang and said, "Have fun working together in the future!"
“It’s been a pleasure working with you!”
Everything is in tacit understanding.
Xu Zeli waited until Bei Bitang said goodbye to the host and was about to leave, but he still didn't get the chance.
Xu Zeli gritted his teeth, walked over quickly and stood in front of Bei Bitang.
A strong smell of perfume wafted into her nose. Bei Bitang looked at the poor fabric of the other person's suit, frowned, and took a step back.
Xu Zeli was of course not satisfied with Bei Bitang's evasive reaction. He said excitedly, "Bitang, it's me, Zeli."
Bei Bitang narrowed her eyes, looked at Xu Zeli's face, and then quickly looked away. She did not leave, but she also had no intention of speaking to Xu Zeli.
Xu Zeli said hurriedly, "I didn't know you were back. I thought you wouldn't come back after immigrating. What a coincidence, you and I are both at the dance tonight. How have you been these past few years? I've always been worried that you were being bullied by foreigners abroad."
Xu Zeli glanced at the person beside him and said the last sentence in a low voice.
Bei Bitang said calmly, "I'm leaving."
She told him to leave but didn't let him move away. Xu Zeli was very pleased with himself and thought that Bei Bitang was playing hard to get.
No matter how well Bei Bitang does, she can't change her gentle and feminine nature. Even someone as proud as Zeng Linlin has been tamed by her over the years, hasn't she?
Xu Zeli raised his hand to smooth back his slicked-back hair, and said with a smug look on his face, "Bitang, let's exchange business cards. We'll find time to catch up."
Xu Zeli pretended to be cool and unrestrained, but in Bei Bitang's eyes, he was so smelly that oil could drip from his head.
Bei Bitang remained calm and said calmly, "I don't have a business card with me."
Xu Zeli said, "It's okay. I have a pen with me. You can write down the contact information."
Without waiting for Bei Bitang to react, Xu Zeli took out a notebook and pen from his trouser pocket. He also took off the pen cap, turned to a new page in the notebook, and handed it to Bei Bitang.
Bei Bitang didn't answer. She shrugged, smiled brightly, and said, "I speak, you write."
Xu Zeli was bewitched by the smile and did as he was told.
After saying the last number, Bei Bitang moved sideways and left the spot, and Xu Zeli hurriedly followed.
I watched helplessly as the driver put his hand on the car door and opened the door of the black car for Bei Bitang, and the car drove away.
Xu Zeli had seen that car countless times in car magazines. It was a million-dollar luxury car that he could never even dream of. Xu Zeli wished he was the one who did all this.
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