Chapter 25 Do you have feelings for him? Mingxi…
Mingxi stared intently at Wei Ning without blinking, making Wei Ning's face burn.
He tugged at Ding Yumei's sleeve: "Mom, we're still outside, please give me some face."
Ding Yumei: "You want me to save face for you? Well, you little brat, you're quite obedient! Didn't I tell you last time that no matter what your second sister-in-law says, you shouldn't pay any attention to her? If she says anything shameless, you tell me, and I'll deal with her. But what did you do? You little brat, you ran away from home without saying a word! Are you trying to drive me crazy?!"
Ding Yumei was truly enraged this time. While speaking, she hit Wei Ning with her fist.
"ah!"
Wei Ning cried out urgently, his face turning pale rapidly, and his lips becoming bloodless. Ming Xi, even from a distance, felt uneasy, let alone Ding Yumei, who instantly panicked.
"My dear son, are you alright? Is your heart bothering you again? Wait, where's your medicine? The medicine the doctor told you to carry with you, where did you put it?"
Ding Yumei's voice trembled with anxiety as she spoke, frantically patting Wei Ning's body.
Wei Ning took two deep breaths, his expression softening slightly, and patted Ding Yumei's shoulder: "It's okay, Mom, I'm fine."
Ding Yumei, still worried, pressed on, "Son, are you really alright?"
Wei Ning pursed her lips and gave a faint smile: "It's really nothing, Mom, don't worry."
Ding Yumei was still in shock, her hands were still trembling, and she had completely forgotten about Wei Ning running away from home.
Wei Ning, his face still somewhat pale, offered a faint smile as he comforted Ding Yumei.
Mingxi, standing to the side, stared in disbelief.
No, did you recover from a heart attack that quickly?
Could Wei Ning be faking illness?
Mingxi became more and more suspicious until she saw Wei Ning's lips curl up involuntarily, and then she was certain that Wei Ning had been faking it.
She stared wide-eyed, unable to believe that Wei Ning was this kind of person!
Wei Ning was unaware that Ming Xi had seen through his act, and was still gently coaxing Ding Yumei.
"Xiaoming, I've printed out the ticket for you. Take it to pay the bill." Sun Xiuzhen returned with the ticket.
Mingxi shifted her gaze from the joking Wei Ning and smiled at Sun Xiu: "Okay, thank you, Aunt Sun."
Sun Xiuzhen waved her hand dismissively: "Hey, what kind of relationship do we have? Do you need to be so polite? Besides, if anyone has to say thank you, it should be me saying thank you!"
Mingxi smiled and took the invoice to pay the bill. After paying, the washing machine in the warehouse was hers.
These days, if you buy a large item at a department store, no one will deliver it to your door or install it. Logically, Mingxi should have carried it home herself, but Sun Xiuzhen is there to help.
Sun Xiuzhen spoke a few words to her colleagues, and soon four young men came over to help Mingxi carry the washing machine home.
Mingxi paused for a moment, then quickly stepped forward to lead the way for the young men.
Just as Mingxi was leading his men home at a brisk pace, Huang Pingping and Wu Zhensheng also came out of the restaurant.
When Mingxi and Sun Xiuzhen were together, the two chatted happily, but when they were alone together, they suddenly became embarrassed for some reason.
The two stood at the doorway, one looking down at his toes, the other looking up at the white clouds; one looking at the tree to his right, the other at the propaganda poster to his left. They simply wouldn't look at each other.
The two of them stood at the door for ages, putting on a silent act, until finally Huang Pingping couldn't help but blush and ask, "Where are we going next?"
Wu Zhensheng immediately replied, "Wherever you say we want to go, we'll go!"
Huang Pingping said coquettishly, "I only asked you because I didn't know where to go!"
Huang Pingping was wearing a pink turtleneck sweater today. The bright color of the sweater made her skin look even more like porcelain. At this moment, her face was flushed. Wu Zhensheng just looked at her and couldn't hear anything else.
"Hey, I'm talking to you, did you hear me?" Not getting a reply, Huang Pingping pouted in dissatisfaction.
Wu Zhensheng snapped out of his daze: "How about we go see a movie? I heard there's a new movie showing at the cinema."
Huang Pingping became interested: "Oh, a new movie? What's it called? What's it about?"
"It seems to be called 'Romance on Mount Lu,' and it's a love story." Wu Zhensheng himself wasn't sure; he had only overheard a colleague mention it at work.
Huang Pingping stared wide-eyed at Wu Zhensheng, her watery eyes seeming to accuse him of having ulterior motives for taking her to see a romantic movie.
Wu Zhensheng hurriedly explained, "If you don't want to watch this movie, you can watch something else. I think there's also 'Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy' recently. Do you like that? Or else..."
Huang Pingping pouted: "No, I've seen those old movies countless times, they're not original at all."
She meant that she would rather watch the newly released movies.
Wu Zhensheng scratched the back of his head and said with a sheepish grin, "Hehe, okay, let's go."
The two walked towards the movie theater, seemingly shy, heads down, striding forward without uttering a single word. Although they were walking side by side, they didn't look like a couple at all; they looked more like they were participating in a race walking competition.
The movie theater wasn't far away, and the two of them quickly arrived without looking up.
"Wait a moment, I'll go buy the tickets." Wu Zhensheng said this and left in a hurry.
Watching Wu Zhensheng's departing figure, Huang Pingping was speechless for a moment.
What kind of man would just throw aside a potential partner with a single sentence?
Although I went there to buy tickets, but...
Huang Pingping was both annoyed and amused.
However, when Huang Pingping thought of Feng Fan, she felt that Wu Zhensheng was actually a good person.
After all, she had been dating Feng Fan for three months, and Feng Fan had never spent any money on her. She always paid for the movie tickets when they went to the movies together.
"No, no, why am I thinking about that unlucky thing!"
Huang Pingping shook her head, trying to shake Feng Fan out of her mind.
But as luck would have it, just a second after she finished mentioning Feng Fan, the next second she saw Feng Fan appear in front of her.
Huang Pingping: Bah!
What a bad day!
She quickly turned her head.
She was afraid that shameless Feng Fan would see her and start clinging to her.
But things don't always go as planned. Just as Huang Pingping turned around, she heard Feng Fan's voice behind her.
"Pingping? Huang Pingping?"
Feng Fan strode up to Huang Pingping: "Pingping, you came here specifically to see me, right? I knew you couldn't live without me, you couldn't bear to part with me."
Huang Pingping: "You're overthinking it, I..."
Before she could finish speaking, Feng Fan confidently raised his head and said, "I know you're embarrassed, right? That's how you women are, saying one thing and meaning another. You're clearly thinking about me to death, but you just won't admit it. It's okay, I'm a grown man, I won't hold it against you. As long as you obediently come back to my side, that's enough."
Huang Pingping stared with her big, watery eyes, wanting to say something, but Feng Fan put his index finger to her lips first.
"Shh, I know what you want to say, you want to apologize to me, right?" Feng Fan smiled crookedly: "You don't need to apologize to me. My woman never needs to say sorry to me."
He lowered his voice and said in a greasy, bubbly tone, "Just remember, you can't throw a tantrum at me like that next time, or I'll really get angry with you, you little rascal."
After saying that, he playfully flicked Huang Pingping's nose.
Huang Pingping: Ahhhhh!
She's dirty, she's dirty!
Ignoring the thick layer of goosebumps on her arms, she quickly took a step back, creating distance between herself and Feng Fan.
"Feng Fan, are you out of your mind? How many times do I have to tell you, we're broken up! Completely broken up! Who are you trying to fool with this boyfriend act?!"
"Also, if you feel like you're choking on a feather, go to the hospital right away. People who don't know better might think you're about to die from not being able to speak."
Feng Fan choked, and his face instantly turned pale and red, looking extremely unsightly.
Huang Pingping was wondering why she hadn't noticed Feng Fan's greasy and pretentious manner before, completely unaware of his unpleasant expression.
Huang Pingping was unaware that Feng Fan was also wondering to himself, "What's wrong with Huang Pingping?"
He used to be able to easily charm this woman, but now it doesn't work at all!
What else did the woman say? Did he have a chicken feather stuck in his throat?
That's utter nonsense!
That's his deep, sexy baritone voice, okay!
Seeing that Feng Fan didn't say anything, Huang Pingping turned around and wanted to leave, but Feng Fan was unwilling to let her go.
Even after breaking up with Huang Pingping, he still thinks about her constantly.
Huang Pingping was the prettiest, best-off, and most naive girl he could possibly have.
After breaking up with Huang Pingping, who else can arrange an office job for him?
Feng Fan grabbed Huang Pingping, who was about to leave, and pretended to be heartbroken, saying, "Pingping, I know I was wrong. I did something wrong before. You can punish me however you want, but please don't mention breaking up."
He covered his face: "When I said you couldn't bear to part with me, it was actually because I couldn't bear to part with you. In the days I haven't seen you, you've been on my mind every moment, and I miss you every day. Pingping, please, you can punish me however you want, just don't punish me by losing you. That would be torture for me!"
There were already quite a few people at the entrance of the movie theater, and with Feng Fan's voice not being quiet at all, the crowd's attention was quickly drawn to Feng Fan and Huang Pingping.
"What are you doing? You're spouting all those fancy lines, are you acting in a movie?"
"Who wrote these lines? They sound so cheesy."
"Absolutely, it gave me goosebumps."
The chatter of the onlookers reached Huang Pingping's ears, and her ears instantly turned bright red. She lowered her head, staring at her toes, wishing there wasn't a crack in the ground she could disappear into.
"Get out of here, all of you! What movie? Our boss is talking to his girlfriend, what are you all doing here!"
"That's right, get out of here! Get out of the way! You're disturbing our boss and his girlfriend's date, or I'll beat you up!"
Feng Fan didn't come alone today; he was accompanied by a few cronies. They couldn't get a word in edgewise about Feng Fan and Huang Pingping's affairs, but they couldn't help themselves when they heard this. They stood up and waved their hands, pretending to hit someone.
The passerby who spoke first didn't think much of it, genuinely assuming it was a movie scene. Little did he know, it wasn't. Not only was it not a movie, but because of a casual remark, he was yelled at by a nobody. Of course, he wasn't happy about that!
It's definitely not something I can accept!
He immediately stood up and yelled back, "Hey, you bunch of punks think you can act like bosses? We're not afraid of you. If you're not afraid of tough guys, then step forward and have a go with us!"
When they saw that the man who stepped forward was a burly, strong man with an arm thicker than both of their legs, Feng Fan's cronies immediately cowered and shrank back, not daring to utter a word.
Seeing that none of the group of alleyway folks spoke, the man snorted coldly.
Feng Fan and his cronies all looked rather grim. Having lost face in front of outsiders, they could only regain it in front of their own people.
“Pingping, look, people outside are laughing at us. Let’s go home and talk.”
Feng Fan's cronies chimed in, "That's right, sister-in-law, you're being unreasonable. Even if you're throwing a tantrum at Brother Fan, you can do it at home. Brother Fan is still a grown man, you have to give him some face in public."
Huang Pingping's delicate eyebrows furrowed. She suspected that Feng Fan and the people behind him were deaf. She had told them so many times that she had broken up with Feng Fan, and they were still pretending to be stupid.
She took a deep breath, wanting to throw aside her manners and give the other person a good scolding, but before she could even open her mouth, Feng Fan, having run out of patience, dragged Huang Pingping and led her to a corner.
"Hey, what are you doing!"
A loud shout rang out; it was Wu Zhensheng returning with the tickets. He was carrying two large bags of popcorn, and upon seeing this, he disregarded his own belongings and rushed forward to block Feng Fan from leaving.
Feng Fan looked Wu Zhensheng up and down. Although he was quite tall, he didn't look very strong. Coupled with Wu Zhensheng's delicate appearance, he subconsciously thought that Wu Zhensheng was a pretty boy who wanted to play the hero.
She pointed her finger at his nose menacingly: "What, you want to meddle in other people's business? Kid, let me tell you, you can't meddle in just any business!"
Although Wu Zhensheng looked thin, he was a hard worker in the factory every day, fundamentally different from a petty hoodlum like Feng Fan. He glanced at Feng Fan and saw that Feng Fan's lower body was unsteady, his arms were limp and lacked any muscle, so he concluded that Feng Fan was bluffing.
Wu Zhensheng suddenly stepped forward, grabbed Feng Fan's fingers, and then exerted force, bending the other's wrist inward.
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!" Feng Fan cried out in pain, but still cursed, "You fucking let go of me! Let go of me now, and I might spare your life later. Otherwise, you're just waiting!"
The henchmen, realizing what was happening, immediately stepped forward: "Pretty boy, let our boss go!"
"Yes, you'd better release our boss right now, or we won't let you off the hook!"
Wu Zhensheng acted as if he hadn't heard them, continuing to bend Feng Fan's hand inward until it was bent to its limit and made a snapping sound before he finally let go.
At this moment, Feng Fan's wrist was limp, looking as if it had lost its connection to his arm.
Feng Fan stared wide-eyed in disbelief, shaking his arm. His wrist, like a piece of seaweed, swayed limply from side to side with his movements.
"Aaaaaah! My hand, my hand is broken!"
Feng Fan let out a violent howl. If an uninformed person heard it, they would probably think someone was slaughtering a pig.
Wu Zhensheng frowned: "Stop yelling, your hand isn't broken."
Feng Fan shook his arm: "How is that possible? My hand is like this, how could it not be broken? Let me tell you, in broad daylight, everyone was watching, don't try to deny it!"
Wu Zhensheng rolled his eyes speechlessly, raised his hand, and quickly grabbed Feng Fan's arm. With a lift, a pull, and a tug, before the other party could react, Wu Zhensheng released his hand.
Feng Fan's eyes widened in terror: "What did you just do to me?"
Wu Zhensheng: "...What can I do? Of course, I'll 'reconnect' your hand."
He glanced at Feng Fan, as if talking to himself, or as if speaking to someone else, and said, "Such a big young man, how come he has no brains at all? He can't even tell the difference between a dislocation and a fracture?"
Feng Fan: "...You, you!"
He lost face completely and was so angry that his hair was practically steaming.
But when he moved his hand around, he found that it was actually fine. He shook it, and there was no problem at all. If it weren't for the lingering pain in his wrist, he would have doubted whether his hand being broken was a hallucination.
Feng Fan couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. This kid wasn't just a pretty boy; he seemed more like a martial arts expert. He had to be careful, or he might really be in trouble today.
But Wu Zhensheng ignored Feng Fan's wary gaze and just stared at Huang Pingping, asking, "Are you alright?"
Huang Pingping rubbed her wrist, which had been gripped red by Feng Fan, and cried out in a spoiled tone that it hurt.
Wu Zhensheng: "Should we go to the hospital to get it checked out?"
"Going to the hospital isn't necessary," Huang Pingping shook her head.
Seeing how familiar the two were, Feng Fan belatedly realized that Wu Zhensheng wasn't some pretty boy trying to play the hero, but someone who knew Huang Pingping.
A surge of anger rushed into Feng Fan's mind, and his earlier thoughts of being wary of Wu Zhensheng were instantly forgotten. He glared at him and demanded, "Huang Pingping, who is he? Did you break up with me because of him?"
Huang Pingping was so angry she almost laughed. Not to mention that she and Wu Zhensheng had only met today, even if there was something between them, it had nothing to do with Feng Fan.
Why is this person questioning her with such a cuckolded look on their face?
Huang Pingping's silence was taken as tacit agreement by Feng Fan, who was furious: "Fine, fine, you two are a pair of adulterers!"
He glared at Huang Pingping: "I was wondering why you wanted to break up with me. Turns out it's because you had another man outside. Ha, you fickle woman..."
"Smack—"
Before Feng Fan could finish speaking, Huang Pingping slapped him across the face without any mercy.
She shouted, "Are you crazy? How many times have I told you, I broke up with you, we're done, and you just pretend you didn't hear me? Okay, I'll repeat it again, I broke up with you! Because I don't like you. You have no job, no savings, you have nothing, and you're not ambitious at all. All you do is hang out with your buddies and do nothing productive. I'm pretty, I have a good job, and I'm an only child. Is it so hard for me to understand that I don't want to date someone like you?"
Huang Pingping glanced at the crowd of onlookers and added, "Don't blame everything on others. First, consider whether you're even worthy of their attention. We broke up almost half a month ago, and I only met Wu Zhensheng today."
Those watching from the sidelines found Huang Pingping's words amusing.
Saying that dating someone is like helping others is wrong; don't drag others into it. First, consider whether you are a good match for them.
How can this girl have such a silver tongue? They could never have come up with such words!
But then again, what the girl said is right!
She's so great, Feng Fan is definitely not good enough for her!
"The girl has already said she wants to break up, so why is this guy still bothering her?"
"Hey, don't you understand? He's after that girl's looks and status. She's got such great qualities, he just wants to cling to her and live off her!"
"Tsk tsk, no wonder, I always thought this guy looked like a pretty boy..."
"Your eyesight is really bad. I think the guy who came later is more handsome. If I had to choose, I'd rather let him live off me."
Feng Fan was furious.
He's a real man from Beicheng, after all, and he cares about his reputation. He's being treated like a gigolo by so many people in public.
Not to mention, in other people's eyes, he is not even as good as Wu Zhensheng at being a kept man.
"You don't know anything!" Feng Fan roared angrily, pointing at the crowd.
Nobody would tolerate him.
"Hey, see? Everyone was right, that's why he's getting anxious."
"Honestly, you're afraid of being criticized for living off a woman..."
"Exactly! If you care about your reputation, don't be a kept man. What, does he think he can force himself on a kept man?"
Feng Fan's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, but he wasn't talking about just one person, but a group of people. Even if he was dissatisfied, there was nothing he could do about these people.
In the end, he couldn't stay any longer and had to slink away with his cronies.
After Feng Fan left, the onlookers, having seen no more excitement, also left, and soon only Wu Zhensheng and Huang Pingping remained at the entrance of the cinema.
Huang Pingping bit her lower lip, glanced at Wu Zhensheng, and hesitantly explained, "That was my ex, but don't worry, we broke up half a month ago."
Wu Zhensheng nodded expressionlessly.
Huang Pingping couldn't figure out what he was thinking, so she explained, "I didn't mean to not tell you before. I just thought that we had broken up and I wouldn't have any contact with him anymore. I didn't expect to run into him today, and I didn't expect him to keep bothering me."
Wu Zhensheng: "I understand."
After all, it was the first time he had met Huang Pingping. He could understand that Huang Pingping had just not had a chance to tell him, and was not trying to hide it from him.
Moreover, he felt that this was nothing to hide.
Huang Pingping is so attractive and has such great qualities, it's perfectly normal for her to have had boyfriends before.
He just felt a little sore inside.
Huang Pingping thought Wu Zhensheng would ask a few more questions, but he only replied with three words, leaving her at a loss for words. She turned her head away in a huff, refusing to look at Wu Zhensheng.
Wu Zhensheng also kept his head down and didn't say anything.
The two stood silently at the movie theater entrance for a while before Wu Zhensheng suddenly blurted out, "Do you think I'm prettier or your ex-girlfriend?"
"Huh?" Huang Pingping didn't react.
Wu Zhensheng repeated: "Do you think I'm better looking, or your ex-girlfriend?"
Huang Pingping was puzzled, but still answered honestly, "You."
Wu Zhensheng's heart, which had just felt a little sore, instantly felt sweet again.
He gave Huang Pingping a fawning smile: "Do you want to continue watching the movie?"
Huang Pingping felt a lump in her throat and nodded without thinking, "Look!"
Since we're already at the cinema, there's no reason not to watch it.
Wu Zhensheng: "Let's go in then, the movie is about to start."
As he spoke, he held up the popcorn in his hand and showed it to Huang Pingping: "And this, I bought some popcorn when I went to buy the tickets. You can have it as a snack while watching the movie."
Huang Pingping glanced at Wu Zhensheng, then viciously grabbed a handful of popcorn and stuffed it into her mouth.
-
As Huang Pingping and Wu Zhensheng entered the movie theater, Mingxi returned to the courtyard with the washing machine.
As soon as Mingxi and the people carrying the washing machine entered the yard, they were spotted by Aunt He. Her eyes fell on the words printed on the cardboard box the workers were carrying, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, Mingxi, where did you get this washing machine?"
Mingxi smiled and said, "Aunt He, what are you talking about? Where else could it have come from? It couldn't have been stolen or robbed by me, could it?"
"Hey, you little rascal, you're always teasing me." Aunt He chuckled and scolded, then asked, "Did you buy this? It's not a holiday, why did you suddenly buy a washing machine?"
Mingxi: "Why do I need to consider the auspicious day to buy a washing machine? I think doing laundry is too tiring, so I just bought one."
Upon hearing this, Aunt He immediately began to complain in her heart.
What a waste of money!
You bought a washing machine just because you find washing clothes tiring?
How much does that washing machine cost?
Wouldn't it be better to use the remaining money to buy food?
Besides, what's so tiring about washing clothes? We've all been doing it this way for years.
She washes clothes with cold water without fail, even in the dead of winter, and doesn't seem to find it tiring at all.
Only someone as delicate as Mingxi could do something like this!
Aunt He grumbled to herself, but Mingxi didn't care about her thoughts and directed the delivery workers to move the things to her house.
After the workers put the washing machines away, they were about to leave when Mingxi quickly took out eight yuan from his pocket and gave each of them two yuan.
Although Sun Xiuzhen found these people, it was unfair that she didn't give them a penny for carrying such heavy things to her home. It was inappropriate for them to make a wasted trip.
When Mingxi offered them money, the group tried to refuse, but eventually accepted it before leaving.
As the first family in the courtyard to buy a washing machine, Mingxi's washing machine caused quite a stir.
As soon as the deliveryman left, the neighbors, led by Aunt He, came over to look at the washing machine. Aunt He rubbed her hands together, her eyes shining as she inquired.
"Hey Mingxi, your washing machine must be expensive, right? How much did it cost?"
Mingxi: "No ticket needed, 370."
Aunt Lan from the backyard asked in surprise, "No tickets needed?"
Washing machines are hard to buy, not only because they are expensive, but also because you need a coupon to buy one. These coupons are hard to come by; they cost at least 150 yuan each on the black market.
Mingxi pointed to the chipped paint on the front of the washing machine: "Yeah, this is a defective product. It was delivered with a chipped paint, and they didn't need a receipt, so I just happened to run into it and got it by chance."
Only then did everyone notice that the washing machine had a chipped piece of paint.
Aunt He: "Hiss, such a big piece of paint has chipped off, and it's on the front. No wonder they don't want tickets."
"However, with such a large flaw, even if we don't charge a ticket, selling it for over three hundred or nearly four hundred yuan is still inappropriate. It would look bad if outsiders saw it."
Although others didn't say it, they thought the same thing.
In other words, Mingxi isn't their own child. If she were, and they spent so much money to buy a defective product, they would definitely make her suffer.
Mingxi shrugged: "A washing machine, as long as it works, what's the point of making it look nice?"
"That's not exactly what it said..."
"This is a big purchase, it'll make a good impression, why buy a defective one..."
"Yeah yeah……"
Mingxi didn't care what everyone was saying; to her, the washing machine was just a practical tool to free her hands from washing clothes.
She ignored everyone's words, bent down and fiddled with the machine for a while, connecting the washing machine's water pipes to the tap in the yard, and then plugged in the power. The washing machine started up with a rumble.
Mingxi went inside, threw the bed sheets and duvet covers that she hadn't finished washing a while ago into the washing machine, clapped her hands, and sat down on a small stool.
Actually, washing machines back then couldn't compare to those of later generations. Modern washing machines are mostly semi-automatic. You have to manually add water while washing clothes, manually drain the water after washing, and finally manually put the washed clothes into the spin dryer to spin dry.
But it's still much easier than washing by hand.
Mingxi sat in the sun while watching the washing machine do its job. In less than two hours, a whole load of sheets and duvet covers was washed.
She casually shook the sheets and duvet cover and hung them up to dry.
The neighbors in the compound, who had previously disagreed, couldn't help but feel envious when they saw Mingxi wash the clothes so easily.
You know what, washing machines are expensive, but they really save you a lot of trouble.
While sunbathing, they easily finished washing their clothes, unlike others who have to bend over and scrub for ages to get their clothes clean. Normally, washing clothes takes half an hour for their backs to ache.
You don't even need to touch water with your hands.
Summer is fine, but the weather in Beicheng is cold in winter. At the coldest time, the temperature drops to minus ten or twenty degrees Celsius. Even during the day, the water is covered in ice. Just because they wash clothes, they have developed several chilblains on their hands!
Looking at it this way, washing machines are really convenient!
Immediately, many people in the courtyard were tempted. Aunt Ma was slightly moved and went to Mingxi to ask, "Xiaoming, does the department store you went to still have such defective goods? My family also wants to buy a washing machine."
Aunt Ma hadn't considered buying a washing machine before, always thinking it was useless since it wasn't something you could eat or drink. But seeing how convenient it is to use today!
That's when I started to fall for it.
Of course, the main reason is that Aunt Ma's family is well-off. Her family is the best off in the neighborhood. Although she and her husband are retired, their children are all successful and have good jobs, so they don't need her to subsidize them. They have plenty of their pensions, which they can't possibly spend. They're the type who can buy a washing machine whenever they want without worrying about the cost.
Mingxi: "We're out of defective units. This is the only defective unit that doesn't require a receipt."
Aunt Ma was somewhat disappointed.
She glanced back and still felt that buying a washing machine would save her a lot of trouble.
It's strange, but when she didn't see the washing machine, she didn't feel anything, but after seeing Mingxi using it, she felt an intense urge to use it too.
Aunt Ma gritted her teeth: "What about those who need tickets?"
Mingxi: "There are still quite a few people who need tickets. The department store just received a batch of washing machines today."
Aunt Ma: "Okay, I'll go ask my husband if he can exchange tickets with someone so we can buy a washing machine too!"
After finishing her sentence, Aunt Ma turned around and went back into the house. A short while later, she dragged her husband out of the house.
The people in the courtyard had no idea what they were doing.
Just as it was almost time to leave work in the evening, Aunt Ma and her husband returned with a washing machine.
Jest.
This caused quite a stir in the courtyard.
Originally, Mingxi was the only one buying it, so everyone thought it was nothing.
Mingxi was used to being spoiled and extravagant.
Everyone felt a little sad for a moment and then just let it go.
But after Aunt Ma's family also bought it, everyone felt something was off.
Everyone else has this, but we don't; everyone else won't have to suffer through handwashing clothes anymore, but we'll still have to suffer through handwashing...
Compared to this, the women in the ward felt uncomfortable.
When my husbands got off work, I brought up this matter.
In the backyard, at Aunt He's house, Aunt He said, "Old man, what do you think about us buying a washing machine?"
Old Zheng: "What? A washing machine? What do you need that for?"
Upon hearing this, Aunt He became displeased: "What are you talking about? Of course, a washing machine is for washing clothes!"
Old Zheng didn't take it seriously: "Just wash clothes by hand, why do we need to buy a washing machine?"
Aunt He's temper flared up instantly: "Wash by hand? You don't know how tiring it is to wash clothes, since you're not the one who does the laundry at home! Especially you, your tattered work clothes get stained everywhere, and they're always filthy, like they've been soaked in machine oil. I have to wash them five or six times to get them clean, and my hands turn white from washing them."
Aunt He got angrier and angrier as she spoke: "You don't do the work yourself, you don't even care about the hard work. No matter how much I talk to you, it's no use. All you can say is that you can just wash the clothes by hand, since it's not your hands, right? Zheng Qingzhong, let me tell you, from today onwards, you will wash all your own clothes, so that I don't have to work for nothing and no one cares about me."
Old Zheng said aggrievedly, "Hey, no, old woman, I was just saying it casually, why are you so angry?"
"Why should I be angry?" Aunt He said, "Look at Old Liu. Old Ma said she wanted to buy a washing machine, and Old Liu went with her to buy it this afternoon. And you? You're blaming me for being angry? You heartless bastard! If I had known earlier..."
This farce wasn't just happening at the He family's house; when Mingxi went to the toilet, she heard the Ge and Zeng families arguing about it.
After she finished using the restroom, she ran home and gossiped about what she had overheard outside, sharing it with Zhao Sulan.
Zhao Sulan: "..."
She glanced at Mingxi and tapped Mingxi's forehead with her index finger: "You're still laughing? It's all your fault."
Mingxi looked innocent: "It has nothing to do with me. I just bought a washing machine."
Zhao Sulan: "Yes, why did you suddenly decide to buy a washing machine? You didn't even discuss it with me before buying it?"
"Hey, it just so happened that they didn't charge tickets when I went today, so I thought it was a good deal and bought one," Mingxi said with a laugh.
Zhao Sulan's eyes scanned him like a scanner: "Come on, it's obvious you weren't telling me the truth. You've wanted to buy it for a while, haven't you? You were afraid I wouldn't agree, so you didn't tell me?"
Mingxi, whose thoughts had been exposed, didn't say anything, but just kept chuckling.
Zhao Sulan's lips twitched, and she asked, "How much did you spend this time?"
Mingxi honestly replied, "The washing machine costs 370, and with the delivery fee, it comes to about 380."
"You're out of money, aren't you?"
Zhao Sulan estimated that Mingxi only had this much money.
Mingxi chuckled: "A little bit, a little bit."
"What's there to save? You only have a pittance in your pocket. You give me living expenses and spend money on a washing machine. How much money do you have left? I told you to save money, but you just wouldn't listen. It's only because you're not married yet. If you were married and still spent so extravagantly, how would you manage the household?" Zhao Sulan grumbled.
Mingxi stepped forward and hugged Zhao Sulan's arm, pouting, "I won't listen, I won't get married in the future. Even if I do get married, I'll take you with me. I'll let you manage my money."
Zhao Sulan laughed and scolded, "You still want me to take care of you after you get married? Are you trying to kill your old mother with work?"
Mingxi rested her head on Zhao Sulan's arm and hummed softly.
Zhao Sulan patted Mingxi's head: "Okay, then I'll take care of you for the rest of my life."
After Mingxi had finished being affectionate, she raised her head and Zhao Sulan said, "You wait here. I'll pay you back for the washing machine in a bit. You've only just started earning money, so we don't need your money to buy things for the house yet."
Mingxi shook her head: "No need, no need, Mom, I still have money."
"How much money do you have? Listen to me!"
Mingxi: I actually have quite a bit of money on hand...
Unfortunately, Mingxi's words carried no weight with Zhao Sulan, who ultimately accepted Zhao Sulan's four hundred yuan with tears in her eyes.
With her secret stash of money growing again, Mingxi set a goal.
She wants to make money, she wants to make a lot of money.
Then he slammed the money down in front of Zhao Sulan, letting her know that she was really rich.
Having set her goal, Mingxi got up early the next day, ready to start working diligently from the morning.
Currently, the only person she's eager to introduce to a potential partner is Aunt He's niece.
Finding a partner for Aunt He's niece is both difficult and easy.
It's not difficult because there's only one mandatory requirement: you just need to be a city dweller.
But it's not easy to find someone. Besides the obvious requirements, Aunt He also wants to find someone who can seriously live a life with her niece.
That's a very broad range.
What kind of person is considered to live a decent life?
Does having a poor family background mean you're living a decent life? Does being ugly mean you can't live a decent life?
Mingxi was finding it difficult to make a move.
As she hesitated, she heard a knock on her door. Mingxi opened the door and saw that it was Huang Pingping.
She welcomed Huang Pingping into the house, asked her curiously, "Why did you come here so early in the morning?"
Huang Pingping's expression wasn't good at the moment, and Mingxi guessed, "Your date with Wu Zhensheng didn't go well yesterday? Did he make you angry?"
Huang Pingping puffed out her cheeks in anger and nodded emphatically.
Mingxi: Okay.
She leaned back in her chair, languidly sipping her tea: "Tell me, what happened?"
Huang Pingping: "You don't know, after you and my mom left yesterday, Wu Zhensheng and I went to the movie theater."
Mingxi nodded. "Yeah, that's good. Going to the movies on a date is quite suitable."
Huang Pingping: "I ran into Feng Fan at the movie theater entrance. He came up to me and kept bothering me, saying he couldn't bear to part with me and wanted to get back together with me... Later, Wu Zhensheng came back and saw Feng Fan bothering me, so he hit Feng Fan... Feng Fan lost face and left in a sorry state."
Mingxi nodded, not understanding why Huang Pingping was angry.
Isn't Wu Zhensheng doing a great job?
Huang Pingping didn't play riddles with Mingxi and quickly told her about Wu Zhensheng's silence after Feng Fan left.
After saying that, she looked at Mingxi hesitantly and said, "Tell me, what is Wu Zhensheng thinking? Is he upset that I didn't tell him about Feng Fan beforehand? But I didn't deliberately hide it from him. And if he's angry about this, why doesn't he just say so? Or does he not even like me, so he's deliberately keeping it to himself and giving me attitude?"
Mingxi scratched his head: "It shouldn't be that bad, right?"
Huang Pingping pouted: "Then what do you think he means?"
Mingxi: "Why don't you just ask him what he thinks?"
Huang Pingping shook her head violently: "No way!"
She said, "As a woman, it would be so embarrassing for me to directly ask him what he thinks and whether he has feelings for me!"
Mingxi: "Then I'll go ask for you?"
Huang Pingping's eyes lit up: "That's right!"
She grabbed Mingxi's arm: "You can go ask for me!"
She had a sudden inspiration: "Then why don't you go and ask for me?"
“Okay, I can ask him what he thinks for you, but you have to tell me what you think first.” Mingxi stared at Huang Pingping.
Do you have feelings for him?
-----------------------
Author's Note: Successfully entered the VIP phase! I'm almost in tears! Thank you to all my readers for your support! [kissing emoji] Even after becoming a VIP reader, I'll still be updating daily at 9 PM, tentatively on Saturdays. Once I've built up a draft, I'll aim for 10,000 words a day! [heart emoji]
Also, we're having a giveaway! Everyone who subscribes will receive a 200 JJ coin bonus. Feel free to participate! [kissing emojis]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com