Chapter 16. Huang Pingping and Ming Xi were both fine. ...
Mingxi is fine.
She hasn't had any business these past few days and has been mostly staying at home.
Upon hearing Sun Xiuzhen's invitation, he readily nodded and agreed: "Okay, I'll go with you."
"But wait a moment, I'll hang the clothes up to dry." Mingxi pointed to the washed clothes in the yard.
Sun Xiuzhen naturally had no objections.
Mingxi quickly hung the clothes up to dry, went inside to tell Zhao Sulan, and then went to the Ma family's house in the front yard to greet Aunt Ma and ask her to keep an eye on Zhao Sulan.
After explaining everything, Mingxi went out with Sun Xiuzhen.
Sun Xiuzhen's house is a bit far from Mingxi's house, but it's not too far by bus.
Mingxi and Sun Xiuzhen took two stops and soon arrived at Sun Xiuzhen's building. Sun Xiuzhen's family lived in a tenement building, just like Mingxi's family, which was also a unit-allocated apartment.
The tenement buildings of that era were nothing like the apartment buildings of later generations. The kitchen and toilet were shared by all the residents on the same floor. The houses were small and densely packed, so anything that couldn't fit inside was crammed into the hallway, making the hallway so full of all sorts of things that there was only enough space for one person to pass through.
However, in today's context, tenement buildings are considered high-end residences.
After all, each floor has its own bathroom, which is much more convenient than living in a large courtyard and competing with the entire alley for a public toilet.
Mingxi followed Sun Xiuzhen upstairs. Sun Xiuzhen lived on the second floor. Once on the second floor, Sun Xiuzhen led Mingxi to the end of the corridor and opened the door on the right.
"Come on, Comrade Xiaoming, have a seat and I'll get you some water."
Mingxi: "Aunt Sun, you don't need to pour me water. I'm not thirsty. By the way, where's Pingping?"
Grandma Sun: "Pingping is inside."
Mingxi: "I'll go in and say a few words to Pingping."
Grandma Sun looked up at Huang Pingping's bedroom door, hesitated, and said, "Then I'll go in and tell Pingping."
Before Mingxi could reply, Sun Xiuzhen pushed open Huang Pingping's door and went inside. Through the door, Mingxi couldn't hear what the mother and daughter were saying, but she saw Sun Xiuzhen come out shortly after going in.
Sun Xiuzhen said awkwardly, "Well, Comrade Xiaoming, please go in. But... my Pingping is a little reluctant for you to introduce her to someone. If she says anything unpleasant later, I apologize in advance. Please don't mind."
Mingxi waved her hand: "Don't worry, I won't."
Under Sun Xiuzhen's worried gaze, Mingxi entered Huang Pingping's room.
Huang Pingping's room wasn't large, but it was decorated very warmly. The bed sheets were pink and white, and the curtains were trimmed with lace. On the desk, covered with a small floral tablecloth, were several romance novels, which, judging from their titles, were pirated books that had been brought over from Taiwan. However, Huang Pingping, the owner, had kept them in very good condition.
Mingxi walked into the room and greeted Huang Pingping with a smile: "Comrade Huang, do you still remember me?" She pointed to herself and said: "When we were in the hospital, my mother was in the bed opposite yours."
Huang Pingping said with a straight face, "Let's skip the small talk. My mom already told me that she asked you to introduce me to someone. I'm not afraid to tell you the truth, I don't need you to introduce me to anyone!"
Mingxi's expression remained unchanged, as if she hadn't heard anything, and she sat down on the chair next to Huang Pingping's bed.
Seeing her like this, Huang Pingping became anxious: "Hey, I'm talking to you, didn't you hear me? I don't need you to introduce me to anyone! Even if you force me, I won't go on blind dates!"
Mingxi nodded perfunctorily: "Yes, yes, I heard you. I know you don't want to go on blind dates."
She casually picked up an orange from Huang Pingping's bedside table, peeled it, picked up a segment, and popped it into her mouth.
Huang Pingping was fuming.
These are oranges from her own garden. This woman ate them without even asking a question. Is that appropriate?
Most importantly, this woman didn't even offer to share a slice with her!
Huang Pingping got angry again and again, but in the end she couldn't stand it anymore, so she puffed out her cheeks and reached out to take an orange and eat it herself.
But as soon as she put it in her mouth, she regretted it.
No, why is this orange so sour!
"Pfft—"
Seeing Huang Pingping's face instantly scrunch up, Mingxi couldn't help but laugh: "I was just about to tell you that these oranges aren't good, they're really sour."
Huang Pingping glared at him angrily.
"You did it on purpose! You deliberately didn't tell me, just to see me make a fool of myself!"
Mingxi blinked innocently: "I didn't, I really forgot to mention it."
Huang Pingping: "Hmph!"
She wouldn't believe it!
Mingxi shrugged, nudged Huang Pingping with a gossipy nudge, and asked as if she were talking to a best friend, "Hey, I heard you broke up with your boyfriend? Is it true?"
Huang Pingping: "You!"
Her eyes widened even more, never expecting Mingxi to bring up such a sensitive topic.
Mingxi: "Judging from your reaction, it must be true." She scratched her head, feigning confusion, and said, "Wait, weren't you and your partner in a good relationship? How could you break up like that?"
Huang Pingping remained silent; in fact, she regretted breaking up with Feng Fan as soon as she did.
Mingxi: "Such a sudden breakup, could it be that your partner is seeing someone else?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Huang Pingping couldn't stand it anymore and said, "There was no one else, we just had a fight and broke up."
Although Mingxi had already heard what happened from Sun Xiuzhen, she still pretended to be clueless and asked, "What did you argue about?"
Huang Pingping frowned, unwilling to speak: "Why are you asking so many questions? My mom invited you over to introduce me to someone, didn't she? Why are you keeping asking about me and Feng Fan?"
Mingxi shrugged: "Didn't you say you didn't need me to introduce you to anyone? I figured you wouldn't want to listen anyway if I did, so we might as well chat for a bit. That way you'll feel better, and I can explain things to your mom."
Huang Pingping puffed out her cheeks, intending to scold Mingxi for being so cunning, but before she could speak, Mingxi said something else.
"Don't think I'm taking advantage of your mother. She's determined to find you a partner, and if not me, she'll find another matchmaker. When someone else comes along, they won't be as nice as me. Knowing you don't want to be introduced to anyone, I won't say a word."
Huang Pingping was so close to saying something that she suddenly couldn't get the words out.
Mingxi's words seem to make sense...
Huang Pingping backed down, and the thorns that had covered her body disappeared.
Seeing this, Mingxi nudged her again: "So, tell me, why did you and your boyfriend break up?"
Huang Pingping softened her tone. Although she knew Mingxi had come for gossip, she had been holding it in for several days, and now that she finally had someone to confide in, she finally spoke up.
"My mom told my boyfriend that she would arrange a job for him, but she told me that I don't need to work so hard and can just do whatever I want. She said that after we get married, I should mainly take care of my family."
Huang Pingping is still angry when she talks about it: "Why does she tell my boyfriend to work hard, but tell me I don't need to work so hard? My mom even suggested that I quit my job so I can have more energy to take care of the family after we get married. I worked so hard to get this job, and I have to quit just because we're getting married? Why shouldn't my boyfriend quit his job to take care of the family? He doesn't really like working anyway. And it was my mom who said all this?"
She pouted and said, "I don't even know if my mom is my mom or my boyfriend's mom anymore."
Mingxi: "But isn't this a conflict between you and your mother? What does it have to do with your boyfriend?"
Huang Pingping said incredulously, "How can it be unrelated?"
She said, "When I was arguing with my mom, he was listening right there. When my mom told me to quit my job, he even nodded!"
Huang Pingping: "He clearly knows that I like my current job, but just because my mother said that I could take better care of the family after I quit my job, he agreed to let me quit. He didn't care about my feelings at all!"
She got angrier and angrier as she spoke: "It was the same before. When he took me out to eat, he never asked me what I wanted to eat, he just ordered what he liked. It was the same when we went out. He never considered where I wanted to go, he always took me out with his buddies. They smoked and drank, I hated them so much."
Mingxi raised an eyebrow: "Then, let's break up. A man like that isn't worth it."
Huang Pingping: "...That's not how it works."
She frowned and said hesitantly, "Actually, Feng Fan does have a good side."
"Hmm?" Mingxi tilted her head, pretending to listen carefully.
Huang Pingping: "He, he, he..."
After hesitating for a long time, Huang Pingping finally managed to say, "My boyfriend is quite good-looking."
Huang Pingping thought and thought, but for a moment, she really couldn't think of any good points about Feng Fan. She was in a daze for a moment. How could this be? If Feng Fan had no good points, why would she like him, and why would she be reluctant to break up with him?
"Pfft," Mingxi laughed and said, "There are plenty of good-looking young men out there. Not to mention, I have quite a few in my records!"
Huang Pingping: "That's different!"
Mingxi: "How come it's different?"
She pulled out a few one-inch photos from her jacket pocket and said, "Perfect timing! I brought photos with me today; they're all of handsome young men!"
As she spoke, she placed the photo in front of Huang Pingping.
Huang Pingping's eyes met those of a man in one of the photos. The man had delicate features and refined eyes; even in a small black-and-white photo, his handsome appearance was undeniable.
Huang Pingping's face turned red instantly.
Don't say it.
This person seems to be better looking than Feng Fan.
Realizing what she was thinking, Huang Pingping quickly shook her head.
No, no, Huang Pingping, how could you be someone who lusts after a beautiful woman?
Your relationship with Feng Fan is a free love affair with deep feelings for each other. You shouldn't waver just because he's good-looking!
Huang Pingping tried to convince herself while reluctantly looking away from the photo.
Upon seeing this, Mingxi knew that the girl was smitten.
She smiled deliberately and said, "So, isn't he better looking than your ex? Why don't you meet him?"
A note from the author:
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Although our Pingping is a hopeless romantic, she's also a hopeless romantic who judges by looks, haha.
P.S.: Although Huang Pingping is love-struck, she's actually a cute, slightly arrogant girl at heart.
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