Chapter 134 Drunk, Where Are There No Fragrant Grass?
Tang Lu certainly wasn't planning on entering the grave of love; she wasn't married. Tang Lu was speechless after hearing what Jian Lili said, which is why she decided to call Aunt Song.
"No, I'm not dating anyone, and I'm not getting married," Tang Lu said.
“Oh,” Aunt Song replied.
“Mom, you…” Tang Lu hesitated.
"Speak your mind, or shut up," said Aunt Song.
"Do you and Dad regret it very much?" Tang Lu asked.
"That's all in the past," said Aunt Song. "What's this talk of regret? Your father doesn't have the power to make me remember him forever. What's done is done."
Regret is completely useless.
Aunt Song didn't like looking back. "You...were you in a relationship, and then you broke up?"
“No,” Tang Lu said. “A former colleague of mine got married and had a daughter. Her mother-in-law wanted her to have a second child, a son. She seemed very angry on the surface, but I felt she wasn’t that angry. I guess she was actually quite willing to have the child.”
"Is there an heir to the throne in the family?" Aunt Song asked.
“No,” Tang Lu said.
"Is your family very wealthy?" Aunt Song asked again.
"No," Tang Lu said again.
"Let them be, why do you care so much?" Aunt Song said. "If you want to get married, then get married; if you don't want to get married, then don't get married. You're far away in Nancheng, who can force you? Or is it that if you don't get married, you can't continue working?"
"No," Tang Lu replied, "It's just that I suddenly heard her say those things today, so I thought I'd give you a call."
“You were weaned a long time ago,” Aunt Song said. “You can handle this yourself.”
Aunt Song clearly didn't intend to say much to Tang Lu; it wasn't particularly meaningful. Whether Tang Lu got married or not was Tang Lu's personal matter. Aunt Song couldn't force Tang Lu to get married, or prevent her from doing so. Tang Lu was an adult; she could decide for herself.
Tang Lu looked at the telephone receiver in her hand; her mother was still the same as always.
Zhang Xiaohu graduated and started working as a legal counsel at a company, learning how to draft contracts. The company is quite large, not exactly small. Zhang Xiaohu's salary is decent, not quite a thousand, but not far off. He's not a salesperson, so this salary is quite good for someone just starting out.
Zhang Xiaohu didn't have high expectations. He didn't mention anyone in the company as his friend; there was no need to. After arriving, Zhang Xiaohu discovered that others knew far more people than him, and many were more influential. Zhang Xiaohu could only work hard; he was still in his probationary period and couldn't afford to give anyone leverage against him, lest he be fired.
The company provides dormitories, so Zhang Xiaohu continued to rent out his original house and didn't let anyone move out. Zhang Xiaohu reasoned that the company dormitory was free, with only a small fee for utilities, so living at the company would save him money. Living in his own house, which wasn't rented out, was a waste.
Zhang Xiaohu is quite good at planning and knows how to save money. Before Zhang Xiaohu graduated, even though he was working, he and Qin Zihang could still see each other often. But now that Zhang Xiaohu is working, leaving early and returning late every day, it's even harder for him and Qin Zihang to see each other.
Qin Zihang couldn't say that Zhang Xiaohu was neglecting him; that's just how things are at work, and Qin Zihang understood. Zhang Xiaohu had just started working, and he needed to demonstrate his abilities and show his worth; he couldn't keep taking leave or leaving early.
During summer vacation, Qin Zihang went to the research institute to do research. He was working with his supervisor in another project group. Sometimes Song Fenglan would eat lunch with Qin Zihang, but most of the time they ate separately. Qin Zihang had the key to the apartment near the research institute, so he could go there to rest whenever he wanted.
Others told Song Fenglan that Qin Zihang was very hardworking, praising him, and some even asked if he had a girlfriend, wanting to introduce him to someone. Song Fenglan said she didn't care about any of that; what kind of girlfriend Qin Zihang chose and who he was with were his own business.
Song Fenglan didn't want to interfere too much; if she did, she'd become an annoying, wretched old woman. She still wanted to be a mother her son wouldn't dislike. Now that her son was grown up, it was time for a mother to let him run free.
"Aren't you going to check it out?" my colleague asked.
“Let him see for himself,” Song Fenglan said. “We parents are too many officials, which makes the children unhappy. The children are all grown up; they need freedom.”
"Freedom? Aren't they free enough?" a colleague said. "If they had a terrible daughter-in-law, life would be unbearable."
"It's alright," Song Fenglan said. "She's his wife. If it's not good, just have them move out and not live near us, wouldn't that solve the problem?"
"You have a really big heart," her colleague said.
Song Fenglan didn't care who Qin Zihang was with; she didn't have time to concern herself with such matters. Song Fenglan knew that with her son's looks and qualities, he could attract some people, and he would eventually find a girlfriend.
Qin Zihang didn't have a girlfriend yet, but Zhang Xiaohu did. Zhang Xiaohu's girlfriend had a Beijing residency permit; they met during his probationary period at a coffee shop. Zhang Xiaohu even took his girlfriend to dinner with Qin Zihang, who was about to start school at the time.
Qin Zihang was quite surprised. He didn't say that Zhang Xiaohu shouldn't have a girlfriend so soon, nor did he say that Zhang Xiaohu's girlfriend was bad. Qin Zihang had dinner with Zhang Xiaohu and his girlfriend, and then he went home and told Song Fenglan.
Song Fenglan had just peeled a banana and was sitting on the sofa eating it. She was leaning back on the sofa, feeling really tired from the day.
"Little Tiger has a girlfriend!" Qin Zihang said.
“Oh,” Song Fenglan said.
"Mom, aren't you surprised?" Qin Zihang asked.
“He’s reached a certain age, it’s normal for him to find a girlfriend,” Song Fenglan said. “Even if he dated in college, there’s nothing wrong with that.”
"Okay." Qin Zihang originally thought his mother would also find it quite amazing.
“If you brought a girlfriend to me one day, I might be surprised,” Song Fenglan said.
"Mom, just wait. Once I find someone suitable, I'll definitely bring her to meet you," Qin Zihang said. "Brother Xiaohu is just treating us to a meal and bringing his girlfriend over. He hasn't even brought his girlfriend to meet you."
“You are friends,” Song Fenglan said. “As for me, although I am not related to Zhang Xiaohu by blood, I am considered an elder. I don’t know if he has told his parents that it is not appropriate for me to meet his girlfriend.”
Song Fenglan didn't intend to meddle in Zhang Xiaohu's affairs, nor could she. Zhang Xiaohu was Fatty Sister's son; it was Fatty Sister's responsibility to take care of him.
“That woman is from the capital and has a Beijing residency permit,” Qin Zihang said. “I don’t know how long they can stay together, or whether they can make it to the end.”
"This is none of your business," Song Fenglan said. "His relationship is his and his family's business. You're his friend, that's fine, so don't interfere. How long Zhang Xiaohu stays with his girlfriend is his own affair, understand?"
"Mm." Qin Zihang nodded.
“Zhang Xiaohu invites you out to dinner. If his girlfriend is there, don’t go out too often,” Song Fenglan said. “Don’t forget, you still have experiments to do and you have to graduate. It’s not appropriate for you to go out all the time.”
When other people get girlfriends, Qin Zihang always goes over to them. People who don't know the situation might think Qin Zihang is a homewrecker.
Zhang Xiaohu's girlfriend asked him about Qin Zihang, and she also mentioned several times why Zhang Xiaohu didn't let Qin Zihang hang out with him.
Less than a month later, Zhang Xiaohu broke up with his girlfriend. Zhang Xiaohu then asked Qin Zihang to drink with him, but Qin Zihang naturally refused.
“Her parents look down on me,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “She does too. Didn’t she meet you? She asked about you several times. My roommate said, he said my girlfriend, no, my ex-girlfriend, is she interested in you?”
"I didn't seduce her!" Qin Zihang quickly said.
The two sat at a roadside food stall eating. Zhang Xiaohu drank alcohol, but Qin Zihang didn't. Zhang Xiaohu drank glass after glass of alcohol, never expecting to encounter such a situation.
“Of course you don’t, I’m just very disappointed,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “His parents think I’m not from the capital, and they think my parents are all in the south of the city, so my family can’t help me in the future. They also think the house I bought is too small, and they say I have no money and I’m poor.”
"..." How could Qin Zihang say that? "Your salary is pretty good."
“What’s so great about me? In their eyes, I’m just not as good as them,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “I’m not as good as them, not as good at all. Luckily, I didn’t always make you come out to eat, and I didn’t cause you any trouble. Their family just has their eye on you; they think you’re stronger.”
Zhang Xiaohu thought they were crazy. Qin Zihang was his friend. Did they think his friend would be interested in his ex-girlfriend?
"What do they take me for? And what do they think you are?" Zhang Xiaohu said. "How could they do that?"
"Don't worry about them. They've broken up, so be it. There'll be someone better next time," Qin Zihang said.
"It's only been a short time, less than two months in total," Zhang Xiaohu said. "My girlfriend... my ex-girlfriend, if she didn't like me in the first place, she shouldn't have started a relationship with me. It's so embarrassing for me now. I was so happy telling my mom that I had a girlfriend from the capital..."
My friend is very good. I was wrong, terribly wrong, and I don't even know if my mom has told anyone.
"It's normal for boyfriends and girlfriends to break up." Qin Zihang didn't know how to comfort Zhang Xiaohu, who had never been in a relationship before. "Don't worry, you still work in the capital, you can still have other girlfriends. You can't just leave the capital for one ex-girlfriend, can you? Drink less, do you have to go to work tomorrow?"
"I don't have to go to work tomorrow," Zhang Xiaohu said. "If I had to go to work tomorrow, I wouldn't dare do this."
"That's fine then." Qin Zihang nodded. "Just don't cause any problems at work."
"We broke up a couple of days ago," Zhang Xiaohu said, his eyes red. "Something went wrong during the day today, and my boss told me to come home and rest."
Zhang Xiaohu made a mistake when drafting the contract; he moved the decimal point one place to the right. Fortunately, someone checked it and noticed the error. Even so, Zhang Xiaohu still received a reprimand, which was entirely his fault and he couldn't blame the other party.
"..." Qin Zihang had just said those words, "It's okay, as long as nothing goes wrong later."
"The boss asked me if I still wanted to work here," Zhang Xiaohu said. "Of course I wanted to work here. How could I not want to work here?"
"You..." Qin Zihang was silent for a while, "Your boss is right, you're there to work, not to do anything else. If you're going to work, then work properly."
In a job, the boss isn't doing charity work; they can't always consider Zhang Xiaohu's thoughts.
Zhang Xiaohu isn't from the capital, so when something goes wrong, he makes mistakes, and of course people will criticize him. They could easily fire him, prevent him from passing his probation period, and get rid of him. The fact that they're still willing to give him a chance is already quite generous.
It wasn't that Qin Zihang wanted to empathize with his boss, but that's just how it is at work; you can't only think about yourself in many things. For example, when Qin Zihang was doing experiments, he couldn't always think about himself; he had to consider other things as well.
"Work still involves interpersonal relationships and social skills," Qin Zihang said. "It also depends on ability. If you're capable, others will hire you. But you also know that you've only been out of school for a short time. Don't lose your job for a woman."
"I know, but I just can't help it..." Zhang Xiaohu pounded his chest, "It really is... I'm really sad."
Zhang Xiaohu thought he had been chosen, but he never expected to encounter such a situation. The woman wasn't interested in him at all; she just wanted to have some fun. She had no intention of marrying him; she wanted to marry someone from the capital. Even if Zhang Xiaohu owned a house in the capital and could resolve his residency issue, she still didn't want him.
“I think I’m an idiot, ridiculous,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “Love is all a lie.”
"It's okay, you're still young, you can find another girlfriend," Qin Zihang said.
Zhang Xiaohu drank a lot of alcohol, and in the end, Qin Zihang had no choice but to have the driver take them home. Qin Zihang didn't take Zhang Xiaohu to the company dormitory, and Song Fenglan was quite surprised to see Qin Zihang helping the drunken Zhang Xiaohu back.
"What's wrong?" Song Fenglan asked.
“He broke up with his girlfriend,” Qin Zihang said. “He was heartbroken and drank some alcohol.”
"Judging from his appearance, it wasn't just a little bit of alcohol," Song Fenglan said. "Let's make him some hangover soup."
Song Fenglan asked the household servants to make a hangover soup, but she didn't do it herself. Song Fenglan didn't like the smell of alcohol, and given Zhang Xiaohu's condition, she couldn't very well tell him not to stay at home.
After Qin Zihang helped Zhang Xiaohu to his room, Song Fenglan went over to take a look.
Zhang Xiaohu was still muttering something, probably about his girlfriend.
"How did you get so drunk?" Song Fenglan sighed.
Qin Zihang took care of Zhang Xiaohu, gave him a hangover soup, and then instructed the servants to keep a close eye on Zhang Xiaohu to prevent any problems from arising later.
Song Fenglan and Qin Zihang went to another room together, and Song Fenglan asked Qin Zihang some questions.
"I don't know either. I haven't had much contact with his girlfriend," Qin Zihang said. "Could it be because of my face?"
It's worth noting that Qin Zihang is far more handsome than Zhang Xiaohu, and while Song Fenglan is incredibly beautiful, Qin Yizhou isn't bad-looking either. Qin Zihang was very popular at school, not only because of his family background, but also because of his appearance.
“Who knows?” Song Fenglan said. “I’m just a jinx.”
Previously, Song Fenglan had told Qin Zihang not to have too much contact with Zhang Xiaohu's girlfriend, and then this happened.
“It’s not your fault,” Qin Zihang said. “That woman never wanted to stay with Brother Xiaohu for long. She probably felt that Brother Xiaohu wasn’t good enough and wanted to marry a local.”
“Yes, that’s possible,” Song Fenglan said.
"Little Tiger said he made a mistake at work today and was criticized by his boss," Qin Zihang said. "His boss told him to think carefully about whether he wants to work in the capital or stay with the company. If he continues like this and can't work properly, I'm afraid..."
“This is his business,” Song Fenglan said. “Relationship issues are something that the individual has to deal with; no one else can help him.”
Song Fenglan wasn't Zhang Xiaohu's biological mother, so she couldn't offer him any advice. She didn't know how to persuade him either; she couldn't very well criticize the other woman.
From the woman's perspective, wanting to find someone with a local household registration isn't entirely wrong. It's not just about having a Beijing household registration; it's about being a local resident. Many areas are undergoing demolition and redevelopment, and locals own land and property, making it easier for them to become rich overnight. Even if someone from out of town buys a house in the capital, it depends on the type of property they're looking for.
Zhang Xiaohu bought a house, a tenement building, but that house was probably nothing to the other person. They wanted more, which Zhang Xiaohu couldn't provide.
“Dating leads to marriage, which involves many issues,” Song Fenglan said. “You can’t control it even if you want to. Dating also involves money; people will consider the future and their assets.”
"If I hadn't gone to see Brother Tiger and his girlfriend..."
“Even if you hadn’t met, this kind of thing would still have happened,” Song Fenglan said. “You only went to meet him as a friend. Xiaohu thought he was a good friend of yours, and he wanted to introduce his girlfriend to his good friend, which is fine in itself. The key is that their relationship is not stable enough, and she is not really interested in him.”
“Brother Xiaohu was feeling really unwell. I told him to stop drinking, but he kept drinking one glass after another,” Qin Zihang said. “Brother Xiaohu also said that he has a good alcohol tolerance and that sometimes you just have to drink after you start working.”
"A few words of persuasion will suffice," Song Fenglan said. It wasn't that she didn't care about Zhang Xiaohu, but there were some things that she truly couldn't do.
It's impossible for a family to pretend that some of their assets belong to Zhang Xiaohu just so that the woman would be attracted to him.
Impossible, that's a scam!
Song Fenglan and Fatty Sister-in-law are not biological sisters, so Song Fenglan's assets cannot be Zhang Xiaohu's assets. Zhang Xiaohu is still just starting out in society, so this blow isn't too big yet. Later, Zhang Xiaohu will find that no matter how hard he tries, he will still easily fall behind those locals. Even if they don't have good diplomas, they can still make a lot of money, receive compensation for demolished properties, and have all sorts of good things happen to them.
"Hmm." Qin Zihang nodded. "I didn't expect it to turn out like this either. Brother Xiaohu said he told his mom that he doesn't dare to tell her that he broke up with his girlfriend."
"..." Song Fenglan's lips twitched slightly, "You guys are just too young. Fatty Sister-in-law is in Nancheng, so far away, she can't control so much. It's not that you can't have a girlfriend, it's not that you can't talk about it, just be open and honest."
"Mom, what do we do now?" Qin Zihang asked.
"What do you suggest we do? Should I go tell Xiaohu's mother that your Xiaohu broke up with his girlfriend?" Song Fenglan asked. "Is that appropriate?"
Qin Zihang quickly shook his head, "No, no."
“Of course it’s not appropriate,” Song Fenglan said. “You and Zhang Xiaohu are both grown up now, and there are many things you need to be careful about. Don’t act like you did when you were little. There are some things that are not for us to interfere with. Let Xiaohu talk to his mother himself, and we don’t need to say anything.”
Song Fenglan didn't want Fatty Sister and the others to think she was interfering too much. They could help Zhang Xiaohu, but ultimately it was up to Zhang Xiaohu himself.
To put it bluntly, Qin Zihang and Zhang Xiaohu come from different social classes and are destined to never be in the same circle. The only difference is that Qin Zihang and Zhang Xiaohu are friends; they've been friends since they were very young, a relationship that few others can match.
Song Fenglan didn't have a problem with Zhang Xiaohu, but Zhang Xiaohu had grown up, and their meddling would only harm him.
Back in the room, Qin Yizhou asked about Zhang Xiaohu, and Song Fenglan briefly...
I mentioned it.
"How come Zihang is involved here?" Qin Yizhou asked.
"Xiao Hu was so happy to have a girlfriend that he treated everyone to a meal so Zi Hang could meet her," Song Fenglan said. "Young people like him want to share their happy moments with their friends. But the girl took a liking to Zi Hang and started asking around about him. Xiao Hu isn't stupid; he could sense it. Then, there were disagreements and conflicts between them, and that's how they broke up."
“Well… Zihang, it’s best not to see him next time,” Qin Yizhou said.
“This is just a low-probability, accidental event; no one knew things would turn out this way,” Song Fenglan said. “If Zihang had known, he definitely wouldn’t have gone.”
"What is Zihang thinking?" Qin Yizhou asked.
“He probably feels a little guilty,” Song Fenglan said. “He probably thinks he’s the one who caused that girl to break up with Zhang Xiaohu. Actually, even without Zihang, it would have been someone else. Zihang didn’t have much contact with Zhang Xiaohu’s ex-girlfriend; he only met her once, and then this happened.”
"What bad luck," Qin Yizhou could only say. Who knew that the woman wasn't serious about Zhang Xiaohu? "These days, people are so casual about dating."
"If it's a free-choice relationship and we're not compatible, we can break up," Song Fenglan said. "That's good too, so we don't have to wait until after marriage to find out we're not compatible."
"People today are different from those of our generation," Qin Yizhou said.
“Of course it’s different, the law has changed now,” Song Fenglan said. In the past, being a hooligan was a very serious crime, but now it’s not so serious. “Xiao Hu is like this… I hope he can get better and pull himself together. If he wants, he can have many more ex-girlfriends.”
"..." Qin Yizhou turned to look at Song Fenglan.
“That’s the truth,” Song Fenglan said. “When men are scumbags, they can be really scumbags. Even if it was the first ex-girlfriend who wronged the man, he will still mess with the women after her.”
"That's not necessarily true," Qin Yizhou said.
“I didn’t say Xiaohu would turn out like this, it’s just that…”
"It means he still has a bright future." Qin Yizhou understood. "His parents probably don't even know he's like this."
“He probably wouldn’t dare say it,” Song Fenglan said. “Just a moment ago, he was happily telling his family that he was going to date and marry a local, but now it’s turned out like this. A few days ago, Sister-in-law Pang called to ask me how that girl was doing, and I said I didn’t know her, I didn’t know her, and I hadn’t inquired about her.”
Song Fenglan isn't Zhang Xiaohu's biological mother, so she can't consider everything for him. Zhang Xiaohu finding a girlfriend is ultimately his own decision. He should be the one to find out about the girl's family situation. It's unreasonable for Song Fenglan to inquire about it. Besides, Song Fenglan doesn't have that much time to find out about Zhang Xiaohu's girlfriend; he's an adult, he'll make his own judgment.
"Didn't Sister-in-law Pang ask you to inquire about it?" Qin Yizhou asked.
“No,” Song Fenglan said. “I guess she’s embarrassed to let me inquire. We used to be neighbors with Sister Pang, but that’s all. Even though we have a good relationship, she can’t always ask us to do things like this. Where would we find the time to inquire about these things? Wouldn’t we have to ask someone else? Sister Pang herself knows that.”
The fat woman was just asking to see if Song Fenglan knew that girl, just in case she did.
"Sister-in-law Pang even asked me how much dowry girls in the capital want, and whether we should prepare more," Song Fenglan said. "Sister-in-law Pang previously said that Zhang Xiaohu should earn the dowry money himself, but now that Zhang Xiaohu has a girlfriend, she feels that parents should prepare some."
Song Fenglan sighed. Being a parent is so hard. They can't bear to see their children suffer. They all want to prepare more things for their children so that they can have a good future and not be ridiculed by others.
"The amount of the bride price depends on how much the bride's family asks for," Song Fenglan said. "When Sister-in-law Pang asked me about the market price, I had no idea, so I just said I didn't know."
Someone of Song Fenglan's stature wouldn't need to care about the market price of betrothal gifts. Song Fenglan has plenty of money; others who are interested in Qin Zihang aren't after his money, but rather his family background.
“She asked me this, and I didn’t know; she asked me that, and I didn’t know either,” Song Fenglan said. “Towards the end, we were all embarrassed.”
"I can't blame you for this. You're always busy with work, how would you know about these things?" Qin Yizhou said. "Even I might not know everything."
“Sister-in-law Pang really cares about Xiaohu. She hopes he can establish himself in the capital and doesn’t want him to go back in disgrace,” Song Fenglan said. “Of course we all hope Xiaohu will be alright, but things don’t always go the way we want them to. Look how drunk Xiaohu is.”
Song Fenglan particularly disliked people coming to her drunk, so she couldn't possibly say anything to Zhang Xiaohu. Zhang Xiaohu had nowhere to go, and Qin Zihang couldn't very well take him back to the company dormitory, so he had no choice but to bring Zhang Xiaohu back with him.
"I just hope he'll come to his senses by tomorrow," Song Fenglan said. "If he doesn't pass his probation period, he might not be able to find such a good job again when he continues to look for work."
“He’s a man, he’ll figure it out eventually,” Qin Yizhou said. “If he can’t, and he loses his job, that’s his own problem, and no one will sympathize with him. That’s just how work is; no one is obligated to understand anyone else.”
Especially for private companies, if Zhang Xiaohu is unsuitable, they can simply replace him; there's no need to keep him in the position indefinitely. If Zhang Xiaohu makes a mistake, the company will suffer huge losses, which is unacceptable.
"Just wait," Song Fenglan said. "Get some rest."
“You don’t need to worry about Xiaohu,” Qin Yizhou said. “I’ll go check on him later.”
“Okay.” Song Fenglan nodded.
Zhang Xiaohu didn't wake up until after 10 a.m. the next day. He immediately knew something was wrong when he looked at the room; it wasn't his company dormitory. Zhang Xiaohu then realized this was Song Fenglan's home. He had been drinking with Qin Zihang the night before, so Qin Zihang must have brought him here.
When Zhang Xiaohu came downstairs, Qin Zihang happened to be downstairs.
"Let's eat," Qin Zihang said.
"Where are your uncle and aunt?" Zhang Xiaohu asked, a little embarrassed.
"My parents have gone to work," Qin Zihang said. "Don't be shy, eat first."
"Thank you for your help," Zhang Xiaohu said.
"You shouldn't drink so much next time. My mom was shocked when she saw you," Qin Zihang said. "Don't lose your job over an ex-girlfriend."
"No, not at all." Zhang Xiaohu sat down at the dining table.
Qin Zihang had already eaten breakfast and was now sitting here eating with Zhang Xiaohu. Qin Zihang kept Zhang Xiaohu company for a moment, then asked, "Are you going to rest again tomorrow?"
"Okay, I'll go to work in a couple of days," Zhang Xiaohu said.
“Then you can stay here with us,” Qin Zihang said. “If you feel uncomfortable, you can stay in another house of ours.”
"Thank you for your help," Zhang Xiaohu said. "I can go to the company dormitory..."
“We’re family,” Qin Zihang said. “You can stay here tonight. My mom said that you have to tell her about your breakup with your girlfriend yourself; my mom won’t tell her.”
“Okay, I’ll tell my mom myself,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “I’ll call her in a bit.”
"If you want to tell me later, that's fine too," Qin Zihang said. "The most important thing is for you to decide. Don't be too sad or upset."
"I feel much better now." Zhang Xiaohu was still feeling terrible inside. He couldn't say he was bad, he could only say he was good. Zhang Xiaohu thought that if he could do it all over again, he would probably still date his ex-girlfriend. He really didn't know his ex-girlfriend was that kind of person. "I have to work hard and make something of myself in the future."
"That's right." Qin Zihang nodded. "There are plenty of fish in the sea, why be hung up on just one?"
"This is my first relationship, and I...sigh, I just took it too seriously." Zhang Xiaohu's heart ached, and he was extremely distressed. He had never been so sad before. "It's okay, I can adjust. I still need to focus on my work and not lose my job because of her."
“Once you’re doing better, you can find any kind of girl you want. No, you can still find one now, you don’t have to wait until later,” Qin Zihang said. “There will always be someone who…”
"Let's not talk about this anymore," Zhang Xiaohu said. "If I ever date again, it won't be like this."
This time, Zhang Xiaohu tried his best to treat his girlfriend well, even spending money to take her to the movies, buying her flowers, and taking her out to eat. He did his utmost to be good to her, but she clearly had no intention of staying with him long-term; perhaps she even looked down on him while receiving all those things.
Zhang Xiaohu felt a pang of sorrow whenever he thought about those things. He felt incredibly sad. Even though he had done his best, others still considered him useless.
“The people who come after us aren’t necessarily worse; they didn’t do anything wrong either,” Qin Zihang said. “Let’s talk about that later.”
Qin Zihang didn't know what Zhang Xiaohu's next girlfriend would be like, but if Zhang Xiaohu treated his next girlfriend badly because his first girlfriend was bad, then it would be difficult for Zhang Xiaohu to find someone who was truly good to him. Even if he did, problems would arise sooner or later.
Zhang Xiaohu didn't say anything; he was eating.
After dinner, Zhang Xiaohu called Fatty's wife.
"What happened? Why did they break up?" the fat woman asked, confused.
“Her family is local, she doesn’t want outsiders,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “I’m too poor, I’m not rich enough.”
"Poor?" Fatty Sister didn't think her family was particularly poor; they were doing alright in Nancheng, not in dire straits. They had even bought Zhang Xiaohu a house in the capital a long time ago, so why was Zhang Xiaohu being looked down upon for being poor?
“Their house is big, their conditions are good, and they are locals, so she can definitely find someone better.” Zhang Xiaohu didn’t mention Qin Zihang, but he had said before that he had brought his girlfriend to meet Qin Zihang.
Zhang Xiaohu really liked his girlfriend, and he spoke highly of her to his parents.
"Does she want someone like Zihang?" the fat woman asked.
“She…she does want someone like Zihang, and she’s been asking about him. Zihang only met her once, and I guess she noticed that his clothes and watch were more expensive,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “Zihang’s manner of speaking is different too; she’s taken a liking to him.”
Zhang Xiaohu slowly closed his eyes. He felt that his ex-girlfriend was too hateful. Of all the people she could have liked, she had to choose Qin Zihang.
“It’s not Zihang’s fault. I brought my ex-girlfriend to meet Zihang,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “I was thinking of introducing my girlfriend to my friends, which would be a way of acknowledging her and bringing her into my circle. But she didn’t care. She only wanted to climb the social ladder.”
Zhang Xiaohu felt pathetic just thinking about it. If his ex-girlfriend really went after Qin Zihang, he would be too ashamed to face Qin Zihang. This whole thing wasn't Qin Zihang doing anything wrong to him.
“Even if it wasn’t Zihang, it would have been someone else,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “If it weren’t for wanting to find out about Zihang, she probably wouldn’t have been able to date me for so long and would have broken up with me much earlier. Last night, I went out for drinks with Zihang and got drunk. Zihang took me back to his house, and they even made me a hangover soup.”
"You didn't say anything bad about Zihang, did you?" The fat woman's heart tightened.
In Fatty Sister's opinion, her son broke up with his girlfriend, and it wasn't Qin Zihang's fault. Zhang Xiaohu should never say that it was Qin Zihang's problem.
"I didn't say anything before I got drunk, and I don't know anything after I got drunk," Zhang Xiaohu said. "I don't blame him. Today, I didn't..."
I noticed something was wrong with Zihang.
"What could be wrong?" Qin Zihang sat right next to him. "You broke up with someone, not me. You didn't say anything bad about me. Tell your mother not to worry her."
Zhang Xiaohu genuinely didn't say anything bad about Qin Zihang. Even if he had, Qin Zihang wouldn't have held it against him this time. However, Qin Zihang would remember this incident and gradually distance himself from Zhang Xiaohu in the future.
Zhang Xiaohu didn't speak ill of Qin Zihang; he was sad about his own situation. Qin Zihang thought Zhang Xiaohu was alright; Zhang Xiaohu hadn't been blinded by love.
"Auntie, Brother Hu is staying with us tonight too. He'll go back when he goes to work," Qin Zihang said.
The plump woman heard Qin Zihang's voice and said, "You've really gone to so much trouble."
After hanging up the phone, the plump woman wondered if she should install a telephone at home, because when she went out to make calls, her conversations could easily be overheard. However, she also felt that installing a telephone at home was a waste of money, as she didn't use it often.
"Xiao Hu broke up with his girlfriend?" Someone nearby overheard Fatty's words.
"If it's not a good fit, then we'll break up," said the plump woman.
Fatty Sister could foresee what people would say about Zhang Xiaohu; they would say he was overestimating himself. She had been too happy beforehand, assuming that Zhang Xiaohu would settle down once he had a girlfriend, never imagining he would break up with her. Even when others offered to introduce him to potential partners, Fatty Sister refused.
Now, people are saying Zhang Xiaohu has high standards, that he wanted a girlfriend from the capital but got dumped.
Fatty was upset, but she knew it was better for Zhang Xiaohu to tell her sooner rather than later, so she wouldn't be completely unaware. It was all her fault for her mouth, and for making the call outside; it was easy for someone to overhear.
"Why is it inappropriate?" the person continued to press.
"If it's not suitable, it's not suitable. I'm not in the capital, how would I know so much?" said the plump woman.
"Weren't you just talking about Zihang... Qin Zihang..."
"It has nothing to do with him," said the plump woman. "It means that if Xiaohu's family background were as good as Zihang's, the woman wouldn't be dissatisfied with him, okay?"
The plump woman was extremely unhappy. Her youngest son had broken up with his girlfriend, which was heartbreaking. How could they break up? Was he materialistic and greedy? She knew her family couldn't compare to Song Fenglan's, but that woman had really gone too far. What if Qin Zihang's family minded this?
This is awful!
This is absolutely awful!
Sister-in-law Pang felt sorry for Song Fenglan; Zhang Xiaohu had managed to end up like this with just one girlfriend.
No, Sister-in-law Pang thought she should call Song Fenglan later; she knew Song Fenglan probably wouldn't mind. But she still had to apologize; Zhang Xiaohu had misjudged people, and he had been too happy too soon.
Around 9 p.m., Fatty called Song Fenglan. Song Fenglan answered the phone in her room, not in the living room downstairs.
"Fenglan, I'm so sorry, Xiaohu has caused you trouble," said the plump woman. "We don't know how he got into this mess. This has nothing to do with you; it's his own fault for being so blind. I promise he'll learn from this experience!"
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