Chapter 2 (11)
Yu Meng soon discovered that the women's business clubs were of little use to her. The activities consisted of drinking tea, arranging flowers, or simply finding places to hang out, eating, and getting beauty treatments—utterly boring. Weng Yue, noticing Yu Meng's disinterest, advised her that women should help women, and that they should get together and figure out how to make money.
That's the logic. Yu Meng believed these members were in private contact, and there was room for collaboration. But she ran a shell company and claimed to be involved in the cultural field, so she really had no breakthrough. Of course, there were men at events. Member-organized events, such as Weng Yue's, would occasionally feature a few men. They were either hosts, announcers, or the kind who relied on women for their livelihoods. They'd start by calling her "sister" and chattering away, making Yu Meng uncomfortable.
Men shouldn't talk too much. If they do, they will seem superficial and lack substance.
Before long, Yu Meng gradually realized her awkwardness in this small circle. Other members would take turns recommending their own products from time to time.
Only she didn't.
She was making things up, seeing things in the fog. Losing money was a minor issue, but losing face was a major one. After much deliberation, she decided to ask Yu Jia for help.
"Is there any famous writer? Let's get one to give a lecture." Yu Meng was not polite to Sister Jia.
Yu Jia had just joined the publishing house and was working in administration. How could he have any resources with famous writers?
"Those writers are only famous to you, not meant to be met in person," Yu Jia advised. As a Chinese major, she had some understanding of the writers' true colors.
"Aren't they all just fooling around?" Yu Meng was anxious.
"Doesn't Lao Luan know several famous writers? The one who just won the award may have written a poem for you." Yu Jia said.
"He won't help me." Yu Meng said firmly, "We're divorced, so just pretend he doesn't exist." To be precise, Yu Meng didn't want Luan Chengyun to know all her movements.
"This is a university press." Yu Jia was embarrassed.
"It's okay to be a professor. There's an appearance fee." Yu Meng insisted.
There was no other way. With the appearance fee, it was easier to talk. Yu Jia could only ask her superior, Director Zhang, for help. Seeing Yu Jia's honest and hardworking nature, Director Zhang was happy to give her a clue. Yu Jia followed the clues and indeed found a middle-aged professor, good-looking, who could give a lecture on "Dream of the Red Chamber."
Not long after, Professor Ruya arrived to give a lecture. Many women attended, and Yu Jia accompanied them throughout. Yu Meng had managed to regain some face, but only among the women. The only man present—Professor Ruya—was there to earn her money. During a break in the lecture, Yu Meng stood at the back of the crowd, talking to Weng Yue. Looking around, she saw only slender silhouettes.
Yu Meng smiled at Weng Yue and said, half complainingly, "It's like a nunnery." After a pause, she added, "There's not a single bit of meat or fish to be seen."
Weng Yue understood what she meant and retorted, "What do you mean by following the clues?"
"Where is the vine? Where is the melon?" Yu Meng wanted to eat a fat man in one bite.
Weng Yue folded her arms, silent. This was all she could say. So much else was too blunt and meaningless. If Yu Meng didn't even have this much intelligence, she didn't deserve to be in this circle. Essentially, what these sisters needed wasn't pretentiousness, but the integration of resources.
Yu Meng thought of Bai Yuankai. If she could invite him over to discuss things, it would probably be helpful. Furthermore, she could ask him to bring a few more people, so she could have male guests as well, achieving the best of both worlds.
Yu Meng called Yuan Kai and invited him to come. Bai Yuankai, assuming she wanted him to lecture on Kunqu Opera, quickly said he was an outsider and couldn't offer much. Yu Meng said, "Why Kunqu Opera? Just talk about your main profession: big data and technology." Yuan Kai still declined. He felt Yu Meng was a nuisance.
Yu Meng asked, "Why? Does Shuang have to invite you?" Bai Yuankai asked, "Who's attending?" Yu Meng briefly introduced herself. Yuankai said, "I'd also like to learn Kunqu opera. Are there any teachers who know it?" Yu Meng suddenly understood that he was looking for mutual benefit. He truly was a businessman. But Yu Jia was the only one who understood Kunqu opera. She wasn't sure Yuan Kai would still be interested in learning from a middle-aged woman like Jia Jie.
"There's only Sister Jia in Kunqu Opera."
"Let's choose her. She knows more than me." Bai Yuankai's tone sounded a little reluctant, but he agreed anyway.
As soon as news of Yuan Kai's lecture spread, registrations surged. Even the seldom-seen Mrs. Xin asked Weng Yue to reserve a seat for her. The three characters "Bai Yuankai" were worth something. However, some wives came to see Bai Yuankai as a person; some came to learn from him, hoping for a business partnership; some came on behalf of their children, appreciating his rare educational experience; and some came to show their support for Yuan Kai's parents.
Xiaobai was a treasure. It was just that Xiaobai agreed, but Yujia disagreed. She felt it was inappropriate for her to appear at such an event; there was no need. Even in the provincial capital, Yujia rarely socialized with the wives. After Liren's promotion, she maintained an even lower profile.
Yu Meng said, "Yuan Kai is also working on government projects now. Didn't you say that Lao Di and the others were going to help the disabled? There's room for collaboration in artificial intelligence. We can't just pray to the Buddha and burn incense at the same time. Sister Jia, let me tell you, sometimes women have to take care of things that men can't. You're not just a wife or a housewife now. In the past, you would have been a consort, a political figure."
An unexpected success.
Yu Meng's words suddenly cleared up a long-held dilemma for Yu Jia. Being Di Liren's wife was a political role. She hadn't fully grasped this until she arrived in the big city. For years, as a wife and mother, she had always adhered to two words: virtuous. But now, she realized, those two words weren't enough. She needed to add... add... She couldn't think of what. But she knew for sure, she had to add something. Something more. She had to truly hold her own.
A while ago, she'd wanted to have a second child. She'd been met with resentment. No wonder. Having a child is merely a physical addition, but what Li Ren needed now was perhaps a chemical addition. Something that could produce something new. So, Yu Jia agreed. For Li Ren's sake, she was willing to take the plunge.
Yu Meng excitedly asked, "Jia Jie, do you know who's coming?" Puzzled, Yu Jia asked. Yu Meng revealed the secret: "Mrs. Xin! Xin Jia! The same Jia as you." Yu Jia laughed. Syndicate, and trust? Who is she? The Queen Mother? The Monkey King?
After Yu Meng's further explanation, Yu Jia also realized the importance of Mrs. Xin—her husband had a strong background, and she was considered a celebrity in the circle, standing at the top of the social food chain. Hooking up with Mrs. Xin was like getting half a ticket to the upper class.
Yu Jia asked, "Why half a sheet?"
Yu Meng groaned and said, "The other half is your own conditions, and your own conditions are not good enough. I gave you half, but you can't put it together, so you can only wander outside the door."
"That's great." Yu Jia was worried about Yu Meng. The journey was dangerous. Yu Meng warned him, "Don't tell anyone. I'm only telling you the truth."
She is very ambitious.
Bai Yuankai's presentation was very useful, though Yu Jia only partially understood most of it. She focused on areas that overlapped with Liren's work, such as promoting employment for people with disabilities. Liren also casually touched on data annotation, which Bai Yuankai mentioned. Bai Yuankai knew a friend who started a data standards startup and believed that artificial intelligence could bring new opportunities to this industry. The ladies and wives seated in the audience, upon hearing about the need to support the disadvantaged, immediately expressed great concern and broad-minded compassion.
After the lecture, Mrs. Xin treated her to a meal, and Yu Meng reserved a table. Weng Yue had returned to Ningcheng for work and was absent that day, missing out on a great opportunity. Yu Meng, taking advantage of the situation, naturally accompanied them. Of course, she had to play both Bai Yuankai and Yu Jia around, trying to please Mrs. Xin.
The restaurant's seating arrangement was very particular. Bai Yuankai was the main lecturer, so naturally he held the most prestigious seat. Mrs. Xin had to sit to Yuankai's right. Yu Meng had originally intended to seat Yu Jia to Yuankai's left. Xiaobai had mentioned upon arrival that he wanted to discuss Kunqu opera with Yu Jia. However, Yu Meng had to consider a risk: what if Yuankai and Yu Jia got so carried away with their conversation that they neglected Mrs. Xin? The meal would be wasted.
After careful consideration, Yu Meng positioned herself to Yuan Kai's left, acting as a gate. If the volume of conversation wasn't high enough, she'd open the gate to let the water in; if it was high, she'd close it to block the flow, ensuring the volume of conversation upstream remained moderate.
As a result, Yu Meng barely ate the entire evening, exhausted from juggling all sorts of tasks. She was constantly trying to find conversation for Mrs. Xin and preventing Yuan Kai from being distracted elsewhere. Consequently, whenever Yuan Kai wanted to talk to Yu Jia—about Kunqu Opera or something like that—he had to go through Yu Meng, a fiery mountain. Fortunately, Mrs. Xin was very satisfied with the meal, feeling that she had learned a lot. Yu Meng, having accomplished her mission, breathed a sigh of relief.
Bai Yuankai took advantage of the break after the meeting to chat with Yu Jia. They certainly discussed Kunqu Opera, but Yu Jia also seized the opportunity to ask, "My wife and the others are watching the data." Bai Yuankai murmured, then inquired. Yu Jia briefly explained Li Ren's situation. Yuankai generously offered to meet him when he had time, suggesting he might be able to help. Yu Jia was relieved, feeling her visit wasn't in vain. She felt satisfied that she had finally been able to help Li Ren.
Yu Meng came back from seeing the guests off and said, "Xiaobai, you go first."
Bai Yuankai smiled and said, "Don't you need me to take you?" Yu Meng said, "You took a taxi too, and you don't have a driver. You've had a hard time today. Let's get together another day." Yu Meng waved for a taxi and took Yu Jia along. She had no intention of leaving Jia Jie to Bai Yuankai. Today's event was such a success. She needed to spend some quality time with Jia Jie in the taxi to savor it.
Public relations genius, Yu Meng labeled himself with this label.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
