Chapter 3 (3)
A long time later, Zu Liangcai suddenly added Yu Meng. His WeChat profile picture was a fighter jet, against a clear blue sky.
Yu Meng was secretly delighted.
Of course, I couldn't approve it right away. Otherwise, it would seem like I was too idle, too concerned about him. After a day of delay, Yu Meng finally clicked "approval" late at night, remaining polite and sending a smiley face.
"I have a question," Zu Liangcai began. It wasn't abrupt. Question followed by answer. Clever. Clearly a seasoned hand. Perhaps this back-and-forth could even lead to a meal.
"Please speak." Yu Meng pretended to be cold but still polite.
Zu Liangcai sent two pieces of clothing, both for girls, dresses.
"Which one is better?"
"For my daughter?"
"It's a kid's birthday."
Yu Meng randomly chose one and gave a compelling reason. This was her specialty; she could make the living look dead, and of course, bring the dead back to life.
Naturally, Liangcai expressed his gratitude and asked, "Are you busy the day after tomorrow?" Yu Meng said that he was a little busy and had an appointment to discuss something with someone.
"What about the day after tomorrow?" Liangcai asked again. He was quite patient.
Yu Meng couldn't refuse to give face anymore, and said: "I have something to do the day after tomorrow, but it can be postponed. I can't refuse to give face to Master Zu." He added a smiling face with his hands covering his mouth.
Liang Cai finally asked, "What is your main business?"
Yu Meng was at a loss; she had no business to pursue, but she had no choice but to answer. "I started running a teahouse, but it was too tiring. Then I became an import and export agent, but the market was so poor, so I had to go into the cultural industry," she said playfully.
Zu Liangcai sent a smiling face and said he would send her the address later.
During the first round, Yu Meng was so focused she couldn't sleep, regurgitating her conversation with Zu like a cow chewing its cud. First and foremost, she was deeply pleased with her own charm. As long as she put in the effort, Yu Meng could catch fish. Her skills were still sharp.
The most important thing is that this fish is not bad. It belongs to the officials and nobles. It is several levels higher than the average rich person.
But he'd immediately asked her to help choose clothes for their daughter. This signaled that he had a daughter. This meant his relationship with his wife wasn't good, or they were divorced. It also served as a reassurance to her that if she wanted to be a stepmother, she'd first have to build a good relationship with her daughter. Yu Meng hadn't mentioned her two sons. The time wasn't right yet, and she feared bringing it up too soon would scare him away.
I asked her what business she was in, just to get to the bottom of things. Nowadays, even rich people don't want to marry poor people. It's class. It's how society works. With just a few words, you can identify the person. It's quick and easy. You know who you are, how you treat them. This saves strangers time getting to know each other.
Okay, the battle begins. Cheer up!
Yu Meng pondered for 24 hours what to wear—even in her dreams. In the end, she decided to play it safe—black inside and out, with pale pink on her feet and head. Pink high heels. A pink wide-brimmed hat.
Liangcai was wearing sportswear, even a hooded jacket. His casualness made Yu Meng's formal attire seem a bit too fussy. Fortunately, it was a Western restaurant, so the atmosphere and style matched.
Yu Meng sat down. The dishes had already been ordered. He asked Yu Meng if she had any dietary restrictions. Yu Meng smiled and said modestly that she didn't eat tuna because she was allergic. Liang Cai turned around and instructed the waiter.
Then there's the wait for the food. This time must be filled with conversation.
"How did you get to know the Xin family?" Zu Liangcai asked directly, as if he were conducting espionage work, with a smile on his face. Yu Meng suspected he already knew and was just here to verify it, so he couldn't lie, but he could embellish it a little.
She didn't think there was anything wrong with it. During Weng Yue's absence, she and Mrs. Xin had become good friends, and she even accompanied Mrs. Xin to a salon photo shoot. The new wife played Bai Suzhen. She played Xiaoqing. Zu Liangcai praised Mr. and Mrs. Xin profusely, and mentioned their family's roots and influence in Jiangcheng.
Mrs. Xin mentioned these dreams.
"Come to think of it, he once acknowledged our old grandfather as his godfather," Mrs. Xin drawled, with an old-fashioned tone, as if laziness were also a kind of nobility. Then she added, "But after the old grandfather passed away, he didn't mention it much," and finally added, "Don't tell him these things."
Yu Meng's heart skipped a beat. Did Mrs. Xin already foresee a connection between her and Zu Liangcai?—Zu Liangcai hadn't even added her at that point. After discussing their connection, Yu Meng deliberately steered the conversation toward current political and economic events. Liangcai immediately opened up, his words flowing freely. Men of his age often have their own perspectives on society and life, often sarcastic.
But a talented person was in office. So, he still had constructive suggestions. Yu Meng just listened quietly, occasionally offering a comment or a smile. Her experience was that at this point, women should shut up and let men do their thing—she'd been slapped by Luan Chengyun before because she refused to shut up.
I will remember it forever. Hate it!
When talking about the dishes, Zu Liangcai smiled and said that he talked too much.
"I like to hear it," Yu Meng said, holding the fork in her hand. "Teacher Zu is a wise man."
Zu Liangcai said, "What wisdom? As you get older, you always have some experience."
"What do you mean old? I'm still young."
"Thank you."
"A man is in his prime at 41," Yu Meng continued. Acting.
Zu Liangcai chuckled, "I know what fate has brought me."
Yu Meng was stunned for a moment before pretending to react, "No, it really doesn't look like that."
"You're young too."
"My son is already in college." Yu Meng lost no time in letting it out.
Liang Cai's expression remained unchanged, and he continued to eat his food. It was true that a man like him had seen a lot of things, and her son couldn't scare him. Liang Cai added, "I always remind myself that when chatting with women, there are three things I shouldn't touch."
Yu Meng pretended to be interested and nodded to encourage him to continue.
"Don't talk about sex in public, don't reminisce about the past, and don't lecture people on how to behave." He swallowed a small hamburger. "Otherwise, it's too greasy."
Yu Meng's laughter was as sweet as Lin Chiling's.
"Not even for a lady like you," he added.
"Sarcastic, I'm too mature."
"Maturity is a kind of wealth," Zu Liangcai analyzed. "It's effortless, tacit, appropriate, sensible, and you know when to advance and retreat. These are all given by time. Young girls don't understand these."
At first glance it sounds like praise, but if you listen carefully it seems like he is looking for a way out.
"You mean women like us are easy to fool?" Yu Meng said, giving him a trick. Keep smiling.
"Misunderstand."
"Men don't want women to know more than them." Yu Meng smiled.
This round was purely about eating; nothing else happened. Mountains flowed, water flowed, zither and qin plucked in harmony, searching for a soulmate across vast distances. Both felt comfortable. When Weng Yue returned, Yu Meng went to meet her, and the two chatted about the Xin family's activities. Yu Meng explained that she had been a receptionist, meeting so-and-so. She mentioned Zu Liangcai among several people, asking each one about Weng Yue's background.
This is a sleight of hand.
After a few back-and-forths, I figured out that Zuliang had been divorced before. And it had been years since. He'd been a university teacher, becoming a professor before his forties, and then, through some strange twist of fate, he'd moved up the career ladder. He hadn't remarried in all those years.
Weng Yue finally added: "My brother also said he missed you."
"Okay!" Yu Meng hit her.
Having skipped that pit, Weng Yue now used Weng Yang as a joke, bringing him up from time to time to make fun of herself. Yu Meng, in turn, comforted Weng Yue, "Don't always try to push him out." She left it unsaid.
Weng Yue has no children. Her first marriage ended early, and she's been so focused on her career that she's missed out on having children. Yu Meng, however, feels she's freed from childlessness. But one needs to be wary of boredom in old age, so wouldn't it be nice to have a brother and niece to keep her company? Someone willing to eat and use your money is both a burden and a permanent bond. Look at both sides, and don't be too absolute. Everything changes; there are good days and bad days. Always have a plan for recovery.
Weng Yue felt that Yu Meng was a full man who did not know the hunger of a hungry man.
"I went out for a walk, and my ears were constantly filled with gossip."
"What?"
"Still pretending," Weng Yue twisted Yu Meng's ear, "so many people are ready to make a move."
"Let them do what they want. I'm calm as a rock. I've signed up for Shuiyue Temple and am ready to move in anytime." The more the wind moved her, the more Yu Meng would say the opposite. She wanted to make herself look very popular.
At present, everything is under control.
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