Chapter 3 (5)
On New Year's Day, Yu Meng has to deal with two important things.
First, their two sons, Haoyu and Zhengyu, were returning from abroad for Christmas break and would be able to stay until after New Year's Day. Yu Meng and her ex-husband, Luan Chengyun, had agreed to take this opportunity to announce their divorce to their sons in person.
Yu Meng was nervous. If there was anything she could be wary of in her relationship with Luan Chengyun, it was her sons. She had to protect them. If her struggle failed, and the mother leopard couldn't hunt for food, her two precious children would be her future blessings.
She anticipated several reactions from her sons. Neither immediate rejection nor acceptance was likely. Zhengyu, young and introverted, might not accept it immediately, but he would process it slowly. The older Haoyu was the problem. He had a hot temper and was opinionated, making him difficult to persuade.
Yu Meng and Luan Chengyun had a consensus: they would protect each other's face in front of their sons, and this divorce was a peaceful breakup.
The second major event concerned the Xin family: Mrs. Xin's son was planning a New Year's concert on New Year's Day, where he would play the violin, a "simple coming-of-age ceremony."
Mrs. Xin said this, but Yu Meng wasn't so foolish as to think it was "simple." Weng Yue was away on business, and Yu Meng suspected she was still entangled with an older man. She had originally wanted to ask Weng Yang about it, but when Mrs. Xin suddenly asked her to share the conference affairs, Yu Meng was flattered and immediately forgot about Weng Yue.
Just looking at the invitation list Mrs. Xin had given her (invitations were required), Yu Meng felt like she had found a treasure trove. Her son's return was perfect timing, and she planned to bring Haoyu with her. Maybe he could become buddies with Mrs. Xin's son. Don't underestimate children. They've always been a part of social life. Now that she didn't have a husband to look after, it wouldn't be a bad idea to take care of her son, especially since Haoyu was such a talented person.
Except for the big shots at the top of the food chain, the Xin couple notified everyone themselves, and Yu Meng sent invitations to the rest of the people - Mrs. Xin had an office that was usually empty, but before Christmas, Yu Meng reported there every day.
It's real work.
She had already assisted Mrs. Xin with several events, but each time she had been on the front lines, welcoming and seeing off guests. This time, she was behind the scenes, planning and directing the events, which Yu Meng found even more challenging. Before mailing the invitations, she had to call to confirm the address. It was also part of socializing. Another young woman, or even a nerdy guy, would have just called, confirmed, and been done with it. But Yu Meng wasn't like that. Besides paper invitations, she also made electronic ones. When she called, she would always start with small talk, small talk, and a few compliments to help the Xin family look good. Then, she would invite them to add WeChat. This way, by notifying everyone, she would essentially have the contact information of many important people. It would be best if she could see the Moments so she could easily catch up on what was going on.
Yu Meng held the receiver, her nails scratching at the tips one by one. Hey, this number was familiar to her. They hadn't been in touch since the last Western dinner.
He contacted her once, but she said she was busy.
Yu Meng thinks this is a meaningful blank.
The man took the bait, so she couldn't lift the hook too quickly.
The call went through. The other end said hello. It was him.
"I'm Yu Meng."
"I haven't seen the number yet." The voice was elegant.
"Let's get down to business," Yu Meng said with a smile. He quickly told her what needed to be done, then added, "We welcome the leader." As a close confidant of the Xin family, Yu Meng considered this professional attitude a plus.
Zu Liangcai reported his address. It seemed to be a private residence. He didn't intend for it to be sent to his workplace. Yu Meng glanced at the address and saw that Liangcai was quite wealthy.
"What have you been busy with lately?" Zu asked.
"I'm not going to tell you anymore, it's all a mess." This is the truth. "See you then." Again, the masterful attitude. The antelope hangs its horns, leaving no trace. I won't nag you. Well done!
Oh, I almost forgot. Bai Yuankai is also on the list. He's a high school alumnus of Mrs. Xin's son, and he might even be a future college alumnus. He was a guest at this sharing session, offering a few words of encouragement to the children.
After that sharing session, the Xin couple and Xiaobai also became friends. Because of Bai Yuankai, Yu Meng's relationship with the Xin family deepened. However, Yu Meng still had a mission. Yu Rui had come to her for help, asking her to help resolve the dispute between Kang Long and Yu Shuang.
"How to solve it?" Yu Meng asked.
"Let's see if Bai Yuankai can mediate between them." Yu Rui said.
"Shuang, don't you know him?"
"She's embarrassed."
"You have the nerve to hit someone. Any man would be beaten away."
"Sister Meng—please help me."
"Don't you know Xiaobai too?"
"inconvenient."
"There's no need to be so particular."
"My boyfriend is... a vinegar jar."
"Are you really with that little boss?" Yu Meng was surprised, thinking that Yu Rui was selling out cheaply. Yu Rui didn't explain and instead brought up the matter of finding Bai Yuankai.
To show his competence, Yu Meng agreed. She called, but Yuan Kai didn't answer. It wasn't until the evening that he called back, saying he was in a meeting. Yu Meng explained both matters clearly. Yuan Kai said Mr. Xin had already spoken to him and given him the tickets. Yu Meng asked if he wanted to take the call. Bai Yuankai said he would drive himself. As for Shuang and Long's matter, Bai Yuankai said he'd heard Kang Long bring it up, and that Kang Long wasn't angry, saying it was normal for couples to quarrel. He also said Kang Long was going to the concert, too, and when they did, Shuang and Long would meet and everything would be over. Yu Meng thought it was a good idea.
After notifying everyone, she started to deal with the affairs of the conference. Yu Meng found that there were much more things to do than she had imagined. Coordinating the different levels of seats in the concert hall, preparing flowers, gifts for the guests, and the order of the alumni who would perform together, and so on. Yu Meng found that she was more like a director, who needed to coordinate and control everything. She needed a helper, otherwise she would not be able to do it at all, but this helper must not be a threat to herself. How many women are eyeing her! Some of those in the Women's Business Association have begun to envy her. There are jealous rumors. Where there are many women, there are many things. Be careful. It is too unsafe to ask outsiders for help. Yu Meng thought about it again and again, and the only person she can trust is Yu Jia.
As luck would have it, the Lunar New Year fell early that year, and there was a book ordering fair after New Year's Day, which was a busy schedule for the sales staff. The publishing house no longer needed to apply for new book numbers, so the administrative workload was reduced, which greatly relieved Yu Jia. Furthermore, with Li Ren as the backer, Director Zhang was happy to turn a blind eye. As a result, Yu Jia was able to free up his hands to help Yu Meng.
So, that day, Yu Yingzi's "Shen Yu" and "Luo Yan" went to the concert hall to check out the venue. Afterward, Yu Meng wanted to adjust the sound system. The head staff member was reluctant, saying it was too much trouble. Yu Meng yelled, "Who's responsible if something goes wrong? You?! Can you handle it?!" The staff, intimidated by her 6'8" aura, had to take her one step at a time.
After a break, Yu Jia handed Yu Meng a bottle of water.
"It's not worth getting angry about."
“Playing the lute to a cow.”
Yu Jia looked around and asked, "Is it necessary to make this party so big?"
"It's not a party, it's a concert," Yu Meng corrected. She felt that Yu Jia was too ignorant.
"So busy." Yu Jia smiled, "Is it worth it?" She felt that Yu Meng was really working hard.
Yu Meng looked at her in surprise. She suddenly wondered how this older sister had any political acumen. After all, she had been an official's wife for so many years, following Li Ren. Even if she was only a ninth-rank official, she was still an official! She needed to cultivate some awareness.
What do you mean by worth it? That's the Xin family—
Mr. Xin was undoubtedly a man of high rank and power, and Mrs. Xin came from an even more distinguished family. Counting back three or four generations, their ancestors had all followed Sun Yat-sen (and the worlds they'd come from). Mrs. Xin and Mr. Xin were a formidable alliance, with deep roots in the big city, far beyond the reach of small-town immigrants like them. Yu dreamed of teaching Yu Jia a lesson. But she stopped herself in time. Humph, it wasn't her turn to lecture someone. We were sisters, even from the same region, but as the saying goes, a master guides, but the practice is up to the individual. How much one can truly understand is a matter of personal fate and cannot be forced. Yu Jia knew it was the Xin family's sharing concert, yet she didn't even bother researching it after returning. Sister Ru was unteachable.
No wonder Yu Meng had heard vaguely from other sources that Li Ren had complained about this—not directly about Yu Jia, of course. He'd complained about himself, venturing into the big city alone, with no one to help or rely on. His father was just a laid-off worker, his mother was a retired woman, and his father-in-law's family depended entirely on him. Damn!—his words were clear. If he wasn't happy with his father-in-law's family, he naturally wasn't particularly happy with Yu Jia either. Yu Meng had also heard that Li Ren rarely took Yu Jia out. This wife only existed in words. No, no, he rarely even mentioned her verbally. Sister Jia was old, and he didn't pay much attention to her. Taking her out wouldn't bring much glory to the man, so she was bound to be sidelined.
Yu Meng still had a smile on his face. "I'm a person with a strong sense of responsibility. I'll do what I promised to others even if I have to go without food or sleep. We're all friends, so I'll help them to the end."
This was the truth. Yu Meng's consistent principle was either not to help or to help vigorously. Trying to help or not helping would only end up with complaints, a thankless task, and not worth it. She never did such foolish things.
Yu Jia asked, "Can such a large concert hall be filled?"
Yu Meng smiled and replied, "I'm afraid there won't be enough seats." She added, "Shuang's coming too. And Bai Yuankai." Yu Jia asked what was going on. Yu Meng had no choice but to tell her about the fight with Shuang and Bai Yuankai's guest appearance. Xiaobai later asked her out for a song shoot. Yu Jia was busy and declined. She then asked what was going on with Shuang.
Yu Meng said, "She and that Kang Long are both idiots when it comes to their relationships." Yu Jia said that they might be a bit self-centered. Yu Meng said, "So, Auntie chose the right time to pass away. Now you can still wait and find someone else. If this auntie lives a few more years and takes care of Xiao Shuang for a few more years, it will be even harder to find someone else."
It wasn't a pleasant thing to say, but Yu Jiashen took it as it was. It wasn't that she couldn't accept being single for life, but Yu Jia always felt that being single was because she hadn't met the right person. But the older you get, the less likely you are to meet someone. Ultimately, it's hard to make someone change.
Yu Meng added, "Xiao Rui also talked about it."
"Really?"
"Follow a small boss."
"Yo."
"I'm anxious."
"Just whatever you like."
"That's best," Yu Meng analyzed. "The only thing I'm afraid of is that they might like you, but they're just okay. They're looking for stability, so they sell themselves off, and then regret it in the end. I've been there. Is it any use telling these girls what to do? Will they listen? They all think they're like Concubine Yang, blessed with good fortune, yet Emperor Minghuang of Tang abandoned them in the end. Humph, you don't know how powerful things are until you've been hurt! Those small bosses are all full of ulterior motives and a lot of grievances. Money is everything. As for feelings? In their eyes, skin and flesh are just a business, no difference! Play with them, and they'll eat you to the bone. Even the truly wealthy have a bottom line."
The more she spoke, the angrier she became. It sounded like she was berating her ex-husband. Luan Chengyun's image had always been that of a small business owner.
"Everyone has their own destiny. Whether it's clear water or muddy water, you'll know for yourself after you try it yourself," Yu Jia advised. A staff member came over and said the sound system was ready for testing. Yu Meng immediately stood up and followed them to the operation room. She had to take responsibility to the end.
Yu Jia followed, panting with exhaustion. Yu Meng said she would treat Jia Jie to a good meal that night.
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