Cheng Tianyuan’s brows knitted slightly but quickly smoothed over.
“The wedding was rushed due to family pressure, so I didn’t get the chance to tell everyone. Now that she’s here, I wanted to introduce her right away.”
Chen Min glanced at Wang Juan with a sheepish smile.
“She didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just a surprise. You’re usually so reserved and we’ve never seen you close to any girl before. Suddenly you’re married, that’s all… No offense meant!”
Xue Ling, fiery by nature and not one to take things lying down, couldn’t contain her irritation at the veiled mockery.
She laughed, “Brother Yuan isn’t much of a talker, please bear with him. Actually, we’ve been engaged for several years. It’s just that I was studying and he was working, which delayed the wedding. It was only because his father’s health deteriorated that we hurried the wedding, and didn’t make a big deal out of it.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Min immediately understood.
“Right, right! I heard Brother Yuan’s father hasn’t been well. No worries! We missed the wedding banquet, but how about a meal together one evening after work?”
Wang Juan’s grip tightened on her pen when she heard they had been “engaged for years.” Biting her lip in frustration, she snapped at Chen Min, “Eat, eat, eat! That’s all you think about! Hurry up and pack the quilt. We haven’t settled the bill yet!”
Chen Min, a straightforward and honest man, quickly turned to assist.
Cheng Tianyuan, still holding Xue Ling’s hand, introduced her to a few more colleagues.
“Wow, the bride is so pretty! Congratulations!”
“Brother Yuan, you’ve hit the jackpot! Such a generous and beautiful wife!”
Cheng made polite replies, then turned to Xue Ling, “There’s a bench near the entrance of the cooperative. Wait for me there. If you’re short on cash, I’ll have my colleagues note it down and I’ll pay them back later.”
“No need,” Xue Ling shook her head with a smile. “I’ve brought enough.”
“Then wait for me. I’ll finish up quickly and come to help you with the things,” Cheng assured her.
Xue Ling promptly paid, spending over thirty yuan.
Chen Min, ever helpful, carried the heavy bag outside for her.
“There’s nowhere to sit inside, so you’ll have to wait here. If you get thirsty, there’s hot water inside. Feel free to come in anytime.”
Xue Ling thanked him and sat down to wait, pulling out a book to translate, engrossed until Cheng quietly offered her a cup of tea, startling her back to reality.
Gratefully accepting, she savored the fragrant, light brew, a luxury from the South in these times, making her smile with delight.
Cheng watched her with an indulgent, tender look.
Suddenly, a large head popped out from the cooperative’s window, teasing loudly.
“Look at Brother Yuan doting on his wife! He’s been saving that pack of tea leaves the boss gave us for nearly a year, and now it’s finally seeing the light of day! What a considerate husband!”
Laughter erupted from inside the cooperative!
Cheng’s ears reddened slightly as he explained to Xue Ling, “I’ve been with these guys for years; we’re like brothers and live together, so they’re used to joking around. Don’t take it to heart.”
Xue Ling, eyes sparkling with amusement, teased back, “Why should I mind? They’re praising you for being caring. Besides, I’m the one being pampered here!”
This made Cheng laugh, revealing a bright smile.
“Just wait for half an hour more. I’ll be out soon,” he said before heading back inside.
Xue Ling continued her reading, smiling contentedly, but was suddenly interrupted by a splash of water, soaking her and the book!
“Ah!” she exclaimed, turning to see Wang Juan holding a basin, feigning surprise.
“Oh! What are you doing here? Why haven’t you left? This is the entrance of the cooperative. Why are you blocking the way?”
Xue Ling stood up quickly, shaking off the water from her book, and stared at Wang Juan, not missing the smugness in her eyes.
She had been sitting there for over an hour; everyone, including Cheng and the other colleagues, had seen her. Wang Juan’s act was clearly deliberate.
Wang Juan, still holding the basin, waved dismissively, “This is a place of business. You’re blocking the way. Better leave quickly!”
Xue Ling, now calm and collected, quietly wiped herself off without a word.
Just then, a middle-aged, portly man walked up, bottle in hand.
Wang Juan immediately greeted him obsequiously.
“Boss, you’re back? Did you get the wine?”
The man nodded, “Got it! Waited half the day for it!”
Xue Ling noticed the foreign label and, hearing Wang Juan call him ‘boss,’ realized he was the one who had taken over the cooperative.
In those days, most cooperatives were collectively owned, with only a few privately managed. This man must have been quite capable to take over the cooperative.
Seeing Wang Juan’s fawning behavior, Xue Ling’s eyes narrowed slightly. She raised her voice, “You splashed water all over me and didn’t even apologize, and you say it’s nothing! What kind of ‘customer first’ service is this?!”
The boss, startled by her outburst, turned around and pushed past Wang Juan to see Xue Ling.
“Comrade, what did you just say?”
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