Chapter 22: The Ultimate Sucker
“Are you going to the Kuang family?” Su Yuping was startled.
What did she mean by that? They hadn’t been in contact at all—how could she suddenly want to go to the Kuangs?
“It’s Kuang Yunxiao’s mother’s birthday, just two or three days apart from our aunt’s. Last time she came to our house with Dragon Boat Festival gifts, she even invited me over.”
Originally, she hadn’t planned to go.
Wasn’t this just an excuse to get Du Haibo out of the way?
She also wanted to take this opportunity to confirm whether Kuang Yunxiao was truly indifferent to her.
If that were the case, their marriage would indeed need reconsideration.
But just like the reason to sideline Du Haibo, she couldn’t say this openly.
“I’ll go alone. It’s tens of kilometers away, and I’m a bit scared.”
These days, traveling far relied on trains or buses.
The Kuang family lived in Fucheng, more than forty kilometers from the provincial capital. There was no train, so only a bus was available.
Decades later, this forty-plus-kilometer route would take at most an hour or so, but back then, the road conditions were poor, and the shaky journey took about an hour and a half.
She was just a young woman; it would be fine if nothing happened on the way, but what if?
Yes, that was the reason Du Haibo was to send her.
“Then have your brother-in-law switch shifts and take you.”
When she heard it was Liang Suhua’s birthday, Su Yuping had nothing to say. She even gave Wei An a suggestion:
“There’s nothing much to bring over from home. Tomorrow I’ll have your brother-in-law bring over some milk powder and chocolates.”
At this moment, Qu Xiurong remembered what Liang Suhua had said last time and exclaimed,
“Oh dear, how could I have forgotten this completely? Fine, second girl, bring the milk powder and chocolates over. I’ll prepare some other gifts too. This is Wei An’s first visit to the Kuang family since her engagement to Yunxiao; it has to be proper.”
Ten years ago, due to a work transfer, Liang Suhua took her children to Fucheng, and the families saw less of each other. Wei An’s visit this time was the first in ten years.
“Wei An, go get Liu Hai’s haircut and tidy yourself up.”
Then she turned to Du Haibo:
“Haibo, see if you can switch shifts with someone in your fleet. If you can, take me and Wei An together.”
Indeed, Qu Xiurong had decided: she would go to the Kuang household with Wei An.
Wei An was speechless.
Well, this was a bit unexpected, but it seemed Du Haibo had even fewer reasons to refuse now.
Du Haibo was speechless as well.
Didn’t anyone ask for his opinion?
---
Out of the corner of his eye, seeing Su Yuping furrow her brows as if to glare, he said:
“Alright, I’ll switch shifts with someone.”
Better not provoke them.
He didn’t dare refuse his sister-in-law going alone, let alone with the mother-in-law tagging along.
Only then did Su Yuping relax her brow, saying,
“I won’t bring the clothes back then. After you all go to Fucheng in a couple of days, I’ll come back to live here.”
Du Haibo could only support her as they said their goodbyes to the in-laws.
...
“Wei An, kid, why haven’t you come by to visit for days?”
A middle-aged woman with freshly trimmed short hair saw Wei An heading to work from afar and stepped forward, trying to take her hand.
Her face was full of smiles and warmth.
Wei An blinked, instantly slipping into her role, stepping forward to link arms with Yang Xiaoduo first.
She was even more enthusiastic than Yang Xiaoduo, her eyes narrowed into joyful slits.
“Aunt Yang, have you been busy lately? I haven’t seen you in so long. By the way, where’s Xie Hongfei? When will he leave?”
If it hadn’t been for seeing Yang Xiaoduo, she might have forgotten there was a male lead still to be dealt with.
Yang Xiaoduo’s expression stiffened.
She made a move to pull away from Wei An’s grasp, avoiding mentioning Xie Hongfei altogether.
“No, not busy.”
Wei An feigned close intimacy, holding firmly to Yang Xiaoduo’s arm, refusing to let go.
“Aunt Yang, isn’t your team compiling the list of educated youth to be sent to the countryside recently?”
“Aunt Yang, where will Xie Hongfei be sent? He’s so outstanding and a Communist Youth League member. He must have signed up to go to the countryside, right? Give me his address; I’ll write to him.”
Because Wei An was close to Ye Aihua, and Xie Hongfei was dating Ye Aihua, Yang Xiaoduo had long ignored her whenever she saw her.
Now that Ye Aihua had been arrested, Yang Xiaoduo’s attitude shifted immediately. Wei An felt speechless and choked up just thinking about it.
If she had grievances against Ye Aihua, she should target Ye Aihua, not drag her into it.
“Heh.”
Yang Xiaoduo cursed silently. When did Su Wei An’s tongue become so sharp? She was momentarily at a loss for a retort.
“Our Hongfei’s health is weak. He has the will to improve, but not the ability.”
She had only one son, Xie Hongfei. How could she let him go to the countryside?
“Heh.”
Wei An mimicked Yang Xiaoduo’s laugh:
“That’s true. Xie Hongfei is too thin. Back at school, we always thought he must have health problems. Otherwise, how could a boy run slower than us girls?”
If his health was too poor for rural labor, how could he join the army?
“Aunt Yang, you’d better find a way to get Xie Hongfei a lighter, less strenuous job. This month is the deadline.”
By the end of September, all unemployed educated youth would be forcibly sent to the countryside.
Wei An narrowed her eyes, thinking of ways to block Xie Hongfei’s opportunity to register for the physical examination.
“I’m already thinking about it.”
Yang Xiaoduo’s face darkened further.
Wei An’s words seemed caring but stabbed at her heart with every sentence.
She wanted to refute that Xie Hongfei wasn’t weak and could find no excuse that he hadn’t signed up.
“By the way, Aunt Yang, I heard from Ye Aihua a while back that she’s dating Xie Hongfei. Is that true?”
Trying to save face? Feeling hurt inside?
Wei An didn’t hesitate to stab the knife deeper.
She knew well the matter of Ye Aihua and Xie Hongfei dating had nothing to do with her, yet because she was Ye Aihua’s close friend, she was implicated.
What a huge innocent victim she was.
“Su girl!”
Yang Xiaoduo’s voice sharpened, trembling slightly.
“Su girl, don’t speak nonsense. Our Hongfei has never dated that girl from the Ye family!”
Yang Xiaoduo’s face turned as dark as coal, her heart rising at Wei An’s words.
Why was Ye Aihua arrested? What was her current condition?
The news had spread far beyond their neighborhood.
She barely had time to distance herself from Ye Aihua, let alone admit her son ever dated her.
Moreover, Yang Xiaoduo had never liked Ye Aihua, who was needy and scheming.
“Su girl, Aunt Yang advises you not to mention that girl from the Ye family again.”
Wei An nodded quickly.
“Aunt Yang, rest assured. When she told me she was dating Xie Hongfei and preparing to go to the countryside, even encouraging me to join them, that’s when I had nothing to do with her anymore.”