Chapter 63: Undercurrents at the Dinner Table

Wang Xiuxiang originally wanted to remind Lin Yue to be wary of Zhang Xiaohui, but unexpectedly, Lin Yue wasn’t worried at all. She was hiding behind the door, sneaking a peek inside, with a look of amusement. Wang Xiuxiang was instantly furious, “I’m really wasting my breath on you. It seems like you’re not worried at all!”

Lin Yue giggled, “Sister-in-law, someone like her, do you believe that even if she acts out of line, Zhang Yuandong wouldn’t even give her a second glance?

Besides, Yuandong is such a wooden head, she’s basically throwing a wink at a blind man!” It wasn’t that she was blindly confident in Zhang Yuandong, it was just that they were husband and wife in name only, and they didn’t have any real relationship. She had no reason to be in a hurry.

She continued to lean on the door, peeking through the crack. She saw Zhang Yuandong sitting at the table on the floor, with a look of patience. He was eating his food silently, ignoring whatever Zhang Xiaohui said.

Liu Fang was sitting next to Zhang Xiaohui, staring with big eyes, eavesdropping on the gossip with a gossipy look.

The people sitting on the kang were also listening with their ears perked up. They couldn’t understand why Zhang Xiaohui was acting so crazy, being so attentive to a married man, especially in someone else’s house.

Seeing that Lin Yue was still watching the show, Wang Xiuxiang smiled and punched her, pushing her inside.

When everyone saw Lin Yue come in, they greeted her loudly, “Wanli’s mother, come and sit down. We told you not to worry so much, and you’ve been busy all morning. There’s so much food; how can you finish it all!”

Lin Yue smiled and sat down on the edge of the kang, “It’s not like I’ve been busy, it’s all thanks to Xiuxiang Sister-in-law.

I haven’t had a moment to spare all morning. I’ve been relying on my sister-in-law to run around for me.

Everyone, eat and drink well, don’t be polite!”

Everyone laughed. Wang Xiuxiang was recognized as excellent by everyone, and she was also the daughter-in-law of the village chief. Everyone praised her generously, praising her so much that Wang Xiuxiang almost didn’t dare to enter the room. Even Zhang Zhiqiang, the father-in-law, was beaming with pride.

Zhang Xiaohui glanced at Wang Xiuxiang and sneered. Even if everyone praised her to the skies, what good would it do? She would still be an ordinary person for the rest of her life, wasting her life in the countryside!

Thinking of the task the person gave her; she moved closer to Zhang Yuandong. But she was still wary of his wife sitting next to him, so she didn’t dare to say anything.

Zhang Zhiqiang had seen all kinds of people, and he had already figured out Zhang Xiaohui’s intentions.

He sat on the kang, saw Zhang Xiaohui’s little movements, and a look of disgust appeared in his eyes. He said to Wang Xiuxiang, “Yuandong has been busy since he came back, and he hasn’t had a chance to chat with us. You sit down there and eat, let Yuandong sit here and chat with us old guys for a while.”

Wang Xiuxiang immediately understood her father-in-law’s meaning and agreed readily.

She pushed Zhang Yuandong to Lin Yue’s side, “You two young people sit together!”

Everyone started teasing them, and Zhang Yuandong’s face slowly turned red. He stood next to Lin Yue, embarrassedly scratching his crew cut, a little at a loss.

Everyone present was seasoned, and seeing him like this, they all laughed and teased him and Lin Yue even more.

Jin Ajie laughed, “Yuandong, why are you so shy? You’ve been back for more than half a month, and you’re still shy in front of your wife!”

Luo Ershenshi laughed, “Okay, stop making fun of him. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. These two haven’t seen each other for a long time, so they’re bound to be shy! I say, when Wanli’s mother gives Yuandong two more fat babies, they’ll be less shy!”

Speaking of which, she changed the subject and asked Wang Sanshen’s wife sitting next to her, “Speaking of which, your Xiaohui is not young anymore, have you talked about marriage for her?”

Wang Sanshen’s wife was usually a very talkative person, but she was like a mute during this meal. Seeing that others were asking her, she smiled awkwardly, “No… not yet…”

Her husband, Zhang Zhiye, took over the conversation, with a nonchalant expression, “The young generation these days is not like our time. They value freedom of marriage. She’s a girl with her own ideas; we don’t need to worry about her!” He finished, picked up the wine bowl in front of him, and took a sip with relish.

He said that Zhang Xiaohui had her own ideas, not that she was stubborn, one word revealed his stance.

Wang Sanshen’s wife still had some face, and her face turned red with embarrassment. She sat there with her head down and her shoulders hunched, feeling like she couldn’t stay for even a minute.

The atmosphere in the room instantly froze. Zhang Dashenshi slowly stood up, supporting her waist, and sat down next to Zhang Xiaohui, blocking her view of Zhang Yuandong, “Oh, my old waist, I can’t sit on the kang anymore. I’ll sit here for a while!”

Someone broke the awkwardness, and everyone started laughing and chatting again.

Zhang Xiaohui’s face was terrifyingly gloomy. These old people who were trying to act superior loved to meddle in other people’s business.

She was working for that person, and everyone around her was vying to show her favor, but she was constantly frustrated by Zhang Yuandong. This made her extremely uncomfortable.

But she had a mission to complete, so she couldn’t just quit.

Thinking of the benefits that person had promised her, and the pros and cons that Zhou Miss had analyzed for her, she gritted her teeth.

Ignoring the various gazes in the room, she sat firmly on the stool and refused to leave.

Sun Hongmei had drunk quite a bit of wine, and now, fueled by the alcohol, she started scolding Lin Yue, “How do you behave as a daughter-in-law? With so many guests in the house, you don’t even offer tea or water, and you’re even grabbing food with the guests. Xiaohui knows how to take care of people, you’re not even as considerate as an unmarried girl!”

As soon as she spoke, the atmosphere in the room, which had just recovered a bit, instantly became silent again.

Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what kind of madness she had suddenly gone into.

The blue veins on Zhang Yuandong’s forehead popped out. He was about to speak when a deep voice came from outside the door, “From what you’re saying, it seems like you’re not satisfied with your current daughter-in-law and want to replace her?”

Everyone followed the sound and saw a tall figure walking in through the door. He was handsome and refined, and his coarse cloth clothes couldn’t hide the scholarly aura about him.

Time had etched a few lines on his face, but it only added a mysterious sense of vicissitudes to him. Standing there, he was like a noble young man from a bygone era.

He was indeed a noble young man from a bygone era, the man of many young girls’ dreams in that era.

This figure gradually merged with the person in Sun Hongmei’s mind and memory. She seemed to be back in that summer of that year, when this man looked at her with cold, disgusted eyes and spat out cold words, “My family doesn’t need a shameless maid like you. Go pack your things and leave!”

Sun Hongmei trembled all over, and most of her drunkenness vanished instantly.

She didn’t dare to look at him anymore, her eyes darted around, and she hunched over in her seat, not daring to say another word.

Everyone greeted him, “Principal Xu, you’re here! Come and sit down, let’s have a few drinks together!”

Lin Yue saw Sun Hongmei’s reaction and then greeted him, “Teacher, you’re finally here! If you hadn’t come, I would have gone to invite you!”

Xu Fu smiled and patted her, “You’re moving today, how could I not come? I have to see how you’re doing!”

His gaze swept over everyone, suddenly stopping on Zhang Yuandong’s face. He was instantly shocked.

He turned his head abruptly, staring fixedly at Sun Hongmei, his eyes complex and shocking.

Sun Hongmei dared not meet Xu Fu’s gaze anymore. Her whole body was trembling, and for the first time, she revealed an expression of shame and fear.

Everyone presents knew that Sun Hongmei had worked as a maid at Principal Xu’s house before liberation. Now, seeing their reactions, it was hard not to be curious.

There were also a few who knew more. Their eyes darted back and forth between the two, finally landing on Zhang Yuandong. It was as if they suddenly understood something extraordinary, and their mouths instantly gaped open.

Lin Yue saw everyone’s expressions and could roughly guess what they were thinking.

Actually, her mind was racing too, thinking that if Zhang Yuandong was really her half-brother, then the two children…

She quickly stopped her train of thought. Before, Xu Fu had clearly explained that he had no relationship with Sun Hongmei. What did he say back then? It seemed like he had tried to climb into her bed but failed.

Then why was he so shocked when he saw Zhang Yuandong?

Zhang Yuandong was looked at by everyone and felt inexplicably uneasy. He felt a little uneasy and greeted him proactively, “Principal Xu, hello, come and eat. I’ll make room for you!”

Xu Fu slowly recovered from his shock. He smiled and greeted everyone, then pushed Zhang Yuandong back to his chair, but he sent Lin Yue to the table below, “You go sit there, I have something to talk to your husband.”

He had originally planned to stand up for Lin Yue and question Sun Hongmei about her behavior as a mother-in-law, but now he had completely forgotten about it. His eyes were only focused on Zhang Yuandong.

Lin Yue sat next to Zhang Dashenshi, and like everyone else in the room, she quietly pricked up her ears to listen to Xu Fu and Zhang Yuandong talking.

Actually, it wasn’t really a conversation. It was mainly Xu Fu asking questions, and Zhang Yuandong answered in a straightforward manner.

This was the first time Zhang Yuandong had met this Principal Xu.

He had joined the army at the age of sixteen, and before that, he had only come back twice, once for his wedding and the other time a few months ago.

Due to time constraints, he had never had a chance to meet this legendary principal. He had only heard that he was a famous red capitalist in Ludi, and a few years ago, he had secretly donated all his family’s assets to help many children who couldn’t afford to eat.

Zhang Yuandong and Xu Fu chatted very congenially. Xu Fu asked him many trivial questions, but he didn’t feel annoyed, instead, he felt a sense of peace.

Xu Fu had many of the characteristics of intellectuals from that era – firmness, gentleness, tolerance, which allowed people to easily let down their guard and reveal their true selves.

Not only Zhang Yuandong, but almost everyone present, except for Sun Hongmei, was infected by him. Before long, the atmosphere at the dinner table returned to normal.

Zhang Xiaohui, sitting below, sneered disdainfully. Her impression of this Principal Xu was very deep.

In her previous life, in that crazy era, he was the first person to be criticized to death in the Dacan Mountain Commune, even earlier than Liu Guafu.