Chapter 12: The Vicious Female Supporting Character in the 1980s (12)

“Those books were given to me by a young man, but he told me not to say.”

“He is tall, a bit dark, looks hard to get along with, but very polite, seems like a warm-hearted person.”

“Oh, and he also once came here driving a truck to sell scrap.”

……

Su Qin walked out of the recycling station, the boss lady’s words echoing in her mind.

Tall, a bit dark, hard to get along with…

Every point matched Cheng Wenfeng.

Su Qin quickened her pace heading home. When she went upstairs, she saw Liu Mei struggling with a sharp-featured young man.

Suddenly seeing her return, Liu Mei was startled and looked embarrassed: “Xiao Qin is back?”

“Mm.” Su Qin replied perfunctorily, without looking at the two any more, and went straight back to her room.

“Mom, what kind of attitude is that towards you?” Zhao Yong frowned, his tone dissatisfied.

Liu Mei pulled him toward the stairs: “She’s just like that, keep your voice down.”

Zhao Yong was still unhappy: “What the hell.”

“Stop talking. Hurry up and leave. It won’t look good if your Uncle Su sees you.” Liu Mei urged him.

“Isn’t he just a dead old man?”

Before Zhao Yong finished, Liu Mei hit him: “Enough! You don’t have a job yet, do you want to drive me crazy?!”

As long as Su Qin married out, Su Yue would have a job too. After Father Su retired with no successor, Zhao Yong would take over and become a formal worker. She already told Father Su that Zhao Yong will take care of him in old age.

These days, without a son to care for him in his old age, Father Su was uneasy. Although he had not fully agreed, Liu Mei knew he was accepting it.

“Mom, hurry up. I’m dating a girlfriend and preparing to marry. When can I move in?” Zhao Yong lost patience.

If Father Su didn’t let him take over, could he tolerate this?

“Dating another girlfriend?” Liu Mei was rather happy. The last one almost worked out, but they broke up.

Zhao Yong: “Of course. This one is also a technical school student, and a city girl. Her mother is a doctor at the city hospital. I’m tight on money because of the relationship, afraid others will look down on me, so I was forced to come to you.”

His words implied a hint. Liu Mei frowned, thinking his girlfriend was good, biting her teeth she lifted her shirt hem, searched several times, and finally took out a few large bills.

“Spend carefully—”

“Mom, this isn’t enough. She is a city girl.”

……

Liu Mei was heartbroken when Zhao Yong took away dozens of yuan. That was money she had saved bit by bit, usually not even daring to buy more meat.

Thinking about the future daughter-in-law’s good background, Liu Mei felt much better.

She turned and went inside, walking toward Su Qin’s room. Before opening the door, her face was full of a smile: “Xiao Qin, are you reading a magazine?”

Liu Mei asked while her eyes kept glancing at Su Qin’s desk.

Su Qin usually kept her door closed while studying. She had just been a little distracted, so when Liu Mei came in, she did not notice. Su Qin didn’t even have time to hide the books.

“Please knock before entering someone else’s room. That is basic courtesy.” Su Qin closed the magazine cover and calmly reminded her.

Liu Mei’s expression stiffened and she awkwardly apologized: “Aunt Mei forgot, sorry.”

Su Qin: “It’s fine, just remember next time.”

When Liu Mei left, she quickly closed the door.

Su Qin’s eyes fell again on the books on the desk. Every book title was scratched out. At first she thought it was because the other party didn’t want to reveal their true information when selling the books, but now it seems that was not the case.

She carefully looked at each book. The person was quite cautious and meticulous, wiping them clean. But no matter how clean, studying each book one by one, page by page, something could always be found.

So far, they could be matched with Zhang Linlin’s name.

This made Su Qin even more confused. She got this box of books before National Day. At that time, the two did not have deep social contact. Why did Cheng Wenfeng go through so much trouble to send her books and buy workbooks?

Combining the fact that he had inexplicably gotten angry a while ago, Su Qin paused for a moment. Could it be… Cheng Wenfeng liked her?

The thought just surfaced, and Su Qin’s mouth twitched.

How could that be?

He was a male supporting role, the male supporting role who guarded Su Yue, destined never to marry because of the female lead.

Su Qin felt she must be too narcissistic. When she saw Cheng Wenfeng at the factory, her face showed unnaturalness. She quickly looked away and deliberately took a detour to walk toward the workshop.

Cheng Wenfeng saw Su Qin speeding up her pace. He felt uneasy.

He still held the steamed buns he bought, especially wanting to find her to apologize, but she was avoiding him.

Cheng Wenfeng spent the whole day with a dark expression, radiating an intimidating aura. Other movers did not dare to approach him.

For several consecutive days, Cheng Wenfeng wanted to meet Su Qin, but she kept dodging him.

On the last day of the New Year holiday, Cheng Wenfeng couldn’t take it anymore and waited downstairs at the employee dormitory building.

He waited for Su Qin, but instead ran into Su Yue.

“Are you He Peng’s friend? I’ve seen you a few times.” Su Yue took the initiative to greet him with a sweet smile.

She also knew this person was Su Qin’s former blind date, which apparently ended unpleasantly.

Cheng Wenfeng frowned when he saw her and replied indifferently, “Yeah.”

“Are you waiting for him here?” Su Yue asked again.

Cheng Wenfeng didn’t answer, unwilling to reply.

Su Yue’s smile faded reluctantly. She forced another smile and said, “It’s pretty cold outside. Why don’t you go wait at his place?”

“No need.”

Cheng Wenfeng’s tone was distant, looking like he didn’t want to engage with her.

Su Yue was confused but could only say, “Then I’ll go first.”

Cheng Wenfeng didn’t speak. After Su Yue went upstairs, he turned his head and stared at her back, his eyes full of thought.

Every time Su Yue appeared, he felt strange feelings.

A bit like affection.

Cheng Wenfeng was affected for only an instant, then his eyes showed a stronger rejection. Just as he looked away, he saw a small figure nearby. His heart began to race, his body temperature rising, staring fixedly.

Su Qin, seeing Cheng Wenfeng and Su Yue’s “harmonious” interaction, suddenly relaxed the tense strings of her heart. She looked up and smiled as she walked over, greeting him proactively, “Are you waiting for He Peng?”

Compared to the awkwardness of Cheng Wenfeng possibly liking her, Su Qin thought it was better that he still liked Su Yue according to the plot.

Although it was love but unattainable, no one got hurt. In the end, he was still a big shot, holding a business empire. Such a life seemed not bad.

Otherwise, the plot would collapse.

Cheng Wenfeng kept looking at her and said, “Waiting for you.”

“?”

Cheng Wenfeng said, “Sorry for being rude to you that day.”

“Ah?” Su Qin realized, smiling and said, “It’s nothing, I forgot about it long ago.”

Seeing her smile, Cheng Wenfeng’s eyebrows lifted with a trace of joy. “I thought you were angry and have been avoiding me these days.”

“No.” Su Qin did not admit it.

“It’s good if not.”

“Well—” Su Qin wanted to ask about the box of books, but the words stopped at her mouth. She did not know how to respond and held back. “Forget it, it’s nothing.”

Cheng Wenfeng was a good person. Maybe he knew she couldn’t afford the books and wanted to help.

She would just remember his kindness.

The two stood in the freezing cold. Su Qin was shivering and said to him, “It’s so cold, you should go wait at his place.”

“Mm.” Cheng Wenfeng nodded. “You should go back soon, too.”

“Bye~~~” Su Qin turned and went upstairs.

Cheng Wenfeng stood downstairs and looked at her back for a long time. His gaze was warm and lingering. He lowered his head and took out a box of chocolates from his pocket. The packaging was in English.

He didn’t know why he suddenly became so shy. The New Year gift he prepared for her was still not given.

This scene was just seen clearly by Zhou Zhiyuan in the stairwell. Cheng Wenfeng probably didn’t realize how much he was in love, but others could see it clearly.

Zhou Zhiyuan clenched his fists tightly, his emotions surging. His breathing grew heavy and his forehead throbbed painfully. He wanted to break free from his restraints.

“Zhiyuan?”

Su Yue’s call made Zhou Zhiyuan calm down again. He looked at her, his inner turmoil subsiding. Although conflicted, he no longer had to suffer or fight within himself.

*

New Year’s Eve.

Liu Mei specially prepared a table of dishes: stir-fried pork, stir-fried sausage, stir-fried cured meat, and also made dumplings. It was a fairly abundant meal.

Father Su took out half a bottle of liquor, ready to have a small drink.

Su Qin just sat down when Father Su casually asked, “Why are you looking at high school textbooks? Didn’t you sell all those textbooks?”

Liu Mei had casually seen the high school textbooks in Su Qin’s room that day. Curious but unsure, she waited for Su Yue to return home before mentioning it.

Su Yue and Su Qin shared a room, so she definitely knew.

After Su Yue confirmed, Liu Mei told Father Su.

Once Father Su said this, Liu Mei and Su Yue both pricked up their ears.

Su Qin ate her meal and said, “I plan to take the exam again this year.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Mei and Su Yue paused, while Father Su’s eyes widened and he strongly opposed, “You still want to go back to school? I disagree.”

Su Qin didn’t expect such a strong reaction, “I can support myself by working. What’s wrong with taking the exam?”

“You didn’t pass last time, what’s the point of making a fuss again?” Father Su assumed she was competing with Su Yue and Zhou Zhiyuan. “Since you’re working, just focus on work. Don’t be half-hearted.”

Su Qin said, “Taking the exam won’t affect my work.”

“No.” Father Su refused again. “After the New Year, you’ll go on blind dates. If you keep delaying, you’ll become an old maid. Who would want you then?”

“Su Yue is even older than me, why don’t you say that about her?”

Father Su said forcefully, “She’s going to university. What about you?”

“I’m going to university too.”

Father Su scolded sharply, interrupting her: “How old are you now, having taken the college entrance exam and finished school? How much longer do you plan to freeload in this family?!”

If Su Qin doesn’t take the college entrance exam, she can go on blind dates and get married next year, and they can receive a large bride price. If she takes the exam, it’s fine if she fails, but if she passes, it will be another three years. Although the tuition is waived, she will still be depending on the family for three years, and afterward she’ll have to work. Father Su thinks that’s a huge loss.

Perhaps realizing he was too harsh and unpleasant, Father Su cleared his throat and said, “You won’t get in anyway, so don’t waste your time.”

Su Qin suddenly grew cold, speaking firmly word by word, “I will get in!”

“Su Qin! Are you trying to make me die of anger?” Father Su held his chest, pointed at her, and yelled, “Who are you fighting with? You can’t even get into school. Now you just want to make trouble, right? What exam? If you could get in, you would have done it already!”

“Xiao Qin, don’t anger your father,” Liu Mei hurriedly said, standing up to calm Father Su.

Father Su caught his breath and said in a low voice, “In any case, just don’t take the exam.”

“This is my business.”

“Fine, it’s your business, huh?” Father Su dropped a heavy threat, “If you don’t listen to me, then get out of this house!”

Su Qin slammed down her chopsticks, put both hands on the table, stood up, and looked at Father Su. She said clearly, “If you want me to move out, fine. Since you won’t support me, then the money left by my mother must be paid back to me in full.”

After she spoke, she turned to look at Liu Mei. “Aunt Mei, that money was given to you as a bride price and wedding money. If you don’t give me that money, then this house and my father’s successor position should both be given to me for fairness. Otherwise, I will demand justice for myself. If the factory doesn’t work out, I’ll go to the city, to the TV station — I just want a clear answer.”

Now Liu Mei was flustered. She opened her mouth to say something but was eventually silenced.

“Say that again!” Father Su clutched his chest, slammed the bowls and chopsticks on the table onto the floor, and pointed at the door, “Get out! Get out!”

Su Qin stood up, too lazy to argue with them, and left without looking back.

“Xiao Qin.”

“Xiao Qin.”

……

Liu Mei and Su Yue anxiously called her several times, but no one got up to stop her.

Su Qin didn’t want to argue with them. She walked downstairs. The biting cold wind hit her face, making her a little clearer-headed.

She walked aimlessly, obviously used to this loneliness, but the empty streets felt even more desolate, with only occasional firecracker sounds.

When Cheng Wenfeng saw Su Qin, she was squatting in a corner of a street shop, head buried in her knees, curled up like an abandoned stray cat, her whole body radiating a pitiful vibe.

When she saw him, her bright eyes suddenly lit up like sprinkled stars, her voice full of surprise, “Cheng Wenfeng?!”

Cheng Wenfeng’s heart jumped heavily twice. The excited ending of her voice made his heart ache.