Chapter 9 Malicious Retaliation

Tang Wanqiu covered her mouth and pointed at Tang Chuxia, "You're not my sister, who exactly are you?"

Tang Chuxia sighed, she was astute, unfortunately, she couldn't admit it.

"Think whatever you wish—I'm going out. Are you still going to stop me?"

After speaking, she looked at Tang Wanqiu with an expression of calm indifference.

Tang Wanqiu's newly-arisen suspicions began to scatter once more.

"Brother Mingcheng will definitely not marry you. You're really going down to the countryside! You might as well experience the life I once lived!"

Her tone was filled with malice.

Tang Chuxia just uttered an "Oh," and nodded nonchalantly, "Then let's wait and see!"

She started walking towards the gate and saw the street director, Auntie Hu, there.

Auntie Hu looked at the down jacket Tang Chuxia was wearing with envy, "Chuxia, where are you off to?"

Tang Chuxia linked her arm with Auntie Hu, "I'm off to the convenience store to buy some persimmons, my mom loves them!"

Auntie Hu praised her for being filial, then whispered, "What on earth is your family thinking? With your health and no job, are you really going down to the countryside?"

Tang Chuxia sighed, "I have no choice. I can't even join the cultural troupe now. How about I go work with you, Auntie Hu?"

Auntie Hu laughed and scolded her, "The tasks here are all odds and ends, not suitable for a young lady like you. If you ask me, you should push your parents more; you can't just leave it to chance."

Watching as Auntie Hu reached the street office, Tang Chuxia bid her farewell and headed towards the store, pocketing her hands. Just as she arrived at the doorway of the convenience store, someone called out to her.

"Tang Chuxia, are you going to the class reunion?"

A short-haired girl on a bicycle arrived at her side in a whirlwind, panting slightly from the rush.

Tang Chuxia shuffled through her memory and remembered that this girl was a high school classmate of hers.

A year ago, after they graduated from high school, the original host suddenly fell ill and had to be hospitalized for treatment, missing out on the grandiose college entrance examination. Many of her classmates had gone off to university, but she had rested at home for a year. This year, she could have taken the college exam, but due to her grandparents' death, the family had to rush back to their ancestral home to mourn. She fell ill once again and missed the college entrance exam for a second time.

This was also why Auntie Hu from the street said they couldn't let her get away with it anymore. The children in their family all had jobs, and if they allowed Tang Chuxia, who was jobless, not to register for relocation to the countryside, they risked being reported.

"I don't want to go!"

Tang Chuxia was quite frank; she would rather lie around at home than dine with a bunch of strangers.

Wang Aihong stopped her bike and grabbed Tang Chuxia's hand, "Come on, don't be like that! It's so hard to organize these things, are you really going to miss out? I heard Liu Meijuan is going to be there too. You know she always loves to compete with you, and I'm looking forward to seeing you put her in her place!"

Tang Chuxia gave her the look of a beauty rolling her eyes, "That's even more reason not to go!"

The original host had stayed unemployed at home after high school, while Liu Meijuan went to university. What was there to confront her about?

The more likely scenario was that she would be the one confronted, the one ridiculed.

Seeing that she was adamantly refusing, Wang Aihong could only say with resignation, "All right then, it's at the state-owned restaurant tomorrow afternoon. If you change your mind, just come over, okay?"

Wang Aihong then hurried off again, and Tang Chuxia rubbed her hands together, watched her leave, and then stepped into the convenience store. There she saw Gu Nanzhi holding a pack of melon seeds and waving at her.

"You're really not going?"

Tang Chuxia nodded and asked the shop owner to pack eight persimmon cakes for her.

"You college students have it so easy, huh? Just wandering around every day?"

Gu Nanzhi also got into a university last year.

Gu Nanzhi chuckled dryly, "Isn't this because I was too shocked after hearing that you like my brother? I needed some melon seeds to calm my nerves!"

Tang Chuxia: ...

The proprietress pushed the plate of melon seeds towards Tang Chuxia with a face full of gossip and asked, "Who likes whom?"

In their old neighborhood, everyone had known each other for decades, and the proprietress, in her thirties, also loved to hear gossip.

"I like to pick on her brother!"

Tang Chuxia blurted out, which left the proprietress speechless. "You two have been fighting since you were kids. Haven't you spent all your good times taking on that kid Beihuai?"

The proprietress had quite the way with words, causing Gu Nanzhi to laugh like a cackling hen. Just when it seemed she was about to lose it, Tang Chuxia kindly patted her back, saving a life in the process.

Gu Nanzhi wiped away the reflexive tears at the corner of her eyes and rubbed her face saying, "Oh my goodness, it's more like your brother bullying you than the other way around. Are you picking on his nose hair or something?"

After saying this, Gu Nanzhi started imitating a rooster crowing again, causing both the proprietress and Tang Chuxia to worry she might go into hysterics.

It was rare to see someone amuse themselves to this state, with such a low threshold for humor. Such a person was truly a handful.

Fortunately, someone came to buy cigarettes, which diverted the proprietress's attention, and Gu Nanzhi held her belly and finally stopped laughing.

"Xiaxia, I have a stomachache!"

Gu Nanzhi complained in discomfort and was about to collapse onto Tang Chuxia when Tang Jianbing saw her and swiftly entered, pressing her forehead with his hand.

"Don't you know our Xiaxia is frail? She's already feeling unwell, and with your build, who do you plan on crushing?"

Tang Jianbing said with disdain, which made Gu Nanzhi instantly straighten up, staring at him intently.

But she then asked Tang Chuxia, "Why are all the brothers in the world so poisonous with their words?"

Tang Chuxia chuckled and poked Tang Jianbing, "Little brother, how did you get back so soon?"

Tang Jianbing nudged Gu Nanzhi aside, asked the proprietress for a bag of candy for Tang Chuxia, and paid for the persimmon cakes she bought. He then replied, "It's not far away. I just ran into Wang Aihong. Are you going to the alumni meeting tomorrow?"

Tang Chuxia shook her head, but Tang Jianbing said, "That girl lies again, claiming you were going, and that's why I agreed to join."

Gu Nanzhi, holding her stomach, leaned in, "Why not go? I've heard that this time someone is really splurging. Let's all go take advantage of the big spender!"

Tang Chuxia didn't want to go initially, but it wasn't out of the question with her little brother and Gu Nanzhi also attending.

What she didn't expect, however, was that the alumni gathering included not just their grade but also many earlier ones, from the last bunch of high school seniors to their generation, the first batch after the resumption of the college entrance exam, a numerous crowd.

That meant Hu Mingcheng would be there, and so would Gu Beihuai and their peers.

They all came from the same affiliated school, so they were alumni.

Early in the morning, Gu Nanzhi dragged Tang Chuxia up to get ready. By the time they left the house, Tang Jianbing was already impatient. Fortunately, it wasn't very far, and they reached the place after just five stops on the tram.

As soon as they entered the restaurant, many people recognized Tang Chuxia and greeted her.

The slightly childish Tang Chuxia from two years ago had now fully blossomed, and with her lazy yet enchanting aura, she stood out as the most beautiful among the many grades of female students.

"Tang Chuxia, I thought you were something special. Turns out you can't even keep an eye on a fiancé?"

A harsh voice suddenly pierced the air, causing Tang Chuxia to instinctively shift her foot.

*Slap* —

The room went silent instantly.