The next day, Wen Ying noticed her parents seemed to have argued.
She figured it had nothing to do with her—buying gifts for them couldn’t possibly be wrong, right?
Unbeknownst to her, Chen Ru and Wen Dongrong’s spat was precisely about the “gifts.” Wen Dongrong, heading to work early, spent ages choosing and finally settled on one of the new ties, pairing it with the new leather shoes.
Due to Shu Guobing’s report, Wen Dongrong had been keeping a low profile at work lately. Switching to a new tie and shoes was a subtle change, unnoticed by most—except his rival, Old Li.
Old Li’s attention to Wen Dongrong rivaled that of a smitten suitor. If Wen Dongrong changed his hairstyle, Old Li would be the first to notice.
With his wife away and now sporting a new tie and shoes, Old Li sensed something was up with Wen Dongrong!
“Comrade Dongrong, those are some fancy shoes! Got some good news to share with everyone?” Old Li, ever the provocateur, asked loudly during lunch in the cafeteria, just as the big boss happened to be there, prompting a glance at Wen Dongrong’s feet.
Good shoes weren’t just about brand—the leather’s quality was unmistakable.
No need to touch them; the boss could tell Wen Dongrong’s shoes weren’t cheap.
But it wasn’t a big deal. Some spent their salary on food, others on clothes. As long as the money wasn’t ill-gotten, how one spent it was their business.
Wen Dongrong could afford expensive shoes. The discipline inspection had recently cleared him of any financial misconduct.
The boss not only had no issue with Wen Dongrong’s shoes but disapproved of Old Li’s pettiness.
Old Li was too narrow-minded, always watching Wen Dongrong like a hawk.
Still, the boss stayed silent. Annoying as Old Li was, he was useful at times. No one person could handle everything in the unit.
Was Wen Dongrong afraid of Old Li’s question?
Not at all!
He’d have been disappointed if Old Li *hadn’t* asked. Otherwise, his morning’s tie selection would’ve been like winking at a blind man.
With three parts pride and seven parts humility, Wen Dongrong delivered the most nonchalant boast: “Brother Li, you’ve got a sharp eye. These shoes aren’t cheap—I wouldn’t have bought them myself. During the National Day holiday, a relative took my daughter to Macau. She used her saved pocket money to get me these shoes and three ties, all from the mall. When she got home, her mom scolded her for spending recklessly. But they’re bought, and Macau’s too far to return them, right, Brother Li?”
Brother Li thought otherwise!
Catching the smugness in Wen Dongrong’s tone, Old Li rolled his eyes and gave a dry laugh. “You must give your kid a lot of pocket money!”
Wen Dongrong smiled. “Not really. She earned it selling snacks with classmates in Chengdu over the summer. As parents, we just accept her filial piety.”
Old Li grinned, saying how nice, but his teeth were practically aching.
That Wen guy was *definitely* showing off!
Old Li had a son a few years older than Wen Ying, now in college. This summer, he brought home a girlfriend, saying they’d marry after graduation.
The girl was pretty, and Old Li’s son was smitten. The family didn’t dare slight her, footing the bill for a Hong Kong trip. Old Li’s son bought his girlfriend clothes, shoes, and bags, lugging home heaps of stuff. Among it all, he dug out a silk scarf as a gift for Old Li’s wife. As for Old Li? Not a single thread, let alone shoes or ties!
The more Old Li thought, the angrier he got. Why’d he open his big mouth? He’d practically built a stage for Wen Dongrong to perform.
Infuriating!
It wasn’t just women who loved bragging about their kids—men had that vice too.
The cafeteria buzzed with praise, lauding Wen Dongrong’s parenting and his daughter’s devotion.
Even the boss envied him a bit.
Wen Dongrong basked in a wave of compliments at work. After hours, delivering gifts to the Wen family brought several more.
Wen Kai couldn’t put down the fountain pen. “Second Uncle, this must’ve cost a lot. All from Ying’s earnings? She’s amazing!”
Wen Ying’s gift for Grandma Wen was practical—a gold ring.
Macau’s gold prices weren’t higher than Chengdu’s. The ring, several grams with a peach-patterned face, secretly delighted Grandma Wen, though she repeatedly called it a waste of money.
“Too expensive, too expensive…”
A rural woman turned city dweller, Grandma Wen had no pension and had never worn a gold ring, only a tarnished silver bangle worn dull over time.
No one had thought to buy her a gold ring.
Such jewelry was typically a daughter’s gift to her mother. Wen Hongyan, when she had money, bought herself a gold bangle, never considering her own mother.
Wen Dongrong wasn’t short on cash but gave money directly, which Grandma Wen hoarded, reluctant to spend.
The 2,000 yuan for Wen Ying came from her slow savings.
Chen Ru and her mother-in-law didn’t get along. She’d agree to give money but wouldn’t go out of her way to honor the old lady.
Uncle Wen and Little Uncle Wen’s families, newly settled in the city, were still pinching pennies and hadn’t splurged on gold for Grandma Wen.
In all her years, Grandma Wen’s first gold jewelry came from Wen Ying. Her emotions were imaginable!
She said it was too costly and shouldn’t be accepted, but her eyes kept stealing glances.
Wen Dongrong reflected, realizing he hadn’t been attentive enough to his mother.
Uncle Wen felt inadequate for not letting his mother enjoy life.
Wen Kai set down the pen and personally put the gold ring on Grandma Wen’s finger. “Wear Ying’s ring for now. When I start working, I’ll buy you a gold bangle. Whatever other grandmas have, we’ll make sure you have too!”
Grandma Wen’s eyes glistened at her grandson’s words.
Wen Kai kept his promises.
Wen Ying was pretty great too.
Both Wen kids were good.
Grandma Wen asked Wen Dongrong, “Did Ying get anything for her mom?”
“She did—cosmetics. No way she’d forget her mom. But she didn’t buy anything for herself,” Wen Dongrong assured her.
Grandma Wen nodded, offering a fair word: “Your wife’s been good to the whole family over the years and raised the kid well. Don’t keep fighting with her.”
Wen Dongrong’s lower back twinged at the words.
Who was fighting whom?
It was Chen Ru picking fights every other day!
One wrong word, and she’d flip. Last night, she kicked him off the bed. This morning, he checked the mirror—his waist was bruised purple from her ruthless kick!
In front of the Wen family, especially his mother, Wen Dongrong wouldn’t lose face. He nodded stiffly. “Fight? I don’t stoop to her level!”
What was there to fight about? Just the Shu family mess.
Grandma Wen didn’t press. She kept glancing at her hand, tempted to touch the gold ring.
No wonder it came from so far—the peach carving was lovely. Squinting, she could see the leaf veins.
It was just an ordinary gold ring, available in Macau, Chengdu, or even their small city. But brought from Macau by Wen Ying, to Grandma Wen, it was the prettiest gold ring in the world!
Leaving his大哥’s house, Wen Dongrong called Chen Ru, who was at Chen Li’s.
Hearing the Wen family’s reactions, Chen Ru’s mood matched Grandma Wen’s joy over the ring.
—Wen Ying was right; the money was well spent!
Chen Ru had spent plenty on the Wen family over the years. Ignoring the aggravating Shu family, all her spending on the others paled compared to this time!
Chen Ru even reflected: maybe Wen Ying wasn’t spending too much—maybe she and Wen Dongrong were earning too little.
With that thought, she pushed the cosmetics toward Chen Li. “Take it. You didn’t love her for nothing.”
Chen Li could afford such cosmetics, but Wen Ying’s gift made her especially happy.
Deng Jie and Deng Hao got remote-control cars and Transformers, going wild unpacking them.
Chen Li chuckled. “Sis, if you want to laugh, just laugh. Holding it in’s gotta be tough.”
“Laugh? That brat spends like there’s no tomorrow, forgetting her own name once she earns a bit. I’m worried sick—how can I laugh?” Chen Ru’s words didn’t match her heart.
Chen Li grinned.
Fine, whatever her sister said. Call her out, and she’d flip in a second.
Chen Li genuinely thought daughters were great—thoughtful and sweet. Her two “demon stars” were top-tier troublemakers, likely to forget their mom once they married. The more she thought, the worse she felt!
But since her sister moved her job to Chengdu, her bond with Wen Ying had grown closer—a good sign.
An aunt’s love couldn’t match a mother’s. Chen Li hoped Chen Ru would keep seeing Wen Ying’s strengths, as she did now.
…
While Wen Dongrong and Chen Ru reveled in satisfaction, Wen Ying felt uneasy at school.
For some reason, Xie Qian kept giving her odd looks all day. After school, she couldn’t hold back and asked, “Are the earphones faulty?”
They shouldn’t be—such expensive earphones failing would infuriate her.
She could use cheap ones herself, but a gift for Xie Qian was like an offering to a god. Within her means, it had to be the best!
Xie Qian shook his head. “The earphones are fine. They work great.”
Then what was it?
Was the advice she gave him last night off?
Wen Ying would never guess it wasn’t bad advice—it was *too* good, sparking Xie Qian’s suspicions.
Xie Qian couldn’t ask directly, so he took a roundabout approach. “I don’t see your junior high classmates contacting you much. They don’t have your number?”
He figured he could narrow down her “junior high classmates” to find her early crush.
Xie Qian had no ulterior motives—just curiosity about what kind of person it was.
His question caught Wen Ying off guard. She thought hard before shaking her head. “I don’t keep in touch with junior high classmates. I didn’t make many friends then. I wasn’t very likable.”
She wasn’t the top student.
She wasn’t the prettiest.
She had no artistic talent and never got picked for performances.
Her three high school years felt oppressive in her past life, but junior high memories were more absurdly funny.
—She had to buy snacks to play the “generous” role to gain a few “friends.” How pathetic!
