The old couple struggled to bite the sandwich and said nothing.
Those three kids weren’t the type to suffer in silence. First Sun Jiaxing poked the broccoli with his chopstick tip, saying this was for feeding rabbits. Then Sun Jiarui said the fried egg wasn’t cooked, sticky and disgusting in the mouth. Later Sun Yuyan said the sauce flowing out of the sandwich… was very similar to the diarrhea he’d had that morning. Because these past two days he was having stomach troubles.
…
Sun Jingfei said nothing, just looked at them.
Mother Sun urged them, “Eat… eat, stop talking.”
She thought of two months ago when Sun Jingfei had the whim to take her to see a movie, called… what was it, “The Father”? Mainly about Alzheimer’s… dementia. She said this was about elderly people, she should enjoy watching it.
She didn’t enjoy it. After watching, she didn’t sleep well for three days.
Sun Jingfei didn’t care about them so much. After eating, she made plans with Zhou Yu to go shopping. Now in the family, she and Zhou Yu were the most idle. The malls were gradually putting out autumn clothes. She’d go look and buy two sets for Yuyi.
She hadn’t come back this summer vacation. After the rainstorm, she wanted to come back and see, but some areas had outbreaks again. These days, hearing Eldest Sister-in-law video call with her, asking why she hadn’t accepted the living expenses transferred to her, she said she still had some—wait until school starts.
This was the first time the sisters-in-law went shopping together. Zhou Yu also felt for the first time that her arms didn’t know where to go… When other people went shopping, they intimately hooked arms, but she and Sun Jingfei were one in front, one behind, like they weren’t familiar.
Thinking this, her arm was naturally hooked by Sun Jingfei, who said first they’d go get manicures together. Sun Jingfei did blingy big manicures. Zhou Yu, because school was starting soon, only got simple trimming and maintenance, didn’t add color.
After finishing their nails, the two continued shopping. Sun Jingfei bought two autumn outfits for Yuyi. Zhou Yu bought shoes for Yuyi and conveniently bought cufflinks for Sun Jingcheng.
After shipping the clothes and shoes by courier, the two went to eat Japanese food. Sun Jingfei ate while replying to WeChat. After a while, she showed Zhou Yu a photo, saying it was the fresh young meat currently pursuing her.
Good-looking, thick eyebrows, high nose bridge. Zhou Yu asked: “Looks like post-90s?”
“Born in ’95. Twelve years younger than me.” Sun Jingfei threw her a flirtatious glance.
…
After the meal, they didn’t shop anymore—nothing else to buy. Making plans with Eldest Sister-in-law, they prepared to go see Second Sister-in-law.
Second Sister-in-law’s complexion wasn’t bad, just her state was average. The four sisters-in-law sat at the medical aesthetics center all afternoon. In the evening, they made plans to go out for a buffet.
During the meal, Sun Jingfei showed each of them the fresh young meat’s photo. Eldest Sister-in-law scolded her for being old and indecent. Second Sister-in-law said he looked good, just didn’t know how his skills were.
Eldest Sister-in-law couldn’t listen anymore. She pulled Zhou Yu to get food, also taking the opportunity to chat with her about something. With school starting soon, her sister-in-law wanted to transfer her son to Zhou Yu’s school’s middle school division.
“His grades are average. If he relied on his own ability to test into your school, he’d probably be short by ten or twenty points.”
Zhou Yu agreed, “Sure, I’ll ask around for you tomorrow.”
Eldest Sister-in-law felt relieved. As long as Zhou Yu said this, basically there was no problem. She didn’t say anything too polite, only saying: “Thank you for the trouble.”
Zhou Yu smiled. “No problem.”
Zhou Yu’s school wasn’t outstanding among key schools, but it excelled in school atmosphere and learning environment. Sun Jiaxing’s grades weren’t good either. Originally Zhou Yu had arranged his enrollment. After entering, influenced by the learning atmosphere, out of 600 students in the whole grade, now he could rank in the top 300.
Among the kids in the family, except for Ke Yu who was good material, the rest were all scatter-brained.
To some extent, Zhou Yu agreed with Sun Jingfei’s educational philosophy—if a child isn’t cut out for studying, let them learn a survival skill, with the idea of establishing themselves in society, first solving basic survival problems. As the saying goes: if the east isn’t bright, the west will be.
After the four finished eating, they moved to a bar. The atmosphere called for it—they all drank a bit. Eldest Sister-in-law complained that nowadays men had also learned to be shrewd and slick, learned to flatter women along the grain, saying with pious mouths they were following the times, wanting to respect and cherish women, speaking so convincingly she was almost moved to tears. Saying this, she turned and spat fiercely. “Damned bastards, turn around and you hear their dirty obscene talk among men.”
“Nowadays, how many men truly respect women? They don’t even respect their own mothers—how will they respect you?” Second Sister-in-law said, “The rotten people now, if you dragged them to the Kaifeng Court’s dog-head guillotine, you couldn’t behead them all. Men and women are all the same.”
“Let’s go, go to the bathroom!” Sun Jingfei stood up.
No one went. Zhou Yu saw she was a bit unsteady and accompanied her. All three stalls in the women’s restroom were occupied. Sun Jingfei couldn’t wait—she was bursting. She looked at Zhou Yu, turned back to the booth to call the bold Second Sister-in-law to guard the men’s room door, then brazenly barged into the men’s room. Usually, whether at scenic areas or commercial centers, as long as the women’s room had a long queue and the men’s room had few people, she would definitely crash the men’s room.
After using the toilet, Second Sister-in-law jerked her chin at her, indicating the back door to chat about some private matters. She was really too uncomfortable. She talked about how a few months ago she and Second had divorced then remarried.
“That woman somehow got your second brother’s phone number, saying she’d given birth to a daughter for him twelve years ago… disgusted me completely!” Second Sister-in-law said through gritted teeth.
Sun Jingfei was dumbfounded. “Is it Second Brother’s?”
“Your second brother said no, said he’s clear about what he’s done. But that woman insisted it was your second brother’s.” Second Sister-in-law cursed her out, saying: “Your second brother said she recognized him when she went to the restaurant to eat.”
“Do a paternity test.”
“She keeps making excuses, finding reasons not to do it.”
“Then what’s the point? Clearly trying to extort!” Sun Jingfei said, “You and Second Brother should deal with her together first. Close the door later to discuss your issues.”
Second Sister-in-law fell silent, said nothing more. Saying more was useless. Divorcing but unwilling to accept it, moreover there were two children, and their feelings weren’t so simple that they could just separate. Before she didn’t feel anything, could still look at this matter rationally. But now after the induced abortion surgery, she found Sun Jinghui disagreeable everywhere.
Sun Jingfei borrowed two cigarettes from someone, stood there smoking with her, chatting about when she’d tracked Ke Yong before.
…
The four came out of the bar, standing at the entrance waiting for Sun Jingcheng and Second Brother. Eldest Sister-in-law asked how much it cost altogether. Sun Jingfei didn’t think much and casually reported it. Eldest Sister-in-law said nothing and directly transferred the money via WeChat.
Sun Jingfei wouldn’t accept it, saying whoever treats is the same!
Eldest Sister-in-law firmly gave it, saying the buffet was Second’s treat. As the eldest sister-in-law, she should treat for the drinks.
Sun Jingfei said nothing more and accepted the money.
Zhou Yu stared at the night in a daze. She suddenly thought of when she was little—seeing her father secretly holding hands with an auntie. She went home and naively told Feng Yiqun, and then things developed in an uncontrollable direction.
Eldest Sister-in-law held up her phone for a selfie, getting everyone in the shot, then sent it to Sun Yuyi: [Mommy went out drinking with your aunts, a bit tipsy, all is well, don’t worry.]