“Oh! It’s really Myrna . I thought I recognized the wrong person at the door just now!”
Donna Jerome, the neighbor next door, is notorious for being talkative and loud!
My husband also teaches at the Second Middle School and moved into the faculty and staff community in the same year as Myrna’s family.
Seeing Myrna coming out, she quickly took two steps forward and stared at her from head to toe. “Tsk tsk, my goodness, this is incredible! Otherwise, why do they say that big cities support people? This girl is really rich!”
Myrna : ” … ”
“Look at her outfit, her figure, her clothes and shoes. She’s so fashionable!”
Donna praised her profusely, then lowered her voice and winked at Myrna : “Girl, I heard that you are doing well in H City and have connections … Can you introduce me to my second sister?”
Myrna was a little confused: ” … Introduction to what?”
“Hey! It’s that kind of big boss, rich son-in-law. My second sister has a good figure and is pretty. The key is that she is young, only 22!”
Myrna’s face darkened, and she took a half step back, keeping a distance from her: ” Auntie , you may have misunderstood. I didn’t go to H City to mix, and I don’t have any connections, so I can’t help you.”
Donna’s brows tightened when she heard this: ” Myrna , we are neighbors, why are you hiding it? If you make money and get good things, you should give others a way out, right?”
Myrna laughed angrily: “Who am I? Auntie , you think too highly of me.”
Seeing her refusing several times, Donna’s smile disappeared: “Oh my, this guy is so proud of himself when he gets rich! I was just joking, which good girl would be willing to eat such a cheap meal … ”
” Donna ! Watch your words!” Without waiting for Myrna to speak, Elton dropped his bicycle and rushed forward to protect his daughter behind him.
He had a stern face, his eyes burning with anger, “You can eat whatever you want, but you can’t say whatever you want! My Myrna is clean, but you are full of shit!”
“Oh, I’m spitting shit?” Donna was also angry. She and the Wagner Family didn’t get along well in the first place. As neighbors, they had little friction all the time. “Go and listen for yourself. Everyone in our neighborhood knows that your daughter hasn’t been home for a few years and is dating a rich man outside. I’m not the only one saying this. If you have the guts, go and shut them up!”
“You-” Elton’s eyes turned red with anger, his chest heaving violently, “Nonsense! You’re talking nonsense!”
“Tsk … you did it and you don’t allow people to say anything? You are so hypocritical!” He looked at Myrna with a harsh gaze, “What kind of good girl would dress like this? She looks like she is trying to seduce men anytime and anywhere. It’s disgusting!”
“You-you get out of here–” Elton covered his heart and had difficulty breathing.
“Dad!” Myrna quickly took out the blood pressure medicine and fed it to him.
He raised his head again, looking at the woman with cold eyes: “I call you aunt because we have been neighbors for so many years, but you are so arrogant that you come to my doorstep to scold me? In this case, I won’t be polite!”
As she spoke, Myrna picked up the mop in the corner. Maybe Clara had just washed it, so it was still wet and dripping with water. She picked it up and swung it at the woman.
Donna screamed: “Someone is beating – someone is beating -”
There’s no time to hide!
Although she managed to avoid it, most of the water on the mop was splashed onto her.
Myrna : “Oh, I just mopped the toilet and haven’t washed it yet, just in time!”
Donna’s face turned pale, as if she could really smell the stench of shit on herself: “You, you little girl, you are so disgusting!”
Myrna shook the mop and continued to swing it at her.
Donna ran around with her head in her hands, and when she reached the door she turned back and said fiercely: “I, I’m not done with you!”
“This damn wisteria in your house has spread into my yard. I’m going to burn it all down tomorrow! It’s so annoying just looking at it!”
After saying that, he ran away because Myrna caught up with him with a mop in hand.
“Get out! Come on, I’ll beat you up!”
Myrna put down the mop and breathed a sigh of relief, but when she turned around she saw Elton’s serious expression and her heart skipped a beat.
After a long while, he stammered and took the initiative to speak: ” … I’m sorry, Dad, I … ”
“When did you learn that?”
” … ha?”
“Just like this … like that … ” Elton imitated the way she swung the mop.
Myrna : ” … ”
“Hey! Girls, it’s better to be quiet and elegant, and not behave like shrews.”
“Dad,” Myrna stepped forward and took his arm, “Just tell me whether you felt relieved just now or not?”
Well!
Elton : ” … relieve the anger.”
“Did she pull out the wisteria flowers near her yard?”
In fact, there was a small piece of open space between the two houses. Donna filled the soil without permission and planted vegetables. Every day, feces and urine would pour on it. The wisteria planted by the Wagner Family just climbed out of the courtyard wall, and was completely destroyed by her before it fell on the open space.
Elton was generous and Clara didn’t like to argue, so they never mentioned the vacant land over the years, which made Donna feel that the vacant land belonged to her.
“She said the branches were growing too far and blocking the sun for her vegetables, so she pulled them all out.” Elton sighed, “Your mother must be heartbroken.”
Myrna bit her lower lip, she didn’t expect her parents to be so angry during the years she was away from home.
“Dad, what they said … ”
“Don’t pay attention to it! Just treat it as bullshit! You don’t know anything, but you’re just gossiping. I know my daughter better than anyone else, and she’s not that kind of person at all.”
Myrna’s eyes were slightly red.
“Okay, don’t tell your mom later. She always thinks too much.”
“Uh-huh.”
…
Clara pulled Myrna out of bed early in the morning and said, “Don’t sleep anymore. Go and get ready. Dress nicely. We’re going to your uncle’s house later.”
Myrna’s grandparents have four children. Elton has two older brothers and a younger sister.
My uncle Earl dropped out of school in his teens to work on a construction site. In his twenties, he started taking on jobs on his own. After accumulating his first pot of gold, he switched to the building materials business.
Now he has his own building materials company, lives in a villa, and drives a Mercedes-Benz. In their small place, he is considered a big boss.
His grandparents have always lived with him, so every year on the second day of the Chinese New Year, the four siblings of the Wagner Family would gather at their old home.
In previous years, there were only Elton and Clara , but this year there is also Myrna .
Merry Christmas , Auntie .”
Jane opened the door and stared at the graceful girl in front of her for a few seconds: ” … Is this Myrna ?”
Clara smiled slightly: ” Merry Christmas , sister-in-law .”
While speaking, he handed over the fruit basket and health products prepared for grandpa and grandma .
Jane : “Come on, what else do you want to buy? Really … We’re waiting for you and your family, please come in.”
“Hey, is this Myrna ? You’re a rare visitor. You haven’t been back for a few years. Why did you come back this year?”