When Xu Nuo was back to the office, she found both Huang Yu and Jiang Youyou were not at their desks. She inquired about them and got to know that both had asked for leave.
Jiang Youyou must be broken-hearted-her ideal lover was burned to death when he was having an affair with some other woman-she deserved whatever she got. When Xu Nuo was to get off work, she got a call from her father to tell her about the family’s emigration and packing.
“Drop the subject, Daddy. Let me stay here. I’ve already been engaged. Be at ease and let’s discuss it when I come back tomorrow.” Xu Nuo felt a bit blue. She would like to stay where she was accustomed to living.
In his office Luo Junchang asked Xu Nuo, “Where are we going to dinner this evening?”
And Xu Nuo said, “Ask your mother to come out and wander with us and then find a place to have dinner together.”
Luo Junchang went to pick up his mother. Xu Nuo didn’t say any words in his car. She was thinking of the affair her father involved in. It was all her fault to mistake the objective so that she not only failed to get the name list, but also had to pay the rest of her life to an unwanted husband. Fortunately Luo Junchang seemed to love her very much, she could demand nothing else.
Arriving at the shopping center, Xu Nuo said to them, “I’m going shopping first, are you going with me? if you’re hungry you can go to the restaurant first.”
Jian Yemei said she was not hungry yet and she would like to stroll with them in the shopping center.
Xu Nuo took a fancy to a dehair angora vest, which cost over nine thousand yuan. She tried it on and turned round in front of the mirror and asked Luo Junchang, “Is it beautiful?”
Jian Yemei came up to have a look at the tag of four-figure price and said to the saleswoman, “We’re not going to buy it. You don’t have much dehair angora in the vest, how can you charge such a high price!”
The saleswoman said to the old woman with all smiles, “You don’t have to worry about it, Auntie. We can give you a 10% discount on the price, for Miss Xu has our membership card.
“That’s still too expensive. Don’t buy it, Xu Nuo. You have just bought some new clothes, why are you going to buy some more?” Jian Yemei tried to dissuade her.
Luo Junchang tried hard to forbear and went to his mother, “Forget it, Mum. It’s OK whatever she likes.”
“I want two of this. Please wrap them for me.” Xu Nuo cast a sideways glance at her future mother-in-law. If she had known her as such a woman she would have her gone to the restaurant first.
Two of it? Jian Yemei turned angry. The anger she constrained for a long time now broke out. “How are you going to live after you and my son get married? This vest is so expensive but why should you buy two! You silly girl are too extravagant!”
The saleswoman of the shop froze with surprise.
“I tell you why. That’s because I want to send another one to my mother abroad. Anyway, even I buy twenty piece or two hundred piece, the money I spend was from my parents, from my own salary which has nothing to do with yours. You don’t have the right to teach me, you know?” Xu Nuo pointed to Jian Yemei and cursed, “I respected you because you’re Junchang’s mother and I have forborne for a long time, but if you won’t be ashamed of yourself, I won’t also bear any more!”
The salesman handed the wrapped bag of the clothing to Xu Nuo and asked in a low voice, “Cash or credit card, Please?”
“Cash.” Xu Nuo took out two stacks of banknotes, ten thousand yuan each, and threw the money onto the desk. “Keep the change for afternoon tea.”
Jiang Yemei was absolutely livid, and Luo Junchang felt terrible to be sandwiched between the two women. He had to ease the situation by saying to Xu Nuo, “Stop it. I’m hungry, let’s go to have dinner.”
A mother and her daughter-in-law will never be as intimate as a family.
Xu Nuo picked a quite expensive eatery. She would never shortchanged herself about what she ate and drank. She said to the water, “I’d like to have your fried beef fillet in Portuguese sauce and I’d like it prepared by Chef Seven. Do remember this.”
“The beef is too greasy, I don’t want it.” Jian Yemei didn’t like meat.
Xu Nuo paused and then said, “Then change it to Stewed Bird’s Nest with Crab Roe, three portions.”
Jian Yemei stopped her again, “This is too chilly. We don’t want this. Some vegetables will be good enough.”
Seriously, Xu Nuo said word by word, “You-don’t-want-it, but-we-want!”
Jian Yemei became angry again, “Don’t you think we can eat anywhere, you must choose such an expensive restaurant, in which one dish can cost you two or three hundred yuan. How many yuan you can earn in a month? If you spend your money in such a way, how can you make ends meet in the future?”
Xu Nuo stood up and said to Luo Junchang, “You stay here to have the dinner with your mother, and I’ll go first.”
Luo Junchang thought Xu Nuo was going too far, so he tried to mediate, “What if we leave after having the dinner?”
“Let her go!” Jian Yemei said with an expression of sullen resentment. “She doesn’t know she should respect for her elders. What an impertinent woman she is! I’m wondering if her parents had taught her some basic manners.”
“Bang!” Xu Nuo banged her fist on the table, “Whom do you say to be lack of manners! When I bought some clothing you blamed me so much, when I ordered dishes you say you don’t like that or this. Since you dislike me that much, I’d better leave. But who should allow you criticize my parents? Don’t think you’re great because your son is a General Manager. That’s just a position that could be taken away at any time. How should you be so triumphant? Isn’t it because you have a humble house? Our family has the house abroad that has a bathroom larger than your rubbish living room! If I myself like to be with your son I will endure any unfairness. But now I’m unwilling to do so. Whoever can wait upon you if she wants to, and I won’t play with you any longer.”
Xu Nuo rushed out and she felt relieved. Since babyhood no one ever dared to teach her such a lesson, therefor she wouldn’t be happy even if she married her son. It turned out that falling in love with a man had nothing to do with the marriage, what did matter was whether the mother of the man thought you looked pleasing or not.
Luo Junchang was going to chase after her.
Jian Yemei grabbed him tightly, “If you’re going after the woman, you’re having your mother die.”
Xu Nuo turned around to see the scene of deep love between the mother and the son, she felt bitter-hearted.
Luo Junchang dodged Xu Nuo’s eyes. He thought it would be better to stabilize his mother first. Anyway he could call the young girl later.
He was worried and angry, angry and worried.
Xu Nuo drove forward at full power. It was raining and the road was slippery. But she opened the car window to let the cold raindrops in. Perhaps this would make her a little more sober.