Chapter 59 - 59 The Old Fox

Mr. Gu was quite astute and in an instant, he noticed Director Hong’s appreciation of Xu Ying’s talent. His lips twitched, realizing that even if he hadn’t said anything just then, Director Hong would definitely have sought out Yingying, that old fox.

Director Hong, with his thick skin, wasn’t the least bit guilty under Mr. Gu’s sharp gaze.

Watching Xu Ying, he was really pleased, but he wondered, given her young age and slim build, could she actually handle the heavy cooking utensil?

Xu Ying, as if perceiving his doubt, puffed out her chest and said, “Director Hong can rest assured, I will definitely work hard. Don’t be fooled by my young age or skinny appearance.

But I have a lot of strength, and I’m really good at cooking; I definitely won’t embarrass Director Hong.”

Director Hong was very satisfied upon hearing this. The girl was good, sensible, and knew the bigger picture.

“Then it’s a deal, the day after tomorrow we won’t miss it.” As the last dish, “Egg Drop Soup,” was served, people began to slowly leave their seats at the banquet.

Banquets nowadays were different from the past, though attended by those of good circumstances, displaying better dining manners, but not a single dish was left untouched.

Not to mention taking leftovers home, the plates were wiped clean.

One by one, guests left with their bellies round and full, licking their lips contentedly.

Gu Fuying had some free time and hurriedly went to find Xu Ying. Seeing her, Xu Ying was also very excited, and the two walked arm in arm to the house.

Once inside, Xu Ying noticed Gu’s mother’s gaze flicker.

She found an opportunity to tell her about Gu Fuying’s partner, Wang Liqing.

Originally, Gu’s mother had been dissatisfied with her daughter’s partner, and now that she heard Xu Ying’s words, her brows furrowed even more.

“Yingying, Auntie thanks you, but Fuying is just too stubborn; once she sets her mind on something, not even ten bulls can pull her back.

Your uncle and I had always felt that Wu Yu was up to no good. His family background doesn’t match ours at all.

But that stubborn girl refuses to break it off with him; now the boy’s turned downright wicked. If he wanted to break up, why cause such a fuss?”

Gu’s mother was shaking with anger. She had thought that if her daughter liked Wu Yu and if the boy proved himself, then her husband and she could have arranged something for him.

But who would have thought he’d burn bridges after crossing the river? Just after they helped him get a job in the personnel department of the textile factory, he hooked up with the daughter of the personnel director. What a clever move.

“But thanks to you, you’ve given us a wake-up call. Otherwise, our Fuying would still be in the dark!

I’ll discuss with her father and we’ll think of a strategy. You’ll be starting work at the State-owned Restaurant the day after tomorrow, so if you have any problems, just talk to me and your Uncle Gu.

Don’t be a stranger with us, we both like you very much, just as if you were our own daughter. If anything comes up, don’t hesitate to speak up.” Gu’s mother meant every word sincerely.

She was growing more and more fond of Yingying, such a sensible, big-picture understanding, and grateful girl. If you helped her once, she’d repay you twofold.

Such a person was much better than those selfish ones.

And as for her own daughter, who was naive and carefree — to put it nicely, she was innocent to the point of cluelessness. To put it not so nicely, she was simply brainless.

Having Yingying around, she could rest much easier.

Xu Ying could see there wasn’t a hint of pretense or insincerity in her eyes and quickly nodded with a smile, “I understand, Aunt Gu. I’ll head back now to get ready for work the day after tomorrow.”

When Gu’s mother heard this, she hastily took out the money she had prepared and stuffed it into Xu Ying’s pocket, “Go on then, take it slow on your way.”

“I’m off then!” As Xu Ying turned to leave, Gu Fuying hurried after her, “Yingying, what were you and my mom talking about?”

Xu Ying smiled, “We were talking about me starting my job at the State-owned Restaurant the day after tomorrow. You can come visit me there for a meal, and when you do, I’ll take extra good care of you and serve you a generous portion.”

Hearing this great news, Gu Fuying exclaimed, “Yingying, are you really going to work at the State-owned Restaurant? That’s fantastic! Now I can enjoy your delicious cooking every day.”

Her eyes curved with joy, a dream she had long cherished was finally coming true.

Xu Ying was about to leave, but Gu Fuying wouldn’t allow it. How could she let her go so soon when her dear friend had just come to the county and they’d barely spoken?

“Dear sister, why don’t you come back inside with me and we can talk?” Gu Fuying said coquettishly. She and Xu Ying looked quite similar, with Xu being the epitome of cuteness mixed with cool intelligence.

Gu Fuying was the quintessential sweet, innocent fool—clumsy yet endearing—and her pout only made her cuter. Xu Ying couldn’t resist and compromised, “Alright, alright, I’ll chat with you.”

Finally satisfied, Gu Fuying beamed and led Xu Ying past Gu’s mother, the two of them heading into the house like close sisters.

“Yingying, look at these hairpins my sister-in-law brought me from her place. Aren’t they pretty? I’ll give you one, and then we’ll be just like sisters.” Gu Fuying presented her own hairpins.

Xu Ying looked at the ordinary hairpins before her and smiled. Any random hairpin from the future would look better than these, but they were trendy enough at the time, no wonder Fuying liked them so much. Not wanting to dismiss Fuying’s kindness, she picked up a hairpin and said with a smile, “They’re beautiful.

Fuying, I heard from Aunt that you have a boyfriend?”@@novelbin@@

When it came to her boyfriend, Gu Fuying’s eyes sparkled and she gushed, “Yes, my boyfriend works in the personnel department of a textile factory. He is really good to me; you have no idea.

At first, my parents disapproved of our relationship, but Wu Yu’s feelings for me stayed constant. He faced their disapproving gazes and gradually won them over until they agreed.”

Xu Ying’s expression darkened slightly upon hearing this. Poor fool, it wasn’t Wu Yu who’d won their parents over; it was Mr. Gu and Gu’s mother who couldn’t stand to see their daughter unhappy.

“How exactly did your boyfriend convince your parents to agree to your relationship?” Xu Ying inquired.

Caught off guard, Gu Fuying stalled, struggling to remember, “I don’t quite recall.”

“Ah, I used to fancy a guy from our village who was part of the Youth Corps. When I first confessed to him, he said he only saw me as a sister.

Yet, he also said that feelings could be cultivated. All the while, he took advantage of our things and used the sibling relationship as a pretense.

Recently, I caught him getting cozy with another Youth Corps girl. I wanted to confront him but to my shock, not only did he deny our relationship, he defended the other girl fiercely.

In the end, I fell into the river, and he even tried to have that girl claim the title of the lifesaver who ‘rescued’ me. After that ordeal, I finally saw his true colors.”

“Now, my feelings for that Youth Corps guy are gone. He can’t handle hardship and now he’s come begging back to me. Honestly, how can a man be so deceptive?

He clearly doesn’t like me but kept leading me on, talking about developing feelings from a sibling-like relationship. He just thought that since my dad is the team leader, he could get easy tasks.

But you’re lucky, Fuying. Your boyfriend must be really good to you, buying you clothes and skin cream, right?”