Chapter 119: Chapter 119 Playing Cards
Su Meixi paused, her brain quickly analyzing the current situation.
These Mrs. Li and Mrs. Si looked like ladies from the circle of wealthy families, and Qiu Yurou’s insistence on having Su Meixi join them in playing Mahjong amounted to acknowledging her as the Gu Family’s daughter-in-law, didn’t it?
No way it was that simple!
There had to be a catch!
“Mom, I’m not very good at playing Mahjong,” Su Meixi humbly said.
Qiu Yurou’s face immediately darkened, “We’re short of people now. If you’re asked to play, just play, don’t be so disrespectful.”
...
Left with no other choice, Su Meixi sat down.
The game started quickly, and they chatted while they played.
Mrs. Li was rather boastful, and her words often carried double meanings.
“Mrs. Gu, your daughter-in-law is quite obedient, actually willing to play Mahjong with us old ladies. My daughter-in-law isn’t that compliant; she’s always flying around the world, if not to Europe today, then to Canada tomorrow for various seminars, too busy to catch her breath. So, you see, marrying a daughter-in-law doesn’t require a high degree. A lower education means more time to keep mother-in-law company, right?”
Su Meixi knew Mrs. Li was mocking her for having a low degree and for not being an elite in society.
But she pretended not to notice.
Kids from elite families lived a life of privilege from a young age, receiving all sorts of home education and special study programs, spending lavishly. Even if they didn’t do well in exams, they could still go abroad to add a sheen to their credentials. She really couldn’t compare.
Qiu Yurou’s face turned colder, but since she had invited these two ladies to her house specifically to take Su Meixi down a notch, she played along, “Of course, we can’t compare with your family. A low level of education is just that, but at least there’s a stable job.”
Mrs. Si asked, “Xiao Su works at a hospital, right?”
“Yes, at the Third Hospital,” Su Meixi said.
“The Third Hospital?” Mrs. Si frowned. “Isn’t the medical level there not very high? It can’t compare to the Second and First Hospitals. If you have connections, it’s best to transfer to a better hospital where you can learn more and get promoted faster. Even a private hospital would do, Gu Cheng could arrange it for you.”
Su Meixi smiled, “With my low education and average skills, it’s all the same wherever I go.”
Qiu Yurou gave Su Meixi another disdainful look, “What Mrs. Si means is that you should aspire to improve yourself. Don’t be ungrateful.”
“Then, thank you for your concern, Mrs. Si,” Su Meixi said.
Mrs. Si added, “But Xiao Su isn’t that young anymore, right? Are you the same age as Gu Wei? If so, it’s time to start thinking about having children. Look at my daughter-in-law, she’s not even 27 and has already had six children: three boys and three girls, a perfect set.”
Her tone was brimming with bragging.
Su Meixi said, “Gu Wei and I aren’t ready to have children yet. We want to enjoy ourselves for a few more years.”
“That’s really foolish of you. In a family like the Gu Family, having children isn’t a burden, and it won’t hinder your fun. The earlier you have them, the earlier you can divide the inheritance. Have as many as you can count on. Don’t believe me? Ask your mother-in-law.”
Qiu Yurou replied icily, “Their affairs have nothing to do with me.”
She was most hopeful Su Meixi wouldn’t get pregnant. Once pregnant, things would get complicated.
“Ah, I’ve won!”
Mrs. Li exclaimed with joy.
In this round, because Su Meixi hadn’t played for so long, her skills were rusty, and she lost.
Losing meant handing over the paper chips on the table to Mrs. Li.
Su Meixi, being called in at the last minute, had no idea how much money each chip represented.
She had thought that in such family-style Mahjong games, the play was just for fun and wouldn’t involve real money loss.
But Mrs. Li said, “I’ve won 100,000 yuan in the first round. My luck is really good today; I can buy a new bag later.”
Su Meixi couldn’t help but belatedly ask, “One chip is 100,000 yuan?”
“Yeah, didn’t you know?” asked Mrs. Si.
Seeing Su Meixi’s complexion worsen, Mrs. Si asked, “Have you not played at such high stakes before? 100,000 yuan must have been a lot for your family before, right? No worries, if you lose, your mother-in-law has got you covered.”
Qiu Yurou said, “I won’t deal with it. If you lose, you should transfer the money to the two ladies yourself. You’re responsible for your own actions.”
Su Meixi immediately understood. Qiu Yurou’s intention in asking her to play Mahjong wasn’t simply to liven things up but to deliberately make her lose money to make her realize the gap between herself and the wealthy.
She couldn’t help but smile, “If I’m able to play, then I can afford to lose.”
It was just a Mahjong game.
Although she hadn’t played it in many years, as a child, when she was bored, she would often watch the neighborhood uncles play Mahjong under the big tree at the base of the building. The uncles might not have invited her to join, but they shared many Mahjong strategies and tactics with her.
Just one or two more rounds and she could turn the situation around.
“Ah, I’ve won.”
By the third round, Su Meixi had already turned the tables; she won a round and went to collect their paper chips.
“Oh, sorry, ladies, I’ve won again by accident.”
Another round of chips was collected.
After two hours, both Mrs. Li and Mrs. Si had green faces, and Qiu Yurou didn’t look much better.
Mrs. Si made an excuse to leave, and Su Meixi quickly said, “Mrs. Si, if you have to go, then please go ahead. But shouldn’t you transfer the money to my account first?”
After that, she pulled up her card number on her phone, “Right here, I’ll round it down for you—just transfer 1 million yuan, that should be enough.”
And to Mrs. Li, “Mrs. Li, you owe 800,000 yuan, so transfer it as well, please.”
Mrs. Li and Mrs. Si begrudgingly transferred the money to Su Meixi one after the other.
After receiving the money, Su Meixi was in good spirits. She turned to Qiu Yurou and said, “Mom, thank you. If you hadn’t invited me to play Mahjong, I wouldn’t have been able to make this much money. That’s several years’ worth of my salary.”
Qiu Yurou’s face looked as unpleasant as a pig’s liver.
She meant to subdue Su Meixi, to let her know that it’s tough to fit into the circle of wealthy families, but who knew Su Meixi was so good at Mahjong.
She had been too careless.
These kinds of people who grew up without parents to keep an eye on them were indeed sharp at Mahjong.
It seemed she couldn’t afford to involve her in such low-level pursuits anymore.
…
“Xiao Su, I have a cousin coming back to the country tomorrow, and she’ll be staying at our house for a while. Just giving you a heads-up, you need to be prepared.”
The next morning, Qiu Yurou told Su Meixi about this.
Su Meixi couldn’t help but smile, “A cousin coming over? Of course, she should be welcomed.”
“Then it will trouble you to cook for one more person,” Qiu Yurou said.
“No problem at all,” Su Meixi replied.
She was already making breakfast. Today, Qiu Yurou had asked for a Chinese breakfast, so she had cooked noodles.
Qiu Yurou listlessly poked at the bowl of noodles.
Truth be told, the noodles tasted quite good, with a very home-style flavor, unlike the family chefs who would use lots of seasonings.
But still, she found fault, “The food you cook is too bland; it’s not suitable for entertaining guests. How about this: After your cousin arrives in Feng City tomorrow, let’s all go out to a restaurant for a meal.”