Zhao Mingfang finally spotted Feng Qingxue, and she rose sharply, pointing at her while querying, "What are you doing here?"
Her eyebrows soared, exuding vigorous energy, unable to conceal her jealousy.
Even though Feng Qingxue was modestly dressed at the moment, her complexion dull, and her brows thick and lips pale, akin to a withering flower. Yet, the stunning impression she left a month ago remained deeply engraved in Zhao Mingfang’s mind, like the first time she saw the most beautiful woman from the Republic. No matter how much she dressed up afterward, or how much she applied cosmetic creams and used toner, she found herself hopelessly inferior to Feng Qingxue.
Wang Jiao slapped the table and got up, "How can you speak ?"
"Who are you?" Realizing Wang Jiao was also beautiful, Zhao Mingfang became even more disgruntled.
Why were the two women she met, who both dressed so plainly, more attractive than her, the girl praised by all her relatives and friends as the most beautiful? Even the plump woman before her looked like a movie star.
"My name, known far and wide, is Wang Jiao!"
"I don’t know you!" Zhao Mingfang looked at Feng Qingxue arrogantly. She was her true enemy. "This is the best state-owned restaurant in the city, do you think yourself, a bunch of bumpkins from the dung pit, worthy to enter?"
Wang Jiao immediately rolled up her sleeves, unabashed, "Oh, so you city folk are superior, huh? Trying to act high and mighty in front of me? If it weren’t for us country folks, do you think you’d be able to eat grains? It’s ingrates like you who forget the hands that feed them! If you can, why don’t you city dwellers stop eating the food we sweat and toil to grow! You say we’re from the dung pit, weren’t you raised on dung then? It takes manure to make crops bloom; I’ll have you know the rice and vegetables you’re eating now were all nurtured by the dung and manure from our countryside!"
Luckily, the four of them were the only diners in the state-owned restaurant, otherwise, after hearing Wang Jiao’s words, no one would have an appetite to continue eating.
Wang Jiao felt she hadn’t said enough, continuing, "Another thing, don’t use yourself to represent city dwellers while insulting us farmers. The waitstaff are city folk too, but they’re polite and attentive. You, on the other hand, remind me of a rotten apple spoiling the basket."
The waiter’s face instantly brightened, unconcerned about Wang Jiao’s previous elaborate explanation of the relationship between food and manure.
However, Zhao Mingfang, staring at the rice and egg spinach soup on the table, was reminded of the scene of mass manure application at the Wanglou Brigade a month ago. Her stomach churned, and she turned away, retching.
The young man at her table looked uncomfortable and asked gingerly, "Mingfang, are you okay?"
Although he signaled for the waiter to bring some tea for Zhao Mingfang to rinse her mouth, he didn’t take it himself and his demeanor became somewhat distant.
Seeing this, Feng Qingxue and Wang Jiao gathered that they were meeting, and if this wasn’t their first meet-up but they were already dating, most of the time they would not refer to each other so formally.
If they were dating, it would be assumed they were courting for marriage.
However, not necessarily, some city people have high standards and continue to address their romantic partners formally.
Zhao Mingfang failed to notice the change in the young man’s attitude. After rinsing her mouth, she unhappily said, "Zhang Yi, let’s go. I don’t want to see them. Just looking at them robs me of my appetite. It’s nauseating the more I think about it. Didn’t you say you were taking me to the department store? Last time I saw a beautiful Meihua brand watch there."