"Yesterday was Commander Qi’s birthday, and Cheng Su was sharing cake with us, hoping to spread the joy," Chunhua said to Hualing with a smile.
Hualing glanced over, and Cheng Su handed her a piece, saying, "I was just about to bring it to your house. Don’t look down on it."
Hualing did indeed look down on it a bit, but her EQ wasn’t low enough to outright reject a neighbor’s kindness face to face. She took it and said, "Thanks." Yet her eyes fell on the watch on Cheng Su’s right wrist.
A brand-new watch, all steel—is it a Shanghai brand?
She can afford watches now?
"Hey, Cheng Su, you even bought a watch?" Chunhua saw it too and grabbed Cheng Su’s hand to look: "Wow, a Shanghai brand, that’s an expensive piece!"
Cheng Su replied, "I’m always running around outside, it’s inconvenient not having a watch to check the time, so I bought one to wear."
"I think I’ve seen Commander Qi with one as well!" Guihua mentioned on the side.
"Since it was his birthday yesterday, I gave him one as a birthday gift," Cheng Su said with a slight smile.
What, she has one and also bought one for Qi Taiguo?
A watch must cost over a hundred yuan, right?
Chunhua clucked her tongue and sighed, "That watch must have been expensive. Only you would buy them like it’s nothing, and two at that. It’s great to have money!"
Guihua laughed silently at the side, but her eyes were filled with envy.
Hualing spoke with a hint of acid, "You could do it too, Chunhua. Get into business, make money, and then you can buy whatever you want."
"Do you think everyone is like Cheng Su? So capable of making money through business," Chunhua scoffed, rolling her eyes.
"Then why don’t you ask her for advice? Cheng Su wouldn’t hold back," Hualing remarked, glancing at Cheng Su, her mind already churning. How much money had she actually made?
Seeing that Hualing was looking to stir trouble, Cheng Su said, "You all think I have it easy, but I don’t. There’s a lot to running a business, and it’s not that easy. The losses I’ve taken—I just haven’t told you all, just swallowed them myself."
You see how I spend money carefree and think I earn it easily, but you don’t know how much I’ve done behind the scenes and how hard I’ve worked!
Guihua nodded and said, "That’s right, doing business isn’t easy at all."
Hualing rolled her eyes internally, thinking, If you don’t want to share tips, just say it. What’s the point of these niceties?
"Cheng Su, business is business, but you’ve got to keep a close eye on your husband too. I’ve heard that Doctor Chiang, she’s taken a special interest in our Commander Qi!" Hualing couldn’t resist jabbing a barb, unable to stand Cheng Su’s pride.
Cheng Su’s face immediately darkened, and looking at her, she said, "Oh, thanks for the reminder. Our Old Qi just has that kind of charm that attracts flies. But don’t worry, if anyone dares mess with my husband, I’ll tear her apart!"
Hualing was taken aback, muttered something, and said, "I’ve got to go to work!"
With a swing of her hips, she walked downstairs, and when she passed the garbage bin in the courtyard, she tossed the piece of cake she was holding into it, saying, "Who would want your crummy cake!"
Upstairs, Chunhua and Guiying were comforting Cheng Su.
"She has never said a kind word. You shouldn’t let her spoil your morning," Chunhua said.
"Exactly, I think she’s just jealous." Even Guiying, who usually avoided conflict, chimed in, somewhat displeased with Hualing’s attitude. After all, they were neighbors speaking normally; why say such venomous words?
Cheng Su laughed and said, "Don’t worry about me. My name is Cheng Su, but I’m not a vegetarian. Her words can’t turn the sky upside down, can they? But I wasn’t joking earlier, if anyone dares to mess with my husband, I won’t let them get away with it!"