When they left, Shen Yixiang almost took back with her the same big bag of things she had brought, weighing seventy to eighty pounds, filled with all sorts of food items.
Last night, she had taken them out for Shen Yiguang and Yang PeiMin to see. They even included fine flour, white rice, dried mushrooms, cured meat, and so on. She took some out and left some for Shen Yiguang to eat at home, "Since you’re already cooking for yourself, take all these things with you."
Upon reaching the downtown area, they first looked for a guesthouse to stay in, booked two rooms, Shen Yiguang decided that he and Shen Yixiang would look for an apartment together tomorrow. He didn’t feel at ease letting her do it alone, and they were still unfamiliar with the place.
After putting their things in the guesthouse, the three of them went out to a restaurant for dinner.
Shen Yixiang looked over the menu with great interest, and read out each dish name one by one.
Then someone walked by her and muttered, "Country bumpkin."
Nobody else might have heard it, but Yang PeiMin, sitting next to Shen Yixiang, heard it loud and clear. She immediately looked up, and after the person finished their comment, they walked on. She saw half of the person’s face – a pretty young girl. What a waste of a good appearance, her manners were so poor.
Shen Yixiang’s face flushed instantly, and turning around, she indignantly said, "Who are you calling a country bumpkin?"
The girl also turned around, with an exaggerated look of surprise, "Oh my, I just said something by accident, and wasn’t talking about you. Why are you taking it personally?"
Shen Yixiang, watching her arrogant attitude, became even angrier. "You were clearly talking about me. Why else would you say it right as you walk behind me? How can someone who looks decent start insulting others out of the blue?"
Yang PeiMin was examining the girl, noticing her stylish and trendy outfit, but the sense of superiority on her face was just too strong. The way she looked at people, it was always with a slant, never straight on, deliberately avoiding eye contact.
"Young lady, you really were insulting us, that’s not the behavior of someone with manners, please apologize to my sister."
Yang PeiMin could see that Shen Yixiang had strong self-respect; maybe it was her first time leaving town, maybe her first time dining in a fancy restaurant. So, she had become a little flustered earlier when reading the menu, a perfectly normal individual act. Being looked down on for that, Shen Yixiang’s self-esteem must be wounded, no wonder she blew up, and Yang PeiMin felt quite angry herself.
Her voice wasn’t loud, but some of the nearby customers had picked up on something from Shen Yixiang’s and the girl’s expressions, so now they were all looking this way.
The girl let out a cold snort, "May I ask if I pointed and insulted her? You were sitting in the middle seat just now; I had to walk by you to get to the inside tables. I happened to say something, and you took it personally. If you ask me, I’m the one being wronged here. What’s all this about? You’re all ganging up on me, a single woman."
She really had a way with words.
Shen Yiguang lifted his eyes and looked towards the girl, "Comrade, are you sure it’s us who are bullying you? If you’re sure about that, then we may have to call someone over to judge."
His voice was not loud either, steady and calm, but his gaze was sharp enough to make it difficult for anyone to hold his gaze.
It seemed the girl finally noticed how Shen Yiguang’s looked, and that he was wearing a neat military uniform, sitting as upright as a pine, his eyes stern and commanding, which unambiguously communicated to the onlookers that he was a military man.
How could a military man of integrity bully anyone?
The girl must have understood this logic, and with a reluctant and harsh tone, said, "I think we all misunderstood."
Shen Yixiang followed her previous manner and scoffed coldly, "What a nice way to describe a misunderstanding."
Yang PeiMin turned her head and saw Zhu Qing.
She had also come from the direction of the girl from earlier and it appeared that the rude girl was with her.
Yang PeiMin nodded at her.
Sure enough, the girl said, "Zhu Qing, how do you know them?"
Zhu Qing glanced at Yang PeiMin and said indifferently, "He’s my roommate. Where’s our table? Let’s go there."
The girl seemed to find her way out of the situation and lifted her chin, walking inside.
Zhu Qing nodded at Yang PeiMin again and followed inside.
After the two of them left, Shen Yixiang was still feeling angry.
Yang PeiMin laughed, "Let it go. I’ve always heard this saying, ’If you’re bitten by a dog, you don’t bite back, do you? Just treat it like a dog barking.’"
Shen Yiguang also smiled and consoled her, "There are all sorts of people in society. It’s not worth getting angry over someone who doesn’t like you. In the end, you’d only upset yourself and amuse others."
Shen Yixiang nodded, "I know." She paused and then turned to ask Yang PeiMin, "Sister-in-law, that tall girl just now, is she your roommate Zhu Qing?"
Zhu Qing was quite tall, roughly about 1.72 meters, and Yang PeiMin nodded.
Shen Yixiang pursed her lips, "Just look at the kind of friend she has. Sister-in-law, you better not associate too much with her. Birds of a feather flock together, and she doesn’t seem like a good person either."
Holding back her irritation, Yang PeiMin said, "Alright, we’ve been talking for so long, I’m starving. Let’s order quickly."
Yang PeiMin had been here before and knew the hot and spicy noodles were particularly authentic. Having not been here for a while, just the thought made her salivate, and she promptly ordered them.
She also explained some of the dishes to Shen Yixiang to give her an idea.
Shen Yiguang ordered the rice and a few stir-fries, and Shen Yixiang didn’t order separately out of respect for her brother.
When Yang PeiMin’s hot and spicy noodles arrived, Shen Yixiang turned to look and immediately stopped her, "You can’t eat this."
Shen Yixiang’s mouth and hands were both busy as she took the bowl of noodles, her voice urgent, "Have you forgotten you’re pregnant? You can’t eat spicy food, and this is all chili oil. You’ll definitely have a stomachache if you eat it. Mom warned me about this again and again. A little spice is okay to try, but this is absolutely not okay. Look, it’s good that I’m here, otherwise I don’t know how much my nephew would have to suffer." By the end, she was already reproaching her.
Yang PeiMin looked at Shen Yiguang, thinking, I just wanted to eat it, but I can’t think of any reason to refute your sister; you deal with her.
But Shen Yixiang was sensitive and added, "See, even my brother is of no use. He usually spoils you too much. Other things can be up to you, but not this. You’re not usually a glutton. Remember, you’re not alone now; just bear with it."