Tong Yao lifted her proud little face to correct them, "This is called being optimistic. If I hadn’t fought back at the time, I would feel suffocated when I thought about it later. I’d hate myself for being so spineless, so it’s better to retaliate when I have a grudge."
Then, she glanced at Si Chen, reminding him, "I don’t expect you to fight for me or settle scores on my behalf. You just need not to interfere with my operations, like today. You could wrap things up after I’m done. This would be perfect."
She wasn’t scared at all about picking a fight with Tang Fengying. She had already figured out an escape route in her mind. If Tang Fengying called the police after being defeated, the most she had to do was compensate a bit of money. There was nothing she could be imprisoned for, given that there were no weapons involved in women’s fights.
On the other hand, if she didn’t win, she would call the police. Either way, she would not suffer a loss in silence. Given the situation today, it was clear that Tang Fengying lacked confidence and was unlikely to call the police.
Si Chen twitched at the corner of his eye, listening to her meaning. Does she still have plans to fight in the future?
After a while, he reminded her solemnly, "In the future, you are not allowed to pick fights arbitrarily."
She was rather frail and would likely suffer losses in fights.
"Alright, alright, I won’t pick fights arbitrarily. You go ahead and take a bath! I’m going to change my clothes." Tong Yao brushed aside the topic. At this point, all she wanted was to get Si Chen out of the way so she could count her money. She was worn out from the day’s work and hadn’t even tallied the day’s revenue yet.
Seeing her exhaustion, Si Chen didn’t say anything more. He took his change of clothes and went down to the first floor. The people washing clothes at the sink were discussing Tong Yao’s fight. Immediately, they all shut up upon seeing Si Chen approaching.
Once Si Chen entered the bathroom, they resumed their discussion.
"No wonder Dr. Si does all sorts of things. I thought he was pampering his wife, but, looking at it now, he’s actually scared of her. Anyone who marries such a fierce wife must be a bit scared." The speaker was Qian Niannian. She wasn’t there during Tong Yao’s fight. She only heard about it from others afterwards, saying that Tong Yao had fought Tang Fengying. By the time she rushed downstairs to watch the commotion, the crowds had already dispersed.
Not being able to watch the excitement, she could only talk behind their backs.
Guo Nan, however, didn’t think so, "Dr. Si doesn’t seem like the type who would be scared of his wife!"
"What do you mean, doesn’t seem like it?" Qian Niannian scanned the surroundings, and seeing no one else around, she continued, "Think about it! Tong Yao acts like a mad dog, biting anyone she sees. If Dr. Si doesn’t spoil her a little, and she creates a ruckus in the housing compound, where would Dr. Si put his face?"
Guo Nan: That does seem reasonable.
As they were speaking ill of someone behind their back, Guo Nan felt a little guilty. After all, Tong Yao was so pretty, almost like a little fairy. They had previously mistaken her identity, leading to rumors in the hospital that Tong Yao was ugly and unsophisticated. Guo Nan felt guilty and didn’t dare to say much for fear of making another mistake.
"We shouldn’t gossip about others behind their backs. You’ve seen Tong Yao’s temper. If this gets leaked and she finds out that we’re talking behind her back, we’ll be the ones who suffer the consequences."
Qian Niannian rolled her eyes, "She even dared to start a fight, would she be afraid of people talking about her?"
Despite what she said, she didn’t continue gossiping about Tong Yao. Most people have a tendency to bully the weak and fear the strong, and Qian Niannian was no exception. Given Tong Yao’s temper, ordinary people really couldn’t mess with her.
It was strange how an outsider like her wasn’t timid at all upon arriving here but instead seized the magpie’s nest and turned into an eagle.
Thinking of this, she couldn’t help muttering, "It’s no wonder she suddenly came to the city from the countryside. She must have been chased out by her mother-in-law. After all, who would like a daughter-in-law who’s lazy and doesn’t work?"
Guo Nan cast a glance at Qian Niannian without uttering a word. The two usually got along well and lived in the same dormitory, so she had a good understanding of Qian Niannian’s character. She loved to speak ill of others behind their back. She used to be a bit measured and not this blatant about it, but lately, she endlessly brought up the affairs of Si Chen’s household. Could it be that she was actually in love with Dr. Si, and that she was feeling unbalanced because Dr. Si married Tong Yao?
One can’t say such things without evidence, Guo Nan had her suspicions but didn’t dare confront her about it.
...
After a tiring day, Tong Yao felt really exhausted. After changing clothes, she sat on the bed and counted the day’s earnings. She had sold more than five hundred cups of milk tea today and made forty-eight yuan; this was even more than she had expected. A rough calculation showed that the monthly gross profit was over a thousand. In a bit over half a year, she would become a ten-thousandaire.
If she saved up for two years, she could buy a couple of houses in Kyoto. From then on, she wouldn’t have to worry about a thing.
With these satisfying thoughts, the smile on Tong Yao’s face was so wide that she couldn’t close her mouth. Looking into the future, she saw banknotes all around.
After arranging the money and putting it into the cabinet, she went to bed and fell asleep within minutes. Even when Si Chen came back, she didn’t wake up. Seeing her sleep soundly, Si Chen took the dirty clothes downstairs to wash.
With Tong Yao picking a fight, everyone learned to keep their mouths shut this time. Nobody tried to provoke with sarcastic remarks.
After a night of sound sleep, Tong Yao woke up to a bright sky. It was the morning of a summer day, the sky lit up early. It wasn’t even six o’clock yet, but the outdoors were as bright as day. Tong Yao, anticipating work, didn’t have the luxury to lie in. Coincidentally, Si Chen was also awake. Seeing her preparing to get up, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Not going to sleep a little longer?"
Maybe because he had just woken up, his voice was a bit hoarse. It sounded even more attractive than usual, giving a feeling of utter peace. Tong Yao was momentarily dazzled by his voice.
Oh my god!
It was really hard not to be flustered when faced with such a handsome face day and night. She needed to hurry up and make a lot of money, put the divorce on the agenda as soon as possible, or have a frank discussion with Si Chen, asking him to stop using superficial tricks to confuse her.
After pondering over it, Tong Yao quickly made up her mind, planning to find a suitable time to chat with Si Chen in the next couple of days.
Seeing her sitting blankly on the bed without speaking, Si Chen thought she was a bit dazed from just waking up and didn’t notice anything odd. He got up from the bed and indifferently said, "If you find it too exhausting, you can quit."
Usually, Tong Yao moved around a lot while sleeping, liked to roll over, and enjoyed sleeping with her legs draped over his waist. But last night seemed to have left her extraordinarily tired. She slept soundly, maintaining the same position the entire night.
"That can’t happen." Tong Yao was pulled back to reality by his words, and she promptly climbed up from the bed. She looked very serious and said, "I’m counting on earning more money and becoming a ten-thousandaire. How can I not go to work?"
After the reform and opening-up policy, the state encouraged people to get rich through hard work. Those with courage and ideals had already tasted the first fruits of reform. She wasn’t too late. She just needed to work hard and she could at least join the middle class, if not become the richest person in the country.
In her previous life, she was worried about finding a job after graduation. At the time, she wished she had been living in the 1980s. Now that her wish had unexpectedly come true, she had to seize the tail end of the Golden Age and lift herself out of poverty to become rich.
"Don’t push yourself too hard."
Si Chen only said three words before picking up his toiletries and leaving the room. Tong Yao quickly took out her clothes to get dressed.
Making milk tea was hot work, so she chose to wear a dress.