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Chapter 10 — Make Friends
“I’m a late bloomer,” she said. “A fortune teller told me I’d have a son and a daughter someday, and a happy, complete family.”
“When did you go see a fortune teller? Why didn’t you call me?” Zhuang Jie asked.
“Xu Qinghe asked me out to go enjoy the autumn scenery next week. What do you think I should wear?”
“Best option is not wearing anything.”
“Get lost.”
“I’d love to go naked,” Wang Xixia said, “but I’m afraid I’d scare him off.”
Zhuang Jie sighed. “Still no sex life and I’m practically about to hit menopause.”
“What does sex have to do with menstruation?”
“It’s about circulation,” Zhuang Jie said casually. “I used to have my period for a full week. Now it’s three days at most. Feels like my body’s not even clearing out toxins properly.”
“You’re getting older. Your body’s not what it used to be. One weather change and you’re freezing.” She flicked ash off her cigarette. “What bullshit.”
“People of the same kind flock together. Your cousin’s friend can’t be bad. Just talk to him openly. If it works out, great. If not, don’t force it.”
“I’ll see,” Wang Xixia said.
“If you want to understand someone quickly, watch the details—how they treat people, how they behave. Look at the friends they keep close. If their friends are good, they won’t be far off either. People who can be close usually share similar values. If they’re mixed up with trashy friends, walk away early.”
Zhuang Jie continued, “Also watch how they treat people weaker than them. And look at their family relationships.”
Wang Xixia laughed. “Does Chen Maidong meet all your standards?”
Zhuang Jie froze for a moment, then said, “My judgment doesn’t fail me. You get better at seeing people after getting hurt enough.”
“The fact that he came back to Nanping just to take care of his grandma already says a lot. There’s a nursing home here—he could’ve sent her there. But he didn’t. He’s far more considerate and kind than he seems.”
“I used to think he was a playboy,” Zhuang Jie said, chuckling softly, “but he’s actually quite pure at heart.”
“You really think highly of him.”
“He’s decent,” she said. “With a little polishing, he’s the kind of man who can settle down and live a normal life.”
“So you like him?”
Wang Xixia studied her expression.
“A little,” Zhuang Jie admitted. “But not enough to make me lose control.”
She smiled. “You know what they say online? Romance and such… it just slows a woman’s journey through life.”
“Xixia, I’ve been thinking about freezing my eggs. In case I never meet someone I love, I don’t want to miss my chance at having a child…”
“Stop talking nonsense,” Wang Xixia cut in. “You’re not like me. You’ll meet someone.”
“I’m serious,” Zhuang Jie said. “If I don’t meet someone I genuinely like, I’d rather stay single. But I still want a child. I like kids.”
Wang Xixia didn’t respond.
Zhuang Jie was different from her. She looked carefree on the outside, but inside she was still a romantic—always believing in love, just unlucky so far. Meanwhile, Wang Xixia had grown cynical and exhausted, only wanting someone steady to lean on.
They talked until evening. Wang Xixia dropped her off at the high-speed rail station and reminded her again to take care of her body—after all, stomach surgery wasn’t trivial.
“Alright, alright. Go home,” Zhuang Jie said, waving as she entered the station.
On her way out, Wang Xixia received a WeChat message from Xu Qinghe.
Are you busy? My family sent some bird’s nest. If it’s convenient, I can bring it over.
His aunt ran a bird’s nest business in Malaysia.
Wang Xixia hesitated for five seconds and replied: I’m free.
Sitting in the car for another ten minutes, she finally sent: Want to come over for dinner?
She rented an old residential unit—decent location, but the environment was messy. The only downside was the neighbors. People on upper floors constantly threw trash into the corner outside her ground-floor apartment window. Summer was unbearable because of the smell.
There were clearly public bins, but people were too lazy to use them. Once a few started throwing trash there, others followed. Even though the bin had a lid, some still refused to lift it.
She had cursed at them before. Complained to the property management too. Nothing changed.
Garbage piled up for two days at a time. She didn’t even dare open her balcony window.
One day, she saw someone tossing trash again while parking. She didn’t even turn off the engine. She got out of the car, strode over, grabbed the trash, and flung it straight back at him.
He froze—covered head to toe in kitchen waste.
“What the hell is wrong with you?!” he shouted.
“Throw trash here one more time, I’ll do it again!” Wang Xixia’s voice was sharp. This was the fourth time she’d caught him.
The man swore at her again, but the security guard came over to mediate, and it ended there.
Wang Xixia stared at the corner for a moment, then went back to her car, pulled out a piece of paper, and stuck it on the wall:
“Anyone who throws trash here dies with their whole family.”
As she turned around, she saw Xu Qinghe.
—
Zhuang Jie usually lived alone. After talking so much during the day, she wanted quiet at night.
During the National Day holiday, she lent her apartment to a friend whose family was visiting Shanghai and wanted to save on hotel costs.
The moment she opened the door, her nerves tightened.
A girl rushed straight out of the bathroom.
“Sis—sis, please don’t be mad! I’ll clean it right away!”
She immediately dropped to her knees, gathering scattered manuscripts, tidying dishes, dragging a vacuum across the carpet.
Zhuang Jie didn’t even get a clear look at her face. She pulled her suitcase into the bedroom and said flatly, “Fine. Clean it.”
After a long train ride, she was exhausted.
She hung up her clothes and went to wash up—only to find the sink a mess, water all over the floor. The girl had clearly just showered.
Zhuang Jie glanced at the living room. “You’re Furong’s little cousin?”
The girl nodded quickly. “Hi sis, I’m Zhang Danqing. I was going to clean properly but—”
“Clean the bathroom first. The floor is wet. I don’t want to slip.”
“Okay! I’ll do it right away!” The girl kept bowing as she worked, apologizing nonstop.
She had planned to finish before evening, but somehow fell asleep.
Zhuang Jie looked around. Messy, but not dirty.
“I promise I’ll organize everything properly,” Zhang Danqing said nervously.
“Go ahead,” Zhuang Jie replied, brushing her teeth. “What do you do for work?”
“I work in the R&D department at Zhengda New Energy.”
“That’s a good company,” Zhuang Jie said through foam.
“Yeah… it’s okay,” the girl said softly. Then she hesitated. “Sis, can I stay another week? My place isn’t ready yet. I promise I’ll keep everything clean…”
“Fine.”
“Thank you so much!” the girl almost bowed again.
“It’s late. Clean up and sleep.”
Zhuang Jie closed the bathroom door.
When she came out in a bathrobe, Zhang Danqing was still dragging a mop across the floor like her life depended on it.
Zhuang Jie tossed her a cleaning cloth instead. The room wasn’t big—she just wiped things down herself.
Standing on the balcony later, she looked at the Oriental Pearl Tower in the distance. She was picky about where she lived—rent alone took a quarter of her salary.
She called her family to report she’d arrived safely, then talked with Wang Xixia for nearly half an hour.
They spoke almost every day—sometimes for an hour, sometimes just five minutes.
By the time she hung up, it was past midnight.
She hesitated, then sent Chen Maidong a WeChat message:
I’ve arrived.
She felt she should say something more, so she added impulsively:
Find someone willing to live a stable life with you. She’ll slowly see your good. Take care. Don’t think too much.
Send.
System prompt: You are not friends yet. Please send a friend request first.
Zhuang Jie froze for a few seconds.
Then she cursed under her breath and deleted him immediately.
The women’s director had introduced Chen Maidong to a girl from her maternal relatives.
Right now, Chen Maidong was walking her through Xixiang Village.
They had been walking for three minutes without a single word between them.
The girl liked him a lot. The only thing she wasn’t satisfied with was his job. Still, she didn’t mind too much—once they were in love, she’d suggest he change it.
Even though she was a nurse, she still couldn’t fully accept her husband working in a mortuary cosmetology job.
Chen Maidong glanced sideways. “Do you mind if I smoke?”
The girl blushed slightly. “Would you stop if I said I minded?”
He paused, then nodded.
She smiled, pleased, and tried to start a conversation. “My aunt said you were born in ‘90. I’m ‘93. Three years apart.”
“Mm.” He looked at her. “How long have you been working?”
“Five years. I went to a vocational nursing school. The city hospitals had high requirements, so I came back to the town hospital.”
“I could’ve gone to the city hospital if we paid more, but my dad didn’t want to. Our family wasn’t well off. I also have a younger brother.”
“The town hospital is fine,” Chen Maidong said.
“It depends on how you look at it,” she said. “My friend works in the city hospital. Better pay, better benefits. Even kids’ education is handled through affiliated schools. Life is easier there.”
“I think staying in town is okay, but education and environment matter. Kids will suffer later.”
She glanced at him. “Are you registered in the city?”
He nodded.
“You can smoke if you want. I don’t mind the smell,” she said quickly. “My dad smokes at home all the time.”
Chen Maidong lit a cigarette and looked toward a pear tree on the hill.
“The countryside may look richer now, but it’s just nouveau riche people competing over cars and houses. In the city, people take their kids to museums, opera houses, libraries, camping under the stars… That kind of environment shapes children differently.”
Chen Maidong laughed lightly. “Have you lived in the city?”
She stiffened. “I haven’t worked there, but I know the resources are better. Even people here spend money in the city anyway.”
“You’re right,” he said.
Thinking he agreed with her, she grew bolder. “So what do you think of me?”
He looked at her seriously.
A suitable person for marriage and life.
Then she added, “I know my family situation isn’t great, but it’s stable. I like you. I can accept your job, but you have to treat me one hundred percent well.”
He didn’t respond.
She took it as agreement.
“I’ve heard about your past,” she said. “But people change. Who hasn’t made mistakes?”
She had already done her background check. He had once gotten into trouble as a teenager due to bad friends and a fight that injured someone. He didn’t run. His friends did.
That, to her, made him responsible. Brave. Reliable.
Someone who would stand in front when things went wrong.
Chen Maidong drifted off.
Strangely, no matter what this girl said, it didn’t feel noisy.
But whenever Zhuang Jie spoke—even just a sentence—he found it irritatingly loud in his mind.
Then the girl asked again, “So… what do you think?”
Chen Maidong suddenly thought of Zhuang Jie’s words:
I like you, but I like Shanghai more.
—
Zhuang Jie, meanwhile, was living very well.
Smoothly. Effortlessly.
She stood at a crosswalk holding breakfast, even the red light looked pleasing.
Across the street was the hospital where she once worked.
