Chapter 30: A Complete Mess p1
On Thursday morning, after the Chinese and history exams, it was English and geography in the afternoon. Zhou Wanfeng didn’t know how the other classes were doing, but in First Grade, Class Nine, the end of the exam meant the end of a long and painful ordeal.
Whether they finished or not, whether the answers were right or wrong, no one cared.
In fact, half an hour after the exam started, there was no more rustling of paper, but the sound of snoring could be heard from several parts of the classroom. The first-grade homeroom teachers had all swapped classes to proctor the exams, and each was paired with another teacher from the school.
Wang Chenggang didn’t care about the students who were sleeping during the exam. He glanced at his watch. It had only been half an hour, and basically no one was doing the test paper anymore. As the director of the political and educational affairs office, Du Yong’an couldn’t tolerate sleeping during an exam. He went around and woke them up one by one, his brow furrowed, his lips pressed into a thin line. He pushed the test paper in front of the student with a serious expression, pointing at the blank spaces, his eyes seeming to say, “You’re not even doing the free-point questions?”
If you’re not even going to do the questions you can get points on, then why even come to school? It’s a waste of your parents’ money.
Wang Chenggang only saw one person in the whole class who was taking the exam seriously: the class president, Zhou Wanfeng.
He had walked over to look a few times. Her paper was filled with writing, and her handwriting was very legible.
By the time the math exam came on Friday morning, someone was already lying on their desk ten minutes after the exam started, their eyes hazy with sleep, and even raising their hand to ask if they could hand in their paper early.
The one who had asked to hand in their paper had just roughly filled in the multiple-choice questions with C’s. The other questions, whether fill-in-the-blank or proofs, were basically all blank.
After the two days of proctoring were over, Wang Chenggang went back to his office and told Sun Mulan not to worry too much about the students’ scores. In his opinion, there were only a few in Class Nine who were studying. The exam was either a game or a nap for them.
Sun Mulan had been mentally prepared, but hearing the homeroom teacher of Class Eight say it so directly still made her a little sad.
“If you ask me, the teachers who get the test papers from Class Nine don’t even need to call the students to the school to help grade them. They’re all blank.” The monthly exam papers had to be graded by the teachers over the weekend.
Apart from some of the more flexible questions, the multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions had a standard answer key. The subject teachers would call the class representatives and a few other students from the class to help grade.
Basically, the test papers of each class were swapped for grading. Sun Mulan had the English test papers from another class on her desk. Class Nine had no class representative, only Zhou Wanfeng as the class president. After just participating in the sports meet and then taking the exam, she hadn’t had a good rest, so she didn’t plan to disturb her.
On Saturday morning, the house was particularly lively.
After the exam yesterday, school had been let out early. Only then did Zhou Wanfeng find out that the whole family, including her, was going to a birthday banquet on Saturday.
The person celebrating their birthday was the Yun family’s great-aunt, Yun Haisheng’s own aunt.
For such an old aunt to be celebrating her birthday, her nephew had to bring his whole family to wish her a happy birthday to show his respect.
The whole family was dressed up. Yang Yijun was in an exquisite and elegant cheongsam, her hair in a bun. She held a satin clutch of the same color in her hand. Apart from a string of pigeon-egg-sized pearls around her neck, her earrings were teardrop-shaped pearls, which looked like they were part of a set with the necklace. She also had a mink shawl draped over her shoulders, looking elegant and grand.
The three males of the family, old, middle-aged, and young, even the youngest, Yun Chengbin, were wearing custom-made three-piece suits. Their hair had clearly been styled with wax and was impeccably combed.
Yun Lan was wearing a red satin evening gown. She was slender and fair-skinned. Standing next to the handsome and elegant Zhou Zhiru, they were a truly stunning couple.
In contrast to the atmosphere, the out-of-place Zhou Wanfeng was wearing a black and red tracksuit. Standing next to Yun Jingya, who was wearing a princess dress with white stockings, the picture was somewhat disjointed.
After looking at Zhou Wanfeng’s attire, Zhou Zhiru leaned closer to Yun Lan and asked softly, “Does Jingya have any clothes that would suit Wanfeng?” His voice was gentle. He didn’t seem to particularly care that Yun Lan had forgotten about Zhou Wanfeng, just mentioning it in passing.
Zhou Wanfeng had her hands in her pockets. Early in the morning, after her workout and washing up, Yun Jingya had pulled her into her room to pick out clothes. After looking around, all she saw were dresses. She had declined.
“I don’t think I have to go,” she said. She had no relationship with the Yun family. It shouldn’t matter whether she went to the Yun family’s great-aunt’s birthday or not.
Yun Haisheng looked at Zhou Wanfeng’s tracksuit and said with a smile, “It doesn’t matter what you wear. It’s enough that you’re there. It’s a good opportunity for everyone in the family to get to know each other. My aunt likes children and a lively atmosphere. Let’s all go together.”
But Yang Yijun secretly glanced at Zhou Zhiru.
Yun Lan was foolish. She probably thought Zhou Zhiru was just saying it casually.
“After all, the whole family is dressed up, and only Wanfeng is left out. People will gossip about us being harsh on her, especially that sister-in-law of mine. I’m afraid of her mouth,” she said, giving Yun Lan a look, telling her to take her upstairs to change.
She had originally thought that Zhou Wanfeng would stay at home for her aunt’s birthday, since they were not related. But last night, that woman, Diao Yufeng, had insisted on calling.
“Big Sister-in-law, remember to bring that child with you. I’ve already told all our relatives. Everyone is curious. Don’t leave her at home by herself. It’s too pitiful to leave a child at home while you go to a banquet.”
Yang Yijun had no choice but to bring her.
Yun Lan let go of Zhou Zhiru’s arm and looked at Zhou Wanfeng. She looked at her own mother with a pair of innocent, big eyes, then at Zhou Zhiru, and finally at Zhou Wanfeng, and asked tentatively, “Why don’t you go upstairs and pick something you can wear? Jingya has a lot of clothes, not necessarily just dresses.”
Zhou Wanfeng stood there with a cold expression, not moving.
Seeing the atmosphere suddenly turn awkward, Yun Jingya immediately went up and pulled Zhou Wanfeng’s hand. “I remember I have a light pink tracksuit. Wanfeng, you can wear that.”
Her hands were clasped, and Jingya’s eyes were full of pleading. Thinking of how she always gave her the experimental middle school’s test papers and showed her her notes, Zhou Wanfeng reluctantly nodded and agreed to change.
Zhou Wanfeng changed out of her black and red tracksuit and into a light pink casual set. Yun Jingya had said it was a tracksuit, but it wasn’t. The pants were bell-bottoms, and the sleeves of the top had lace-trimmed ruffles.
The sharp and fierce aura around Zhou Wanfeng was suppressed quite a bit by this pink, ruffled outfit. Her skin was fair, and her features resembled Zhou Zhiru’s, with clear and bright lines. She looked cold and clean. Her eyes gave off a cold and distant feeling. When you met her gaze, her eyes were so frank and fearless that you couldn’t help but want to look away.
The birthday banquet was held in the banquet hall of the Wansheng Hotel.
The entire floor was a banquet hall, and someone had been hired to design and decorate it. The theme was “longevity of the pine and crane,” and the entire hall was decorated in a festive and auspicious manner.
Yun Haisheng had not arrived early. Many of their relatives and friends were already there. The whole family went up to the birthday star to congratulate her. Zhou Wanfeng stood to the side and bowed. Someone even stuffed a red envelope into her hand.
Yun Haisheng’s parents were not there, so he was the representative of the wife’s family. Yun Lusheng’s family had also arrived, and it was truly a lively scene.
Zhou Wanfeng was dazzled by Diao Yufeng’s golden splendor. When Yang Yijun saw Diao Yufeng’s tacky attire, she covered her mouth to stifle a laugh and whispered to Yun Lan.
After Diao Yufeng had finished her congratulations, she naturally sat at the main table, coincidentally opposite Yang Yijun.
Yun Lang was wearing a suit, but he had unbuttoned his collar because it was too tight. He sat at the same table as his mother. At first, he hadn’t noticed. He had only seen someone in pink next to him and had thought it was a relative’s child.
After seeing Yun Jingya and the little fatty, he glanced to his side and met a pair of cold, emotionless eyes. He was instantly startled.
Seeing Zhou Wanfeng, Yun Lang was overjoyed. He moved his chair closer. “Big niece, I’ve heard all about what happened at Shuangshu Model Middle School. You’re awesome, really awesome. I told them you were my niece, but no one believed me.”
Apart from the few classmates who had been at the Qiantang Road police station, no one else believed him.
Yun Haisheng, Yun Lusheng, Zhou Zhiru, and Yun Lang’s older brother, Yun Jue, were helping the host to entertain the guests.
Zhou Zhiru’s Changfeng Electrical was doing very well now. Many of the younger generation were gathered around him, talking. Yun Jue, on the other hand, was more like an assistant.
Yun Haisheng and Yun Lusheng were in charge of receiving the older generation.
Yang Yijun glanced over. Zhou Zhiru was a smooth operator, deep and scheming. He would never let anyone feel left out. He was now pulling Yun Jue along and mingling with the crowd.
She glanced at Diao Yufeng, who was drinking tea like it was plain water, and said with a smile, “Sister-in-law, you look very nice today.”
The sun had risen from the west.
Hearing his aunt speak, Yun Lang immediately looked at his mother.
His mother was decked out in a blinding array of gold bracelets, gold necklaces, gold rings, and gold earrings. One gold bracelet on her hand was not enough. She said it was too plain, so she added a gold chain. But before she left, she had added a carved plain ring and a string of gold beads to her left wrist.
“These gold beads are for good luck. I’m always unlucky when I run into your aunt. I’m wearing them to ward off bad luck,” she had said. Yun Lang didn’t care about her gaudy attire. As long as his mother was happy, she could wear whatever she wanted.
But now his aunt was speaking in reverse?
“Don’t try to make me happy,” Diao Yufeng said, but she still touched the magenta dress she was wearing. She then looked at Yang Yijun with a “tsk, tsk” and advised, “Big Sister-in-law, it’s not that your cheongsam doesn’t look good, but why don’t you change the color? This one is too plain. It’s my aunt’s birthday, after all. You should be more festive. Purple or red would be much better.”
Yang Yijun’s face stiffened. “The auspicious clouds on this one are very auspicious,” she said, glancing at the other woman’s tacky and outdated magenta dress.
Diao Yufeng pouted. Auspicious clouds? Isn’t that a curse for someone to ride the clouds to the west? Her eyes shifted and she saw Zhou Wanfeng.
Her face immediately lit up. “Oh, my dear child, you’re here too.” She then looked at Yun Jingya, and after comparing the two, she noticed something. “Oh, didn’t Big Sister-in-law and Yun Lan buy you a dress to wear? Look how pretty Jingya looks. And they just let you come in this?”
Zhou Wanfeng watched the show with a cold expression, not saying a word, nor would she take the initiative to explain.
It was obvious that these two old sisters-in-law were at it again.
Diao Yufeng stood up with her loud voice and called out to her familiar relatives. A few came over, and then a few more. She pointed at Zhou Wanfeng and introduced her, as enthusiastic as if she were her own granddaughter. “Look, look, this is Big Sister-in-law’s new granddaughter. Doesn’t she look just like her dad? So spirited.”
Diao Yufeng was indeed uncultured. Her compliments were not very good. But she was certainly good at angering people, daring to say such things to her relatives in front of Yang Yijun.
Zhou Wanfeng tilted her head and looked at Yang Yijun. The smile was gone from her face.
Everyone knew that she was Zhou Zhiru’s biological daughter and had no relationship with the Yun family. But by name, she was still a granddaughter. Diao Yufeng was not wrong.
“Sister-in-law, drink some tea. Your throat will be sore if you talk so much,” Yang Yijun said, glaring at Zhou Wanfeng and cursing “white-eyed wolf” in her heart.
She lives in my house, eats my food, and yet when others humiliate me, she doesn’t say a word to explain. A single word of explanation from her would be more effective than a hundred from me.