Chapter 147: Bai Fengyu Borrows Vinegar

Ning Weidong greeted a few neighbors he was more familiar with and brought An Ning to the side courtyard.

Behind him, a wave of discussion was instantly stirred up.

It was mainly because An Ning's attire was too striking, and she was a beauty herself; in terms of looks and figure alone, she was second only to Bai Fengyu, but while Bai Fengyu was beautiful, she ultimately came from a humble background and lacked the cosmopolitan air that An Ning possessed.

Furthermore, people were used to seeing her come and go in the courtyard, so they were no longer curious.

Then there was Zhao Ruyi, who had come by a few days ago.

There is a saying that it takes three generations to raise a noble, and it holds some truth.

The Zhao Family only began to prosper starting from Zhao Ruyi's father's generation, and it had only been a few decades since they truly rose up, making Zhao Ruyi only the second generation.

Moreover, although Zhao Ruyi's father had long since left the military, the Zhao Family still carried a very heavy military undertone.

Zhao Ruyi was not a carefully cultivated young lady of a prominent family, but a tomboy who had grown up wild, and she was a different style from An Ning.

"Hey, I say, Ning Weidong is really riding high! Good heavens..." Watching the two of them enter the Moon Gate of the side courtyard, someone behind them began to gossip.

"You can say that again~ one prettier than the next, this kid, damn it..."

"Being an official is just different, damn it, if I could become a Section Chief at such a young age..."

"Stop talking nonsense, with your height that isn't even three blocks of tofu high when you jump, even if you became a Division Chief it would be a waste, what pretty girl would ever fancy you..."

Some of the younger ones, whether out of jealousy, envy, or just idle chatter, soon went off-topic, rambling on and moving on to other things.

However, some of the older ones, or those with more worldly wisdom, did not speak carelessly.

One must know that illness enters by the mouth, and disaster comes out of the mouth.

Nowadays, Ning Weidong is no longer an ordinary person; one cannot just say whatever one wants behind his back.

If one really annoyed him and he turned around to make an example of a loose-lipped person, it would be too late for regrets.

Especially regarding these matters between men and women, sometimes it is a great taboo.

Lu Daye and Lu Dama were among them.

The two said nothing outside, but once they returned home, they discussed: "Old man, what is going on? Didn't that girl surnamed Zhao who came a few days ago say she was Ning Weidong's partner? How come he brought another one back?"

Lu Daye said: "How would I know~ but I don't think today's one is that kind of relationship? It feels like the two of them aren't too intimate."

Lu Dama pursed her lips and said: "If they weren't intimate, would he bring her home? Besides, Ning Weidong lives alone now, and with these two, a man and a woman alone... tsk tsk tsk~"

Lu Daye didn't know what to say for a moment, sighed, and said: "It's best if nothing happens. It was hard enough for our courtyard to produce these two brothers, Ning Weiguo and Ning Weidong; now Ning Weiguo has moved away, and only Ning Weidong is left..."

Lu Dama knew what he was worried about and interjected: "Hey, old man, do you think asking Ning Weidong about our second son's matter will really work?"

Lu Daye said: "Don't you underestimate Ning Weidong, this Deputy Section Chief of the Security Division. Let me tell you, currently at the Manager, in the Security Division, Li Peihang holds the top spot, and right after him is Ning Weidong. Our second son's little matter is nothing at all, it's just that the timing isn't right yet. Furthermore..."

Speaking of this, Lu Daye made a "tsk" sound: "I'm a bit unsure, mainly because Ning Weidong is too young, I'm afraid it won't last."

Lu Dama nodded and said: "As the old saying goes, if there's no hair on the lip, the work won't be steady. Isn't this just it? He's only had a few good days, and he's already started bringing women home."

On the other hand, in the side courtyard, the sisters Bai Fengyu and Bai Fengqin also knew that Ning Weidong had brought back a beautiful and fashionable woman.

And this woman was not Zhao Ruyi.

This caused different thoughts to sprout in the two women's hearts.

Bai Fengqin pretended to bury herself in her studies, but her mind was not on her books; she secretly pondered, wanting to go and take a look.

She had accepted being outshone by Zhao Ruyi before, because the pressure Zhao Ruyi gave her after they met was too strong.

It wasn't just the height, but also the gap in family background that made her afraid to compare herself to Zhao Ruyi.

It wasn't that she still had ideas about Ning Weidong, it was just a woman's competitive spirit at work.

By comparison, Bai Fengyu's mood was more complicated.

She was clear that Ning Weidong's marriage partner could only be Zhao Ruyi.

But her relationship with Ning Weidong was what it was; she had never thought about marrying Ning Weidong.

Yet, besides Zhao Ruyi, she felt she had to compete.

Everyone was in a shameful relationship, shouldn't there be a first-come, first-served order?

She was also curious about what kind of seductive vixen could make Ning Weidong bring her home.

Holding this mentality, Bai Fengyu pursed her lips and immediately began to dress up.

In this era, it wasn't that complicated for women to spruce themselves up; with this cream and that cream, generally, it was just a jar of vanishing cream, and having a lipstick was considered quite good.

In this era, what mattered was still one's natural foundation; there wasn't much technical skill involved.

By comparison, there were more variations in hairstyles.

Bai Fengyu was clever and dexterous; she quickly coiled a beautiful bun, changed into a crisp white shirt, wore light-colored trousers on her lower body, and cinched them with a utility belt, highlighting her hourglass figure...

Only then did Bai Fengqin notice and ask in surprise: "Sister, you~ what are you going to do?"

Bai Fengyu choked, and prevaricated: "I have something to do, don't you worry about it, study hard, there's only a little over a month until the college entrance exam."

At the mention of this, Bai Fengqin's heart jolted; as the exam date approached, she felt the pressure on her growing heavier.

She immediately suppressed the messy thoughts in her head, gathered her focus, and continued studying.

Bai Fengyu steadied herself and went out to Ning Weidong's house.

At Ning Weidong's house, An Ning had just returned with him.

This place was considered quite good in the Dazayuan, but it certainly wouldn't catch the eye of An Ning, who had moved to the Overseas Chinese Apartment.

However, An Ning didn't come to show off her superiority.

After walking around the room, she said with a smile: "I can't tell, you keep it quite clean living alone."

Ning Weidong took off his coat, hung it on the coat rack, and asked: "Would you like some tea?"

An Ning also took off her trench coat and replied: "What good tea do you have?"

Ning Weidong said: "This year's spring tea, the taste is alright."

Saying this, he went to the kitchen, filled a kettle with tap water, and placed it on the gas stove.

Ever since Ning Weiguo moved out, the biggest improvement Ning Weidong had made to this home was installing a gas canister.

Now, he finally didn't have to use a coal briquette stove to cook or boil water.

"The water is boiling, you're in charge of brewing." Ning Weidong came out of the kitchen and took the tea leaves out from under the high-low cabinet.

An Ning smiled and agreed.

Just at this moment, Bai Fengyu's voice came from outside: "Weidong, Weidong?"

As she spoke, she walked in from outside, her eyes swept the room quickly, and her gaze landed on An Ning, pretending not to know: "Oh my, we have a guest~"

Yet in her heart, it was just as she expected; there wasn't a single woman who could get involved with a guy like Ning Weidong who wasn't beautiful.

Ning Weidong saw Bai Fengyu and guessed her thoughts; he didn't feel anything, but rather felt a bit secretly pleased.

"Sister Bai, is something the matter?" Bai Fengyu's gaze sized up An Ning, quickly evaluating the other party's combat effectiveness.

She quickly reached a conclusion: this woman was not easy to deal with.

Her figure and appearance were both above an eight; although she herself could score a nine, for most men, the difference between an eight and a nine wasn't actually that big.

It was just like the gap between 'a' and 'd' being large, but the difference between 'd' and 'e' really wasn't much.

Judging by her clothing and style, Bai Fengyu was completely defeated.

This wasn't even the important part; from her outfit, one could tell that An Ning was not from an ordinary family.

Although Bai Fengyu didn't have much experience, she didn't visit department stores any less than others; she had seen that pair of small brown leather shoes on An Ning's feet at the department store, and the price was quite intimidating.

Bai Fengyu's heart skipped a beat, but she couldn't figure it out: with a background like that, what could a girl like this possibly want from Ning Weidong? If it were really for marriage, it might make sense.

But Ning Weidong had Zhao Ruyi; it was impossible for him to marry anyone else.

As for being deceived by Ning Weidong, Bai Fengyu also felt it was unlikely.

Based on her understanding of Ning Weidong, he would absolutely never do such a thing.

It wasn't about Ning Weidong's character, but rather that the hidden dangers of such things were too great; with Ning Weidong's shrewdness, he would never step into a trap.

However, as this thought arose, Bai Fengyu felt relieved instead.

Such a woman was likely not her competitor, and even if there were cause for worry, it was something Zhao Ruyi should be worried about.

With this conclusion, Bai Fengyu's smile became more natural, and she said embarrassedly: "I didn't know you had a guest; I'm making some dumplings at home, but I'm out of vinegar, so I came to borrow some."

In this era, it was very common for neighbors to borrow salt and vinegar from each other; the supply of non-staple foods wasn't that abundant yet, especially toward the end of the month, when sometimes you had to borrow from a whole circle of people just to manage to get some.

"Is that so~" Ning Weidong said with a hint of playfulness: "I'll go get it for you~"

Saying this, he got up and went to the kitchen.

Bai Fengyu and An Ning were left behind, staring at each other; both of them felt quite uncomfortable.

Although she was certain that An Ning was not in the same lane as her, this woman's relationship with Ning Weidong was definitely not ordinary.

Likewise, An Ning was also somewhat guarded against Bai Fengyu.

Not for any other reason, but the simple fact that Bai Fengyu was prettier than her was enough.

Fortunately, Ning Weidong soon came out with the vinegar bottle, handed it to Bai Fengyu, and said: "Sister Bai, what kind of filling are you making for the dumplings?"

Bai Fengyu's face turned red; she had just made up an excuse, she wasn't making any damn dumplings.

But since Ning Weidong asked, she couldn't let it slip: "Uh, cabbage, pork and cabbage."

Ning Weidong nodded: "That must be delicious."

Bai Fengyu heard the double meaning in his words and didn't dare to continue the conversation, quickly saying: "You have a guest, I'll go first."

Without waiting for Ning Weidong to reply, she turned around and left.

When she returned home, she immediately put on an apron and started kneading dough.

Bai Fengqin, who was studying, asked in surprise: "Sister, what are you doing? Didn't we just finish eating?"

Bai Fengyu also regretted the excuse she had just made, thinking to herself: what can I do, I have a living ancestor who wants to eat pork and cabbage dumplings.

But she couldn't say it directly, so she brushed it off: "You're studying too hard, I'm making a few dumplings so that when you're hungry in the middle of the night, I can boil them for you as a late-night snack."

When the silly girl Bai Fengqin heard this, she actually took it seriously; her eyes immediately grew sore, and tears almost came out.

……

On the other side, at Ning Weidong's house.

Once Bai Fengyu left, An Ning revealed a meaningful expression and said without hesitation: "Was that one just now your lover?"

Ning Weidong said: "Don't talk nonsense, ruining someone's reputation for no reason."

An Ning curled her lips: "Reputation? You have the nerve to say that."

Just then, the water in the kitchen boiled; she didn't act coy, went to fill the thermos, and while brewing tea, she teased: "I couldn't tell, you've got quite the methods; that woman just now was quite a looker."

Ning Weidong didn't want to get entangled with her on this issue and didn't take the bait, instead asking: "You came to see me today, surely not just to discuss such pointless questions~"

An Ning said calmly: "Alright~ An Zhiyuan is urging again, and I have no choice, so I had to come."

Ning Weidong chuckled lightly: "He's in a rush, tell him not to be in a rush for now; this matter of his isn't like inviting someone to dinner."

An Ning was unhurried, and while brewing tea, she said: "That's what you say, but there has to be some progress on your end~"

Ning Weidong said indifferently: "What kind of progress does he want? I just went to see the old man of the Zhao Family at noon today; does that count as progress?"

An Ning's eyes lit up.

She had come today just to brush off An Zhiyuan and go through the motions.

She hadn't expected Ning Weidong to actually give her something big!

Going to the Zhao Family to see the old man of the Zhao Family meant that Ning Weidong, as a son-in-law, had already gained the approval of the Zhao Family.

This was extremely critical.

If Ning Weidong's position as son-in-law wasn't solidified, everything else was just unrealistic wishful thinking.

And for An Ning, this progress from Ning Weidong was of vital importance.

This meant that Ning Weidong's status was firmly established, and she could take the opportunity to obtain more substantial support from the Overseas An Family.

Ning Weidong raised an eyebrow: "What, my son-in-law is visiting, and you're happier than I am?"

An Ning smiled sweetly: "Of course I'm happy; from now on, I can cling to your coattails."

As she spoke, she cast a flirtatious glance and directly hugged Ning Weidong's arm.

Through the thin shirt, Ning Weidong could clearly feel the elasticity of An Ning's chest.

Ning Weidong shot her a glare: "If our Ruyi finds out you're seducing her lover, with those little arms and legs of yours, do you believe she could beat you until you can't even take care of yourself?"

An Ning said pitifully: "If it really came to that, would your heart ache or not?"

Ning Weidong laughed: "I'm afraid it wouldn't ache. Just think—if you couldn't take care of yourself and had to eat and relieve yourself on the kang, what kind of smell would that be? Even the most beautiful beauty wouldn't be able to stir up any interest."

An Ning's face darkened: "You scoundrel, can you even talk! You're the one eating and relieving yourself on the kang~" She flicked her hand, turned around, and presented the back of her head to Ning Weidong.

Ning Weidong didn't coax her, drinking tea on his own; after finishing a cup, he said leisurely: "Alright, no more joking."

Upon hearing this, An Ning composed her emotions and turned back around.

Ning Weidong signaled for her to refill the tea and asked unhurriedly: "What are your thoughts regarding the future? Do you just want to use the original An Family's resources to earn some 'middleman' money?"

An Ning frowned, a bit unsure of Ning Weidong's meaning, but with her sharp mind, it wasn't hard to hear the naked temptation contained in Ning Weidong's words.

She had always been an ambitious woman; how could she be content with small wealth?

Otherwise, her attitude toward An Zhiyuan and the Hong Kong An Family wouldn't be like this.

It was just that she couldn't quite figure out what Ning Weidong meant by saying this.

(End of this chapter)