Free Web NovelChapter 435: Chapter 431: Argument
When dinnertime arrived, Aunt Zhao had the meal set out on the table. Just as everyone was about to sit down, Gu’er spotted Feng Ling standing in the doorway.
Since a lot of people came and went, the door was usually left open unless it was particularly cold.
"Feng Ling, you’re here! Come on in and eat."
Someone else spotted her and called out a welcome.
Gu’er glanced at Li Zhi. His eyes were fixed on Feng Ling, a hint of pleasant surprise in his gaze.
"Oh, I’ve already made dinner. I came to get Grandpa to come eat."
Feng Ling smiled. She had prepared a meal today, but when no one came back, she grew worried. Usually, Li Zhi was always home with her. She never had to call for him; he would even help her serve the dishes and so on. But today, neither Li Zhi nor her grandfather were anywhere to be seen. She was afraid the food would get cold, so she had come over.
As Feng Ling finished speaking, the surprise in Li Zhi’s eyes faded. She hadn’t come looking for him; it had just been wishful thinking on his part.
"Aunt Zhao made blood sausage today, and I was craving some, so I’m eating here," Grandpa Guan said. "Have Brother Li Zhi go back with you to eat."
After he spoke, Grandpa Guan smiled and glanced at his granddaughter and Li Zhi.
"I’m craving blood sausage too. I’d like to have some, so I won’t be going back."
Unexpectedly, Li Zhi also refused. But after he spoke, perhaps afraid of making Feng Ling feel awkward, he quickly added, "Why don’t you stay and eat here too, Feng Ling? Aunt Zhao made plenty of food."
Feng Ling glanced at Li Zhi, then at everyone else in the room. She gave a small smile and said, "I won’t eat here. I made several dishes, and it would be a shame to let them go to waste. Well, Grandpa, everyone, please take your time and enjoy the meal. I’ll be on my way."
With that, Feng Ling bid everyone farewell and left.
"That girl," Guan Yicai said. "If I’d known, I would’ve told her not to cook. It’s no fun eating all by yourself."
Guan Yicai said, but he didn’t dwell on it and started eating with the others.
Gu’er saw Li Zhi lower his gaze and inwardly shook her head.
A big group made for a lively meal, and Li Zhi drank and chatted with Uncle Zhao, Sun Jiaming, and Dingzi. But Gu’er could tell his heart wasn’t in it; he seemed absent-minded. ’Even though he’s eating here,’ she thought, ’his mind is still on Feng Ling.’
’I wonder what Feng Ling is really thinking. Does she truly have no feelings for Li Zhi?’
’Li Zhi told us not to get involved, so we shouldn’t. We’ll just have to let things take their course.’
For the following week, Li Zhi continued to eat at the Sun Family’s home. Guan Yicai would eat with Feng Ling when he had time, and other times he’d eat at the Sun Family’s. Feng Ling, however, never came over again.
"Sister, I feel like Sister Feng Ling has been in a strange mood the last couple of days."
One evening after dinner, Xinghua quietly pulled Gu’er into a room.
"What’s wrong?"
Gu’er asked, raising an eyebrow. She’d noticed Li Zhi’s mood was off the past couple of days, too. ’Did they have a fight?’ she wondered. But Grandpa Guan was acting normally, and Li Zhi hadn’t said anything to them.
"I’ve noticed Sister Feng Ling hasn’t been very happy these past two days. She messed up her knitting and keeps spacing out. She’s also been going out a lot in her free time. I asked what she was doing, and she said she was looking for a house. And earlier today, some man came looking for her. I asked who it was, and she said he was just an old acquaintance from her village, but I didn’t get that impression. Do you think something’s going on? Do you think she and Brother Li had a fight, and that’s why she wants to find a house and move out?"
Xinghua’s eyes darted about as she spoke, but there was no trace of gloating in them.
Gu’er took her hand and patted it. ’Xinghua is such a kind soul. There was a time when her aunt had entertained the idea of setting her up with Li Zhi. But I could tell Li Zhi wasn’t interested at all, so I never brought it up. And Xinghua never gave it a second thought, either. She knew Li Zhi liked Feng Ling and didn’t show a hint of jealousy. On the contrary, she’s been very good to Feng Ling and is now genuinely worried about them both. It’s rare to find someone with such a good heart.’
"Don’t worry," Gu’er said. "If Feng Ling and Li Zhi are meant to be, they’ll end up together. If not, there’s no use in us rushing things. If Feng Ling is uncomfortable living at the Li Family’s home, then let her look for a place to rent. Forcing her to stay will only make her feel worse. As for that man who came to see her, try to find out his name. I’ll have someone ask around to see if he’s really from her village."
Gu’er instructed Xinghua.
"Okay, I will, Sister."
Xinghua nodded. She had a bad feeling about the man who’d come looking for Feng Ling; she didn’t like the way he’d sized her up. Feng Ling had seemed repulsed by him, too, but she’d still stepped aside to speak with him. She hadn’t been gone long, but when she returned, she seemed even more unhappy. Xinghua wanted to know why.
She was worried, but didn’t feel it was her place to tell Li Zhi, which is why she decided to talk to Gu’er.
Gu’er sent Xinghua to ask around, but before she could get any answers, Grandpa Guan came over. He said that Li Zhi and Feng Ling had argued, and he asked Gu’er to see if she could go and talk to Feng Ling.
"An argument? That can’t be right. I’ve never seen Li Zhi argue with anyone. What about?"
Gu’er was baffled.
"Sigh... it’s all that girl Feng Ling’s doing. She said she’s found a house. Now that she’s earning a salary working with Xinghua, she says she and I should move out so we don’t bother Li Zhi anymore. She says with her living in his house, he doesn’t even come home to eat every day. We’re the guests, yet we’re inconveniencing the host, and she feels terrible about it. Li Zhi was trying to talk to her calmly at first, but I don’t know how it happened—they just started fighting. Li Zhi got so angry he stormed out, and now that girl Feng Ling is at home crying. I can’t seem to console her. Gu’er, you’re a woman. You know how a woman’s mind works. Do you think you could go and talk to her for your old grandpa?"
Guan Yicai looked at Gu’er, his expression pleading. He couldn’t understand why his granddaughter was so insistent on moving out. ’Li Zhi is such a fine young man,’ he thought. ’Why is she acting this way?’
"Alright, I’ll go take a look."
Gu’er nodded. Since Grandpa Guan had put it that way, she had to go over.
"Let me help you walk over."
Aunt Zhao said, flicking the water from her hands. She had been washing vegetables. Jia Ming wasn’t home—he’d gone to the mall—and Marina, Dingzi, and Grandma Dingzi had all gone out for the day. She was worried about Gu’er going alone.
"No, it’s alright. It’s just a short walk. I’ll be back in a bit."
Gu’er shook her head. She and Feng Ling weren’t on bad terms. Even if she couldn’t get through to her, she could just come back. It wasn’t like anything was going to happen.
Gu’er walked over to Li Zhi’s house. The door was closed, so she knocked. After a long moment, the door opened. Feng Ling didn’t look surprised to see Gu’er standing on her doorstep. She knew her grandfather had gone out to find someone to talk to her, and that it could only be Gu’er.
"Sister-in-law, you’re here. Please, come in and sit down."
With red-rimmed eyes, Feng Ling helped Gu’er to a seat on the sofa.
Gu’er looked around the room. She hadn’t been over since Feng Ling moved in. Now, she saw the place was spotless and looked much warmer than before. ’It finally feels like a home,’ she thought.
