Chapter 39: A Girl Who Was Graceful and Slim, But Noisy
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
When w.a.n.g Yao arrived home, he saw that w.a.n.g Ru, his sister, was at home as well.
“Hi sis,” said w.a.n.g Yao.
“Yao, mom said you’re on the hill all the time, even staying overnight there. Are you possessed? I thought you were going to find a proper job in town? How come that didn’t happen?” w.a.n.g Ru started to preach w.a.n.g Yao even before he sat down.
“Don’t try to change the topic, you said you found a boyfriend last week,” said Zhang Xiuying with her hand tapping on the table.
“I dumped him,” said w.a.n.g Ru with a smile.
“Why?” said Zhang Xiuying with her eyes wide open.
“We didn’t get along,” said w.a.n.g Ru.
“Again!? Darling, can’t you find a different excuse next time?” said Zhang Xiuying.
“Mom, Why bother about such things? I’m not even worried myself,” said w.a.n.g Ru impatiently.
“Of course I’m bothered! I don’t even want to go out because everyone in the village asks me when you will get married. And you don’t know what they say behind our backs!” said Zhang Xiuying angrily.
“Who’s been talking behind my back? Those freakin’ gossipers!” w.a.n.g Ru rolled her eyes and hit the table when she stood up.
“Sit down!” shouted Zhang Xiuying. w.a.n.g Ru sat down obediently.
w.a.n.g Yao could sense the tense atmosphere. He stood up and walked towards his room in case they started to talk about him.
“You! Where are you going?” Zhang Xiuying lifted her head up and spoke to w.a.n.g Yao.
s.h.i.+t! thought w.a.n.g Yao.
“When will you find yourself a girlfriend?” asked Zhang Xiuying.
“Well, mom, you probably should talk to my sister first. She’s older than me. I should wait until after she’s married. What do you think?” said w.a.n.g Yao.
“What are you saying…” w.a.n.g Ru pointed at w.a.n.g Yao angrily.
“I agree with Yao, you should hurry up and find a boyfriend next month!” said Zhang Xiuying.
“Mom! You’ve asked me to bring home a boyfriend when it’s Chinese New Year. How come it changed to next month?” said w.a.n.g Ru.
“Don’t bargain with me!” said Zhang Xiuying firmly.
w.a.n.g Fenghua didn’t have dinner at home as he had other arrangements. w.a.n.g Yao still couldn’t have dinner in peace with his mother and sister when his father was not around. w.a.n.g Yao quickly finished his meal and hid in his room. He started to read some medical books as usual, but not for long because w.a.n.g Ru entered his room.
“Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor, Compendium of Materia Medica, Invaluable Prescriptions for Ready Reference. What are you doing? Learning medicine?” w.a.n.g Ru asked in surprise as she read through the books on w.a.n.g Yao’s table.
“Just for leisure,” said w.a.n.g Yao casually.
“The entry examination for civil servants is going to start soon. There are a lot of vacancies in town and in the city. I think you should start to prepare for the exam!”
w.a.n.g Yao would have listened to his sister if it had been several months ago, but now, he was not interested.
“Sis, I’m not interested in becoming a civil servant,” said w.a.n.g Yao.
“Then what do you want to do? Grow herbs and become a quack doctor?” challenged w.a.n.g Ru.
“I’m a traditional Chinese Pharmacist.”
“What pharmacist? Like a drug a.n.a.lyst?
“Sis, I think your priority should be finding a husband. Don’t worry about me and what I do for a living!” said w.a.n.g Yao.
“Your sister is as pretty as a flower; I have numerous admirers,” said w.a.n.g Ru.
“I do admire your confidence, sis. If that’s the case, then you should bring someone home in no time. Choose someone reliable!” said w.a.n.g Yao.
“What do you mean?” said w.a.n.g Yao.
“I’m going to sleep now. You should go out to chat with mom,” w.a.n.g Yao said as he pushed w.a.n.g Ru out of his room.
After sending her sister away, w.a.n.g Yao went to sleep after reading one of the books for a short while.
He got up early the next morning to start his busy day. He watered the herbal field, climbed to the top of the hill and practiced his breathing. Then he went to the cottage to brew decoctions. As soon as he started though, someone came to look for him.
“Hi, what is this?” It was his sister w.a.n.g Ru. “This one looks good. What do you need so many herbs for?”.
w.a.n.g Ru went on and on with her questions. She looked around, checked here and there, and was really disruptive. It took w.a.n.g Yao a while to send her away. By the time w.a.n.g Ru had left, it was already time for lunch.
Fortunately, w.a.n.g Ru didn’t come back and w.a.n.g Yao successfully made another formula. He also made an Anshensan decoction for Tian Tuyuan’s friend. After he returned home at night, he found his sister w.a.n.g Ru was still at home.
“Hi, sis, you don’t need to go to work?” asked w.a.n.g Yao.
“It’s Sat.u.r.day today,” replied w.a.n.g Ru.
w.a.n.g Yao wasn’t aware that it was the weekend as he had been so busy working on the hill.
“Well, you rarely come home on the weekends. What happened this week?” asked w.a.n.g Yao.
w.a.n.g Ru’s phone suddenly rang as she was about to speak. She took a look at the number and frowned, then threw her mobile phone away.
“Who was it? Why didn’t you pick up the phone?” asked w.a.n.g Yao.
“Someone annoying!” said w.a.n.g Ru with a stern face.
“One of your admirers?” joked w.a.n.g Yao.
“Who? Which admirer?” Zhang Xiuying caught their conversation even when she was in a different room. She immediately came in with a knife still in her hand.
“What the h.e.l.l, mom?” w.a.n.g Yao and his sister jumped as they saw the knife.
“You just said you have an admirer?” Zhang Xiuying put the knife on the table and asked eagerly.
“One of my co-workers,” said w.a.n.g Ru as she didn’t think she could hide it anymore.
“This is a good thing. What’s his name? What kind of person is he? Does he have any siblings?” Zhang Xiuying asked with a smile, as if she was checking on household occupants.
“Not a nice person. He’s into drinking, food, prost.i.tutes and gambling. He and his ex-wife just divorced!” said w.a.n.g Ru grumpily.
“What?!”
Zhang Xiuying and w.a.n.g Yao were in shock after they heard this.
“Such a sc.u.mbag!” said w.a.n.g Yao.
“You must ignore him then!” said Zhang Xiuying anxiously.
“Of course. I don’t even want to talk to him. That’s why I’m hiding at home,” said w.a.n.g Ru.
“That’s good!” Zhang Xiuying went back to the kitchen.
“Sis, what’s the name of that guy?” asked w.a.n.g Yao.
“Hu Chengan,” said w.a.n.g Ru casually. But she didn’t feel quite right. She turned her head around and asked w.a.n.g Yao, “Why do you ask?”
“Just curious. I was also wondering what kind of social status he’s in?”
“Why is that?” asked w.a.n.g Ru curiously.
“Because you are not the kind of person who hides from someone. I presume that person is either a rogue or someone with a strong background and I don’t think the Agriculture Bureau would hire a rogue. So, he must have a strong background,” explained w.a.n.g Yao.
“Good, you didn’t waste time watching Detective Conan!” said w.a.n.g Ru. “His father started a business of selling rocks which brought thousands of millions of yuan to his family. One of his uncles is the deputy chief of the Auditing Department. I don’t want to get into a conflict with him.”
“I see. But if he crosses the line, I won’t be scared of any conflicts!” said w.a.n.g Yao.
“No, I still want to keep my job. I don’t want my boss to stab me in the back!” said w.a.n.g Ru with a frown.
“You can always quit your job,” said w.a.n.g Yao with a smile.
“Quit? What else can I do? Grow herbs with you?” said w.a.n.g Ru.
“Mm….I don’t think that’s a bad idea—I don’t just hire anybody.”
“No way! I would be too stupid to give up my job and grow herbs with you!” said w.a.n.g Ru.