Chapter 18 — Banquet
Lou Yao Yao stood in front of a floor-length mirror. She tried to pull up the zipper at her back for an age, but finally failed. She lowered her head and looked at her belly. Ever since she had fully moved in with Qin Zhi, she had eaten various kinds of delicious foods every day. Unknowingly, she had ate until she was a little fat woman.
The dress that she had bought a few days ago, was now unexpectedly a little tight.
She put down her hand, discouraged. Lou Yao Yao pouted and raised her voice to call Qin Zhi. Qin Zhi who was standing outside waiting for her, walked in baffled. Lou Yao Yao hurled an accusation at him, “It’s your fault! See how fat I’ve become.”
Qin Zhi sized her up and down. Finally his line of sight fell on Lou Yao Yao’s back. The zipper was only half-way closed, revealing a large expanse of snow-white flesh. He seemed to be able to imagine that wonderful feeling. Qin Zhi coughed, then said, “How are you fat? I don’t see any difference.”
Lou Yao Yao raised her arm without the slightness awareness of being taken advantage of, then held his hand and pressed it on her belly. “Feel it. There’s so much fat. How am I not fat?”
Qin Zhi’s large palm was pressed onto Lou Yao Yao’s belly by her hand. He pretended to touch her two times. With his expression unchanged, he said,” It seems that it is a little fat.”
Lou Yao Yao raised her arm and pinched her arm saying, “Look, there is lots of fat here too.”
“Then do you want to lose weight?” Qin Zhi asked her. Actually in his heart, he didn’t have the slightest desire for her to lose weight. He has nurtured the meat on her body with great difficulty. It would be a great pity to lose all of it. Girls always loved being thin, however, he prefered Lou Yao Yao’s plumpness. It was really comfortable to hug.
Lou Yao Yao stared at Qin Zhi, wavering between thinness and delicious food. She asked him, “If I’m fat will you not want me?”
“Of course not.” Qin Zhi denied.
Lou Yao Yao turned her head back to look at the female in the mirror, satisfied. Her original sharp chin had turned round. With her pair of large and round eyes, her entire face had become round and plump like a white baozi1. However, it looked better than that thin and sharp face in her memory. It seemed that it was okay to not lose weight. Forget it, she could just eat less later. Lou Yao Yao dispelled the idea of losing weight and prompted Qin Zhi to help her. “Help me pull up the zipper.”
A little unwillingly, Qin Zhi removed his hand that was on her belly. He helped her zip up the back of her formal dress.
After getting ready and bringing the gifts they had prepared beforehand, the two set out.
Today was Dong Dong’s grandfather’s 80th birthday. Old people always liked peace and quiet so in previous years, his birthday had been celebrated by invited a few close friends to his house to eat a meal. Perhaps because he was getting old and his old friends were all leaving this world one after the other, unavoidably, it seemed quiet and lonely. Therefore, he didn’t stop his children from preparing a large party.
Lou Yao Yao had lived in her grandfather’s house more than she had in her parent’s house when she was young. Although she was mischievous, she would acted like a spoiled child. She was quite liked by these old people and was frequently praised as better compared to their own grandchildren. Because of this, girls that were the same age as her didn’t like one iota.
Other people’s children are always better than their own. Actually, Lou Yao Yao was innocent. If it wasn’t your own family’s child, then who would worry about that child. On one hand, these old people liked Lou Yao Yao being so lively and stirring up trouble, but on the other hand, they strictly enforced a lady’s education for their own girls. If those girls really were like Lou Yao Yao and behaved like a monkey, jumping up and down, then they would presumably complain that their granddaughter wasn’t ladylike enough.
However, Lou Yao Yao’s grandfather didn’t care at all if his granddaughter was not ladylike.
In the end, Lou Yao Yao grew up being both envied and despised by those girls.
Dong Dong’s grandfather was 80 years old this year. He was hard of hearing, but refused to use a hearing aid. In order to speak with him, you had to raise your voice for a long time, only then would he understand.
When Lou Yao Yao and Qin Zhi arrived at the hotel hosting the birthday banquet, they saw a female speaking with Dong Dong’s grandfather. The result was that Dong Dong’s grandfather turned his back on her.
This female was familiar person. It was Lin Fei, Chen Hao’s childhood sweetheart.
Lou Yao Yao’s ill-intentioned laughter caused Lin Fei to glare. Lou Yao Yao was too lazy to care about her. She and Qin Zhi walked up together. Dong Dong’s grandfather was at the head seat and was still talking with his old friends. They were all elderly people and easily drowned out the sound of birthday wishes by speaking loudly at the top of the voices.
Lou Yao Yao bent down and tilted her head to enter his line of sight and yelled, “Grandfather.”2
When Dong Dong’s grandfather saw Lou Yao Yao, his elderly face immediately creased into a smile, “Oh, its Yao Yao yatou.”3
“Grandfather, happy birthday.” Lou Yao Yao took a few steps back and said a few stereotypical birthday congratulations.
Dong Dong grandfather seemed to have not heard clearly. He opened his eyes wide and looked blank, “Ah? Yao Yao yatou, what did you say?”
Although the elders who came first didn’t care, the girls who were the same age and had previously lost face looked at Lou Yao Yao mockingly.
Lou Yao Yao seemed to have not seen the ridicule of those people. She patiently repeated again her words in a loud voice. Dong Dong’s grandfather seemed to not have heard clearly, so Lou Yao Yao repeated her words once more. Her clear voice spread throughout the entire hall.
“Haha, good child. Come and sit with grandfather and chat.” Dong Dong’s grandfather had the waiter add a seat beside him.
Without refusing, Lou Yao Yao rolled her eyes and sat next to him.