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CHAPTER 3
PART 2
As a result, on this evening, Gu Lei helped Li Xueli with the cooking. Gu Lei prepared two of his signature dishes, which received unanimous praise from everyone. The compliments extended beyond his cooking skills, they also appreciated Gu Lei as a person. In these past few days, everyone had realized that he was an extraordinary good man. Thoughtful to his wife, patient with his son, responsible for his family, and straightforward with his friends (especially evident when it came to drinking), he seemed flawless. Gu Lei felt a bit embarrassed by such praise and asked everyone not to flatter him further, as he couldn't handle it.
"There's nothing you can't handle, we are just speaking the truth," Han Lei said while picking up some food. "I work in nightclubs, and many men I encounter there are just playboys and not reliable at all!"
"A solid and stable man probably wouldn't go to such places," Yuan Dong adjusted his glasses.
Han Lei paused her eating and turned to Yuan Dong. "Mr. Yuan, you need to be clear about what kind of place I work at."
"Oh... I didn't mean it that way," Yuan Dong realized he misspoke and quickly explained, "I just meant that men who go to nightclubs to seek pleasure and have fun wouldn't be the family-oriented type; it's a contradiction."
"Seek pleasure and have fun?" Wang Xingxing swallowed a mouthful of food. "Mr. Yuan, you just insulted me with a roundabout way. I also go to nightclubs often, but it's just for drinking and listening to music, to relax a bit. What kind of person are you making me out to be?"
Han Lei chimed in, "In Mr Yuan's eyes, neither of us is a proper person. You seek pleasure and have fun, and I'm wild and unrestrained. We are all people who frequent 'those kinds of places,' fundamentally different from the scholarly type."
Yuan Dong got anxious, and his face turned red. "Don't misinterpret what I meant! 'Seek pleasure and have fun' is not always a derogatory term in modern Chinese. Sometimes it's used as a term of praise." He opened his phone and earnestly looked up the exact definition of the term. "Look, according to the Baidu Dictionary, it means 'to seek joy and happiness, to pursue enjoyment, describes the pursuit of pleasure.' Pursuing enjoyment, who doesn't do that? It's human nature..."
Before he could finish, the table erupted in laughter. Yuan Dong froze for a couple of seconds, then realized what was happening and got annoyed. "You all are teasing me again."
"Who asked you to fall for it every time?" Han Lei laughed. "I love seeing you chew over words like this."
"Laugh all you want. You just love teasing this old-fashioned teacher," Han Lei walked over and put her arm around Yuan Dong's shoulder. "But speaking of it, Mr. Yuan, you surely haven't been to 'those kinds of places' in your entire life, have you?"
"If you mean places of romance and allure, then indeed, I haven't been to any."
"Really?" Han Lei looked skeptical, "Could it be that you feel embarrassed to admit it in front of your students?" As she spoke, she winked at Shen Fengxia.
Shen Fengxia was an honest person and quickly came to Yuan Dong's defense, "Mr. Yuan is indeed a man of integrity. We were in a rural town's high school before, and there was a female student who willingly fell into a bad path. After graduating from high school, she became a hostess in a club in the county town. Yuan Dong was her class teacher, and upon learning of her situation, he went to the club and pulled her out. He earnestly advised her, which eventually persuaded the girl to change her ways. Later, she got a job in the county town's government office."
"I see," Han Lei leaned her face close to Yuan Dong, and her wavy hair cascaded over his shoulder as she coquettishly asked, "Mr. Yuan, if you were to persuade me to change my ways, how would you do it?"
Yuan Dong blushed and replied impatiently, "You, on the other hand, are beyond saving, no chance of changing your ways!"
"Ah!" Han Lei pretended to be sad, covering her face with one hand. "I was planning to turn over a new leaf and become a virtuous housewife. Mr. Yuan, you won't even give me a chance!"
Everyone burst into laughter again, amused by Han Lei's exaggerated and theatrical gestures and tone. Gong Yamei laughed so hard that tears came out, and she playfully raised her chopsticks as if to hit Han Lei, saying, "Enough! Stop teasing Mr. Yuan. You're acting like a drama queen again!"
Han Lei agilely dodged and continued to speak playfully. Su Xiaotong could tell that both Han Lei and Wang Xingxing were the entertainment in this big family, often teasing Yuan Dong, this straightforward and honest person. Yuan Dong didn't really mind, and amidst the jokes and laughter, they enjoyed their meal with great delight.
"Often, when we all gather like this, having a good time and sharing a meal, it makes me think, what is the meaning of life?" Gong Yamei spoke with a touch of emotion.
"Sister Yamei is going to give a speech on the meaning of life again," Wang Xingxing said.
"If you find me too verbose, then I won't say it."
"No, please go ahead, Sister Yamei. I really enjoy listening to older people talk about their insights on life," Shen Fengxia said.
"Alright then. I feel that our pure and happy state is something that many people living in big cities can't have. It's true that people in big cities also have gatherings with colleagues and friends, but can they really be open and relaxed with each other?"
"Most of the time, they probably deal with business banquets, competition with peers, commercial flattery, and exchanges of interests. It's inevitable for them to hold grudges against each other or even scheme against each other. But for us, we have no relationships of interest or conflicts of interest. We don't have to act according to someone's face, worry about saying the wrong thing that might affect a contract, or flatter anyone. The friendships and emotions we have here are the purest."
Su Xiaotong couldn't help but nod in agreement. Gong Yamei's words almost described her past life perfectly. Han Lei said, "That's right. In this big family, I feel completely unrestrained and unconstrained. It's very comfortable."
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"Me too, I am so happy when I am with all of you," Xia Qi said with a smile.
"More importantly, our values are aligned. Many people are busy pursuing the so-called high society life, working hard every day, and barely have time to be with their families and enjoy life. I had a friend in Shanghai before, who traveled domestically and internationally for business all the time, leaving her child to be raised by her parents. Once she came home, she saw her child, who was staying in the school dormitory, and exclaimed, 'How did you grow up so quickly?' It sounds like a joke, but it's actually quite sad," Fan Lin shook her head.
"Yeah, that's what I've been thinking. What is the meaning of life? Is it worth sacrificing so much, like health and freedom, for the pursuit of money and a supposedly superior life?" Gong Yamei said.
"When it comes to making money, who among us makes the most right now?" Wang Xingxing curiously asked, then added, "For me, as a professional gamer, I can only make a few thousand yuan a month."
"Fan Lin, how about you?" Xia Qi said.
"Forget it, the tourism industry has been slow these past two years, and you all know that. The travel agency I co-founded with a friend can barely hold on, so not going bankrupt is already considered good," Fan Lin said to Xia Qi. "As for your coffee shop, it might be making some money."
"My niche coffee shop is not Starbucks. I'm happy as long as I have twenty to thirty customers a day. But it doesn't matter; making money is not the main priority for me. As long as I'm living comfortably, that's what matters!" Xia Qi said.
"Su Xiaotong, Gu Lei, do you guys make good money with your design work?" Fan Lin asked.
Gu Lei waved his hand and said, "If you have a background with big companies, you might earn more. As for myself, doing freelance work online, I make tens of thousands a month."
"Among our group, that's considered a high income," Li Xueli said. "My storefront is in a small city, and the rent is just over four thousand a month, and that's not counting times when I can't find tenants."
"Alright, I think we shouldn't dwell on the income issue anymore," Fan Lin said. "In the end, if we were in it just for the money, who would come to Li City, a slow-paced small town like this? I believe all of us who came here have found something a hundred times more important than making money, right?"
"Yes," Xia Qi said confidently. The others nodded in agreement, their faces showing knowing smiles.
After finishing dinner, Shen Fengxia once again rushed to wash the dishes, and Li Xueli, as usual, arranged the activity, "What are we doing tonight, playing mahjong or watching a movie?"
"I need to perform at the bar at nine o'clock, you guys have fun," Han Lei asked, "Anyone wants to come to the bar with me?"
Wang Xingxing immediately raised his hand. "I'll go! Xia Qi, you should come along too."
As expected, Xia Qi never refused anyone and readily agreed, "Sure!"
"What about you two?" Han Lei asked Su Xiaotong and Gu Lei. "You've been in Li City for so long, and you haven't been to a nightclub?"
"We can't, we have to take care of our child," Su Xiaotong said.
"Let your husband take care of him! We already said last time, we'll go to the bar without them father and son!"
"Well..." Su Xiaotong looked at Gu Lei. He generously said, "If you want to go, go ahead. Just don't stay out too late."
"Really?!" Su Xiaotong was excited. Back in Jingzhou, she occasionally went to KTV or bars with friends. Now that she thought about it, it had been a long time since she enjoyed the nightlife.
"Of course, I'll take care of Xiao Liang while he sleeps. You guys go have fun," Gu Lei said generously.
"Yay! It's settled then. Who else is going? Fan Lin? Xueli?"
"I'm not going. I have to accompany Wenjing with her homework," Fan Lin said.
"I'll pass too. I'll stay at home and watch TV dramas with Sister Yamei," Li Xueli said. "Yesterday, we watched a really good drama."
"Yes, you young people go have fun," Gong Yamei waved her hand at them.
"Sister Yamei, you're not old either, come with us!" Xia Qi circled her arms around Gong Yamei's neck and said coquettishly.
Gong Yamei smiled and patted her hand, saying, "Let it be, let it be. The bar is too noisy, and my heart can't take it. Have fun, all of you."
"Alright," Xia Qi pouted.
"Mr. Yuan, what about you?" Han Lei hooked her arm around Yuan Dong's and seductively said, "So many of us are going to the bar tonight, why don't you open up and go to that kind of place once?"
"I won't go, I won't go," Yuan Dong kept shaking his head. "I'm not agile at all, why would I go to such a place?"
"If you were agile, what would you want to do?"
"Here you go again..."
Han Lei laughed heartily, "Okay, suit yourself. As for Feng Xia, I don't even need to ask, she won't go either. You and she are practically inseparable."
"So, it'll be the four of us, just enough to take a taxi to the bar in the ancient city," Wang Xingxing took out his phone, "I'm calling a cab."
Su Xiaotong, Han Lei, Wang Xingxing, and Xia Qi walked out of the community. Wang Xingxing's taxi arrived quickly at the entrance of the community. The four of them chatted and laughed as they headed to the liveliest bar street in Li City's ancient town. Su Xiaotong had been here before when she visited Li City as a tourist, and she found it unforgettable. In terms of liveliness, it surpassed even the commercial district in Jingzhou.
Outside the car window, the beautiful night view of Li City passed by. Su Xiaotong felt very relaxed. However, she couldn't help feeling guilty when she thought about Gu Lei's selfless dedication to her and their child. Going to a bar and leaving her husband and child at home, was that really okay...
At that moment, Su Xiaotong suddenly realized another issue.
Mr. Tan didn't come tonight, and there were twelve people at Li Xueli's house, including the two children. With the four of them going to the bar, and aside from Li Xueli, there were seven people left. Gu Lei would definitely take Xiao Liang home, Fan Lin said she would take Fan Wenjing home to do homework; Gong Yamei would go home after watching TV; Yuan Dong and Shen Fengxia would do the same,so, tonight, it seemed like there wouldn't be anyone left at Li Xueli's house to spend the night with her.
Su Xiaotong didn't know if this situation had ever happened before, but at least since they knew each other, it was the first time. How would Li Xueli face this situation? Perhaps she planned to invite the tipsy Wang Xingxing to her place. Or maybe, if there really was no one to accompany her, she could spend the night alone?
Su Xiaotong couldn't ask this question to Han Lei and Xia Qi sitting beside her, it involved a taboo topic. Especially since they were heading to the bar to relax and have fun, it clearly wasn't the right time to discuss this matter.
Fine then, Li Xueli was an adult, and she could handle it alone. She couldn't always rely on someone to spend the night with her for the rest of her life, right?
Despite thinking that way, Su Xiaotong had an inexplicable sense of foreboding, as if something bad might happen tonight.
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