Chapter Seventy-Six: A Peerless Beauty
He actually fell in love with this beautiful "country girl" at first sight, but he couldn't marry her now. He already had two wives. Especially not Fairy Wen, who was incredibly jealous—he couldn't afford to offend her! He loved Fairy Wen too much!
Yi Jing seemed to be a rather shy girl, almost never daring to look Tong Daqi in the eye. She didn't say a word the whole way, occasionally making eye contact with the man before immediately looking away.
The five of them got out of the car and returned to their lodgings. Daqi took the initiative to say to Yijing, "Yijing, don't be so reserved, this is your home!" Yijing looked at the man, nodded gently, her face blushing like an apple. He was truly adorable!
Daqi sometimes felt he was quite lecherous; why did his mood improve so much whenever he saw a beautiful woman? His wives were renowned beauties, and he still wasn't satisfied? Of course, his only fear was Qiwen. If he didn't love her so much and consider her feelings so much, this philanderer would surely have wanted to seduce every beautiful woman in the world! Hey, not just him, Tong Daqi, but all real men are like this! It's true what they say, "Food and sex are human nature!" The philosopher Gaozi said this truth thousands of years ago, only Tong Daqi was a little more lecherous than the average person. Just a little bit! Please don't laugh, dear readers; every normal person has some hobbies. When he was young, Tong Daqi loved reading; now that he's grown up, he's gradually developed a love for looking at women—beautiful women, of course! As for smelly women, Daqi would never look at them, and he wouldn't even bother talking to them; he only respected them as human beings!
At this moment, the fairy took Yijing's hand and said, "Little sister, you're so beautiful! I like you so much!" Yijing smiled at Wen and said, "Sister, you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. No movie star is as pretty as you!" Qiwen laughed heartily, her laughter revealing boundless confidence. No matter what, she was always a confident "strong woman," a strong woman that Daqi would love to die for!
Daqi briefly introduced Yijing to his two wives, saying she was his cousin and mentioning her special relationship with his mother. His wives were clearly delighted by her arrival; initially, they had been somewhat worried about jealousy, but now they weren't! Two incredibly confident wives—good wives indeed!
Mu Ping: "Now it's great! The house is lively and full of life. Yi Jing, this is your home, don't be shy!"
Qiwen: "Don't worry! Don't be so shy. You're part of our family, and no one..."
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Section Reading 59
"I wouldn't dare bully you. If Daqi dares to bully you, just tell me, and I'll make him regret it!" She then turned and glared at Tong Daqi, saying, "You'd better treat people well, or I won't let you off!"
Good heavens, she doesn't even give me, Tong Daqi, any face, right in front of me. This Zhou Qiwen is truly "lawless," oh well, let her be! In this family, she's the one who calls the shots, not me!
Yi-jing: "Thank you, both of you!"
Next, Qiwen busied himself getting closer to his mother. His mother, a smart woman, immediately knew her son was afraid of this woman. She also really liked this "strong woman." His mother knew her son had never been afraid of anyone and dared to do anything since childhood.
At three, he gave his New Year's money to beggars; at five, he threw stones at his playmates' heads, including their parents; at seven, he secretly went to bathe in the river; at thirteen, he got into a fight with his PE teacher because the teacher was unfairly bullying another boy… In his mother's eyes, her son had a fiery temper but was also very righteous and never did anything wrong. But sometimes she wondered if anyone could "control" him. Perhaps it would be better for his development if someone could. She had once hoped that his teachers could "discipline" him. Unfortunately, after entering junior high school, her son almost never listened in class because he taught himself everything and didn't need teachers. His junior high homeroom teacher even allowed him to read novels or other books in class because he knew he couldn't teach Tong Daqi at all. And in vocational school, it was even worse—he didn't listen to any of the teachers' lectures…he taught everything on his own!
Now that's good, finally there's a woman who can "keep Daqi in check," this is a good thing! Mother likes Qiwen very much and keeps praising her: "Wen'er, you are such a sensible girl!"
Daqi was overjoyed because the two most important women in his life—his mother and his first wife—were both in excellent spirits! Is there anything in the world that could make a man happier than this? No, absolutely not!
The five people sat on the sofa in the living room and chatted for a while. Daqi asked his mother about the recent situation in their hometown. Nothing much had happened, except the roads were wider than before; many old houses had been demolished and many new ones had been built; Grandma Fang next door was now raising her great-grandchildren, a four-generation family; his aunt's sow had given birth to twelve piglets; the "hooligan" from the east gate had been arrested and sent to prison for "re-education"; and yet another county party secretary had been placed under investigation for corruption...
The mention of officials being placed under investigation by the Party's disciplinary body made Tong Daqi worry about Xiao Li again. He couldn't reach her on phone lately, and she wasn't online on QQ... Hey, is she alright? Sister Xiao Li, take care! If you can't stay in Longhai, come come to me. At least I can make sure you have enough to eat and wear. Daqi is really worried about Xiao Li!
At this moment, Qiwen suddenly said to her mother, "Auntie, let Yijing and I sleep in the same bed tonight, and you can sleep in a room by yourself." It seemed that the fairy was arranging the accommodation. She turned to Daqi and said, "You, sleep with Muping."
I nodded in agreement, because I really didn't know how a cousin had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Yijing: "No need, I'll still sleep with Mom. We often slept in the same bed back in our hometown, it's fine!" Ever since the "August 8th Flood," Yijing has gradually started calling her aunt—Daqi's mother—"Mom."
Mother: "Yes, Wen'er, don't worry about us. We're always like this."
Qiwen: "No, you should be more comfortable. Let Yijing sleep with me! We young people can squeeze in." Daqi was overjoyed to learn that his first wife was so considerate of his mother!
My mother is a strong woman, and she insisted, saying, "No, no. Don't change anything because of my and Jing'er's arrival. Wen'er, I know you're a filial daughter. You can still let Jing'er sleep with me, it's settled!"
Daqi: "Wen, just do as my mom says, it'll be fine!"
Qiwen said helplessly, "Alright then! Auntie, if you're not sleeping well, just tell me. In short, you must have a happy stay, and if you have any complaints, please let me know!"
The mother smiled and said, "Wen'er, your aunt is so happy! You are such a special girl, your aunt really likes you!"
Haha, everyone burst into laughter!
As evening approached, the mother said to everyone, "Today, Jing'er and I are going to cook some local dishes for you. Now we're going to the market to buy the vegetables."
Fairy Wen: "I'll go to the market with you!"
And so, the three of them went to buy groceries, leaving Daqi and his concubine Muping at home watching TV. The two of them started chatting.
concubine: "Honey, it seems Wen and your mom get along quite well!"
Daqi: "And what about you?"
Ping, the mistress, said, "I really like your mother! She's a very open-minded old woman. I'm realizing now that your mother's personality is actually very similar to Wen's, really!" After hearing Ping's words, the man smiled happily.
Yes, Fairy was a truly great woman, and so was Mother! If the Tong family hadn't had Mother, such a great woman, it would have collapsed long ago! Great-grandfather, grandfather! If you can sense this from beyond the grave, you should truly thank my mother! For thirty years, it was this great woman who held up our Tong family with her will and patience! Otherwise, you wouldn't even have anyone to sweep her grave for Qingming Festival!
The two chatted and watched TV until the three of them returned from grocery shopping. Today, the mother and Yijing cooked, while the two wives helped wash the vegetables. They had bought a lot of groceries.
Daqi, having nothing to do in the living room, watched TV by himself. There weren't many good TV programs these days. The entertainment programs on various satellite channels were almost identical, from content to format. The only noticeable differences were the program titles and the hosts. Luckily, he liked watching sports. Oh well, if there's nothing else to watch on TV, he'll watch the sports channel. Just then, the sports channel was broadcasting a football match—the UEFA Champions League!
The food is ready! It's fantastic—all of Daqi's favorite hometown dishes—Hakka cuisine! It turns out his mother brought a Hakka free-range chicken from her hometown, because there's a large plate of "white-cut ginger chicken" on the table. This is Daqi's absolute favorite dish, a dish that encapsulates the essence of Hakka culinary culture. If you're Hakka, you'll know this dish; otherwise, you're not truly Hakka. Because this dish is a "legend" and a "classic" of Hakka culture!
Everyone sat down around the table. The mother placed a chicken leg on the plates of both Wen and Ping, saying, "You two haven't tried this dish before, eat more!" Both girls thanked their mother.
In Hakka hospitality, serving a chicken leg to a guest signifies that the guest is a distinguished guest. If there are no guests, parents usually give the chicken leg to their most beloved child. Unfortunately, Daqi never had the chance to eat a chicken leg, even though he wanted one since childhood. His mother would always give the chicken leg to his grandmother. After his grandmother passed away, she would often ask Daqi to take the chicken leg to his maternal grandmother. In Changqing County during the not-so-wealthy 1980s and early to mid-1990s, it was a rare treat for ordinary families to eat "white-cut ginger chicken," usually only available on New Year's Eve, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, or Qingming Festival for ancestor worship.
Daqi started eating heartily, after all, it had been a long time since he had eaten hometown food. The group chatted as they ate.
I never expected the food to be so delicious today! Qiwen and Muping ate with gusto, unlike their usual slow and careful eating, saying it was to lose weight and maintain their figures.
Daqi: "Mom, the food today smells so good, it's so delicious!"
Mother: "Most of the work was done by Jing'er; I was just an assistant."
While eating, Qiwen smiled and said to Yijing, "Yijing, you're not only beautiful, but you also cook so well. If I were a man, I would definitely marry a wife like you."
Wen's words made everyone laugh. Poor Yijing, her shy cousin. Daqi saw her head down, her face flushed; she was clearly embarrassed!
The man said to Yijing, "Yijing, don't be shy! Your cooking is even better than my mom's!"
Yi Jing looked up at Da Qi and immediately said, "The food is just so-so, everyone, please make do with it!" After saying that, she lowered her head and started eating again.
Mu Ping said to Yi Jing, "Yi Jing, please teach me more in the future. As your older sister, I need to learn from you how to cook Hakka cuisine."
Qiwen immediately interrupted Muping with a smile, "Yijing, don't mind your Ping sister. Don't teach her, teach me instead, and I'll pay you a master's fee." After saying that, she deliberately gave Ping a sly smile, and Ping could only pretend to smile helplessly.
Qiwen's words made everyone laugh again. Everyone enjoyed dinner tonight!
Daqi thought Yijing was a really good girl! She was beautiful, quick and efficient, and excellent at cooking and housework. After everyone finished dinner, she took care of all the cleaning herself. The two wives wanted to help her, but their mother stopped them. The mother said, "Let Jing'er do it, she's very good at it!" Seeing that their mother said this, the two wives could only let Yijing do the work by herself.
After Yijing finished her chores, the man casually strolled into the kitchen and was struck by how spotless it was; there wasn't a speck of dust. All the tableware gleamed, almost as if it could sing. Yijing's housework skills deserve a perfect score of 100!
The man slept with his concubine at night, Wen slept alone, and Yijing slept with her mother.
And so it was settled. From then on, all the housework—cooking, cleaning, everything—would be done by Yi-jing and her mother. Da-qi had to go to work, and his two wives were busy with their clothing store business. When the three of them weren't home, Yi-jing and her mother would do all the housework!
It was late April 1999. Pan Qiong began frequently calling Da Qi to discuss starting a company together. Pan Qiong arranged for Da Qi to bring his partner or best friend to the Jinjiang Pavilion Hotel in the city center for dinner at 7 PM on April 28th, to discuss the specific profit-sharing arrangements. Jinjiang Pavilion was a luxury restaurant specializing in Cantonese cuisine.
Daqi brought "Fairy" Qiwen with him to the banquet. "Fairy" was dressed very elegantly today. When they arrived at "Jinjiang Pavilion" and got out of the taxi, the doorman of "Jinjiang Pavilion" practically stared wide-eyed at Fairy!
Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Young Woman's Flattery
Daqi could tell from the doorman's eyes that he must be marveling: the woman beside him must be no ordinary person, she must be a fairy descended from heaven, because she is so beautiful and untouched by the world!
After learning that her man wanted her to accompany him to a negotiation dinner, the fairy carefully selected her outfit. She wore a white two-piece suit paired with a khaki knee-length skirt. The entire outfit appeared simple yet exuded excellent taste, especially the striking bow belt at her waist, which added immeasurable elegance.
As she was leaving, she picked out a red bag and slung it over her right shoulder. That simple red bag made her otherwise ordinary outfit look radiant.
As the two got into the taxi, Daqi kept praising Fairy: "Wife, your outfit today is so simple yet sophisticated! With a woman like you as my wife, how could I possibly fail in my career?"
The fairy smiled slightly and said, "Pan Qiong is a very clever woman. On the surface, she invited the two of us to dinner, but in reality, she and her companions were testing whether you are a reliable person."
"Oh?" Daqi was a little surprised. The two continued their conversation after getting into the car.
Daqi: "How could you have such an idea?"
The fairy said, "She's entrusting you with 500,000 RMB to start a company, so of course she'll be cautious. She'll definitely want to assess your demeanor and taste. How do you assess a man? The best way is to observe his woman or best friend. Therefore, I can't dress too fashionably today. Overly fashionable things give off a trendy vibe. And you know, anything trendy is short-lived. She certainly doesn't want your partnership to be short-lived. But I also can't dress too plainly. Being too plain gives off a tasteless impression. So, after careful consideration, I decided to wear this outfit to meet her. I have a very strong intuition that this woman is extraordinary!"
The fairy's words enlightened Tong Daqi. He couldn't help but admire his wife's wisdom and insight. It seemed that tonight's negotiation was a "contest" between two intelligent women. He began to praise the fairy: "Wife, you are truly the smartest woman in the world! I admire you to the core!" The fairy smiled and replied, "You must never say such things in front of outsiders; you must say them in your heart. You are a man; you cannot casually praise a woman like me, or people will laugh at you!" Daqi could only give Qiwen a silly smile, because he truly admired the fairy, but he couldn't praise her any further.
After getting off at "Jinjiang Pavilion," they were led by a doorman, but Pan Qiong and her companion—a man—were already waiting for them at the restaurant entrance. Pan Qiong and her companion had arrived early because Da Qi and the others were not late.
Daqi greeted Pan Qiong and her companions and then introduced his first wife to them.
Daqi: "Sister Pan, this is my girlfriend. Her name is Zhou Qiwen, you can call her Xiao Zhou."
Fairy: "Hello, Sister Pan! Hello!" Qiwen politely greeted Pan Qiong and her male companion.
Pan Qiong stared at Qiwen for a full ten seconds before finally saying, "Hello, hello! Xiao Zhou, wow, wow! You're so beautiful and have such a great presence!" After praising Qiwen, she turned to Da Qi and said, "Xiao Tong, your girlfriend is the most outstanding woman I've ever seen, both in terms of looks and temperament. You're so lucky!"
Daqi smiled slightly at Pan Qiong and said, "Thank you, Sister Pan, for speaking so kindly of my girlfriend!"
Pan Qiong introduced her companion to Daqi and the fairy: "Come, let me introduce you. This is my best friend, and also my current colleague. His name is Liu Weiyi."
Liu Weiyi also greeted Daqi and Xianzi with great courtesy.
Pan Qiong: "Let's take our seats first. I reserved them yesterday!"
Daqi: "Okay, okay!"
The four of them were then led to a small private room by the waiter. The waiter first served each of them a cup of Guanyin tea, and then asked them to order food.
Pan Qiong said, "The host should follow the guests' lead, so you guys order first."
Daqi: "Wen, you order, I'm easy to please." Fairy smiled and generously accepted the menu from the waiter. She ordered several dishes: scrambled eggs with egg white, orange juice ribs, soy sauce crab, and bird's nest stewed with snow pear.
Then, the fairy handed the menu to Pan Qiong and said, "Sister Pan, you should also order a few things. We've already ordered."
Pan Qiong took the menu and ordered a few dishes: duck soup with apricot kernels and ginseng, Chaozhou meat jelly, crispy fried lamb belly, and seafood skewers. She also ordered two plates of seasonal vegetables.
Then she asked Daqi and Fairy what they wanted to drink. Fairy smiled and said, "We don't usually drink much, so please feel free to order whatever you like, Sister Pan!" Daqi thought to himself, "Fairy, you're really something. You've just passed the buck back to Pan Qiong with just one sentence."
Pan Qiong smiled and said to the waiter, "Jiannanchun!" The waiter replied, "Okay," and turned to leave.
The food and drinks were served one after another, and the four of them ate and chatted casually, not immediately getting to the point. Chinese people sometimes need a prelude and some groundwork before doing things. It's a tradition spanning thousands of years; there's no way around it!
Pan Qiong: "Little boy,
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Section Reading 60
"This is our first time having dinner together. Here, let me toast you!" She raised her glass and clinked it against Daqi's. Both of them downed their drinks in one gulp. With that clinking of glasses, their conversation began to get "on track."
Pan Qiong: "Xiao Tong, what do you think about our cooperation..."