Chapter 12: Regret Is a Puppy

Page 1/3

Tsk tsk! What's going on? Has Comrade Background Board come to life?

Tian Xiang excitedly pointed at his forehead, knowing that only she could see those words, yet feeling a bit disappointed.

But it didn’t matter.

Tian Xiang gave him a determined look that said, “We can forge a revolutionary friendship.” “You’re right, clear-headed in this world.”

“Comrade, let me ask you something else. Lu Feng and the announcer from your factory radio station—the one who’s very pretty, called Qingwen…”

“Zeng Qingwen,” Meng Cheng’an interrupted her.

“Oh, right, Zeng Qingwen,” Tian Xiang quickly agreed. “Did they ever date?”

Tian Xiang hadn’t known many people in the machinery factory, but since this person shared her opinion, she wanted to inquire about those two.

Meng Cheng’an, however, was unwilling to cooperate further.

“I don’t like talking about irrelevant people.”

With that, Meng Cheng’an walked away.

Tian Xiang wasn’t angry; she even gave him a thumbs-up.

To call the male lead irrelevant—this person was impressive, with a lofty mindset.

Tian Xiang turned around to leave and saw Director Yang standing at the office door, looking her way.

This nosy director really was everywhere.

Yang Qunying handed her a meal ticket for the street cafeteria and after some thought asked, “What were you just talking about with Officer Meng?”

So the background board colleague’s surname was Meng.

Tian Xiang replied, “Nothing much, just some casual talk.”

Yang Qunying said, “If it’s not about work, I suggest you keep some distance from Officer Meng.”

Tian Xiang was puzzled. “Director, what do you mean?”

Yang Qunying hesitated before saying, “It’s nothing much, just that someone in the Meng family is abroad, you know what I mean?”

Tian Xiang understood.

But she didn’t care.

Someone in the Meng family being abroad wasn’t him.

Page 2/3

That night, after returning home, Tian Xiang told Hu Honglian about her volunteer work at the Hongwu Street neighborhood committee.

Hu Honglian wanted to slap her.

Just a few days ago, she had been mocking Tian Chuying for posting big-character posters on the street, and now her own daughter was doing the same.

“Xiangxiang, what exactly do you want to do? If you really want to volunteer, why not do it around here? You’ve been running out to that side every day, not staying in the courtyard; haven’t you heard some gossip?”

“What did they say, Mom?”

They said you’re arrogant, looking down even on the young men of Hongwu Street.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I just want to tell you that it’s all in the past. You already hit the person, and they apologized. That little tramp Tian Chuying has lost all face and become the laughingstock of our courtyard, so that grievance is settled.

What I mean is, stop making a fuss. After a few days of observation, you should have figured out what kind of person Lu Feng really is, right? Maybe there’s some misunderstanding?”

At noon today, Granny Liu went to talk to Hu Honglian again. The machinery factory was holding a Mid-Autumn Festival dance this weekend, and Lu Feng was the host. Granny Liu thought it was a good chance to get in touch.

Hu Honglian agreed, but since her daughter had been running over to Hongwu Street every day, she hoped to find some dirt on Lu Feng to prevent them from getting close.

Using her daughter’s lingering anger as an excuse, Hu Honglian didn’t immediately agree and said she would have to think about it.

Granny Liu was angry and said both mother and daughter were too proud and would regret it sooner or later.

Their back-and-forth even angered Hu Honglian.

Lu Feng was a good guy, but her Xiangxiang wasn’t bad either!

In the end, Hu Honglian told Granny Liu, “My Xiangxiang suffered a great injustice; what’s wrong with standing her ground? If Lu Feng is sincere, he should take the initiative! My daughter is the flower of the courtyard; if she loses Lu Feng, there’s Chen Feng and Li Feng.”

They ended their conversation on a sour note.

Though today’s talk with Granny Liu was unpleasant, Hu Honglian hadn’t given up on Lu Feng as a son-in-law and wanted to persuade her daughter again.

Tian Xiang said, “Mom, there is no misunderstanding. Everything I said is the truth. Just wait and watch me expose his true colors—it won’t be long.”

Hu Honglian wore a strained expression.

In the following days, Tian Xiang took her lunchbox every day to volunteer at the neighborhood committee.

Her committee was responsible for the machinery factory’s family housing area, and by blending in with the gossip crowd, she learned a lot about the Lu family.

For example, years ago, Lu’s father tried to win the factory’s thrift award by deliberately wearing torn pants that revealed his floral underwear, making him the butt of jokes for half a month.

Lu’s mother, Wu Jinzhu, once reported a household that raised rabbits, leading to a coal ash fight.

Also, Lu Feng’s second elder sister quarreled with their mother-in-law and then glued the hair of her sister-in-law, who had to cut her hair into a boy’s style. The family nearly divorced over this.

Before, Tian Xiang had only heard the matchmaker’s praises, but now it seemed the Lu family wasn’t as simple as they appeared.

Page 3/3

Of course, none of this mattered much—she wasn’t marrying into the Lu family, so their dramas were irrelevant to her.

After a few days, Tian Xiang also found out that before meeting her, Lu Feng had looked at many other girls, all arranged by Wu Jinzhu.

Lu Feng was still young, and Wu Jinzhu was perhaps a bit too anxious.

Whether it was out of spite or because Lu Feng did something wrong, Wu Jinzhu, knowing about it, hurried to find someone to tie her son down.

If that were true, Wu Jinzhu surely knew about Lu Feng’s affair with Widow Jiang.

No wonder even girls from Sanli Lane were willing to have a match—the family must be desperate, eager for their son to agree.

Having gained enough insight into the Lu family, Tian Xiang planned to find a chance to approach Zeng Qingwen and see if she could bring the secondary female lead over to her side.

The Lu family had not only Lu’s father but several close relatives working in the machinery factory, some in management positions—the connections ran deep.

Lu Feng had some background and was the protagonist.

Alone and powerless, it would be hard to bring him down casually. If she could get a powerful ally, things would be different.

Tian Xiang wanted to enlist Zeng Qingwen’s help but had to be cautious.

After all, she was also one of Lu Feng’s concubines; who knew what she was thinking?

She needed to test the waters first.

But after two days of waiting, Tian Xiang never saw Zeng Qingwen; instead, she was spotted by Lu Feng.

Seeing him smile at her made Tian Xiang feel disgusted, so she hurried away.

It was around noon that day, during lunch, when Yang Qunying told Tian Xiang, “The machinery factory is having a Mid-Autumn Gala the day after tomorrow—lunch in the afternoon, dancing at night. Lu Feng is the host. Do you want to go?”

Tian Xiang clicked her tongue. “Why should I look at him? Director Yang, don’t joke like that—it’s not good if others hear.”

Yang Qunying chuckled. “Are you serious?”

“As real as pearl,” Tian Xiang said.

Yang Qunying nodded, “Then don’t regret it.”

“Regrets are for puppies,” Tian Xiang replied indifferently. Watching a scumbag was no better than watching stray cats and dogs on the street.

But when the day came, she put on a hat and a silk scarf, carried her little cloth bag, and went there of her own accord.