Chapter 130 - 127: Classmate Friendship
Zhou Lian watched Zhang Hongying stare at the heated brick bed, her eyes sparkling as if she were gazing at a devastatingly handsome man. Zhou Lian touched her forehead and chuckled. ’Kids who grow up spoiled by their families are always so innocent.’
"Alright. When the time comes, I’ll have my husband teach you how to use the heated bed," Zhou Lian said to her with a gentle smile.
"Really? That’s wonderful! I’ll treat you all to a meal then!" Zhang Hongying exclaimed excitedly. ’This is great,’ she thought. ’Now I don’t have to worry about Dad using ’not knowing how’ as an excuse.’
"Classmate Zhou Lian, your daughter is just too adorable." Watching Nuonuo stand up unsteadily, take two wobbly steps, lose her balance and plop back down on the heated bed, only to crawl up and try again, made Zhang Hongying’s heart flutter. Her eyes practically had little stars in them.
"If you like her so much, then find a good man, get married, and have one of your own," Zhou Lian teased, looking at Zhang Hongying. She felt that her friend looked exactly like a modern-day fangirl spotting her idol.
Hearing Zhou Lian’s words, Zhang Hongying’s rosy cheeks flushed bright red. She stammered, "My dad... he said I have to graduate before I can get married."
Zhou Lian raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "So, you’re already seeing someone?"
"Mhm. He’s the son of one of my dad’s army comrades, an older ’brother’ figure. He’s a soldier, three years older than me, and we grew up together. We were supposed to get married this year, but then I got into university, so my dad said we should wait until after I graduate. He agreed, saying he couldn’t hold up my studies. He’s going to work hard in the army so that I can join him as a military spouse when the time comes." Zhang Hongying spilled the whole story in a rush.
Zhou Lian couldn’t help but laugh at that. ’This girl is so adorably naive.’ She smiled and said, "You really are an open book. Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell everyone?" ’The university has rules against dating,’ she thought. ’There’s nothing they can do about students who are already married, but unmarried students aren’t allowed to be in relationships during the school year. For this girl to just blurt it all out so casually... isn’t she afraid I’ll cause trouble for her behind her back? After all, we barely know each other.’
"You would not!" Zhang Hongying said with a pout. ’I’m not that silly,’ she thought. ’I wouldn’t tell just anyone. Even though I don’t know Classmate Zhou Lian well, I know she’s a person of good character.’
"How do you know I wouldn’t? You can know a person’s face, but not their heart," Zhou Lian said with a chuckle.
"I just know you wouldn’t. You have such a good character, you would never do something malicious behind someone’s back."
"And how do you know whether my character is good or not?" Zhou Lian asked, curious about the girl’s confident tone.
"By the way you do things! And everyone at the local neighborhood committee office in this area says that you and your husband are good people. You got into university, but you never thought of abandoning your husband and child from the countryside. And your husband, to be with you while you attend university, spared no expense to buy a house here in the Capital City. My parents say that a couple that can endure hardship together isn’t the most ideal; the best kind of couple is one that can stay true through wealth and glory but also endure hardship together."
Seeing Zhou Lian listening with a gentle smile, Zhang Hongying added, "Actually, I’ve wanted to be friends with you for a long time, but I never had the chance. The other students say you’re arrogant and hard to get to know, but I know that’s not true. You’re just busy and can’t be bothered with socializing. You’re not the type to be sinister, cunning, or vain. You’re a good person. My mom and I have talked about you in private, and she said that if I could live a life like yours, she would finally be able to rest easy."
"A life like mine? What kind of life is that?" Zhou Lian asked curiously. ’I’m not one to proactively make friends,’ she thought, ’but now this sweet, innocent girl has practically appeared on my doorstep. Having a best friend like her might not be so bad.’
"You’re a woman who is smart, capable, and beautiful, and you married a man who is also capable and handsome. The key is that he treats you well and dotes on you. A couple like you, who cherish, respect, and love each other, is the best kind. My mom says that if I can be like you—cherished by someone at home, but also able to stand on my own two feet when I’m out in the world—then she can finally stop worrying."
Zhang Hongying looked at Zhou Lian earnestly. At first, she hadn’t understood her mother’s words, but as she observed Zhou Lian’s life, she slowly began to grasp their meaning. To be calm and composed, not vain or conceited, but to quietly and steadily live one’s own life. To have someone to cherish and love you, a warm home, a responsible husband, and a lively, adorable child—these were the true assets that inspired envy and jealousy.
"Your mother is a very wise woman. And you are a child who grew up surrounded by love. You are a good person—very smart, but also innocent and warm-hearted. No one would have the heart to hurt you. You will always be happy," Zhou Lian said sincerely. ’This is the kind of girl even the heavens wouldn’t bear to disappoint,’ she thought. ’Smart, innocent, and with a good head on her shoulders.’
"Really? Will you like me too, and be my friend?" Zhang Hongying asked excitedly. For some reason, she felt a very comforting aura around Zhou Lian.
"Of course. It’s nice to meet you, my good friend. I’m Zhou Lian," she said, extending her hand to Zhang Hongying with a smile.
Zhang Hongying froze for a second, then took Zhou Lian’s hand and replied excitedly, "It’s nice to meet you too, my good friend. I’m Zhang Hongying."
With their hands clasped together, the two young women, smiling at each other, forged a lifelong friendship. At that moment, Zhang Hongying had no idea that this friend she had so longed for would one day preserve her lifelong happiness, helping her avoid the fate of her past life—a life where, without Zhou Lian’s intervention, she had tragically lost her beloved and lived out her days in lonely sorrow.
"I’m going to make dinner. Could you help me watch Nuonuo for a bit?" Zhou Lian said, glancing at her watch.
"Oh, I should just go home to eat. Please don’t go to any trouble," Zhang Hongying said, waving her hands dismissively. It wouldn’t be right to stay for a meal on her very first visit.
"It’s no trouble at all. In fact, since you’re here to help watch the baby, it’s a perfect chance for me to show off my cooking skills a little. My husband’s been away the last couple of days, and this little one has been clinging to me so much I can barely cook a proper meal," Zhou Lian said with a smile.
Seeing that Zhou Lian was genuinely asking her to stay for dinner, Zhang Hongying blushed and nodded. This was her first time eating at a good friend’s house, and she was quite excited. Growing up, she had only been surrounded by her older brothers and never had any close female friends. Any girls who had tried to get close to her could never get past her brothers’ scrutiny; they could always tell if someone wasn’t sincere. Zhou Lian was someone she often mentioned at home, and her mother had said she was a friend worth making in earnest.
She quickly prepared four dishes and a soup, and heated up some steamed buns that Li Xiu had made in advance.
Looking at the dishes on the table, Zhang Hongying was stunned. Braised pork ribs, salted fish stewed with eggplant, loofah stir-fried with pork, pig skin aspic with cucumber, and a tomato and egg soup. Setting aside the fact that there was both fish and meat, where on earth did she get eggplant, loofah, cucumber, and tomatoes in the middle of winter?
"What’s wrong? Go on and eat before it gets cold. What is it, don’t you like it?" Zhou Lian asked, puzzled, as she watched Zhang Hongying sit there without moving her chopsticks. ’Is my cooking that terrible?’ she wondered. ’Can she tell it tastes bad just by looking at it?’
"No, not at all! I love it. I was just surprised, where did you find such rare vegetables in the middle of winter?" Zhang Hongying said, smiling sheepishly at Zhou Lian.
"My husband grew them in wooden tubs in the kitchen. I’m a bit of a picky eater and don’t really like things like cabbage and radishes. The temperature in this east wing is high, and he has some experience, so he just planted a few vegetables in the tubs. It saves money, too," Zhou Lian explained, a little embarrassed. ’Since we’re friends, I’m not going to lie,’ she thought. ’Even if the truth is a little embarrassing, friends find out eventually anyway.’