Chapter 216: Are You Isolating Me?
Chapter 216: Chapter 216: Are You Isolating Me?
The next day, dawn had just broken.
"Ah... oh... a-o-ei, a-si-dei a-si-dei..."
A piercing, high-pitched, and bizarre cry shattered the tranquility of the entire residential compound.
The awakened residents threw open their windows and doors, poking their heads out to shout angrily.
"Who’s the damn idiot caterwauling out there?! Got nothing better to do?"
"A-si-dei-ge-dei-ge-dei, a-si-dei a-si-dei-ge-dou..." Jiang Moli sang even more merrily.
Soon, Lu Deyao, An Hui, and Ma Hongmei all came out of their homes, hastily dressed.
"Moli, what are you doing so early in the morning?"
Jiang Moli cleared her throat. "My mentor told me to practice recitation for an hour every day. I’m just warming up my voice."
With that, she once again started belting out the song "Uneasy."
Lu Deyao’s head was ringing from the noise. He hurried over to stop her. "Moli, listen, please stop singing. It’s still early, you’ll disturb everyone else."
Jiang Moli thought for a moment. "Then how about I sing at night instead?"
"You’ll disturb people at night, too. Oh, why don’t you go sing in the park?"
"Okay, I’ll go to the park tomorrow. For today, I’ll just practice at home."
With that, she opened the textbook Jin Chenggong had given her and began reciting from it in a loud voice.
Lu Deyao wanted to stop her, but he hesitated. Jiang Moli was only completing an assignment from her teacher at the drama troupe. Besides, the sky was nearly bright now, so he decided to let it go.
’It’s rare for my daughter-in-law to be so willing to study and improve herself,’ he thought. ’I can’t be a stumbling block.’
’It’s just a bit of noise, after all. It’s not like she’s committing murder or arson.’
...
During the morning meeting, while the manager was speaking up front, Chen Xue stood among the employees, occasionally covering her mouth to yawn, her eyes watering with sleepiness.
"Chen Xue!"
Chen Xue jumped, startled at being called on so abruptly by the manager.
"You’re yawning nonstop and looking completely drained during work hours! If you can’t do the job, then get out and go back home to be a pampered princess!"
Getting chewed out in front of the entire staff certainly woke her up, but she had also completely lost face.
Chen Xue was both humiliated and indignant.
After the meeting, she couldn’t help but complain to her close colleagues about Jiang Moli’s crazy antics that morning, which had robbed her of sleep.
While her colleagues sympathized with her, they all came to dislike and feel disgusted with Jiang Moli.
『Disdain Points +3. 30,000 yuan credited to account.』
And Chen Xue was not the only one; quite a few other residents also complained to their colleagues and close friends, cursing Jiang Moli’s name.
In a single morning, Jiang Moli had effortlessly earned over 30 Disdain Points.
...
In the afternoon, the drama troupe held rehearsals as usual.
As before, Jin Chenggong had Jiang Moli sit in the audience to observe and learn.
To keep from dozing off, Jiang Moli had made herself a cup of strong tea.
Sipping tea while watching the play was actually quite interesting.
The drama troupe was full of beautiful women, and there was no shortage of handsome men, either.
There were young male leads who looked like a young Tang Guoqiang, and mature, uncle-types reminiscent of Chen Daoming. Even the middle-aged Jin Chenggong was quite easy on the eyes.
As quitting time approached, Jiang Moli got up to go to the restroom.
When she returned, she saw Hou Yuzhu holding a dozen or so skewers of sugar oil balls and handing them out to the rehearsal group.
Sugar oil balls are an authentic street snack from Rongcheng. They are made from glutinous rice flour, deep-fried into egg-sized balls. Their surfaces are golden and glossy, sprinkled with toasted white sesame seeds. They are crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and deliciously sweet.
Seeing Jiang Moli return, Qian Ling quickly waved her over.
Jiang Moli walked over to Qian Ling and whispered, "Did she win the lottery or something? Treating the whole troupe is pretty generous."
One skewer of sugar oil balls isn’t expensive, but buying a dozen or two really adds up.
Qian Ling covered her mouth and whispered, "Her boyfriend brought them. I hear his family is loaded. He drove here in a car."
’These days, anyone who can afford a car has to be at least a high-ranking official or a factory director.’
Seeing Hou Yuzhu heading their way with the sugar oil balls, the two of them stopped talking.
As luck would have it, by the time she reached Qian Ling, there was only one skewer left.
Hou Yuzhu covered her mouth with her hand and gave Jiang Moli a faint smile. "Oh, I’m so sorry. I completely forgot you were here and didn’t buy one for you."
Anyone could see that Hou Yuzhu was deliberately trying to embarrass Jiang Moli.
Qian Ling offered her skewer to Jiang Moli. "Moli, let’s share."
Jiang Moli pushed Qian Ling’s hand away and smiled at Hou Yuzhu. "It’s fine. You can just go buy another one for me now. I can wait. I’ve got all the time in the world."
Probably not expecting Jiang Moli to be so shameless, Hou Yuzhu couldn’t help but sneer:
"They don’t sell them around here. If you want one, you can wait for next time."
Jiang Moli grinned. "Alright, then. We’ll just say you owe me one."
Hou Yuzhu’s composure finally broke. "Are you crazy? Why the hell would I owe you anything?"
Jiang Moli feigned surprise. "You bought them for everyone but me. Don’t tell me you’re deliberately trying to ostracize me? Ah, wouldn’t this be considered undermining group solidarity? I should go ask Director Zhong about this."
With that, she turned as if to go find Zhong Lin.
Hou Yuzhu’s expression changed. She quickly grabbed her. "Fine, I’ll buy it! I’ll go buy one for you right now!"
Jiang Moli flashed a toothy grin. "That’s more like it. I want mine a little extra crispy, with lots of sesame seeds. Thanks!"
Hou Yuzhu was seething but had no choice but to go and buy the sugar oil balls for Jiang Moli.
’If this really gets to Zhong Lin, I won’t get off easy, either.’
After Hou Yuzhu left, Jiang Moli glanced at her watch and said to Qian Ling,
"Let’s go. It’s quitting time."
Qian Ling followed her, dazed. "But Hou Yuzhu went to get you sugar oil balls. Aren’t you going to wait for her?"
Jiang Moli scoffed. "Even if she brought it back, I wouldn’t dare eat it. Who knows if she poisoned it or spit on it?"
Qian Ling: "..."
’Come to think of it, that really is a possibility.’
She looked at Jiang Moli as if she were gazing upon a goddess.
"Moli, you’re so clever! There’s no problem you can’t solve and no one you can’t handle. You’re incredible!"
Jiang Moli casually slung an arm around her shoulder. "Stick with me, kid, and you’ll be eating like royalty."
Qian Ling nodded vigorously, her round cheeks flushing with excitement, making her look as cute as a red apple.
"Moli, are you free tomorrow night?"
Jiang Moli tapped her chin. "That depends on what for. If it involves a free meal, I’m always available."
Qian Ling couldn’t help but laugh. "It’s my birthday tomorrow, and I’d like to treat you to dinner. How about it?"
"Are you inviting a lot of people?"
Qian Ling quickly shook her head. "I don’t have many friends. Besides you, it’ll just be a childhood friend of mine. Only the three of us."
"Deal!"
...
When Hou Yuzhu returned with the sugar oil balls and learned that Jiang Moli had already clocked out and left, she was so furious she stomped the snack into a sugary, oily pancake!
She had intended to use the treat as a way to humiliate Jiang Moli, but instead, she was the one who ended up with egg on her face, completely played for a fool.
She had never in her life met anyone more detestable than Jiang Moli!
After work, she went on a wild rant to her boyfriend and family, successfully earning Jiang Moli another 5 Disdain Points.
That night, as Jiang Moli lay in bed, she thought about Qian Ling’s birthday dinner. ’She’s treating me to a meal, so I should at least prepare a gift for her.’
’But what should I get her?’ She mulled it over and over but couldn’t come up with anything. ’I know! I’ll just give her some yarn!’