Chapter 4 Chapter Four

"Listen, this person is a full-time professor," Ajie said, as if Meiqi was too stupid to understand the importance of it. "It's still from Yale. Maycho, do you know what that means?" "How could I forget?" Mei Qiu retorted. "You remind me every ten minutes." "I knew it was a mistake to bring you here." Ajie muttered in a low voice. Mei Qiu was about to respond, and Lan Furan happened to get out of the car and walked towards them at this time.He doesn't look like a college professor, Maycho thought, and certainly doesn't look like a social celebrity with a title half a mile long.Instead, he looked like an ordinary elder in his old flannel shirt and jeans.Around his eyes were lines that Mayha believed were the result of a constant smile.

Umegi immediately liked him, and her smile conveyed the message to him. "Hi," she said warmly. "Too much trouble for you to drive all the way to pick us up, when we could have called a taxi—" "That's okay." Furan said, but his eyes alternated between Ajie and Meiqi who were holding crutches, as if something was wrong.Ajie had been to his house for summer vacation before, but he had never seen Mei Ha. Furan smiled slightly and stretched out his hand to express welcome. "I didn't know that Ajie was going to bring his girlfriend." Startled, she realized that Applejack hadn't told their master that she was coming.Mei Qiu said in a tense voice, "I am his wife." Then he held Furan's hand.She didn't dare to look at her husband, otherwise she might be so angry that she would kill him.

"Congratulations," Fran said, and he turned and smiled at Applejack. "You should have told us. Newlyweds are always welcome." "We've been married for two years." Mei Hagi said, still refusing to look at her husband. "It's like this!" Furan said in a good temper, and then turned around to hide his smile, because he could see that Meiqi's anger was about to burn on Ajie. "Let me put your luggage in the car." When Lan Furan carried the two suitcases to the pickup truck, Mei Hagi turned to face her husband. "You didn't tell them I was coming?" she demanded, hissing.

"Shall we talk about this matter later?" Ajie said, nodding Furan's back with his head. Mei Hagi didn't want to let it go. "You didn't even tell them you're married." Meigi had to stay calm or she might explode. "If you don't want to admit that you're married, why would you put all your good words into asking me to come with you? All I wanted was to stay in Montana." "Uh, it's a bit complicated, I'll explain it later." "You'd better explain clearly." Mei Qiu said when he saw that Furan had turned back and walked towards them.

"Sorry for not being clear," Ajie said to Furan. "But I can't keep this old woman at home, can I?" He tried to brush things off with a light tone, but Mei Hagi didn't respond to that.She stared at her husband with all the anger written in her eyes. Furan picked up the other suitcase, and slowly looked up and down Meiqiu. "Ajie, you must be old to forget to mention that you have such a peerless beautiful wife." At this point, Meiqi smiled gratefully at Furan.It's been a long time since anyone praised her for being beautiful, let alone adding the word "peerless" in front of her.In her own opinion, she was too thin, her hair was too dry, and her sadness was clearly written on her face.It was especially heartwarming to hear such compliments now.

"Maigi, honey," said Furran. "Why don't you sit with me in the front? Ajie can stay in the back with the luggage." "I'm so happy." Mei Hagi said happily. But Applejack puts his cane between Maycho and Fran. "I thought it would be an excellent idea in other circumstances, but..." He sighed, his face full of sadness. "Unfortunately, I had this accident and I would have been much more comfortable in the front seat of the truck than the hard iron in the back. Those unsecured bags could have hurt me further." Mei Hagi, who had long been used to such rhetoric, just rolled his eyes helplessly, then grabbed the guard rail of the truck, and was about to jump into the rear compartment to join the luggage.

Furan's laughter stopped her. "Yo, you're a real self-pity man, eh. We don't have much room for pity up here, though, spontaneous or given. You can ride in the back of the truck, and this lovely young lady can be with me Sit up front." For a moment, Mei Qiu stood there dumbfounded.Since she got married, she has been isolated in Ajie's parents' house, and only Ajie and his parents are with him.His parents' concern has always been only for Ajie, and they have never paid for her.If Applejack stayed up all night, they would only notice his pain and never care that she ran up and down for eight hours.

After she had a miscarriage, all they said was, "Maybe it's for the best." It was said that she almost went crazy. "Best?" she hissed. "Who is best for? Is it best for you? Once I have a baby to take care of, maybe you'll have to spend some money on a babysitter for your son. Once I have a baby, he might have to pay you for an antique Vase money, isn't it?" Hearing this, Ajie's parents turned around and left, and Ajie blocked the door to prevent her from chasing out.Later, Mei Hagi locked herself in the room and cried for two hours. Now a man she had never met had no sympathy for Applejack.What's more, he took Maygyu's hand, led her to the passenger seat of the truck, opened the door for her, and helped her climb onto the seat.As for Ajie, he just let him climb into the trunk by himself.

When Furan sat in the driver's seat and launched an attack, Mei Hagi apologized. "I'm sorry for messing up your plans, I didn't know you didn't invite me, and I understand that having an extra guest out of nowhere will definitely cause you a burden, so—" Furan heard her words, and even heard her subtext, so he didn't let her continue before she finished apologizing and before she automatically asked to leave. "My family has known Jay for years so I know he is very similar to my younger son. They both want to be the best in the world so they don't want anyone to think they've been 'caught' by a woman. A sign of being immature."

Mei Hagi turned her head, tears were about to fall.He was a very kind man, she thought, and he could resolve a very embarrassing situation with a single word.And he helped her to fight against Ajie. "My eldest son, Moshi, is studying medicine. He explained to us Ajie's condition and the rehabilitation treatment he had done. I'm sure you must have helped a lot." Speaking of this, Furan glanced at Mei Hagi, watch her reaction.It's just that she turned her head so that he couldn't see her face. Undoubtedly, this well-meaning man believed that Apple had hired a twenty-four-hour nurse, and that his wife played tennis at the country club and only came home occasionally to check on her injured husband's progress.This is what Umegi has been like all his life: people always assume that good looks will bring you an easy and comfortable life.

"So, Meiqi, how fierce are you?" Furan asked, as the truck drove onto the expressway and headed north. "Fierce?" She didn't understand his question. "You mean I can play American football with those boys? That aggressive?" Furan laughed. "Of course not. I think if you play American football with those guys, they're bound to pounce and it's game over." "You are so good at satisfying my vanity. Do you want to have an affair?" Furan's burst of laughter made Ajie, who was huddled in the rear compartment and using his cane to unpack his luggage, turn his head and peep angrily through the rear window. "With pleasure," Fran said. "But I think my heart won't take it." "Or your wife," she said, enjoying the tease.For a long time, she hadn't talked about other topics except Ajie's physical condition. "She'd probably be happy to get rid of me for a few days, or a week, depending on how long I lasted." "Why don't I believe you?" Meigi said, leaning back in his chair and looking him up and down. Furan's eyes were looking at the road ahead, but he was always smiling, and his whole face exuded the pleasant warmth of flirting with a beautiful woman. "No, I said 'fierce' to mean how well you can handle jealousy." "envy?" "I guess I'd better prepare you a little bit. My son and Applejack had quite a few girlfriends in college." He glanced at her reaction out of the corner of his eye. "I've known Ajie for many years, and I know everything you have to say. I did his homework before." “I have a daughter who is a year younger than Ajie and Geshi, and she brought a distant cousin and a girlfriend. The three of them will stay with us at the summer house.” Mei Qiu waited for him to continue, but he didn't have anything to say, so she looked out the window and thought about what he told her.After a while, she smiled slightly, and then looked back at him. "I understand. They don't know that Ajie has a girlfriend, let alone a wife, and of course they don't know that she is still with him, so there may be some...how should I put it? Chicken and cat fights?" Fran turned to her and grinned. "You're really smart, huh?" "I thought you were a college professor. Don't you know there's a law of physics: 'Beauty has no brains'?" "You'll do fine," he said, looking again at the road ahead. "How long will it take?" Mei Hagi asked. "About fifteen minutes," he replied. "Can you wait for twenty minutes?" she asked, picking up the travel bag she had thrown on the floor of the car and starting to search. Seeing that she found a pair of lipsticks, Furan said, "There will be a restaurant on the way, let's stop there, okay?" “Thank you,” she said, and five minutes later Furan pulled off the highway and turned into the gravel parking lot of an old restaurant.When Mei Qiu entered the restaurant, he waited outside, standing next to Ajie and listening absently to his complaints. Entering the restaurant, Mei Hagi asked where the restroom was.The service lady behind the counter frowned, but she still nodded her head towards a small door on the left. After entering the small bathroom, Mei Hagi put the travel bag on the toilet seat and opened the zipper.Perhaps it was Furan's sense of humor, or perhaps the imminent threat posed by the three young women who regarded her husband as a taboo, Meiqi wanted to show her best when she walked into the Lan family summer house. one side. Looking at the small mirror on the wall, Meigi wasn't sure if she remembered how to put on makeup.Applejack and his recovery had been the only thing on her mind for several years; she hadn't had time to think about looking like a woman. But as soon as her eyeliner touched her eyelids, the memories of the past came alive.Don't overdo it, she thought, just emphasize it.After a while, she unbuttoned a few shirt buttons until the edge of the bra was slightly exposed, and then turned up the back collar, letting the open denim jacket fall slightly to the shoulders.Then she straightened her back and walked out of the bathroom.She kept her eyes straight as she passed the restaurant, but she knew she had everyone's attention in the small dining room. She opened the door and walked out, Furan and Ajie looked over together.Furan's mouth opened wide, but Ajie frowned. Mei Qiu walked towards Furan, as if Ajie was not there at all. "Can I see them?" she asked softly. For a moment Furan just stared at her, then he raised his head and laughed. "My wife will love this vacation. Come to think of it, last week she suggested that we spend our summer in Paris this year instead of going to the chalet in the mountains. She said that the chalet vacation is the same every year." Umegi just smiled as an answer, and then she was about to open the door of the truck's passenger seat by herself, but Furan was one step ahead of her.After closing the door for her, he walked around the front of the car and came to the driver's seat. Ajie, who thought it was troublesome to get in and out of the car, was still nestled in the rear compartment. At this time, he leaned his upper body out of the guardrail and questioned Meiqi through the open window. "What do you think you're doing? You know, you're not going to a singles bar. These guys are—" She looked at her husband with a smile. "Ajie, did you know that educated people also like beautiful women." After finishing speaking, she rolled up the window and turned her head to smile at Furan who climbed into the driver's seat. The Lan family's summer house was exactly what Maygi had imagined it to be, and it looked like some kind of property that the Roosevelts would own.It was a one-story building made entirely of logs. Due to the age, the appearance of the wooden house has turned dark brown.The front porch was at least twenty feet deep and sixty feet wide.There were many wooden chairs scattered on the porch, each covered with thick cotton cushions. "None of their chair cushions look new." Meigi whispered, but Ajie gave her a hard look, as if reminding her not to reveal her parentage.For a while, Mei Qiu stopped, and wanted to ask Furan to drive her back to the airport so she could go home.But then she thought, where is her home?After her mother died, her only home was the place where she lived with Ajie. Furan's arm touched her elbow and dragged her back to reality. "Good place." She smiled weakly at him, and followed Ajie up the steps.She was about to help her husband, but he turned away, so she walked beside Furan. After coming to the front porch, Meigi looked at the lake behind the summer house.Looking at the past, it is full of crystal blue lake water, and huge rocks and trees dot the shore of the lake.There were no other houses or visitors in sight, nor were there any boats on the lake.Meiqiu believes that here, as long as they can see the place, it belongs to Furan's family. "It's not bad," Furan mumbled. "It was passed down from my father-in-law's family, not mine." He whispered. "My father was a plumber." He seemed to read her mind.Grateful, she returned him a bright smile. For a moment, Furan blinked at her in a daze. "My mother does laundry," he said, making Mayhagi laugh.She knew that last sentence was a lie, he just said it to make her happy. "I also have an uncle who drives a taxi." Mei Hagi was still smiling when she walked to the door, and she was happy because she needed a good laugh.At this time, two beautiful girls ran out of the room, and their attention was all on Ajie—the word "money" was clearly written on their appearance!They wore colorless clothes that wouldn't fade in ten years, but Mei Tho knew that the price of those clothes was worth what her mother earned from three jobs a year. Both girls are pretty but not outstanding.If they wear make-up, it is too light to be seen.They were the kind of girls who lived by the golden rules, for example, what jewelry should go with what kind of clothes.Of course, the jewelry they wear is authentic, handed down from their grandparents. Mei Hagi took a step back and looked at them, and suddenly felt that she was too tall, too pretentious, and too superficial.Once again she wanted to escape from this place.She doesn't belong here. Then, another girl ran out of the cabin, this one was petite and slender, with short black hair and big brown eyes.After she appeared, the two girls in front automatically moved out of the way. "Ajie, dear." She said softly; then, in a position that was definitely well-trained, she stood on tiptoe, hooked Ajie's neck with one hand, pulled his head down, and kissed his lips. Mei Hagi could feel Furan's body stiffen next to him, but it was strange that Mei Hagi didn't feel it.Part of her seemed to be standing aside observing the scene and expressing her thoughts. "There was a woman kissing my husband. I should be very jealous. I should have pushed her away." But instead, Umehagi just stood there watching.When Ajie returned home from college with his fiancée on his arm, Meiqiu almost went crazy with jealousy.Just seeing that woman standing next to the man she loved so much, Mei Hagi almost lost his mind. But now what Mei Hagi thinks is that maybe someone else can take care of him, and I can finally take a good rest. It was Furan who interrupted the good show. "Terry!" he called out. "I think there's someone here you should know. This is Ajie's wife." The word "wife" turned the heads of the three young women all over Mei Hagi.Terry's hand was still on Ajie's shoulder, and she didn't seem to want to take it off. "Wife?" One of them murmured, his eyes turned to Ajie. Ajie just shrugged his shoulders, as if it was a natural thing for him to have a wife, and it was not worth his attention at all. Furan introduced three young women to May Tho as naturally as possible. They were his daughter Nina, Nina's cousin Taili, and Nina's friend Ruoping. The three girls looked up at Meigi—after all, she was a few inches taller than all of them—and she sighed because their eyes were full of hostility.The only thing Mei Qiu thought about was, unfortunately, she originally wanted to make friends with them. I don't need this, Mei Hagi thought, after a long flight, today is really not suitable for a scene like chicken and cat fighting.She turned to Furan and smiled slightly. "I want to take the plane and I'm exhausted. Maybe you can take me to my...our room?" Her pride made her unable to resist a small emphasis. "Of course." Furan said, leading the way through the three girls, followed closely by Mei Hagi. Coming to a corridor, Furan opened a door and motioned her to go in.It contained a bed, a ledge, two small tables, and a chair. "We'll have to change rooms for you because we didn't know at first..." "It's a nice one," she said, not to embarrass him. "Don't take them to heart, they've all known Ajie for a long time, and he...uh..." "He's a hunted man," Maycho said, smiling at Fran. "I know. He's rich and good-looking. What more could a girl ask for?" Furan frowned slightly, and then he smiled back at her. "If you need anything, just let me know," he said, helping her put the suitcase on the floor of the room, and he left the room, closing the door behind him. A few minutes later, Ajie came in.Mei Hagi, who was unpacking, looked up and saw that he was about to start a dispute. "I don't see why you can't be more polite, these people are used to social decorum. Maybe you're not as well-bred as they are, but—" She will not be fooled.She'd learned long ago that when Applejack knew he was wrong, he would fight back with aggression.When she spoke, her tone was steady and calm. "What I don't understand is why you didn't tell them you're married and you're taking your wife with you." When Applejack came down the aisle, she could clearly hear him walking swiftly and precisely with his cane, but now it was just the two of them in the room, and he was limping again.He seemed to be slumped on the edge of the bed in pain. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't start arguing with me now." She had to swallow two breaths before she could answer.She doesn't intend to be played by him anymore.Ajie is not an impulsive person, there is a reason for everything he does. "I just wanted to know why, that's all. I thought I was an invited guest, but when I got here, they didn't know anything about me." "Well, don't get excited," Applejack said, as if Maycho was about to go hysterical. "I never told Geshi or his family about you because, uh, men. We—" "Making you look more masculine without being married?" she asked softly.Strangely, she wasn't angry.In fact, what she was feeling was curiosity. "Yes!" Ajie said. "What harm does that do? I haven't felt like a man in years, so what's wrong with letting my best friends think I'm still free?" "Freedom?" She sighed in a low voice, all the things she gave up for him came to mind one by one. "If you want to be free, you just have to say it." "Mei Hagi, sweetheart, you know I didn't mean to break your heart." He held out his hand to her, but she moved away. "No, Applejack, I didn't know you didn't mean to break my heart. In fact, lately I think most of the pain you've inflicted on me was intentional." Ajie touched his face with his hands, as if extremely nervous. "Can we get away from your nagging for a few days? Maybe you can relax and enjoy it? I know you feel sorry for the lost baby, but—" "Not just that kid, Applejack, but all the kids I'll never have again." "Is that all my fault? Is that what you mean? I've tried to call as much as I can, and I—" Mei Hagi turned around to prevent him from seeing the tears in his eyes.Will she ever overcome this sense of loss that her life is over?Yes, she lost her womb, but she had something else.One does not have to have children to live a fulfilled life. She turned back to face Ajie. "Okay!" she said.She couldn't force herself to apologize, but maybe she could lighten the mood in the room.Anyway, she was too tired to argue with him. "Okay, let's stop the war and make peace. As long as we're here, we won't quarrel. Is this good?" Ajie obviously relaxed. Suddenly Meigi couldn't stand being in the same room with him anymore.If she stayed with him any longer, she was about to scream.She had already grabbed the doorknob, and she stopped again.There was something she had to figure out. "If you don't want to tell them you're married at all, why insist on me coming with you? I wanted to stay in Montana." For a moment Ajie just sat on the edge of the bed and didn't speak. She knows him too well. "You can just say it," she said. "Dad and Mum said they needed a break." "I see." Mei Hagi said, turned around and walked away.She didn't want to plunge herself into that unfair sentence again.She left New York and returned to Montana to care for their wounded son, whom she attended day and night.The only time Mei Tho can "take a break" is reading the textbooks her friend O'Doole lent her to learn how to better rehabilitate their son.Now his parents are declaring that they need to escape May Ha for a while. "Mei Qiu?" Ajie called, but when she looked back at him, he didn't speak. "Anything else?" she asked, because she knew he must have something important to ask of her. "Let me enjoy it," he said softly. "Only while we're here." After a while, she understood what he meant. "Having a good time" means to Applejack: drinking, joking, and being his high school football hero.That also meant that girls—lots of girls—all looked up to him and adored him as a great lover.But Mei Qiu knew that Ajie mostly just loves to show off.He plays a little sex game occasionally, but it's short and forgettable.What he liked most was a woman's admiration--something that May Hagi no longer gave him. "No problem," she said. "You enjoy it. I'll—" She didn't know what to do with herself, but if she could just sit on a rock and watch the lake undisturbed for an hour, that would be enough for her. "I won't disturb you." After a while, she said again: "Is there anything else?" "Nothing else," he said, and smiled with an expression he hadn't shown her in years.For a moment she was the cheerleader again, and he was the football captain again, and everything was perfect.Mayha smiled back at him. "Thank you," he said. "You're welcome," she replied, and she meant it, before she opened the door and left the room. Perhaps out of cowardice, and doing so is definitely not what a good guest should do, Meigi found a side door and slipped out before notifying her master and expressing her gratitude.There was a path in the woods outside the house that looked like a mountain deer climbed, and Meihagi walked along it. After walking for about an hour, she realized that she had better turn back.There is no doubt that the Lan family has dinner time, and they must be discussing her as a bad guest who doesn't know how to help, but it is beneficial to her to go on this journey. When she walked back to the summer house, she felt much better. "You must be Mei Hagi." As soon as she stepped inside, a woman appeared to welcome her.Mei Qiu immediately understood that she was Furan's wife, the woman who had inherited a large fortune.She is petite and well-maintained all over. Maybe it was the fresh air, and Ajie didn't reprimand her to embarrass him, so she said without thinking, "Why, didn't you wear the pearl skull chain?" As soon as the words came out, Mei Hagi covered her mouth with her hands in horror, but Mrs. Lan just laughed, and then hugged Mei Hagi enthusiastically. "Fran said you were very nice, and now I can see why he said it. Oh, come on in! All the girls are after your husband." "What good is it if you catch up?" These words made Mrs. Lan stop, looked Mei Qiu up and down, her expression became serious. "Oh, my God! Well, this..." she mused. "I didn't intend to—" Mei Qiu hurriedly explained. "I mean--" "No need to apologize, my dear." Mrs. Lan said, her feet moved again. "Are you hungry? Please tell me you're not on a diet to maintain such a slim figure." "I'm not on a diet," Umehagi said with a smile. "All the food I had time to eat was consumed when I carried Ajie to and from the bed." "I see," Mrs. Lan said seriously. "I don't know, but I know Applejack's parents a little bit. You know it's a world full of gossip. I heard they like to spend their money on things they can see." "That's right," Meigi said, and that was all she could say. "Honey, you can take a good rest while you're here. Those girls can greet Ajie for you." "They're so kind," Meigi said, feeling more and more at ease.This well-educated woman from a wealthy family gave her a good mood that she hadn't had in a long time. Mrs. Lan looked at her shrewdly again. "Come in and eat. Be ready to defend yourself." "I will try my best." Mei Hagi replied, and the two walked into the dining room. Everyone was about to take their seats, but when they looked up and saw Mei Hagi, the expressions on their faces seemed to be covered by a black blanket from a fairy tale.The three girls who were crowded next to Ajie and a blond man separated immediately, guilt was palpable. Mei Hagi wanted to say: "Don't stop what you are doing for me." But she didn't say it after all.Instead, she just sat down at the spot appointed by Mrs. Lan.When everyone was seated, Meigi found her seat next to Mrs. Blue at the end of the table, opposite the young woman Terry who was kissing her husband lustfully.Next to Terry was the blond man who called himself Geshi, and Ajie sat next to Furan at the head of the table. After everyone took the food, Mrs. Lan said happily: "Moshi will be here tomorrow." This announcement seemed to make the people present startled and quiet down, and Mei Hagi couldn't help but look up.A gloomy atmosphere spread in the banquet. "Who is Moshi?" Mei Qiu asked. "My eldest son." Mrs. Lan replied with a smile in her eyes. Mei Hagi looked curiously at the other people on the table.There was an interesting light dancing in Mrs. Lan's eyes, but Ajie, Geshi and the three young women all buried their heads in the plate and didn't say a word. This sight greatly encouraged Umehagi. "Tell me about him." She said happily, smiling at Mrs. Lan. "How would I describe my firstborn?" Mrs. Blue said, holding a fork. "He's like an older family from my wife's side," Fran said. "Yes," said Mrs. Blue. "The Wen family seems to be divided into two groups, those who make money and those who spend money." "I thought it was forbidden to talk about money at the dinner table," said Nina, the youngest child of the Lan family. "It was in public, dear," said Mrs. Blue. "We can say whatever we want in private." She turned to Mei Hagi. "What my husband means is that my eldest son is someone who can make money. Moshi has always been more sensitive to serious matters than us. He has finished his third year of medical school and plans to specialize in rehabilitation medicine in the future." "And he might do something noble," whispered Grace; and the others, including Applejack--all laughed. The fact that Applejack and the family realize that they can understand their private jokes makes Meiji furious.Why didn't he tell her about the Lan family? "Sounds like he's a nice guy." Meigi said, looking at Tai Tai Lan. "I think so too, but I'm a prejudiced person. Whether it's good or not, Moshi is indeed very unique." Mrs. Lan said proudly. "Moshi will hate you." Mei Hagi turned to face the speaker. "What did you say?" Everyone looked at Ruoping, startled by her rudeness. "My statement is impersonal. It's just that Moshi is not interested in pretty girls." "Is that from experience?" Geshi asked, and then he and Ajie exchanged glances and shared his jokes with Ajie. "Why am I interested in Moshi?" Ruoping refuted vigorously. "I'm not a masochist." Geshi looked at Meiqiu. "Ruoping utters bad words because she tried to seduce my brother last year, but he let her touch her nose. What's in her head doesn't meet his standards." Mei Hagi absentmindedly hears more about Lan's eldest son.It seems he can do anything. "Moshi will never try anything that he can't do first." Nina said disdainfully.Mei Hagi looked up at her unconsciously. "That's better than changing majors every semester." Geshi replied to her. "Why are we talking about Moshi?" Ruoping said in a little girl's coquettish tone. "Even if he is the football captain of Yale University, even if he is always the first in his class, is this person cute?" Speaking of which, she glanced at Mrs. Lan in fear. "I mean..." She blushed. Geshi looked at Meiqiu. "You see, my sister's friends are making a fool of themselves. Last summer she made a fool of herself in front of my brother, but Moshi didn't even look at her." "I didn't!" Ruoping cried, as if she was about to cry. "I just saw him lonely and boring, so I talked to him, that's all." "Yes, of course," said Grace. "That's why you carry four of that kind of...what do you call it?" "I believe their name is thong bikinis," Mrs. Blue said with a smile. "I don't want to hear you making fun of me anymore!" Ruoping pushed the seat away and ran away from the dining table. Mrs. Lan picked up the bread basket and handed it to Mei Hagi. "My dear, now you see why I don't wear a pearl skull chain. If I did, I might strangle someone with it." Mei Hagi bent over laughing at this joke that only she and Mrs. Lan understood. I like these people and I like this place, Umehagi thought.Those girls may not be included, but this older couple I absolutely adore. At that moment, she vowed to enjoy this rare vacation.She will ignore Ajie's words and deeds, and enjoy herself with an open mind.While thinking, she looked across the table, and she saw Ajie flirting with Nina. What kind of woman can watch her husband make fun of other women without doing anything?Mei Hagi thought, and the answer immediately came to mind: a wife who wanted to quit. After realizing this truth, Meiqiu's heart is also widened.It was a mistake for her to come back to Ajie.She gave up her potentially brilliant modeling career and came back to find a man who said he loved her, but this was a wrong decision. For that mistake, she has already paid the price.She had given up everything for Applejack in the past few years, she thought, she had even lost her ability to have children.But she can't continue to drill into the horns, that kind of pain is something she can't make up for. But now, as she watched her husband make fun of people, she felt light and comfortable.She is still young and beautiful, not as beautiful as before, but passable.At least, she still has hope. "Mei Hagi, dear," Mrs. Lan put her hand on Mei Hagi's wrist. "are you OK?" "Actually, I'm fine. Would you mind if I went fishing tomorrow?" "Fishing?" Mrs. Lan asked in surprise. "I never thought of you..." "Interested in anything other than rubbing beauty products on my skin?" Umehagi said with a smile. Mrs. Blue's eyes lit up. "We still have a lot to learn about each other, don't we?" She lowered her voice so that no one else could hear their conversation. "By the way, of course there is no problem. You can do whatever you like. Do you want someone to accompany you?" "No, I'll be fine by myself. That's if you think it's okay." Mrs. Lan knew Mei Hagi's real problem.Does she have to be involved in all social situations?Do they have to mix together for group activities all the time? "Absolutely," said Mrs. Blue. "Tomorrow I'm going to introduce you to my son Moshi. He likes fishing too." Mei Hagi glanced at Ajie at the other end of the table.Now Nina and Terri were gathered at the table to listen to his story.Maybe he was talking about a crazy truancy incident in his high school, Mei Hagi thought.She looked back at Mrs. Lan. "Thank you, but I think I'd rather take a vacation without men." "I totally understand," Mrs. Blue said with a smile. "Make this your home. Only on one condition." "What condition?" Meiqi asked cautiously. "You're going to call me by my first name, Lucy. That's what all my friends call me." For a moment Mei Hagi was stunned.She had always felt like old friends with Mrs. Lan and her husband at first sight, but she didn't expect Mrs. Lan to feel the same way. "That's my honor." Mei Qiu said softly, and then smiled at Lu Qi. "Tea on the front porch? You go get a thick sweater, and I'll make the brandy." "Great!" said Meiqi, standing up at the same time as Mrs. Lan, leaving behind the three men and two young women at the same table. 梅萩回到房里时心想，为什么我的公婆不能像这对夫妇呢？