"Hong Mei, I'm married to Leng Yuan now, and I plan on building a good life with him. Let's just put the past behind us. Please don't say things like that anymore, or I'll really get upset."
"I just came by to pack up my things."
Gu Jiaojiao said with a smile, appearing for all the world like she and Li Hongmei were still the best of friends.
But Li Hongmei gasped, "What? You're moving out?"
A bashful look appeared on Gu Jiaojiao's face. "Leng Yuan and I registered our marriage, so we're officially husband and wife. We're not planning a big celebration, but we'll treat everyone to some wedding candy."
Of course, a husband and wife have to live together.
Li Hongmei instantly felt like she'd shot herself in the foot.
She had schemed against Gu Jiaojiao because she couldn't stand her privileged lifestyle. She'd targeted Leng Yuan because he had rejected her. But she still wanted to keep getting perks from Gu Jiaojiao; she absolutely did not want her to just leave.
She immediately put on a reluctant expression.
"Jiaojiao, this is so sudden! I'll miss you so much."
Gu Jiaojiao mirrored her look of deep sisterly affection. "I'll miss you too, Hong Mei. At the educated youth center, you were the kindest to me, helping me with laundry and cooking. I'm so grateful."
"How about this? You can keep the clothes you borrowed from me. Consider it my way of repaying you for doing my laundry and cooking. But I do need that seven yuan back. Now that I'm married, I can't be as extravagant with money as I used to be."
Gu Jiaojiao had been generous. In just over half a month, Li Hongmei had borrowed seven or eight yuan from her, as well as two fashionable dresses.
She didn't want the clothes back—the thought of them now made her skin crawl—but she had to get the money back.
As soon as Gu Jiaojiao said this, the onlookers couldn't help but gasp.
Seven yuan was no small sum. Back then, a fried dough stick cost ten cents, a plain steamed bun was five cents, and pork was only eighty cents a *jin*. Seven yuan could buy seventy dough sticks, over a hundred steamed buns, or even eight or nine *jin* of pork.
Li Hongmei's face stiffened. She never expected Gu Jiaojiao to suddenly bring up the money. As everyone stared at her with odd looks, she felt utterly humiliated—so much so that she wished she could dig a hole and crawl into it. At the same time, she was furious with Gu Jiaojiao for bringing it up at a time like this.
"Jiaojiao, I only borrowed that money for an emergency. I'll pay you back as soon as I have it."
Li Hongmei managed to force a smile as she replied.
"How about the end of this month, then? You know how I am with money—a real spendthrift. I don't have a penny on me right now, so I can't even buy the things I need for the wedding."
Li Hongmei shot a jealous glance at the Plum Blossom watch on her wrist. "Leng Yuan was willing to buy you a Plum Blossom watch. You're telling me he won't buy things for the wedding?"
Gu Jiaojiao shook her head. "That's not how it works."
"The watch was his betrothal gift to me. It's a token of his sincerity. That means I have to provide a dowry in return. It would be improper otherwise, wouldn't it?"
Quite a few people nodded in agreement with Gu Jiaojiao's words.
Since they were going to build a life together, Leng Yuan had followed tradition and given Gu Jiaojiao the respect she deserved. If she provided nothing in return, it would indeed look bad.
If she couldn't afford it, that would be one thing. But Gu Jiaojiao wasn't poor, so she was naturally expected to contribute.
Li Hongmei nearly ground her teeth to dust. But she had no choice; if she didn't want to ruin her reputation, she had to give Gu Jiaojiao the money.
She took out the money she had on her—five yuan—and handed it to Gu Jiaojiao.
Gu Jiaojiao took the money, but Li Hongmei was reluctant to let go. She stared pleadingly at Gu Jiaojiao, hoping she would have a change of heart and let her keep it.
But Gu Jiaojiao wasn't about to go soft. She smiled, gently pried open Li Hongmei's fingers, and plucked the five-yuan note from her grasp before putting it in her pocket.
She said her goodbyes to the others at the educated youth center and went back to her room to pack.