novelraw Chapter 157: None of Us Are Gods
Chapter 157: None of Us Are Gods
"Mei, my second brother is indeed an ice block, but if Wang Dazhi didn’t plot against him, could he be cold enough to freeze Wang Xiaohong?"
"Since they’re married, he should take responsibility. Otherwise, what’s the point of marriage?" Qian retorted.
"He has fulfilled a husband’s responsibilities: money, material things, work, what hasn’t he given her? Has Wang Xiaohong fulfilled any of her duties as a wife, even just one?"
"Ha, just giving some money makes a good husband? Then why get married, better just pay for pleasure. And now cold violence in the family is justified?" Qian sneered.
"Who starts off like that? Although I don’t know the real reason behind my second brother marrying her, they did try to interact when they first got married, but she was a real handful. She’s the first person like that I’d ever seen."
"Can’t he communicate well?"
"That’s just his personality. If talking a few times doesn’t work, he doesn’t want to say anymore. When Wang Dazhi was stuffing people into our family, his sister already had issues. If she didn’t marry my second brother and married someone else, wouldn’t it still be the same? Blame my second brother, or should we blame the person who really caused her harm?"
"Didn’t they take her to see a psychologist?"
"When they just got married, they took her to neurology. Before even entering the room, she scratched my second brother, claiming he was mocking her as a lunatic. My mom took Panpan for a check-up, and she cried, saying my mom doubted her. My brother was so stressed over this. He’s filial."
"And such filial piety brings trouble to your parents?"
"My second brother isn’t a god; he can’t foresee the future. Wang Dazhi said after some harm, marrying a good man would improve things, and my brother believed him. How would he know she’s so twisted? Who would’ve thought friends could trap friends? You call it six of one, half a dozen of the other, but now I’m speaking out: Women marrying shouldn’t expect it’s like marrying gods who tolerate everything, without looking at what they’ve done for the man?"
"Yu Minglang, what stance are you taking, you weirdo! What do you mean by women? We women can do everything ourselves, like gods, and if men don’t tolerate us, don’t make us happy, what’s the use of you? There are cucumbers aplenty in the market, one dollar for three pounds, fresh and prickly!"
Qian was very displeased with his habit of lumping everyone together.
"Chen Xiaoqian! Why are you so good at twisting words? Can’t I have misspoken? The ’women’ I was talking about are people like Wang Xiaohong, not you! I said something wrong, hit me a few times if you will, but don’t disgust me! My feelings for you are like my second brother’s for Wang Xiaohong, can it be the same? Why compare yourself with them if you have to compare? You’re as perfect as a goddess, pampering you is just right. What’s Wang Xiaohong?"
"What feeling do you have for me?" Qian saw he hadn’t finalized his words and pulled the topic back; she couldn’t waste her rare vacation just fighting.
"Don’t ask when you already know!"
"Fake seriousness..."
"Look here!"
He hugged Qian in his arms, positioning both in the car mirror for a reflection.
"Look at what? I’m whiter than you?" Qian only noticed this.
"Talented man and beautiful woman, a perfect match, right? We have love, they don’t. Mei, don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you no matter what, won’t let you end up like Wang Xiaohong with uncontrollable issues. Whoever loves those prickly cucumbers, let them use it, I’m alive, don’t think about that stuff!"
Qian’s face flushed a bit. She thought she hid it well, trying to probe him about her second brother’s matter, indirectly telling him that caring for someone with mental issues isn’t easy, needing more tolerance, but he saw through her.
"You’re such a sweet talker! If your second brother were like you, maybe Wang Xiaohong would’ve gotten better by now." Qian felt quite good from his sour sweet talk.
"Don’t joke, would he ever say these things? Asking him to say it is like killing him, haha!" Minglang knew his icy brother well.
"That’s not certain, if Wang Xiaohong doesn’t have it in her to enlighten him, maybe someone else can!"
"If he could be enlightened, seriously. Mei, brother promises to wash your socks for a lifetime! By the time pigs talk, he still wouldn’t say this!"
"A lifetime is long, never speak too definitively, who knows what the future holds!" Qian was stubborn, but in her heart, she agreed with him about Mr. Yu getting enlightened...
Tough!
Qian guessed he wasn’t taking her anywhere good and was ready to be dragged up a mountain or taste some farmhouse fun by him.
But when Yu Minglang stopped the car at a place like a dilapidated ruin, Qian was still silent.
"Yu Minglang, is this where you’re taking me on our first date?"
This desolate, mountain-backed place seemed just like a spot for murder and body disposal?
An abandoned campus, with a babbling brook outside, mountains not far away, weeds growing so high clearly showing years of neglect, mud covering the ground from last night’s rain, utterly unappealing, particularly desolate, resembling a ghost movie set.
"How about it, unique, right? Mei, I’ve given you the memories of my youth, aren’t you touched—Mei?"
Why was his Mei looking at him with such disdain?!
Minglang’s original plan was to use the two-day vacation to take Qian hiking, hoping she’d tire and he’d have a chance to show off his strength by carrying her back, making Mei like him even more.
But with one day delayed and last night’s rain, the plan was scrapped.
Thinking it through, he decided to bring her here to fish, showcasing his outdoor survival skills, then let her see the place where he attended middle school, reminiscing about youth, it was practically perfect.
The books said one should showcase their strengths in love, Minglang spent long in the unit, going out normally might expose his ignorance.
He didn’t have other strengths, but his outdoor survival skills were strong, bringing Mei here for fishing and making fish soup for her, she would definitely admire him eagerly! Mei would surely like him more!
As Minglang led Qian out of the car, he instantly felt Qian’s eyes burning on him, but upon closer inspection, it seemed different from admiration.
Qian gave him a sidelong glance.
"Yu Xiaoqiang, can I interview your mind about bringing me to such a place?"
He was definitely unique; ordinary people would take someone to eat, shop, or at least stroll along a street for a first date. What’s on his mind, driving for so long to bring her to this deserted school in a valley, what exactly did he want to do!
If it were a girl with less courage than Qian, she might be scared to death; the place was too desolate, with enough weeds to hide several people unseen.
"When I was in middle school, the housing complex hadn’t moved from the mountains. Back then, there was a factory in the mountains, and we studied with the workers’ kids. Now this school looks abandoned, but it was bustling then, with both primary and secondary schools. Later the unit and factory relocated, and this place was left to waste."
Minglang was quite nostalgic seeing his alma mater.
He took fishing tools from the trunk, waterproof camo Oxford cloth, and finally lugged out a big camouflage bag.
"Aren’t you bringing out all your outdoor survival tools?" Qian was speechless.