The Lady I Flirted With Is Here - Chapter 51

Chapter 51: Being a Guest

The Bai people have a custom: if a family hosts a celebration, the entire village comes to help. The main force behind this effort consists of the women and middle-aged men. The women stay in the kitchen, busy with picking vegetables, washing dishes, and preparing food. The men move tables and chairs, clean up, and shuttle dishes back and forth to entertain the guests.

Children aren’t needed for the work, but since the entire family had been invited as guests, Lin Xian and Fang Daiyu set out slowly toward the banquet when the phone rang. Along the way, they bypassed fields and houses. In the distance, a small building flew a high-rising Five-Star Red Flag. Lin Xian pointed to it: “Daiyu, that’s my primary school. I studied there for three years.”

As the flag faded into the distance, Lin Xian led Daiyu to a four-story building. A concrete square sat in front of the house, covered by a large tarp shed with stoves set up. There were smaller sheds on either side. By now, they were encountering many villagers and acquaintances. Lin Xian waved and greeted them.

“Uncle!” “Ah, our university student is back! Is this your classmate?”

Lin Xian smiled shyly and didn’t offer much explanation. Just as they were about to enter, a neighbor auntie grabbed Lin Xian’s hand. “Wait a second! They’re about to light the crackers!”

Lin Xian and Fang Daiyu ducked to the side just as a twenty-meter string of firecrackers was lit. Amidst the deafening “crack-pop-bang,” a groom in a sharp suit carried his bride in a white wedding dress through the smoke. A trail of bridesmaids and groomsmen followed behind.

Local Bai children chased after them: “Look at the bride! Look at the bride!” Innocent, curious smiles bloomed on every face.

Fang Daiyu pointed at a little girl with twin pigtails. “That one looks like you when you were little.”

Lin Xian laughed loudly. “Dandan!” she called out, waving. The girl turned around and, forgetting all about the bride, ran straight into Lin Xian’s arms.

“Slow down, slow down!” Lin Xian rubbed Dandan’s head. The little girl with dimples had sparkling eyes. “Sister Xianxian, you’re back from Beijing!” Lin Xian nodded affectionately.

Before long, a circle of children surrounded them, chirping like a flock of sparrows, each one calling out “Sister Xianxian.”

Dandan got anxious. “She’s my Sister Xianxian, not yours!” She began to argue with the other kids.

Lin Xian explained to Daiyu: “Dandan is my distant aunt’s daughter. Biologically, we really are related.”

Fang Daiyu rubbed her temples. She wasn’t particularly fond of children and generally couldn’t handle a swarm of toddlers chirping around her. She had only made the joke about the bride to ask about Lin Xian’s childhood; she hadn’t expected a girl who looked like a mini-Xianxian to actually be a relative.

Seeing that all the kids were clamoring for attention, and noting Daiyu’s furrowed brow, Lin Xian led the group to a small convenience store nearby to buy snacks. The shopkeeper teased her: “Every time you come back, these kids hit the jackpot!” The children swarmed the shop like locusts, grabbing all the snacks they usually couldn’t afford, returning with arms full of loot.

Meanwhile, Fang Daiyu waited at a corner of the square. Suddenly, a girl approached her. She had an oval face, willow-leaf brows, and deer-like eyes; even in Beijing, she would be considered a classic beauty. However, to Daiyu, this girl had a sharpness in her gaze that Lin Xian lacked, despite looking softer on the outside.

The girl’s voice was as gentle as spring water. “You’re Lin Xian’s friend, right?” She approached with a ready smile.

Out of politeness, Daiyu nodded, though she didn’t quite understand why she was being approached.

“From Beijing too?” the girl asked immediately.

This time, Daiyu didn’t respond. Asking so many questions without introducing oneself was quite rude. Seeing the silence, the girl laughed. “Sorry, I was too hasty. I forgot to introduce myself.”

“I was Lin Xian’s classmate in primary, middle, and high school. My name is Chen Yu.” Daiyu gave a polite, formal smile. “Fang Daiyu.”

“I haven’t seen Lin Xian for many years since high school graduation,” Chen Yu said, seemingly lost in memory. “I went to Shanghai after graduating university. It’s funny, actually—do you know why I went to Shanghai?”

Daiyu didn’t particularly want to know. But, a lifelong classmate? She humored her: “I’m listening.”

“Because Lin Xian told me she wanted to go to university in Shanghai.” And? Daiyu couldn’t figure out this person’s angle. Was she an old best friend? Daiyu decided to ask.

Chen Yu gave a cynical smile. “Best friend? Who would want to be her best friend?” Her words were sharp, but she quickly seemed to realize her rudeness. She asked Daiyu, “Are you her university classmate? Just here in Dali for a visit?”

Strangely, Daiyu didn’t want to reveal too much to this person. She simply followed Chen Yu’s assumption and nodded.

Chen Yu then asked, as if casually: “During those four years of university, did Lin Xian ever date anyone?”

Daiyu glanced at Chen Yu, finding the question odd, but she gave a slight nod.

Chen Yu’s expression darkened instantly. She clenched her fists as if restraining herself, ignoring Daiyu, and stood there in a daze. After a long while, Daiyu heard her mutter: “I worried so long when I heard she was depressed, yet she was out there falling in love. Fine. Very well!” In a fit of anger, she didn’t even say goodbye and marched straight into the banquet hall.

Just as Chen Yu left, Lin Xian returned, skipping along with Dandan and a big bag of snacks. She sent Dandan off to play and took Daiyu’s arm. “Didn’t wait too long, did you? Let’s go in!”

Daiyu hesitated, wondering if she should mention Chen Yu. The girl felt “off.” Just then, Lin Xian’s grandmother rushed out from the back kitchen and pressed a stack of plastic bags into Lin Xian’s hand. “Help me hand these out!”

Lin Xian began peeling off the bags and called to Daiyu: “Daiyu, help me count. Ten people per table, ten bags per table!”

Daiyu’s attention shifted. “What are these for?”

Giving out plastic bags at a wedding? And they were quite thick and large, too.

Lin Xian counted while answering casually: “For taking food home, of course.”

“Taking food home?” Daiyu had never seen such a custom. Once the banquet started and they finished their meal, she understood. Lin Xian pointed to a half-plate of quail eggs left on the table. “Do you like these?”

Daiyu: “They’re alright.”

The moment she said it, Lin Xian dumped the quail eggs into a plastic bag. Daiyu was dumbfounded. That wasn’t all; an older woman nearby dumped a plate of eight-treasure rice and several chicken drumsticks into her own bag. She looked at Lin Xian with mock disdain: “You’re only taking a few quail eggs? Is that enough to eat?”

Lin Xian laughed. “We might go back to the city tonight; these are for the road.” The woman nodded in approval. As they prepared to leave, a child tucked a small bag of rushan into his pocket; his mother patted his head while the adults praised him: “What a good boy, Xiaoyu!”

Daiyu finally understood the purpose of the plastic bags.

On the way back, Lin Xian explained: “The Bai people are very hospitable but hate waste. So at banquets, we give everyone bags so they can not only eat their fill but also pack up their favorites to take home.”

Lin Xian remembered a funny story: “When I was little, I learned the idiom ‘Eat it or take it with you’ (chi bu liao dou zhe zou—usually meaning ‘you’ll pay for this/get into trouble’). I thought it was a compliment about being a good guest! It wasn’t until I had to write sentences in school that I realized it was a negative phrase.”

“Today, we went to Uncle’s house, and everyone ‘ate it or took it with them.’ How happy!” Daiyu doubled over with laughter.

In the middle of the field path, under the blue sky and white clouds, Lin Xian—clutching her bag of quail eggs—looked at the land of her childhood and then at the beautiful, laughing Fang Daiyu. Her heart skipped.

Seeing no one around, she grew bold. Catching Daiyu off guard, she pounced like a little bear, grabbed Daiyu’s waist, and gave her a quick peck on the lips before pulling away.

Daiyu wiped the oily residue (tasting of rushan) from her lips. She scolded playfully, “I don’t know who it was this morning that had such a cleanliness obsession they wouldn’t even let me touch their lips. Now you’ve printed oil all over my mouth, really…”

Lin Xian pretended not to hear, but when Daiyu didn’t finish her sentence, she turned back out of curiosity—only to be caught in a waiting embrace.

Lin Xian huffed: “Hey! You ambushed me!”

Daiyu teased: “The officials can set fires, but the commoners can’t light lamps? You were waiting for me to say something, weren’t you?”

Lin Xian gave a weak defense: “I was not.”

Daiyu ignored the stubbornness. “It seems someone knows they were being excessive. How can you kiss someone without wiping your mouth first?”

Lin Xian regretted her impulsive moment. She now looked like a hero resigned to their fate. “So what are you going to do about it?”

Daiyu leaned into her ear. “Let me kiss you back.”

Lin Xian protested: “Wipe your mouth first.” “I already did.”

Lin Xian looked around. No one was passing by. She carefully set a boundary: “Fine… but only a quick touch, just like I did.”

Before she could finish, soft lips pressed against hers. Lin Xian’s eyes widened. She could smell the mint on Daiyu’s breath. The only thought in her head was: Fang Daiyu lied again! She dared to sneak some mouthwash!

Lin Xian pushed her away. “You cheated!” “How did I cheat? I just kissed your lips.”

Lin Xian was too embarrassed to admit she had been self-conscious about her own “oily” mouth while Daiyu had prepared with mouthwash. She could only stammer.

In the middle of their playfulness, someone suddenly rushed out from nowhere.

As the figure drew closer, Daiyu recognized her: it was Chen Yu from the square. Chen Yu’s face was contorted with rage. She lunged at Daiyu with her arms outstretched. In the emergency, Daiyu shoved Lin Xian out of the way.

“You bitch!” Chen Yu hissed, swinging wildly at Daiyu’s back and shoulders. Lin Xian, who had been pushed to the ground, scrambled up, nursing a scraped knee. She looked at the attacker in shock. “Chen Yu?”

Hearing her voice, Chen Yu turned her gaze to Lin Xian. Her eyes were full of resentment. “I hate you!”

She spat the words out through gritted teeth. Fortunately, Daiyu was no pushover; she had the height advantage. Her initial reaction was just a momentary lapse of surprise. She seized Chen Yu’s shoulder with her left hand and used a grappling move with her right, hooking her foot behind Chen Yu’s. Within seconds, Chen Yu was pinned to the ground.

Lin Xian limped toward them, her expression complex. “Chen Yu, have you lost your mind?”

If it were a random stranger, that would be one thing, but this was a girl who had gone to a top university in Shanghai. She should have been rational.

Chen Yu didn’t answer. She struggled, but Daiyu held her firmly. Finally, she could only scream: “You disgusting dykes!”