To Get Married - Chapter 11

Chapter 11

December 29th. New Year’s Day was approaching.

No one knew that this day was Lu Yudong’s birthday.

As usual, she paid close attention in class, quietly and diligently trying to be the invisible person in the classroom.

Regarding the misunderstanding among her classmates about Manzhu’s bar job, she hadn’t explained it to anyone except Zhang Ziyun.

During free time in Physical Education class, a few boys shouted “Bar Girl’s Sister” at Lu Yudong. Zhang Ziyun was so angry that she shouted at them for a long time, but to no avail. She ended up sitting on the large steps of the flagpole platform on the field, hugging her knees and crying even more miserably than Lu Yudong.

Lu Yudong awkwardly tried to comfort her for a long time, clumsily repeating: “It’s okay. I don’t care. Let them say what they want. I really don’t care…”

But the more she consoled her, the louder Zhang Ziyun cried. When their classmates saw this, they crowded around, asking what had happened.

Zhang Ziyun was crying beautifully, as if she had suffered a monumental injustice. Her eyes were red, her lip was bitten, and no matter what people asked, she only shook her head in silence.

A beautiful girl crying so sadly was too much for some classmates to bear, and they called the P.E. teacher over.

The P.E. teacher patiently asked for the reason for a long time, finally coaxing a few names out of Zhang Ziyun.

The boys, who had been playing basketball on the court, were suddenly called over by the teacher and asked why they were bullying a female classmate.

They didn’t dare repeat the things they had said to mock Lu Yudong in front of the teacher. They exchanged wide-eyed, guilty looks, clearly having done something wrong. In the end, they were punished with five laps around the track and were not allowed to leave until they finished.

After class, Lu Yudong saw that the boys hadn’t finished running yet. They were all red-faced and gasping for breath, and the irritation in her heart subsided considerably.

She was about to comfort Zhang Ziyun when she turned and saw Zhang Ziyun nonchalantly eating a hot dog from the cafeteria store, as if nothing had happened.

“You… you’re not angry anymore?” Lu Yudong asked.

Zhang Ziyun winked her left eye at her, smugly saying, “You don’t think I’d actually cry because I lost an argument, do you?”

“You did that on purpose!”

Zhang Ziyun laughed. “Lu Yudong, you have to understand: if people are too strong, no one will feel sorry for them, and if they are too kind, they will be bullied. When dealing with unreasonable people, stepping back doesn’t lead to a brighter future; it just encourages them to take advantage.”

She said, “Tears are a girl’s best weapon. Have you learned that yet?”

Lu Yudong froze for a few seconds, then shook her head.

Zhang Ziyun patted her shoulder in exasperation and turned to walk toward the classroom building.

Lu Yudong tilted her head, lost in thought.

During the time she was hospitalized, everyone disliked it when she cried. Why did Zhang Ziyun say that tears were a girl’s best weapon?

She couldn’t figure it out, so she simply stopped trying to think about it.

In any case, those annoying boys were punished by the teacher, and it was indeed Zhang Ziyun’s tears that achieved it. So, it seemed the trick worked.

Back in the classroom, she opened her diary and, while Zhang Ziyun wasn’t looking, secretly wrote a line:

—It’s my birthday today. Zhang Ziyun helped me teach those gossips like Yang Kunpeng a lesson. That makes me happier than receiving a birthday gift.

After writing, she put away her diary and briefly stared into space.

This time last year, as soon as school was out, Mom and Dad were waiting at the school gate. They took her out for a hot pot meal, and after the hot pot, they came home and cut a small cake…

It was a shame Manzhu wouldn’t be home tonight.

Thinking this, she sighed softly.

After evening study hall, Lu Yudong, as usual, put on her backpack and hood, lowered her head, and braced herself against the wind, walking all the way home.

The moment she pushed open the door, the room was dark.

She closed the door behind her and was about to switch on the light when the kitchen door was suddenly pushed open. A tiny, flickering light shone through the doorway.

In the dim room, Manzhu walked slowly toward Lu Yudong, holding a six-inch cake and singing “Happy Birthday.”

Twelve thin candles were stuck all over the small cake, making it look a bit comical.

The flickering candlelight illuminated Manzhu’s beautiful face, making her eyes look especially gentle. In an instant, Lu Yudong’s eyes turned red.

She hadn’t told anyone about her birthday. She hadn’t had any expectations for it.

Her only thought was probably the small hair accessory Manzhu had promised to give her the night before last.

Whether late or early, it would be the best birthday gift she received this year.

But now, Manzhu was standing right in front of her, holding the birthday cake she had only thought about earlier that day. Everything was so sudden.

“Happy birthday, Little Yudong.” Manzhu held the birthday cake in front of Lu Yudong. The candlelight shone on her face, making her expression exceptionally tender. She said, “You can make a wish now.”

Lu Yudong bit her lower lip, sniffled, clasped her hands together under Manzhu’s gaze, and closed her eyes.

She should make a wish.

But the moment she closed her eyes, her heart felt empty. The only thought that came to mind was one: I hope Manzhu will be with me every year on this day.

Finally, she opened her eyes and blew out the candles.

The small home instantly fell dark. Lu Yudong looked up, gazing foolishly at Manzhu in the faint light from the window.

Manzhu reached out and turned on the living room light. She quickly placed the cake on the low coffee table, then squatted down to remove the candles one by one. “Come quickly and cut the cake.”

Lu Yudong quickly changed into her slippers, washed her hands, and hopped over to sit beside Manzhu like a little rabbit. She didn’t say anything, but her watery eyes were brimming with undisguised joy.

Lu Yudong held the small plastic knife and cut the first slice. She looked up and asked, “Elder Sister, how did you know my birthday?”

Manzhu smiled when she heard that. “Your ID card is with me.”

“Then…” Lu Yudong started to ask something else, but Manzhu picked up a white, floppy-eared puppy from the sofa and gently placed it next to the cake.

“There really weren’t any extra little decorations like the ones you mentioned at the bar. Will you still like this instead?” Manzhu asked softly.

The puppy had a slightly tilted head and a silly, innocent expression. Lu Yudong reached out and stroked its small head. It felt incredibly soft. She was overjoyed. “I love it!”

All she wanted was a gift. Whether a decoration or a puppy, as long as it came from Manzhu, she would treasure it.

Seeing Lu Yudong’s delight, Manzhu sighed in relief. She then took a small square box from the coffee table cabinet and placed it beside the little white dog.

Lu Yudong paused, put down the small knife, and opened the little box.

Inside was a new model cell phone, worth over three thousand yuan.

“I saw your classmates had phones at the parent-teacher conference and have been wanting to buy you one,” Manzhu said. “I’ll pick you up from school tomorrow noon and take you to get a SIM card.”

Lu Yudong stared at the new phone in the box, and tears once again began to well up in her eyes.