Chapter 197: Sick and Tired of Her

Chapter 197: Chapter 197: Sick and Tired of Her

Seeing her mind was made up, Director Tang waved a dismissive hand. He said no more, simply shoving the apple from his desk into her arms.

"Go on, take it."

The apple rolled into the crook of her arm, its skin still holding a slight chill.

He Wei didn’t stand on ceremony. She just took it and left.

She might be on break, but Song Yao was still busy, so He Wei had no choice but to wait for her to return in the afternoon.

Seizing the opportunity, she grabbed a small stool, pocketed a few fruit candies, and pattered downstairs.

A few of the wives were gathered downstairs with their children, chatting about this and that.

He Wei went around, giving each of them a piece of candy.

"Here, have a taste. I just bought them."

The women accepted them cheerfully and made small talk.

"Well now, is Accountant He off work again today?"

He Wei casually swept a stray lock of hair from her forehead.

"That’s right, I’m off! My job is great like that. When it’s time for a break, you take one. Not a lot of red tape."

’She couldn’t stand Song Yao.’

She had been irritated with her from their very first meeting.

’Just look at her—the flirtatious eyes, the glistening lips. The very picture of a seductress.’

’And even pregnant, she’s always wandering about, never just staying put.’

The words had barely left her lips when someone else piped up enviously.

"You’re not wrong! You and your husband both have an iron rice bowl. With just two kids to raise, life must be so easy!"

He Wei fiddled with her hair again, scraping a knuckle lightly behind her ear before her brow suddenly furrowed.

"Easy? That’s easy for you to say! The salary looks decent, but once you start adding things up... groceries, formula, diapers, mending clothes... Does any of that not cost money?"

"And don’t even get me started on our apartment. The three of us can barely turn around as it is. If we add another mouth to feed, I’m worried we won’t even have room for a chamber pot!"

As she spoke, she subtly jutted her chin toward Song Yao’s front door.

"And then you look at her. Her belly isn’t even showing, yet she gets to occupy the most spacious and well-lit apartment in the entire building!"

"The leadership turns a blind eye, and she just lives there without a care in the world. Two people monopolizing such a huge apartment—what, do they think they’re running a hotel?"

As soon as she said this, the chatter around her died.

No one dared to agree, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire.

But He Wei was oblivious. Assuming everyone was just hanging on her every word, she kept on venting.

"If it were me, all by myself with no kids on the way, I would have offered up my master bedroom to a colleague who really needed it long ago. Life’s hard for everyone, we should lend each other a hand!"

The others gave a few dry laughs and mumbled noncommittally.

The round-faced woman next to her couldn’t take it anymore and tried to placate her in a low voice.

"Honestly, your apartment is quite good! It’s close to the main gate, so it’s easy to get in and out. The second floor isn’t damp, and you get fewer mosquitoes in the summer. It’s a great spot!"

He Wei’s face fell instantly, and she turned her head away.

"Oh, by the way, I heard the new regiment commander was transferred from Ning City? That place must be a two-day, two-night train ride, right?"

She completely ignored what the round-faced woman had just said.

By abruptly changing the subject, she left the other woman looking visibly stiff and awkward.

The round-faced woman opened her mouth, but no words came out.

"She’s probably from the countryside, right? I bet the place she lived before was nothing compared to our Beijing. Moving into such a big apartment, she must be over the moon! She even stared at the sound-activated lights in the hallway a few times like she’d never seen them before."

"I hear she has a job. Where does she work?"

No one actually knew the answer to that, and they all shook their heads.

While none of them knew exactly what Song Yao did, they had her departure time down to a science.

The woman with the short haircut immediately jumped in.

"We haven’t figured out what her job is, but it sounds like a real cushy one. She sleeps in until almost nine before finally sauntering out the door! She wears these soft-soled cloth shoes and munches on half a sugar flatbread as she goes."

"Then, before four-thirty in the afternoon, she’s already back with her bag."

"There, she’s probably just about to walk in the door any minute now!"

Hearing these work hours, He Wei’s eyes lit up, and she asked with a tinge of acid in her voice.

"Does she get regular days off? How much does she make a month? Are bonuses included in that? What about a year-end subsidy?"

"No idea."

The short-haired woman waved her hand dismissively.

"They say she’s just a temporary hire. The official transfer order hasn’t even come down from on high, so she’s not even a permanent employee."

He Wei instantly perked up.

"Ha! Then she can’t be making much. A temp, right? They just call you in to fill a spot when they’re short-staffed. Once the job’s over, you pack your bags and leave. The pay is probably pathetic. I bet she doesn’t even get a full set of cafeteria meal tickets."

But the short-haired woman shook her head again.

"I haven’t asked about that, really. But she seems to have money to spare. Her clothes are always nice, and her grocery basket is always full."

"Just the other day, she had a brand-new refrigerator delivered. I heard it cost a fortune! Two young men delivered it, and they had to haul it all the way up the stairs. They even scraped a little paint off the handrail."

He Wei couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

The more the short-haired woman spoke, the more envious she sounded.

"I saw that fridge, it was gleaming. Just keeping it plugged in must cost a fortune in electricity! When the sun hits it, the reflection is so clear you can see your own shadow."

A few of the others nodded in agreement.

"Exactly! Why on earth would you buy a refrigerator? You can’t eat it, you can’t wear it, and the electricity bill just shoots up!"

"Anyone who’s willing to fork over that kind of cash must come from a well-off family. At the very least, their parents must have saved up a lot and have plenty of ration coupons. Otherwise, how could they dare make such a huge purchase?"

At the mention of the refrigerator, everyone started chattering excitedly at once.

Even He Wei couldn’t get a word in edgewise.

Just then, Song Yao appeared.

She was a little earlier than usual today.

It was just past four, and the sun was still high overhead, its light glaring and scorching.

She raised one hand to shield her forehead from the sun, while her other hand carried two bulging cloth bags.

She was just thinking about how the sun seemed to get more brutal with each passing day.

She mulled it over.

’Should I buy an umbrella or a straw hat to block the sun?’

Before she could come to a decision, someone suddenly stepped into the middle of the path, blocking her way.

Since moving in, aside from the first time she ran into a group of adults and children downstairs and casually handed out a few bananas, Song Yao had only ever offered a brief nod when passing by, never even slowing her pace.

Being stopped like this was a bit bewildering.

When she got a closer look and saw it was He Wei, she was even more baffled.

He Wei was wearing a blue cotton shirt that had been washed until it was faded, the cuffs worn and frayed.

"You’re the wife of the First Regiment’s commander?"

Song Yao: "Huh?"

"My husband is in the Third Regiment."

Song Yao: "And?"

He Wei frowned, feeling a little perplexed.

’What a strange way of talking this young wife has.’

"I... I just saw that you were new here and figured you might not know me, so I thought I’d come say hello."

"Oh. Well, now I know you. Was there something else?"

Song Yao glanced down at He Wei’s legs, which were still blocking her path.

He Wei raised her hand and pointed upstairs.

"You live in that unit? With the commander?"

Song Yao: "Huh?"

"Don’t you already know that?"

The words had just left Song Yao’s mouth when, before He Wei could even respond, she added another sentence.

"The day we moved in, weren’t you squatting by the entrance, staring for ages?"

"And didn’t you come storming up here later, insisting we were taking up too much space?"

Song Yao had no intention of trying to get friendly with her.

Besides, one look at He Wei’s sour expression—the corners of her mouth turned down, her brow knitted, her eyes glinting with a mix of anxiety and defensiveness—was enough.

It was better to just be direct and get everything out in the open. It would save He Wei the trouble of beating around the bush and making things up.

He Wei froze on the spot.

She never expected the young woman to be so sharp-tongued right from the start.

She’d left no room for argument, and for a moment, He Wei could only stand there with her mouth agape, utterly speechless.