Chapter 147

Fu Yunqi the magician enjoyed great popularity in the Propaganda Group, especially among the girls who practically threw themselves at him. This was the first time he had encountered such indifference.

He was not angry. On the contrary, he felt a thick sense of interest welling up inside.

Having received so much enthusiasm, being ignored for once was rather amusing. Especially with this girl in front of him...

He really could not understand why such a beautiful girl, with gentle brows and perfect features, and an exquisite face that was very pretty but not overpowering, attractive to both men and women, would be married so young, still looking like a young girl!

Tsk tsk, what a pity.

Looking at her profile as she held up her child and coaxed it, it struck Fu Yunqi's heart even more.

Too great a pity.

"Are these both Comrade An's children? Their little faces are so tender and soft." Fu Yunqi praised.

Shen Hongmei chimed in at the side, "That's right, the news that Deputy Head Pei's family bore twins spread all over the army, not just our Propaganda Group."

"I had only heard about it, not seen it before, so it still feels quite novel."

Chatting away, the two of them started a conversation.

Seeing them, Zhi Xia said, "Comrade Shen, aren't you busy?"

The meaning of dismissal was obvious, instantly freezing the smile on Shen Hongmei's face.

After that time, Shen Hongmei had come looking for her two more times, but it was a fact that Zhi Xia could not help her.

What she had to do now was to quickly build a foundation for herself while she still had some popularity in the Propaganda Group, or use her former connections to quickly transition out, since she did not have the talent. While she still had a chance, she had to look for another way out. But Shen Hongmei could not see this. She seemed bent on staying in that position, clearly unable to do the job, yet still stubbornly holding on without trying to improve, instead hoping she could get by without working hard.

Fu Yunqi did not seem to hear any of that, and answered on Shen Hongmei's behalf, "We really haven't been very busy recently. We just finished touring the countryside for performances after the spring harvest, and don't have much to do during this period except basic training. Oh, does Comrade An like watching magic tricks? When the Propaganda Group performs next time you can come watch, I personally feel that quite a lot of girls enjoy this kind of show."

"Sorry, I have children to look after, so I don't know when I'll be free." Zhi Xia declined politely.

"That's fine too. You and your husband can come together then. Deputy Head Pei can't leave all the children to you alone, right?"

What Fu Yunqi said sounded reasonable, but didn't stand up to closer examination.

The slogan "Women Hold Up Half the Sky" had just been coined, but in reality many men still held chauvinistic views, which resulted in housewives having low status, while working women still had to take care of the household as well.

Conversely, it was so much easier for men. As long as they went to work and provided income, they were good husbands.

Finding a man who understood you was lucky; if not, you would work yourself to exhaustion while others criticized you for being delicate.

He was reminding Zhi Xia that she couldn't care for the children alone.

But he didn't know that Pei Jing did hold some chauvinistic views - for example, spending a large sum on a bicycle without consulting her at all, just deciding for himself.

But he also didn't think household chores were just for women; when he was home, he took care of the children and did housework, handling almost everything he could.

"My husband and I will deal with our own matters, no need for Comrade Fu to worry." Zhi Xia smiled politely, "The child is probably hungry now, could I trouble you to leave for a bit?"

Since she had said it so clearly, Fu Yunqi and Shen Hongmei could not keep imposing.

"Zhi Xia, we'll be going then. My sister and brother-in-law are remarrying tonight, and they're hosting a banquet at their home. You probably haven't heard from my brother-in-law yet since you came so early, so I'll tell you - my sister specifically said you two must come, and also Feng Xia and them, to thank you for looking after the children while she was away these months."

Zhi Xia was not surprised by this matter.

Shen Hongmei had already lived there for over a month with no sign of leaving. If she wanted to stay long-term she naturally needed a formal reason. If it dragged on too long with Yang Jun living in the dorms, there would inevitably be gossip.

With four children caught in the middle, and Shen Hongmei's recent behavior being quite decent, getting along well with the neighbors, even apologizing sincerely to those she had offended before - she had received unanimous approval.

In any case, as long as the birth mother didn't make trouble, the children still needed their mother.

Yang Jun was a grown man, and there were aspects of care he inevitably overlooked, especially Cui'er. Forced to quit school to care for the household, Zhi Xia had come across her secretly crying in the kitchen or backyard multiple times.

The girl reminded her of her past self, in different circumstances yet suffering silently, only able to cry in secret. So she felt even more heartache for her.

But she was luckier than Zhi Xia in that her parents still loved her.

She hadn't really helped much, just occasionally giving the children some candy and snacks when they came over. The two were also well-behaved, never bragging about it outside, and had even brought Zhi Xia some snails and crayfish they caught at the pond when the weather was hot.

Seeing Fu Yunqi and Shen Hongmei walking away, Zhi Xia draped the blanket from the basket over her shoulders, using her arms to prop it up, and nursed her child underneath.

The little one had been so hungry, the first few sucks were painfully raw.

When Pei Jing came back wheeling the bicycle, there was a small electric fan in the front basket.

Zhi Xia was folding the small blankets, holding a child in one arm and folding with the other - not very convenient.

"I thought we agreed you'd just go pick it up? Why did it take so long?" Zhi Xia asked.

Pei Jing quickly propped up the bicycle and came over to take the small blankets from her, spreading them neatly in just a few moves. "The bicycle needed a registration seal, so it took some extra time. Did the child fuss?"

"No, just hungry. I just finished feeding." With Pei Jing taking over, Zhi Xia didn't rush to put the child back. Instead she placed a small hand on his back, gently patting out the milk burps. "Help pat Wenqing's back too. I put her back when she finished eating, before I could pat her."

They didn't actually have to pat after feeding, since they had two children and couldn't care for them that meticulously. But they tried to be more careful when they had time.

Also they couldn't move around right after eating or they would spit up.

"Oh right, I saw Shen Hongmei just now. There was a magician following her, saying her brother-in-law is hosting a banquet tonight for their remarriage."

"That's probably true. I heard a couple days ago that leadership spoke to Old Yang, probably about this matter." Not planning to get involved in others' family affairs, Pei Jing figured they could interact fine if things went well, and keep distance if not. As for that magician, "Speaking of, the magician you mentioned, is he called Fu Yunqi?"

Zhi Xia looked at him teasingly, "You're quite familiar with the Propaganda Group, have you been going to watch their performances often?"

"I have gone to see their holiday performances a few times. You know I investigated Shen Hongmei, so it's normal for me to know about the Propaganda Group members." Pei Jing explained, "Regarding Fu Yunqi... never mind, we don't have much interaction with him anyway. But you and Mengyao should stay away from him in the future, that would be best."

"Why do you say that, is there something bad about him?" Zhi Xia was puzzled.

"Not bad, too good." Pei Jing turned to look at her with some gravity. "Fu Yunqi has talent in magic performances that attracts quite a lot of attention from young women and wives, tangled up with many women in unclear relationships. He was even caught secretly meeting married women at night before."

Zhi Xia froze for a moment, feeling like he was implying something. "What do you mean by that? Do you think I would get entangled with him?"

"No, don't interpret me wrongly." Pei Jing smiled. "Zhi Xia, have you looked at yourself carefully?"

Zhi Xia's face instantly flushed crimson. She admitted she was a bit vain. She had not just looked over her appearance carefully in the mirror, but her body as well.