~Between the Pages and the Coffee Pot: Translated Novels~

  Chapter 38: Worth a Thousand Gold       The door was unlocked.   Sisi had gotten up and was washing her face, applying face oil, when she heard someone calling “Wife” outside.   She opened the door to find Qin Yanci standing there.   Sisi's face lit up, and she greeted him sweetly, “A-Ci, what brings you here? Come in.”   Qin Yanci whispered, “It's about the stamps.”   “You traded them for money?” Sisi waited expectantly for his answer.   Qin Yanci said, “I wouldn't trade them without your consent.”   Sisi's heart skipped a beat. Being respected felt so good. She was eager to know the stamps' value. “How much are they worth?”   “Ten yuan.”   Sisi gasped in astonishment. Ten yuan? Over a hundred stamps, worth a thousand gold?   She was rich!   With this money, she could indulge in her buying and selling ventures.   She excitedly grabbed his hand. “Where did you trade them?”   Qin Yanci lowere...

Chapter 37: Covering Up       Sisi was secretly glad to be locked in her room. Otherwise, she would have had to work, even with her sprained ankle.   Li Yuwei, enjoying her misery, said, “Sister, why are you being stubborn with Dad? A little bit of humility won't hurt. Learn from me, be more forgiving. Someone stole my gold ring, and I forgave them.”   Sisi inwardly scoffed. “You can forgive them because you got your ring back, right?”   Dusk fell, and the sound of laughter from the family of three drifted from the living room to the bedroom, grating on Sisi's nerves. She stuffed cotton in her ears, but it wasn't enough to block out the noise. So she burrowed under the covers, pulled the blanket over her head, and finally found some peace.    ~~~~~   She closed her eyes and felt a hotness on her cheeks. She realized she was crying.   She sniffed back a tear.   “Sisi, it's okay,” she silently comforted herself. “You never recei...

Chapter 59: The Unraveling     Xing Zhaoyan is on the verge of going crazy.   Fu Guanxian hasn't appeared since that day. After Xing Zhaoyan grits his teeth and watches Xiang Yang's press conference, hearing her boldly confess everything, he suddenly realizes that his bargaining chip is no longer useful.   Xiang Yang is no longer the submissive, long-suffering Xiang Yang.   Now, she's willing to take a gamble and even dare to reveal all of her privacy.   Xing Zhaoyan is panicking. He didn't expect her counterattack to be so ruthless.   He's impressed by her.   Xing Zhaoyan realizes belatedly that perhaps all of Xiang Yang's weakness and forbearance were only shown in front of Fu Guanxian. Once she changes the target, she becomes fearless.   “Heh, Xiang Yang, you really disappointed me.”   During the press conference, relatives and friends keep calling to ask questions.  Xing Zhaoyan is annoyed. He turns off his phone.   He scra...

  Chapter 36: Standing Her Ground       Seeing the three of them, the neighbors were convinced they were all up to something shady. They looked at them with disdain and contempt.   Song Hanmei's face burned with shame.   Li Yuwei, picking up on this, quickly retorted, “Sister, what are you talking about? It was clearly Great-Aunt Zeng and Uncle Hu messing around! When I came in, Uncle Hu was shirtless! What does my mom have to do with it?”   This was too much for Aunt Zeng to handle. Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.   The neighbors were quick to jump into action, putting aside their nosiness and helping to get Aunt Zeng to the hospital. Hu Niu and Hu Xiaoqian followed.   Song Hanmei also left the house.   Only Sisi and Li Yuwei remained.   They glared at each other and turned back to their rooms.   Sisi thought back on the day's events, her body and mind exhausted. The lingering smell of strangers still lingered in t...

  Chapter 35: Stirring Up Trouble     Li Yuwei grabbed Hu Xiaoqian's shoe, pulling it off.  A round ring rolled out onto the floor, the very one that had been stolen.   “You think you can hide it from me? You're my aunt, and you stole from me?! I can't believe you! I'll fight you!” Li Yuwei was fuming, yanking on Hu Xiaoqian's hair.   At first, Hu Xiaoqian just let Li Yuwei scream and shout, but she couldn't take it anymore.  It was getting a little too intense! When Li Yuwei started really going for her, Hu Xiaoqian fought back.  After all, she was used to hard work, unlike Li Yuwei, who was used to a life of luxury. She quickly gained the upper hand and pinned Li Yuwei to the ground.   Song Hanmei tried to pull them apart, but it was too late!  Chaos reigned!   Sisi, seeing her chance, ran into the kitchen, grabbed a pot lid and a spatula, flung open the door, and stood in the doorway banging with all her might.   “Help! Help...

Chapter 58: Xiang Yang's Confession   What is love?   Xiang Yang is actually a little grateful now that she doesn't understand it and has never been deeply immersed in it. At least, after seeing Xing Zhaoyan's ugly side, although she feels sad, she feels more regret for their friendship over the years.  Disappointment is what she feels most.   She always thought Xing Zhaoyan shouldn't be so terrible. But maybe she forgot that for some people, in certain situations, profit always outweighs everything else. For the sake of satisfying their own desires, family, friends, and even human morality are insignificant.  They are so insignificant that people can abandon and betray, even sell out others.   Xiang Yang changes clothes. As the makeup artist applies her makeup, she comforts herself: Maybe she should be happy. At least, the current situation isn't the worst.   Xiang Yang's press conference is quickly spread online. The entire press conference will be b...

Chapter 34: Playing by Different Rules Song Hanmei was speechless for a long time.   She had spent the whole night planning, determined to get Ying Sisi to marry Feng Shuangxi. This would kill her own daughter's hopes while also getting back at Ying Sisi, achieving two goals at once.   When she went to her hometown to look for Feng Shuangxi, she ran into Aunt Zeng and her family of three who had come to the city to see their mother.   Hu Niu is 28 years old.   He's unattractive and poor, and no girl has ever shown interest in him.   Seeing that another New Year is about to pass, Aunt Zeng can't sit still anymore. She comes to the city to ask her mother for advice. Even if it means an arranged marriage, it's fine.   Aunt Zeng is a person her mother has mentioned before.   She's fierce, cunning, domineering, and unreasonable.   She's a tough character.   Song Hanmei immediately changes her mind.   Shuangxi is still a city dweller, even if ...

Chapter 33: Subdue   Ying Sisi didn't even spare a glance at the other person and walked into the study. She closed the door and locked it.   She hadn't been sitting there long when there was a knock on the door.   “Girl.”  It was Aunt Zeng's voice.   Ying Sisi didn't answer.   Aunt Zeng rolled her eyes, thinking, I don't believe you're not sleeping. She went back to Hu Niu and whispered to him.   Hu Niu's eyes lit up, then he worriedly said, “But she's engaged. Will her fiancé allow this?”   “Just say you're interested in her or not.”   “Of course I'm interested. I like both sisters.”   Aunt Zeng laughed. “You stinky boy, you're dreaming. I'll go turn off the light first. Go sleep in her room. When she comes back, you'll figure it out, okay?”   Hu Niu was both excited and afraid.  “Mom, what if she resists, shouts, and attracts people outside? Will I be arrested as a hooligan?”   “She's a woman of considerable stature, ho...

Chapter 57: Rumors and Retaliation   Xiang Yang doesn't sleep well at night.  The next day, she can't settle down in the practice room, so she calls Xiang Yi.  She's not sure how to naturally bring up the matter of with company. She just casually asks, “Dad, will the employee accident at Uncle Fu's company be difficult to handle?”   Xiang Yi replies, “Guanxian is taking care of it now. I believe he can handle it properly soon.”   “Oh.”   “Dad, will it have a bad impact on the company?”   “Fu's has been standing firm for so many years. They've seen all kinds of storms. This is nothing.”   Xiang Yang thinks about it. She's not very familiar with this. She's actually a bit naive.  She asks Xiang Yi, “Dad, how's the company doing lately?”   Xiang Yi hears this and seems to remember something, but he replies as usual, “The same as always.”   “Dad, what's the percentage of my company shares? I wasn't paying attention last time you told me...

  Chapter 32: Arrangement   “You guys eat first, I'll go get some dishes.” Li Yuwei said with a cheerful smile. She went back and forth twice before Ying Sisi made her first trip.  She was just about to reach the entrance of the living room, holding the plate of braised pork with cabbage and vermicelli, when Li Yuwei took it from her again.  “The dishes are all ready.”   Ying Sisi: "..."   “Wow, braised pork with cabbage and vermicelli.  You guys really eat well.”   “Isn't it because you're here?” Li Yuwei is skilled at flattering people. “Hurry up and eat while it's hot.”   Aunt Zeng is very flattered, feeling appreciated. She grabs her chopsticks, looks at the dish, and secretly swallows.  “I won't be polite then.”   “Don't be polite.”   Before the words are finished, Hu Niu is the first to pick up his chopsticks. The vermicelli is soft and slippery with a good chew, the pork belly is fragrant and delicious. It's delicious en...

Chapter 31: Beautiful and Graceful   Li Yuwei was the first to go out, her eyes scanning the three people, a look of disdain flashing in her eyes, but she was polite on the surface. “Mom, who are these people?”   “Yuwei, you're off work already. This is an aunt from my grandma's village, you have to call her Great-Aunt Zeng, this is your Uncle Hu, and this is your Aunt Hu.”   Li Yuwei greeted them with a smile, inviting them into the house. “Great-Aunt Zeng, Uncle Hu, Aunt Hu, come in and have a seat.”   “Oh, good to see you, niece.”   The man's name was Hu Niu, and he stared at Li Yuwei without blinking.   Aunt Zeng kept praising Li Yuwei for being beautiful and sensible, saying that Song Hanmei had raised a good daughter.   Ying Sisi, who was still limping, had just come out of her room when the three people had already entered the house.   Song Hanmei went up to her and pulled her over, introducing her warmly. “This is my eldest daughter, Sisi....