087. A Sharp-Tongued Mother-in-Law Unleashes Her Peak Battle Power (Request for Monthly Votes)

The first page

“Old Feng, you’re all heading out again?”

“Well, the chief editor from Yanjing Literature, Li Qingquan, insisted on coming to my door and inviting me over to have a sit-down. Says they’re holding a discussion session for The Horse Herder!”

“I’m swamped every day. How could I have time to go sit around over there!”

Old Qian gave Li Qingquan a sidelong look, still putting on a grand show as he greeted the Feng couple and the others who had come over, his face brimming with smug pride.

“Oh, really, Lao Qian? Old Li came to invite you to a discussion session? I told you it couldn’t have been a quarrel. Since he came all the way to your door, you’d still argue with him, would you?”

Mrs. Feng’s tone was sharp and dripping with irony as she prodded at Old Qian. That man was famous for caring about face above all else.

“Teacher Gu, you’re teasing me. If someone comes to your door, how could we possibly quarrel?”

Old Qian’s weathered face flushed crimson with embarrassment, and he waved his hands repeatedly in explanation. What had just happened probably shouldn’t count as a quarrel, should it?

At the same time, he shot a quick glare at Li Qingquan. You old rascal, why are you suddenly so silent now?

Why not repeat those flattering words from before?

At the very least, shout ‘Old Qian’ once more for this Feng woman to hear!

“No, no, no! Teacher Gu, Old Feng, are you heading out?! I really am just here to pay a visit to Old... Old Qian, and to check in on him!”

Li Qingquan had once again been skewered by Old Qian, and hurriedly chimed in to greet them.

“You really should come by and pay a visit! Old Qian has been talking about you quite a bit lately.”

Mrs. Feng nodded in agreement.

“What?!”

Li Qingquan was stunned again. Old Qian had been mentioning him, Li Qingquan, a lot these past days?

This... this was not going to be anything good!

No wonder the moment he arrived, Old Qian had looked at him like his nose was not a nose and his eyes were not eyes, almost as if he was one step away from sweeping him out with a broom.

Mrs. Feng still wanted to keep needling Old Qian. She simply could not swallow the fact that this old fellow had been so critical of her son-in-law, Gu Xueqing.

But her husband, Feng, secretly tugged at her sleeve and shook his head, signaling that enough was enough.

Everyone here was a known figure in literary circles; there was no need to draw swords over a single article.

If Mrs. Feng kept stirring things up like this, she would end up offending both Li Qingquan of Yanjing Literature and Old Qian in the courtyard to the bone.

“By the way, Old Li! Earlier Old Qian said you came to invite him to a discussion session at Yanjing Literature?”

Mrs. Feng brushed off her husband’s hand from her sleeve and kept smiling at Li Qingquan.

“Ah! Yes, Teacher Gu, I came specially today to invite Old Qian to come sit with us at Yanjing Literature!”

Li Qingquan followed her lead and nodded repeatedly.

“Well then, that’s more like it.”

Mrs. Feng nodded and said no more, though she had clearly left Li Qingquan feeling uncertain. What did she mean, “that’s more like it”?

“Um... Teacher Gu, what do you mean, that’s more like it? I really should have come personally to invite Old Qian, shouldn’t I?”

Li Qingquan did his best to give Old Qian enough face, not wanting him to lose face in front of the Feng couple.

He called him “Old Qian” over and over with almost nauseating flattery.

“Not interested.”

Old Qian shook his head. When the occasion called for it, he still needed to put on a little show.

“Heh! That is indeed as it should be. After all, what kind of person is Old Qian? What kind of standing does he have?”

“My Old Feng here is far from that.”

“Never mind waiting for Yanjing Literature’s famous chief editor Li to come pay a personal visit; as far as I know, even now your chief editor Li hasn’t even said hello to my Old Feng, has he?”

“And as for me, Gu Xueqing, in the world of magazines and newspapers, I really don’t count as someone worthy of your Yanjing Literature’s invitation.”

“Ah?!”

Li Qingquan was struck dumb once more. They had been waiting for him here all along?

“Hold on, kid. You didn’t invite Old Feng or Teacher Gu either? Are you really getting so full of yourself that you’re beyond the pale?”

Old Qian had just seen Old Feng help him out by pulling his wife back.

Otherwise, with Teacher Gu’s famously quick tongue, she would surely have laid bare the fact that he had written that piece out of spite, criticizing Li Qingquan and Yanjing Literature’s The Horse Herder.

The second page

Old Qian still could not understand why that Feng woman always had to speak in such an ironical, cutting way.

Before, he had not criticized The Horse Herder and that had provoked him; now that he had criticized it, she was still needling him.

If he had merely praised Li Qingquan to the skies, Teacher Gu, as his sworn rival, would certainly have been displeased.

But this time, he had deliberately taken the critical angle and savaged Li Qingquan.

Shouldn’t that have pleased Teacher Gu?

Why, then, was she acting as if her nose were not a nose?

Could it be that the criticism had not gone far enough? That Teacher Gu was still not satisfied with his piece?

That was fine too.

Wasn’t Li Qingquan inviting him to some damned discussion session?

In any case, everyone would be going to Yanjing Literature for Li Qingquan’s discussion session.

Then at the session itself, in front of Teacher Gu and the others, he could deliver another ruthless criticism, one sharp enough and deep enough that Teacher Gu would have nothing left to pick at.

But!

What was this now? Li Qingquan had not even invited Old Feng and Teacher Gu either?

This... that didn’t seem right, did it?

Teacher Gu was a renowned editor in the magazine and newspaper world, a famously incisive voice in the criticism scene. Holding a discussion session at Yanjing Literature and not inviting her?

And Old Feng needed no introduction: he was the chief editor of Chinese Literature at the Foreign Languages Bureau. If Yanjing Literature wanted its articles to become famous overseas and earn foreign exchange, they would first have to ask Old Feng whether that was acceptable.

And yet you, Li Qingquan, had been living so carelessly that you didn’t invite either of them?

Impressive. Truly impressive.

No wonder, from the moment she arrived, Old Feng’s wife had spoken with such sharpness. So she still had grievances against Li Qingquan after all!

“Uh... Teacher Gu, Old Feng, we at Yanjing Literature didn’t invite you two?!”

Li Qingquan was genuinely floored now. It seemed that when it came to the Feng couple, he really had avoided inviting them.

Over on Teacher Gu’s side, they had invited Liu Xinwu, the editor-in-chief of October, and on the Chinese Literature side they had also invited a section editor.

Now that Teacher Gu was asking so sharply, Li Qingquan looked at the Feng couple with a face full of misery, as if to say: your own father and mother-in-law—are you inviting them or not?

If they were invited, then bringing them along later would detonate everything on the spot and expose the whole truth; if they were not invited, then he, Li Qingquan, would not even be able to get past this hurdle.

He also had to admire how well程学民 and his wife could keep their composure, still hiding it from everyone to this very day.

“Not going, not going! A discussion session where even Old Feng wasn’t invited, and that’s the level you’re setting? You want me to go, Li Qingquan?”

Hearing this, Old Qian seemed to feel insulted again and waved both hands repeatedly.

If even the Feng couple had not been invited, then whoever wanted to go to such a discussion session could go; in any case, he, Old Qian, definitely would not.

Going would only be humiliating and disgraceful.

Besides, if even Teacher Gu had not been invited, then if he did go, who knew how she would needle him afterward.

“Uh...”

Li Qingquan simply turned his beseeching eyes toward Cheng Xuemin.

“No, why are you staring at someone else’s son-in-law all day? Did his son-in-law grow flowers on his face? Can’t you stop looking at him for a moment?”

Seeing that Li Qingquan’s gaze was far too obviously fixed on the Feng couple’s son-in-law, Old Qian asked irritably, with a sly and mischievous expression.

That nearly made Mrs. Feng burst out laughing.

Why had Li Qingquan been staring at her son-in-law all this time? Well, Old Qian, you actually guessed it right: her son-in-law really did have flowers growing on him, and Li Qingquan treated him like a treasure now.

“No, no, Old Qian, you mustn’t not go! Aren’t you still waiting to find out just who our author of The Horse Herder is?”

“If you go, I guarantee it’ll be a huge shock for you, Old Qian, a surprise one after another!”

Li Qingquan quickly withdrew his gaze and hurriedly soothed Old Qian, while also looking toward Mrs. Feng and the others. “Old Feng, Teacher Gu, you too. I originally planned to come personally and invite all of you together!”

“I even had time to go to the back courtyard and greet the two of you!”

“Next Wednesday, our Yanjing Literature will hold a discussion session for the author of The Horse Herder. When the time comes, Old Feng and Teacher Gu, if you go together, I guarantee it will be a great surprise for you as well!”

“Oh, right, I also told Old Qian just now that Teacher Ding Ling will be attending too!”

Once the formal invitation had been made, Cheng Xuemin and his wife secretly gave Li Qingquan a look and nodded.

Li Qingquan’s heart sank. This was the prelude to laying everything on the table with the mother-in-law.

From then on, Yanjing Literature’s hope of monopolizing the writer Old Xu from The Horse Herder would be gone forever!

But he also knew that, in the end, this was still an in-law relationship. No matter how long they kept it hidden, it could not stay buried forever. Seeing them nod secretly, Li Qingquan hurriedly tried to smooth things over and kept inviting them.

In that case, their Wednesday discussion session would only become livelier.

The only question was whether, when Teacher Gu showed up and discovered that her son-in-law was Old Xu, the author of The Horse Herder, she would fly into a rage on the spot—or simply go berserk.

“Old Li, this invitation of yours... lacks sincerity to a ridiculous degree. Tell me, should Old Feng and I go or not?”

“Sincere, sincere. Later I’ll treat Teacher Gu and Old Feng to a meal!”

Since it was about to be made public, then from now on, if they wanted any of The Horse Herder author Old Xu’s manuscripts, it would all depend on the mother-in-law’s mood. They absolutely could not offend her; they had to flatter and curry favor.

Seeing her displeased, Li Qingquan hurriedly said as much.

“And when the time comes, Old Qian, you’ll come too. We’ll all have a meal together!” he added quickly.

At that, Old Qian felt that this was more like it and relaxed considerably.

“A meal? Old Li, I think you’re really just planning to mooch our lunch first!”

Mrs. Feng looked at Li Qingquan and said, “Perfectly fine. My Old Feng is treating our whole family to a restaurant lunch today, so Old Li and Old Qian, you can both come along too.”

“Uh... that’s good, that’s good. It’s rare for Old Feng and Teacher Gu to treat us to a restaurant meal. I, Old Qian, will certainly do them the honor and go!”

Old Qian was actually delighted to hear such good news and nodded repeatedly in agreement.

“Well... this... how about I treat everyone instead! I’ve already arranged to meet Old Liu from October, as well as Li Shuguang from People’s Literature and Old Zhang from People’s Literature!”

Of course Li Qingquan wanted to go. If Teacher Gu and Old Feng were treating, then he had to show up.

But thinking that he had already made plans with Old Liu and the others for lunch today, he did not want to break his appointment.

How about this: grit his teeth and invite everyone together?

“Old Li, you suddenly want to have a meal with Old Liu and the others?” Teacher Gu asked in confusion.

“Yes! You old rascal, you’re inviting those three, but not Old Feng or Teacher Gu? And after all that, Teacher Gu was the one who took the initiative to invite you, Li Qingquan, to dinner?”

Old Qian also kept standing up for them, his output relentless.

“No, no, Old Qian, don’t go overboard making wild guesses and talking nonsense. I’m just curious what the few of them are getting together to do.”

Mrs. Feng glared at Old Qian. Stop wildly speculating, will you?

“What else could they be doing?”

“Isn’t it just that thing you and Liu Xinwu were bragging about last time, Teacher Gu? I’m truly curious. I’ve asked around several times, but you’ve all kept it locked up tight and not a single rumor has leaked out!”

“I was thinking of bringing Li Shuguang and Old Zhang along, to properly ply your October’s Old Liu with drink!”

“Anyway, it’s just one meal short for your October crew!”

Saying this, Li Qingquan blushed with embarrassment. He had indeed planned to summon Liu Xinwu from October alone, and by old convention, not say a word—just keep drinking until the man talked, or threw up, whichever came first.

“Fine. Old Li, you really are something,” Mrs. Feng said, her expression turning astonished. She had not expected Li Qingquan to go so far, just to pry into the great secret their October had produced.

“But Old Li, let me warn you: it’s best not to pry too much. Old Wu will be unhappy, and over there they might even get angry. You’d better watch yourself.”

Li Qingquan himself had said it: he had inquired several times and had not uncovered the slightest clue. Did that not already say enough?

He was the chief editor who oversaw the day-to-day work of Yanjing Literature, one of Old Wu’s most prominent literary talent. If he had exhausted every means and still could not pry out even the faintest rumor, wasn’t that already proof enough?

And yet this fellow, with a one-track mind, still wanted to get Old Liu drunk and wring from him what he would rather die than say. Li Qingquan really was something—simply remarkable.

“Ah?!”

After Mrs. Feng’s reminder, Li Qingquan seemed at last to realize it belatedly.

But the more that was the case, the more it meant that the great project October was working on was truly no small matter.

“Wait, what are you all talking about in riddles? Teacher Gu, do you mean October is about to launch a major new project? Am I understanding that right?”

Old Qian, still bewildered, asked uncertainly from the side.

“No, not a satellite. An atomic bomb.”

“And Old Li, you’d better stop trying to pry any further, get Old Liu drunk, and keep squeezing him for answers.”

The third page

P.S. Little Fatty’s mother was dragged out on a blind date today, so I got back a little late. I’ll update earlier tomorrow and, just as well, adjust the release time to daytime. Hope everyone knows, and while I’m at it, please do support me with monthly votes. Thank you!