Ye Huimei watched what he was doing, speechless. "This is the new China. You think we're still living in feudal times? What's wrong with rolling up my trouser legs? Don't we have to roll them up to plant rice too? Besides, isn't he your friend?"
"You think you can let your guard down because he's my friend? You should be even more careful around my friends! All they ever do is eat, drink, and play. They've got no prospects and have barely done anything worthwhile. They've only started shaping up recently. Who knows how long that'll last?"
"You're not a little girl anymore. You're a grown woman. Keep your eyes open when you're looking for a husband. Don't let a few sweet words fool you. At least spend more time getting to know him and put him to the test..."
Without a shred of guilt, Ye Yaodong bad-mouthed his friends, spittle flying as he went on and on, drilling into Ye Huimei that she must never marry anyone like them.
"Third Brother, isn't that what Mom and Dad are always scolding you about? And is it really okay to bad-mouth your friends to your little sister like this?"
"What's wrong with that? You think I don't know what my own friends are like?"
"Birds of a feather flock together?"
That comeback left Ye Yaodong speechless!
Ye Huimei propped her chin on her hand and said with leisurely amusement, "So your wife is my cautionary tale?"
He poked her forehead with his index finger and said irritably, "What are you getting at? Aren't I doing pretty well now? I'm telling you to keep your eyes open. You're twenty, a grown woman. Once the house is finished, Mom will probably ask someone to arrange a match for you."
He remembered that in