Volume 1, Chapter 40: Once Again Plunged into an Eerie Silence

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“No need.”

“If you have nothing else, I’ll be leaving.”

“I do have something to discuss. Shall we talk somewhere nearby?”

As she spoke, Li Lanhua cast Su Jianshe a flirtatious glance.

A wave of disgust rose in Su Jianshe’s heart.

Even so, he nodded and followed the radiant Li Lanhua to a secluded corner nearby.

Ah, Silly Zhu—your big brother is doing all this for the sake of your happiness!

“A woman like this… I suppose only that old beast Yi Zhonghai would be willing to touch her!”

“Silly Zhu is always saying he wants a wife. Don’t worry, Silly Zhu—your wife is here!”

Just as Su Jianshe was thinking about how to introduce Li Lanhua to Silly Zhu, she suddenly took several steps forward, apparently intending to draw closer to him.

Su Jianshe was startled and hurriedly backed away.

That had been close!

Ignoring the resentful look on Li Lanhua’s face, he said disdainfully, “Sister, I’m married. Please show some respect.”

With that, Su Jianshe’s eyes shifted. He turned his hand over and revealed several large-denomination banknotes.

“Do you want these?”

Money? The moment Li Lanhua saw it, her eyes lit up.

Without a proper job, she survived entirely on the subsistence allowances provided by Yi Zhonghai and several other old men.

She had never seen so much money before. Even when Yi Zhonghai came to see her, he would give her only a little.

Recently, Yi Zhonghai had not even wanted to give her a single cent, attempting to take advantage of her for free.

If she had not threatened to make a scene, she probably would not even have had enough money to get through the winter.

She nodded hastily.

“Yes. Why don’t we find somewhere deserted? Once you’re done, you’ll give me the money?”

As she spoke, Li Lanhua began to loosen her clothes, looking impatient, as though she wanted to close the deal immediately.

As for Yi Zhonghai’s “plan”?

She had already thrown it out of her mind.

At that moment, there was only money in her eyes.

But the corner of Su Jianshe’s mouth twitched, and a chill ran through him.

He quickly said, “There’s no need for that. Just help me with one thing, and all this money will be yours!”

“Really?” Li Lanhua stared at the man before her in disbelief.

Could such a good thing truly exist?

“These are five large-denomination notes. What if you’re lying to me?”

Su Jianshe said nothing. Another five large-denomination notes appeared in his hand.

“Actually, it concerns my brother. It’s like this…”

“That’s the situation.”

“If you help my brother twice, this hundred yuan is yours!”

“Fine! Tell me—who is your brother? I’ll go find him right now!”

By then, Li Lanhua had completely forgotten Yi Zhonghai’s plan.

A hundred yuan was like warm sunlight in the dead of winter to her.

With that money, she would have nothing to worry about for the entire season. She might even be able to indulge herself by buying some meat.

Why bother paying attention to Yi Zhonghai’s miserly words?

At the thought of the hundred yuan, Li Lanhua grew increasingly impatient.

“Comrade Su Jianshe, let’s go find your brother right now. We need to get this done quickly!”

Su Jianshe shook his head. He had no intention of letting Li Lanhua go find Silly Zhu immediately.

Silly Zhu’s simple honesty was beyond question, but only a cunning old fox like Yi Zhonghai could have thought up something so vicious as setting a trap for someone in such haste.

“Don’t rush. I’ll give you two ten-yuan notes first. Go tidy yourself up, wash your clothes, and take a bath. Get rid of that smell.”

“My good brother has taken a liking to a widow in our courtyard, but unfortunately, she has no interest in him. If you can persuade him to give up, this money is yours.”

Li Lanhua had thought Su Jianshe was disgusted by her, but the moment she heard this, her face brightened.

This was not the first time she had encountered such a thing.

People always said that trouble gathered outside a widow’s door, but she was different.

As long as there was money, what did right or wrong matter?

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“Brother Su, don’t worry. I’ll definitely pull your brother away from that widow!”

“Why don’t you let me show you what I can do first? I guarantee I’ll satisfy you. Besides, why insist on rescuing your brother? Wouldn’t it be better for you to enjoy yourself first?”

As she spoke, Li Lanhua cast another flirtatious glance at Su Jianshe.

As an old hand in the pleasure trade, she naturally knew how to please a man.

Unfortunately, everything she did was futile before Su Jianshe.

He felt so sick that he nearly vomited up last night’s dinner.

“No need. I’m married. Go clean yourself up first, and focus your efforts on my brother.”

“Once you’re properly presentable, come here after the Steel Mill finishes work this afternoon. Find a man named Silly Zhu and tell him you were introduced by an acquaintance for a matchmaking meeting.”

“My brother is shy, so… it would be best if you didn’t mention my name. Understand?”

Li Lanhua nodded when she heard this.

“Don’t worry, my friend. I came here through an introduction, so I naturally know what to do,” she said with a beaming smile.

Then, afraid that Su Jianshe might change his mind, she snatched the money from him and hurried toward the bathhouse.

As for clothing, Li Lanhua had her own solution. At worst, she could spend a few yuan to rent some from someone particular about cleanliness. After all, she had complete confidence in obtaining what she needed from the men who often lingered outside widows’ doors.

Besides, she now had a hundred yuan in her hands.

At the thought of it, Li Lanhua secretly rejoiced. She swayed her hips even more cheerfully and quickened her pace.

As for her promise to Yi Zhongtian to frame Su Jianshe, she had long since forgotten it.

What a joke. Even if the scheme succeeded, how much money could she get? Ten yuan? Twenty? She had heard that Yi Zhonghai was short of cash lately. Perhaps he could not even come up with twenty yuan.

…

Watching Li Lanhua’s retreating figure, Su Jianshe curled his lips into a strange smile.

“Silly Zhu, don’t blame your big brother for failing to look after you. Your wife is almost yours! Twice should be enough. She won’t get away!”

Humming a little tune, Su Jianshe turned and left.

How dare anyone hurt his little sister? Hmph!

…

The bitter wind howled, and dusk descended.

Silly Zhu carried a broom and felt that life had grown even bleaker.

Not one passerby was willing to greet him. Some even wrapped their clothes tightly around themselves as they passed him, showing none of the respect they had once held for him.

“What am I supposed to do? This can’t go on!”

“Sister Qin hasn’t come looking for me in ages. Someone must have been gossiping, making her think I’m only a temporary worker!”

“But I can’t keep sweeping toilets forever… Damn it! If Su Jianshe hadn’t stolen my position, I would still be the head chef at the Steel Mill!”

Just as Silly Zhu, broom in hand and coat tightly wrapped around him, was wondering whether he should find an opportunity to display his culinary skills to the factory leaders, an exceedingly gentle voice sounded beside his ear.

“Excuse me… are you He Yuzhu?”

Silly Zhu, still carrying his broom and reeking from head to toe, awkwardly looked at the beautiful Li Lanhua before him.

Li Lanhua had changed into fresh clothes and applied a little makeup. Her hair was swept high into a bun, giving her none of the air of the pleasure quarters and instead lending her a touch of gentle refinement. Yet on closer inspection, traces of vulgarity could still be detected in her movements.

Silly Zhu’s desires had clouded his eyes, and he noticed none of it. He merely swallowed and examined her curiously.

“May I ask who you are?” Silly Zhu asked.

Li Lanhua looked at him and curved her lips into a smile.

“I didn’t expect him to be so inexperienced. This time, I’ve really struck gold.”

Then, in a soft, high-pitched voice, she said, “My name is Li Lanhua. A friend introduced me here for a matchmaking meeting. I heard you have a stable job at the Steel Mill, no bad habits, and good cooking skills, so I came especially to meet you.”

Silly Zhu understood at once and hurriedly puffed out his chest.

“That’s right, that’s right! I’ve been looking for someone lately. How about we find somewhere to talk?”

As he spoke, he tossed the broom onto the roadside. After all, it was a toilet-cleaning tool, and carrying it around was hardly dignified.

“How about we eat something first, then go to my place?” Silly Zhu suggested.

…

Elsewhere, Su Jianshe went to pick up Chu Yan after work, and the two returned home together.

That evening, he did not prepare any meat. It was not because he was short of money; he simply felt that eating meat every day was becoming monotonous and wanted a change of taste.

“Brother Jianshe, what are you planning to cook?” Chu Yan asked curiously as she watched him bustle about in the kitchen.

“I’m making some vegetarian dishes! We can’t keep eating meat all the time. We need a balanced diet.”

“A balanced diet?” Chu Yan was astonished. In this era, many people could barely eat their fill. Who had the luxury of worrying about nutritional imbalance?

“That’s right, a balanced diet. If you want to stay healthy, you need a varied staple diet and plenty of vegetables. We’ve been eating too much meat lately, so tonight we’ll have some vegetables to balance things out,” Su Jianshe explained.

Chu Yan nodded lightly, lost in thought. Recently, she had often felt bloated and had little appetite during meals. She had assumed she was suffering from indigestion.

“Brother Jianshe, you really are amazing. You even know about this! So what are we having tonight?”

“Qianlong cabbage and baby bok choy cooked in pork lard,” Su Jianshe replied with a smile, his eyes full of tenderness.

Inside the courtyard, an older woman was setting out bowls and chopsticks while bringing the dishes to the table.

“Old Yi, I paid special attention while cooking today. That Su Jianshe fellow didn’t buy any meat! Look at how extravagantly he’s been spending lately. He must have decided there isn’t enough money left in the house!” the older woman said angrily. That money belonged to her family, after all.

“If not for that letter of forgiveness, why would we have given Su Jianshe’s family so much money for nothing? Just think how much meat we could have bought with it!”

“Forget it. Don’t concern yourself with them. Let’s eat first. I still have to go out later,” Yi Zhonghai said.

He had spent the entire afternoon lying in wait outside Li Lanhua’s shabby little house, only to come up empty-handed. His mood was rather foul.

He had planned to sneak out and buy vegetables around the time Su Jianshe got off work, then catch him in the act. But someone had returned to tell him that Su Jianshe had already bought groceries and gone home.

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“All right. Come back early. The weather has been turning colder lately, and it isn’t safe at night!”

At the Jia family’s home, Jia Zhangshi stared at the freshly cut meat. Her fat cheeks trembled as she swallowed repeatedly.

“Qin Huairu, put in more salt! There’s so little salt on this pork—how are we supposed to eat it?”

“I’m telling you, I personally saw that Su Jianshe come home without buying any meat today. Looks like their family is running out of money!”

“Our family is the only one that can eat meat every day!” Jia Dongxu shouted loudly from his bed.

“Su Jianshe is finally going to run out of money. Eating rich food every day—sooner or later, he’ll get what he deserves!”

In the kitchen, bitterness showed on Qin Huairu’s face. Where did their family have enough money to eat meat every day? If First Uncle had not given them some money and meat coupons the night before, they would not even have been able to prepare this meal.

Qin Huairu thought of Silly Zhu again.

“I heard Silly Zhu is now only a temporary toilet cleaner, earning just a little over ten yuan a month… That means the money I borrow from him on payday will be reduced!”

“And there won’t be any leftovers for me to take…”

In the past, she had been able to borrow ten yuan from him with ease. Now, she was afraid she might not even be able to borrow a few yuan, let alone get any leftovers.

For some inexplicable reason, Qin Huairu began to feel disgust toward Silly Zhu.

Just then, Qin Huairu carried the dishes out of the room and suddenly caught sight of Silly Zhu in the courtyard.

She felt that there was something different about the way he walked.

As though… he was carrying a trace of pride, his face glowing with triumph?

“How strange. What’s gotten into Silly Zhu?”

Qin Huairu placed the dishes on the table, puzzled.

It was not that she had feelings for Silly Zhu. She was merely wondering… could it be that he had found someone?

“Silly Zhu, you mustn’t find a wife. Our family still depends on you. Even though you only earn thirteen yuan and fifty cents a month, we’re counting on you for Banggeng’s school fees and the money to buy meat!”

The thought of possibly being unable to borrow money made Qin Huairu anxious.

Over the years, she had no idea how much money she had borrowed. If Silly Zhu’s future wife came demanding repayment, how would they survive?

After all, she had never intended to pay the money back when she borrowed it.

After dinner, Qin Huairu felt more and more that something was wrong and wanted to find Silly Zhu to ask him directly.

But when she stepped outside, she saw that the lights in Silly Zhu’s home had already been extinguished.

“Is cleaning toilets really such exhausting work?”

Qin Huairu hesitated for a moment, then finally turned and left.

She did not notice that Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu were watching her with gloomy expressions.

…

For two days in a row, the courtyard once again sank into an eerie calm.

Only Yi Zhonghai left early and returned late each day. Even First Aunt had no idea where he went.

One morning, Third Aunt braved the bitter wind as usual to fetch water and prepare breakfast.

At that moment, Silly Zhu shouldered his broom and strode out of the gate.

“How strange. Silly Zhu has been acting oddly these past two days. He comes home late and leaves early. Could there be some secret hidden in the Steel Mill’s toilets?”

Third Aunt was puzzled.

Silly Zhu seemed particularly pleased with himself these two days, and he had even reduced his complaints about Su Jianshe.

Could he really have discovered some treasure in the toilets?

Just as Third Aunt was wondering, Qin Huairu walked out of her home carrying a vegetable basket.

“The Jia family’s meals have improved quite a bit lately. They’ve even stopped eating pickles and started cooking proper dishes!”

Third Aunt stared at Qin Huairu in astonishment.

But after muttering a few jealous remarks, she hurried away.

Everyone in the courtyard knew what the Jia family was like. At the slightest opportunity, they would reach out and ask for money.

The New Year was approaching, and the weather was growing colder by the day. Many families had not even stocked enough coal, let alone had anything to spare for the Jia family.

Qin Huairu ignored Third Aunt and instead watched Silly Zhu’s retreating figure with concern.

“What’s happened to Silly Zhu lately? He doesn’t come looking for me anymore, and the way he looks at me is strange too!”

Qin Huairu bit her lip lightly and carried the vegetable basket back home.

Silly Zhu was her family’s last hope.