Making money is the happiest thing!
The folks in the compound have been so busy lately that everything else seems to pale in comparison.
Take Su Jinlai, for instance—he got beaten up and stayed holed up at home for days, but no one paid him any attention. Similarly, Zheng Huimin went through a major life event, and Wang Zizhen had a little run-in with an old neighbor, but all these incidents seemed trivial now.
This isn’t to say that nothing else matters in the world except making money, but compared to everything else, this is definitely more important at the moment. Watching your savings grow rapidly brings an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
Zhou Qun had been watching Bai Fendou, Zhuang Zhixi, and even Da Qiang from the neighboring compound bustling around, and he couldn’t help but feel anxious.
Although there was still Zhuang Zhiyuan in the compound who hadn’t joined in, his job was different—he was away from home half the month, so he couldn’t participate even if he wanted to. But Zhou Qun wasn’t in the same boat!
Every day after work, he’d see the young guys in the compound, like Yinlai, busy as bees, while he was just sitting around, feeling like he was falling behind.
Zhou Qun had always been the leader of the compound—how could he fall behind? He refused to be left behind.
After much thought, Zhou Qun decided to join his mother’s team. After all, no one else needed him, and he had no experience selling things himself. He could only tag along with his mother to gain some experience. But this earned him a lot of disdain from Aunt Zhou.
After all, Aunt Zhou wasn’t the same as she was years ago.
Nowadays, Aunt Zhou was a career-oriented woman.
Besides, she could handle her own work. If this kid got involved, was he trying to take a cut of her earnings? Aunt Zhou was very wary and said, “Let me tell you, you can follow me around, but don’t expect me to give you any money. I’m saving this for my retirement.”
Zhou Qun: “…”
His mom was so stingy.
He knew for a fact that Zhuang Zhixi and his mom split the profits when they worked together.
Zhou Qun mumbled, “Look at you, I’m your only son, and you’re still counting pennies with me. Other families with multiple children aren’t this stingy.”
Aunt Zhou remained calm and said, “You’re talking about Zhao Guihua’s family, aren’t you? Precisely because they have more than one child, they need to keep things clear. Besides, Zhuang Zhixi invested his own money and can sell things independently. You’re just tagging along to learn—how is that the same? I’m not even charging you for the lessons. Go ask Li the Cook—if you want to learn cooking from him, you’d have to work for free for three years and still show respect to your master. Honestly, I’m already being nice by letting you follow me, and you still want money?”
Zhou Qun: “…”
Aunt Zhou: “Why are you twitching your lips? Zhuang Zhixi even borrowed money from Ming Mei’s family to raise capital.”
Zhou Qun: “Didn’t you borrow money from my wife too?”
Aunt Zhou put her hands on her hips: “That’s because Jiang Lu was willing to lend it to me. That’s between us—what does it have to do with you? Are you going to work for free or not? If not, I don’t want you.”
Zhou Qun: “…” He felt wronged.
But feeling wronged didn’t help.
He had never done business before and knew it wasn’t something you could just pick up overnight. His mother had even drawn up a bunch of strategies at home. Although the old lady was illiterate, she had sketched out a bunch of diagrams that she could understand, and she could explain everything clearly.
It was clear that success didn’t come easily.
Even if he knew how to do it, it wouldn’t matter—Jiang Lu wouldn’t give him the capital.
Thinking about it made him want to cry. A grown man like him couldn’t even control the household finances. But he had secretly checked, and apart from Zhuang Zhiyuan, it seemed like in every other household, the women managed the money. Zhuang Zhixi listened to Ming Mei, and Bai Fendou listened to He Lan. This made him feel a bit better.
It wasn’t that he lacked masculinity—it was just the way things were in their neighborhood. He couldn’t go against the tide, could he?
He was just following the crowd, blending in with everyone else. It definitely wasn’t a personal problem.
With a mix of melancholy and bitterness, he said, “I’ll be your assistant.”
He felt miserable and wronged, but he had to stay strong.
You have to stay strong in life!
“Fine, but let me make this clear—you can follow me, but if you don’t know how to talk, just shut up and listen to me. Don’t hold me back, got it?” Aunt Zhou had a lot of demands. Honestly, she really didn’t want to bring this kid along.
Zhou Qun: “Okay!”
Aunt Zhou frowned: “You sound like an idiot when you say ‘okay’ like that.”
Zhou Qun: “…”
What had he done to deserve this? He had to endure it.
For a moment, he even thought about going to Zhuang Zhixi. Even if he had to work for free, at least as neighbors, Zhuang Zhixi wouldn’t say such harsh things. But then he looked at his mother’s stingy demeanor and thought that if he went to work for someone else for free, she might just grab a kitchen knife and come after him.
That was a real possibility. Fine, he’d endure it.
Such is life!
And so, Zhou Qun finally joined the street vendor team. If you thought about it, their compound was quite remarkable. After all, no one else in the neighborhood was as bustling as they were. After a few days of setting up a stall, Zhou Qun finally began to feel the joy of street vending.
He observed a bit and realized that the business was really good.
Not only was his family’s business doing well, but others were too.
They had always thought the market was limited, and no matter how good the sales were, they’d eventually hit a ceiling. But whether it was Zhao Guihua and her son selling T-shirts or them selling underwear and socks, the market seemed inexhaustible.
The sales just kept going strong.
They used to think most people were struggling, but in reality, people were buying a lot.
Even Zheng Huimin’s hair accessory business was thriving, and even Guan Hong had joined in.
Not long ago, these two had been infatuated with Li Junjun, to the point where Li Junjun didn’t even dare to come home, opting to work overtime just to avoid their enthusiastic advances. But it seemed like it didn’t take long for them to lose interest in chasing Li Junjun.
Wasn’t making money more appealing?
Zheng Huimin had already started working at the bus station. Since she began her job, she could only set up her stall after work. Guan Hong, seeing her alone, decided to join in for fun, but things quickly spiraled out of control.
She had initially just wanted to see what the fuss was about, but the allure of money was too strong.
Now, the two of them were running the hair accessory business together. Zheng Huimin didn’t mind—after all, Guan Hong had helped her during her toughest times, and working together was actually better since they could support each other.
As for whether it would split the business, the market was vast, and if they didn’t do it, someone else would. So Zheng Huimin didn’t fuss over it. The two of them were busy every day, running their hair accessory business together, and they didn’t even have time to chase after Li Junjun anymore.
Li Weiwei, who had witnessed the whole thing, couldn’t help but marvel at how quickly the girls’ affections had shifted. It was like a whirlwind—here one moment, gone the next. Whether it was Su Jinlai or his older brother Li Junjun, money was clearly more appealing!
Although Li Weiwei had his thoughts, Li Junjun, the one involved, didn’t feel much about it. He hadn’t liked them in the first place, so he didn’t enjoy their attention like Su Jinlai did. Now that the two girls were too busy to bother him, he thought it was a good thing.
Meanwhile, Su Jinlai secretly gloated, muttering under his breath, “You used to play the hero and save the damsel, but now you see? It was all for nothing! The day I was abandoned is the day you’ll be abandoned too.”
Of course, Su Jinlai only dared to say this behind their backs. He wouldn’t dare say it to their faces. In the compound, he was the underdog.
Everyone else was fierce and intimidating.
He was weak, helpless, and didn’t dare to provoke anyone—truly the most pitiful little soul.
To be honest, Su Jinlai had a clear understanding of his situation now. He really couldn’t afford to mess with anyone, especially the money-hungry women in the compound. He was too scared.
It was tough, but he could endure it.
He cowered like a quail, afraid of being noticed by his family. If they forced him to set up a stall, he’d rather die. A handsome young man like him couldn’t bear such humiliation—he absolutely refused to do it. So, he stayed quiet and kept his head down.
Everyone has been busy making money lately, so no one has the time to pay attention to Su Jinlai's mood swings. No one cares what he's thinking, and they all consider him unimportant. But Su Jinlai thinks he's incredibly important, adding countless dramatic moments to his life before curling up into a ball, afraid of being schemed against.
He refuses to work, and he’ll never work in his life.
Still, he remains unimportant.
Everyone is busy after work, and when you're busy, time seems to fly by. In the blink of an eye, May has turned into the scorching heat of July. The children are about to start their summer vacation, and most importantly, Hutou is about to take his college entrance exams.
A while ago, while everyone was working hard to earn money, Hutou quietly passed his art exams. Now, it's finally time for the college entrance exams. As an art student, he has it a bit easier than others, but he still needs to put in the effort.
Recently, Hutou has been pushing himself to the limit, studying day and night.
After all, if he doesn’t give it his all, he’ll be sent off to the military. Hutou is terrified, anxious, and trembling under the pressure.
Finally, after enduring all this stress, the day of the exams has arrived.
In the compound, he’s not the only one who has attended high school, but the last high school graduate, Li Junjun, failed his exams. If Hutou can succeed, he’ll be the first in the compound to do so. Even Bai Fendou said, "If Hutou gets into university, I’ll buy a string of firecrackers and set them off at the entrance to celebrate."
Zhou Qun chimed in, "Sure, I’ll buy some too. We’ll make it a big celebration. If he gets in, it’ll really show how amazing our compound is. None of the surrounding compounds have had anyone get into university yet."
"That’s true."
However, they didn’t say this in front of Hutou, not wanting to add to his pressure. Everyone has seen how hard he’s been studying recently, and it’s been rough. But his last-minute cramming is still commendable.
Hutou has finally reached the day of his exams, but even though he’s taking them, everyone else still has to go to work.
Zhuang Zhixi, his uncle, is really concerned about Hutou, but he’s also busy at work today. As soon as he arrived at the office, he was thinking of finding an excuse to leave in the morning when he saw Old Huang rushing in, looking pale and on the verge of collapsing.
Zhuang Zhixi quickly supported Old Huang and asked, "Master, are you okay?"
Zhuang Zhixi has learned a lot from Old Huang in the publicity department, and even though Old Huang said it wasn’t necessary, Zhuang Zhixi always calls him "Master."
"What’s wrong? Let me take you to the infirmary."
Mentioning the infirmary only made Old Huang look even more like he was about to faint. He said, "Don’t go to the infirmary. There are too many people there right now."
Zhuang Zhixi: "???"
Old Huang took a deep breath and said, "Tao Yuyue ran away."
Zhuang Zhixi: "What?"
He didn’t understand at first. Old Huang took another breath and explained, "Tao Yuyue went abroad with the inspection team, but she ran away. It looks like she’s planning to stay there illegally and not come back."
"Holy crap!" Zhuang Zhixi was stunned.
He never expected Tao Yuyue to be so bold. This is a huge deal. Even someone as experienced as Old Huang is shaken by this.
Zhuang Zhixi didn’t know what to say. He suddenly remembered that a few months ago, Tao Yuyue had asked his older brother to handle some property paperwork. Now that he thinks about it, Zhuang Zhixi realizes that Tao Yuyue must have planned this all along.
Fortunately, their situation is normal, so it won’t affect his family.
But even though it doesn’t involve them, Deputy Factory Director Chen is going to be in big trouble. After all, Tao Yuyue is his daughter-in-law, and he was the one who pushed for her to join the inspection team. If it weren’t for him, Tao Yuyue wouldn’t have had the qualifications to go in the first place.
He asked, "What about Deputy Factory Director Chen?"
Old Huang shook his head, "I don’t know, but when I came into the factory, I saw that the infirmary was already under control. They’re investigating and questioning everyone."
He added, "Doctor Wang is in big trouble too. Tao Yuyue is her niece, and it was through her connections that Tao Yuyue got a temporary job here."
Zhuang Zhixi: "That’s not fair. It was Chen Yuan’s father who got Tao Yuyue her permanent position. You can’t blame Doctor Wang for that. Besides, everyone knows that Tao Yuyue hasn’t been very respectful to her aunt over the years. Their relationship has been strained."
Old Huang: "Who knows?"
As they were talking, someone rushed in and said, "Did you hear? Tao Yuyue from the infirmary snuck away and is staying there illegally."
"We just heard. She’s really lost her mind."
Zhuang Zhixi frowned. Their generation, and even their parents’ generation, has a deep-seated distrust of that place, so Tao Yuyue’s actions have left everyone feeling uneasy. By now, Old Huang had recovered a bit and said angrily, "People like her would have been traitors before liberation. What a disgrace."
Sister Cui also expressed her disgust, "You’re right. You don’t know this, but Tao Yuyue had this planned for a while. When she left, she took money from Deputy Factory Director Chen’s family. She even sold their house. Can you believe it? Chen Yuan is such an idiot—he actually signed the papers to sell the house without realizing it was all part of Tao Yuyue’s scheme. Now, with Tao Yuyue staying there, Deputy Factory Director Chen might not even be able to keep his position. He might not even walk away unscathed."
"That woman is ruthless! By the way, has Chen Yuan’s mom retired yet?"
"I’m not sure, but whether she has or not, Deputy Factory Director Chen won’t be able to keep his position. Tao Yuyue has really dragged their family down. From what I’ve heard, Deputy Factory Director Chen was detained as soon as he got off the plane."
By now, everyone in the publicity department had arrived for work, and they were all shocked. None of them expected something like this to happen so close to home.
"What about Tao Yuyue’s parents? She has parents and siblings, right?" someone asked curiously.
Sister Cui replied, "They’ll definitely be investigated, but I don’t think they’ll be in as much trouble as Deputy Factory Director Chen. After all, he was the one who pushed for Tao Yuyue to go, even though she wasn’t qualified. And she’s his daughter-in-law. Do you think he can just wash his hands of this?"
Everyone thought about it and agreed with Sister Cui.
Listening to all this, Zhuang Zhixi couldn’t help but feel that Deputy Factory Director Chen—no, Deputy Factory Director Chen—was really unlucky. Tao Yuyue’s actions had completely screwed him over. But then again, who told him to abuse his power?
If he hadn’t pushed for Tao Yuyue to go despite her lack of qualifications, none of this would have happened.
"Deputy Factory Director Chen only found out after he returned that Tao Yuyue had secretly taken all the money he and his wife had saved. His wife actually noticed the money was missing a couple of days ago, but she didn’t say anything, thinking she’d deal with her daughter-in-law when she got back. But who would’ve thought Tao Yuyue had no intention of coming back? She’s staying there illegally."
The people in the publicity department were always a bit more informed than others.
Hearing this, Sister Cui sighed, "She really messed up. If she noticed the money was gone, she should’ve realized something was wrong."
"It’s not surprising she didn’t think of it. Who could’ve imagined she’d be so bold?"
"She’s really lost her mind."
"There’s going to be a lot of investigating. Right now, important departments are searching the infirmary."
"I never would’ve thought…"
"I heard she cleaned out the Chen family. What a ruthless woman. This just goes to show how important it is to consider someone’s character before marrying them."
"Absolutely."
As everyone discussed the situation, Zhuang Zhixi really didn’t know how to describe it. He just felt that this woman was completely out of her mind. She didn’t think about the mess she was leaving behind for everyone else. And as a young woman staying there illegally, without any status, how could things possibly go well for her?
If she had stayed, she had a stable job and was even a small-time leader. Sure, her husband was unreliable, but she could’ve divorced him. Leaving like this is a whole different story.
Zhuang Zhixi: "I really can’t understand it."
"I don’t think anyone can."
Everyone shook their heads in disbelief, their heads nearly spinning off, unable to comprehend what had happened. But no matter how much they didn’t understand, the incident had already occurred and spread like wildfire. Even the most ordinary workers in the factory had heard about it.
Normally, such matters wouldn’t be made public so quickly.
However, this time, several factories were involved in the investigation. While the person in charge was reporting the incident and busy investigating others, Deputy Factory Director Chen seized the opportunity to contact his wife first. This woman, upon realizing that their home had been robbed by Tao Yuyue, finally understood what had happened and what it meant. She immediately panicked.
Though she was flustered, having been a leader for many years, she knew some things couldn’t be discussed carelessly. She rushed to report the matter to the authorities. However, she forgot about her in-laws. Her mother-in-law didn’t have a good relationship with her daughter-in-law and disapproved of her leadership style. Overhearing her phone call and seeing her panic, the mother-in-law finally found something to gossip about. She went out and blabbed, causing an instant uproar.
The old lady thought to herself, "My granddaughter-in-law really isn’t a good one, no wonder she hasn’t had a child all these years." She also thought, "My daughter-in-law may be a leader, but she’s all talk. When it comes to handling real situations, she’s just as panicked and lacks composure. She’s nothing compared to us older folks."
She even criticized her daughter-in-law for not treating her as family, not even telling her about the money stolen from the house. "Isn’t this just a lack of respect for me, her mother-in-law?" she ranted. She went out and spoke freely, criticizing her daughter-in-law and granddaughter-in-law, not realizing that others who heard her were immediately frightened.
This was no small matter.
The incident quickly spread and escalated.
If it weren’t for the old lady’s loose tongue, this matter would have been investigated secretly, ensuring whether Tao Yuyue had done anything domestically. Many people’s roles in this incident would also have been scrutinized.
Originally, it was supposed to be a secret investigation, but because of the old lady’s careless chatter, the whole city knew about it.
After all, incidents like this were extremely rare at the time.
They had truly never heard of such a thing before, and because of their shock, the news spread like wildfire.
Zhuang Zhixi and the propaganda department, being well-informed, found out a bit earlier, but soon the whole factory was abuzz. People in the workshop were also discussing it fervently. Liang Meifen had been thinking about her son’s college entrance exam that day.
But unexpectedly, such a major incident had occurred. She joined the crowd to listen to the gossip, her jaw dropping in shock. She even forgot about her son’s exam, gasping along with everyone else.
Sister Zhu, who was close to Liang Meifen, sighed, "I’ve realized that whether it’s marrying a wife or marrying off a daughter, you really need to carefully consider the person’s character. You can’t just look at their conditions. Character is the most important thing."
"That’s right."
"If you end up with someone like this, they’ll just stir up trouble in the family."
"The Chen family is finished now…"
Someone whispered, "The Chen family deserves it."
Some things were left unsaid, but many thought that if Chen Yuan had treated Tao Yuyue better, she wouldn’t have resorted to such extremes.
"Chen Yuan always paraded that woman around, and Tao Yuyue kept it all bottled up. Turns out she was just waiting to drop a bombshell."
"My neighbor’s sister-in-law’s cousin’s daughter-in-law is married into the building where the Chen family lives. I heard that Tao Yuyue didn’t have a good life in the Chen family. With both a mother-in-law and a grandmother-in-law, neither of them was easy to deal with. Tao Yuyue hadn’t had a child all these years, and they never treated her well. If it weren’t for Deputy Factory Director Chen keeping things in check, they would have kicked her out long ago. But even so, they treated her poorly. Chen Yuan’s mother is an educated woman and wouldn’t resort to physical violence, but she wouldn’t speak a word to her daughter-in-law and dumped all the housework on her. Every day after work, Tao Yuyue had to go to her in-laws’ place to clean before she could go home. The grandmother-in-law was even more vicious, not only pinching her but also deliberately making a mess for her to clean up. With a family like that, it’s no wonder Tao Yuyue couldn’t take it anymore."
Liang Meifen exclaimed, "What? That’s too much!"
Liang Meifen had been married for over twenty years, and over the years, she had come to realize that her mother-in-law wasn’t a bad person. Though her words could be harsh, people from her generation were often like that.
After all, they grew up in turbulent times. If you weren’t a bit tough, you’d be bullied. Once that kind of personality was formed, it was hard to change. But her mother-in-law was a good person at heart.
Take, for example, how she treated Wang Zizhen, He Lan, and even Guan Hong and Zheng Huimin, who had once offended her. When Zheng Huimin was in trouble, the old lady even helped her out. When Zheng Huimin insisted on selling her house, the old lady didn’t lowball her and bought it at a fair price.
So Liang Meifen felt that having such a mother-in-law was actually quite good.
Though she was tough on the outside, she had never laid a hand on her daughters-in-law or deliberately made them do extra work. Recently, the old lady had been busy with her stall, leaving the cooking to Liang Meifen, and she had even given her some extra money.
Their family had meat every day, and there was still money left over.
Liang Meifen now understood that the old lady was truly a good person.
Looking at other families, it was clear that things were different.
She asked, "So Tao Yuyue just endured all that? I’ve seen her at the factory, and she always seemed so confident. She didn’t seem like someone who would suffer in silence."
"Right, I thought the same."
The person who had spoken earlier said, "She’s not the type to take abuse without fighting back, so there were plenty of arguments in their house. Whenever they fought, Chen Yuan would hit her, and I heard Tao Yuyue fought back too. But what can a woman do against a man’s strength?"
"That’s true."
"Men are naturally stronger."
"There are all kinds of people in this world."
"Then I can understand her…"
"She could have just divorced him. She didn’t have to run off abroad and not come back. Things out there aren’t great either. I’ve heard stories from my mother about how those places aren’t for decent people…"
And so the conversation went on.
The propaganda department was discussing the broader implications of the incident, while the women in the workshop focused on the family drama. But regardless of what people focused on, everyone agreed that she shouldn’t have done what she did.
The whole day was filled with gossip, and no one could focus on work. But no one pushed them to work either, as even the leaders were caught up in the drama.
This was truly a one-of-a-kind incident.
They had never seen anything like it before.
Because everyone was so shocked, everything else seemed trivial in comparison.
The news didn’t stay confined to the factory. It quickly spread to the residential area, and even Zhao Guihua heard about it. But what shocked her wasn’t that the person had stayed abroad—it was that this hadn’t happened in her previous life.
It hadn’t happened before, but it had now. Zhao Guihua once again marveled at how much had changed.
Yes, sometimes the butterfly effect seemed small, but its impact could be enormous.
Many things were like that, including Tao Yuyue’s situation and other matters as well.
Take, for example, the Yu family at the end of their alley. In her previous life, Yu Baoshan had been alive, but because he neglected his parents and siblings, the other brothers had banded together and taken care of the elderly couple.
But in this life, Yu Baoshan had died early, and the elderly couple had been involved in feudal superstition and theft—one as the mastermind and the other as an accomplice who helped cover it up. Both had been sent to prison.
Though ten years had passed and they were out now, because none of their sons had been reliable when they were imprisoned, the couple had fought with them after their release and reclaimed their house.
Their sons had taken over their house before, but the old couple wasn’t the type to indulge their children. They kept one room for themselves and rented out the other two to their sons, charging them rent. Though their sons and daughters-in-law weren’t easy to deal with, the house was in the old couple’s name, so there was nothing the younger generation could do about it.
The daughters-in-law of that family have already made it clear that they will absolutely not take care of the two old folks in their later years.
The old couple has also made it clear that their house will definitely not go to anyone who isn’t filial to them.
What a difference!
Zhao Guihua was momentarily distracted, but she quickly joined the ongoing discussion. Aunt Zhou, always quick to comment after the fact, said, “I always thought Tao Yuyue seemed like a troublemaker. I could tell the first time she came to our courtyard.”
Aunt Wang nodded in agreement. “I saw it too. What kind of girl acts so boldly? Back then, she and Chen Yuan had that huge fight, and she didn’t back down at all. I knew right then that she wasn’t someone to mess with. Looks like I was right after all.”
Here comes the second round of hindsight.
He Lan chimed in, “I think so too. She’s really something. I still remember her beating Chen Yuan with a frying pan. It’s no surprise she’s so tough.”
And here’s the third round of hindsight.
The others continued to chatter away.
Zhao Guihua said, “Alright, alright, you all knew it, you’re all so clever. I’m the only one who didn’t see it, okay?”
Everyone burst into laughter.
At this point, even Su Jinlai couldn’t resist joining in. He usually kept to himself, but this situation was too unusual for him to stay silent. In his limited experience, he had never encountered anything like this.
He leaned in with the group and asked, “So, does that make her a traitor or something?”
Everyone exchanged glances and then said, “Probably… not?”
“Who knows?”
Su Jinlai sneered, “People like that are despicable. Ugh!”
Just look at that—even Su Jinlai, of all people, finds her behavior contemptible.
Everyone stared at Su Jinlai as if they’d seen a ghost. Su Jinlai straightened up and declared, “If it were me, I’d never do something like that. Even a dog doesn’t despise its own home. No decent person would ever look down on their own family.”
Su Jinlai admitted that he had slept with foreign women for money, but that was a completely different matter. He genuinely looked down on people who worshipped everything foreign. The moon wasn’t any rounder in other countries, after all.
He had interacted with foreigners, not a lot, but enough to have some perspective.
Sure, they had a certain air of superiority, but Su Jinlai didn’t think it was worth glorifying. The foreign woman he had slept with had even cursed her own people, calling them pigs and whatnot.
So, it wasn’t all that great.
And even if it were, it still didn’t justify such behavior.
Su Jinlai scoffed, “Hmph.”
Zhao Guihua was genuinely surprised that Su Jinlai could say something like this. Though he was usually unreliable, she could tell he was speaking from the heart this time. It wasn’t just sour grapes.
He truly believed there was nothing special about it.
This made Zhao Guihua see him in a slightly different light.
If this usually unreliable guy showed even a hint of sense, it was truly astonishing.
“Hey, what do you think about Deputy Factory Director Chen…”
“He’s definitely going to step down. Isn’t that obvious?”
“I guess his wife will be the same. What a mess…”
“Isn’t his wife old enough to retire?”
“Who knows?”
The discussion was in full swing when Zhao Guihua suddenly stopped and exclaimed, “Holy crap!”
“What’s wrong?”
Everyone followed her gaze. Zhao Guihua said, “Was that Little Sister Yu just now?”
“I think so… wasn’t it?”
Talk about coincidences. Zhao Guihua had just been thinking about the family’s situation, and now here was Little Sister Yu. It was clear that this girl had no standing in her family.
Even her name showed how little she mattered. She didn’t even have a proper name. She was born after Old Man Yu and Madam Yu had their son, and though she should have been given a name, she wasn’t.
The indifferent parents simply called her Little Sister Yu.
The sister of her brother.
Her name alone showed how little she was valued.
Back then, Little Sister Yu had been on the verge of marriage. She had a stable job and a loving fiancé. But all of that was ruined by Yu Baoshan. Under her parents’ pressure, she gave up her job and went to the countryside in his place.
Even so, Yu Baoshan showed no gratitude. By the time he had made money, he still refused to lift a finger to help his sister, who had lost her job, her love, and been sent to the remote northwest.
When Little Sister Yu’s child fell ill and she returned to seek help, no one in the Yu family lifted a finger. In the end, the child passed away, and Little Sister Yu left the city, never to return. Seeing her again now, Zhao Guihua realized this must be the time when Little Sister Yu and her husband came back to ask for help.
Aunt Zhou said, “Didn’t Little Sister Yu stay in the countryside and marry someone there? Why is she back all of a sudden?”
Aunt Wang said, “I’ll go take a look.”
“I’ll come too.”
Zhao Guihua quickly followed, and the rest of the courtyard residents trailed behind.
When they arrived, they saw Little Sister Yu and her husband had already entered the house with their child. Not only were Zhao Guihua and the others craning their necks to see, but the neighbors were also peeking out. After all, Little Sister Yu’s sudden return was quite a surprise.
While everyone else was there to gawk, the atmosphere inside the house was far from pleasant.
Little Sister Yu’s sisters-in-law stood with their arms crossed, glaring at her and her family with hostility.
The eldest sister-in-law was the first to speak. “Little Sister Yu, why are you back? You didn’t even let us know you were coming. Don’t you see how cramped it is here? There’s no room for you!”
The second sister-in-law chimed in, “Exactly. A married daughter is like spilled water—you can’t just come back whenever you feel like it. And look at how shabby you all look! It’s embarrassing! Our family’s reputation in the courtyard is already bad enough. Do you really want to make it worse? You might not care, but I still have to live here…”
Before she could finish, Madam Yu cut her off.
“Shut up! This isn’t your house to boss around. If you’re so embarrassed, you can move out. I won’t stop you. I can rent this place to anyone.”
She turned to her daughter. Little Sister Yu had been in her early twenties when she went to the countryside. Now, at thirty-six or thirty-seven, she looked like she was in her forties—maybe even fifties. Life had been hard on her. Her face was worn, her clothes patched and tattered, and even her cloth shoes had patches.
Her husband looked even worse. To put it bluntly, even the scrap collectors on the street dressed better than him. Their child was no better off—pale, thin, and listless, with sunken cheeks and dull eyes.
Madam Yu glanced at the child and asked, “What’s wrong with the kid?”
Anyone could see the child was sickly.
As soon as Madam Yu asked, Little Sister Yu fell to her knees, and her husband followed suit, still holding the child.
Little Sister Yu cried, “Mom, please help us. Erlin is sick. We’ve spent all our money on his treatment, but he’s not getting any better. We’re desperate…”
“What?”
“Your child is sickly? Why would you bring a sick child here? What if he infects us?”
Little Sister Yu said awkwardly, “No, it’s not contagious.”
“How do we know that? You…”
Madam Yu snapped, “Get out!”
She pointed to the door. “Out, out! Don’t come here causing trouble.”
She had no patience for her sons and daughters-in-law. When things went wrong, they were nowhere to be found, so she had no plans to rely on them in her old age. The old couple held tight to their house, giving their children no chance to take it.
She said, “All of you, get out.”
Then she added, “As for your child…”
Little Sister Yu felt a deep ache in her heart, holding back her tears, but they streamed down her face uncontrollably. "He’s seriously ill. The doctor said it can be treated, but it requires a lot of money. I really have no other options left. Please, Mom, please, Dad, help me. I’m truly at the end of my rope."
If there had been any other way, she wouldn’t have come back to beg. She knew her parents didn’t particularly care for her, even though she was the only girl in the family. No one had ever truly valued her.
Back then, when the call for rural relocation came, it shouldn’t have been her turn to go. But in the end, it was her who ended up leaving.
She had given up her life here, her job, and even her relationship. With no money to her name, she had packed her bags and headed to the remote northwest. Life there was unbearably hard. If she hadn’t been pushed to her absolute limit, she wouldn’t have married a local man.
She had truly suffered too much.
But what else could she do?
Fate hadn’t been kind to her. Now, her child was sick, and the treatment required a fortune. Their home was already stripped bare. She didn’t know if she would receive any help, but this was her last hope. She and her husband had borrowed money from the village to buy train tickets to the capital.
"Mom, Dad, I beg you... I’ll do anything, even work like an ox or a horse, just please help me, help my child."
She sobbed uncontrollably, and her husband wept beside her. Their four- or five-year-old son clung to his father’s back, listless but softly murmuring, "Don’t cry, Mom and Dad, I’ll be okay..."
Old Man Yu glanced at his wife. Madam Yu stared at the child for a long while before finally breaking the silence. "Get up."
Little Sister Yu looked up at her mother through tear-filled eyes.
The old woman went into the house and returned shortly with a handkerchief. "I have 120 yuan here. It’s all the savings I have. Take 100 and take the child to see a doctor."
Little Sister Yu was stunned, then burst into loud sobs.
She didn’t even know why she was crying—whether it was because her child might have a chance or because her mother had actually given her the money.
This had been her last hope. She had expected to be met with cold shoulders and harsh words, but she was willing to endure anything, even working like a beast of burden, just to beg her parents for help. After all, this was her final lifeline. Yet, she hadn’t expected her mother to agree so quickly.
The more she cried, the more her husband joined in, weeping just as hard.
They had exhausted every possible avenue to borrow money for their child’s treatment. His wife had always said her family might not help, but this was their last glimmer of hope. If even her family refused, then there truly was no hope left.
He believed her, because even though they were both sent-down youths, she was the only one who never received letters, packages, or even a word of concern from home. When she first went to the countryside, her mother had even written asking for things from her. It was unheard of.
They had come here in despair, but within that despair, there was still a sliver of hope.
Neither of them had expected it to go so smoothly.
"Look at you two, grown adults crying like this. Take the child to see a doctor and stay here. We’ll make do with the space."
These days, young people preferred beds, but the older generation was more accustomed to sleeping on a kang. Fortunately, their home had one, so they could squeeze in.
"Make do for now."
Little Sister Yu continued to cry uncontrollably. Madam Yu helped her up and then turned to the little boy who was crying along with his parents. "What’s your name?"
The child, pitifully sobbing, clung to his father’s side. His father coaxed him, "This is your grandma and grandpa. Say hello."
The boy whispered timidly, "Grandma, Grandpa."
After a pause, he added softly, "My name is Erlin."
Madam Yu looked at the child and asked, "Have you eaten?"
The couple hesitated for a moment before nodding.
Madam Yu saw through their lie. "If you haven’t eaten, just say so. Now that you’re back, there’s no need to pretend."
She said, "Eat something, then go to the hospital."
"Mom..."
Madam Yu went to the cupboard, hesitated for a moment, then took out an egg. "I’ll make you an egg."
At the mention of an egg, Erlin’s eyes lit up, and he couldn’t help but swallow, his little hands clutching his clothes, clearly craving it but not daring to say yes. Seeing this, Madam Yu sighed and started cooking.
Little Sister Yu was in a daze.
She instinctively stood up. "Let me help..."
Madam Yu said, "Alright, steam some mixed-grain buns."
Little Sister Yu whispered, "We can just eat coarse pancakes."
Madam Yu insisted, "Make them."
As the cooking began, the crying stopped, and the people outside breathed a sigh of relief.
However, the daughters-in-law of the Yu family were all eavesdropping at the door, seething with anger. Eldest Sister-in-law Yu stood in the yard, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "She’s really lost her mind. She’s never been kind to her own sons and grandchildren, but now she’s willing to spend money on a sickly child. She’s really asking for trouble. A hundred yuan, just wasted like that. She’s truly an old fool!"
She didn’t hold back.
After all, they paid rent to live here—it wasn’t free.
She had every right to be angry.
Madam Yu wasn’t one to back down. She stormed out and yelled, "You cursed woman! You’ve never been good to me, so why should I go out of my way to be good to you? Your sons and daughters don’t even show me respect—they don’t even greet me when they see me. And you expect me to care for them? Do you think I’m a fool? If you’re so fed up, then get out! Get out! I won’t rent to you anymore. I can rent my house to anyone—you’re not special! With ungrateful people like you, I can’t trust you. I don’t even expect you to take care of me in my old age. What do I have to fear from you?"
Eldest Sister-in-law Yu was left gasping for breath.
The other daughters-in-law were in the same boat. They knew they had no real leverage over the old couple. The old woman had already declared she didn’t need them for her retirement, and that had been their only way to control her.
Now that she wasn’t playing along, they were at a loss.
Eldest Sister-in-law Yu wailed, "What kind of family have I married into? Other parents do everything for their sons, but this family has always been biased and cruel. Our lives are unbearable..."
Madam Yu shot back, "If it’s unbearable, then go die!"
She let out a heavy huff, slammed the door shut, and shouted fiercely, "You think you can control me? Hah!"
Little Sister Yu and her family of three were left speechless.
Erlin, frightened, buried his face in his mother’s arms. This grandma was really scary.
Little Sister Yu thought to herself, *This is the mother I know.*
Madam Yu said, "Don’t pay attention to your sisters-in-law. I can’t be bothered with them. They all think they’re so important. If they keep provoking me, I’ll kick them out."
She made some egg soup for the child. It cooked quickly, and she handed it to him. "Here, drink some egg soup."
Erlin looked timidly at Madam Yu, swallowing hard but glancing at his mother for permission. Little Sister Yu, her eyes red, said, "Go ahead, but be careful. It’s hot."
The boy nodded obediently and said softly, "I know."
He took a sip, savoring it, and then smiled. "It’s so good."
Little Sister Yu, unsure of the family’s situation, asked quietly, "Mom, what’s going on?"
Madam Yu replied, "After Baoshan died, I saw the true colors of your brothers. None of them are good people. They’re all just after your father’s and my possessions. They don’t care about us at all. So, we’re not going to indulge them. As long as we own the house, we have nothing to fear. Right now, I’ve rented out two rooms to them. Each room costs five yuan a month. If they don’t like it, they can leave. The ten yuan we get from rent is enough for your father and me to live on."
Little Sister Yu had only contacted her family once in all these years. Her eldest brother had written her a letter saying that Baoshan had died, her parents had been imprisoned, and she should never contact them again or write back. So, Little Sister Yu knew a little about what had happened.
"What’s wrong with your child?"
Little Sister Yu replied, "It’s hard to explain. It’s quite complicated. He’s been sickly since he was little..."
"Do you only have one child?"
"No, there’s another. He has an older sister, but I didn’t bring her this time."
They had come out to seek medical treatment, so naturally, they couldn’t bring their entire family along.
Madam Yu nodded, "How old is that one?"
"Eight years old, and this little one is four."
Madam Yu pursed her lips and continued, "What does your husband do?"
Little Sister Yu replied, "He's just a farmer. Back when I first went to the countryside, he often helped me with work."
Madam Yu glanced at her son-in-law again and remarked, "He looks quite old."
Little Sister Yu's husband chuckled warmly, not taking offense.
As they chatted about family matters, the others outside began heading back. On the way, Aunt Zhou enthusiastically said, "Why has Little Sister Yu come back? Her husband doesn’t look like much. I remember her former boyfriend was quite a handsome young man…"
Zhao Guihua shot her a look and said, "Stop bringing up those old, irrelevant stories. If someone overhears, it’ll stir up gossip, and that won’t be good for Little Sister Yu. That was so many years ago."
Aunt Wang also nodded, "Exactly, let’s not talk about that. I didn’t expect her to come back. Over the years, those who went to the countryside have been returning to the city one after another. I thought she wouldn’t come back."
Back then, the girl had been practically forced to leave by her family, and there had been little contact over the years, so everyone was quite surprised. However, Aunt Zhou added, "That’s not necessarily true. Even if she holds some resentment, she still had to come back. Life in the city is definitely better than what she had out there. I remember her being such a pretty girl. Look how worn out she looks now. She’s about the same age as my daughter-in-law, but they don’t even look like peers anymore."
Zhao Guihua knew the reason, but she didn’t say anything. It wasn’t her place to know such things.
She muttered, "Let’s see how Madam Yu and Old Man Yu handle this."
"With Madam Yu being so biased towards sons and unfair to daughters, she’ll definitely ignore her. If she could drive her own son away, do you think she’d let her daughter back in? Dream on."
He Lan timidly chimed in, "Did you all forget? Earlier, Eldest Sister-in-law Yu mentioned that Madam Yu gave Little Sister Yu a hundred yuan…"
"Oh, right…"
"That’s really unexpected."
"How strange."
"It’s like seeing a ghost in broad daylight—Madam Yu actually gave her money…"
The group continued gossiping, as was typical for the elderly women in the neighborhood, always discussing the affairs of this family and that.
However, Zhao Guihua was taken aback when, the next day, Eldest Sister-in-law Yu came to see her.
This was highly unusual, as the two families had little to no interaction. Early that morning, on the second day of Hutou’s college entrance exams, no one was paying attention to Hutou. Instead, everyone was busy discussing how Tao Yuyue had secretly stayed abroad and how Little Sister Yu had returned to borrow money for medical treatment.
Although Madam Yu hadn’t said anything, the Yu family’s daughters-in-law had already spread the word: Little Sister Yu had come back to treat her child’s illness. They had gone to the hospital, and the estimated cost was at least five to six hundred yuan. To be comfortable, they’d need to prepare around a thousand yuan.
The Yu brothers didn’t agree with Madam Yu helping Little Sister Yu’s family. Who had that kind of money? Even if they did, they couldn’t lend it, as there was no guarantee it would be repaid. Little Sister Yu, too, was devastated by the amount needed, her face ashen.
The family’s situation had become the talk of the neighborhood, the center of everyone’s attention.
Hutou thought to himself: *Good, no one’s paying attention to me.*
It wasn’t that Hutou had done poorly on the exams. In fact, he felt he had performed better than usual. As an arts student, he didn’t need an exceptionally high score, so he was relatively calm. However, he was genuinely afraid of others overly concerning themselves with him, as it would only add pressure.
With so much going on around him, he actually felt more relaxed.
The next day, the exams continued.
Meanwhile, Zhao Guihua was preparing to set up her stall when Eldest Sister-in-law Yu arrived unexpectedly.
After some small talk, Eldest Sister-in-law Yu quickly got to the point, "Aunt Zhao, I heard you have two rooms for rent, is that right?"
Zhao Guihua indeed did. She had bought two rooms from Zheng Huimin, who had been determined to sell them, and Zhao Guihua had gotten a good deal. She had been trying to rent them out, but a month had passed, and no one had taken them.
There were plenty of people looking to rent, but Zhao Guihua wanted to rent them out as a whole, which was why they were still available.
Zhao Guihua replied, "Yes, I do, but I’m looking to rent them out together."
Eldest Sister-in-law Yu said, "I’m looking to rent both. It’s two rooms, right?"
Zhao Guihua nodded, "Yes, if you’re interested, I can show them to you. The rent is nine yuan a month. It’s a bit more, but it’s two rooms, and they’re quite spacious. You’ll see for yourself—it’s actually a good deal."
Eldest Sister-in-law Yu agreed, "I understand. Right now, I’m paying five yuan for just one room."
After seeing the rooms, Eldest Sister-in-law Yu was impressed. "Aunt Zhao, these rooms are really nice, and the price is fair. Normally, I wouldn’t try to haggle, but…" she hesitated, then continued, "I’m really tight on money. Could you lower the price a bit? I’m looking to rent long-term."
Zhao Guihua couldn’t help but ask, "Are you really planning to move out?"
Eldest Sister-in-law Yu nodded with a bitter smile, "Yes, I’ve made up my mind. I’m done dealing with the old folks. I’ll rent a place elsewhere—I just don’t want to put up with their attitudes anymore."
People are strange.
Eldest Sister-in-law Yu could be incredibly harsh with her own family, but with outsiders, she was perfectly polite and reasonable. Who would have thought she could have been so cruel just the day before, standing in the courtyard and hurling insults.
People are complicated.
Zhao Guihua thought for a moment and said, "Eight and a half yuan. If you’re okay with that, we can draw up an agreement. If not, you can keep looking."
Eldest Sister-in-law Yu’s ideal price was exactly that, so she immediately agreed, "Deal! Let’s settle it."
As she looked at the rooms, she couldn’t help but think, *Running a stall really does make money. Aunt Zhao can even afford to buy property now.* She herself was working as a temporary laborer, just like Wang Zizhen used to, doing odd jobs at the factory without a formal position.
Now, she couldn’t help but feel the urge to venture out, run a stall, and earn enough to buy a new home.
She said, "Thank you, Aunt Zhao."
Zhao Guihua asked curiously, "How’s your family handling things?"
Eldest Sister-in-law Yu’s face darkened with anger as she replied, "The old woman’s gone mad. She wants to sell the house to pay for the child’s treatment! She doesn’t seem to realize that you can help in an emergency, but you can’t fix poverty. Little Sister Yu’s family is both in a crisis and poor! If she pours everything into this, what will she live on afterward?"
Zhao Guihua looked at Eldest Sister-in-law Yu in shock.
Madam Yu was actually planning to sell the house to pay for the child’s treatment!
What a bombshell!
"Sell the house?"
Eldest Sister-in-law Yu confirmed, "Yes, they’re selling the house for the treatment. My second brother has already agreed to buy it. He’s been pretending to be poor all these years, but he’s managed to save up some money. His wife’s family is willing to lend him some, so they can scrape together enough to buy the house. The old folks are asking for nine hundred yuan and won’t budge on the price. But my second brother has agreed. His family’s kids are growing up, and we’ve been crammed into two rooms with four families—it’s been unbearable. Now, my second brother is buying both rooms. The rest of us will have to move out and find other places. After so many years of squeezing together, I’m fed up. I just want to rent a two-bedroom place and give myself and the kids some breathing room."
Zhao Guihua nodded in understanding.
Eldest Sister-in-law Yu added, "I just don’t get it. Those two old misers, who’ve always been so stingy, are suddenly playing the good guys. Selling the house for treatment? I can’t believe it…"
She spat heavily, "Disgusting!"
Zhao Guihua sighed inwardly. People truly are complicated!
