Zhou Qun has been very busy lately.
After all, building a good reputation isn't easy, but ruining it certainly is.
His mother, that troublemaker, not only failed to bring him any good reputation but also caused him problems. He'd had quite enough. But she was still his mother - even if he looked down on her a thousand or ten thousand times, for the sake of his reputation, Zhou Qun had to treat her well.
However, the damage was done, and he needed to make amends. So now he had to present himself not as an ambitious schemer, but as a hardworking and reliable person. The leader of their electrical team was retiring next year, and he was determined to get that position.
Although it was still a year away, he needed to start building his reputation early, especially since his mother's influence hadn't left a good impression with the factory leadership.
Building a reputation could be both difficult and easy. Take now, for instance - after several days of conscientiously working overtime, many people were already praising him behind his back. Though his mother was indeed unreliable, it had earned him some sympathy points.
A diligent worker with an unreliable mother.
Sometimes playing the victim card could be quite useful.
Zhou Qun smirked with a cold laugh. He had learned this from Wang Xiangxiu - through playing the victim, her family had gained quite a bit. Zhou Qun believed that any strategy that worked was worth using. He was now starting to feel like a fish in water.
In a good mood, he walked home under the setting sun's glow. As he reached the entrance of the alley, he saw quite a crowd gathered at their courtyard gate. Zhou Qun raised an eyebrow, wondering whose business it was this time.
It couldn't be his family - he had talked with his mother, and although she was unreliable, she still listened to him. She should know this wasn't the time to cause trouble and would be very careful with her words and actions.
If not his family, could it be that Su family's Jin Lai stealing again?
Hmm, very likely. That kid was completely beyond hope.
He sneered in disgust, thinking this was for the best.
Why should they have it better?
Why should the Su family have three sons while he didn't have any children at all? It was better that they were all thieves and scoundrels. Let them become society's dregs - better yet, have them all executed, and let the Su family line end!
See if they can still brag about having sons then!
So yes, spoil them!
As long as they didn't steal from his family, he would praise the child, speak up for him, spoil them - that way, they'd only get worse!
He gave a dark smile, then put on a concerned expression and hurried forward, saying, "What's wrong? Did something happen in our courtyard?" Wonder which family's misfortune it was - hehe, how wonderful.
Seeing others suffer made him feel better.
He quickened his pace, feigning concern. The people gathered outside all turned around in unison, showing sympathetic looks. Of course they were sympathetic - how could they not be? Must be kidney problems.
A man could have problems anywhere, but not with his kidneys!
"What's wrong?"
Why were their looks so strange?
Soon, he caught the unbearable smell and said, "What happened? Who fell into the latrine this time?"
He felt even more delighted - he shouldn't be the only one who had fallen into a latrine. If everyone had fallen in before, then his incident wouldn't stand out! He felt smug inside and said, "Who's so unlucky? Everyone, please make way, let me take a look."
"Nobody fell into the latrine."
"Well, it's getting late, I should head home for dinner..."
"I need to go too."
"Zhou Qun..." A pat on the shoulder said everything without words.
Zhou Qun: "???"
At this moment, he suddenly began to realize. Were these people laughing at his family again? Why else would they give him that look? His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly entered the courtyard. Ugh... no need to say more, that smell was definitely coming from his house.
Zhou Qun's face immediately darkened.
He strode home, barely containing his anger, and asked in a low voice: "What are you doing in the house again!"
Madam Zhou Li heard her son's voice and quickly turned around, saying: "Little Qun, you're back? Dinner will be ready soon. Nothing's wrong at home, just cooking something that has a bit of an odor."
Then she quickly blamed it on Jiang Lu: "Your wife bought you some eggs for nourishment, who knew they'd smell so strong. People aren't very happy about it, but it's just a small matter."
She felt she had handled it well - hadn't everyone quietly left?
It was true - if there had been a real problem, they might have come to complain, but now they were innocent, just cooking food - doesn't everyone eat? How could people be unhappy about that?
So she felt she had handled it quite well, saying: "The smell is strong, and we're not good at cooking it, but it's fine. This is very nutritious."
Hearing his mother's words, Zhou Qun relaxed a bit - so people had gathered because of the strong smell, that wasn't really a big deal. He nodded and said, "I'll wash my hands. Dinner will be ready soon?"
"Yes."
The two women in the Zhou household quickly tidied up the table.
Zhuang Zhixi was still leaning on the window, watching the entertainment, and said: "Huh. Why is Zhou Qun acting like nothing happened? He didn't even get angry?"
Ming Mei said softly: "Maybe he's more tolerant?"
Zhuang Zhixi burst out laughing, saying: "I'd believe the sun rising from the west before I'd believe he's tolerant. He must not know the full situation."
Zhao Guihua: "That's enough from you all, come eat dinner. Why are you so nosy? What does this have to do with you? Third Son, tell us about this temporary transfer of yours."
She clearly had thoughts about this matter.
Zhuang Zhixi sat down as well, and now the whole family was present.
Zhuang Zhixi explained the situation broadly, then said: "I want to seize this opportunity, though I'm not sure how effective it will be. We'll see how it goes. I'll give it my all anyway!"
Zhao Guihua nodded, fully agreeing with her son's view.
This was what Zhao Guihua loved most about her youngest son. Though he seemed unreliable and usually casual, at every crucial moment, he would give his all and seize the opportunity. Because of this, even in her previous life before her reincarnation, her youngest son had done better than his siblings. This wasn't to say that Zhuang Zhixi was vastly more capable than his brothers and sisters, but rather that he was someone who could grasp every opportunity.
Like this time, Zhao Guihua knew that her son had been transferred to the factory's publicity department because of this Labor Day performance.
This performance happened to coincide with a visit from a high-ranking old leader, who praised Zhuang Zhixi for his excellent hosting and performance despite being self-taught. This led to Zhuang Zhixi's undisputed transfer to the publicity department, becoming one of the factory's top ten legends.
Actually, the old leader's visit wasn't unexpected - it had been announced in advance. This was a yearly occurrence where upper-level leadership would visit various enterprises around the city during Labor Day to show concern for the workers.
There were many workers in the city across various industries, and they had to visit them all, so the time allocated to each place was probably just a few minutes. Therefore, no one really expected the leader to stay and watch the performance. But sometimes things work out in mysterious ways - everyone thought it impossible, yet it happened.
By all rights, this old leader should have just said a few words and left, but someone got too nervous - yes, someone - Yang Bailao.
Old Bai was supposed to perform next, meaning his performance would follow right after the leader's speech. But the old man was so nervous that he crashed into a chair, which hit a table, and the water on the table spilled right onto the old leader.
Just their rotten luck.
At that moment, Zhuang Zhixi saved the situation, and while the leader was fixing his clothes, he stayed to watch a performance.
Well, according to the program, this was supposed to be "The White-Haired Girl," but Old Bai was already nervous to the point of explosion, and now he was trembling so much he couldn't even get on stage. No one else would substitute for him, so Zhuang Zhixi stepped up, wrapped himself in a worn cotton jacket, hunched over, and went on stage to play Yang Bailao.
Because of this incident, it left a deep impression on the leadership, who praised him on the spot with several compliments like "calm under pressure," "unique style," and so on...
In fact, those three consecutive compliments made such an impression that the factory leaders remembered Zhuang Zhixi and directly transferred him to the Publicity Department.
Zhuang Zhixi noticed his mother staring into space and nudged her, asking, "Mom, what are you thinking about?"
Zhao Guihua shook her head, "Nothing, I was just thinking that since you've taken this job, you need to put your heart into it. As the host, even if you're not performing, you need to know every program inside and out. That way, if something unexpected happens, you can handle it smoothly."
She was giving her son some advice.
Zhuang Zhixi replied, "I know."
"Grandma, what's a host?" Hutou asked, confused.
Zhao Guihua explained, "It's an announcer."
The term "host" wasn't commonly used yet; everyone called them announcers.
"What's an announcer?"
Zhao Guihua: "Why do you have to be everywhere? Get out of here!"
Hutou: "..."
His grandmother was really fierce.
Zhao Guihua: "This is a rare opportunity to get exposure. Do it well and be careful and serious about it."
Based on her experience from her previous life, although her younger son was indeed a cautious person, she couldn't help but add a few more words of advice.
Zhuang Zhixi: "I understand."
Zhuang Zhiyuan nodded quietly and said, "Which day is your event? I'll come watch."
Zhuang Zhixi: "Labor Day. Doesn't your work unit have activities too? Besides, why do you need to watch me? You see me at home every day."
Zhuang Zhiyuan looked up: "Can't I see how presentable you look?"
Zhuang Zhixi: "Fine, fine, fine."
Zhuang Zhiyuan: "I'm going on a business trip tomorrow, taking the train to Guangzhou."
"Alright," Zhao Guihua said, "These days you can make it back even during May Day."
Both Hutou and Xiao Yanzi pouted: "Dad's going on another business trip, Dad's always on business trips."
Zhuang Zhiyuan: "I'm doing this to earn money to raise you little ones."
Hutou and Xiao Yanzi disagreed, clearly believing it was their grandmother who raised them. Even children could be logical - look, their family paid ten yuan, and their uncle's family also paid ten yuan. So... weren't they and Xiao Yanzi the extra ones?
That meant they were being raised by their grandparents.
Don't think that just because they were children, they didn't know anything. Children occasionally overheard adults talking. It wasn't just what their own family said, but also the gossip from people in the courtyard that children heard and remembered.
However, the children didn't dare to be provocative and remained well-behaved.
Zhao Guihua: "Be careful when you're away."
Zhuang Zhiyuan smiled and said, "I know that."
He believed his situation wasn't particularly dangerous. Although both involved transportation, there was a fundamental difference between truck drivers like Ming Mei's family and train attendants like Zhuang Zhiyuan.
Their work was mostly risk-free.
Driving large trucks through mountain roads was indeed unsafe, and they could actually encounter bandits, but their situation was different.
When Liang Meifen heard her husband was going on a business trip, her head immediately drooped. Her heart felt even heavier. Her mother back home was injured, and she had wanted to take Zhuang Zhiyuan and the children to visit, but his business trip would take more than ten days.
Plus, she still remembered the matter of her younger brother's bride price.
Since they had separated from the extended family, her husband had been managing their money, so what could she do?
She knew her husband's disgust towards her brother. Even the children knew that whenever their uncle came, it was like a bandit entering the village, always asking for this and that. So the children didn't like their maternal grandmother's family either.
This put Liang Meifen in a very difficult position.
She sank into endless contemplation, wanting to burst into tears right there.
She really wanted to cry!
While she wanted to cry, Zhao Guihua was pondering something else.
Actually, she had made an appointment today, with whom? The long-unseen old mystic, Auntie Lian.
This business of buying bargain goods was truly addictive.
When the previous fabric was used up, Zhao Guihua promptly sought out Auntie Lian again - after all, you could really find good stuff through her. Zhao Guihua thought Auntie Lian's business must be doing well because once people started, they rarely stopped after just one time, usually becoming regular customers.
Because it wasn't a losing proposition at all, and as long as there was no loss, naturally no one wanted to give it up.
However, just like last time, only Zhao Guihua and her old man knew about this; as for others, they knew nothing about it. She wouldn't tell her sons and have them worry unnecessarily.
Late at night, Zhao Guihua went out despite the smell - normally eggs shouldn't smell this strong, but who knows what those two daughter and mother-in-law did, they must have handled it poorly. Zhao Guihua clicked her tongue and quietly left the house.
Zhao Guihua met with Auntie Lian on time, still wearing a mask to cover her face, maintaining an air of mystery.
After all, she wasn't alone, so it was better to be careful.
Sure enough, compared to the first time, there were now two more unfamiliar old ladies. One of them tried to chat with Zhao Guihua, who only responded with nods and head shakes, not speaking. However, this old lady was quite friendly, and even though Zhao Guihua remained silent, she still came over to ask about this and that, trying to learn about Zhao Guihua's family situation. Zhao Guihua simply chose not to speak at all.
The two old ladies pursed their lips; these two knew each other.
Auntie Lian didn't say much either, just waved her hand and said, "Let's go."
Zhao Guihua saw the same man from last time, the clumsy one who, like her, had been new then. However, this time he was very quiet, clearly now experienced - who knows how many times he had come in between. People like Zhao Guihua, who came once and took a long time before coming a second time, were truly the cautious ones.
Besides them, there were two other men whom Zhao Guihua didn't recognize.
Excluding Auntie Lian, there were three men and three women.
The two old ladies, seeing that Zhao Guihua wouldn't engage in conversation, weren't sure if she was mute or just unwilling to talk, so they stopped paying attention to her and started chatting quietly between themselves as they walked.
One said to the other: "You know, your daughter needs to change her name. I told you the name you chose wasn't good - a girl's name having more strokes than a boy's means she's suppressing the boy."
"Is there really such a saying?"
"Of course!"
"Well, names shouldn't be chosen like that. Even though your daughter is the second child, it's still not right..."
Zhao Guihua pursed her lips; this preference for sons over daughters could be found anywhere as long as people held such beliefs.
In her previous life, she probably had a bit of that mindset too, given the old ways of thinking. But even if she did have some of that bias, she never mistreated her daughter. They were all children she had painfully given birth to, suffering greatly in the process - what was the point of treating them poorly?
She pursed her lips again, thankfully hidden behind her mask where no one could see.
The group successfully arrived and entered the warehouse following the usual procedure. Zhao Guihua immediately dove into the fabric remnants. The old man in charge spoke up at this point.
"This time we have some fabric to sell off, are you interested? Priced by the meter, grey Dacron fabric."
"Oh? How much is it?" The man who came with them quickly asked.
The old man quoted a price that matched the supply and marketing cooperative's price.
Don't underestimate this price - even though it was the same as the cooperative's price, they were still making a profit. Because the cooperative required fabric coupons, which were hard to save up these days, so if they could get fabric without needing coupons, they were quite excited.
"Ah, why didn't you say so earlier? I didn't bring enough money."
Auntie Lian ignored this, as she wasn't buying anyway.
Everyone knew good fabric was valuable, but the price wasn't low either.
She made things to sell secretly, so she didn't need large pieces of fabric. Therefore, she didn't participate, but Zhao Guihua said, "I'll take it."
If others didn't want it, she did.
These kinds of opportunities were rare and shouldn't be passed up.
Besides, money wouldn't multiply just by keeping it, but these items were hard to come by.
Zhao Guihua made her move, and others did too, but the two old ladies she had just met didn't buy anything. They stood to the side pursing their lips and pointing fingers, with strange looks in their eyes that made others uncomfortable.
One of them said, "It's a shame I didn't bring money, otherwise I definitely would have bought some, this is perfect."
Another person said, "That's right. If it were me, I'd buy as much as possible. This is much better than the supply and marketing cooperative or the department store. I wish I had brought more money with me. I'd gladly buy the whole bolt if I could."
The two of them were going back and forth, and one of them said to Zhao Guihua, "Sister, you can actually speak! I thought you were mute. You should buy more, this is really a good deal." They were trying to persuade Zhao Guihua.
Zhao Guihua glanced at her without saying a word.
However.
Zhao Guihua felt a sudden unease in her heart, though she wasn't sure why.
It wasn't that Zhao Guihua was thinking the worst of people, but rather that there were always bad people around regardless of the times. Even now, when people barely locked their doors at night, did that mean there were no thieves? Of course there still were.
They had caught some themselves.
So it was always better to be cautious about everything.
Although she felt uneasy, she quickly joined the others in selecting fabric. Compared to last time, she was much more experienced now. Even with just one previous experience, she knew what to look for.
She quickly filled her bag, and before long, it was half full.
The others were doing the same; nobody was talking much at this point because time was money.
While searching through the pile of fabric scraps, Zhao Guihua suddenly pulled out a tangled ball of fabric. Something seemed odd about it. She tugged at it firmly and revealed a neatly folded piece of fabric, which she quickly stuffed into her bag. She continued searching and soon found several more pieces. These weren't scraps but rather large pieces of cut fabric that looked quite good.
Zhao Guihua's heart began to pound even faster.
There were too many good pieces of fabric today.
These clearly weren't just scraps from cutting; they seemed deliberately placed, and someone had carefully folded them small to hide them among the scraps.
She kept searching and found five or six more neatly folded pieces, which made her even more nervous. Something wasn't right here!
Zhao Guihua quietly glanced at Auntie Lian and saw that her brows were also deeply furrowed, her face serious as she rummaged through the fabric. She seemed to have made some "big" finds as well and appeared puzzled.
This wasn't just Zhao Guihua's imagination; she had noticed Auntie Lian quickly stuffing a good piece of fabric into her bag.
Yes, she had definitely found something good.
Zhao Guihua glanced at the others; everyone seemed to be finding good pieces, their faces showing delight.
Zhao Guihua stopped observing others and hurried to speed up her own searching. Since there was such a good deal to be had, it would be foolish not to take advantage of it.
Her corner seemed to yield even better finds than the others, so why should she hesitate?
Zhao Guihua quickly filled her bag, timing it with the old doorkeeper's schedule.
"One extra yuan per person."
"What? Why charge an extra yuan? What for?"
"Yeah!"
"Wasn't the price already agreed upon?"
"Auntie Lian, you arranged this deal, you need to speak up for us. How can they suddenly add an extra yuan? Is this how you do business? If you don't give us an explanation, this won't do."
"That's right, and besides, I brought exactly enough money, no extra."
"If you didn't bring extra, then put everything down. You won't be taking even a single thread without paying," the old man said impatiently. "Take it or leave it. If you don't pay the extra, don't come back. If you're willing to pay, you can come back tomorrow - we've got lots of fabric scraps coming in recently." After the old man said this, everyone immediately settled down.
Mainly because today's "quality" was really exceptional.
If they could get such bargains a few more times, they'd really strike it rich.
Everyone knew that even with the extra yuan, they were still making a huge profit.
The more they could get of such a good deal, the better.
Though they complained about the unfairness, they all obediently paid up. One old lady even pulled out a yuan from inside her underwear.
Zhao Guihua: "..."
What kind of smell would that have?
Auntie Lian also paid, asking quietly, "Old brother, what's going on? Why the price increase? It'll be hard for me to recommend this to others in the future."
The old man gave Auntie Lian a sideways glance and said, "I'm quitting soon anyway."
"Ah!"
Auntie Lian suddenly understood - the old man was trying to make extra money before leaving.
The old man said, "Bring more people over in the coming days. I can handle it, and you know the quality of the fabric scraps has gotten much better lately."
He emphasized the words "fabric scraps."
Auntie Lian: "I understand."
They had been working together for several years, so they naturally understood each other well.
Auntie Lian immediately nodded: "I got it, I got it."
Everyone paid and left together; their claims about not bringing enough money were just excuses - they all had plenty. Zhao Guihua shouldered her bag, looked at the others, and said, "I'm leaving first."
This time, she didn't walk with Auntie Lian, mainly because she saw the two old ladies crowding around Auntie Lian. For some reason, Zhao Guihua felt these two were untrustworthy and somewhat suspicious.
Having watched many TV shows and movies, she was more vigilant than others.
Who knew if they might encounter some thieves stealing from thieves? Those two old ladies just seemed odd.
She picked up her bag and headed in the opposite direction.
Auntie Lian glanced at her and decisively said, "Everyone split up, don't walk together!"
Despite her small and thin frame, she was quite fast. As soon as she shouldered her bag, she darted through the alley like the wind. By the time the others reacted, Zhao Guihua had disappeared in one direction and Auntie Lian in another.
Several men also quickly scattered in different directions, each moving incredibly fast.
They were professionals at this, unlike amateur Zhao Guihua, and their movements were even quicker.
In no time, everyone was gone except for the two old ladies Zhao Guihua had met for the first time.
Actually, Zhao Guihua's caution wasn't misplaced at all. As soon as they dispersed, four shifty-looking men emerged from nearby. "Godmother! They all ran away, what do we do?"
They were indeed planning to rob the robbers. Since these people were already secretly taking advantage of socialist property, if they were robbed, they definitely wouldn't dare go to the police or even speak up about it. So when they learned about Auntie Lian's operation, they immediately joined in.
Actually, like Zhao Guihua, they were here for the second time.
The first time was for reconnaissance, and this time they had people lying in wait.
To be honest, they had targeted Zhao Guihua all along.
Why?
Because she was elderly, because she was a woman, because she had no fighting ability.
If they chose Auntie Lian, it wouldn't be worth much - they all knew that although she was in this business, she didn't have much money. She was just a middleman, getting enough fabric scraps for her daily needs.
So she didn't have much money.
Besides, if they took out Auntie Lian, they'd lose their guide for future operations. Coming on their own wouldn't work as they wouldn't be served. That would be killing the goose that laid the golden eggs.
As for the men, even though they had numbers on their side, you never knew who might be trouble. After all, everyone came here to make money, and many were dealers. People who dared to trade in these goods weren't easy targets.
So women were the easiest targets.
Especially since Zhao Guihua had bought fabric, they were even more convinced she was a good target.
"Let's go after her!"
"Why is she heading towards the outskirts of town?"
"Hurry!"
They were already a step behind and needed to catch up quickly.
Zhao Guihua was walking very fast, and though she quickly disappeared from sight, she was still an old lady, and soon she could hear footsteps catching up.
Zhao Guihua: "Grass!" (referring to the plant)
She took off running.
Hearing her running, those behind also started running.
The reason she headed towards the outskirts was that she was worried about being robbed. Although she had never encountered such a situation, she had watched plenty of TV shows like "Special Case Squad Six," "Crime Scene," and others... In short, she had watched enough to know how to analyze situations.
Besides, she knew a thing or two about reading people's intentions.
If she were to head into the city, she knew the way - several routes, in fact. But if there were many people after her, she definitely wouldn't stand a chance. After all, an elderly woman's stamina was no match for theirs, and she might not know the environment better than they did.
However, heading out of the city was different.
She often rode her bicycle to the outskirts and up into the hills, so she knew this area like the back of her hand.
Moreover, having been out here frequently and being familiar with the surroundings, she also remembered some things from her previous life. She ran quickly and soon found a dog hole. Zhao Guihua didn't feel embarrassed at all - she crawled through it directly, pulled her bag through, and covered it with some weeds.
This side led to an abandoned courtyard that used to belong to a landlord. It had fallen into severe disrepair and was later given to a recycling station for storage. Zhao Guihua could see this place whenever she took a detour while cycling to the suburbs. She had even come by out of curiosity to take a look, which was how she discovered the dog hole.
And now, it came in handy.
Zhao Guihua crawled in and quickly made her way to the back. The place was filled with junk from the recycling station.
There was only one old night watchman, which showed that this truly was just a dump for waste materials.
Zhao Guihua remembered that when this old mansion was demolished, it had helped connect two streets in the area. But now, it was blocking the way. She quickly walked toward the back - the courtyard had iron gates locked at both ends, and she could only climb the gates since the walls were too high.
She walked toward the back courtyard, keeping her ears alert. Sure enough, she heard her pursuers reaching this area, somewhat frustrated. They couldn't believe an old woman could climb over such high walls. They were searching around, trying to figure out where she might be hiding.
Someone was also looking for the courtyard's main gate.
In the dead of night, in complete darkness, their voices weren't loud, but Zhao Guihua could hear them clearly.
"Damn it, where did that old woman go?"
"She's a real catch. Mother said she bought a large piece of fabric and still has money on her."
"I can't believe an old woman could outrun us!"
"Keep looking. Just that bag of stuff she's carrying - we could sell it for at least seven or eight yuan." At this point, an old woman's voice spoke up. Zhao Guihua stopped in her tracks, hiding behind a tree as she listened: "This can't be her first time here - she was picking through things too skillfully. The bag must be full of good stuff. I bet she escaped into the courtyard. Quick, find the main gate."
Hearing this, Zhao Guihua didn't hesitate any longer and rushed toward the back gate.
Fortunately, the courtyard was large, and the front and back gates weren't on the same street - you couldn't go around, you had to go through.
She planned to climb over the iron gate, and if necessary, hide the sack and come back for it later. Zhao Guihua decisively made her way to the back gate, but...
Well, plans change faster than you think.
Though in this case, it was a good change.
Zhao Guihua had intended to climb the iron gate, but when she reached the back courtyard, she saw that the lock on the gate was already broken, apparently torn off by someone, hanging there uselessly.
Zhao Guihua: "..."
If not now, then when?
She ran while carrying her sack, showing quite the determination to save both her life and her goods.
Running back, she could actually pass by that clothing factory again. From a distance, she saw another group of people going in - apparently, the old man had more connections than just Auntie Lian.
Afraid of being seen, she kept dodging and hiding, pressing herself against the wall. She had no choice - these people hadn't closed the door, and they would see her if she ran past.
Zhao Guihua felt quite bitter - making a profit wasn't easy, with one challenge after another.
She was still worried that those who had tried to rob her might return.
If they realized they weren't the only group coming for goods and came back to ambush others, what then?
Zhao Guihua: Life is so hard.
This group was much larger than the previous one - Auntie Lian's operation was small-time. They only had six people, seven including Auntie Lian. This batch had fifteen or sixteen people. The leader was squatting at the entrance with the warehouse keeper, smoking.
Zhao Guihua: Damn!
But this actually let her overhear something interesting.
The old man said, "This is the third group. After you leave, there are still two more groups coming. I won't get any sleep tonight."
"Come on, more people means more money. What's not to like about that?"
The old man: "Damn it, if Deputy Factory Director Chen hadn't insisted on replacing people with his own trusted ones when he took over, I'd still be doing fine. I used to have just one group per night, nice and steady. Now I'm not even at ease."
"What's there to worry about when making money? He was going to send you home anyway - whether you make money or not, you're still going home. Even though Director Wang stepped down, if he tried to destroy you completely, people would probably criticize him, right?"
The old man gave a cold laugh and said, "My small earnings don't matter, but don't try to fool me. I know what you're doing. You're colluding with people in the factory, deliberately mixing good fabric in and hiding it at the bottom?"
He complained, "It wasn't obvious when the first group was searching on top, but when the second group came, I saw them find lots of good fabric. If I hadn't raised the price at the last minute, I would have really lost out. Even now I'm losing! If I'd known there was so much good stuff, I would have charged five yuan!"
He was quite bold with his demands.
The leader didn't show any embarrassment at all, instead laughing and saying, "We appreciate your understanding."
But his eyes flickered as he asked, "Did the earlier group take a lot?"
"Not really, they had fewer people."
The leader thought this made sense - there was only so much time, and they had to search...
He said, "Don't worry, you'll get your fair share..."
"Hmph, I don't see you giving much." The old man was a bit unhappy: "I'm going in to check. Don't take my good fabric, okay?"
"How could we..."
The old man didn't care and walked straight in, with the leader hurrying after him.
Just as Zhao Guihua was about to quickly leave, before she could even move one foot, she suddenly noticed two people hiding in the wall cracks across from her. These weren't from the group that had been chasing her. These people were actually watching the entrance intently.
They stood straight and rigid, with one of them writing something in a notebook, seemingly taking notes!
Zhao Guihua: "..."
What a complicated mess this was.
Layer upon layer of complexity, it was terrifying.
It was like the praying mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
She decided not to take this route anymore and would rather take a detour, even if it meant going behind the factory.
Better safe than sorry.
Zhao Guihua circled back, walking faster and faster until she broke into a run. She sprinted while carrying her sack. Her throat felt like it was on fire, but even so, she kept running.
Tonight had been incredibly dangerous.
After dodging and hiding all the way, she finally reached the alley near Xinghua Lane, completely out of breath. She leaned against the toilet wall, panting heavily.
This wasn't because she had any particular fondness for toilets, but rather... she was waiting for someone.
Their courtyard was now kept locked, and she couldn't climb over the wall, so she had arranged with her old man that he would pretend to have stomach problems and come out every half hour. Whenever he came out, he would have to open the door...
Zhao Guihua was hiding here waiting.
She found a concealed spot, afraid of being seen.
Of course, being the clever woman she was, she wasn't about to fall into the cesspit. She crouched in a corner, thought for a moment, then put her sack on the ground and sat on it. Quietly waiting for her old man to come out.
This was when not having a watch became a real problem - she had no idea what time it was.
Zhao Guihua looked up at the sky silently, thinking what a dangerous night it had been. If she hadn't been so cautious and prepared for everything in advance, she might have been caught tonight. But thinking about the evening's events, she shook her head, realizing this particular avenue might be closed to her now.
Auntie Lian's business wasn't sustainable.
Though she remembered hearing in her previous life that Auntie Lian had continued for many years, until the market economy was restored...
Indeed, rumors often differ from reality.
Or perhaps, even with different people involved, Auntie Lian had still managed to make connections?
Regardless, Zhao Guihua wouldn't dare contact Auntie Lian anytime soon.
These layers upon layers of people - while the potential gains might be greater, the risks were also much higher, especially with people trying to rob others of their goods.
The most despicable thing is when thieves steal from other thieves.
How could they not even spare an old lady? If you're so capable, why don't you go pick on those strong men instead! What kind of ability is it to bully an old lady? Ptui!
Zhao Guihua was very indignant as she sat by the wall, hearing footsteps from far away.
Someone was coming out!
The courtyard where Zhao Guihua lived was actually quite a distance from the public toilet, separated by two other courtyards, so she couldn't be sure if it was her old man coming out, especially in this darkness. She waited quietly, planning to see who it was when they got closer.
Zhao Guihua sat silently in her spot, listening to the approaching footsteps.
She observed carefully, pursed her lips - it wasn't him after all.
The person turned out to be Bai Fendou. He was holding up his pants, shuffling in his shoes, and when he reached the toilet entrance, he immediately lit a cigarette and leaned against the wall.
Zhao Guihua: "???"
What was he doing?
Wasn't he blocking her way?
Was her luck really this bad today?
Zhao Guihua fell into deep doubt, wondering if she had forgotten to check the almanac before leaving home today. Everything had gone wrong, with problems piling up like cattle hair. Now she was right at her doorstep but couldn't even get home.
This was really frustrating.
Although she was grumbling inside, Zhao Guihua didn't dare show herself. One look at Bai Fendou and she could tell he wasn't just drowsily out for a toilet break - he would definitely be suspicious. Zhao Guihua: "..."
This old lady's situation was truly pitiful!
Zhao Guihua was feeling quite dejected when another person came out.
She startled - could it be her old man?
She held her breath and waited quietly.
Hopefully it wasn't her old man.
If it was, she worried his acting skills wouldn't be good enough!
This Bai Fendou was clearly waiting for someone - could it be... Wang Xiangxiu?
Were they meeting secretly outside?
Thinking about it, Zhao Guihua dismissed the idea herself. If he had that ability, he would have gotten together with Wang Xiangxiu long ago. Why wait until now? Impossible, impossible!
Then who could it be?
She didn't have to wait long before someone came out to "rendezvous" with Bai Fendou. Zhao Guihua's small eyes sharpened as she looked: oh my, it was Yang Lixin.
Why was it Yang Lixin?
Yang Lixin jogged over, looking particularly expectant, and asked urgently: "Fendou, how did it go?"
Bai Fendou put on an air of superiority and said: "When I handle things, don't you trust me? Here, take it!"
He slapped a bicycle voucher into Yang Lixin's hand.
Yang Lixin excitedly: "Ah, a bike voucher, what kind? Forever!!!"
He grew even more excited: "Forever, it really is Forever."
Every man yearned for a Forever bicycle - it was magnificent.
Flying Pigeon or Phoenix? No good, those were for women to ride.
Only Forever was the first choice for real men.
He exclaimed excitedly: "This is great, really great! I knew you had the ability, Fendou."
Bai Fendou was floating on the praise and said: "Who do you think I am? Number one in the whole city. Just because others can't do it doesn't mean I can't. In our courtyard, everyone else is useless except for me!"
"Yes, yes, yes, you're really capable! Brother, that jar, it's just exchanged for this one voucher?" Though Yang Lixin was praising Bai Fendou, he still asked while carefully observing him.
When Bai Fendou heard this, he became unhappy, bristling with anger: "What are you saying? You don't trust me? Are you saying you don't trust me? I'm doing you a favor here. If you don't want it, I'll take everything back! Give me the voucher back!"
He was angry!
Zhao Guihua thought wryly: Oh my, so Bai Fendou was dealing in antiques now?
