There were still many small green vegetables left in the yard that hadn't been sold yesterday, now stored in the refrigerator.
Today, the children woke up early, clamoring to go sell vegetables again.
Yan Zhao had said yesterday that he would stay home for another day. Chen Meilan hadn't assigned him any tasks yet. Early in the morning, she saw him already heading to the bathroom with a broom, and soon after, he came out carrying a wastebasket.
During the time she was away, the bathroom had become very dirty.
Chen Meilan had never cleaned a bathroom in either of her two lifetimes, always paying someone else to do it. She hadn't gotten around to cleaning it these past few days, so every time she went in and out, she had to stuff two wads of tissue in her nose.
This man was unusual - he actually knew how to clean a bathroom.
Today, Chen Meilan decided not to buy breakfast. She wanted to personally make breakfast for the man willing to clean the bathroom.
The children were selling vegetables at the door when Little Wang smelled a suddenly enticing aroma wafting from the kitchen. Too shy to ask Chen Meilan himself, he nudged Zhaodi: "Quick, ask your mom what delicious thing she's making."
"Mom, what are you making for breakfast?" Zhaodi called back.
"Steamed buns with spicy oil, some pickles, and porridge. How does that sound?" Chen Meilan replied.
Little Wang remembered the spicy and fragrant oil from last night, with its roasted sesame seeds and Sichuan peppercorn flavor. Putting it inside a steamed bun, the boy couldn't help but think: How does this stepmother always manage to make the foods he likes?
On the clean street, passersby, especially the women, looked curiously at Little Wang and Little Lang.
Many women approached the children, even though they could buy vegetables at the market. Occasionally, one would pat Little Wang's head and ask, "How much for a bunch?"
"Ten cents."
"Here's ten cents. You're a good boy. Don't bully Zhaodi, okay?" The woman would pat Little Wang's cheek.
A child's status in the village depended on how their parents were regarded.
Little Wang accepted the money and sniffled. He wondered why he and Little Lang were bullied so much at their grandmother's house.
It was because the village women always called Zhou Xueqin a vixen.
Little Wang was slowly starting to like this village.
...
As the morning sun rose, across a fertile field and separated by a road from Yanguan Village, stood the largest factory in all of Xiping City - Dongfang Group, which specialized in electronics. Beyond Dongfang Group were Ximei Group and Qinchuan Group, and behind them was a stretch of dark land where several coal bosses had gathered. Yan Xishan owned two coal mines and had leased a plot of land here for a coal yard.
In the coal yard, amidst a crowd of people dressed in black, a figure in light red stood out strikingly.
This was, of course, Yan Xishan.
Following behind him was Hu Xiaomei's brother, Hu Xiaohua, who was also his coal mine manager.
"Brother-in-law, where did that 'Prostitution Penalty Notice' actually come from? My sister was spat on by the whole village at the Third Branch last night. She's terribly upset," said Hu Xiaohua.
Yan Xishan lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.
He had lost face in front of the Education Bureau leaders. To quell the public anger, Director Hu had even told the onlookers that they were considering expelling Hu Xiaomei from the teaching staff altogether.
Hu Xiaomei wasn't just upset - she had cried and threatened to hang herself last night, and Yan Xishan had stayed up all night with her.
He was baffled. Hadn't they pulled strings at the police station to have that document sealed away? Who could have dug it up?
But Yan Xishan had more pressing concerns right now.
Chen Meilan was keeping a strange man in his old family home, and that infuriated Yan Xishan more than anything.
Today, under the guise of delivering coal, he planned to bring a group of workers to Yanguan Village.
Normally, unloading coal only required two or three people, but Yan Xishan deliberately called seven or eight men - the same ones who often accompanied him when fighting for territory or brawling. He had them carry shovels and jump on the truck, making quite a spectacle as they headed towards Yanguan Village.
Unlike in previous years when coal was rationed and people would rush to grab it as soon as the coal truck arrived, now coal was purchased with money. The supply was plentiful, and people could buy it anytime, so the arrival of a coal truck was no longer exciting.
Recently, the central TV station had been airing "Snow Town," a drama about the Cultural Revolution era, which always stirred up nostalgia. People found it more interesting to sit together and chat about the TV series than to pay attention to the coal truck.
Despite Yan Xishan's imposing entrance into the village, surrounded by his men, he still had to tread carefully once inside.
After all, it hadn't been long since the Reform and Opening Up, and with the old mentalities still prevalent in rural areas, he was still seen as one of the "Five Black Categories." Moreover, while nouveau riche like him were respected on the surface, they were secretly despised.
Furthermore, Chen Meilan was well-liked in the village. From the village party secretary to his own extended family, everyone in Yanguan Village sided with Chen Meilan, and not one of them wished him well.
The house had originally been given to Chen Meilan with the approval of the village head and party secretary. If he wanted it back now, he'd need a legitimate reason.
So after jumping down from the coal truck, while the workers were unloading, he stood watching, trying to catch a glimpse of what kind of man Chen Meilan had brought to live in his house.
The courtyard gate was tightly closed, and he couldn't see inside. Yan Xishan grew a bit anxious.
He felt inexplicably angry, but also found it somewhat amusing: With Chen Meilan's dour personality, what kind of man could she possibly find? Probably some dirty, smelly migrant worker just like these coal miners.
Just then, the three children, having made another round through the village and sold two more bunches of greens, were walking home hand in hand, figuring Chen Meilan's meal should be ready.
"Isn't that your Zhaodi?" Hu Xiaohua said.
Yan Xishan looked and saw it really was Zhaodi, with one boy in front and one behind, each holding one of her hands - one chubby, one thin.
Zhaodi was his daughter, and Yan Xishan hadn't seen her in almost half a year. He must have missed her.
He was used to seeing Zhaodi with her two braids tied up high, looking very cute. Unable to resist, he reached out and tugged one: "Zhaodi, where's your mom?"
Zhaodi was truly startled. She instinctively cried out in pain, but when she looked up and saw it was Yan Xishan, the little girl's face instantly turned pale, and she began to tremble.
She was terrified of Yan Xishan, and not just because he had hit her once.
Yan Xishan was a strange man. Outside, he would laugh and smile at everyone he met, but as soon as he faced Zhaodi, his expression would turn cold as ice. With her, he let his guard down and didn't bother to put on a fake smile.
After all, he was human too, and smiling at everyone all day long, currying favor here and there, made his face ache.
But for Zhaodi, seeing her father smile at others but always wear a cold expression towards her, she instinctively felt that she must have done something wrong.
So whenever she saw Yan Xishan, she would become extremely nervous.
Why was Little Lang called "Little Wolf"? It was because he liked to bite. If his sister was scared, of course he would bite.
He whirled around and sank his teeth into Yan Xishan's hand.
"Why does this child bite just like Yan Zhao did when he was little?" Young Yan Zhao used to bite people and refuse to let go.
Yan Xishan cried out in pain and instinctively raised his hand. Just then, Chen Meilan came out to call the children in for dinner. Seeing Yan Xishan with his hand raised, she reflexively shouted, "Get lost!"
She pulled the two boys back into the house, which seemed to confirm that these two boys belonged to that man.
Already feeling inadequate for not having a son of his own, and now facing Chen Meilan's hostility after not seeing her for half a year, Yan Xishan's anger flared up. He pointed at Chen Meilan's nose and said, "Meilan, who is that man? Tell him to get out of my house. And where did these two little bastards come from? They need to leave too."
With another glance, the coal-unloading workers immediately stepped forward, surrounding Chen Meilan and her family like an iron bucket.
This commotion drew the attention of the villagers who had been excitedly discussing the TV drama. They all gathered around.
"Xishan, what are you doing? How can you bring a group of people to block someone's door? Aren't you and Meilan already divorced? Don't make trouble," someone advised.
Another person said, "Didn't you start seeing Hu Xiaomei? We heard you two have been together for a long time. Your attitude isn't right. If you have something to say, say it nicely."
Someone else shouted loudly, "Did you and Hu Xiaomei get together at Dream Paris? How much does she charge per night?"
If people hadn't said such things, Yan Xishan wouldn't have been so angry. After all, he was a nouveau riche with two to three hundred people under him. Which leader in Xiping City wouldn't call him "brother" when they saw him?
Yet the people of Yanguan Village looked down on him.
Chen Meilan also looked down on him.
"Stop unloading the coal and come here," he shouted, turning around.
Hu Xiaohua wasn't afraid of things getting out of hand; what he feared most was that nothing would happen. Seeing that Yan Xishan was truly angry, he directly shouted: "Brothers, grab your shovels and come over. We're going to cause some trouble today."
In a rush, a group of coal workers carrying shovels came over, completely surrounding Chen Meilan's house.
"Meilan, call the police quickly," someone shouted.
Others were yelling: "They're beating people! They're killing people! Everyone run!"
Hu Xiaohua took advantage of the chaos and shouted loudly: "Who dares to cause trouble on my brother-in-law's territory? You mongrels in the courtyard, come out!"
It looked like a riot was about to break out.
Just then, the main gate suddenly opened, and out walked a man wearing only a white tank top, with bronze muscles and a broad chest.
"Is this Xishan?" he asked casually, with a nonchalant expression.
Yan Xishan was also stunned: "Yan... Yan Zhao?"
"I'm going to marry Meilan. Do you have a problem with that?" Yan Zhao unexpectedly countered with a question.
Yan Xishan stood there dumbfounded. Could someone tell him how it was such a coincidence that Yan Zhao had also just gotten divorced recently, and everyone was still gossiping and laughing about him.
The man Chen Meilan found was actually Yan Zhao?
She was just a rural woman, uneducated, uncultured, with no eloquence, and such a fierce personality.
Was Yan Zhao blind? He actually wanted to marry her?
Yan Xishan couldn't make sense of it for a moment.
It was just like how he couldn't understand why Chen Meilan wanted to divorce him just because he had kicked Zhaodi a couple of times when he was drunk and irritated. It was such a small matter, was it really necessary?
But none of that mattered now. What mattered was that because he and Chen Meilan were divorced, would his family's old house now belong to Yan Zhao?
To hell with that! He used to be a landlord's son, while Yan Zhao's family had been poor for three generations and were true red revolutionaries. Since childhood, Yan Xishan had been bullied by Yan Zhao and his brothers.
Now he wanted to live in his house, sleep with his wife, and beat his children? He could forget about it.
But even though he was boiling with anger inside, Yan Zhao was a regimental-level cadre who had served on the front lines of Laoshan. He wasn't just an ordinary migrant worker.
Hu Xiaohua was still carrying his shovel, ready to charge, but Yan Xishan turned and glared at him: "Hurry up and go unload the coal!"
"Brother-in-law, that man..."
"Get the hell out of here, that's my brother," Yan Xishan said loudly.
Turning back with a smile on his face, he even offered a cigarette. Pointing at the workers who were scattered and heading back to the coal yard, Yan Xishan said: "I was just passing by, dropping in while coming to unload coal. Yan Zhao, long time no see!"
"Come in and sit?" Yan Zhao didn't take the cigarette, but opened the door to the house.
This had become his home now.
Yan Xishan vaguely remembered hearing that Yan Zhao was supposed to join the police force after his transfer. He took out a cigarette and asked with a smile: "I heard you've been transferred. Which department are you in?"
Just a poor policeman, Yan Xishan had plenty of connections in the police department and wasn't afraid of him.
"Jindong Branch Bureau, in charge of investigation and patrol," Yan Zhao still didn't take the cigarette.
Yan Xishan's knees suddenly went weak. The Investigation and Patrol Squad was in charge of roads, factories, and mines, overseeing all the subordinate police stations. It was his Achilles' heel.
Although Yan Xishan had people to protect him even in the city police department, Yan Zhao was different from other police officers. He had always been a troublemaker since childhood.
"You guys go ahead and get busy. We brothers can sit together another day," he said, waving his hand to signal his people to retreat quickly.
Hu Xiaohua still hadn't understood and shouted: "Brother-in-law, we haven't finished discussing the matter yet."
"Who are you calling brother-in-law? Who's your brother-in-law? Get lost!" Yan Xishan vented all his anger on Hu Xiaohua.
Of course, he still wanted the house, but what had just happened was only a minor scuffle. It wasn't until now that Yan Xishan truly realized that getting the house back was a major issue.
Taking a deep breath, he threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stepped on it. This house, he must get it back no matter what.
After watching the group leave the village, Yan Zhao went back to work. The children also returned home, pouting. This meal, none of the children could eat happily anymore.
A group of village women, led by Sister-in-law Mao, weren't worried about whether Yan Zhao and Yan Xishan would fight, but they were concerned that the stern-faced Yan Zhao, after seeing such an arrogant Yan Xishan, might have second thoughts and argue with Chen Meilan, not wanting her anymore.
So, under the pretext of buying some bok choy, they came to ask her.
Led by Sister-in-law Mao, several women entered the courtyard.
As soon as they entered, well, although they didn't know the phrase "a breath of fresh air," Meilan's house was spotlessly clean. All the windows were shining brightly, and the cement courtyard was as smooth as a mirror, without a single weed.
This was completely different from the grey and dilapidated appearance of a few days ago.
The courtyard was so clean and beautiful that it made all the women feel ashamed of themselves.
Sister-in-law Mao was the first to take out ten cents, grabbed a bunch of bok choy, and quietly asked Meilan: "Meilan, does Yan Zhao have any thoughts about this?"
Chen Meilan smiled: "Don't worry, sister-in-law. I think he's fine."
Although Chen Meilan didn't know Yan Zhao's true thoughts, she knew not to bite off more than she could chew.
Yan Zhao's father was a high-ranking military officer in the capital, so logically, he should have been transferred to the capital.
But in her previous life, she had heard others mention that the Jindong Road area was strange. Whoever became a leader there would either fall from grace or stumble.
Yan Zhao was the only leader who had worked there the longest.
Jindong Branch Bureau was only two stops away from Yanguan Village, and she had a courtyard in Yanguan Village. The reason he married her was probably just a convenient coincidence.
Since he wanted to settle down here, he would certainly find his own way to deal with Yan Xishan.
So she wasn't worried about this.
A group of women crowded at the door, all smiling. Most of them were seeing Yan Zhao for the first time, and since he was in the bathroom, they were all peering in that direction.
Just then, Yan Zhao came out of the bathroom with a broom, with a plastic bag hanging on it. Inside the bag, vaguely visible, was a pair of red underwear.
It looked like he wanted to throw away that underwear?
"Hey, hey, don't touch that, put it back quickly." Chen Meilan hurriedly ran over and grabbed the underwear.
That was Hu Xiaomei's underwear.
Chen Meilan was keeping it for other purposes, and she couldn't let Yan Zhao throw it away.
"Oh my, that must be Meilan's underwear. Yan Zhao is quite something, willing to clean up even Meilan's underwear," someone from the group of women exclaimed.
Indeed, the group of female comrades was dumbfounded.
A man willing to clean up a woman's underwear — although Yan Zhao might not be as rich as Yan Xishan, he was certainly more considerate. Now everyone could leave with peace of mind; his feelings for Meilan were genuine!
...
Little Wang was the happiest today. It wouldn't be appropriate to call her mom, and even less appropriate to call her stepmom, but all of his bok choy had sold out, bringing in a total of one yuan and fifty cents.
"Auntie Chen, I've sold all my vegetables," the child said, waving the money in his hand.
Chen Meilan took the money, saw the little guy biting his lip and looking at her, and counted out fifty cents from the 1.5 yuan to give him: "Thank you for helping me sell the vegetables. This is for you, okay?"
Little Wang hesitated for a moment, making sure Chen Meilan wasn't joking, then grabbed the fifty cents and ran off, pulling along the two younger ones.
Soon after, the three children came back and sat side by side against their own wall. Little Lang and Zhaodi each had a piece of bubble gum, but Little Wang didn't have any. He carefully put the remaining forty cents with his crisp bills, counting his savings one by one, satisfied.
Over thirty yuan, he was a little rich kid.
And not just money-loving, he was also a little Grandet.
Seeing a bit of white gum foam at the corner of Little Lang's mouth, he actually reached out and gently wiped it onto his own lips, then sighed contentedly. His brother ate the gum, and he was satisfied with just a taste of his brother's saliva.
In her previous life, Zhaodi also loved to save money, just to be able to leave home early. Of course, she left home at a very young age, so Chen Meilan, although she didn't want to, couldn't help but feel more and more sorry for Little Wang as she watched him.
She wondered when he would save enough money to run away from home.
She was lost in thought when suddenly Yan Zhao's voice rang out beside her ear: "Yan Xishan will definitely come again tomorrow, but don't worry, I'll talk to him."
Chen Meilan thought to herself, I married you precisely because I knew you'd be willing to deal with Yan Xishan.
In her previous life, Chen Meilan had genuinely cared for two men, both of whom were very wealthy. However, for her, while money was important, a man willing to do some work around the house was even more crucial.
The gratitude that needed to be expressed should still be said.
So she sincerely said, "Yan Zhao, thank you."
This man was quite peculiar. His face was bronze-colored, but behind his ears, where sunlight couldn't reach, his skin was exceptionally fair and delicate.
At the very moment Chen Meilan blurted out her thanks, she saw with her own eyes that Yan Zhao's ears turned red.
That flush quickly spread to his body, and the fair skin not covered by his undershirt also took on a pink hue.
A thought flashed through Chen Meilan's mind: Isn't this the exact color of newborn rabbits?
So, did every part of his body turn pink?
Was he, therefore, a giant pink rabbit?
Although she tried to hold back her laughter, Chen Meilan really wanted to burst out laughing.
"Don't worry, it's just a matter of a few words," Yan Zhao said, still expressionless, before turning and entering the bathroom.
Chen Meilan could no longer contain herself and finally laughed out loud.
As for Yan Zhao being able to handle Yan Xishan, Chen Meilan believed it. After all, even the wealthiest civilians fear officials, and even the most arrogant nouveau riche fear the police.
But to say it was just a matter of a few words, that was clearly an exaggeration.
Yan Xishan was a smiling tiger, grinning on the surface but full of devious ideas. Though he had run away like a coward today, he would surely have new tactics tomorrow.
It remained to be seen how Yan Zhao would handle it then, but this time he was certainly in for a tough ride.
