"But now that your brother is in jail, I need to kidnap someone, and I don't have enough manpower. What should we do?" Yan Xishan asked Hu Xiaomei.
He had a group of coal miners under him, but except for Hu Xiaohua, the others would only help with fighting and claiming territory. They wouldn't do anything too extreme. After all, everyone had families, and not everyone was willing to go out and engage in violence.
"I know someone who could help, but it'll cost money," Hu Xiaomei said.
Yan Xishan frowned again, "How much? Tell me."
Hu Xiaomei thought for a moment and said, "I used to teach a student whose mother has some kind of cancer. If we give him four or five thousand yuan, he should be willing to help us kidnap someone."
"Yan Zhao is no joke. He's killed Vietnamese people. He'll definitely catch the person, but is that kid willing to go to prison?" Yan Xishan asked.
Hu Xiaomei smiled, "That boy is only fifteen or sixteen. He's not even old enough to be criminally liable. What are you afraid of?"
Hu Xiaomei became a teacher at 18 and was now 25. Her first batch of students was indeed around fifteen or sixteen now.
Old enough to help their teacher with such matters.
Speaking of teachers, Yan Xishan had always been very grateful.
He had never formally attended school, but he could read. All the characters he knew were taught to him by Huang Zhengde.
Back during the Cultural Revolution, he was labeled as a landlord's son and wasn't allowed to go to school. Every night, Huang Zhengde would call him to the office. After grading other children's homework, he would give Yan Xishan private lessons.
Even now, Yan Xishan remembered how, under a single oil lamp, Huang Zhengde would take off the tall hat on his head, clean his dirty face that had been beaten by others, use the "cow demon snake spirit" sign around his neck as a blackboard, and teach him characters one by one.
Yan Xishan might act recklessly outside, but he almost strictly forbade his men from causing trouble in Yanguan Village, because that's where his conscience and moral bottom line lay.
He also absolutely refused to get involved with children under eighteen, because they were still minors.
And now, his gentle, kind, intellectual lover Hu Xiaomei actually wanted to have her student help with a kidnapping, and it was to kidnap his own daughter?
"Xiaomei, did the education bureau fire you?" Yan Xishan asked Hu Xiaomei.
Mentioning this, Hu Xiaomei was furious, "You're bringing this up now? If it wasn't because of you..."
"Since you're not a teacher anymore, what do you want to do?" Yan Xishan asked again.
Hu Xiaomei nestled into Yan Xishan's arms, her hand caressing his chest, "I still want to be a teacher. But now regular schools definitely won't take me. My mom says private schools are becoming popular. Don't you know some city leaders? Can you pull some strings and help me get approval for a school? I'll be the principal."
Yes, private schools were becoming a trend.
But they required qualifications, which had to be obtained from the Education Department.
Yan Xishan considered himself the best at building connections in Hua Country. If he really wanted to, he could probably get the connections at the Education Department just by bringing money.
Just yesterday, he was thinking that Hu Xiaomei lost her job because of him.
If he really couldn't find connections or a school for her to work at, he might as well open a school for her.
But now, Yan Xishan realized that Hu Xiaomei was something else.
She dared to incite a fifteen or sixteen-year-old student to commit kidnapping. If he gave her a school, wouldn't it become a breeding ground for gangsters?
Of course, Yan Xishan was still a bad person himself, and he was very self-aware about this.
The only reason he had a sudden attack of conscience today was because of how Huang Zhengde taught him to read under an oil lamp years ago, giving him a reverence for the teaching profession. Also, while people could do other bad things, kidnapping one's own daughter was beyond inhuman.
It was because of this that Yan Xishan, a scoundrel himself, realized that Hu Xiaomei was a thousand times more evil than him.
The couple returned home.
It was nine in the evening. Fan Xiang had finished his dinner and was watching TV. Qi Dongmei had prepared a table full of dishes, waiting for Yan Xishan.
With Fan Xiang's good connections and resources, Qi Dongmei naturally wanted to support her own son.
But people need the right qualities.
Hu Xiaohua wasn't smart, was impulsive, and loved fighting. He couldn't handle big matters.
Yan Xishan was different. Growing up oppressed, living like a dog, he knew how to adapt to situations, how to handle things, how to flatter people. So Qi Dongmei supported him, after all, he had the makings of a coal boss.
Qi Dongmei nurtured Yan Xishan as if he were her son-in-law.
Seeing Yan Xishan about to go next door, Qi Dongmei said, "Xishan, come eat quickly. We still need to discuss how to get Xiaohua out."
Even in this situation, she was still busy trying to get Hu Xiaohua out.
Yan Xishan went next door and saw Fan Xiang watching TV. The TV was still a domestically produced small color TV, so he smiled and said, "Uncle Fan, I gave Mother-in-law four thousand yuan last month. Why didn't you change to an imported Toshiba? The color on this one is so blurry, not bright at all."
Fan Xiang was stunned. When Yan Xishan bribed him, the money was always given to Qi Dongmei, after all, he was a leader and couldn't take money directly.
But last month, Qi Dongmei clearly said Yan Xishan only gave her four hundred yuan.
How come Yan Xishan himself said he gave Qi Dongmei four thousand yuan?
This meant Qi Dongmei had been playing him for a fool all along?
Fan Xiang was so angry that he stood up and turned off the TV with a snap, "Really?"
"Uncle, you haven't been getting the full amount? In these past few years, I've given Mother-in-law at least thirty thousand yuan. How much did you get?" Yan Xishan asked, knowing full well the answer.
Fan Xiang slapped the sofa and sighed.
"Father-in-law, what's wrong?" Yan Xishan asked.
"Nothing," Fan Xiang waved his hand and went back to watching TV.
But the next day, Fan Xiang called his son, saying he wanted to stay at his place for a while, and then directly changed the lock on his house.
Qi Dongmei and Fan Xiang never got a marriage certificate, after all, she was a mistress who moved up, and Qi's son never accepted her.
Qi Dongmei went out shopping and came back to find all her clothes thrown outside.
The lock on the house was changed, her husband wasn't living there anymore, and she couldn't even get in. When she went to his workplace, Fan Xiang simply took a long leave and refused to see her.
Just like that, Fan Xiang unilaterally broke up with her.
Of course, Yan Xishan didn't break up with Hu Xiaomei. He played the good guy on both sides, comforting both Fan Xiang and Qi Dongmei, offending neither.
But from now on, he gradually began to despise Hu Xiaomei.
He also absolutely couldn't let Hu Xiaomei have the opportunity to be a teacher again. A woman like Hu Xiaomei might be more well-behaved without a job, staying at home.
Yan Xishan absolutely wouldn't do anything to harm children.
If Chen Meilan knew about what happened between Yan Xishan and Hu Xiaomei, she would probably laugh and say it was a case of a dog eat dog world.
At this moment, she was calculating her accounts.
The good thing about Yanguan Village was that it had responsible village secretaries and team leaders who didn't allow people to rent out houses recklessly. At night, they didn't allow those small street shops to play loud music. A few people who wanted to open video halls were chased away by Yan Xiong. So although it wasn't far from the city, it was quiet amidst the bustle, particularly peaceful.
The night breeze was cool, and next door there was a piano teacher who occasionally played, making it a place that warmed the heart.
After drying her hair, Chen Meilan was about to calculate her total account.
In 1986, she bought some stocks that Qin Yu sold to her, called Shenzhen Development. Apparently, Yan Dawei bought them when he was on a business trip to Shenzhen. At the time of purchase, each share was 0.8 yuan, and he bought 2000 shares. Afraid of losing all his money and unsure if the price would rise in the future, when Qin Yu mentioned it, Chen Meilan happened to have some spare money and bought 1000 shares at the original price.
This stock would soon be suspended from trading, and many people would be so angry that they would burn their stock certificates. But two years later, when the government resumed trading to rescue the market, it could rise to over 200 yuan per share.
Yan Dawei would burn his stock certificates when trading was suspended, but later regret it bitterly.
So even though it was just a small piece of paper, it represented a huge sum of money.
Adding the 5000 yuan in cash, Chen Meilan had a total of 23,000 yuan in cash.
This was a huge sum nowadays, but she needed to transfer her children's schools. It wouldn't be fair to only transfer Zhaodi, the children needed to be treated equally, otherwise it would create a divide between them. Two children meant two spots, which meant money.
Zhaodi also needed to take art classes, and she needed to add an extension to the house. This money was far from enough.
"Dad, come inside and sleep." Little Wang's voice from next door startled Yan Zhao, who was standing outside, as well as Chen Meilan, who was counting money.
"Did you get the money back?" Yan Zhao took the opportunity to enter Chen Meilan's room.
Five thousand yuan in crisp new hundred-yuan bills - Chen Meilan hadn't had time to put them away and was still holding them in her hands.
Yan Zhao not only came in but also sat down on the edge of the kang bed.
Chen Meilan was wearing pajamas, which were actually an old sweater with a worn-out collar and faded color. More importantly, she wasn't wearing a bra, so she was in a "free state."
In her younger days, she had been quite well-endowed up front.
So now two small points were visible.
Fortunately, he didn't look at her the whole time, so Chen Meilan didn't feel too embarrassed.
But they weren't married yet, and there were two children sleeping on the kang. Surely he wouldn't try to get on the bed?
The money and bankbook were all laid out on the pillow.
Yan Zhao picked up the bankbook, looked at it, then put it down. He then picked up some stocks, looked at them, and put them down too.
Was the leader checking the accounts?
He wouldn't try to take her money, would he? That dog of a man, did he want to control her finances?
Chen Meilan was on full alert.
"Tomorrow, go to the bank and see about buying some government bonds or other bonds. It's better for preserving value than keeping cash," Yan Zhao said unexpectedly.
Chen Meilan was stunned, her mind buzzing. She had secretly bought some treasury bonds a few days ago.
Afraid Yan Zhao would object, she hadn't dared to tell him. But now he was actually encouraging her to buy treasury bonds?
According to Zhou Xueqin, Yan Zhao was a conservative, rigid, stubborn, autocratic man with severe male chauvinism.
Had she heard him wrong?
Then, Yan Zhao took out a pair of cloth shoes that were clean but completely worn out and handed them to Chen Meilan. "Alter these for Little Wang to wear."
These were his own shoes, to be altered for Little Wang?
What era was this, remaking big shoes into small ones?
However, if Yan Zhao hadn't brought out these worn cloth shoes, Chen Meilan might have forgotten. She got up and rummaged in the cabinet, pulling out a pair of Victory brand rubber shoes for Little Wang. She handed them to Yan Zhao, saying, "I bought these for Little Wang, but he won't wear them when I give them to him. You give them to him."
Yan Zhao turned them over, examining them closely, and surprisingly said, "These shoes must cost at least seven or eight yuan a pair. I'll give you the money in a few days, okay?"
This man's understanding of prices seemed stuck in the 1970s.
These shoes cost 38 yuan. If she told him that, would his face show a different expression, like surprise?
"You and Zhaodi can wear nicer clothes, but let them wear worn ones. Don't hit them, just make sure they eat enough."
Was he really not trying to create division between the three children, to establish some kind of hegemony? Did he want her and Zhaodi to dress up like flower girls while Little Wang and Little Lang followed behind looking like beggars?
Could she really do that?
"Why don't we just not give those two any clothes at all? Wouldn't it save even more money if they went around naked?" Chen Meilan couldn't help but blurt out, unable to contain herself any longer.
Then she noticed the man finally raised his head and looked directly at her.
In the end, Chen Meilan lowered her head. This man was really no fun; he couldn't even take a joke.
"Wear something more appropriate tomorrow. We'll go get our marriage certificate," Yan Zhao said before getting up and leaving.
Just after he left, Chen Meilan smelled a strong aroma of fried chicken.
Hadn't the KFC been devoured by the children? Where was this smell coming from?
Chen Meilan looked down and saw a paper-wrapped hamburger on the edge of the kang. When she opened it, she found the meat inside was still hot - Yan Zhao had refried it.
That made sense. The KFC family bucket should have included hamburgers, probably two, and a bottle of Coke. Yan Zhao must have eaten the hamburger and drunk the Coke on the train.
It was hard to imagine the serious and rigid Captain Yan hugging a big bucket of Coke and munching on a hamburger on the train.
Although she had already brushed her teeth, Chen Meilan still unwrapped the hamburger and took a big bite.
The crispy fried chicken, the soft bread - the lettuce wasn't very fresh anymore, but mixed together, it was surprisingly sweet and delicious. No wonder the kids loved eating this.
It was good, really good.
Meanwhile, next door, Yan Zhao strode in. Little Wang, his bright eyes peeking out from under the covers, had actually just secretly finished savoring the last piece of fried chicken. He had just brushed his teeth and lain down on the kang, carefully cleaning up all evidence of his crime.
He blurted out, "I won't wear them."
"If you don't want to wear them, that's fine. Tomorrow I'll send you back to your mother. You want her to beat you again?" Yan Zhao said.
"No..." Clearly Yan Zhao understood his son best. Little Wang immediately obediently took the shoes, almost crying: "I'll wear them tomorrow."
Actually, when Little Wang was younger, Zhou Xueqin didn't hit him.
Back then, she was still working at the wool factory, had many friends, and no husband to manage her. She went dancing every night, occasionally coming home late, only disliking him touching her, afraid Little Wang would dirty her new clothes.
It was later, when the neighbors one by one went into business and got rich, and she herself was laid off, that she no longer had money to go to dance halls. Her husband was always on the battlefield, and that's when she started kicking or pinching Little Wang at the slightest provocation.
Today, Little Wang had seen Zhou Xueqin hugging a girl much fatter than Zhaodi, squeezing onto a bus. That little girl was holding a bottle of Coke that spilled on her clothes, but Zhou Xueqin didn't even get angry.
If Little Wang had done that, she would have shoved him away immediately.
Actually, Zhou Xueqin had seen him too, but she quickly hid, as if afraid he might try to follow her.
How could Little Wang possibly want to go find Zhou Xueqin now? Long ago, when Little Lang had a high fever of 40 degrees, he had begged her to stay, and she had pretended to agree, carelessly giving Little Lang some medicine before sneaking out to go dancing again. At that moment, in his heart, she was no longer his mother.
The boy hugged the rubber shoes close. Although he felt a bit sad, this time when he thought of Chen Meilan, he didn't feel disgusted anymore. In fact, he felt a warmth in his heart.
Zhou Xueqin had gone to hug someone else's child, but didn't Little Lang have Chen Meilan to hug him now?
