The spring mattress of the Simmons bed was no longer functional, so Yan Zhao removed it and placed it outside, opposite the coal yard, securing it with an oilcloth to prevent it from getting soaked.
This turned into a giant trampoline for all the village children, intended for them to jump around on, creaking and squeaking. However, Little Wang decided to charge a fee, demanding five cents for each jump, which he would only allow if he was present.
But he couldn't be there all the time, so the children would jump only when he wasn't around.
Little Wang wasn't actually greedy; he just liked to tease people. He had also made a lot of money selling cassette tapes.
His life was on the rise!
However, the creaking Simmons bed had caused quite a few rumors in the village.
"Meilan and Yan Zhao have only been married for a few months and they've already worn out a Simmons bed."
"Just look at Yan Zhao's physique, he's like iron, isn't he?"
The rumors had reached this point.
And Yan Zhao, more wronged than Dou E, was carrying a large straw mattress into the house. Yes, a two-meter-wide mattress, which he carried with one hand.
This only further confirmed everyone's suspicions.
The bed frame under the Simmons bed was a bit low, making it hard and uncomfortable to sleep on directly. Laying down the straw mattress and adding two layers of quilts, though not as soft as the Simmons, was comfortable and breathable.
Yan Zhao was making the bed himself and called Chen Meilan in: "The production team called, saying they want Yuanyuan to join them next Saturday."
"Is it for 'The Yellow River's Lament'? How long will it take, and how long will the shoot be?" Chen Meilan asked.
Yuanyuan was only in the first grade, and Chen Meilan didn't want her to become a child star. Moreover, the time spent on set might be too long, and she would need to take leave from school.
"It's said to be two days, Saturday and Sunday. If you don't want her to go, we can cancel it," Yan Zhao said. Actually, he didn't want Yuanyuan to go either, and he had initially refused when the assistant director called. Later, Director Teng called personally, wanting Yuanyuan to join and assuring that it wouldn't take too long, so he came to discuss it with Chen Meilan.
Hearing that Chen Meilan wasn't too keen either, Yan Zhao was ready to refuse.
"If Yuanyuan wants to go, let her go. She can take leave on Saturday, and I'll help her catch up on her lessons," Chen Meilan thought for a moment and said.
What if she didn't let her go and Yuanyuan complained when she grew up?
Yan Zhao added: "Today I saw Zhou Qiaofang buying vegetables outside and she avoided me. Has she not been to our house?"
Although the work for the Dongfang Group was finished, there were still many finishing tasks to be done. Chen Degong had sent all the workers home and was handling the final tasks himself.
Away from home for several months, Chen Degong hadn't returned to his hometown, and his wife's family was in Xiping City, so she would naturally come to visit her husband.
However, Zhou Qiaofang had a habit: when she felt justified, she liked to be with Chen Meilan, as they were of similar age and had endless topics to chat about. But if she had done something she felt guilty about, she would avoid Meilan.
Chen Meilan guessed that it was probably because Chen Degong had made some money, and Zhou's Mother had come to demand more, so Zhou Qiaofang had given in and was too ashamed to face Meilan.
Fortunately, Chen Degong had secretly hidden nine thousand yuan; otherwise, all the hard-earned money would have gone to support Zhou's Mother's family.
Zhou Qiaofang's giving money didn't earn her any favors, as Zhou Xueqin was more eloquent and earned more. Even if Zhou Xueqin didn't give Zhou's Mother a single cent, Zhou's Mother still favored Zhou Xueqin.
Having given money to her mother's family and still being scolded by her mother, Zhou Qiaofang didn't even dare to visit her sister-in-law.
Thinking about Zhou Qiaofang's situation, Chen Meilan couldn't help but smile.
Yan Zhao paused and then smiled again; she was smiling again.
"Lie down and try it out?" He patted the mattress.
The two fluffy quilts made the bed look exceptionally soft. Chen Meilan lay down to try it, and before she knew it, Yan Zhao had joined her in a playful embrace.
She pushed, but he didn't budge.
Suddenly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a hundred yuan, handing it to Chen Meilan: "Bonus. One hundred for the water heater, one hundred for the mattress, and one hundred left."
This persistent man had waited for days until he received his bonus to buy the mattress.
And in this playful embrace, handing over the money looked quite amusing.
Chen Meilan took the money and pushed again, but Yan Zhao didn't budge.
Little Lang was calling for his mother outside, as his small water cup had been taken away by Chen Meilan and placed high up. After jumping on the trampoline for a long time, he was thirsty and wanted water.
"Little Lang will be in soon," Chen Meilan was startled, her face turning pale.
Yan Zhao, however, enjoyed seeing Chen Meilan not smiling, what was it called again, her face turning pale.
Hearing the commotion of several children running in, he finally got up, his expression unchanged: "The bed won't creak tonight."
Couldn't he speak more gently?
Couldn't he say something inviting?
She was going to sneak in with her pillow, like a stealthy intruder.
All he said was that the bed wouldn't creak?
Yan Zhao seemed to want to say something more, but Little Lang came in shouting for water, and he quickly left, lifting the curtain.
...
Hearing that Zhou Qiaofang was currently with her husband, Chen Meilan went to the construction site with the intention of having a good talk with her. After all, her brother was her only relative, and Zhou Qiaofang, although from the Zhou family, was also her brother's wife and the mother of Jinbao and Zhenbao. Despite the difficulties, she had to persuade her to live a good life with her brother and not be led astray by Zhou's Mother's family.
However, she didn't meet Zhou Qiaofang at the construction site but encountered a familiar man, who was squatting with Chen Degong, smoking and scratching his head.
"Isn't this...?" The man stood up: "You?"
"You?" Chen Meilan blurted out: "You? The leader of the Overpopulation Brigade? How's your wife? Did she give birth? What did she have?"
This was the leader of the Overpopulation Brigade that Yan Zhao had persuaded. It seemed he knew her brother?
"A son." The man grinned and then gestured with an eight: "Nicknamed Eight Hundred, because he was fined eight hundred yuan, and I still haven't paid it. I came to see if Lao Chen could help me out."
Chen Meilan detested the preference for boys but felt more sympathy for the women's wombs and the girls born and then despised, looked down upon, tossed around, and even drowned.
So, with a sigh, for that poor woman, this was the best outcome.
The leader of the Overpopulation Brigade, surnamed Li, was named Li Guangming, from Li Family Village.
He had been able to live a decent life, but the family was now destitute due to the birth control enforcement.
Because he hadn't paid the fine yet, and his wife had been sterilized right after giving birth, all the furniture, pots, and pans had been taken away by the birth control department. Unless he could quickly come up with eight hundred yuan, his wife and children would go hungry.
Chen Degong asked Chen Meilan: "Any news about the Qinchuan Group's project? Your Li Family brother can't just pay the eight hundred; he has four or five mouths to feed, and no income won't do."
The leader of the Overpopulation Brigade no longer had his former arrogance. Realizing that Chen Meilan was the boss that Chen Degong always mentioned, he clasped his hands: "I have strength, and as long as there's work, I'm good. Degong said you're kind and pay quickly, Chen Boss, can I work for you?"
He had three little girls like Yuanyuan and an infant waiting to be fed. To evade the birth control enforcement, he had left his crops unattended.
"First, work with my brother here to finish up. I can only offer you two yuan a day. I'll try my best for that project, but I'm not sure if we can get it," Chen Meilan said.
Chen Degong had already agreed to take in Li Guangming but at three yuan a day. With Meilan now saying two yuan, he was in a bind.
However, he kept giving Meilan signals, which she ignored.
As she was about to leave, Chen Meilan felt something was off and turned back to ask Chen Degong: "Brother, where are those nylon ropes and the pots and pans from the kitchen?"
"Didn't your sister-in-law say she took them all home?" Chen Degong retorted and then immediately slapped himself: "She and her mother took them."
"Come, I'll take you to find them," Chen Meilan said.
Everyone thought that projects were about making big money and should be done without much attention to details.
But those nylon ropes, pots, and pans were all bought with money, and they were needed for the next project. If they were gone, they would have to spend several hundred yuan to buy new ones. If Chen Meilan guessed correctly, Zhou Qiaofang, coaxed by Zhou's Mother, must have secretly taken them away.
And since it was just taken today, it couldn't be far.
Without looking elsewhere, Chen Meilan led Chen Degong and Li Guangming straight to the First Brigade.
Yan Zhao's hometown was an old courtyard with blue-brick and large tiled roofs, a square siheyuan with a plaque on the gate that read "Honored Military Family," the only one of its kind in Yanguan Village.
It had six or seven large rooms, and if it were to be demolished, it would yield several high-rise apartments. As soon as one entered the courtyard, they would see a chubby boy, Lu Dabao, urinating against a corner of the wall. This child preferred to urinate against the wall instead of using the toilet. The blue bricks at the corner were covered in white stains, emitting a strong urine odor, all thanks to his habit.
If it were Chen Meilan, she would have dragged him to the toilet to urinate, but now that Zhou Xueqin and Lu Jingyu were often away, it was clear they had left the child in the care of Zhou's Mother. Zhou's Mother herself lacked proper upbringing, let alone teaching the child.
"Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my house?"
Chen Degong opened door after door looking for something, while Li Guangming exclaimed, "The outside of the courtyard looks so neat and tidy, but inside it's a mess."
Pushing open a large room, they found it filled with chickens clucking and flapping. Another room had a stinking urinal that had been left there for an unknown amount of time. When they tried to open another door, it wouldn't budge. Chen Degong thought Zhou's Mother and Zhou Qiaofang were inside, so he kicked it open. Inside, several washed but still yellow-stained women's underwear hung on a rack, and a kang was piled high with crumpled clothes, the floor littered with newspapers open to the section on national debt.
This was the bedroom of Lu Jingyu and Zhou Xueqin.
Opening another room, they found it stacked with brand new, snow-white nylon ropes and construction site utensils.
While Chen Degong and Li Guangming moved the items, Chen Meilan turned to ask Lu Dabao, "Dabao, where are your parents?"
"None of your business," Lu Dabao retorted with a sneer.
Chen Meilan gave him a thumbs up. "You swear so well, say it louder."
"None of your business, is that loud enough?" Lu Dabao repeated.
"Very good, keep swearing like that in the future, keep it up," Chen Meilan said with a smile.
This child certainly had potential, perhaps as cunning as Yan Xishan, but he was rude from a young age, had a foul mouth, and loved to swear. Chen Meilan had invested a lot of effort in trying to discipline him.
Now that no one was educating him, and his father was already wealthy, the boy's swearing had only gotten worse.
He might become very capable in the future, but it was also possible that his foul mouth would get him killed before he grew up.
Carrying two bundles of nylon ropes out, Chen Meilan felt a pang of regret for Yan Zhao. This simple and majestic courtyard of blue bricks and large tiled roofs must have cost Yan Zhao's family a lot of effort, but now it reeked of urine, with foul kitchen wastewater flowing all the way to the gate, making it look like a pigsty.
Zhou's Mother and Zhou Qiaofang had probably gone out to buy breakfast, returning with a few fried dough sticks and eggs.
Zhou Qiaofang spotted Chen Degong and his group first, pulling Zhou's Mother and quietly standing in a narrow alley.
Chen Meilan had wanted to call out to her brother, asking him to confront their sister-in-law face-to-face.
Wasn't her family draining her dry enough?
But then Zhou's Mother pinched Zhou Qiaofang and pushed her forward, indicating that Zhou Qiaofang should step forward to ask for the ropes and utensils.
Normally strong-willed and proud, Zhou Qiaofang now kept her head down, not uttering a word. If Chen Degong saw her like this, he would slap her so hard her ears would ring.
Chen Meilan decided to let it go, thinking that if Zhou's Mother beat her a few more times, Zhou Qiaofang's mind might clear up.
Returning home, they first stored the items in Yan Xishan's coal yard. As Chen Meilan came out, she ran into Yan Xishan, who was wearing a green hat, standing at the entrance of the coal yard, looking satisfied and smiling like an auntie.
This military green hat was bought by Yuanyuan for him. Given Yan Xishan's personality, he shouldn't like wearing a green hat.
But when Chen Meilan turned around, she saw Yuanyuan and Little Wang going door-to-door selling cassette tapes, and she understood.
This cunning scoundrel was recently competing for Yuanyuan's affection, trying to make her fall in love with him again.
Sure enough, as soon as the children turned around, he took off the green hat and stuffed it into his pocket.
"Meilan, money's tight, let's just pretend to take care of safety, what do you think?" He lit a cigarette and said.
After much internal struggle, Yan Xishan decided to install the coal mining production line first, not out of conscience, but because if he didn't, Yan Zhao wouldn't let him start work.
But he didn't want to install the most advanced one currently available in the country, as it would cost a whopping thirty thousand yuan. He might have to take out loans, sell his car, and raise money to install it. Meanwhile, other coal bosses were already assembling wagons and heading south in a grand procession. It was better to just fake it and start mining as soon as possible.
"Install it, and do it seriously," Chen Meilan said.
"The first payment alone is ten thousand yuan, and the second one is too. Meilan, I only have five thousand yuan. Sell me, how much do you think I'm worth?" Yan Xishan said, shaking his frail body.
"I'll find a way to raise the money, you just focus on installing the production line," Chen Meilan said seriously.
"Meilan, people die in coal mines, that's normal. Look at how many coal mine accidents happen in our Shaanxi Province every year, how many workers die, and have the mine owners been sentenced? No, as long as you bribe someone, it's not a problem. Do you know that Zhou Xueqin, Yan Zhao's ex-wife, introduced you to me, but I've always looked down on her. In my eyes, you should be a thousand times more open-minded than her, but do you know, Zhou Xueqin is making a fortune now, and look at you?"
Indeed, it was Zhou Xueqin who introduced Meilan to Yan Xishan.
Zhou Xueqin used to be the belle of the woolen mill, fond of dancing.
She was the top dancer in all the dance halls of Xiping City, especially good at disco, and knew almost all the local nouveau riche.
But she was a tough sell in the marriage market because no one wanted to marry a woman who danced all day and never stayed home.
Why did she marry Yan Zhao? It was because his father, the secretary of the woolen mill, had praised her to the skies in the archives, calling her virtuous and capable of managing a household, that she managed to get married.
Their marriage lasted because Yan Zhao was often away, and whenever he returned, the Zhou family would put on a show for the sake of his allowance.
All the men in Xiping City had been laughing at Yan Zhao's green hat since then, and they still do.
But that woman, Zhou Xueqin, is said to have made a lot of money by speculating in national debt.
Yan Xishan is envious, jealous, angry, and can't figure it out.
"If you want to open a mine, first ensure safety, or I'll replace you immediately," Chen Meilan said sternly.
Zhou Xueqin probably made a lot of money speculating in national debt, but now the social headlines in the newspapers often report on national debt speculators fighting, brawling, and even dying on trains.
Isn't life more important than money?
And she is working hard on the Qinchuan Group's project, and if she can secure it, that money can be used to fully install the production line.
"Xishan, Xishan, come here," Yan Bin just returned from outside the village and pulled Yan Xishan aside, whispering something to him.
Yan Xishan, who had been stubbornly arguing, finally made up his mind after hearing Yan Bin's whisper: "Meilan... I'll listen to you, let's install it."
The further Yan Xishan went, the more perilous his path became.
It was also to be expected. Fan Zhenhua's wife worked in a hospital, and Qi Dongmei, in this era of strict family planning, couldn't buy or even steal a son. Girls were easily discarded, but as long as a boy was born, he was the family's treasure.
Fan Xiang promised her that he would persuade his daughter-in-law to find a way to get a newborn son from the hospital.
Although it fit Yan Xishan's suspicions, and as long as Fan Zhenhua's wife dared to act, Yan Bin would report it to the police, with a complete chain of evidence, even pulling Fan Zhenhua down from his position, Yan Xishan wasn't happy.
He had once given his heart to Hu Xiaomei and was grateful to Qi Dongmei.
But that's how those people treated him.
He decided to listen to Meilan once, even if it meant not making money, even if he had to listen to others getting rich and feel miserable, just to accumulate some good karma for his little Yuanyuan.
Of course, before leaving, Yan Xishan had to say, "Meilan, Zhou Xueqin will laugh herself to death at us."
Chen Meilan couldn't be bothered to scold Yan Xishan and went home.
Chen Meilan was genuinely surprised that someone actually wanted to buy Yuanyuan's recorded songs.
The village itself was not large, and everyone loved listening to tapes. Little Wang's tapes were all self-recorded onto blank tapes he bought, cutting out the middleman and selling them cheaply.
At least four or five fools were lured by the low price and bought his compilation tapes. She passed by several households and heard Yuanyuan's voice in them.
Yuanyuan bought her another gift today, a cheap lipstick from the corner store, likely made from lard, fragrance, and dye, so red it was frightening and so fragrant it made one want to vomit.
"Mom, you really look beautiful," Yuanyuan said, watching her mother apply it, then dabbing some on herself and Little Lang.
Little Lang's skin was already fair, and with the lipstick, he looked so red and vibrant that he could easily pass for a little girl.
But his mouth was a bit crude: "Damn, it looks good."
"Saying things like that, you won't grow any teeth. You should say, 'Thank you, sister, it really looks good!'" Chen Meilan gently tapped his little mouth.
Children tend to pick up bad language, so you have to correct them from a young age. Little Lang, for the sake of his teeth, obediently said, "Thank you, sister, it really looks good."
Chen Meilan couldn't resist letting the kids enjoy the lipstick for a bit, but she wiped it off as soon as she went out.
She knew that men's interest in sex would follow a parabolic curve, eventually declining.
But when that curve is at its peak, waiting for it to drop is a hassle.
Yan Zhao was cleaning the cloth covering the mattress and the sponge inside. He had taken it all apart, washed it, and was now sewing it, apparently preparing to make a mattress or something.
Chen Meilan had been interacting quite a bit with Yan Xishan recently, not because she wanted to see him, but because she had to keep an eye on Yan Xishan. If she let her guard down, it could cost dozens of lives. If Yan Xishan repeated his past mistakes, it would ruin more families.
But she couldn't let Yan Zhao think she had any improper thoughts about Yan Xishan. All her interactions with him had to be crystal clear.
"I met Xishan today and talked about safety production. I convinced him to install production lines properly," Chen Meilan said first.
"Don't smile at him," Yan Zhao suddenly said.
It was a concise, almost childish remark. Chen Meilan turned around to see him looking serious, full of righteousness, but why would he say something like that?
Was he being serious?
Or was he perhaps jealous, and of Yan Xishan, of all people?
"I'll come over tonight," Chen Meilan declared proactively, making the hardworking man happy was her duty.
But there was another issue: "That... it hurts. My gynecology is definitely fine. Do you think it could be because of you?"
Yan Zhao was trying to thread a needle but failed a few times.
Chen Meilan took the needle, licked it with her tongue, and helped him thread the needle.
Yan Zhao took the needle and said, "Is it because you're not willing in your heart that it hurts?"
Did women have to wear their willingness on their faces?
Or did they have to shout "I'm willing!" like the heroines in Qiong Yao dramas to stop the pain?
Chen Meilan couldn't just say the size, what would he think? He knew she had been married before, did she still have any dignity left?
She handed the needle back, staring at Yan Zhao for a long time. His ears turned bright red.
He threaded the needle into the cloth, his hands, despite being strong, were nimble and skilled at sewing, though the stitches were a bit uneven, like centipedes.
Chen Meilan waited for an answer. Her meaning was that the time could be shorter, the pressure lighter, and so on. He had to give her a promise.
"I'll be gentler."
Yan Zhao carried the large bedcover away.
That evening, Uncle Yan the Third got a comfortable large mattress to lie on, and he praised Yan Zhao a million times better than Xishan.
Under the dim night, Chen Meilan had put the children to sleep and was already lying on the flat, soft, comfortable, and silent bed. But Yan Zhao was still busy outside, watering the two large peonies in the courtyard with leftover chicken soup.
Autumn was the time to nourish the peonies, ensuring they bloom luxuriantly next year.
Listening to his busyness, Chen Meilan sighed inwardly.
Yan Xishan's old house was kept so clean and tidy by Yan Zhao that if there were any ancestral spirits, they would rest peacefully.
Their old house, however, was turned into a pigsty by Lu Jingyu and Zhou Xueqin.
Although they hadn't had a deep conversation, his father Yan Peiheng in the capital had never called Little Wang or Little Lang, nor had he directly communicated with her. Even Yan Zhao didn't mention letting her go to the capital to meet his father, his elder brother, or sister-in-law.
So there must be quite a rift between Yan Zhao and his father.
If Yan Peiheng knew what his old house looked like now,
the rift between Yan Zhao and his father would only deepen.
Hopefully, Yan Zhao won't go to the First Brigade, and he won't find out.
