Chapter 28: Don’t Dream

Cheng Jianshe still wanted to speak, but Li Luo walked away.

Liu Erwang caught up to her, asking for a box of goods, and handed over the payment.
“This is for the last box,” he said, scratching his head. “I don’t have much capital right now. Once I save up, I’ll pay upfront like Yu Gang and the others, okay?”

Li Luo took the money and smiled. “Now that’s more like it. But from now on, you won’t be picking up goods from the junkyard anymore. If you need stock, tell me directly. We’ll meet at the end of the street the next morning.”

“Alright.” Liu Erwang tugged Cheng Jianshe over, forcing him to hand Li Luo her money. Cheng Jianshe’s expression was sour, but he said nothing.

Li Luo carefully noted his face, secretly wondering if he might cause her trouble.

At the crossroads, the three went their separate ways.

Walking alone along the main road, Li Luo felt unusually alert in the quiet. Sensitive to every sound, she realized someone was following her. Her first suspicion was Cheng Jianshe. She knew all too well what was on his mind.

He wanted the bigger profit. If Liu Erwang hadn’t dragged him along tonight, Cheng probably wouldn’t have paid for his goods at all. Not a good man.

She turned into an alley.

Cheng Jianshe followed her in, circled around, and when he didn’t see her, cursed under his breath: “Little slut.” Then he turned and left.

From the shadows, Li Luo observed him, also muttering: “Bastard.” She then headed home.

Old Madam Qin and Old Master Qin had already gone to bed. The kitchen light was left on, clearly for her.

When Li Luo entered, she found two bowls on the stove. One held two peeled boiled eggs. The other had stir-fried greens with thin slices of meat. There was no rice.

Did Qin Mian tell Old Madam Qin to prepare this?

Before, Old Madam Qin would always leave her rice, regardless of whether she ate it or not.

At the thought, Li Luo’s lips curved into a small smile.

He really was thoughtful.

She ate the food left for her, bathed, and went to sleep. The next morning, she met with Uncle Huang at the junkyard to carry out their usual business.

Day after day, half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

One day, passing by the button factory, she got curious and stopped to take a look. Just as Uncle Huang had said two weeks earlier, piles of buttons of various colors were stacked at the entrance. But these wouldn’t sell well in the city. Clothes—whether bought or tailor-made—always came with spare buttons.

In the countryside, though, people patched clothes for years on end. They might need buttons, but rural spending power was low. Unless she sold two pairs for a single penny, no one would buy them.

Not profitable.

Still, she decided to take some anyway. That night, she’d sell soap at a slightly higher price and throw in buttons as freebies.

Would buyers feel like they were getting a bargain and ignore the price increase?

She didn’t have a bag with her, so she planned to go home first.

Halfway there, Liu Erwang stopped her. With him was Cheng Jianshe.

“Big Sis, just the person we were looking for. Where are you headed? Cheng here says he’s treating us to dinner. Come on.”

Li Luo replied, “I’m on a diet. I don’t eat dinner.” After that night’s trade, Cheng Jianshe had asked her two days later to set up a stall with him. She refused, and since then, they hadn’t met again.

A few days earlier, gossip at the soap factory said a man had tried to purchase goods. When he couldn’t produce a chit, the steward turned him away. But the man pressed him, asking why Li Luo could buy stock.

The steward had hesitated, then explained she had a chit.

The man’s appearance, as described, matched Cheng Jianshe exactly. Now that he was suddenly inviting her to dinner, it was obvious—either he wanted a favor, or he was plotting something.

Liu Erwang gave her a once-over. “Dieting? Actually, you know, you really do look slimmer than when we first met. Prettier, too.”

Her features were delicate and pretty, her skin naturally good. Slimmed down, she’d be stunning. And she didn’t look thirty-eight at all.

If someone said eighteen, he’d believe it.

A thought struck him. “Remember I said I wanted to marry you? Have you thought about it?”

Li Luo shot him down coldly. “Get lost.” A toad wanting to eat swan meat!

“Don’t tell me you like that man who was with you the other day? Forget it. Look at him—his build, his bearing. He’s clearly from an educated family, with a proper job. And you? A fat, middle-aged woman selling soap at a stall? Why embarrass yourself by chasing after him? You’d be better off with me. I may be poor, but at least I have ambition.”

He nagged on and on until Li Luo raised her fist, making him shut up.

She sneered inwardly. Who’s dreaming here? I’ve already slept next to him, even used him as a pillow, and he didn’t resist. If I went further, he…

Once I’m slim and beautiful, winning him over will be easy!

But you, an ugly thug—I haven’t even mocked your looks, and yet you insult me? Shameless!

Liu Erwang caught her fist with a grin. “Heh, fine, fine. Then let’s just eat together. You can eat less if you’re dieting.”

“I have things to do. You two go ahead.” Li Luo walked off.

Cheng Jianshe’s eyes followed her, displeased. “Tell me, does that woman have it in for me?”

“How so?” Liu Erwang asked.

“She laughs when talking to you, but when it’s me, she puts on a sour face.”

Liu Erwang laughed. “Maybe she likes me but is too shy to say so. Tonight at the market, I’ll ask her straight. If she agrees, with her weight she’d be embarrassed to demand a bride price. I’d save money and she’d still make money. I’d strike gold.”

A dark gleam flickered in Cheng Jianshe’s eyes. “Where are you two setting up tonight?” He had tried following Li Luo twice but lost her both times.

Instead, he went to Uncle Huang.

From him, he learned the soap factory’s location. But the steward told him he needed a chit to buy stock. When Cheng asked why a junk collector could transport goods, the steward explained clearly: Uncle Huang had a chit.

So Cheng suspected someone was backing Li Luo.

Tonight, he wanted to get her drunk, trick her into revealing her backer, then take them all down in one blow.

If he couldn’t earn big money, then no one else would either.

Liu Erwang didn’t realize what Cheng was plotting. He spoke honestly. “No idea. Li Luo always takes me there directly. Business has been great lately—you’re missing out big time. She’s good at choosing spots. Every day we sell out two or three boxes in under three hours.”

“And we’ve never been caught.”

Cheng’s eyes narrowed. “You’re sure she’ll come tonight?”

“Absolutely. We always meet at the street corner. Come with me tonight, and I’ll share one box of goods with you.”

“Good brother.” Cheng clapped his shoulder with a grin that didn’t reach his eyes.

When night fell, Cheng led patrol officers to lie in ambush. Once Li Luo showed up, they’d catch her red-handed. Chit or not, private trades were illegal.

They waited for nearly an hour, but still no sign of her.

“Cheng Jianshe, where are these traders you promised?”

“Just a little longer,” Cheng muttered.

Just then, Liu Erwang appeared. Cheng exclaimed, “Here she comes!”

“That’s just the guy who hangs around with you all the time,” one officer said.

Cheng explained quickly, “Yes, but he’s recently been selling with a woman. She’s the supplier, the one with the stock.”