Chapter 7

Xin Lin was so angry her teeth itched. Only the people involved knew the truth of what had happened back then—but none of them had any proof.

So whatever Xin Shan and Lu Qingshan said became the “truth.”

Watching Xin Shan put on a show, Xin Qi realized it had been naïve to hope for help based on so-called sisterly affection.

Calmly, Xin Qi pulled out two well-preserved official notices and placed them in front of Xin Shan.

Xin Shan was stunned. The two documents were both rural relocation notices—one with Xin Qi’s name, the other with Xin Shan’s.

Both had been signed by Lu Qingshan, the Revolutionary Committee director at the time.

Xin Qi slowly said, “Third Sister, your relocation notice was dated December 1968, while mine was from February 1969.”

“Based on the birthdate on my household registration, I hadn’t even turned 15 yet in February ’69.”

“Why would I receive a relocation notice? Maybe I should ask my brother-in-law about that?”

Xin Shan hadn’t expected Xin Qi to keep the original relocation notices. If word got out, it could seriously impact Lu Qingshan’s career.

Lu Qingshan was in a critical stage of his political climb—any scandal now could ruin everything, including Xin Shan.

Her face darkened. “Xiao Qi, let’s talk this through. You’re my real sister. If I can help you, I will.”

“What do you want? Just say it.”

Xin Qi didn’t hesitate. “Help me register my household locally. Get me a job.”

“And compensate me 3,000 yuan—500 for each of the six years I spent in Harbin. That’s not unreasonable, is it?”

Xin Shan felt like her heart was bleeding the more she listened. She tried desperately to negotiate. Xin Lin, delighted to see her struggle, kept siding with Xin Qi.

With Xin Lin’s backing, they finally settled: Xin Shan would help Xin Qi with her registration and job, and pay her 2,500 yuan.

When Xin Shan left the Xin family home, she walked so fast it was like a dog was chasing her.

Xin Lin, meanwhile, was grinning from ear to ear. She praised Xin Qi, “I used to worry you were too honest and would suffer for it. Turns out those years down in the countryside really toughened you up.”

Xin Qi just smiled quietly. She wasn’t even sure why she had kept those notices back then—maybe a sense of injustice?

Who would’ve thought they’d save her at such a critical moment now? Maybe it really was fate.

After the New Year holiday ended, work resumed.

Xin Shan came to find Xin Qi again, this time dropping all pretense of sisterly love.

With a stony face, she handed Xin Qi a thick envelope.

Xin Qi calmly counted the money in front of her. The largest denomination in circulation was the 10 yuan “big unity” note—there were 250 of them. Exactly 2,500 yuan.

Xin Shan watched Xin Qi stuff the money into her pocket and felt like her heart was bleeding.

“Let’s go. Let’s get this over with—I have things to do this afternoon.”

“No rush.”

“Third Sister, you still need to write a statement saying this money was a voluntary, unconditional gift. That you will never try to take it back for any reason.”

A flash of calculation crossed Xin Shan’s eyes. This little bitch is sly.

But Xin Qi had the evidence. She had no choice but to obediently write and sign the statement.

Xin Qi didn’t care about her attitude. She took the household register she’d secretly taken and went with Xin Shan to the Youth Office.

With Xin Shan’s help, the process was smooth. Xin Qi got the official stamp, received the residence registration proof, and then headed to the local police station.

Everything went smoothly—by midday, Xin Qi had secured her household registration.

She also took the opportunity to change her name to “Xin Qi.” At the time, name changes were simple. Just mention it to the police officer and have it recorded.

Xin Shan didn’t care about such trivialities, though she did curse under her breath.

The job Xin Shan arranged for Xin Qi was at a state-owned department store—considered a cushy position.

When she handed Xin Qi the job referral letter, she finally took back the two relocation notices.

“I only got you this great job because you’re my sister.”

“You have to understand how hard it was for your brother-in-law to get this. You better work hard and live up to our good intentions.”

As if. Lu Qingshan wasn’t one to suffer losses. He didn’t give money and jobs to his sister-in-law for nothing—Xin Qi wasn’t his mother, and he wasn’t running a charity.

He had a plan. His sister, Lu Qingping, was the manager of the state-run store.

Once Xin Qi started working there, it wouldn’t take long for someone to “catch” her smuggling or reselling state-owned goods.

That was a serious crime. And once she got into trouble, she’d have to spend even more money to clear her name.

In the end, whatever Xin Qi had extorted today would come back—and they’d even manage to squeeze more out of her.

Now that she had the notices back, Xin Shan couldn’t be bothered to deal with Xin Qi anymore. Soon, Xin Qi would come begging to return the money.

Just imagining her groveling was enough to make Xin Shan feel better.

To avoid gossip, Xin Shan told Xin Qi to handle her job onboarding herself.

Xin Qi took the referral letter to the store and found the personnel office.

Li Weiguo, the HR director, glanced at the letter and then at the pretty girl in front of him.

Technically, they weren’t hiring, but this was a referral from Lu Qingping, the manager—and sister of neighborhood director Lu Qingshan.

There was no way he could refuse this favor.

Without a fuss, Li Weiguo accepted the letter and smiled warmly. “Comrade Xin, did you bring your household register?”

“Just fill out this job application form. Your personnel file can be submitted later.”

“Let me explain the job terms: since you’re just starting, you’ll be paid as a temp—23 yuan per month. Once you’re permanent, it’ll be 37 yuan.”

“Most people take six months to three years to become full-time, but with your background, you’ll be in the fast track.”

Xin Qi was a little tempted by the offer, but she wasn’t naive.

Could a job wrung from Xin Shan really be a golden opportunity?

She looked at the friendly Li Weiguo and firmly declined the sugar-coated bait.

“Director Li, I’d like to sell you this job. Are you interested?”

Li Weiguo froze. Sell to me? He didn’t need a job—did he?

Of course he did!

Though he was an HR director at a state-run store, every family had relatives desperate for jobs.

People fought tooth and nail for these positions. A sales clerk job in a state store could easily go for over 1,000 yuan on the black market—and even then, demand exceeded supply.

He looked at Xin Qi. “Comrade Xin, are you serious?”

“Maybe you should talk it over with your family—this isn’t something to joke about.”

Xin Qi replied, “To be honest, Director Li, this job was arranged by my sister. I never wanted it.”

“Working at a store every day, selling things? Sounds boring. I’m not cut out for it.”

“My family doesn’t need me to earn money, so I’d rather give the job to someone who does.”

Li Weiguo thought to himself, Wow, what arrogance. But that makes sense—Lu Qingshan’s wife is surnamed Xin.

So this girl must be Lu Qingshan’s sister-in-law. No wonder she looked down on the job—her connections were top-tier.

He got the message instantly. He didn’t dare take advantage. He offered to buy the job for 1,000 yuan on the spot.

He figured he could make less profit—it was worth it if it meant building a relationship with Lu Qingshan.

The price surprised Xin Qi a little. Clearly, Li Weiguo was a savvy operator. With just a few hints, he’d correctly guessed where Xin Qi’s real backing came from.