Chapter 44

With a good start, their cart was soon surrounded by layers of people.

Yu Xiangnian handled the money while Wang Hongxiang and Liu Zhen managed the stall.

In just two hours, they sold all 500 pairs of rain boots, leaving many customers empty-handed.

Yu Xiangnian told them to come back the next day, assuring them they’d be selling more rain boots in the coming days.

After the crowd dispersed, Yu Xiangnian gave Wang Hongxiang and Liu Zhen each 50 yuan.

Liu Zhen, holding the 50 yuan, was trembling with excitement, “This is almost as much as Lao Xiao’s monthly salary, all in one night.”

Wang Hongxiang beamed, “I’ll save this money as my private stash. Now I won’t need to ask Dong Minghao for money when I want to buy something.”

The three women pushed the cart home, chatting happily all the way.

As they talked, Yu Xiangnian planned the next day’s sales.

They should have made 1,000 yuan tonight from the 500 pairs of rain boots, but when she counted the money, it was only 976 yuan.

Someone must have stolen a few pairs in the chaos.

“I think the cart can hold more. Tomorrow, I want to bring 1,000 pairs of rain boots and find someone to help. Do you know anyone suitable?” Yu Xiangnian asked.

Liu Zhen suggested, “What about Li Guihua? She’s strong. Tomorrow, the three of us can take turns pulling the cart, so you won’t have to strain yourself.”

She had noticed how Yu Xiangnian strained, veins popping out on her neck, while pushing the cart.

Yu Xiangnian was skeptical about Li Guihua, recalling the woman she’d seen running from an abusive husband. “Is she really that strong?”

Liu Zhen assured her, “Absolutely. I’ve seen her lift that heavy stone mortar in the courtyard by herself.”

Yu Xiangnian knew the stone mortar, a big one used by the military families in the courtyard.

“Alright, please talk to her,” Yu Xiangnian said.

“No trouble at all. Everyone’s happy to make money,” Liu Zhen replied.

The three agreed to keep this business venture a secret to avoid any jealous reports to the authorities.

When they got home, Xiao Jie was already asleep, and Cheng Jingmo was alone in the living room, reading.

In fact, he was waiting for Yu Xiangnian.

Yu Xiangnian had told him after dinner that she had to go out, and then she was gone for four or five hours, leaving him worried.

Cheng Jingmo glanced towards the bedroom, seeing Yu Xiangnian take a thick wad of cash from her bag and lock it in a drawer.

He had never seen so much money!

He remembered Xiao Jie mentioning that Yu Xiangnian wanted to earn a lot of money to buy a big house and move out.

He felt a strange mix of emotions.

When Yu Xiangnian came out with her pajamas to take a shower, Cheng Jingmo stopped her, “Comrade Yu Xiangnian, where did you get so much money?”

Yu Xiangnian glanced at him indifferently and said, “Mind your own business!” before going to shower.

Cheng Jingmo was speechless.

He didn’t care about other people’s business!

He was just worried that Yu Xiangnian might do something illegal for money.

When Yu Xiangnian finished her shower, Cheng Jingmo was still in the living room waiting for her.

He pulled out a stack of bills from his pocket and handed it to Yu Xiangnian, “Take this money.”

He had heard about her borrowing 200 yuan from Bai Mei and needing to repay it by Saturday. So, he borrowed some money from his comrades, adding his own, to give Yu Xiangnian 260 yuan.

Yu Xiangnian glanced at the money and then at Cheng Jingmo, “I don’t need it. You keep it for yourself.”

Delayed concern was worthless.

Yesterday, he hadn’t even offered a word of comfort. Today, she had already found a way to earn money. Why would she need his money now?

Cheng Jingmo insisted on giving her the money. “I know you owe someone money. Take it to pay them back.”

Mentioning the debt made Yu Xiangnian feel wronged. She hadn’t borrowed a single cent, but Bai Mei and Ding Yunfei had conspired to frame her. Their consistent claims left her defenseless.

She pushed Cheng Jingmo’s hand away. “I won’t take your money!” she exclaimed angrily before storming into the bedroom.

Cheng Jingmo watched as the bedroom door slammed shut.

He felt that the closeness and peace they’d developed over the past two weeks had vanished due to her resignation, bringing their relationship back to square one.

The next day, Yu Xiangnian slept in. By the time she got up, Cheng Jingmo and Xiao Jie had already left.

After dinner, Yu Xiangnian headed out again. To avoid attracting attention, the four women went separately and met up at the chemical plant’s gate.

They counted out a thousand pairs of rain boots onto the cart.

Li Guihua, Liu Zhen, and Wang Hongxiang took turns pulling the cart, while the other two helped push from behind. They could tell that Yu Xiangnian wasn’t used to manual labor, so they only asked her to help on uphill or rough patches.

As soon as they arrived at the black market, a crowd gathered to buy the rain boots.

Word had spread from yesterday’s buyers that the boots were cheap and high quality.

Yu Xiangnian collected the money while the other three sold the boots, managing to sell seventy or eighty pairs in no time.

Then, the two men who had collected the management fee the day before showed up again, demanding ten yuan for today.

Yesterday was two yuan, today ten—what would it be tomorrow, twenty? It was clear they were extorting money.

Yu Xiangnian began to argue with the men.

One of them pushed her shoulder. “This is the management fee! If you want to do business here, you have to follow our rules!”

Yu Xiangnian stumbled back a step but didn’t back down. She stood tall. “I agree to management fees, but your charges are unreasonable. Yesterday it was two yuan, today ten. You can’t just charge whatever you want!”

“Unreasonable?” The man sneered. “This place belongs to Brother Ping. If he says it’s ten, it’s ten.”

Seeing many people waiting to buy rain boots, Yu Xiangnian said, “There are too many people here now. Let me sell the boots first, and then I’ll go find Brother Ping to discuss this. Where can I find him?”

“Brother Ping isn’t someone you can meet just like that,” the man replied with a menacing look. “I’m telling you, if you don’t pay the ten yuan now, I’ll tip over your cart and you’ll never do business here again!”

Yu Xiangnian didn’t want trouble but couldn’t let herself be bullied either.

She was considering paying the ten yuan and then finding Brother Ping later when a loud shout rang out: “The police are coming, run!”

The place turned chaotic instantly. Sellers quickly packed up their things and ran, and buyers scattered even faster.

“Run!” Yu Xiangnian shouted as she pushed the cart, urging the three stunned women.

The three, inexperienced in such situations, were so scared they abandoned the cart and Yu Xiangnian, running for their lives.

Yu Xiangnian struggled to push the cart with all her might, but it moved as slowly as a tortoise.

Suddenly, a pair of strong hands gripped the cart handles. A deep voice said, “Step aside, I’ll handle it.”