Chapter 12: The Real Headache

In just two more days, Li Juan sold all her remaining ready-made clothes.

The final total:

After deducting roughly 50 yuan in costs, they had made a total profit of 600 yuan!

This 600 yuan completely shattered Li Juan’s lifelong understanding of money.

A senior worker in a factory would need five years to earn that kind of wage. Yet she, Li Juan, had earned it in less than a month!

This solidified her resolve: come what may, nothing would stop her from continuing in the clothing trade.

Back at the mechanical factory cafeteria

Tao Yu returned to work after her break.

At the No. 3 serving window, a long line of male workers had already formed—two orderly rows, exclusively men.

Nearby, Chen Mei couldn’t help but be sour at the sight, her face scrunching unpleasantly.

The men, however, behaved themselves.

When Tao Yu served their meals, they stole quick, furtive glances at her before hurrying away with their plates. They’d then rush to snag seats near the No. 3 window, eating absentmindedly while sneaking peeks in Tao Yu’s direction.

By now, every man in the factory knew her name. Even without her awareness, “Tao Yu” had become a fixture in their minds.

She wasn’t just pretty. Her beauty was distinct, magnetic.

She rarely spoke, carrying herself with a calm, quiet presence. But just by standing there, she effortlessly drew every eye in the room.

Finally, one bold worker, his face flushed, stammered as he asked:

“T-Tao… Comrade Tao… d-do you have… anyone special?”

The cafeteria fell into a hush, everyone holding their breath.

Tao Yu’s expression didn’t change in the slightest.

As she tied the apron strings behind her back, she answered clearly, without a moment’s hesitation:

“I already have someone.”

Her words fell like a stone into the silence, and the cafeteria seemed to echo with the sound of hearts breaking.

The bold worker shuffled away, crestfallen, while the rest of the men, equally heartbroken, quickly collected their meals and left in dejection.

Meanwhile, Chen Mei let out a visible sigh of relief, her mood visibly brightening.

But when she glanced again at Tao Yu’s overly beautiful face and slender figure, jealousy returned, weighing heavily in her chest.

This Tao girl—what a fox spirit. She was insufferable.

That evening

As Tao Yu stepped into the courtyard of the crowded housing complex, she was greeted by a sharp voice.

“Li Juan! You’ve broken my sewing machine—you’re paying for it!”

“And don’t try to deny it! That machine is precious—pay up!”

It was Mrs. Mao, her shrill voice cutting through the air, with her son and daughter-in-law chiming in for support.

Li Juan, standing at the door of their small room, was visibly upset. She pointed to the sewing machine that had been dragged out into the courtyard.

“Everyone can see it right here! It’s not broken. You’re slandering me!”

Mrs. Mao folded her arms, casting a dismissive glance at Li Juan.

“I say it’s broken, so it’s broken. That sewing machine was borrowed by you, so you’re responsible. Pay up!”

“And don’t think we don’t know! You made a fortune selling clothes at the market—those garments were made using our sewing machine! So don’t try to play dumb! Just give us 10 yuan, and I’ll let it go. Consider yourself lucky!”

The gathered neighbors quickly understood.

Mrs. Mao wasn’t even trying to hide her greed. She had seen Li Juan earn some money and was blatantly trying to extort her.

The Mao family clearly thought they could bully Li Juan, a single mother with no man to back her up.

Aunt Chang and a few women who were friends with Li Juan immediately stepped in to support her.

“Old Lady Mao, Li Juan already pays you 5 yuan a month to rent your sewing machine. That’s enough!”

“Exactly. We’re all neighbors. If you act like this, it won’t look good for you in the long run.”

The other onlookers didn’t get involved. It wasn’t their business, and they didn’t want trouble.

Besides, everyone had heard that Li Juan had made good money. Some had even seen her selling clothes at the market. Her business was doing well.

People thought, She’s not short of 10 yuan, so why should we help? They just stood around, watching the drama.

Old Lady Mao and her family, however, refused to give up. They insisted that Li Juan pay the 10 yuan.

Li Juan wasn’t stupid. She knew that if she gave them the money now, they’d keep taking advantage of her later, asking for more.

But Old Lady Mao’s family also wouldn’t back down. They had heard Li Juan made a lot of money and wanted to squeeze some out of her.

Suddenly, when no one was paying attention, Old Lady Mao’s son and daughter-in-law exchanged a look. The two of them pushed past Aunt Chang and the others and headed straight for Li Juan.

“We’re done talking! If you won’t pay, we’ll go in and take it ourselves!”

Realizing their plan, Li Juan grabbed the doorframe tightly, ready to fight them off.

But they didn’t get far.

As soon as they got close to Li Juan, they stopped in their tracks.

Why?

Because Tao Yu had arrived.

Not only had she come, but she was holding a shiny chopping knife in her hand!

“What’s wrong? Why aren’t you coming closer?”

Her voice was cold, calm, and sharp.

Old Lady Mao quickly pulled her son behind her. Her daughter-in-law also stepped back, looking nervous.

Nobody dared move closer. The knife glinted in the light, and Tao Yu stared at them without saying a word, her expression calm but chilling.

Old Lady Mao hesitated.

“Crazy girl! You wouldn’t dare hurt someone. Are you trying to cause trouble?”

Tao Yu didn’t respond. She took a step forward, holding the knife steady.

“If you don’t believe me, why don’t you come closer and find out?”

Her words were soft, but they carried a sense of danger.

For a moment, Old Lady Mao and her family froze. The quiet girl standing before them suddenly seemed terrifying.

“Mom,” the daughter-in-law whispered, trembling, “I heard crazy people can hurt others and not get punished.”

Old Lady Mao glared at her but didn’t seem as confident anymore.

Just as she was about to argue further, Tao Yu swung the knife down—right at the sewing machine!

“Ahh! My sewing machine!” Old Lady Mao screamed and rushed forward.

She barely managed to pull the machine away before the knife hit it.

This sewing machine was her treasure, something she had used for years to dominate the neighborhood. There was no way she’d let it get damaged!

But Tao Yu wasn’t done.

She kept holding the knife, slowly walking toward them.

Her face was calm, her eyes cold, but something about her made Old Lady Mao’s family shiver.

Was she really going to hurt them?

Li Juan finally snapped out of her shock and rushed forward, snatching the knife from Tao Yu’s hand.

“Get out of here!” Li Juan shouted at Old Lady Mao’s family, her face pale with anger.

“If you don’t leave now, I’ll use this knife on you myself!”

Then she raised the knife and charged at them.

The crowd stepped in to stop her, dragging Old Lady Mao and her family away. The onlookers scattered, not wanting to get involved anymore.

Soon, the commotion was over, and the courtyard fell quiet.

That night, as they ate dinner, Li Juan glanced at Tao Yu sitting quietly next to her.

Her daughter looked calm, eating as though nothing had happened. But Li Juan’s heart ached.

She thought, My poor daughter must have been so upset by what happened today. That’s why she grabbed the knife and stood up for me.

Li Juan felt helpless. She didn’t want her daughter to go through such things. It was her fault for borrowing the sewing machine in the first place.

Tears rolled down Li Juan’s cheeks as she quietly ate her meal, but she didn’t make a sound.

Tao Yu, still eating, seemed unaware of her mother’s pain. After a moment of silence, she spoke softly.

“Mom, let’s move.”

Li Juan looked up, startled.

In the following days, they started looking for a new place to live. It was clear—they couldn’t stay there anymore.