Chapter 33.2

The little girl was naive and optimistic. Mother Zhou looked at her daughter with a frown, unsure of where her future would lead. What about her son? If he were sent to a farm, what would they do? She didn’t know how long this situation would last; if it continued like this, it would be tough.

One was simple-minded, while the other was more complex. The mother and daughter worked together to make porridge, which they paired with the pickled vegetables they had brought for their meal. That evening, Luo Lan’s elder brother came by to check on them and, seeing that everything was fine, left reassured. With five teachers living there, they wouldn’t have to worry too much.

“Mom, I heard this used to be a temple.”

“Yes, it did. Why? Are you scared?”

“Not scared. I haven’t done anything wrong, so the Bodhisattva won’t blame me.”

“Right, as long as you don’t do anything guilty, you have nothing to fear.”

———

After returning to the city, Luo Lan packed some things for her sister-in-law, bringing extra pickled vegetables and two bundles of dried noodles. There were also some dried vegetables at home, which she packed up as well.

Once she had everything ready, she went to see her husband. To her surprise, no one was watching over him late at night. She crept over and found the door locked. Just as she was feeling troubled, the guard returned. He didn’t make it hard for her and quietly let her in.

“How is the factory director?” she asked with concern.

“All right, completely fine. Ah, Comrade Luo Lan, your medicine is truly miraculous. I stopped having a fever that day, and now I’m completely recovered. Thank you.”

As he spoke, he gazed at the stars outside the window. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get out of here. If that day ever comes, I will never forget your great kindness.”

“There’s no need to say that. Even though you’re better, you still need to pretend to be sick to avoid attracting trouble from them again.”

“Yeah, I’ll keep pretending these days. I just don’t know when this kind of life will end.”

Luo Lan didn’t respond. After spending these days getting familiar with the second-in-command here, she came today with a box of cigarettes, intending to get closer to him. She needed to find the right person for her inside job.

After feeding them, she sneaked out again. She stood at the wall, not leaving, and waited for about half an hour when she vaguely heard arguing. No, it seemed like one person was scolding another.

“Stupid pig, how could you make such a low-level mistake? Are you brainless like a pig?”

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

“Idiot, if there’s a next time, you can just get lost.”

The voice was cold, harsh, and low, but Luo Lan could still identify it as that man’s. Listening to the sound of his leather shoes walking away, she stood quietly in place, waiting. About a minute later, her target appeared.

The man was slouching, his steps heavy. She gently kicked a small stone, and the man immediately lifted his head, alert in the dark. “Who’s there?”

“Big Brother, it’s me.”

Hearing her voice, the man sighed in relief. “Come to see your man?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Your man is really lucky. If I had to deal with that, I wouldn’t know what to do. By the way, their factory director’s wife divorced him. Now he’s all alone, lying in bed pretending to be dead every day.”

Luo Lan handed him the prepared cigarettes, and the man perked up immediately upon receiving them. “Little sister, these cigarettes are great! Not only do they have a filter, but they also don’t irritate the throat at all.”

“Big Brother, how did you get mixed up with that guy?”

“We used to work in the same unit, he was my apprentice. Now, he scolds me every day like I’m his grandson. He’s happy to play the thug, and then complains that I’m not doing enough. What’s considered enough, anyway?”

His voice was already low, and he was quite vigilant. This corner provided cover, so they could talk freely without being overheard. Yet, he still lowered his voice even more and whispered to Luo Lan.

“Little sister, I remind you to be careful of him. You’ve brought me cigarettes these times, thank you.”

“With him bullying people like this, haven’t you thought of bringing him down?”

“It’s difficult. He has a solid background and hasn’t really been educated. He’s ruthless in his actions and speaks very appropriately. There’s no handle to grasp.”

“Where is he living now?”

“In the dorms over there. Why do you ask?”

“Is he alone in a single room?”

“Yeah.” The man joked, “What, you planning to assassinate him?”

“Then I wouldn’t be committing a crime.”

“Then why are you asking where he lives?”

“Can you just go into his room?”

“Of course not. He usually keeps his room tidy and doesn’t let anyone in. Oh, by the way, a few days ago, he took over a place, a private courtyard. I reckon he’s preparing for marriage.”

As he spoke, the man lit a match, revealing her eyes in the dim light. “You know, right? He’s got his sights set on your sister-in-law.”

“I know.”

“Alright, I’ll take off now. We can chat another day.”

Still lacking courage, the man extinguished the cigarette and left after sharing what he thought were insider details. Luo Lan wasn’t in a hurry either, she turned and left for home.

Now that her sister-in-law had been sent to the countryside to be a teacher, it was a job that few would want, but it suited her perfectly. Leaving his sphere of influence, she wouldn’t face immediate danger.

With two years of good performance, Junfang would soon be able to work toward attending university. But for that to happen, this cold-hearted man in the city couldn’t be in charge. He had to be taken down. Otherwise, he would keep an eye on Junfang like an old cat watching a small fish.

The internal connections needed to be gradually pried open, she couldn’t rush it. She rode her bike home quickly, as Zhou Junhui was on the night shift, leaving her home alone.

After parking her bike in the yard, the daughter from the south house came out. “Oh, Luo Lan, why are you back alone? Where’s your mother-in-law? You’re expecting, shouldn’t she be nearby taking care of you?”

“I haven’t had any reaction in the past few days. I can manage on my own. I’m used to hard work. I’m not so delicate.”

“Your belly doesn’t seem to show much.”

“It’s only two months. The doctor said I wouldn’t show until five months.” The doctor didn’t say, but although she had never given birth, it was not like she had never seen anything.

“Look at me, I’m talking nonsense. You, a young bride, know better.”

She scolded herself and, with a cold smile, turned to go back inside. The old lady from the south house had four children, and they were currently arguing about what to do with her. That woman had married off to another place and wouldn’t be staying here long. Just a clown, no need to pay her any mind.

System: It seems there are several people in the south house.

Luo Lan: The sisters are arguing. I heard them.

System: No one wants to support an old woman. Do you think people will be annoyed when they get old?

Luo Lan: Not at all. If it were my mother-in-law, I’d be happy to take care of her.

System: That’s right. Your mother-in-law is such a good person.

To be honest, her fate could be considered quite fortunate. Her husband was responsible, treating his family well, and he wouldn’t treat her, his wife, poorly either. Her mother-in-law was friendly and treated her like a daughter. Junfang was such a well-behaved girl, and she liked her very much. Only Zhou Junhui had been a bit troublesome before, but now she was much more understanding.

The next day at work, Luo Lan heard from Sister Liu that there was someone selling jade at the black market in the small woods. “I originally planned to buy some noodles because we don’t have enough grain tickets at home. Who would have thought that person was selling jade, claiming it was an antique, but it’s actually valuable stuff. The old mother at home is sick, and that’s why she’s reluctantly selling it cheaply. It’s ridiculous, if there isn’t enough food, who has the spare money to buy that?”

“You’re buying noodles?”

Luo Lan thought the person selling jade might be connected to those recent rascals. She wasn’t sure where they got those items. She had heard elders say, “In prosperous times, antiques are valued, but in troubled times, gold is worth more.” But in times of trouble, food was more precious.

Yet, she had a feeling that the world would soon enter prosperous times, and she happened to have some financial freedom, so she thought about getting into this business. Moreover, the person selling jade was likely related to that man surnamed Xu. Maybe she could find a connection.

“Not really. My mom can’t eat anything, but she can manage a couple of bites of dragon whisker noodles. I was thinking of buying some, but they’re hard to find.”

“I happen to have some at home. If you want, I can share some with you.”

“Ah, that would really help me out! I’d pay twice the market price for it.”

“You can take it to eat. No need to be so polite.”

“If you won’t accept money, then I can’t take it.”

“Alright, I’ll take the money.”

The dragon whisker noodles in the system were cheap and good, but she didn’t give them to her right away. When she got off work at noon, she went home and brought back two jin of noodles in the afternoon. She tore open the plastic packaging to start a fire. The noodles were wrapped in newspaper.

“These noodles are really good—thin and white!”

After helping a colleague out, she quickly ate dinner when she got home in the evening. That night, she took a flashlight to the small woods to learn how to call birds using the method Sister Liu taught her.

“Hey, turn off the flashlight.”

“Oh.”

“I have some jade, do you want it? This is a good item—treasures from the Qing Dynasty palace. If it weren’t for my mother’s illness needing money, I’d wait until times get better to sell it.”

“Do you know Xu Hongbing?”

“I know. Don’t change the subject, just tell me if you want to buy it.”

“If you can help me with something, I’ll buy what you have.”

“Help with what? I only know how to steal. I can’t do anything else.”

This guy, casually admitting to being a thief, must be relying on the cover of night, thinking no one knows who he is. Luo Lan sneered inwardly, but she really did need someone like him now.

“Stealthily place something in someone else’s room.”

Luo Lan: System, can you verify the authenticity of antiques?

System: It requires points.

Luo Lan: You’re really stingy!

System: Are you verifying or not?

Luo Lan: Verify.

Thinking about it, although the system was stingy, it was a valuable support for her. However, to verify the item, she needed to have it in hand, so she said she wanted to see the goods.

“Let me see if it’s real.”

“Alright.”

He opened a cloth bag and handed it to her. With only the two of them there, the man wasn’t worried she would suddenly run off with it. She turned on the flashlight to illuminate the item, and the system provided an evaluation.

System: This is Burmese jade from the Yongzheng period, with top-notch transparency, clarity, and quality. The craftsmanship is exquisite. Even if it’s not made by palace artisans, it’s from the best folk craftsmen. This large piece is quite valuable.

Luo Lan: “How much are you planning to sell it for?”