Chapter 12: A Couple of Scoundrels

Zhou Yu led Xu An to the courtyard gate, but didn’t go in. He turned around and left.

He didn’t come back until almost evening, when it was almost dark.

  Xu An had just finished cooking dinner and was enduring the Zhou family’s gazes, as if she was a spendthrift.

 Just as Pan Hehua was about to come over and make trouble because she couldn’t stand it anymore, Zhou Yu came back from outside.

Xu An quickly looked up and asked him, “Zhou Yu, did you have dinner?”

Zhou Yu saw the family looking at him as if they were going to accuse him.  His voice was icy. “No.”

Xu An got him a bowl and chopsticks, and was about to bring the food into the room.

Zhou Hongguang and Feng Yirou came back from outside the courtyard.  Zhou Hongguang looked like he had encountered something great, he was smiling.

Pan Hehua immediately put on a smile and greeted him. “Why are you back?”

Zhou Hongguang waved his hand and walked straight towards Zhou Yu, looking very much like the eldest son.

“Second brother, you haven’t found a job yet.”

Zhou Yu turned to look at him expressionlessly, his face said, “Spit it out.”

Zhou Hongguang didn’t get angry. He turned to look at the family in the courtyard and said with a smile, “Mom and Dad, second brother has been home for a while now.  He can’t just laze around like this.  I found a job for him at the factory today.”

Before he could continue, Zhou Dandan shouted exaggeratedly, “Big brother, what kind of job did you find for second brother?  He’s in this state now, what can he even do?”

“Dandan!” Zhou Hongguang’s voice was stern.

Zhou Dandan pouted, she just muttered softly, “I’m just telling the truth.”

“Dandan’s a bit blunt, but big brother, are you sure second brother can do it?” Zhou Shuwen said softly.

“Hongguang, what is it? If second brother can’t do it, now that Shuwen is on holiday, let Shuwen try it for two months.” Zhou Youlu’s voice was thick, he said solemnly.

Zhou Hongguang nodded. “Yeah,” he said calmly, “He’s a security guard at the factory.  The salary isn’t high, eighteen yuan a month, but it’s easy.”

His eyes fell on Zhou Yu’s limp leg. He sighed. “Second brother’s leg is injured, he can’t do any strenuous work now.  This job isn’t very respectable, but if he does it well, you two won’t have to worry about not having enough money to eat.”

He glanced at Xu An, who was beside Zhou Yu, his expression shifted. “Sister-in-law, you’re so carefree.  You don’t have a job, no matter how much money you have, it won’t be enough.”

“Second brother, if you agree, you can start work at the factory tomorrow.”

Zhou Yu’s wild gaze swept over the Zhou family, making everyone avoid his eyes. He coldly stared at Zhou Hongguang, snorted with laughter. “Finished?”

“Finished, then get lost.  I don’t want it.”

Zhou Hongguang frowned. “Second brother, this isn’t the time to be stubborn.  Being competitive won’t do you any good.”

Eighteen yuan a month wasn’t much, but this couple spent money lavishly, they would spend it all sooner or later and have to beg them for help.  Pan Hehua glared at Zhou Yu reproachfully.

“Second son, how can you be so ungrateful? This job is so good.  Go to the factory with Hongguang tomorrow, don’t just laze around all day.”

“That’s right.” Zhou Dandan was afraid of her second brother’s fierce eyes, so she just looked at Xu An, who was beside Zhou Yu. “Second sister-in-law, you’re living a better life than us.  If you eat like this every day, Mom and Dad said they won’t help you anymore.”

Her eyes fell on the meat Xu An had just cooked. She was both greedy and jealous.  A country bumpkin from Nancheng, why was she spending their family’s money to live this good life?

Feng Yirou looked at Xu An, her voice soft. “Sister-in-law, Hongguang went through a lot of trouble to get this job for second brother.  Second brother is stubborn and doesn’t like to lose, but we all know his situation, no matter how much he tries to hide it.  Jobs are hard to find.  You should persuade him.”

Xu An looked up at her, her voice calm. “What’s his situation?”

Feng Yirou frowned.  She didn’t expect Xu An to be as cunning as Zhou Yu, she actually asked her to explain it.

Xu An stood beside Zhou Yu, looked at the whole family, then at Zhou Hongguang, who was putting on a show of being virtuous.  She said loudly, “Eighteen yuan a month, and you’re acting like he’s been given a great favor.  “

“Charity?”

“Even picking up scrap metal outside for a month would earn more than that.  You were so happy when you came in, I thought you had found money.  It turns out you stepped on shit and couldn’t wait to throw it at my husband.”

This Xu An was clearly a soft-spoken person, how come her mouth became just like the second son’s in just a few days after marrying him?  Two stinky barrels, they were really a match made in heaven.

Zhou Hongguang’s face couldn’t help but turn a little grim.

“Second son’s wife, how can you talk like that?  We’re trying to help you, and you’re acting ungrateful!  You’re so clueless!” Zhou Youlu, full of the temper of an elder, was about to scold Xu An.

He then looked at Zhou Yu. “Your big brother is doing this for your own good.  If you keep lazing around like this, you’ll regret it later.”

“Regret?” Zhou Yu’s voice was distorted, his expression terrifying.  “I should have regretted it a long time ago.  It’s not your place to lecture me.  Get lost, you’re an eyesore.”

“Whoever wants that job, they can have it.  Don’t disgust me with it.”

“Hongguang, don’t bother with him if he’s so ungrateful.  Let Shuwen go with you to the factory tomorrow.” Zhou Youlu said solemnly.

Zhou Hongguang’s face looked a little bad.  It was as if Zhou Yu had betrayed his kindness.  He sighed and nodded.

Zhou Shuwen hesitated and said, “Dad, I don’t have time either.  I have to go to the bookstore to read.  I can’t be distracted.”

Being a security guard was too undignified.  How could he, a proper college student, do such a job?

Xu An couldn’t help but laugh, a little mockingly.  This Zhou family knew that this job wasn’t good, yet they treated it like a gift, expecting Zhou Yu to be grateful.  This whole family was really petty.

She carried her cold dinner into the room, calling out to Zhou Yu. “Zhou Yu, bring the rice pot in, I’m hungry.”

Zhou Yu bent down, picked up the rice pot, looked at the family with a mocking expression, limped into the room, and slammed the door shut.

The couple ate dinner in the room.  Outside the door, Zhou Youlu stared at Zhou Hongguang. “Don’t bother with him anymore.  If he starves to death, it’s his own fault.”

He then walked back to the room with a cold face. The other Zhou family members didn’t look good either, they pulled long faces and went back to their rooms.

Xu An didn’t ask Zhou Yu where he had been.  After finishing dinner, she confidently started to wash up.  She left the rest of the dishes to Zhou Yu.

Lying in bed that night, Xu An thought about what she should do.  Improve herself, how to improve?

No matter what, she needed money, right?  Besides, they were only spending money, not earning any.  They needed to make money.

Thinking about this, Xu An tilted her head and looked at Zhou Yu, who had just entered the room.  He blocked the light in the bedroom as soon as he came in.

She closed her eyes and opened them again.  It was late at night, Xu An’s voice was very soft. “Zhou Yu, I have to get up early tomorrow morning.  Can you wake me up when you get up?”

Zhou Yu took two steps to the bedside.  Xu An sniffed lightly, smelling the faint scent of tobacco on him.  This man had just smoked.  Xu An frowned in discomfort.

“What do you want to do?” The man’s dark eyes stared at Xu An calmly.

Xu An looked up at him. “I just want to go to the market and the department store.  I have nothing to do now, I want to see if there are any opportunities.  I want to find a way to make some money.”

Zhou Yu sat on the edge of the bed, turned to look at her. “Didn’t Zhou Hongguang find you a job?  Why don’t you let me go with him?”

Xu An’s lips moved, she told the truth. “That’s not a good job.  Eighteen yuan a month, and he wants to maintain a good reputation.  It’s too cheap.”

Zhou Yu stared at the woman’s serious face, he let out a short laugh.  For the first time, he didn’t retort to Xu An. He said in a hoarse voice, “Yeah.”

He stood up, walked over, and pulled the light switch.  The bedroom was plunged into darkness.  Zhou Yu climbed onto the bed and lay down beside Xu An.

The smell of smoke on him was even stronger.  Xu An frowned slightly, she couldn’t stand it. She turned over and faced away from Zhou Yu, which was more comfortable.

“Next time you smoke, can you stay outside for a while longer?”

The room was quiet.  The man didn’t say anything or agree.  Xu An silently closed her eyes, and after a while, she heard the man’s abrupt voice, full of impatience.

“Troublesome.”

Xu An snorted softly, closed her eyes and went to sleep, no longer speaking.

The next morning, Xu An was woken up by the man beside her.  Her eyelids were heavy and she couldn’t open them.  She narrowed her eyes into slits and peered out the window.  It was still dark, the sun hadn’t risen yet.

She rubbed her eyes sleepily and finally managed to open them. She saw the man beside her had already turned over and gotten out of bed, he was changing clothes, his back to her.

She took a deep breath, no longer wanting to stay in the cold bed.  Xu An huddled up, got out of bed, and changed her clothes in the blanket before getting out of bed.

She went out with Zhou Yu, yawned sleepily, and watched Zhou Yu go out first to change the honeycomb coal, then expertly went to the courtyard to fetch water and boil it.

Xu An first put the leftover food from yesterday into the pot, broke up the rice, and put it in the pot to heat up.  She had just finished heating the rice when Zhou Yu came in with a basin of hot water.

Xu An put down the spatula, washed her face first, then squeezed toothpaste and squatted at the door to brush her teeth.  When she went back to the room, Zhou Yu had already divided the rice into two portions and was eating his own.

Xu An went to get her portion, sat by the stove, and ate breakfast.

Just after finishing breakfast, the light in the main room of the Zhou family turned on.  After a while, she saw Pan Hehua come out.  Xu An didn’t greet her.

After finishing her meal, Xu An looked at Zhou Yu, who was still at home. She was a little confused. “Aren’t you going out today?”

Zhou Yu didn’t answer, but said directly, “Don’t you want to go out?”

He took the initiative to accompany her.  Xu An was a little surprised, her expression was too obvious, and the man used an impatient expression to hide his discomfort.

“Not happy?”

“Not happy, go yourself.”

Xu An quickly shook her head. “No, it’s better if you go with me.  I’m not familiar with the market here, it’s good to have you with me.”

When she said this, Zhou Yu’s lips curled into a smirk, he stood up and walked out.  He watched Xu An lock the door and took her out.

Pan Hehua came out of the bathroom, stared at the couple going out, one in front of the other, and spat fiercely.

 This second son was a scoundrel, he didn’t do anything right, he just lazed around.  Now, after only two days, he was taking his country bumpkin wife out to laze around.  The Zhou family’s reputation was ruined by this couple.

The two who were going out to laze around didn’t know what Pan Hehua was thinking.  Zhou Yu led Xu An out of the alley.

 Xu An walked two steps forward, tilted her head and looked at Zhou Yu, her voice soft. “If you have something to do, I can go by myself.”

If she really delayed his business, Xu An felt a little embarrassed.

“Don’t worry about it.” Zhou Yu’s voice was lazy.

“Oh.”

Having Zhou Yu, a formidable person, with her, she wasn’t afraid of being bothered.  He could help her bargain when she was buying things, it was very helpful.  Xu An obediently shut up.