Chapter 5: Caught in the Act

Geng Zhiye nodded, grumbling internally, I’m not like you, falling in love at sixteen or seventeen, even wanting to head to the countryside for some random guy. Good thing my mother-in-law was tough and put a stop to it.

Ye Fan pinched his cheek, “Which military communication unit or hospital doesn’t have female comrades?”

Geng Zhiye lifted his hand to cover hers, “But which female soldier is as beautiful, kind, and caring as my wife?”

“That’s enough now.”

A mocking voice drifted in, and Geng Zhiye straightened up in a hurry.

Ye Fan chuckled, opening the door, “Sister-in-law, is the noodles ready?”

Ye Fan’s eldest sister-in-law rolled her eyes as she peeked inside, “Overcooked!”

Geng Zhiye scratched his nose awkwardly and stepped out, “Sister-in-law.”

She turned and headed toward the main room, and Geng Zhiye quickly followed, looking like a shy daughter-in-law. Ye Fan laughed herself silly, clutching his arm. Geng Zhiye slowed down, turned, and glared at her, “Enough already.”

“It’s not like I was the one caught red-handed.” Ye Fan looked up and saw Chen Kuanren and Zhao Rujing in the room, and her smile faded.

Following her gaze, Geng Zhiye took her hand and led her inside.

The main house of the Ye family had five rooms. The east and west rooms were the bedrooms of Ye’s parents and Ye Jin and his wife, while the three rooms in the middle served as the hall. The hall was spacious, with a small study on one side and a table used as a dining area on the other.

Although Ye’s parents hadn’t gone to the hospital, they were worried about Chen Xiaohui and hadn’t eaten much at noon. Ye Fan hadn’t even had a sip of water.

Ye Fan’s older brother asked his wife to make more food, but there weren’t enough eggs for everyone to have one. The sister-in-law beat the eggs and poured them into the pot, serving a bowl to each person.

Ye Fan had been raised by the Ye family, and they would cherish her as they would a pet dog if she were one. But under the circumstances, her sister-in-law dared not favor her. Ye Fan’s bowl contained only egg drops, while Chen Xiaohui, Zhao Rujing, and Chen Kuanren’s bowls each had enough egg to make a full one. No matter if they ate from the bottom or started from the top, each bite had a chunk of egg. The egg smoothed over Chen Kuanren’s heart, riddled with holes from Ye Fan’s words, and Zhao Rujing silently rejoiced in bringing Chen Xiaohui here to meet relatives. If a simple bowl of noodles had this much egg, how many treats would there be during the holidays?

Zhao Rujing could almost see herself, with braised pork in one hand, stuffed eight-treasure duck in the other, and a table full of hairy crabs in front of her.

Geng Zhiye ate quickly, and Ye Fan had barely taken a few bites when his bowl was already empty. Seeing this, Ye Fan’s older brother said, “I forgot to buy more noodles; there’s still a bit of soup left in the pot.”

In times when even a mouse dared to steal from a cat, Ye Fan didn’t dare to keep too much rice or noodles at home. Since she worked at the supply and marketing cooperative, it was easy for her to buy things as needed. But she hadn’t been to the cooperative recently, so there was only a handful of noodles left at home.

Ye Fan said, “I’ll head to the cooperative in a bit and give the supervisor a heads-up. I’ll also pick up some snacks for Xiaohui to take on the road.”

Chen Xiaohui looked up and saw Ye Fan.

Ye Fan poured the noodles into Geng Zhiye’s bowl. She wanted to say something but felt it didn’t concern her, so she continued eating.

Ye Fan stood up. “I’ll go get some soup.”

Ye Jin frowned, “Just a few bites and you’re full?”

“I’m thirsty.” Seeing Chen Kuanren and Zhao Rujing had killed her appetite.

After drinking half a bowl of soup, Ye Fan went out to wait in the car.

Zhao Rujing, hoping to strengthen ties with the Ye family, disregarded Ye Fan’s words about keeping things mutually settled and not needing future contact—she took it as nonsense. Noticing Ye Fan’s sister-in-law clearing the dishes, Zhao Rujing immediately stood up to help, not forgetting to signal to Chen Xiaohui.

Since she was unfamiliar with Chen Xiaohui, Ye Fan’s sister-in-law didn’t feel comfortable calling on her like she would with Ye Fan, so she told her to sit and rest. Nonetheless, Chen Xiaohui was still pulled up by Zhao Rujing.

The mother and daughter stepped out the door as Geng Zhiye opened the front passenger door. They stopped in their tracks, watching Ye Fan skillfully turn the car around. The green jeep shot off like a rocket, causing both of them to shiver slightly.

Ye Fan’s sister-in-law glanced back as she rounded a corner, noticing the two of them. One had a disapproving look, as if a woman driving was somehow beyond comprehension, while the other was clutching her hands, avoiding eye contact. She couldn’t help but wonder, If they knew where the Ye family lived, couldn’t they have asked around a bit more?

If they’d put even a little thought into understanding Ye Fan, they wouldn’t have been caught off guard like this today.

Zhao Rujing walked over, noticing the sister-in-law’s hesitant expression, and immediately grew curious. “Xiaohui’s sister-in-law—”

What an awkward way to address me, thought Ye Fan’s sister-in-law. She kept her expression calm, a gentle smile inviting Zhao Rujing to speak her mind.

Zhao Rujing immediately said, “Ye Fan must be hard to control, huh?”

If it weren’t for the fact that she and her mother-in-law still had to go to Shanghai, Ye Fan’s sister-in-law would have gladly rolled her eyes at her—Mind your own business!

“She’s already twenty-five,” Ye Fan’s sister-in-law said with a smile.

Chen Xiaohui picked up on the exasperation in her tone. “Mom, what are you saying?”

“What did I say?” Zhao Rujing said dismissively. “Isn’t it the truth? Look at her. Just because she knows how to drive, she acts like she’s something special, as if she’s about to take off. Doesn’t she worry about getting into an accident?”

Chen Xiaohui glanced nervously at Ye Fan’s sister-in-law.

Ye Fan’s sister-in-law thought to herself, Could it be that Fan doesn’t want to see you so much that she can’t stand to stay in this house for even a minute?

“Auntie, you don’t really know Fan.” She forced a smile.

Zhao Rujing scoffed, “I don’t care to know her.”

“You’ll see, Fan is actually easy to get along with,” said Ye Fan’s sister-in-law as she walked into the kitchen.

Zhao Rujing, acting overly familiar, followed her in. “There’s no ‘later’ with her.”

Ye Fan’s sister-in-law paused, feeling exasperated. Is she ever going to stop?

Seeing her sister-in-law’s expression darken, Chen Xiaohui hurriedly said, “Mom, why are you saying all this nonsense?”

Zhao Rujing, feeling displeased, started, “Xiaohui—”

“Auntie—” Ye Fan’s sister-in-law interrupted, “a few dishes don’t really need this many people to clean up. Xiaohui, why don’t you and Auntie take a walk around the area? That way, you’ll know your way around next time.”

Immediately, Zhao Rujing gave up on stirring up trouble and nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes! Xiaohui, let me show you around.” She pulled Chen Xiaohui outside and began instructing her: in the future, when she’s at the Ye family’s house, she needs to be perceptive. Regardless of whether Tao Chunlan or Li Mingyue asks her to help with housework, she should never follow Ye Fan’s example of just tossing her bowl into the kitchen and walking off after eating. She should also stay alert to make sure the Ye family isn’t secretly giving money to Ye Fan. Don’t feel awkward about it, she added.

Ye Fan had to have whatever she had. If the Ye family dared to show favoritism, she would definitely write to tell them that she would stand up for Chen Xiaohui.

Chen Xiaohui worried that if she angered her, she wouldn’t help her with the household registration. No matter what Zhao Rujing said, she kept nodding in agreement, acting obedient and compliant.

Seeing this, Zhao Rujing couldn’t help but feel relieved that she had gotten rid of Ye Fan early on. Otherwise, with Ye Fan’s troublesome body, if she didn’t wear herself out, she would end up driving Zhao Rujing to her grave after all her efforts to raise her.

Geng Zhiye noticed Ye Fan’s ears turning visibly red. “Oh, who’s thinking of you?”

“Less of your feudal superstition.” Ye Fan parked the car in front of the bathhouse. “Half an hour!”

Geng Zhiye pushed open the car door and jumped out. “It’s either your half-sister or my cheap mother-in-law. Just wait, I’ll finish this in ten minutes!”

“You dare?!” Ye Fan glared at him. “Ten minutes isn’t even enough for me to wash my hair.”

Geng Zhiye replied, “That’s only because our Fan has a head full of—”

“Still cracking jokes?”

Geng Zhiye fell silent, chuckling as he turned away and waved at her.

After twenty minutes of washing away the fatigue and grime, they arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative five minutes later. This time, it was Geng Zhiye who stayed in the car while Ye Fan went inside.

Ye Fan didn’t come out for nearly an hour.

Geng Zhiye leaned in and opened the car door. “What could you have been talking about for so long?”

“Guess!”

Geng Zhiye immediately replied, “I can’t guess!”

“Is it worth it?” Ye Fan waved her hand at her sister-in-law, who had just come out of the house, before driving away.

Geng Zhiye leaned back, relaxing completely. “So let me take a guess. Business is good and the bonuses are plentiful, and you’re the daring one who ran out here. Usually, when something happens, you’re the one who handles it. Now that you’re gone, there’s no one to take charge of the situation, and with the purchasing station causing more trouble, the director can’t continue selling like this. If the money dries up and the glory is lost, will the director still refuse to report it or sign the documents?”

Ye Fan couldn’t help but laugh when she recalled what the director had said.

“What else could there be? Did you develop feelings over the years and consider him family?” Geng Zhiye scoffed. “That old fox, how could that be possible!”

“An old fox isn’t really a fox,” Ye Fan replied.

“Come on!”

Ye Fan knew he didn’t believe her. “I find it funny that he usually complains about me being too capable. It’s only because he’s magnanimous and doesn’t mind me stealing the spotlight—”

“He wouldn’t dare—” Geng Zhiye straightened up but abruptly stopped when he saw Ye Fan’s expression, as if to ask if he could finish his thought.

Ye Fan continued, “I heard that when I confirmed I was leaving, he found someone to take my place and spoke to me as if I had lost my parents, saying with heartfelt sincerity that women should prioritize their careers and that men are unreliable—”

“He’s talking nonsense! You can’t listen to him.” Geng Zhiye cursed, still feeling unsatisfied. “There’s a saying that cutting off someone’s means of making a living is like killing their parents. It’s not like losing parents, for crying out loud.” He noticed a shop ahead with its doors tightly closed. “Is it already closed for the day?”

Ye Fan instinctively replied, “No, it’s not.”

“I meant that one.”

Ye Fan slowed down to take a look. “That shop? There aren’t many people; they often only open for an hour a day.”

Geng Zhiye couldn’t help but be curious about what kind of business could afford to be so relaxed.

“It’s an antique shop. Who would still dare to deal in that stuff these days?”

Geng Zhiye turned to Ye Fan. She smiled and nodded. “If it weren’t for the trouble it would cause if I brought antiques home, I’d buy a few as soon as I got my paycheck. I’ve heard that things from the Daoguang and Xianfeng eras are sold by the pound.”

Geng Zhiye thought to himself that he hadn’t misheard her. “When did you become interested in antiques?”

“Gold in chaotic times, antiques in prosperous times, that’s the way it is! With these years of no war at home, once there’s no more revolution, the value will definitely increase. We can’t afford a house with our salaries, and saving in the bank isn’t worthwhile either.”

Geng Zhiye picked up on her tone. “Are you thinking of moving out?”

Ye Fan shook her head. “I’m leaving in a few days; there’s no need. But since we have our own place, if you don’t want to listen to your stepmother nagging, we can always find a place to hide out.”

Geng Zhiye wanted to say something but suddenly realized that times have changed. He wrapped his arm around Ye Fan’s shoulder and said, “Then I’ll ask Aunt Yu to help us keep an eye out, just say it’s for Da Bao’s preparation.”

“You’ll find an excuse,” Ye Fan was still worried about how to move out without disappointing her parents.

Geng Zhiye replied, “But it’s going to take a few years. First of all, we don’t have that much money, and secondly, if we bring this up in the next couple of years, my father-in-law and mother-in-law will definitely feel like they’ve raised you for nothing.”

“There hasn’t been time these past few years. Er Bao is too small to be away from people.” Ye Fan suddenly stopped, causing Geng Zhiye to jump in surprise. “Here…”

“Did I?” He looked outside, “Did I take the wrong way?”

Ye Fan shot him a glare, “Do you think I could get lost after living under the Royal City for decades? Get out. I’m going to the Friendship Store to buy you something to eat.”

Geng Zhiye, eager for the good stuff at the Friendship Store, immediately followed along, “Get me some pastries, a bottle of whiskey, and a pack of Marlboros.”

As soon as the salesperson heard “big spender,” they quickly went to fetch it for him.

Ye Fan calmly took out her money, “Forget all that. Just grab a few bottles of cola.”