Chapter 71

At No. 1 High School.

After Su Ye arranged for Zhou Honghan to repair the oil press at the cooking oil factory, Lu Siyuan returned to school and seemed like a completely different person.

He was quieter than before. Whenever he was free, he would hold a book and read, staying at his desk without speaking or leaving. When he got tired, he would rest, but he never missed a single class.

His group of friends found this behavior odd. One of them asked in surprise, “Is Brother Yuan starting to take studying seriously?”

In the past, Lu Siyuan would have kicked him for saying that. But this time, he simply frowned and said, “Don’t mess around,” before burying his head back in the book. The group of friends, who were used to hanging out and slacking off with him, couldn’t help but be amazed.

Yang Chenxing, understanding what had happened at Lu Siyuan’s home, simply patted him on the shoulder in silent support.

Lu Siyuan endured the day’s classes, something he had never done so diligently before. Strangely, it felt… not so bad.

Suppressing his excitement, he went to find Su Ye in the office. “Teacher Su,” he asked, “Can the oil press at our factory really be fixed?”

Su Ye gave him a reassuring answer, smiling as she said, “Don’t worry. It will definitely be repaired. So, will you definitely earn your high school diploma?”

Lu Siyuan responded firmly, “I will.”

Su Ye looked at the increasingly mature expression on Lu Siyuan’s face. After going through the ordeal with the oil factory, this once rebellious and unruly boy seemed to have grown up overnight, becoming more mature and responsible.

Su Ye couldn’t help but feel emotional. She patted Lu Siyuan on the shoulder and said, “Well done. It’s great to see you finally making an effort. Promise me, think carefully before acting in the future. Stay calm and humble—it’s never a bad idea.”

Lu Siyuan pressed his lips tightly together and didn’t say a word, but judging by his expression, Su Ye felt he had taken the advice to heart.

—

At Changyou Cooking Oil Factory.

Factory Director Lu instructed the accountant to distribute a small allowance of two yuan to each laid-off worker, reducing the factory’s excess workforce.

One by one, the workers lined up to receive their yellow kraft paper envelopes. Inside, the hard envelope contained four fifty-cent coins. They had already come to terms with the reality of being laid off once again.

Director Lu silently reviewed the list of workers being laid off, counting each name. Every person on the list was like family to him, and he couldn’t bear to let any of them go.

Taking off his glasses, he said with guilt, “I’m sorry to all of you. If you ever find life too hard to bear, come find me. I might not be able to fill your stomachs, but I can at least offer you a meal of sweet potatoes.”

Seeing his weathered and exhausted face, the workers couldn’t help but think that their director was struggling just as much as they were. In recent days, he had sold nearly everything he owned to pay for the new machines. To hear him still say such things was no small feat. Compared to Director Lu, they weren’t sure who was worse off.

Although it was clear that buying these machines had been a mistake, when they thought about it, they realized he had only done it to improve the factory’s efficiency and rehire the laid-off workers.

“Director, don’t say that. You’ve already done your best…”

“Our factory hasn’t gone under yet, and that’s already better than most places!”

Humbly, Director Lu pleaded, “If you still trust me, please believe in me one more time! I, Lu, promise to lead everyone through this crisis!”

Although Director Lu vowed to restore the factory’s former glory, as days went by without any progress on fixing the oil press, doubts began to grow among the workers.

People in the factory slowly realized that Director Lu’s influence was waning, and they started currying favor with Deputy Director Yu, whose position was on the rise.

—

At Qin Lan’s home.

Qin Lan’s father was laid off again, this time due to his limited mobility. Fortunately, Qin Lan’s mother still worked at the oil factory, otherwise, the family wouldn’t have even enough to survive. However, a single income couldn’t sustain the family. In addition to supporting two children in school, there was also Qin Lan’s father’s medicine to pay for.

Qin Lan’s mother frowned deeply as she calculated their expenses. She counted the coins over and over, just a few cents and dimes. Gritting her teeth, she said, “Deputy Director Yu offered a bride price of 500 yuan…”

Qin Lan was stunned, looking at her mother in disbelief.

Her mother pleaded quietly, “Yu Fuda is now the deputy director, and people say he might become the director someday. I’m not asking you to marry him. Just go and beg him for a favor. Maybe he’ll help your dad get back into the factory. I heard he’s helped others who asked.”

Qin Lan replied, “Lu Siyuan said Director Lu will definitely fix the oil press. Dad’s layoff is just temporary. Let’s be patient and wait for the director.”

Her mother’s face was filled with exhaustion and resignation. “If the director had the ability to fix the machines, he wouldn’t have gone bankrupt. Can’t you just go and ask for help?”

Qin Lan felt uneasy about Yu Fuda, but when she saw the desperation in her mother’s expression and her father silently smoking in the corner, she couldn’t bring herself to say no. Nodding reluctantly, she said, “Alright.”

That afternoon, Qin Lan didn’t stay after school for her extra lessons. Instead, she took leave and went to the cooking oil factory to find Yu Fuda.

Qin Lan hurried into the cooking oil factory and happened to run into Lu Siyuan and his friends, who were just heading home from school. Qin Lan, Lu Siyuan, and Yang Chenxing had been in a supplementary Chinese class, and after reciting their assignments, Teacher He let them leave early.

Seeing Qin Lan rushing into the factory, Yang Chenxing asked in surprise, “Brother Lu, am I seeing things? Isn’t that Qin Lan? Why’s she in such a hurry without even saying hello?”

Lu Siyuan noticed the direction she was heading—toward the office building—and frowned, recalling some rumors he had heard.

Qin Lan soon arrived at Yu Fuda’s office.

The cooking oil factory had decent facilities, and Yu Fuda had his own private office with a set of lacquered rosewood furniture. When Qin Lan entered, she was met with the smell of cigarettes.

Yu Fuda was smoking a “^[1]“Da Qian Men” (大前门) is a brand of Chinese cigarettes. It is known for its distinctive packaging and strong flavor, and is a popular choice among smokers in China. Daqianmen” cigarette and reading the newspaper. Seeing Qin Lan, he smiled and said warmly, “Lanlan, you’re here.”

Qin Lan frowned, clearly displeased by the overly familiar nickname.

Yu Fuda slid a cup of tea in front of her with a smile. “What brings you here today? Got some free time to chat with me?”

As he spoke, he reached out and touched her hand, feeling a thrill. Her hand was so soft, as tender as tofu—something older women could never compare to.

Qin Lan pulled her hand back and met Yu Fuda’s brazen gaze. She wasn’t unfamiliar with such looks, having grown up beautiful, she had often encountered lowlifes and troublemakers.

Suppressing her discomfort, Qin Lan asked, “I heard that Uncle Yu could help arrange jobs. My dad’s situation is tough, but he’s hard working and not afraid of hardships. Could you let him return to work at the factory?”

Yu Fuda frowned and slapped his hand on Qin Lan’s backside. “Why are you calling me Uncle Yu? That sounds so distant. Call me Brother Yu!”

Terrified, Qin Lan jumped to her feet, holding back tears. “Uncle Yu, if this is how you’re going to act, I’m leaving! I came here only to talk about my dad’s job. What do you mean by this? If you don’t want to help, just say so! Why humiliate me like this?”

Yu Fuda grabbed her and sneered, “You still don’t get it, do you? Do you think begging a little will get your dad a secure job? Keep dreaming!”

Qin Lan’s fear overwhelmed her, and she let out a piercing scream.

Outside, Lu Siyuan and Yang Chenxing heard the commotion and barged into the office.

The two young men were both shocked and enraged by the scene. Lu Siyuan landed a fierce punch on Yu Fuda’s face, followed by a hard kick.

Yang Chenxing noticed the fierce look in Lu Siyuan’s eyes, as if he was determined to beat Yu Fuda to death. He tightly held Lu Siyuan back and said, “Calm down, Yuanzi! You’ll scare Qin Lan like this!”

Seeing that Lu Siyuan still hadn’t stopped, Yang Chenxing, desperate, brought up Su Ye. “Don’t make trouble for Teacher Su again. Do you remember the promise you made to her?”

Lu Siyuan remembered Su Ye’s words and, with great effort, managed to restrain himself, lowering his fist. He took a few deep breaths and then, unexpectedly, smiled.

Although his clenched fists were still trembling slightly, the smile on his face was unsettling even to Yang Chenxing.

Lu Siyuan helped Yu Fuda to his feet, patted the dust off him, and said with a faint smile, “Apologies, Uncle Yu. I’m young and impulsive—my fists acted faster than my mind. I hope I didn’t offend you. Please be magnanimous and don’t take this small matter to heart.

“By the way, Uncle Yu, you seem so eager to be the factory director. Should I tell my dad to step down early and make room for you? Oh, I almost forgot. My dad is still the director of this factory. As long as he’s in charge, he’ll keep things in check! If you want to stay comfortable as deputy director, I suggest you tread carefully.”

Qin Lan’s face was pale, her cheeks streaked with tears, and her clothes were messy. Trembling, she left the office with Lu Siyuan and Yang Chenxing.

After leaving the cooking oil factory, Yang Chenxing scolded Qin Lan all the way. “What were you thinking? Couldn’t you tell what kind of person that Deputy Yu is? And you still dared to meet him alone!”

Lu Siyuan shot him a glare. “Enough. Stop yelling at her.”

Yang Chenxing reluctantly fell silent but turned to Lu Siyuan with a thumbs-up. “Not bad, Brother Lu, Brother Yuanzi! You really surprised me today!”

He had thought the hot-tempered and reckless Lu Siyuan would beat Yu Fuda into a cripple on the spot, but to his surprise, Lu Siyuan had held back.

The next day, Yang Chenxing went to school and privately told Su Ye about the incident.

When Su Ye heard that one of her students had been mistreated, she was furious. It explained why Qin Lan’s eyes were so swollen when she saw her earlier—clearly, the girl had cried a lot the previous night.

After listening to Yang Chenxing’s account, Su Ye first expressed her high praise and approval of Lu Siyuan’s actions.

“Well done! You handled this beautifully. If someone bullies one of your own, you must step up and help! If you don’t lend a hand when your own people are in trouble, what does that make you but a coward?”

Yang Chenxing was stunned for a moment, then felt a surge of joy in his heart. Teacher Su actually didn’t scold Brother Lu for being impulsive and fighting this time!

Su Ye saw the stunned, dazed expressions on their faces and couldn’t help but voice her frustration. “What? Do I really seem like the kind of rigid, inflexible teacher?”

“This time, you acted with restraint and courage—you finally resemble my students. Don’t worry, I’m not going to scold you. But… just a couple of punches? That’s letting someone like Yu Fuda off too easily.”

Lu Siyuan raised his head silently after hearing her words and asked, “Teacher Su, what do you want to do?”

Yang Chenxing eagerly chimed in, “Let’s grab some sacks and jump him as a group!”

Su Ye shook her head disapprovingly. “Did you forget the lesson from last time? It’s not worth ruining yourselves over someone like him. We’re educated people, we should handle things in a civilized way.”

Hearing the mention of “last time’s lesson,” both Lu and Yang visibly deflated.

Su Ye had long heard rumors about Yu Fuda’s reputation—conniving and obsequious, currying favor with those above while stepping on those below. Neighbors even said that despite his age, he was still a bachelor. If Yu Fuda dared to treat Qin Lan this way, it was likely not the first time he’d done such vile things.

A man who had climbed to the position of deputy director—how many of them were still single? There were rumors of his wildly immoral private life, and others said he had a wife in the countryside. The truth was murky, even Su Ye couldn’t discern fact from fiction.

But Su Ye didn’t care about the rest. Bullying her students? That was unacceptable. Bullying anyone was bad enough, but especially her students—especially her female students!

After school, Su Ye sought out Qin Lan to learn more about what had happened the previous day.

As Qin Lan recounted the events, she wept and said, “My family is struggling financially. If my dad loses his job, we won’t even be able to afford his medicine. I heard that if I begged Yu Fuda, he could help my dad get his job back. Teacher, I was too naive. I was wrong.”

Su Ye felt her anger burn in her chest. What a kind and earnest child! The girl, so innocent and pure, was crying so pitifully that it was heart-wrenching to see. She was still a minor, protected under the law, the future of the nation!

Gently, Su Ye spoke softly, “Silly child, this isn’t your fault. The one at fault is Yu Fuda. It has nothing to do with you. Don’t let this weigh on your mind for too long—let it go and move on.”

“In my eyes, you’ve always been a hardworking, diligent student. I’m counting on you to get into college and make us proud.”

Qin Lan looked up through her tears and asked, “Really?”

Su Ye nodded. “Really. Didn’t you say you wanted to become a teacher? If you keep performing steadily, getting into the teacher’s college is practically guaranteed. One day, you’ll come back to teach at this very school—it’s almost certain. The benefits at this school are great. Every month, aside from 30 catties of food rations, you’ll also get treats like a pound of peanuts and pastries during holidays. All in all, it’s much better than working at the factory.”

Having gone through such a traumatic experience, Qin Lan had been filled with fear, but Su Ye’s warm encouragement gradually calmed her. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she smiled gratefully at Su Ye.