Chapter 17

After receiving that bottle of Moutai from Wu Zhengrong, Ye Manzhi brought up the idea of treating him to a drink several times with Old Ye.

You have to understand—back when Old Ye was trying to secure her a blind date with Wu Zhengrong, he could treat Old Chen from the Infrastructure Department to drinks three times in a single week!

But once the guest of honor changed to Wu Zhengrong himself, Old Ye suddenly got shy about it.

When pressed too much, he’d start yelling:
“I, Ye Shouxin, make a living with my own skills and craftsmanship! Why would I need to cozy up to the factory leadership? I had no choice with Zhou Zhenye—our families arranged a marriage pact over a decade ago. Now I’m a free man; I’m not about to start working the nepotism angle!”

Out of nowhere, Old Ye got all twisted up about it and outright refused to treat a leader to drinks.

Meanwhile, Ye Manzhi had already accepted that bottle of Moutai from Wu Zhengrong, and returning the favor now felt like a real challenge.

So when Wu Zhengrong suddenly asked her in person when her dad was going to take him out for drinks, whatever shyness she had immediately turned into awkwardness.

She even had the guts to think, If it comes down to it, I’ll just drink with him myself. We’ll open that Moutai!

“Captain Wu, about that drink, uh…” Ye Manzhi glanced over at Comrade Xiao Qin, who was still listening in.

Qin Xiang immediately caught the hint. “Oh—oh—right! I’ve got some stuff to handle. You two take your time chatting!”

And off he went.

Ye Manzhi continued, “Let me be honest with you—my dad tends to overthink things.”

“Oh?”

“He thinks, since you’re a factory leader, if he actively comes to treat you to drinks or dinner, it might look like he’s trying to curry favor.”

“He actually said that?”

“Yeah, he did.”

Wu Zhengrong: “…”

Since being stationed at the factory, he’d gone to the workshops nearly every day. He had known Foreman Ye long before that arranged blind date with Ye Manzhi.

Ye Shouxin was a level-7 welder, and the National Day tribute product was being welded by his team.

They’d interacted quite a bit at work—practically old colleagues.

And that guy was afraid of looking like he was sucking up?

Wu Zhengrong figured it must be that bottle of Moutai he gave them that made the old man feel awkward.

Ye Manzhi didn’t realize that, in just a few sentences, she’d completely exposed her father’s thinking.

Without Qin Xiang there egging them on, she felt more relaxed—and even remembered her original plan:
“Captain Wu, since my dad is too embarrassed to invite you, why don’t I treat you to dinner instead?”

Her father was no help, so it was up to her—the young, lively, radiant daughter—to personally step up and drink heartily with Captain Wu.

Wu Zhengrong declined politely. “You just started working. No need to go to any expense.”

“It’s okay. I haven’t received my first paycheck yet, but I’ve got some savings.”

The more politely he declined, the more Ye Manzhi felt compelled to repay the favor.

“Besides, I have a book that’s about to be published. The publishing house might give me a decent amount in royalties. I can definitely afford a meal!”

Wu Zhengrong raised an eyebrow in surprise, suddenly intrigued. “You’re publishing a book? What kind?”

The moment her book came up, Ye Manzhi brightened and became chatty.

“It’s a style guide for women—introducing different clothing designs. The tentative title is A Compilation of Fashion Sketches: 100 Women’s Outfits. Right now, it’s still in the preliminary editing phase, and probably won’t be published until the end of the year…”

This was a field Wu Zhengrong knew absolutely nothing about.

Nowadays, many men’s and women’s clothing styles are quite similar—things like Lenin jackets, shirts, and workwear are almost identical in design, typically loose and oversized.

Every time they met, Ye Manzhi’s outfits were always refreshing and eye-catching—she was clearly the kind of girl who knew how to dress well.

But to be good at dressing to the point of publishing a book—that was honestly unexpected.

After hearing her explanation, Wu Zhengrong smiled and praised her:
“If you’re already publishing a book, it means your aesthetic sense in this area surpasses that of most people in the country. You’re still so young—if you keep working at it, your future is limitless.”

Ye Manzhi was afraid he might get the wrong idea and quickly clarified,
“Captain Wu, I didn’t design those outfits myself—I just compiled the prettiest styles into a collection.”

Wu Zhengrong had his own way of looking at things:
“Everyone knows the characters in the Xinhua Dictionary, but not everyone can edit a dictionary.”

Ye Manzhi thought, Wow, you really know how to talk! When an intellectual gives compliments, it goes straight to your heart!

She was practically glowing with joy from the praise, and couldn’t help but ask,
“Captain Wu, do you have any sisters? When my book is officially published, how about I send you a few copies?”

“I’ve got one older sister and one younger sister.” Seeing how easily her emotions showed on her face, Wu Zhengrong couldn’t help but smile.
“Sure, send me a few copies—they’d probably love it.”

Working at the neighborhood committee office, Ye Manzhi’s most basic skill was knowing how to chat—otherwise, even gossiping at work would be tough.

In just a few casual sentences, she’d already gotten a good sense of the women in the Wu household.

There were quite a few ladies in the Wu family. Sending Captain Wu a few extra copies of the book when it came out—well, that would make for a pretty thoughtful return gift!

When the bugle sounded to signal the end of the workday, Ye Manzhi stood up and took the initiative to say goodbye:
“Captain Wu, it’s settled then. I’ll treat you to a meal to thank you for your help.”

This time, Wu Zhengrong didn’t turn her down. He agreed on a time for their next meeting and personally walked her to the door.

---

The next afternoon, Ye Manzhi took her Fifth Brother, who had just returned from the countryside, to the housing office to complete the rental procedures.

Comrade Xiao Qin from the military liaison office was there, and he was more effective than any official document.

The new courtyard house had the same rent as the other four units in the carriage inn—five yuan a month.

When Fifth Brother got the keys, he felt like a pie had fallen from the sky right into his mouth.

“Yaya, tell me the truth—what’s the story with this house?”

“I asked the military liaison officer for help,” Ye Manzhi explained honestly.

Fifth Brother gave her a suspicious look. He wanted to ask why that officer would help them, but in the end, he held it in. He figured he’d talk to Chang Yue’e about it later—better to let their mother make the call.

“That guy helped us with such a big deal—shouldn’t we show some appreciation? When I move in, let’s invite him over for a meal. I’ve got two pigs—I’ll slaughter one to treat him!”

Ye Manzhi gave her Fifth Brother a big thumbs-up.

Now this guy’s got some generosity—way better than Old Ye!

Asking Old Ye to treat someone to a drink, he’d get all shy and reluctant. But Fifth Brother? He’s ready to slaughter a whole pig!

Those two old sows were his pride and joy—one named Dahua, the other Yihua. He’d raised them for over a year, and even though they were now just eating without gaining weight, he still couldn’t bring himself to kill them.

“We can talk about the meal later,” Ye Manzhi said, brushing it off for now. All she cared about was getting Fifth Brother moved out of Yueya Hutong as soon as possible…

“Move out as soon as you can,” Ye Manzhi said. “The house at the carriage inn has an old stable—it’ll be perfect for raising pigs or horses. I think you should hurry up and relocate. Give Hongzao, Dahua, and Yihua a better environment.”

With a better place available, of course Fifth Brother wanted to move in as soon as possible. He immediately agreed to go back and pack up for the move.

Ye Manzhi finally felt half-relieved, but she still reminded him,
“Brother, if anyone asks about this house, don’t mention the military liaison office. Just say you happened to find it for rent.”

Wu Zhengrong didn’t even like approving written requests—he clearly valued keeping his reputation clean.

“I got it. You think your brother doesn’t understand something this basic? Don’t worry.”

In fact, the Ye siblings didn’t even need to worry that much.

The military liaison office had released two housing units—one was rented to Fifth Brother, and the other was taken by a salesperson from the supply and marketing cooperative, who happened to go to the housing office the same day.

Compared to Fifth Brother, that person was the real lucky one. Scoring a courtyard house in that location for just five yuan a month had them grinning from ear to ear.

After moving into the new house, they went around bragging to everyone about how they and Old Fifth Ye had lucked into getting military office transitional housing at such a low rent.

Fifth Brother didn’t even have to come up with an excuse himself—he just nodded along.

…

Now that Ye Manzhi had helped Fifth Brother relocate, she could breathe a little easier—but only a little. The other half of her worries still hung over the Zheng family in Yueya Hutong.

The Zhengs were like a landmine buried in Yueya Hutong—if anyone stepped on it by accident, it could blow up in everyone’s faces.

Their complicated situation made it a real headache, and she was just racking her brain over what to do when someone finally brought the Zheng family’s issue into the open.

The trigger was still that brawl a few days ago.

Among the five severely injured people taken to the hospital, one had suffered a spinal fracture. Given the current medical conditions, a full recovery was unlikely—there was a high chance he’d be permanently disabled.

A strong, able-bodied man now looking at lifelong disability—neither he nor his family could accept that.

Unable to think of any other solution, the family put forward the most straightforward request:
they wanted to be designated as a welfare household.

“I know the Wang family—we’ve reviewed their application several times, and they never met the requirements,” said Zhang Qinjan, pointing at the application form. “Even if Wang Zhiqiang ends up with lasting effects, his household still has other able-bodied adults. That doesn’t qualify them for welfare.”

Welfare officer Wei Zhen sighed awkwardly,
“They may be able-bodied, but the real issue is none of them have jobs.”

“The city’s about to begin reviewing welfare households again,” said Director Mu. “Why don’t we take this opportunity to re-evaluate the entire list across our street? The country needs funds for development, so the city and district are being especially strict with welfare approvals now.”

“We’ve got 87 welfare households in Guangming Street—the highest number in the entire district. Always asking for handouts from above isn’t a long-term plan. We really need to find a way to get people self-sufficient.”

Ye Manzhi and three other junior staff members were allowed to attend the street committee’s welfare meeting—but they weren’t allowed to speak, only listen.

Even so, they didn’t stay completely quiet. Liu Jinbao leaned over and whispered to Ye Manzhi,
“They should make those able-bodied people go out and work. If folks can get welfare without lifting a finger, wouldn’t everyone just follow suit and stop working?”

“You’re not wrong,” she replied. “But where are they supposed to find work?”

“There are plenty of factories in the city hiring. If you’ve got hands and feet, go apply!”

“It’s easy for you to say,Chen Caixia said, speechless. “Most of those welfare applicants are illiterate or semi-illiterate. Even factories have basic education requirements when hiring. If just anyone could become a worker, then we’d all be workers already!”

The four of them were whispering more and more loudly off to the side, until Director Mu cleared his throat to remind them to keep quiet.

Zhang Qinjan chuckled and said, “I think Liu Jinbao made a good point. People with the ability to work should be encouraged to go out and participate in labor. Everyone, take a look—these two households…”

He pulled two forms from the stack of dozens of welfare applications.

“One is from Qian Shengli’s family in Waibozi Hutong, the other is from Zheng Dongmei’s family in Yueya Hutong. Both families applied for welfare a long time ago, but never passed the review. Their situations are very typical—after the main breadwinner became disabled, only the elderly, women, and children are left.”

Wei Zhen was very familiar with both families and frowned with a hint of contempt.

“Qian Shengli’s household is at least trying—Old Qian still weaves baskets at home to help out. But the Zheng family? Total mess,” she said with a look of frustration. “I’ve been to their house several times. I even helped Zheng Dongmei’s parents get a job pasting matchboxes. But they either say sitting too long hurts their backs or claim their fingers have arthritis—always some excuse not to work.”

Hearing about the Zhengs, Ye Manzhi couldn’t help but chime in.

“Sister Wei, the real issue is that their daughter-in-law and daughter are too capable. Xue Qiao’er earns money driving a tricycle, and Zheng Dongmei’s sister stays home taking care of the kids and doing housework. Even though the son is paralyzed, it doesn’t actually affect the parents’ daily life.”

Wei Zhen immediately found a kindred spirit and clapped her hands. “Xiao Ye is absolutely right—those two old folks are just spoiled rotten by their kids!”

Wei Zhen had brought up the Zhengs’ issue before, but no one believed her.

Old Man Zheng and his wife had a reputation for being kind and easygoing, and they were unusually tolerant of their daughter-in-law, despite her being a former prostitute. They had a pretty decent reputation in the neighborhood. The neighborhood committee director and residents’ group leaders all said they were “honest folk.”

Instead, it was the daughter-in-law Xue Qiao’er and Zheng Dongmei’s sister who were seen as troublemakers in the alley.

But Wei Zhen had worked in welfare for years. She’d seen every type—scammers, freeloaders, the whole lot.

In her eyes, those two old Zhengs were no innocent lambs either.

Everyone started chiming in, gossiping about the various applicants and digging up all sorts of family secrets.

Ye Manzhi perked up her ears, thoroughly enjoying the gossip, but Director Mu cut in:

“Alright, enough. Each of these applicants has their own circumstances, but we can’t keep increasing the number of welfare households on Guangming Street. For those who truly can’t work, we’ll help them get through tough times—but everyone else must learn to be self-reliant!”

“Let’s divide these applications by neighborhood committee. The liaison officers should visit each household and try to find solutions for them. We can’t keep adding to the country’s burden.”

There were six neighborhood committees in total on Guangming Street. Ye Manzhi and Chen Caixia were liaisons for the fifth and sixth committees.

They were assigned nine welfare forms altogether—one of which belonged to the Zheng family.

Ye Manzhi knew very well that even though her Fifth Brother was about to move out of Yueya Hutong, the crisis wasn’t over yet.

If anyone else set Zheng Dongmei’s sister off, she could lose control and set a fire that would burn down the whole street.

And this wouldn’t just affect the neighborhood office…

“More than just a meal ticket, it’s a matter of life and death!”

Ye Manzhi felt that among the people at the street office, Wei Zhen’s views on the Zheng family were fairly consistent with her own. So, she decided to approach Wei Zhen for some guidance on what to do next regarding the welfare applications.

“His family’s situation is complicated, but it’s also simple,” Wei Zhen whispered to her. “The Zheng couple, if I had to sum them up in one word, it would be ‘two-faced’! They’re really good at making others work, treating their daughter and daughter-in-law like beasts of burden. The problem is, the two young women don’t even think there’s an issue—they’re willing to support the whole family.”

Ye Manzhi recalled the smile of Xue Qiao’er and thought, perhaps they weren’t entirely willing.

She quietly shared her plan with Wei Zhen. “Sister Wei, what do you think about having Zheng Dongmei’s sister leave the house? She’s pretty capable, and she can still work. She should go out and find a job, while the elderly couple stays home to do housework and take care of the children. If Zheng Dongmei’s sister works outside, there will be two wage earners in the family, and they won’t be eligible for welfare anymore.”

Chen Caixia was not optimistic about this idea.

“That’s tough! Maybe the Zheng family is trying to qualify for welfare, so they refuse to let their daughter work. Unless we can find Zheng Dongmei’s sister a job that pays much more than welfare would.”

But they were still on probation, and their own jobs weren’t guaranteed. How could they help someone else find such a good opportunity?

Wei Zhen chuckled a little but didn’t respond.

“Sister Wei, if you have any ideas, please share them,” Ye Manzhi urged, grabbing her hand. “You know the Zheng family better than we do, and we’ll listen to you!”

Seeing the two young women looking at her expectantly, Wei Zhen hesitated for a moment before softly voicing her suspicion.

“I might be reading too much into this, but I suspect the Zheng couple would rather take welfare than let their daughter work outside.”

“Why?” Chen Caixia asked in confusion. “Isn’t it better if she can earn more money for the family?”

Wei Zhen asked, “Since you’ve started working here, hasn’t anyone tried to set you up with someone?”

“I’m already married!” Chen Caixia pointed to Ye Manzhi. “Xiao Ye is the popular one; people are always trying to introduce her to someone.”

“See? The moment you two arrived at the unit, people were already trying to set you up. Now, if Zheng Dongmei’s sister worked outside, she’s not bad looking and she’s capable. Do you think she’d get matched up with someone? If she gets married, no matter how much she earns, she won’t be giving all that money to her family, right?”

Zheng Dongmei’s sister was already sixteen or seventeen, and girls her age in other families were already mothers with children running around.

If they truly cared about their daughter, why weren’t they helping her find a husband?

Unless the younger generation in the Zheng family could support the family financially, Zheng Dongmei’s sister would likely spend her entire life taking care of her parents.

Ye Manzhi and Chen Caixia exchanged glances, both with a look of realization.

---

The fifth and sixth neighborhood committees had nine families applying for welfare, and they were tasked with helping the committee members visit each household.

That evening, after dinner, Ye Manzhi grabbed her bag and was ready to head out for the home visits.

“Hey, big shot, wait a minute before you go,” Chang Yue’e stopped her daughter.

“Mom, I’m in a hurry.”

“I need to ask you something,” Chang Yue’e pulled her daughter aside and asked with a secretive expression, “Are we supposed to start using meat purchase certificates soon?”

“Who did you hear that from?”

“It came from the neighborhood committee. You need to tell me the truth, this is a big deal, no beating around the bush!”

“Ah, Director Mu doesn’t want us to talk about it! What if everyone rushes to buy pork and it causes trouble?”

As a street official, Ye Manzhi had known for three days that pork would be available only with a purchase certificate in the future.

The neighborhood committee was responsible for filling out meat purchase certificates for the residents and then having them stamped by the street office. She and Aunt Feng were the ones who stamped the certificates.

After stamping thousands of meat purchase certificates, her wrist ached.

Chang Yue’e tapped her on the forehead. “Why are you so stubborn? If you don’t say anything, someone else will. This is already being passed around the building. Everyone’s preparing to rush for meat tomorrow morning!”

“Ah, even though the supply is limited, the meat vouchers are basically enough, there’s no need to rush. It’s so hot right now, why buy so much meat?”

“Your dad does physical labor, if he doesn’t eat meat, he won’t have the energy!” Chang Yue’e shot her a look. “I don’t care, you all better wake up early tomorrow, while you still don’t need vouchers. We’re buying more meat, and we’ll make more sausages to store!”

Ye Manzhi reluctantly agreed, and the next morning, at four o’clock, her mom dragged her out of bed.

She didn’t even have time to fix her hair before joining the crowd to rush for pork.

She and Chang Yue’e went to the vegetable market near the crooked-neck alley.

Others were sent to even further markets and meat stalls, determined to get the first batch of pork when the market opened!

Ye Manzhi was yawning when she left, but as soon as they reached the market and saw the long line, she instantly became alert.

“You see, we’re late,” Chang Yue’e sighed. “Those people in front must have been here since last night!”

Ye Manzhi: “…”

People are really going all out for some meat!

In the past two years, the city had gradually started using grain purchase certificates, fabric purchase certificates, sugar certificates, firewood certificates, oil certificates, and most daily necessities were in limited supply.

Other things could be made do with, but when it came to grain and oil being limited, it really frustrated everyone.

For families with labor-intensive work, pork was just as important as grain and oil.

Before the market even opened, the crowd in line stretched endlessly.

Chang Yue’e, using her wide network, found a good spot in the queue with the carriage driver’s family.

“Aunt Chang, I heard your son is moving out of the Yueya Hutong?” A relative of the carriage driver started a conversation with Chang Yue’e.

“Yes, the area is inconvenient, and my son’s little horse always gets scratched by the tree branches in the alley. He feels sorry for the horse.”

“Good choice!” Zhang’s wife said with a meaningful look. “You were too close to that Xue Qiao’er. Your son is still unmarried, it’s better to stay far away from her.”

Chang Yue’e smiled and waved her hand. “It’s not because of that little wife, she’s turned her life around, it’s fine!”

“How’s it fine? I don’t even want to mention what she did!” Zhang’s wife sneered. “In the past two months, the work she’s done is among the top ten in the team! How could someone like her do so much work?”

Another woman, Wang’s wife, laughed. “You don’t know, right? In their team, the wages of seven or eight of the drivers have gone down. Old Sun’s wages have been the lowest, and because of this, his wife, Ge Hong, even caused a scene at the police station!”

“Someone reported that Xue Qiao’er has returned to her old ways, but it seems like the police didn’t do anything about it, they say it’s because there’s no evidence.”

This kind of gossip spreads fastest among the families, and at the slightest sign of movement, everyone in the entire team knows about it.

Ye Manzhi knew that Director Mu was still investigating Xue Qiao’er’s case, and with a curious look on her face, she asked, “Sister-in-law, the drivers’ wages have gone down, maybe it’s because they’ve been working less? It might not be related to Xue Qiao’er, right?”

“If it has nothing to do with her, why would she send them handkerchiefs for no reason?” Wang’s wife scoffed. “Our house is right across from Old Chen’s, and his wife nearly tore the roof off over that handkerchief. But, Old Chen’s wife isn’t as tough as Ge Hong, who went straight to the police!”

Ye Manzhi was filled with confusion—what exactly was going on with Xue Qiao’er?

Why did she keep sending men handkerchiefs?

The last time Ge Hong went to the police station to hang herself, she also mentioned pulling a fragrant handkerchief out of her husband Old Sun’s pocket.

Now, again, a handkerchief.

Could this be some kind of rule in Liushao Hutong?

“Forget it, forget it, I think Xue Qiao’er is just an idiot! She’s supporting her in-laws with this kind of business! I don’t know what’s so great about the Zheng family, for her to be so devoted to them! Bah, don’t talk about her anymore!”

The group of carriage driver families quickly changed the subject and started talking about other things.

Ye Manzhi then quietly told her mother about the scene she had seen in Yueya Hutong that day.

“Xue Qiao’er might have seen through the Zheng family, she’s not the idiot they make her out to be. But, since she’s figured out her in-laws aren’t right, why doesn’t she just divorce? She’s so strong, she could have a future even after a divorce.”

Chang Yue’e sighed deeply.

“I come from a good family, you know. When I divorced your big sister’s real dad, it was almost a nightmare. The first few years, I was criticized by everyone. If it was like that for me, how could someone like Xue Qiao’er easily get a divorce?”

She knew her daughter had been exposed to some things while working at the street office, and now she understood more than before, so there was no need to hold back.

“You know, when Liushao Hutong was liberated, do you know where all the brothel girls went?”

Ye Manzhi shook her head.

“Those who had families went back home, and those who didn’t had to find their own way. Some found new jobs, while others, who had no home and no skills to survive, were offered a chance to go to the mines and marry a single miner who didn’t mind their past.”

“The mountains were high and the roads were long, and for many, it was an unfamiliar environment, so some didn’t want to go and chose to stay. Xue Qiao’er was one of those who was picked by her husband in such a situation, brought home, and became his wife. At that time, it was considered a kindness to her.”

Ye Manzhi thought, when Xue Qiao’er chose to stay, she certainly didn’t expect the Zheng family to turn out to be a pit of fire.

Chang Yue’e sighed, “So, in her situation, she could be widowed, but she could never get divorced. Otherwise, the spit from others would drown her, and life would be even harder to live.”

Widowed, but never divorced?

Ye Manzhi mulled over those words, feeling as though they were a thunderclap, ringing in her ears.

What was the original fate of the Zheng family?

Zheng Dongmei was shot, and aside from Xue Qiao’er and her children, didn’t everyone else get burned alive?