Chapter 11: Wang Qiuya Comes Clean

Zhang Cuihua busily dished out food for the workers at the steel factory while occasionally glancing at the line, searching for the familiar figure of her future daughter-in-law.

The moment Su Yue found her place in the line, Zhang Cuihua spotted her.

Her eyes, already not small, narrowed into slits from her wide smile, her mouth curled up in delight.

Her beautiful daughter-in-law stood out clearly in the crowd — she could spot her in a single glance.

Zhang Cuihua nudged the woman beside her with her elbow. “Sister, can we switch spots? I’ll take over your window.”

Wang Qin, ever easygoing, agreed without hesitation. “Sure thing, Sister Zhang.”

They quickly swapped positions. The third canteen had two serving windows offering the same dishes. There weren’t any performance metrics tied to who served where, so changing places wasn’t a big deal.

Not long after, it was Li Shufang’s turn. She leaned slightly forward toward the window and said, “One portion of braised pork and six steamed buns, please.” She placed her lunch box on the counter.

Zhang Cuihua replied warmly, “Help yourself to the buns. That’ll be 32 cents and one jin two liang of grain coupons.”

Li Shufang raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. She saw this server regularly but had never interacted much with her. She chalked up the enthusiasm to a good mood and didn’t think much of it. She handed over the money and coupons.

Zhang Cuihua tucked the money and coupons into the drawer, then filled the lunch box with a heaping scoop of braised pork — a generous portion that would delight anyone.

Pleased, Li Shufang pulled out a cloth bag, moved one step left, and picked up her steamed buns.

As she stepped aside, Su Yue came into view behind her.

Zhang Cuihua’s smile grew even warmer. “Ah, Xiao Su! Don’t forget, you’re coming over for dinner tonight!”

Su Yue smiled sweetly. “Okay, Auntie Zhang. I’ll have one serving of rice, one braised pork, and one potato-and-eggplant stew.” She handed over two lunch boxes.

“Alright then. That’ll be 30 cents and two liang of grain coupons.”

Seeing Su Yue only brought two containers, Zhang Cuihua poured a bit of the braised pork sauce over the rice and topped it with a generous scoop of stew.

Privately, she thought: This girl’s too honest. Tonight, I’ve got to remind her — next time she orders one meal with two dishes, she should bring three boxes. That way she can get a bit more food.

For the braised pork, Zhang Cuihua was extra careful — one full scoop filled two-thirds of the box.

Su Yue accepted the boxes with another bright smile.

“Auntie, I’m off to eat now.”

With that, she stepped aside without lingering.

Li Shufang, watching the exchange, asked, “That’s your future mother-in-law?”

Su Yue smiled shyly and nodded.

Li Shufang gave a knowing look. “I’m heading home for lunch. I’ll be back at 1:50 to unlock the archive. Don’t come back too early.” With that, she left.

Just then, Wang Qiuya came over with her lunch and joined Su Yue. “Let’s eat in the dorm.”

Su Yue hesitated. “I share a room with others…”

Wang Qiuya chuckled. “I was going to tell you in the dorm — I’m your roommate. Let’s go.”

They walked together toward the dormitory, surrounded by many young women, most around eighteen or nineteen. For a moment, Su Yue felt like she was back in school.

When they reached the dorm, Wang Qiuya unlocked the door. “I don’t usually stay overnight in the dorm, but I like to come back at noon for a short nap.”

Su Yue nodded. Once inside, she placed her box of braised pork in the cool corner, then opened her lunch.

Wang Qiuya opened her two lunch boxes and pushed the braised pork box toward Su Yue. “This pork looks great, but I can’t finish it all. Have some.”

Su Yue quickly waved her off. “It’s alright, I got some too…”

But before she could finish, Wang Qiuya had already transferred a few pieces to Su Yue’s lid.

Smiling, Su Yue thanked her.

Since Wang Qiuya also had potato and eggplant stew, Su Yue didn’t offer to share hers.

As they ate, Wang Qiuya asked curiously, “So, how did you and your fiancé meet?”

“We were high school classmates.”

Wang Qiuya nodded, took another bite, and said, “Our department head reported Qin Mingyue to Deputy Director Qin. Just before lunch, I heard her saying that Qin Mingyue told her uncle that she was just joking with you this morning since you were classmates. I suspect the deputy director might come talk to you later.”

Su Yue nodded calmly. “We were never close. It definitely wasn’t a joke.”

They ate in silence for a moment.

Just as Su Yue stood to wash her dishes, Wang Qiuya blurted out, “Su Yue, when Qin Mingyue was giving you trouble this morning, our team lead was going to step in. But I made up an excuse to pull her away.”

She looked at Su Yue, guilt in her eyes.

Su Yue turned to her and met her gaze, calm and direct. “I saw that. I didn’t expect you to admit it, though.”

Wang Qiuya sighed. “You’ve probably heard — my aunt is the logistics director. I got this job on my own merit and was supposed to be a full-time worker. But Deputy Director Qin wanted to get his niece in, so he pushed for two temps to be hired first, with only one becoming permanent. I couldn’t stand the injustice. That’s why I let Qin Mingyue mess up, so I’d have something on her.”

Su Yue looked at her for a beat. “You’re telling me this because you’re worried the deputy director might target me?”

Wang Qiuya nodded quickly. “Exactly. My aunt and uncle both say he’s petty and vengeful — a real piece of work. Even they don’t dare cross him.” She paused. “My uncle’s also a deputy director.”

Su Yue nodded lightly. “I’m going to wash my dishes.” Then she turned and left for the washroom.

When Su Yue returned, Wang Qiuya was already gone.

She shut the door, walked over to her bed, and lay down for a nap.

When she awoke, it was 1:30. She got up, went to the washroom to splash her face with cold water, and prepared to return to the archives.