Chapter 29

Zhang Hongying never imagined that saving someone would end up bringing trouble to herself.

Ever since she dropped out of school, people had been quietly asking Li Xiaofang about her — Zhang Hongying was aware of that.

In her previous life, despite being dark-skinned, Zhang Hongying had a reputation for being hardworking, and that alone brought four or five families to propose marriage.

She got engaged at eighteen, broke off the engagement at twenty, and married into a family at twenty-one.

In this life, she had fairer skin and a craft in her hands. Naturally, even more people would come knocking.

But Zhang Hongying always thought she’d at least be able to hold out until she turned eighteen. At eighteen, she could get her ID card. At eighteen, Shen Jianzhen would also be heading off to university. The two of them could then run away together.

But that day, as soon as Zhang Hongying returned home, Li Xiaofang excitedly said, “Do you know who came today?”

Zhang Hongying looked at her strangely. “How would I know?”

“Someone from the Hong family came,” Li Xiaofang said, still full of excitement.

“They came to visit Grandma?” Zhang Hongying asked. The Hong family were relatives of her grandmother’s first husband — technically not blood-related and barely in contact. They’d only see each other during New Year or for weddings and funerals.

“Nope. The Hong family came to ask for your birth details — for a marriage proposal,” Li Xiaofang said proudly.

Someone from the older generation of the Hong family had married into a powerful family elsewhere and reportedly became a high-ranking official. They’d helped the family open a factory back in their hometown, and within a few years, they had become the wealthiest household in the village.

“We’re relatives! Isn’t it illegal for relatives to get married?” Zhang Hongying tried to protest.

“The law only bans close blood relatives from marrying. You two aren’t even related by blood, it’s totally fine,” Li Xiaofang dismissed her concerns.

Zhang Hongying had no intention of marrying that thug. She had just helped someone escape a disaster — why would she willingly jump into one herself?

“Didn’t they say Hong Siqiang had his leg broken? I’m not marrying a cripple,” Zhang Hongying said with disgust.

“They’ve got a factory now; he doesn’t need to work in the fields. What’s a limp got to do with anything? It doesn’t stop him from making babies,” Li Xiaofang replied.

Zhang Hongying stared at her in disbelief. Was having money and making babies all there was to life?

“Mum, do you really think even the worst-off family in the village, like Wu Xiaohong’s, would force Shen Jianzhen to marry a cripple? No matter how much money they offered, she wouldn’t go.”

Li Xiaofang flew into a rage. “That sloppy, useless girl? Even if she wanted to marry into that family, they wouldn’t take her!”

“I’m not saying they’d want Shen Jianzhen,” Zhang Hongying replied. “I’m saying that Wu Xiaohong treats her daughter better than you treat me.”

Li Xiaofang snapped, “How do I not treat you well? Wu Xiaohong steals food from her daughter and beats her. Have I ever laid a finger on you?”

“I’d rather you fought with me over food and beat me daily if it meant I could keep going to school and didn’t have to be forced into marriage,” Zhang Hongying said coldly.

Li Xiaofang slapped her chest and started sobbing. “Oh heavens, how did I give birth to a daughter like this! I poured my heart out for her and she still thinks I’m a bad mother…”

Zhang Hongying cut her off icily. “Cry, go ahead, cry louder. If the whole village hears, I’ll tell them why Hong Siqiang’s leg got broken. When they find out he tried to rape a girl and got beaten for it, and that he had to marry someone from out of town because he couldn’t find a wife here — let’s see how much they’ll hate you for trying to marry me off to him.”

Li Xiaofang was frightened by the look in Zhang Hongying’s eyes and stopped crying. She pinched Zhang Hongying hard. “I raised you from the time you were wearing cloth diapers, and now you dare threaten me?”

Zhang Hongying gritted her teeth and stayed silent despite the pain.

After several pinches, when Li Xiaofang got tired, she finally asked, “Why was Hong Siqiang beaten up? No one in the village knows — how do you?”

Zhang Hongying groaned through the pain. “Because he tried to rape a little girl and got caught by her family. They tied him to a tree and beat him until his leg broke.”

Li Xiaofang’s gossip instincts flared. “Who was the girl? How do you know this?”

Zhang Hongying warned her, “Don’t bring it up again. Your mouth is too loose — you’d blab it without thinking. If the Hong family hears this and traces it back to you, what good would come of it?”

Li Xiaofang knew herself — she did love to gossip — so she dropped the matter.

But not long after, she said, “Fine, I’ll suggest Shen Jianzhen instead! Didn’t you say Wu Xiaohong treats her daughter better than I treat you? Let’s see if she can force Shen Jianzhen to agree!”

Zhang Hongying nearly exploded. She used to have rose-tinted glasses about family and had never realized just how vicious Li Xiaofang really was.

Li Xiaofang was already heading out the door to talk to Wu Xiaohong when Zhang Hongying grabbed her. “Mum, are you crazy? You know how Shen Jianzhen is!

Last time at the factory, she got into a fight. Even though she’s small and skinny, she went wild. You saw it.

She doesn’t even go easy on her own mother at home. If she finds out you tried to set her up with Hong Siqiang, do you think she won’t show up with a cleaver?”

Li Xiaofang, recalling Shen Jianzhen’s fierce expression, hesitated and grumbled, “That girl only knows how to study — let’s see how far that gets her. If she had to farm in the countryside, she’d be dead in two or three years.”

“What does her life have to do with you? Why are you even talking about her?” Zhang Hongying snapped.

“Fine, fine. I’m just talking too much. Now that you’re grown up, your wings have hardened — you’re even starting to lecture your own mother,” Li Xiaofang grumbled.

Zhang Hongying spoke seriously: “Mum, back in your day, you farmed, raised silkworms, and barely dealt with outsiders.

You’d argue over a single rice seedling or a tree branch.

I’ve seen you fight over whose leaves crossed whose land, whose chicken pecked whose vegetables — all those petty things.

A lost chicken could lead to a month-long feud.

But things are different now. Look at all the factory workers — who has time to fight over tree leaves?

And me, now that I’ve learned tailoring, I’ll finish my three-year apprenticeship soon. Whether I open my own shop or stay on with my master, I’ll be in business.

If I make enemies everywhere, how will I ever run a successful shop?”

Li Xiaofang was distracted by that. “How much will you earn when your three years are up?”

Zhang Hongying cautiously answered, “A hundred…”

Li Xiaofang immediately looked displeased. Factory workers on three shifts could earn at least 120.

Zhang Hongying quickly added, “Once I build a name and have repeat customers, the handwork fees from personal orders will go straight to me. Either way, having my own business will definitely bring more money than being a factory worker.

And I can eventually open my own shop.”

She was in trouble. The shop in Baizhen cost 30 yuan a month in rent — all of which went to Li Xiaofang.

She’d also bought a unit at the small goods market for 3,000 yuan. To pay that off, Master Wang had been deducting a year’s worth of wages — 1,440 yuan, plus 720 in rent.

She still owed Master Wang 840 yuan.

She had 250 yuan in fire prevention bonus and 300 in savings — still short by 340 yuan…

With two more months’ wages and rent deductions, she’d be even.

But now she needed to scrape together 100 yuan to satisfy Li Xiaofang…

Zhang Hongying looked at Master Wang.

“What’s up?” he asked.

She said quietly, “My apprenticeship is almost over. My mom wants me to bring some money home.

I was wondering if you could reduce the monthly deductions for the shop, and let me take 100 yuan home to deal with her.”

Master Wang didn’t seem surprised. “I was going to bring it up anyway. You’ve done a solid job this past year — you’re ready to work on your own.

And I never calculated the commission from Shen Jianzhen’s orders. Also, you’ve been paying 60 in rent for the small goods market while the going rate has already risen to 80.

So, consider your shop debt repaid.

From now on, you’ll get your full wages and rent income monthly.”

Zhang Hongying was overjoyed — this meant she’d now be earning over 200 yuan a month?

Once she saved enough, she could buy another property.

The only way she knew to get rich was to buy real estate. Bonds, stocks, gold, and running a business — she didn’t understand any of that.

Once Shen Jianzhen finished her studies, maybe she could help find other investment paths.

But for now, it was houses and shops.