Chapter 14: The Plan

Liu Qian secretly curled her lips into a smirk, her eyes full of smugness, though her mouth said otherwise:
“Don’t you think you’re being too much?”

“Me, too much? The one who went too far was her! A toad wanting to eat swan meat!”

Even as Li Luo walked away, she could still faintly hear their chatter. Anger bubbled inside her. She reminded herself: You eat their food, you live under their roof… so you have to endure their temper too.

She wandered aimlessly, Qin Xinyi’s harsh words echoing endlessly in her ears: Get out of my house!

How could she end this life of dependence as soon as possible?

Returning to her maiden home? She didn’t even know the way. Besides, looking like this, would the original parents recognize her, or grow suspicious?

The world was vast, yet where was her place of refuge?

She was utterly at a loss.

Maybe I should try doing business? But underground markets were not easy to find, and the locations often changed. On her own, it would be impossible.

Her eyes shifted, landing on two street ruffians.

They smoked, sneered, and teased passing pretty girls.

The passersby didn’t dare intervene.

A spark lit in Li Luo’s mind. If I take them in as little brothers, maybe I’ll get quicker access to information.

Once she thought of it, she acted.

Rushing forward, she kicked one, then the other.

One toppled over, the other rolled on the ground.

Li Luo loomed over them, her tall figure blocking their view of the sky.
“You… what do you want?” one stammered.

“To beat you up!” Li Luo said bluntly.

“Help! Help!”

The bystanders burst into laughter. Weren’t they so arrogant earlier?

After subduing them, Li Luo demanded, “What are your names?”

Thinking she was about to drag them to the police, the two quickly begged for mercy.
“Spare us, heroine! I—I’m Wang… no, Liu Erwang.”

Before he even finished, the other rushed to introduce himself.
“I—I’m Cheng Jianshe.”

Li Luo crooked her finger at them. Gritting their teeth against the pain, they crawled over.

She pulled them aside and asked about the trading market. “If you tell me one lie, I’ll bring people to burn your house to the ground!” Her last words thundered with menace.

The two gaped at her, exchanging bewildered looks.

What on earth? Where did this fat woman come from? She’s basically a female gangster!

Li Luo clenched her fists, ordering Liu Erwang to answer.

Liu Erwang stammered, “I—I wouldn’t dare lie to you! There’s one nearby, but it only opens at night.”

“Exact address.” Li Luo crossed her arms, tapping her left arm with her right finger, her words short and sharp.

Liu Erwang rattled it off.

She then ordered them to lead the way. With no choice, Liu Erwang and Cheng Jianshe took her to the underground market—an empty lot already marked out by vendors. Judging by the setup, their words were true. Li Luo decided to return once night fell.

She fished out a damp one-yuan note from her pocket and slapped it into their hands. “This is your reward. From now on, stick with me—I’ll make sure you get rich.”

They clutched the money, stunned at first, then overjoyed.

A whole yuan just for one bit of information? We’d be fools not to follow her!

“Big sis, may we ask what business you’re in?”

Li Luo thought for a moment. “Smuggling and speculation.”

The two exchanged a glance. Speculation? She must be loaded!
“Deal! We’ll follow you.”

Li Luo smirked. The saying’s true—if you don’t sacrifice the child, you’ll never catch the wolf. That yuan was worth every bit!
“For now, I only need you to find out where the markets are.”

“You’ve asked the right people! Whether north or south of the city, we know every spot.” Liu Erwang lifted his chin proudly.

“Then tell me. I’ll be visiting soon to move a batch of goods. When I make money, I’ll treat you two to Maotai,” Li Luo said.

Even more excited, Liu Erwang spilled every detail. Li Luo memorized the locations carefully, then solemnly promised to treat them next time. With that, she swaggered off.

She wandered until night and returned to the first market.

The place was packed.

There were all kinds of goods for sale, but the best-sellers were daily necessities. She didn’t know where these vendors sourced their goods, but the prices were several times cheaper than the shops—buy in bulk and you even got discounts.

Business was booming.

Li Luo bought lamp oil and lids for the lamps, then headed home.

She planned to visit the city later, to see if she could source fabric or socks from a factory—then secretly resell them.

When she returned, the Qin family’s black car was gone. The courtyard gate was ajar, and the living room lights were still on.

She shut the gate behind her.

At the sound, Old Madam Qin’s voice called from inside:
“Is that you, Luoluo?”

Adjusting her mood, Li Luo answered sweetly, “It’s me.”

“Out running till now? I left you some food.”

“I’m on a diet. Next time, don’t save me any,” Li Luo said, heading to the kitchen. There sat a large bowl of rice and a hefty plate of braised pork.

Old Madam Qin did care for her.

But those two things together were enough to add two pounds.

She skipped the meal, ate only a small piece of lean meat, and stowed the rest in the cupboard.

After grabbing some clothes to wash up, she came back out to find the living room still lit. Old Master Qin was bent over the chessboard with his spectacles, while Old Madam Qin sat idly by.

Li Luo greeted them politely:
“Dad, Mom, you’re still awake?”

Old Master Qin replied, “Waiting for you. Earlier today, I think I heard Qianqian say something about you. But when I went out, you weren’t there. That child has a sharp tongue. Your mother and I already scolded her, so don’t take it to heart.”

Li Luo nodded. “It was indeed my fault. A melon forced off the vine won’t be sweet. I shouldn’t push others against their will. If A Mian ultimately doesn’t like me, I’ll leave willingly.”

Old Master Qin looked up from the chessboard, pushing his glasses up his nose.
“Girl, you’ve misunderstood. If A Mian let you stay here for a month, that already shows he’s accepted you.”

Li Luo thought bitterly, Accepted, my ass.

Living together for a month, she hadn’t even touched his hand. They were still nothing more than bunkmates.

She knew her own situation: fat, unattractive, and no match for a handsome man like him.

His kindness came from responsibility. After all, if something happened to her, her original family would make a fuss, and the Qin family would be dragged into it.

She understood. Once she earned enough money to stand on her own, she would disappear quietly.

But outwardly, she only nodded in agreement.

“It’s late. Go rest,” Old Master Qin said.

Li Luo wished them goodnight, returned to her room, and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

It was a dreamless night.

The next morning, she rose early and went to the outskirts to cut bamboo, hauling back a massive stalk.

The neighbors praised her strength and diligence.

Li Luo smiled politely, then spent half the day splitting the bamboo into strips as wide as a finger, sanding them smooth.

The old couple helped as well.

Li Luo, seeing this, took charge of assembling the lantern frames.

She pasted on red paper, and soon, proper lanterns took shape.

Old Madam Qin exclaimed, “Who would have thought you had such skills?”

Li Luo chuckled. I’ve got plenty of skills, just no chance to use them.

She kept working intently. When neighbors dropped by, she paused to chat politely before returning to her task.

By evening, the elderly couple were too tired to continue. They urged her to stop as well.
“Luoluo, no rush. Leave it for tomorrow.”