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Liu Erwang trailed closely behind her. “Big Sis, are we setting up a stall tonight?”
Li Luo shook her head. “Not tonight.” Qin Mian was home, so she didn’t dare sneak out.
Oh no!
She had to see Second Sister’s family off at the train station!
She quickly pulled out the watch from her pocket to check the time—it was already 9:05.
The train was at 10:30. If she went home first, she wouldn’t make it in time.
Better to head straight to the station. Maybe she could still catch them.
When Li Luo arrived and got off the minibus, she saw Qin Mian and Qinqin chatting at the station entrance.
She hurried over. “Second Sister, Second Brother-in-law!”
Qinqin smiled. “I thought you wouldn’t come. Today’s outfit isn’t as sharp as yesterday’s. Too loose and baggy.”
Li Luo gave a sheepish grin. “It’s because I’m too fat, it’s hard to make clothes that fit. This was from when I weighed over 200 pounds. I’ve lost dozens of pounds but still haven’t had new clothes made, so they hang loose.” She had one outfit made back in the Northwest, but it didn’t fit.
Maybe when she slimmed down to 160 pounds, she could wear it.
But the fabric was thick. Too warm for this weather.
By autumn, she’d be thinner again, and the outfit would be too big.
She regretted making it.
“I can’t even imagine you at 200 pounds. You look just right now,” Qinqin said.
Li Luo beamed. Just right? She’d weighed 167 pounds a few days ago!
Just then, the station broadcast called passengers to board. Qinqin and her family headed inside.
Li Luo and Qin Mian walked with them to the platform. As they boarded, she waved. “Goodbye, Second Sister, Second Brother-in-law!”
“Goodbye!”
“Goodbye!”
“…Goodbye.”
After their departure, Li Luo turned to leave too, but Qin Mian gave her a look, his tone like settling scores. “Where did you run off to this morning? Second Sister’s family came at eight. They waited until nine-thirty for you.”
Li Luo shot back, “I went running to lose weight. Why do you keep asking where I go? Do you like me? Want to stick to me?”
Qin Mian choked. “…Who likes you? Thick-skinned.”
“Then why do you keep asking?”
“…”
Li Luo snorted twice through her nose, walked out of the station, and waited for the bus. When it arrived, she turned her head—no sign of Qin Mian.
Good!
Without him tagging along, she went to the soap factory to settle accounts and pick up the delivery slip.
The factory supervisor, unable to hold back his curiosity, chased after her. “How exactly are you selling these soaps? Tell me—I want to know! I may not have cash to pay you, but I can deduct it from the stock, right?”
Li Luo thought he would at least wait a week before asking. She hadn’t expected him to crack in just three days. She didn’t trust him. “If I tell you, how will I keep making money?”
“Come on, girl, would I cheat you?!”
“You’ve already shown signs you’d like to.”
The supervisor was speechless, then hurriedly wrote and stamped a contract. “Now will you believe me?”
Li Luo read it, delight flashing in her heart, though she kept a serious face. Finally, she revealed her secret.
“Herbal soap?” The supervisor slapped his thigh. The scent did resemble Chinese medicine. “Why didn’t I think of that! I’ll take this idea to the department stores. That’d be the best!”
Li Luo’s face darkened. “If you run it, will I see the money?”
“You’ve got the contract. Would I dare not pay? If you want to run it yourself, go ahead. Saves me the trouble.”
Li Luo thought, You wouldn’t dare cheat me. If you do, I’ll expose your private sales, and we’ll both go down together.
She left shortly after, stopping at the recycling yard to hand the delivery slip to Uncle. “There are 22 boxes. Two belong to Liu Erwang and Cheng Jianshe—just drop them off here. No need to collect payment from them. I’ve already collected from the other two families. Double-check the numbers carefully. Don’t mix them up.”
“Got it. My memory’s sharp.”
“…Right.”
After finishing her errands, Li Luo jogged all the way home, slowing to a walk when she got tired. Passing through the main street, she was drenched in sweat.
She didn’t own many clothes. The only season-appropriate outfit she had was the one Qin Mian had bought her.
Running in a skirt wasn’t practical.
She needed proper workout clothes.
Spotting a busy tailor shop, she went in.
When the tailor had a free moment, she explained her request. But she didn’t have ration coupons for fabric.
“These fabrics don’t require coupons,” the tailor said, pulling out a stack of dull-colored cloth. “For your size, a whole outfit would be just two yuan.”
Li Luo was stunned. Two yuan for fabric and labor? Her last outfit had cost 1.2 yuan in labor alone—she’d been ripped off!
Suppressing her anger, she chose a bolt with plenty of material and asked for a loose fit. “Can it be ready in two days?”
“Two days? No way. A week, maybe.”
“All right.” She paid and took the receipt.
Qin Mian was leaving in two days. She could use this as an excuse to stay behind.
When she got home, Qin Mian was there too. He glanced at her as she entered, saying nothing. He had gone to buy tickets and returned to find her gone. Now she came back sweating like she’d run home.
“So hot,” Li Luo sighed. “I want an ice pop. Can you buy me one? Just a plain ice pop is fine.”
Qin Mian frowned. “That’s not the attitude to ask someone for a favor.”
“…” Her attitude wasn’t good? Wasn’t it him who got mad first, leaving her alone at the station? And now she was in the wrong? Men were impossible! She pursed her lips, then forced a sweet smile. “Darling, will you buy me an ice pop, please? Love you—heart gesture!” She made a hand-heart at him.
Qin Mian froze. Crazy woman. So sappy.
An empty hand-heart? Where was the actual heart?
But halfway down the road, he realized—crossing her thumb and index finger did look like a heart.
Meanwhile, Li Luo, seeing him leave the courtyard, quickly pulled out her earnings, counted them, and put them away.
She planned to open a savings account at the post office and deposit everything.
Once she saved up a thousand yuan, she’d buy a house. Even a small one.
Living alone meant no one to answer to.
Heh.
She daydreamed about her bright future, then took a bath. When she came out, Qin Mian was back, holding a dripping ice pop. “Next time, buy it yourself.”
“When you go back to the Northwest, of course I’ll buy it myself.” Li Luo took the ice pop and popped it in her mouth.
Qin Mian’s gaze shifted. “Yourself? I’m leaving first thing tomorrow. You should pack too.”
“Mom and Dad are getting older. In this heat, they take frequent baths. It’s easy to slip. I want to stay and look after them. Once the weather cools, I’ll come to you. By then I’ll be thinner and prettier. The neighbors won’t say I’m unworthy of you.”
“…Why weren’t you worried about that when you first came?” With skin as thick as city walls, she cared what people said?
“I care a lot about how others see me now,” Li Luo said solemnly.
In the courtyard, Old Madam Qin’s sharp ears caught everything. She interrupted, “Luoluo, aren’t you preparing for pregnancy? How can you if you don’t go with Mian?”
“…” Li Luo thought for a moment. “It’s May now. If I get pregnant, the baby would be born next spring. It’d be so cold during confinement, bad for both me and the baby.”
Old Madam Qin considered. True, her third child had been born in winter, and she still suffered back pain on rainy days. Babies also struggled in the cold. “Better to go after summer. Aim for a spring birth.”
“Exactly! That’s what I was thinking too,” Li Luo agreed eagerly.