Chapter 70: “Wretch Meets Wretch”

Shen Subin glanced at her unexpectedly. Thinking of the information he had investigated earlier, he pursed his lips and said, “Because of the reform, Haicheng Steel Plant will soon have to deal with a batch of motorized tricycles. Their quality is fine, and the price will be very low. I’ll keep an eye out for you.”

Xie Yunshu was momentarily stunned, the surprise coming too quickly for her to react immediately.

Shen Subin raised an eyebrow: “The price probably won’t exceed a thousand yuan. Don’t want one?”

Of course she wanted one! When the weather warmed up, she planned to have Li Fenlan do the grocery shopping and meat buying. Otherwise, if she stayed home alone, she’d just get lost in her thoughts. Having her go out more to meet people was better than being cooped up in the tube-shaped apartment all day.

But with just one vehicle, it would definitely not be enough. If she had a motorized tricycle, things would be very different. She could save so much time! She was just an ordinary working woman, no connections to buy a used motorbike like this—it was a huge bargain!

“I want one! Team Leader Shen, I want it!” Xie Yunshu spoke quickly, almost raising both hands. She felt her tone earlier had been too harsh—how could she speak so rudely to such a good person like Second Big Boss?

A smile flashed in Shen Subin’s eyes. “Go back. I’ll let you know when there’s news.”

Xie Yunshu nodded heavily. As she got on the tricycle and smiled at Shen Subin, she said, “Team Leader Shen, happy New Year in advance!”

The smile deepened in Shen Subin’s eyes, softening the usual cold hardness of his face. He curled his lips slightly, “Xie Yunshu, see you next year. By the way, I never went to high school. I joined the army at sixteen, so my academic record probably wasn’t very good.”

So, no high school or college—there was nothing more to say about that.

Xie Yunshu widened her eyes in surprise, but Shen Subin had already turned and strode into the building. His long, powerful legs were clad in green pants tucked into black leather boots. Even though it was winter and he was dressed warmly, his figure was striking—just his back alone could outmatch most men.

Also, Team Leader Shen was good-looking but usually kept a cold face, which unconsciously scared away some girls.

Xie Yunshu sighed deeply. Last time she heard Manager Tian chatting, she said Team Leader Shen had some personal problems that were very difficult to solve. His family was worried too—he was already twenty-something and had never dated anyone…

He had helped her a lot, so if she had the chance, she wanted to introduce him to someone. There were quite a few young women in the packaging factory, but first she had to rule out Lin Cuiping…

Lin Cuiping didn’t go to work today. Suddenly sneezing, she rubbed her nose and began to complain, “Mom, I finally got a day off, and you still want me to help Xie Yunshu? I’m not going. When she hits people, she hits hard, and yet I’m supposed to help her?”

Cooking downstairs every day kept her from sleeping in. Why should she help?

Lin’s mother slapped her on the butt, “She’s a neighbor. You’re the only one who can fuss all day! Let me tell you, Yunshu is capable. I heard from Aunt Liu that the girl hired Aunt Zhao to help with work and pays her forty yuan a month in wages! All the young wives in the tube building envy her!”

There were many women idle in the tube building—not just Aunt Zhao. Every family had children to educate; who wouldn’t want extra work to supplement their income? Now everyone secretly regretted only watching the show at first, not thinking about getting on good terms with Xie Yunshu.

So when they heard Yunshu rented a big courtyard and would cook there later, everyone was interested. This girl seemed to be making real money! She wasn’t strong but was valuable, so everyone wanted to help. Maybe next time the good job would be theirs!

Xie Yunshu grew up in the tube building; these aunts and elder ladies all knew her. Although her temper wasn’t great and she wasn’t easy to talk to, she had a good heart. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have watched over Old Lady Zhang in the hospital for three days without being family.

“No way! How can she be so capable?” Lin Cuiping instinctively denied it. She only earned forty yuan a month. How could Yunshu pay someone forty yuan a month in wages?

Lin’s mother shot her a sidelong glance. “Why not? If she didn’t make money, would she have rented that ten-yuan-a-month courtyard? Also, that kid from Haicheng is bound to do well. I heard he got first place again this time—making good relations with the Xie family can’t be wrong!”

Lin Cuiping was indignant, “That’s because I didn’t sell lunchboxes. If I had, I’d make more than her!”

Lin’s mother was so annoyed she slapped her head. “Stop talking nonsense! If I say go, you go! If you’re so capable, don’t work in the packaging factory—go sell lunchboxes at the construction site!”

Lin Cuiping had nothing to say. She covered her head and stomped off down the alley, grumbling, “What capability does Xie Yunshu have? Besides fighting and bad-mouthing, what else? Bah, I don’t believe she’s capable of selling lunchboxes at the site. Didn’t she get divorced? Anyway, I’ll marry a big shot someday…”

Xie Yunshu just came back from the construction site and saw Lin Cuiping muttering as she walked over. Hearing her words, she sneered coldly, “Lin Cuiping, which big shot do you want to marry? Say it out loud—let’s see if you can scare me!”

Lin Cuiping was startled, “Xie Yunshu, are you a ghost? How come you didn’t make a sound?”

Xie Yunshu narrowed her eyes at her: “Try saying one more bad word and see what happens.”

Alright, alright, you want to fight again, huh? She came to help and still gets hit?

Lin Cuiping glared angrily but said, “Xie Yunshu, don’t bite the hand that feeds you. I came to help clean the yard, and you treat a neighbor like this?”

Obviously forced by Aunt Lin to come, Xie Yunshu clicked her tongue, suddenly remembered the furniture at the hospital family compound hadn’t been moved back, so she looked Lin Cuiping up and down and beckoned: “If you don’t want to help clean the yard, go to the Haicheng hospital family compound and help me move the furniture.”

Lin Cuiping twisted her head: “No.”

“Ten yuan pay. And you get to watch this year’s Spring Festival Gala.” Xie Yunshu looked at her firmly. “Lin Cuiping, three seconds to decide. If you don’t go, I’ll find someone else.”

“One… two…”

Lin Cuiping stomped, “Xie Yunshu, you count way too fast!”

She hadn’t even reacted! Why did the count jump from three directly to one? What happened to two? Did she swallow it?

Xie Yunshu flipped out a ten-yuan note from the money she collected today: “Going or not?”

Lin Cuiping gritted her teeth, “Going!”

At the Haicheng hospital family compound, at noon, Lu Zhixing came back briefly. Doctor Zhang Qingshan said the faucet might be broken. The house was quiet inside, as if Xie Yunshu was everywhere but nowhere to be found.

Someone came in, and Lu Zhixing suddenly turned around. The word “Yunshu” got stuck in his throat, but the person was Zhou Qinyue.

“Zhixing, I know you’re hurting. Let me have a drink with you, as a farewell! From today, let’s be strangers—no more talking or contact. Yunshu will come back.”

Backlit by the sun, Zhou Qinyue looked softly at him, her eyes full of reluctance and hidden love.

Lu Zhixing’s heart moved. He moved his lips but only said “Okay.” To win Yunshu back, he had to cut off completely with Qinyue—but he would do his best to arrange her life…

But for some reason, he got drunk after just one drink. He didn’t know how long had passed before he was woken by a scream.

Lin Cuiping was outside shouting at the top of her lungs, “Everyone come see! Unbelievable! A nasty woman stole a man! No wait, a nasty man stole a woman! Ah, it’s just wretch meeting wretch! I’m still a pure girl! My eyes are going blind!”

“Pah, shameless! Totally shameless! Assaulting someone in broad daylight, isn’t there anyone to stop this?!”