Chapter 35: Broken Hand

Meng Yufei held Xia Qinqin’s hand as they walked to their doorstep. In the neighboring yard, Mrs. Zhang was picking vegetables from her garden.

“Sister-in-law, why are you tending to the garden at this time?” Meng Yufei asked curiously. “Has your family had lunch yet?”

Hearing Meng Yufei’s voice, Mrs. Zhang looked up and smiled. “Not yet. I’ve got food simmering on the stove. I just came to pull up a couple of scallions.”

Meng Yufei chuckled, “I didn’t even recognize that this patch was scallions.”

Mrs. Zhang laughed. “You’re a city girl. I bet you haven’t seen these vegetables growing in the ground before.”

Meng Yufei nodded and then asked, “By the way, Sister-in-law, have you checked the new notice posted on the bulletin board?”

Mrs. Zhang shook her head. “No, I haven’t. What’s it about?”

Smiling, Meng Yufei said, “Congratulations, Sis! You’ve been officially hired as a childcare worker.”

“Really?”

“Of course! The notice is posted on the board. You can go check it when you have time.”

Holding the scallions in her hands, Mrs. Zhang was so excited that she didn’t know what to do with herself. She laughed nervously, “I… I never thought they’d actually pick me! So many people applied that day, I figured I didn’t stand a chance…”

Meng Yufei reassured her, “The personnel department will probably come by this afternoon to inform you in person. You should stay home and wait for them.”

“Oh! Alright!” Mrs. Zhang nodded eagerly. “I won’t go out this afternoon then.”

After returning home, Meng Yufei set down her shoulder bag and lunchbox.

Remembering that her daughter was about to start kindergarten, she asked, “Qinqin, you’re going to school soon. Do you want a backpack?”

When Xia Qinqin was in Haishi, she had a small backpack that Grandma Meng made for her. Unfortunately, they hadn’t brought it with them.

Thinking about her little backpack, Xia Qinqin immediately exclaimed, “Yes! I want one!”

She needed her backpack to carry candies and little biscuits.

Meng Yufei smiled and said, “On the weekend, we’ll go to the department store in the city, and Mom will buy you a new one, okay?”

Tilting her head, Xia Qinqin asked, “I can’t use my old backpack?”

Meng Yufei explained, “That one was left behind in Haishi. Let’s get a new one here, okay?”

“Aww… but I really miss my little backpack…” Xia Qinqin pouted unhappily.

Just then, Xia Junshan came home. Seeing his daughter’s troubled expression, he teased, “What’s wrong? Our Qinqin’s little mouth looks like it could hang a soy sauce bottle. Why so upset today?”

Meng Yufei said, “She wants her old backpack.”

Xia Junshan squatted down in front of his daughter and said, “What kind of backpack do you want? Dad will buy you the same one, okay?”

Xia Qinqin said, “My little backpack was made by Grandma. It’s a double-shoulder bag.”

“Ah, I see…” Xia Junshan thought for a moment and said, “Then wait here for a bit.”

Turning around, Xia Junshan went into the bedroom, opened the wardrobe, and took out a brand-new army-green shoulder bag from the bottom.

“Qinqin, how about Dad asks someone to modify this into a backpack for you?” He held the bag in front of his daughter for her to see.

Xia Qinqin glanced at Meng Yufei’s slightly worn shoulder bag on the sofa and said, “This looks just like Mom’s.”

Xia Junshan nodded. “That’s right! Dad has one just like it too. When we go out together, people will know we’re a family just by looking at us.”

Satisfied, Xia Qinqin nodded. “Okay! I want this to be my little backpack.”

Xia Junshan smiled, kissed his daughter’s cheek, and praised, “Our Qinqin is such a good girl.”

By this time, Meng Yufei had already set the table. She called out to them, “Come and eat.”

“Alright, coming!” Xia Junshan picked up his daughter and placed her on a chair. Then he asked, “Qinqin, is your hand feeling better?”

Xia Qinqin raised her right hand, showing that the scab had darkened. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“Hmm, it’s healing well. In a few more days, it’ll be all better.”

Xia Junshan picked up her small bowl and said, “Dad will feed you again today. What do you want to eat?”

Seated in her chair, the little girl pointed at the pan-fried ribbonfish on the table. “I want that one.”

“Alright, Dad will get it for you.” Xia Junshan carefully picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks, removed the bones, and made sure there were none left before feeding it to his daughter.

The fried ribbonfish had a crispy, fragrant skin and tender meat inside. Xia Qinqin happily nodded as she chewed.

“I want more fish.”

“Alright, Dad will get you some more.”

—

Meanwhile, over at Mrs. Zhang’s house, she was in a great mood after hearing from Meng Yufei that she had been hired as a childcare worker. Even as she set the table, she couldn’t help but smile.

The kids came rushing home from school, throwing down their backpacks and loudly declaring they were hungry.

“The steamed buns in the pot are ready. Weidong, go get them out of the steamer, but be careful not to burn yourself.”

“Oh, okay.”

Ma Weimei, the eldest daughter, had sharp eyes and immediately noticed her mother’s cheerful expression. Curious, she asked, “Mom, did something good happen today? Why are you so happy?”

Her younger brother, Ma Weiliang, ran to the dining table, took one look at the dishes, and shook his head. “Judging by today’s food, there’s no way anything good happened.”

Mrs. Zhang playfully smacked his shoulder and said in exasperation, “All you think about is eating. Did you wash your hands?”

“I did! As soon as we got into the yard, Second Sis forced me to wash them. She wouldn’t let me inside until I did!”

“She was right to do that! Someone needs to keep you in check, you little rascal.”

Ma Weimei shot her brother a glare. “You little tattletale!”

When Regimental Commander Ma got home, he saw his second daughter and youngest son glaring at each other. “What is it this time? Why do you two always have so many arguments every day?”

“Dad! Weiliang didn’t wash his hands!”

Ma Weiliang: “……” Who’s the real tattletale here?!

At the dining table, Mrs. Zhang announced, “Xiao Meng from next door just told me—I’ve been accepted for the childcare worker position!”

“Really?!” Ma Weimei cheered. “That’s great, Mom! You’re going to work now. That means you’ll officially have a worker’s status!”

At this time, having worker status was an honor.

Mrs. Zhang hesitated. “But it’s just a kindergarten childcare worker. Does that really count as a worker?”

“Of course, it does!” Ma Weimei nodded. “What do they call the kindergarten staff? Teaching and administrative staff! Mom, you might not be a teacher, but you’re still staff, which makes you a worker.”

Ma Weidong took a big bite of his steamed bun and said, “Regardless of the title, this job is practically an iron rice bowl.”

However, Regimental Commander Ma didn’t seem particularly happy about the good news. He simply ate his bun in silence.

After finishing one, he reached out to grab another, but Mrs. Zhang handed one to him first.

“What’s wrong? You don’t want me to go to work?”

Ma Weimei quickly spoke up, “Dad! We already talked about this before, and you agreed that Mom could work!”

Taking the bun from Mrs. Zhang’s hand, Regimental Commander Ma muttered, “I never said I disagreed. If you want to go, then go.”

Hearing that, Ma Weimei immediately grinned. “Wow, Dad, you’re so open-minded! Now our family will be a dual-income household!”

Regimental Commander Ma then asked, “Xiao Meng works in logistics, right?”

Mrs. Zhang nodded. “Yeah, she works in the finance department. She was the one who helped settle the coupon issue.”

He said, “If you got this job, she probably helped a bit. Find a way to thank her properly.”

Mrs. Zhang nodded. “You’re right. Maybe I should buy something and bring it over this afternoon?”

Ma Weimei quickly objected, “Mom, don’t! Auntie Meng never mentioned this because she doesn’t want to take credit. Just remember this favor quietly and return it later when there’s a chance. Besides, if you just got the job and immediately go over with gifts, what would people say?”

Hearing this, Regimental Commander Ma nodded approvingly and said to Mrs. Zhang, “How about steaming a pot of flower rolls tonight and sending some over? Consider it a way to celebrate your new job. Since we’re neighbors, it’s good to maintain a close relationship.”

“Alright, sounds good.”

Ma Weidong suggested, “Mom, I want to eat your scallion oil flower rolls! Make more, okay?”

Ma Weiliang chimed in, “Me too!”

“Alright,” Mrs. Zhang agreed. “We still have enough flour at home to make two batches.”

After reading the announcement board, Qi Huiying stormed straight home in anger, skipping dinner at the cafeteria.

When Deputy Regiment Commander Chen came home from work, he found the living room empty. He pushed open the bedroom door and saw Qi Huiying lying on the bed, sulking.

“What now?”

The person on the bed didn’t respond.

Deputy Regiment Commander Chen said, “On my way back, I heard the kindergarten’s hiring notice is out. It’s on the announcement board. Did you go check?”

Hearing this, Qi Huiying suddenly sat up. “Who cares about working at a kindergarten?! What’s so great about being a babysitter for a bunch of brats?”

Deputy Regiment Commander Chen frowned. “What are you talking about? They were hiring teachers, not babysitters.”

Seeing her sour expression, he asked, “They didn’t pick you? That doesn’t make sense. You’re a high school graduate, more than qualified to be a kindergarten teacher.”

Qi Huiying let out a cold snort. “They call it open recruitment, but they’d already decided on the hires long before!”

Hearing this, Deputy Regiment Commander Chen’s face darkened. “Are you saying someone pulled strings? Then I’ll go to the logistics office and ask Deputy Director Fu why they rejected you!” He turned to leave.

“Wait!” Qi Huiying called out.

“What is it?” Deputy Regiment Commander Chen turned back.

Qi Huiying looked a little guilty and said dryly, “Well… they’re off work now, so you won’t find anyone there. Besides, I don’t care about the job anyway. Just forget it.”

Deputy Regiment Commander Chen frowned. “We can’t just let it go. We need an explanation! If they’re off work now, then I’ll go in the afternoon. I want to see if the people they picked actually have higher qualifications than you.”

Qi Huiying insisted, “I said forget it. Just drop it, okay? Pretend I never said anything.”

Her sudden change in attitude confused Deputy Regiment Commander Chen. “Weren’t you just mad a moment ago? Don’t worry about causing me trouble. We have reason on our side, so we have nothing to fear!”

“Ugh! Can you stop being so annoying?” Qi Huiying stomped her foot impatiently. “I already told you, don’t interfere! Also, can you stop saying ‘I’ and ‘we’ in that rustic way? It sounds so outdated!”

Seeing how strongly she opposed him going to logistics, Deputy Regiment Commander Chen relented. “Alright, if you say drop it, I won’t go.”

But deep down, he had already made up his mind—he was definitely going to find out what was going on…

In the afternoon, Meng Yufei brought Xia Qinqin to work. She had just sat down in the office when Section Chief Chen from the personnel department came over.

“Director Meng, the department head wants us to personally visit the newly hired teaching staff this afternoon to inform them to come in tomorrow for paperwork. I’ll go with Xiao Wu to notify Sister Tian, Zhou Wenqian, and Tang Jiayi. Please take Xiao Zhang and notify Wei Shufang, Zhang Laifeng, and Yin Guixiang.”

Meng Yufei nodded. “Got it. I’ll take care of it.”

After Section Chief Chen left, Xiao Zhang complained, “I was just about to ask if we could go to Wenqian’s house instead, but before I could say anything, she was already gone. She’s so busy.”

Meng Yufei chuckled. “With all these new hires, there’s a lot of paperwork to handle. And now that you’ve transferred out of personnel, they’re even more shorthanded.”

Thinking about Section Chief Ma, who only drank tea and read newspapers, and Xiao Wu, who put all his energy into sweeping floors and making tea, Xiao Zhang scoffed. “Ha! Section Chief Chen is the only one actually doing work. No wonder she’s so swamped.”

“But still, they can’t keep ordering us from the finance department around! This is getting ridiculous,” Xiao Zhang grumbled, already considering herself part of finance now.

Meng Yufei got up and started packing her things. Hearing Xiao Zhang’s comment, she smiled and said, “Let’s hurry up and get going. Since we don’t have much else to do this afternoon, once we’ve notified everyone, we can leave work early.”

“That’s great!” Xiao Zhang, excited at the prospect of leaving early, quickly packed her things.

Meng Yufei turned to her daughter, who was reading a book nearby, and said, “Qinqin, put your book away. We’re heading out.”

“Oh, okay. Mom, where are we going?”

“We’ll stop by a few aunties’ houses first, then we’ll go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some fruit. How about that?”

“Yay! I want pineapple!”

After leaving the logistics office, they first went to Wei Shufang’s and Mrs. Zhang’s houses, which were right next to each other.

When they reached their own house’s gate, Xia Qinqin looked up and asked, “Mom, are we going home?” Weren’t they supposed to buy fruit?

Meng Yufei laughed and pointed at the neighboring Mrs. Zhang’s house. “No, we’re going to Aunt Zhang’s house to share some good news.”

Mrs. Zhang was in her garden, bent over pulling weeds. Meng Yufei had already informed her at noon about her acceptance. Now, standing at the gate, she called out through the waist-high fence, “Sister-in-law, we came to bring you some good news!”

Hearing Meng Yufei’s voice, Mrs. Zhang straightened up and saw them outside the gate. She quickly tossed aside the weeds in her hands and ran over to open the gate, noticing the little girl standing beside them.

“Aunt Zhang, hello! My mom, Aunt Xiao Zhang, and I brought you some good news!” Xia Qinqin said cheerfully.

“Oh! You’re all here! Come in, come in, have a seat inside.”

Meng Yufei smiled. “Sister-in-law, Section Chief Chen asked us to inform you that you need to report to the logistics office tomorrow morning and bring your identification documents.”

Mrs. Zhang nodded. “Alright, got it! I’ll definitely be there tomorrow. Don’t just stand at the gate, come in and sit for a while.”

Meng Yufei waved her hand. “No, thanks, Sister. We still have other people to notify.”

“At least come in and have a drink of water before you go!”

“No need, you go ahead and get back to work. We’re leaving now.”

“Goodbye, Aunt Zhang!”

“Alright, take care!”

As they left Mrs. Zhang’s house, they passed by Regiment Commander Han’s home, whose courtyard gate was tightly shut.

Xiao Zhang asked, “Is this Qi Huiying’s house?”

Meng Yufei nodded. “Yes.”

Xiao Zhang lowered her voice. “I heard some people talking about her at lunch in the cafeteria. Apparently, she threw quite a tantrum over by the announcement board for some reason.”

The fact that something had happened at noon, and Xiao Zhang had already heard about it during lunch, showed just how fast news spread in the family housing compound.

Meng Yufei said, “Didn’t she apply for the kindergarten principal position? In the end, they didn’t choose her and picked Sister Tian instead. She’s probably upset about it.”

Xiao Zhang’s eyes widened in surprise. “She actually thought she could compete with Sister Tian for the principal’s position? That’s way overestimating herself! Do you know what kind of credentials Sister Tian has? To be honest, I was surprised the logistics office even managed to recruit her.”

Shaking her head, Xiao Zhang said, “That Qi Huiying… I heard she’s a high school graduate. If she had just applied for a regular teaching position, wouldn’t that have been a sure thing?”

Meng Yufei replied, “I did suggest that when she signed up, but she looked down on being a kindergarten teacher.”

“…Well, she had it coming,” Xiao Zhang chuckled, then added, “But honestly, it’s a good thing she didn’t apply for the teaching position—now the spot is open for Wenqian.”

Meng Yufei smiled. “True. In a way, she did us a favor. I wouldn’t have felt comfortable leaving Qinqin with a teacher like her anyway.”

As they talked, they arrived at Wei Shufang’s house. Xiao Zhang stepped forward and knocked on the courtyard gate.

The door was opened by Han Jianhong, who was surprised to see them. “Aunt Meng? What brings you here?”

Xia Qinqin ran up and hugged Han Jianhong’s waist. “Big sister~”

Han Jianhong patted Xia Qinqin’s little pigtails and smiled. “Hey there, Qinqin.”

Meng Yufei asked, “Jianhong, is your Aunt Fang home?”

Han Jianhong shook her head. “She took my little brother to the kindergarten in town and hasn’t come back yet. Why don’t you come in and wait? She should be back soon.”

Since Xiao Zhang was eager to get off work early, she quickly said, “Could you pass on a message when she returns? Tell her to bring her identification documents to the logistics personnel office tomorrow morning to complete the kindergarten teacher onboarding process.”

Meng Yufei added, “She’s just a kid and might not remember everything clearly. I’ll drop by again later to remind her.”

Xiao Zhang glanced at Han Jianhong, who was even taller than herself, and blinked. This is still considered a kid?

Han Jianhong spoke up, “No need, Aunt Meng. I heard everything you just said, and I’ll make sure to tell her when she gets back.”

Seeing that, Meng Yufei nodded. “Alright then. We still have others to notify, so we’ll head out. Qinqin, let’s go. You can visit your sister another time.”

“Oh… Bye-bye, big sister~”

Meanwhile, Yin Guixiang had just bought a can of malt milk extract from the supply and marketing cooperative, planning to give it to her youngest daughter. Ever since the old woman arrived, her little girl’s daily steamed eggs had been taken away, leaving her with only rice paste to drink.

As she approached her house, she heard the old woman’s scolding voice coming from inside.

“You useless brat! How can you break a bowl just by washing dishes? Do you know how expensive this bowl is? You worthless girl, you’re not even worth a few coins if I sold you off! If this were back home, I’d have beaten you black and blue—”

Hearing this, Yin Guixiang felt a rush of fury rise in her chest. She shoved the door open and stormed into the house.

In the kitchen, her eldest daughter was crouched on the floor, crying as she picked up the broken pieces of the bowl. Her second daughter was huddled beside her, wailing loudly, while the old woman stood at the doorway, still scolding.

At the sight, tears welled up in Yin Guixiang’s eyes. She rushed forward, grabbed both daughters by the hands, and pulled them up. “Forget about that stupid bowl! I’ll sweep it up later!”

The moment their mother returned, the two girls felt even more wronged. They clung to Yin Guixiang, sobbing uncontrollably.

Outside, the old woman muttered, “Girls are just crybabies. Wailing all day like it’s a funeral—so unlucky.”

Yin Guixiang shot her a venomous glare, as if she wanted to tear her apart.

The old woman frowned. “What’s with that look? What, are you going to hit me now?”

Yin Guixiang gritted her teeth. “Da Ya is only five years old! Not only do you make her wash dishes, but you also curse at her like this? How can your heart be so cruel? Isn’t she your granddaughter?”

Old Lady Xue’s eyes narrowed, her sharp little eyes glaring as she shouted, “What do you mean I’m cruel? In our village, girls her age are already doing laundry, cooking, and feeding the chickens. But you spoil them so much that they can’t even wash a bowl—what useless brats…”

“That’s enough!” Yin Guixiang finally lost her temper and shouted, “Stop going on about ‘your village’ all the time! This is the family compound, not the countryside! If you want to live by those rules, then go back to your village!”

Old Lady Xue jumped up in anger and cursed, “Heavens above! You heartless woman, you want to throw your own mother-in-law out? Have you no conscience? If anyone’s leaving, it’s you! This is my son’s house!”

As she yelled, she reached out to grab Yin Guixiang, trying to push her out. The two children screamed in fear, crying loudly, while Yin Guixiang struggled to shield them while wrestling with the old woman.

Just then, Meng Yufei and Xiao Zhang arrived and saw the front door wide open, with shouting and children’s cries echoing from inside.

Xiao Zhang lowered her voice and asked, “Sister Meng, there’s a fight going on inside. Should we step in now?”

Meng Yufei recognized the scolding voice—it was the same one from the Women’s Federation meeting the other day. It was Yin Guixiang’s mother-in-law.

“Let’s go in. At least we can try to break it up. No matter how adults fight, the children shouldn’t suffer like this—their throats will be ruined if they keep crying.”

When they stepped inside, they saw Old Lady Xue clutching Yin Guixiang’s hair, screaming curses, while Yin Guixiang crouched on the floor, tightly holding her two wailing children in her arms.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Xiao Zhang shouted, rushing forward and grabbing Old Lady Xue’s hand. “How can you hit someone? Let go of her!”

Old Lady Xue glanced at the unfamiliar Xiao Zhang but still refused to let go. “I’m the mother-in-law disciplining my daughter-in-law—it’s only natural! Who do you think you are, meddling in other people’s business?”

Meng Yufei turned to her daughter and instructed, “Qinqin, stand by the door and don’t come inside, okay?”

Seeing her daughter obediently nod, she stepped forward, reached for Old Lady Xue’s wrist, and pressed lightly on an acupuncture point.

“Ahh! Ouch! Ouch! It hurts!”

Old Lady Xue screamed in pain and finally released Yin Guixiang’s hair.

Meng Yufei flicked Old Lady Xue’s hand away, making her stagger back several steps.

Xiao Zhang quickly bent down and helped Yin Guixiang up. “Get up. Are you okay?”

Old Lady Xue pointed at Meng Yufei angrily and cursed, “Who the hell are you, you wretched shrew? Coming into my house and causing trouble? Just you wait—I’ll tear your mouth apart—”

She was still cursing fiercely, but she didn’t dare step forward. The pain in her hand was a clear reminder that this woman wasn’t someone to mess with.

Meng Yufei remained expressionless as she coldly said, “You’re asking who I am? Let me tell you. I am the Finance Director of the Logistics Office. I am a state official. Just now, did you call me a ‘wretched shrew’? Fine, then. You just insulted a government official for no reason. Let’s go. Let’s take this to the military leadership and see how they decide to deal with your behavior.”

For someone as unreasonable as this old woman, the only way to make her listen was to exert authority.

As expected, Old Lady Xue’s face flashed with guilt for a moment. But she quickly put on a shameless act, denying everything. “What nonsense are you talking about? When did I curse you? Who heard it? Don’t you dare frame me! Even if you report me to the heavens, I won’t admit it!”

Meng Yufei sneered and took two steps forward, grabbing Old Lady Xue’s wrist and applying a little pressure.

“Ahhh! Ow, ow! My mother! It hurts so much!”

She wailed in pain.

“Auntie,” Meng Yufei said with a chilling smile, “What if, in a little while, your hand just happens to get broken? If anyone asks, how should we explain it? Xiao Zhang and I both saw it—you were beating your daughter-in-law so hard that you broke your own hand.”

Old Lady Xue’s eyes widened in disbelief as she glared at Meng Yufei, furious. “You… you’re spouting nonsense! When did I ever hit her? My hand is clearly still fine right now!”

“It’s fine for now—but in a little while, who knows?” Meng Yufei tightened her grip slightly, making Old Lady Xue cry out even louder in pain.

“You’re making things up! Even if my hand does break, it’s because of you! Don’t think you can just hit people however you like just because you’re an official—I’ll report you!”

Meng Yufei chuckled. “Report me? Do you have any evidence? Who here can testify for you?”

Xiao Zhang watched as Old Lady Xue howled in pain, feeling utterly satisfied. She laughed and said, “I walked in and saw this old lady hitting someone. Who knew she’d be so careless and end up breaking her own hand? Serves her right!”

Then, she tugged at Yin Guixiang’s sleeve and winked at her. “What do you think, how did your mother-in-law’s hand get broken?”

Yin Guixiang’s hair was disheveled, her face still bore red marks from being slapped, and her eyes burned with resentment as she stared at Old Lady Xue. Gritting her teeth, she said, “She broke it herself while hitting me.”

Hearing this, Meng Yufei turned to Old Lady Xue with a smile. “See? Even your own daughter-in-law is testifying for me. Now tell me, if you go around claiming I broke your hand, do you think anyone will believe you?”

Old Lady Xue stared at the beautiful but cunning smile in front of her. Whether from anger or fear, her lips trembled uncontrollably…

This woman… she twists the truth!

The pain in her hand was getting worse—could it really be broken?!