Chapter 12

Zhang Hongying had been busy at work, and Shen Jianzhen had been busy with her studies. It had been a while since the two of them last saw each other.

One day, Zhang Hongying suddenly remembered something while counting the days. Using the leftover cotton fabric from the shop, she sewed something together. She added two elastic bands and four long fabric ties.

Master Wang noticed and asked, “Hongying, you’re here?”

Zhang Hongying nodded vaguely. “I’m just getting something ready in advance.”

People nowadays didn’t really take this kind of education seriously. Just this year, for example, Shen Jianzhen had come back from school crying, her pants soaked in blood. She had been mocked for quite a while.

At the root of it, it was Wu Xiaohong’s fault—living in a daze and never having explained anything to her daughter.

And Shen Jianzhen herself was clueless. Nowadays, periods were still treated with embarrassment. Even among girls, they would whisper, “Have you gotten it?” or “Is it here yet?”

If someone didn’t understand and asked, “What’s here?”

That meant they hadn’t started menstruating yet—a clueless little kid—and would be left out of the conversation.

Zhang Hongying felt that since in her past life, Shen Jianzhen had never looked down on her even after becoming successful, she ought to take care of her now.

So that Sunday, Zhang Hongying specifically asked Master Wang if she could leave work early.

Business was slow in the afternoon, and Master Wang readily agreed.

When Zhang Hongying handed the bundle over to Shen Jianzhen, the girl was still clueless, opening it up and looking at it: “What’s this?”

Zhang Hongying whispered, “It’s a riding strap—didn’t your mom prepare one for you?”

“Riding…” Shen Jianzhen started to ask, but Zhang Hongying quickly covered her mouth.

Sanitary pads wouldn’t become widespread until the 1990s. Women still used handmade menstrual belts, stuffing them with straw paper. It was uncomfortable, but there was no alternative.

Shen Jianzhen was thoroughly confused by Zhang Hongying’s secrecy.

So Zhang Hongying had to explain, “Girls, once they reach a certain age, start menstruating—you know that, right?”

“Huh?” Shen Jianzhen suddenly understood. “So that’s what the repeat students in class were whispering about! No wonder they always shooed me away when I got close.”

Zhang Hongying, herself a repeat student, instantly looked displeased.

Shen Jianzhen didn’t notice.

Zhang Hongying asked again, “Do you know how to use it?”

Though she had never seen one, Shen Jianzhen looked it over thoroughly and nodded, “I think I can figure it out.”

Zhang Hongying also glanced at her clothes. “Once I get more fabric, I’ll make you a round-neck shirt. You need to change and wash regularly. Otherwise, if you smell of sweat, people will avoid you.”

Tears welled up in Shen Jianzhen’s eyes. “Hongying, you’re so good to me.”

Shen Jianzhen had been a grateful person in her past life, and that’s why Zhang Hongying felt the urge to help her.

Back then, an old woman in the village—Granny Nine—couldn’t stand seeing eleven-year-old Shen Jianzhen still running around shirtless, already starting to develop but completely unaware. So she asked her daughter at the clothing factory to patch together a round-neck shirt for Shen Jianzhen using scrap fabric. She wore it until she was seventeen. Even when Shen Jianzhen was in her fifties and Granny Nine had long passed, she would still often express gratitude.

Now, Zhang Hongying had decided to gift her a second round-neck shirt. That way, if she ever needed help in the future, Shen Jianzhen would surely not turn her back on her.

They had been close in their previous lives. In this life, they could become even closer.

After giving her the items, Zhang Hongying asked, “If I want to buy something for myself without Zhang Hongxing taking it away, do you have any ideas?”

Shen Jianzhen thought it was just toys or clothes and replied helplessly, “It’s hard! I don’t have anything at home. Last time, school refunded me thirty cents, and I hid it in my pillow—but my mom still found it and used it, laughing for ages.

There’s nowhere to hide stuff at home.

Boys have it better. When they grow up and get married, at least they get their own room.

We don’t even have our own room. Where could we possibly hide things?”

Zhang Hongying whispered, “I want to save up to buy a house!”

“Whoa!” Shen Jianzhen’s eyes widened. “You’re amazing!”

Zhang Hongying motioned for her to lower her voice.

Shen Jianzhen thought for a moment. “A house is easy to hide. It just comes with a certificate—a booklet with your name on it. Just hide the certificate.

I’ve seen our house certificate. It’s just a thin little booklet.

They keep it in a drawer. I can show you.”

Then she pulled out a key from under the bed, unlocked the drawer, and took out the certificate to show Zhang Hongying.

Zhang Hongying looked at it. It really wasn’t big.

“But if you keep it at home, won’t someone find it?” she asked, still worried.

Shen Jianzhen laughed. “Don’t you think it looks just like a primary school diploma?

You can slide the house certificate behind your diploma—no one will notice.

And you can even put it openly in the drawer. Just tell your parents it’s your diploma. It might not be useful now, but who knows—it might be someday. Just don’t let them throw it out.”

Zhang Hongying: “But I don’t have a primary school diploma…”

Shen Jianzhen thought again. “Then hide it behind your parents’ marriage certificate.

No one ever looks at those. Nobody goes through marriage certificates for fun.”

Zhang Hongying was completely awed. “Jianzhen, how did your brain get this clever? You come up with such brilliant ideas. I’d never think of that in a million years.”

Shen Jianzhen giggled. “And I was going to ask how your hands got so skilled—you can make anything, and it’s always so well done.”

Zhang Hongying smiled. She did have her strengths.

Shen Jianzhen added, “Next year your little brother will graduate from primary school—he’ll get a diploma.

To be extra safe, you can hide the certificate behind his diploma.”

“Nice, nice,” Zhang Hongying was delighted. Hiding things in her parents’ drawer—this was genius. Only Shen Jianzhen could come up with that. Most kids only sneak money out of drawers. Who’d ever think to hide something in?

Then Zhang Hongying asked again, “What if one day your parents try to force you to marry someone, but you don’t want to—what would you do?”

Shen Jianzhen scoffed, “I’ll definitely study hard and leave town. Once I get into a vocational school or university, my residence registration will be moved.

Once that happens, they can’t force me to get married.”

Zhang Hongying’s eyes lit up. Around 1993, city residence permits started being sold in large numbers. Just a little over 3,000 yuan, and one could buy urban household registration.

If things got too bad, she could take advantage of that window to buy one and escape.

Transportation wasn’t well-developed back then. Most people never even left their villages. A few went to the town to work, and only during holidays or to buy necessities did they go into town.

If she moved her household registration to the neighboring town, chances were she’d never see her family again.

Hopefully, they wouldn’t push too hard. Otherwise, she’d just disappear, leaving them with nothing.

After all, Zhang Hongying had suffered enough in her past life—she wasn’t about to fall into the same trap again.

Now that she had solutions for housing and household registration, Zhang Hongying was in a great mood. All that was left was to wait for that opportunity to buy property…

That was on June 6—she remembered clearly. It was the day she had gone out to buy wonton wrappers.