Chapter 12

A surprise physical exam conducted by the Provincial Education Bureau threw the Zhou household into chaos.

As soon as Zhou Zhenye got the news, he dropped everything at work and rushed home to the family compound.

“What happened? Xiao Mu has always been in good health—how could he possibly fail a physical?”

Ever since this son was born, his career had soared, and their family’s living conditions had only improved. The boy had never lacked good food or clothing.

If someone suggested his son had health problems, Zhou Zhenye would be the first to call it nonsense.

Liu Yun touched her son’s forehead and said, “He had a bit of a low fever the day before the exam, looked tired, and didn’t eat dinner or breakfast. The education bureau announced the physical all of a sudden. I think he might’ve been too nervous at the time…”

Zhou Mu lay on the bed with his eyes tightly shut, saying nothing.

He hadn’t told his mother the full truth. In reality, he’d barely eaten for three meals before the checkup.

The day after trying to patch things up with Ye Manzhi, he went to lunch at a state-owned restaurant with some friends. Just as they were about to eat, he happened to spot Ye Manzhi walking by with two men.

One was baby-faced, permed, and wearing a cadre uniform. The other was a young police officer in a white uniform.

Each of them was carrying a thick stack of what looked like ration booklets—each pile nearly half a meter tall.

And Ye Manzhi herself was wearing this ridiculously gaudy—yet somehow flatteringly bright—peach-colored blouse. Her skin was so fair it practically glowed. She carried only three lunch boxes in her hands, swaying and strutting confidently in the center.

The three of them were laughing and chatting as they passed the restaurant entrance. A customer nearly bumped into her while exiting, only to be blocked by the shoulder of the young officer.

After catching a glimpse of that scene, Zhou Mu immediately lost his appetite.

Then he remembered how Ye Manzhi said she’d gone on a blind date—and had even liked the guy.

The bowl of wontons that had just arrived? He only ate two before handing it off to someone else.

That afternoon, on his way back from prep class, he got caught in a torrential downpour. Afterward, he came down with a slight fever and slept through both dinner and breakfast the next morning.

Normally, missing a few meals wouldn’t have fazed someone with his physique—he could’ve just made up for it later. But wouldn’t you know it, just at that exact moment, the education bureau decided to spring a surprise physical!

Liu Yun, anxious, said, “Old Zhou, low blood sugar isn’t a serious issue. See if you can pull some strings?”

“If that were possible, what about all the people who got eliminated before during the physicals? Should we just ignore them?” Zhou Zhenye’s face darkened. He stared at his son. “Tell me the truth—what exactly happened before the exam? You had a little fever and suddenly couldn’t eat?”

His gut told him this had something to do with the Ye family girl.

Just days ago, Ye’s eldest brother had come to their house bearing gifts. His son had been over the moon and even said he’d consider getting back together with her.

But barely two days later, he’d clammed up and dropped the subject entirely.

The question clearly hit a nerve. Zhou Mu turned away in frustration and snapped, “What, I can’t lose my appetite when I have a fever? Why do you keep asking? You’re both so annoying!”

Liu Yun was furious. “Is that how you talk to your father?!”

“Forget it,” Zhou Zhenye’s face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. “I’ll see if we can get the exam rechecked. I must’ve owed a debt to this brat in a past life!”

While gloom clouded the Zhou household, the atmosphere at the Ye family’s was entirely different.

“They messed with your physical report back then, and now their own son gets eliminated over a failed physical! Karma!” Chang Yue’e laughed heartily and even bought two jin of pork ribs to celebrate.

Ye Shouxin also swept away the gloom of the past few days and finally had a smile on his face.

Even though Ye Manzhi suspected deep down that Zhou Mu, that fool, might’ve gone on a hunger strike.

But Zhou Mu was someone who cared a lot about saving face—if he really lost his chance to study abroad because of a hunger strike, he’d be too embarrassed to admit it. He’d rather claim low blood sugar than confess to that.

Whatever the reason, Zhou’s misfortune was undeniably good news for the Ye family.

Taking advantage of the cheerful atmosphere at home, Ye Manzhi invited Chang Yue’e, her third sister-in-law, and fourth sister-in-law to join her at the children’s primary school to listen to her give a talk on the Marriage Law.

The three women didn’t have much to do in the evenings, so they gladly agreed to come support their little cadre.

But when they arrived at the school on time, they found the large classroom on the east side of the playground already packed with people.

A bunch of women were still hauling chairs to the doorway, looking for seats.

Seeing the packed crowd inside, Fourth Sister-in-law Shen Liangmei muttered, “Oh my gosh, didn’t Little Sis say hardly anyone was coming to the Marriage Law event? Why is it packed in here?”

And most of the faces were familiar women from their own compound.

Huang Li pointed at the blackboard to prompt her to read.

But Shen Liangmei had never gone to school. She’d only learned a few characters in a post-liberation literacy class years ago, and had long forgotten them.

The colorful chalk writing on the blackboard—she could only recognize a couple of characters.

So Huang Li read it aloud for her: “Special Event for Marriage Law Publicity Month — Introducing Fabric-Saving Cutting Patterns for Residents.”

Most older women knew a bit of tailoring. If they could make clothes themselves, they’d never waste money buying them.

Plus, now that the country had begun state-controlled purchasing and distribution of textiles, each person received a fixed number of fabric coupons every month. Everyone felt like they never had enough material to use.

This little event that Ye Manzhi had dreamt up on a whim turned out to perfectly tap into the urgent needs of housewives.

Once word got out about the session, women rushed to sign up.

At that moment, neither Ye Manzhi nor Chen Caixia had time to greet their family members. Looking out at the packed room full of middle-aged and elderly women, and kids running everywhere, both of them were getting a bit nervous.

Chen Caixia swallowed nervously and whispered, “If we tell them they have to listen to a talk on the Marriage Law first… are we gonna get drowned in spit?”

“It’s fine. Think about our cadre status—even if we get scolded, we’ll survive. Sister Caixia, let’s split the work. You explain the Marriage Law, I’ll take the blame!” Ye Manzhi grinned.

Chen Caixia couldn’t help laughing. “How can you still joke at a time like this?”

The event was co-hosted by the two of them. Ye Manzhi was supposed to demonstrate fabric-saving cutting techniques, so the Marriage Law talk naturally fell to Chen Caixia.

Usually, it was Director Mu who did the talking, so this would be her first time up on stage.

Nervous but determined, Chen Caixia stepped onto the podium and knocked on the blackboard.

The sound quieted the room as people thought the cutting techniques were about to be introduced.

But as soon as Chen Caixia opened her mouth and said “Marriage Law,” the crowd instantly lost interest.

At first, trying to save face for the young cadre, the residents just grumbled among themselves. But once it became clear the speech wasn’t ending anytime soon, someone finally spoke up.

“I say, Comrade Xiao Chen, the notice on the bulletin board clearly said this was about tailoring. Why are we hearing something completely different now?”

“Exactly!”

“You people don’t keep your word—who would dare participate in any more street committee events after this?

As the scene began to descend into chaos, Ye Manzhi and Chen Caixia exchanged a look and quickly followed their plan. Ye Manzhi grabbed a piece of chalk and some fabric, stepped onto the platform, and switched places with her colleague.

She shook her head with a wry smile. “You all really aren’t cutting us any slack—no one wants to listen to our Marriage Law talk, huh? All right then. Since everyone’s here to learn tailoring, I’ll start by introducing one of the most common styles worn by us women: a closed-front square-collar shirt with raglan sleeves and patch pockets.”

To make sure those in the back could see clearly, she used the entire blackboard like a piece of fabric, drawing a huge cutting pattern on it.

Seeing her finally get to the main topic, the room gradually quieted down.

“This is more like it—at least teach us something useful. What good are all those laws and regulations from the Marriage Law anyway?”

Ye Manzhi paused her measurements and turned her head, saying, “Grandma Wang, you’re exactly the kind of person who should be listening to our Marriage Law lecture. If you’d come earlier, your daughter’s problem could’ve been solved by now.”

The others, curious and unaware, asked, “What happened with Grandma Wang’s daughter?”

A neighbor from the same building explained, “Her son-in-law went off to be a traveling merchant before Liberation and hasn’t been back in seven or eight years. Now her daughter doesn’t want to wait anymore and wants to remarry, but her in-laws are blocking it. They even hid the kid!”

Grandma Wang’s daughter-in-law quickly chimed in, “Comrade Ye, do you have any idea how my husband’s older sister can handle this?”

Ye Manzhi shook her head. “Everyone here wants to learn tailoring. Let’s talk about your family’s issue another time.”

“Don’t say that—if you’ve got a solution, share it! We can all weigh in.”

“Yeah, Comrade Ye, let’s help her out!”

“Fine,” Ye Manzhi said, dropping the chalk, “Grandma Wang, the issue isn’t really your daughter’s in-laws.”

“Then what’s the issue?”

“The key is determining whether your son-in-law is alive or dead. If he’s dead, your daughter is free to marry again, and no one has the right to interfere. But if he’s alive, then both husband and wife need to show up to file for divorce. Marriage and divorce are matters between two people—her in-laws have no say.”

“But that’s the problem! Liu Zhiguo’s been gone for seven or eight years without a word. Who knows if he’s alive or dead?” Grandma Wang asked anxiously. “He never shows up, and the government won’t issue a divorce certificate. Comrade Ye, do you have a way around this?”

“That depends on how determined your daughter is. If she’s dead set on leaving her in-laws, then she should file for divorce in court. The court will then post a notice in the paper seeking the missing man. If there’s no response within a specified period, the court will grant the divorce.”

Grandma Wang shook her head repeatedly. “A lawsuit causes grudges that last three generations. What decent family would want to go to court?”

“That’s why I asked if your daughter is truly determined to remarry.”

The street committee held study sessions every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday—not only to educate residents but also for young cadres like them to continue learning.

Grandma Wang’s daughter’s case was similar to one they had studied, which ended up being resolved through legal channels.

Ye Manzhi clapped her hands to quiet the murmuring crowd and said with a smile, “We’ve encountered many similar cases at the street committee—issues like child support for children born out of wedlock, or whether child brides can find new partners after their husbands join the army… But today we’re here to talk about cutting patterns, so let’s not waste any more time.”

The women listened intently—

They were listening with great interest and even wanted her to talk more about child brides—but just as the story was getting good, it came to an abrupt stop. She wasn’t going to tell the rest!

“Alright, alright, let’s talk about this women’s shirt now!” Ye Manzhi said. “Let’s take floral seersucker as an example. For a standard build, you’ll need at most three chi and seven cun of fabric. You can leave a one- or two-inch slit at the shoulder seam,” she said, stretching her arm upward. “With this slit, when we lift our arms, the shirt won’t ride up…”

“Hm, that’s a good trick, Comrade Ye. Short shirts really do have that problem,” said one of the women from the neighborhood clothing production cooperative.

Ye Manzhi’s cutting method was validated by a professional, prompting the initially skeptical women to take her lesson more seriously.

Soon someone in the audience raised their hand to ask a question.

“Comrade Ye, if I use cotton to make this shirt, how many chi of fabric will I need? Is three chi seven still enough?”

“I used floral seersucker as an example because it’s the narrowest fabric—only one chi ninety-two wide. If you use cotton or silk, you’ll actually need less fabric. For a standard size, three chi seven is more than enough.”

“Comrade Ye, I noticed the collar in the pattern only has one layer. Can a single-layer collar still look good?”

“A single-layer collar saves over three cun of fabric compared to a double-layer one. But if you think it doesn’t look good, you can do what I did,” she said, tugging at the collar of her own shirt, “and add a lace trim. After all, lace doesn’t require ration coupons, but fabric does—so save where you can.”

Ye Manzhi was endlessly patient, answering everyone’s questions one by one.

If there was a question she couldn’t answer, she’d ask Chang Yue’e—who taught her tailoring—or one of the female masters from the cooperative to help.

Everyone shared techniques and exchanged ideas, which meant that by the end of the session, Ye Manzhi had only introduced one shirt pattern.

Even so, some of the women who couldn’t read were struggling to keep up and started shouting that Comrade Ye was talking too fast!

After conferring with Chen Caixia, Ye Manzhi turned back to the group and said, “Next, we’ll be introducing cutting patterns for undershorts, men’s and women’s cadre uniforms, children’s clothing, dresses, and men’s and women’s Western-style underpants. If you’re interested, please raise your hand!”

Swish, swish, swish—nearly everyone raised their hands.

“Then let’s hold class here every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Each day we’ll cover one cutting pattern, and before or during class, we’ll also discuss some points of the Marriage Law. Anyone interested is welcome to attend.”

A loud voice rang out from the audience, “Comrade Ye, can a child bride still look for a new partner if her husband’s joined the army?”

Ye Manzhi laughed along with everyone and waved her hand, “It’s too late today. At the next lecture, we’ll talk more about the child bride issue.”

In truth, she didn’t actually know whether a child bride could look for a new partner. According to Article 2 of the Marriage Law, child brides were prohibited. But if the man was an active revolutionary soldier, then Article 19 had to be considered too.

So, to make sure she had something solid to say next time, she’d have to cram and go ask her superiors for guidance at work.

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From that day on, Ye Manzhi and Chen Caixia organized several more cutting classes, all of which were very well received.

The cutting patterns taught in class were a hit among the women.

Several of Ye Manzhi’s fashion sketchbooks were borrowed one after another and passed around throughout the military compound.

Soon enough, people began asking Chang Yue’e about Ye Manzhi.

But Comrade Chang Yue’e remained perfectly clear-headed, always smiling kindly on the surface…

…greeted and sent people off with a pleasant face, but never let a single word slip.

Second Sister was a cautionary tale—because of her skill in tailoring, she didn’t get a moment’s rest even during pregnancy.

Ye Manzhi absolutely wouldn’t let Laiya marry into that kind of household.

Meanwhile, Director Mu from the subdistrict office had also received some positive feedback from women in the community. At the weekly meeting, she praised Ye Manzhi and Chen Caixia.

“Quyi performances are certainly lively, but the audience is mostly men and children. These tailoring classes, on the other hand, have attracted a good number of women—just the right complement to the shortcomings of the performances.”

“However, both your teams have the same issue—your content on the Marriage Law is lacking. I hope you can adjust that quickly and learn from the first and second neighborhood committees.”

The four newcomers nodded, taking the advice to heart.

Mu Lan paused for a moment and let out a long sigh. “Xiao Ye, Xiao Chen, since your activities cater to women, take the opportunity to also pay attention to the women among the ‘special populations’ in our district—get them to attend as well.”

Ye and Chen asked in unison, “Director, what exactly is ‘special population’?”

“People on probation, released convicts, landlords living in the city, those under surveillance, and social drifters—all of these count. Among the ‘special population’ in our district, the women are mainly social drifters, like dancers, underground prostitutes, and petty thieves…”

“Because of their sensitive status, some of them rarely leave the house. But if they stay disconnected from society like that, it won’t do. Having them attend sessions on the Marriage Law, and learning tailoring patterns—that counts as social engagement.”

Seeing the two of them frozen in place without responding, Mu Lan sighed again. “They’re all people with hard lives. If they had other choices, no one would choose a crooked path. Even though they’re still under the watch of the subdistrict office and the police station, most of them have already turned over a new leaf. Don’t look at them through tinted glasses.”

Chen Caixia and Ye Manzhi nodded repeatedly, then took a list of names from the director.

After work that day, Ye Manzhi hitched a ride with Third Sister-in-law to go door-to-door notifying the women on the list.

“Sis, let’s go to Xue Qiao’er’s place on Guangming Second Alley first. Her house is in the same lane as my Fifth Brother’s. Once I’m done notifying her, I’ll pop into my brother’s yard and pick a few cucumbers.”

Huang Li frowned and asked, “What are you doing at Xue Qiao’er’s? Her situation’s… complicated. Best if you don’t go over there too often.”

Sitting comfortably on her usual spot in the carriage frame, Ye Manzhi lowered her voice and explained the task Director Mu had given her.

“Mom wouldn’t let me go to Fifth Brother’s place alone. She tried to scare me by saying there’s a murderer living in that alley. I guess she just didn’t want to tell me the truth about Xue Qiao’er’s situation and made up that story to keep me away.”

“Then listen to her. Don’t go wandering over there for no reason.”

Huang Li felt an odd tangle of emotions every time she had to deliver a letter to that area.

What Chang Yue’e had said might’ve been a little exaggerated to scare Ye Manzhi, but it wasn’t wrong—there was a murderer in Xue Qiao’er’s household. Just not yet. A future murderer.

According to the events in the book, Ye Manlin—Fifth Brother, who lived in the same alley—would soon be killed in a retaliatory attack by that household. His body would be destroyed in a fire set to cover the crime.

The houses in the Guang area were all old brick-and-wood courtyard homes, one connected to the next. The fire spread rapidly, especially since it happened at night and the emergency response was slow. The entire street ended up engulfed in flames.

It was the kind of massive arson-homicide case that only occurred once in several decades, resulting in hundreds of casualties.

District leaders were dismissed in one sweeping blow, and the entire staff of the Guangming Subdistrict Office was replaced.

Worst of all, Ye Laowu was her mother-in-law’s own son. He had moved out on his own to make room for his two married elder brothers.

That tragedy planted a deep seed of bitterness in Chang Yue’e. After her son’s death, she completely turned to the dark side…