Chapter 18

The result of the Ye family getting up early to line up for meat was that, except for third sister-in-law Huang Li, everyone else came back empty-handed.

Looking at the four pounds of pork on the cutting board, Chang Yue’e decided that before the meat vouchers were officially used, she would make dumplings once, so the whole family could have a big meal.

So, the next day when Ye Manzhi went to work, she brought a lunchbox of dumplings for lunch.

There were several lunchboxes taken out, filled with buns, dumplings, meat patties, and braised pork—basically everything with meat in it.

Chen Caixia gave a spoonful of braised pork to Ye Manzhi and suggested, “Xiao Ye, after lunch, let’s go to the Fifth Neighborhood Committee, right? We can visit the last few families there.”

“Sure!”

Street office work often requires overtime.

Ye Manzhi wasn’t married and had no partner, so she treated her after-hours home visits as a kind of hobby and enjoyed it.

But since Chen Caixia had only recently married, working late at night often caused problems with her in-laws.

So, Ye Manzhi adjusted her schedule to take care of her, moving the home visits from the evening to lunch break.

Today, they had two households to visit, one of which was the Zheng family.

Hearing the name Zheng Dongmei, Liu Jinbao put down his chopsticks and asked, “How do you plan to deal with the Zheng family’s issue? Qian Shengli’s situation is similar to Zheng Dongmei’s, let’s discuss it together.”

“Caixia and I have initially decided that Zheng Dongmei should leave the house and go to work, so the Zheng family would have two people earning wages, and they wouldn’t need to rely on welfare.”

This was the result after Ye Manzhi had carefully considered things. No matter what role Xue Qiao’er played in the arson case, Zheng Dongmei’s problem had to be solved.

Leaving her at home was a big safety hazard, and Ye Manzhi felt she needed proper social interaction.

Liu Jinbao asked, “Isn’t Zheng Dongmei illiterate? What kind of work can you introduce her to?”

“Well, she can’t read, but we can ask her what skills she has. There are jobs that don’t require literacy.”

When it came to naming, Zheng Dongmei was similar to her own fourth sister-in-law, Shen Liangmei.

One was Zheng Dongmei’s sister, and the other was Shen Liang’s sister.

Their parents were careless even when giving them names, so it was no surprise they didn’t care about their daughters’ futures.

Both of these “sisters” had never been to school.

…

After lunch, Ye Manzhi and Chen Caixia went to the Zheng family.

The person who came to open the door was still the haughty Zheng Dongmei. She immediately asked, “Why are you here again? What’s this about?”

Ye Manzhi continued playing the bad cop and said sternly, “Didn’t your family submit an application for welfare? We’re here to verify the situation.”

Even though nothing had happened, and Fifth Brother was fine, she couldn’t help but feel some misplaced resentment toward Zheng Dongmei.

She was playing the bad cop with at least 50% sincerity.

“Come in,” Zheng Dongmei said as she was cutting her nephew’s hair. She led them into the yard and casually gestured, “This is the situation, you can take a look. My parents are sleeping, so just don’t make too much noise.”

Ye Manzhi: “…”

This couple’s life was quite comfortable.

But for them, it was actually good news; there was no need to worry about anyone obstructing, confusing things, or throwing cold water on their plans.

Chen Caixia, unlike Xiao Ye, was gentle and polite. She softly asked, “Dongmei, our street office has started a tailoring class. Have you…?”

“Why not go learn something? The classes are free.”

“What’s the point of learning that? Look at my situation, can I even make clothes?”

Ye Manzhi remained serious and said, “You may not need it now, but does that mean you’ll never need it in the future? If you don’t need it, will your nephews and nieces never need it either? If you learn it, at least you’ll have a skill. You could even teach it to the kids later!”

“They’re so young, what can they learn?”

Ye Manzhi, whose face looked youthful, found that this was a disadvantage in her job. She now imagined herself as Deputy Director Zhang, deliberately putting on a stern expression and lectured, “Zheng Dongmei, I’m not saying this to upset you, but you’re being a very unfit aunt!”

Zheng Dongmei scowled and asked, “What do you mean I’m unfit? I serve them food and drink all day, isn’t that enough?”

“It’s not that it’s not enough! It’s just not enough! When you were little, didn’t your brother take care of you a lot? When he was in good health, wasn’t it him who provided for the family?”

Zheng Dongmei grunted in response with a sour look on her face.

Ye Manzhi exchanged a glance with Chen Caixia, both feeling slightly relieved.

They had discussed this the previous day, and they knew that the Zheng siblings likely had a good relationship. Maybe they could approach this from that angle to convince Zheng Dongmei.

Ye Manzhi continued, “In the past, your brother took care of you, but now it’s your turn to take care of him! Who is the most worried about him now? Besides your parents and his wife, it’s definitely the kids! You’re their aunt, you need to think about them more!”

Zheng Dongmei, holding the scissors, quickly snipped away at her eldest nephew’s hair, creating a style that was nearly as bad as if a dog had chewed it. After giving his head a pat, she called over the younger nephew.

After a long silence, she finally said, “My mom said going to the tailoring class is useless and people will look down on us, so she doesn’t want us to go.”

Ye Manzhi snorted and then followed up with, “You and your brother didn’t go to school, right?”

This remark seemed a bit sarcastic, and Zheng Dongmei, who was sensitive, slammed the scissors down and glared angrily, shouting, “What’s wrong with not going to school? Does not going to school mean we’re less than others?”

Ye Manzhi was startled by her sudden outburst. After regaining her composure, she firmly retorted, “What are you shouting for? Do you think not going to school doesn’t make you less than others? You should know in your heart whether it does! Your parents didn’t go to school, so you and your brother have already been delayed! You both are clever and hardworking, but if you had gone to school, even just finishing primary school, would your brother still be riding a tricycle? Would he be lying in bed now?”

Chen Caixia quickly stepped in front of Ye Manzhi to mediate, “Xiao Ye, stop. You’ve already upset Dongmei!”

“It’s fine, Caixia, Dongmei may be stubborn, but she’s not a bad person. I believe she’ll understand our good intentions.”

Zheng Dongmei refused to look at them and picked up the scissors again, silently continuing to cut her younger nephew’s hair, making a style even worse than her eldest nephew’s.

Though she didn’t respond, she didn’t argue anymore, and the conversation could continue.

Chen Caixia spoke earnestly, “Even though Xiao Ye’s words may not sound nice, they still make sense. Dongmei, your parents definitely care about you and your siblings, but they come from the old society. Their thinking is a bit outdated. They may have good intentions for their children, but their mindset can’t keep up with the new circumstances in today’s society!”

This was the second point they had discussed in advance.

Don’t get too close to family members.

They couldn’t stir up conflict between siblings or between mothers and daughters, fathers and daughters. They had to ensure that the Zheng family didn’t get torn apart.

Dongmei began to feel resistant.

“You’re young, you adapt to new ideas and things much faster than older people. When it comes to educating your nephews and nieces, you should take responsibility. This should have been your brother and sister-in-law’s responsibility, but your brother is willing but unable, and your sister-in-law is busy riding the tricycle all day, so how can she spare time to worry about these kids’ future?”

Ye Manzhi helped to reinforce the point, “Your parents have already made a mistake in your brother’s and your education. So, when it comes to learning and education, you need to use your own brain and make your own decisions. Don’t let outdated thoughts control you anymore!”

Zheng Dongmei still had the expression of someone who had been wronged, as though someone owed her 800 yuan.

After finishing cutting her two nephews’ hair, she called over her eldest niece, letting the little girl’s messy hair down, and began to redo her hairstyle.

Seeing her expression, Ye Manzhi knew that she had taken it in, so she pressed on.

“These four children in your family are about to reach school age. Especially these two little girls, they look just like you, their aunt. You’ve suffered enough, you can’t let the children suffer the same way, can you? They must go to school when the time comes!”

Zheng Dongmei scoffed, “You make it sound easy. Doesn’t going to school cost money? Where is the money supposed to come from?”

If she could afford it, who wouldn’t want to send their children to school?

“That’s exactly why I say you’re an incompetent aunt, you’re not serious! You can glare at me all you want, it won’t change anything! If you had a job, even just a temporary one, earning five or six yuan a month, it would be enough to send these kids to school!”

“Your parents are getting old, and their health isn’t good. Can you still rely on them to go out and earn money for the kids’ tuition? You’re young, hardworking, and smart. Why not go out and earn money instead of wasting opportunities, spinning around the stove all day? Your family doesn’t have heavy work, and the kids are capable, you could still do the housework when you get home from work. If it’s too much, your parents could help!”

Chen Caixia, standing beside Zheng Dongmei, rebutted, “This isn’t all Dongmei’s fault, after all, factories have hiring requirements now. You at least need to be literate. Dongmei and her brother were delayed when they were young, sigh…”

“Being illiterate is indeed a problem,” Ye Manzhi looked at Zheng Dongmei, who seemed upset, “Dongmei, do you have any skills? For example, if you cook well, you could work in a cafeteria. Or, if you’re good with your hands, you could work at a clothing cooperative.”

Zheng Dongmei remained silent.

“…”

It seemed she wasn’t good at cooking or particularly skilled with her hands.

If she couldn’t rely on a skill, then she would have to work as a laborer, just like Xue Qiaoer.

This was something Ye Manzhi didn’t want to see.

Labor work often meant taking abuse, and even someone with a temper like Fifth Brother would end up in arguments with people, let alone Zheng Dongmei.

She thought Zheng Dongmei had a strong sense of pride and needed a job that could earn her respect, something that would allow her to be recognized by others.

As the three adults sat in silence, Zheng Dongmei’s youngest niece, sitting in front of her, suddenly spoke timidly: “My little aunt does hair really well!”

Ye Manzhi and Chen Caixia looked over at her, finally noticing the fishtail braid that Zheng Dongmei had done for her niece.

To be fair, it was a very neat braid. The fishtail braid is more complicated than a regular three-strand braid, but Zheng Dongmei’s technique was quick and efficient. The braid was smooth and neat, with almost no stray hairs.

Compared to her skill in cutting hair, it was a world of difference.

Manzhi smiled and asked, “Dongmei, can you style other kinds of hairdos?”

“Yes.”

“Can you style adult hair too?”

Zheng Dongmei looked at her as if she were crazy. “A head is a head, whether it’s an adult’s or a child’s.”

“What I mean is, children’s hairstyles are usually cute, but for adults, they need to be a bit more mature.”

“I don’t understand those things. It’s just combing hair.”

Zheng Dongmei had short hair, so it was hard to see much effect. Ye Manzhi thought for a moment and then asked, “Could you help me style a nice hairdo?”

Zheng Dongmei looked at her white shirt and asked with her arms crossed, “Aren’t you bothered by the dirt?”

Ye Manzhi was still wearing the same clothes she had worn when she last visited Zheng’s family. She looked at herself and pretended not to notice the awkwardness in Zheng Dongmei’s tone.

“Do you have lice on your comb?”

“You’re the one with lice!”

“Since there are no lice, what’s the dirt? Don’t tell me you can’t style hair?”

Zheng Dongmei glanced at her, then pushed her shoulder and made her sit on the bench.

Though her expression was fierce, Ye Manzhi could feel the comb’s touch on her hair was quite gentle.

Zheng Dongmei separated her hair into two layers. She braided the top layer into a fishtail braid at the back of her head and left the bottom layer of hair flowing freely.

Her hair was permed, and the curly locks hanging on her shoulders gave her a soft and stylish look.

Chen Caixia praised, “Dongmei, you’ve got some skills. It looks really good. But if you go to the office like this, Zhang, the deputy director, will definitely pick on you. You should go for a more proper look. Zhang prefers everything to be simple and dignified.”

Zheng Dongmei hummed and didn’t touch the fishtail braid she had already made. Instead, she casually twisted the bottom layer of hair into a bun, giving it a few turns and securing it in place with a hairpin.

“It looks great!” Ye Manzhi picked up a small mirror, checked it from side to side, and then asked, “Dongmei, did you learn this hair styling technique on your own, or did you learn it from someone?”

“There was an old woman in the alley who used to style hair for wealthy families. I learned a bit from her.”

Ye Manzhi gave a thumbs-up. “Wow! Styling hair is quite a skill. If you practice, you could make a living with this talent!”

“Can styling hair really make money?”

Zheng Dongmei was skeptical but secretly hoped to hear a positive answer.

Not long ago, the female postal worker who was in charge of their area had introduced her to a milk delivery job in the city.

But her parents thought it was too hard to deliver milk early in the morning and late at night, and since she couldn’t ride a bicycle, they worried she might break the bike and have to pay for it.

So, that idea faded away.

Ye Manzhi believed that styling hair could be a skill that could bring in money, but they needed to contact a hair salon first to confirm.

She didn’t want to give someone hope only to disappoint them later, which could further hurt their motivation.

There used to be a private hair salon on Guangming Street, but when the private-public partnership took place, it merged with the hair salon at Factory 656.

As the number of workers in the factory increased, the hair salon also expanded, with over forty styling chairs.

Now, it had become one of the top two state-owned hair salons in Zhengyang District.

Both Ye Manzhi and Chen Caixia thought that they could let Zheng Dongmei work at the salon.

This large hair salon had dedicated cashiers, and the hairstylists were only responsible for cutting and perming hair. There were no high educational requirements, and not being able to read wouldn’t stop someone from cutting hair.

If someone had good skills and received praise from customers, it could also satisfy Zheng Dongmei’s self-esteem and boost her confidence.

The more Chen Caixia thought about it, the more she felt this was a feasible plan. The next day, she went to the 656 hair salon as soon as she started work, hoping to recommend Zheng Dongmei.

However, while she left in high spirits in the morning, she returned in the afternoon feeling dejected.

Ye Manzhi was stamping her purchase oil certificate when she noticed and asked, “Did the hair salon refuse to take her?”

“Yes, the work at the hair salon mainly involves cutting hair, and sometimes perming for women. But Zheng Dongmei only knows how to style hair, and she can’t even cut the most basic haircuts. Plus, they are quite busy there and don’t take apprentices. They only want experienced workers.”

In addition to the 656 salon, Chen Caixia also visited a few other salons on nearby streets and even went to a bathhouse that offered hairdressing services.

Unfortunately, either they were full or they didn’t accept someone with incomplete skills.

“If it doesn’t work out, it’s fine. We haven’t made any promises yet. Let’s think of other solutions.”

The situation had made some progress but had fallen back to square one, and both of them fell silent.

When Mu Lan returned from outside, she knocked on their office desks and said, “Young people, stop being so gloomy! You need to show some energy to get things done!”

She stood in front of them, clapped her hands, and said with enthusiasm, “Come on, everyone, stop your work for a moment! I have some good news to announce!”

Ye Manzhi perked up, smiling as she asked, “Director, what’s the good news? Hurry up and tell us!”

Is it time for salary distribution?

Mu Lan loudly announced, “I’m here to announce that, according to the district meeting’s resolution, the ‘Sino-Soviet Friendship Association’ is about to establish a branch on Guangming Street! This is a milestone honor for our street! Let’s give a round of applause!”

The office was quiet for two seconds before a sparse round of applause broke out.

Liu Jinbao raised his hand and asked, “Director, isn’t our street off-limits to foreigners? How can they approve a branch here?”

Guangming Street had a unique situation. Since there was a military factory in the area, a sign was put up at the entrance that said, “Foreigners are not allowed entry without permission.”

Because of this sign, the residents of Guangming Street were generally more alert.

“The establishment of a branch does not conflict with the ‘No Foreigners Allowed’ policy!” Mu Lan said. “All of our members will be locals.”

Everyone: “…”

Mu Lan clapped her hands again to lift everyone’s spirits. “Alright, the purpose of the Sino-Soviet Friendship Association is to develop friendly relations between the two countries and to strengthen cultural and economic ties. The fact that the higher-ups approved the establishment of a branch on Guangming Street is an acknowledgment and recognition of our work.”

“Before the branch is established, we need to form a preparatory group. Our street office, the police station, and each neighborhood committee will need to contribute people. Liu and I will be the group leader and deputy leader. Our unit needs to send two people. Are there any volunteers to join the preparatory group?”

Feng Yi and Wei Zhen, who were more experienced, had lost interest in various associations and organizations, so they naturally weren’t eager to join the preparatory group.

The main force for this work would still rely on the newcomers.

Thus, Director Mu’s words set things in motion.

After Mu Lan finished speaking, only four new comrades raised their hands.

Mu Lan smiled and said, “It’s still the young comrades who are active and enthusiastic! The preparatory group won’t have a lot of work, we’ll just need to select two comrades. It would be best if they know some Russian, so they can help with translating materials.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Caixia and Liu Jinbao lowered their hands.

Chen Caixia had studied in a rural town where there were no Russian courses.

Liu Jinbao, on the other hand, had taken a Russian class but didn’t do very well, so if it came to translating materials, he would probably be exposed.

“Alright, then Xiao Ye and Zhuang Ting will join the preparatory group. By the way, how’s your Russian? Neither Liu nor I know Russian, so if there’s any translation work, we’ll rely on you two!”

Zhuang Ting was not modest at all: “My Russian grade has never been below 90.”

Ye Manzhi boasted shamelessly, “If my physical exam results hadn’t been swapped, I would have gone to the Soviet Union to study.”

The Sino-Soviet Friendship Association was one of the most popular mass organizations at the time. Eldest Sister, Third Brother, and Lin Qingmei were all members of it.

When they went out, they wore a badge on their chest, looking very impressive.

By joining the preparatory group, Ye Manzhi was one step closer to becoming an official member!

---

Things had made a little progress at work, and this made Ye Manzhi particularly happy.

Before finishing work, she called her eldest sister at the drama troupe. As she passed by the grocery store, she went in to buy a sausage for Old Ye to have with his drink.

Excitedly holding the bag, she ran into the house, only to quickly sense that something was off in the atmosphere.

Fourth Sister-in-law was sitting with her head down, as if she had been crying.

“Sister-in-law, what’s wrong?” Ye Manzhi showed her the sausage. “I specifically bought this, want to eat together?”

Fourth Sister-in-law ignored her, turning her back in a huff.

“Did you have a fight with Fourth Brother?”

“I didn’t provoke her, this isn’t my fault.”

Ye Manzhi assumed it was just a typical argument between Fourth Brother and his wife, so she casually tried to offer some comfort and was about to head to her room to rest, waiting for Old Ye to come home for dinner.

She had seen plenty of arguments between couples at work and didn’t care to get involved anymore.

Just as she was about to leave, Fourth Sister-in-law suddenly turned around, grabbed her arm, and asked, “Come here, I want to ask you something. Do you or do you not acknowledge your Fourth Brother?”

“What do you mean? How could I not acknowledge my own brother?”

“Then, when you got that big house for Fifth Brother, why didn’t you think about your Fourth Brother?” Shen Liangmei wiped her tears. “Fourth Brother and Fifth Brother are both your brothers, right? When you were patrolling the cemetery, wasn’t it your Fourth Brother who accompanied you? But when there’s something good, why do you never think about your Fourth Brother?”

Ye Manzhi thought to herself that the matter of the house had not been kept a secret and must have leaked.

Surprised, she asked, “Sister-in-law, do you and Fourth Brother want to move out? Why didn’t you mention it before?”

“Maiduo is getting bigger, and your Fourth Brother and I can’t just keep leaving him to your mom all the time, right?”

“That’s true,” Ye Manzhi nodded.

When Fifth Brother lived in Yueya Hutong, she hadn’t heard Fourth Sister-in-law express any objections, but now that they were about to move to the larger house on Dache Street, she seemed to have concerns.

It seemed that she had her eyes on the house on Dache Street.

“Sister-in-law, why do you want to move out? You don’t have to pay rent living here, and you eat and drink at our dad’s place. Once you move out…”

“If you move out, you’ll have to do it like Fifth Brother, and rely on yourselves. However, if you really want to move out, I can go to the housing authority and ask around for you,” Ye Manzhi said.

Before Shen Liangmei could respond, Chang Yue’e lifted the curtain and stepped out of the room.

“Ask what? They want to move to your Fifth Brother’s place, and live with him!” she exclaimed.

Shen Liangmei argued, “We’re not refusing to pay. We’ll pay two yuan a month. Isn’t that fine? Besides, I can do the laundry and cook. When Fifth Brother comes home, he’ll get a nice, warm meal. What’s wrong with that?”

Ye Manzhi thought to herself that the two yuan was just for rent.

What about food and drinks?

Fourth Brother’s family had three people, while Fifth Brother was living alone.

She turned to Fourth Brother and asked, “Brother, do you also want to move and live with Fifth Brother?”

“Yes!” Fourth Brother nodded firmly. “Living in a big house is definitely better than staying in this small living room. I can earn some money when I go out, and your sister-in-law can handle the housework. This life could be pretty good.”

Chang Yue’e’s eyes blazed with anger. You all can have a good life, but what about my Fifth Son?

She was about to argue with Fourth Brother and his wife, but Ye Manzhi stepped forward and blocked her.

“Sister-in-law, if you want to move out, I have no objections, as long as Fifth Brother agrees. You can cook and do housework, which is helping him out. But,” Ye Manzhi frowned, “Are you really planning to stay at home and do housework and take care of the kids for the rest of your life?”

Shen Liangmei still had tears on her eyelashes. “What else can I do if not housework and taking care of the kids?”

“Well, then, never mind,” Ye Manzhi said regretfully. “I just spoke with Eldest Sister, and their drama troupe’s makeup artist is looking for an apprentice. There’s no salary, but you’d be learning a skill. I was even thinking about recommending you to go there as an apprentice! After you’ve learned, you might be able to work in a hair salon or a photography studio as a master…”

Shen Liangmei stopped crying and blinked, asking, “Little Sister, is that true? Even though I’ve never been to school, I can still be an apprentice?”

“Makeup, hairdressing — as long as you can understand and listen, and you have skilled hands, it’s fine. Who cares if you can read or not?”

“…”

Looking at the surprised faces of the three of them, Ye Manzhi felt a sense of pride. She thought to herself, “Maintaining harmony in the family still depends on me. This family really can’t do without me!”