Chapter 9

Huang Li is currently a female postal worker at the post office, traveling back and forth through the streets and alleys every day, diligently delivering letters and newspapers.

Compared to being a middle school teacher, being a postal worker is physically demanding, but she gets to freely use the post office’s bicycle, read the latest and most complete newspapers from all over the country, and most importantly, she no longer has to worry about the risks associated with her identity as a teacher.

One evening, after delivering mail to the Guangming Street office, Huang Li was stopped by Ye Manzhi.

“Sister-in-law, do you go straight home after work?”

“Is something the matter?”

“I was thinking of going to Shidao Street to eat some delicious red bean paste. Since you have a bicycle, would you give me a ride? Let’s go out for dinner tonight; my treat!”

Huang Li wasn’t very keen on going.

Due to the plot, she had always been wary of this younger sister-in-law. Although they had lived under the same roof for a year, they weren’t particularly close.

Ye Manzhi pressed on: “Director Mu gave me a bottle of homemade hawthorn wine. How about we have a couple of drinks together?”

Huang Li hesitated.

Recently, the stress had caused her insomnia, so a little drink out wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Once she and Ye Mantang were officially divorced, she wouldn’t have to worry about any troublesome younger sisters-in-law.

With that thought in mind, she turned and asked, “I still have a few letters to deliver to the grain station. What time do you get off?”

“I can leave now! I’ll go with you to deliver the mail!”

The mailbag on the back seat still contained ten or so letters that hadn’t been successfully delivered, and Ye Manzhi, holding the hawthorn wine, excitedly climbed onto the back of the bicycle.

“Sister-in-law, this is my first time riding a bicycle. Please ride carefully! I don’t mind if I fall, but don’t drop our hawthorn wine!”

Huang Li was speechless. “Put the bottle in the mailbag behind the bike, hold onto the handlebars with both hands, and don’t let it fall!”

“Wow, the wind on the bike is so strong! Sister-in-law, I think I’m flying! Ah~~~”

“Quiet down, people are staring at us!”

Shidao Street is the most prosperous commercial street in Zhengyang District, lined with shops, inns, restaurants, and pharmacies, and the street vendors and hawkers stretch from one end to the other.

Not long ago, many wandering doctors and fortune tellers had disappeared after socialist reforms.

Ye Manzhi took Huang Li to a small restaurant on the street.

It used to be called “Fulu Shou Restaurant,” but now it had been renamed “Public-Private Partnership Fulu Shou Restaurant.”

As they entered, they unexpectedly ran into Zhou Mu, who was sitting with a short-haired girl at a table near the counter.

After breaking off the engagement with him, Ye Manzhi had ignored him completely.

Even when they crossed paths on the street, they would each walk in opposite directions, ignoring each other.

At that moment, Ye Manzhi pretended Zhou Mu wasn’t there and ordered without a glance in his direction.

One order of beautiful red bean paste, one stir-fried meat, and though she was tempted to order stir-fried kidneys, the waitress pointed to the newly posted sign on the wall: “For the construction of socialism, everyone has the responsibility to save food.”

Ye Manzhi hadn’t been paid yet, so she didn’t want to spend too much. So, she decided not to order anything more and just added a pot of sorghum wine.

Although Huang Li didn’t care much for her sister-in-law, she also didn’t want her to feel awkward because of running into her ex-boyfriend. After they were seated by the window, she took the initiative to break the silence. “Do you come here often?”

“Not often,” Ye Manzhi replied.

“When we were kids, sometimes Dad would take us out to satisfy our cravings.” Ye Manzhi didn’t forget the purpose of the meal today and smiled as she reminisced. “I used to love a dish with shrimp and tofu. I’d pick out all the shrimp to eat. Elder sister and third brother also liked shrimp. Elder sister never hesitated when it came to something she liked, but third brother would always pick out the shrimp for me and only eat the tofu.”

Her five older siblings had come from two different families.

The eldest sister was eloquent, competitive, and in that turbulent time of a restructured family with many children, she could get almost anything she wanted.

The second sister was quiet and reserved, gentle and hardworking. So hardworking, in fact, that when she got married, her stepmother gave her a sewing machine as part of her dowry, and at the time, the entire street only had one household with a private sewing machine.

As for her three brothers, one was a love expert, one a wastrel, and the other a money-lover.

“Sister-in-law, my third brother has always been someone who does a lot and says little. He’s deeply caring toward the people he cares about. Between you two, besides the disagreement over staying in the Soviet Union, it seems there’s no other conflict. Isn’t it a shame to divorce over this?”

Huang Li, holding her wine glass, sighed and said, “The disagreement over staying in the Soviet Union is our biggest conflict.”

She had married Ye Mantang, whom she had known for less than two months through a blind date, and it had been more of a marriage first, love later situation.

She did have many regrets about her love-stricken husband, but she couldn’t ignore the glaring pitfalls ahead and still jump into them.

It was indeed a shame to have Ye Mantang give up the opportunity to stay in the Soviet Union, but the life on the farm in the books was more about supporting the female lead’s writing career—harsh conditions, complicated human nature, and fertile land that provided endless inspiration and material for her stories.

After leaving the farm, dozens of works were published.

By that time, Ye Mantang was already approaching retirement age, and the technology he had learned twenty years ago had long been outdated.

Going to the Stalin Automobile Factory was just an internship, not attending university. It would have been better for him to stay in the factory, get stable, and find other avenues for further education. With Ye Mantang’s talent, he could have succeeded in another way.

But despite Huang Li’s efforts—whether pleading, arguing, or even threatening with divorce—it had been in vain.

So, the only option left was to truly divorce.

“What are your plans after you divorce my brother?” Ye Manzhi asked.

“Take it one step at a time. I might apply for a dormitory at work first.”

The clink of their glasses was followed by Ye Manzhi taking a large gulp of sorghum wine, causing her to tear up from the spiciness. “If I had known that you two would end up divorced, I wouldn’t have encouraged my brother to sign up. At that time, I didn’t pass my physical exam, but I was determined to get my brother through the selection process. I even braved the cold and went up to the rooftop to help him memorize the questions! I caught a cold because of that!”

Huang Li: “…”

She knew it!

Ye Mantang dared to defy her, and of course, this meddling sister-in-law had a part in it!

“Forget it, your brother’s visa is almost ready, so what’s the point of talking about it now?”

“Ah—” Ye Manzhi picked up her glass again, her eyes red as she said, “Sister-in-law, my brother promised you and then went back on his word. He’s the one who’s unreliable. Our family doesn’t understand your choice, and sometimes they say things that aren’t very kind. This glass is for them, to apologize on their behalf.”

When it came to Huang Li’s decision to divorce, almost no one, whether from her own family, her in-laws, or outsiders, agreed with her. Some even said she couldn’t live without a man, wishing they could tie a man to her waist.

Huang Li felt a lump in her throat, and her nose began to burn. She raised her glass and drank it all in one go.

This meal had a strange atmosphere.

The term “scatter meal” refers to a kind of farewell meal, often a casual gathering where people drink and chat before parting ways. In this case, the two women—sisters-in-law—grew more and more spirited in their conversation. They kept refilling their glasses, and soon the bottle of hawthorn wine and two pots of sorghum wine were emptied.

Ye Manzhi’s face was flushed, and she drunkenly confessed, “Sister-in-law, both of us have been really harmed by the Sister Liu situation. You divorced my brother, and I broke off my engagement with that jerk Zhou Mu. Let me tell you, sister-in-law—hic—”

Seeing that she was getting drunk, Huang Li quickly grabbed her hand as she reached for the wine jug.

Ye Manzhi pulled away, her words slurred by the alcohol. “Zhou Mu is such a bastard. He didn’t want to stay in the Soviet Union with me, but he wouldn’t say it straight. Instead, he even helped others mess with me! Have you ever met someone so despicable?”

“No, no, keep your voice down,” Huang Li glanced at Zhou Mu’s table, meeting his gaze for a moment before turning her attention elsewhere.

“I don’t care if anyone hears! I have my principles. I called off the engagement, and I didn’t want them to compensate me with a job. But my brother’s Sister Liu spot? That can’t go to anyone else! Even though Zhou Mu’s father helped my brother through the back door, my brother still earned that spot with his own abilities!”

Huang Li suddenly stopped moving. Her eyes, which had previously been unfocused, sharpened as she stared at her tipsy sister-in-law and asked, “Your brother didn’t earn the spot with his abilities? Why did Zhou Mu’s family need to help him?”

Hic—Ye Manzhi hiccupped, seeming to think about the question for a moment before sluggishly replying, “Do you know how many years of work experience you need for Sister Liu?”

“Three years, right?”

“Exactly, three years,” Ye Manzhi giggled foolishly, hugging the wine jug. “My brother’s work experience is three years, but his first year at the factory, he was an apprentice! So his formal work experience is only two years, yet when he took the exam, he beat out those with seven or eight years of experience! Isn’t my brother amazing?”

The information in her words caused Huang Li’s heart to race.

Different factories calculated work experience differently.

Some counted apprenticeship time as part of the work experience, while others only started counting from when someone officially became a worker.

The Sister Liu selection notice from Factory 656 didn’t clarify the rules on work experience.

With Ye Mantang’s situation, whether he could stay in the Soviet Union was still up in the air.

If a factory leader spoke up for him, based on his skills, he could be selected for the big list.

However, now that the Ye and Zhou families had broken off the engagement, Ye Mantang’s biggest supporter was gone. If someone decided to use his work experience against him, his chance of securing the Sister Liu spot was not guaranteed!

There were too many young workers hoping to go abroad, waiting in line from the workshop to the factory gates!

Huang Li wanted to ask more details, but Ye Manzhi had already slumped over the dinner table, drunk as if she had been sedated.

Regarding the third sister-in-law’s belief that “going abroad would lead to misfortune,” Ye Manzhi was still half-skeptical, as it was beyond her current understanding.

If she were the one to destroy her third brother’s future, she couldn’t live with herself. So, she chose to get drunk, leaving the decision about their future to her third brother’s wife.

…

Huang Li glanced at her passed-out sister-in-law and then at the empty wine jug. With a neutral expression, she picked up her chopsticks to eat some vegetables while she pondered Ye Mantang’s work experience issue.

After thinking for over an hour, she noticed the sky had turned from orange to dark gray. If she didn’t head home soon, she’d have to take the night road.

After calling out to Ye Manzhi a few times without any response, Huang Li borrowed two ropes from the waiter, planning to tie the drunk woman to the bicycle frame and take her home.

At that moment, Zhou Mu, who had been watching them, caught up and said:

“Third Sister-in-law, let me take you back,” Zhou Mu offered.

“No need, you two have cut ties, so just go your separate ways and don’t get involved anymore.”

“I don’t mean anything by it, just offering a hand. After all, she’s this drunk, and it has something to do with me too.”

If Ye Manzhi hadn’t seen him dining with another girl, she wouldn’t have been triggered into drowning her sorrows in alcohol.

Huang Li didn’t want to get entangled with him on the road, so she simply said, “Then pass me the rope.”

“This road doesn’t have any streetlights, riding a bike isn’t safe,” Zhou Mu suggested. “It’s better if she sits on the back seat, and we can push the bike back together.”

“Alright, you push the bike, and I’ll hold her at the back.”

The two of them worked together to move Ye Manzhi to the back seat of the bike. Just as they were about to leave, a jeep that had sped past them earlier slowly reversed and stopped at the side of the road.

Someone poked their head out of the rear window. Upon seeing their situation, he asked in a deep voice, “What happened? Need help?”

Huang Li didn’t recognize the person and was still in a bit of a daze, but Zhou Mu immediately shouted, “Yes, yes! Uncle Wu, are you heading back to the factory?”

Wu Zhengrong nodded. He had just returned from the provincial military district and had a meeting at the factory later that night.

His gaze fell on the limp, flushed Ye Manzhi, and he raised his eyebrows slightly. “How much has she drunk?”

The two small wine jugs had been emptied.

Huang Li felt embarrassed to say they had drunk 60-proof sorghum liquor. The man was in military uniform, looking impressive, and his last name was Wu. Since he worked at Factory 656, Huang Li had already guessed his identity.

She responded vaguely, “She just had a bit of hawthorn wine.”

“Well, she certainly has a light tolerance.” Wu Zhengrong got out of the back seat, smiling as he gestured with his chin. “Let’s get her on the car first.”

Huang Li had been delivering newspapers for a few months, so her strength had improved, though still limited. She half-dragged, half-supported Ye Manzhi, finally managing to get her into the back seat of the car.

When she climbed into the car with Zhou Mu and collapsed into her seat, catching her breath, she suddenly remembered the bicycle in front of the restaurant and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Oh no!”

Zhou Mu asked, “What’s wrong, Third Sister-in-law?”

“I need my bike for work tomorrow morning to deliver newspapers. It has to be brought back!”

A bicycle was rarer than a Mercedes-Benz or BMW in their area. She could afford to skip work, but if her bike wasn’t returned in time, the station chief would throw a fit.

Thinking of the station chief’s stern face, Huang Li helplessly said, “You two can take the car back, but I need to ride my bike.”

“There’s only one female comrade here. It’s best to leave someone behind to take care of her,” Wu Zhengrong said, his brows slightly furrowed. “What’s up with this sister-in-law of mine, so careless?”

…

Huang Li froze at his words, slowly realizing that leaving her drunk sister-in-law alone with three adult men was indeed inappropriate.

“So, what about my bicycle?”

Clearly, the jeep couldn’t accommodate a 28-inch bicycle.

Seeing this, the driver, Xiao Qin, turned his head, seeming ready to offer to ride the bike back for her.

However, the factory commander didn’t even glance at him. He turned to Zhou Mu in the back seat and asked, “You know where these two female comrades live, right?”

“Yes, they live in the factory’s family compound.”

“Mm,” Wu Zhengrong didn’t ask if he knew how to ride a bike, as if everyone was born knowing how to.

His natural talent skills, as expected, were handed over without hesitation. “It’s easier for female comrades to take care of each other. Xiao Zhou, you can ride their bike back for them.”

“Ah?” Zhou Mu froze.

He wanted to say he couldn’t ride a bike, but given the situation, it seemed there was no better person for the job than him.

Among the three men present, Xiao Qin was responsible for driving, and Uncle Wu was just being kind by stopping to help. Zhou Mu couldn’t let Uncle Wu ride the bike back.

“Alright, then I’ll leave my two friends to you, Uncle Wu.”

“Mm, ride carefully. After you deliver the bike, head home early.”

Zhou Mu took the bike keys, preparing to walk the bike back home.

After getting out of the car, he exchanged a few pleasantries with Wu Zhengrong, calling him “Uncle Wu” repeatedly, which made Huang Li want to laugh.

If Ye Manzhi were awake to see this, she wouldn’t know how to feel.

Ye Manzhi, of course, was feeling complex emotions.

She had woken up when Third Sister-in-law helped her out of the restaurant and had planned to sit on the bike to collect herself.

However, before she could sit down properly, Zhou Mu had appeared out of nowhere, followed by the kind-hearted Wu Zhengrong.

She figured it would be better to continue pretending to be drunk.

Besides, the nosebleed incident had only just passed, and she really didn’t want to meet the factory commander.

So, sitting in the bumpy jeep, Ye Manzhi kept her eyes tightly shut and pretended to sleep all the way to the front of her house.

The Ye family lived on the third floor. Huang Li knew she couldn’t carry this drunk person by herself, so she went up alone to call Ye Shouxin or Ye Mantang to come down and help carry their drunken sister.

The driver, Xiao Qin, took the opportunity to get out of the car for a break.

Inside the dimly lit jeep, only Ye Manzhi and Wu Zhengrong remained.

After returning the salute to the duty soldiers, Wu Zhengrong sat back in the passenger seat, his long fingers tapping rhythmically on the window, creating an odd, irregular thumping sound.

Ye Manzhi, slumped over in the car, felt one side of her body go numb from the long ride. Listening to the noise he was making, she felt agitated.

She silently calculated how she could discreetly and effectively relieve the numbness in her hands and feet. Then, suddenly, Wu Zhengrong’s voice, tinged with amusement, broke the silence: “If your legs are numb, just change your position and sleep a bit.”