Seeing Zhang Yun’an standing at the door without entering for a long time, Zhao Xiaoli asked nervously, “Zhang Yun’an, why are you standing at the door instead of going in?”
Zhang Yun’an suspected that this person might have been sent by the neighbors downstairs who were preparing delicious food to keep an eye on her. Perhaps the moment she made a move, Zhao Xiaoli would shout again.
She stared at Zhao Xiaoli for a while before suddenly asking, “Comrade Zhao Xiaoli, do you know if there are any temporary cleaning helpers available in our Dayuan?”
Zhao Xiaoli stammered, “Why are you asking? Do you want to hire someone to clean your house?”
Zhang Yun’an nodded, but unexpectedly, Zhao Xiaoli said, “Didn’t your father say your family isn’t allowed to hire a maid? He said that’s the behavior of capitalists and that in earlier years, you could have been arrested and criticized for it. Weren’t you obedient enough to take the money your husband gave for hiring a maid and bring it home to honor your parents? After that, wasn’t your house cleaned only when your husband came back, or when your mother-in-law and sister-in-law had time to come over and clean up while checking on you? Why do you want to hire someone to clean now?”
Zhao Xiaoli’s words reminded Zhang Yun’an of this matter. She thought to herself that the Lin Family’s tolerance was truly beyond reach. If it were her, even if the other person had saved her life, she would have asked for a divorce long ago.
But now, she could only mimic the original host’s usual tone and say, “Isn’t Lin Shaoxun away on a mission? My mother-in-law and sister-in-law have been quite busy with work lately. By the time they have time to come over, the house will probably already be smelly. So, do you know anyone who can help with cleaning temporarily?”
Zhao Xiaoli said hesitantly, “There is, but…”
Zhang Yun’an clearly sensed her concern and quickly added, “Don’t worry, as long as you can help me find someone, I can pay in advance. It’s just that I don’t know how much is appropriate to pay for one cleaning session. If it’s too expensive, then forget it.”
Hearing that Zhang Yun’an was willing to pay in advance, Zhao Xiaoli was somewhat tempted. Although discussing money with Zhang Yun’an was like pulling hair from a tiger’s head, no one would turn down money. Summoning her courage, she said, “How about one yuan for one cleaning session? If you pay now, I can help you clean.”
Zhang Yun’an didn’t expect Zhao Xiaoli to offer to clean for her herself. Judging by her demeanor, this was probably her first time doing something like this. However, one yuan was something she could afford—it was still cheaper than renting a place outside. Besides, a rented place might not necessarily be clean, and she might still need to hire someone to clean it first. So, she took out the ten yuan she had just found and handed it to Zhao Xiaoli.
Seeing how straightforward she was, Zhao Xiaoli accepted the money, took out her own money from her pocket, and gave Zhang Yun’an nine yuan in change. After going downstairs to arrange things at home, she came back up and started working.
The house, which seemed impossible to set foot in to Zhang Yun’an, appeared quite ordinary to Zhao Xiaoli. She even thoughtfully tidied up the sofa first so Zhang Yun’an could sit. Zhang Yun’an had been standing the whole time, which made Zhao Xiaoli feel as though this person might suddenly become unhappy and rush over to snatch back the one yuan she had just earned.
Fortunately, Zhang Yun'an followed her instructions, sitting upright on the first cleaned-up sofa. She waited until Zhao Xiaoli had washed the mixed-up clothes, stripped and laundered the bedding from the bedroom, mopped the cement floor until it shone, and finally tidied the dreadful kitchen spotlessly. Only then did Zhang Yun'an rise from the sofa to walk around.
"Zhang Yun'an, I certainly didn't take your one yuan for nothing," Zhao Xiaoli said after finishing, perhaps afraid that Zhang Yun'an might regret it and cause trouble, so she emphasized the point.
Zhang Yun'an replied, "Hmm, not bad."
Zhao Xiaoli, having received Zhang Yun'an's approval, breathed a huge sigh of relief. She had truly feared that after she finished the work, Zhang Yun'an might use the excuse of incomplete cleaning to snatch the money back.
With the cleaning done, Zhang Yun'an signaled that Zhao Xiaoli could leave.
Zhao Xiaoli didn't leave immediately. Instead, she asked Zhang Yun'an if there were any clean bedding or sheets to replace the current ones. Upon hearing that those items might be in the large wardrobe in the room, she fetched them, made the bed, and only then departed.
Zhang Yun'an felt that Zhao Xiaoli had done the work quite meticulously, and that one yuan had been well spent.
"Wan Dajie, do you think Zhang Yun'an really hit her head and damaged her brain?"
After going downstairs, Zhao Xiaoli didn't head home first but went to Wan Dajie's house. She told Wan Dajie, her next-door neighbor, about Zhang Yun'an's series of unusual actions.
Wan Dajie was also very curious. Why had Zhang Yun'an, who had taken her child back to her parents' home, suddenly returned? And why was she willing to pay in advance for someone to clean her house? But she didn't dare to ask directly and could only say to Zhao Xiaoli, "Next time she asks you to clean, bring me along. We'll try to find out indirectly then."
No wonder people say curiosity kills the cat. Although none of the neighbors in the Dayuan wanted to provoke Zhang Yun'an, seeing her suddenly act so out of character made everyone eager to uncover the truth.
Zhao Xiaoli also felt that this was the only way. She even felt somewhat fortunate that her earlier curiosity had driven her to muster the courage to go up and see why Zhang Yun'an had suddenly returned.
After Zhao Xiaoli left, Zhang Yun'an rummaged through the kitchen cabinets, intending to make something to fill her stomach. Although she had once been a young lady groomed as an heir—many things she could choose not to do, but she couldn't afford not to know how—in her era, as a woman, she had to learn everything expected of her, and she had to learn it better than others.
Unfortunately, the kitchen was completely devoid of rice, flour, oil, or any provisions. Those items, along with some of the original owner's clothes, had been taken back to the Zhang family by the original owner's younger brother after Lin Shaoxun went on a mission. In the days since Lin Shaoxun left, the original owner had either bought food on the spot or mooched a little here and there from households in the Dayuan.
After searching for a long time without finding any food, Zhang Yun'an couldn't possibly let herself go hungry. It was already past mealtime, so the canteen would certainly have no food left. She decided to go to the military service cooperative in the Dayuan to buy something to eat.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
Zhang Yun'an asked, "Who is it?"
From outside came a somewhat stern voice: "Your mother."
Upon hearing the voice of the original host's mother-in-law, Liang Fengyi, Zhang Yun'an went to open the door. Standing at the entrance, Liang Fengyi wore a gray round-collar suit, a silk scarf around her neck, and her hair was tied into a low bun, simply secured with two silver hairpins. Though time had left few traces on her face—she was the kind of strikingly beautiful woman—her eyes concealed a weariness not easily noticed by outsiders.
Her gaze toward Zhang Yun'an was cold, even somewhat haughty, yet she held a bag containing several Chicken Leg Breads, a box of pastries, and quite a few apples. This made her cold and haughty demeanor seem somewhat incongruous.
When her indifferent gaze swept over the bruise on Zhang Yun'an's forehead, her slender eyebrows furrowed slightly.
Zhang Yun'an, however, felt somewhat awkward upon seeing the Chicken Leg Breads, as the original host had died from choking on a piece of it.
To ease the awkwardness, she felt compelled to say something. Noticing Liang Fengyi looking at her forehead, she said, "It's nothing, I just accidentally bumped into a utility pole while walking."
Unexpectedly, the other woman snorted coldly, "Si Yi has already told me what happened."
Zhang Yun'an had initially wanted to gloss over the matter, truly unwilling for anyone to know about the last absurd act the original host had committed before her death. The original host was gone, so whether it was embarrassing or not, she wouldn't know—but Zhang Yun'an still had to go on living. She had forgotten that Lin Siyi had witnessed the entire incident.
"Now you feel ashamed? Did the Lin Family ever short you on food or money? Were you so poor you couldn't even afford a piece of bread, that you had to stoop so low as to snatch bread from a child?"
Seeing Zhang Yun'an bow her head almost to the ground, Liang Fengyi was surprised but still angrily voiced the words she had held back all the way.
After speaking, she entered the room with the bag, set it down, and instinctively rolled up her sleeves, seemingly preparing to tidy up the place. However, upon clearly seeing the state of the room, she visibly paused.
"Did you clean this up?"
Zhang Yun'an replied truthfully, "No, I paid someone to do it."
Liang Fengyi smiled self-deprecatingly, with an expression that said, "As expected." Still, she didn't seem to mind much—perhaps in her view, being willing to pay someone to clean up was a kind of progress.
She took out the money Zhang Yun'an had previously asked Lin Fengyi to pass along, retrieved from her leather bag, and placed it on the coffee table.
"I don't care whether the words you asked Fengyi to convey are true or false. Since this money was given to you, it's yours. If what you said is true, after you and Shao Xun divorce, I will give you another sum."
After speaking, she glanced once more at Zhang Yun'an, who sat upright across from her—a face that remained stunning no matter how many times one looked at it. After a long pause, she added, "Considering you once saved Shao Xun, I feel compelled to say one more thing. That Xu Daming is no good sort. Since you've already recognized your parents' shortcomings, I advise you, after the divorce, to stay as far away from them as possible, if you can. If you truly have the resolve to no longer be someone's Marionette, I can ask someone to help you find a job in the south that you can manage. That way, you can keep your distance from them."
Zhang Yun'an had already decided earlier that after the divorce, she would first return to Jinling to take a look, and her home would definitely be settled in Jinling. After hearing Liang Fengyi's words, she shook her head. "After hitting my head this time, I suddenly realized that the past twenty-some years of my life have indeed been like living as a marionette controlled by others. I've made many mistakes, so I don't want to continue like this anymore. What Lin Shaoxun owed Zhang Yun'an has long been settled. You don't need to do anything more for me, and I won't marry anyone like Xu Daming. From now on, I'll walk my own path. As for those people from the Zhang family, just as I told Fengyi before, you don't need to continue indulging them. I believe with the Lin Family's capabilities, as long as you don't want to be leveraged for gain by the Zhang family anymore, they won't dare to come and cause trouble."
After hearing this, Liang Fengyi nodded somewhat unexpectedly. "If these words come from your heart and not from some ulterior motive, then I'll give you a promise too. Even if you and Shaoxun divorce in the future, no matter when, you will still be Si Yi's biological mother. The Lin Family will protect your safety. You don't need to worry about the Zhang family or Xu Daming either—I'll handle it."
After saying this, Liang Fengyi stood up, looked around once more, and prepared to leave.
With Liang Fengyi's promise, Zhang Yun'an truly didn't need to worry about the Zhang family continuing to come and incite or pester her. The Lin Family had a deep background; if it weren't for owing the original host a life-saving favor, how could they have allowed the Zhang family to scheme like this?
Of course, even if the Zhang family really dared to come, she wasn't afraid. The people she faced in her previous life were far more cunning and ruthless than the Zhang family—how could she possibly fear them?
Seeing Liang Fengyi about to leave, Zhang Yun'an also stood up, put the money back into the bag she had brought, and handed it back to her.
But Liang Fengyi said, "If I'm not mistaken, you probably don't have much money left. Even if you want to change, without any money, how will you live? Are you planning to go mooch off the neighbors in this compound, and if that doesn't work, resort to outright theft, then wait for Shaoxun to come back and repay each household for you?"
Zhang Yun'an felt somewhat embarrassed. "I won't disturb the neighbors in the compound anymore. I'll go look for a job tomorrow. If I really can't find one, I'll ask for your help then."
Seeing her determined expression, Liang Fengyi didn't say more. She knew Zhang Yun'an's character all too well. Even if, as she claimed, hitting her head had cleared her mind and she wanted to turn over a new leaf, one's nature isn't so easily changed. If she really had no money, she probably wouldn't stand on ceremony with her. So, Liang Fengyi only left the food she had brought.
As Liang Fengyi reached the door, she seemed to think of something else and, unusually, asked Zhang Yun'an to walk her to the entrance of the military compound.
Author's Note: