Qin Jian’s words struck like a dissonant note in her mother’s ears leaving her smarting with regret and anger. “I will think it over,” she snapped and hung up.
Qin Jian had no intention of letting matters rest there. She called Sun Yu a former classmate from Southern Province who had never liked her. She exchanged a few polite pleasantries then let the remark slip casually. “Lu Qingshen gave my mother five thousand yuan. I wonder what she will do with it.”
Sun Yu was immediately envious. “Your mother has never had five thousand yuan. And why would he give her that much? Your betrothal gift was only a few hundred.”
Qin Jian knew Sun Yu was not genuinely questioning but simply fishing for more information. She let her voice tremble. “Mother demanded it in my name and even accepted gifts using Lu Qingshen’s position. Now he has divorced me. I do not even have the fare to come back from Qing Province. Sun Yu could you lend me some money?”
Sun Yu could not hide her satisfaction. “Hahaha Qin Jian you have fallen on hard times at last. Stay there and suffer. Lend you money? In your dreams!”
Qin Jian smiled as the line went dead. Playing the helpless destitute victim was surprisingly effective. Sun Yu would spread the story throughout the compound and word would reach her mother’s relatives. Even if her mother refused to send money her sister in law would pester her for a share. If she gave in Qin Yun would be furious. If she refused her relatives would never let the matter drop. Qin Yun was still an ordinary girl so this tactic would work perfectly.
After paying the three yuan telephone charge Qin Jian felt even more determined to see that five thousand yuan returned. Back home Granny Wang had already left and the laundry hung drying in the yard. She cooked potato porridge and stir fried pork to satisfy her appetite then settled down to study. She marked the date on her calendar counting down to her baby’s arrival.
Rested and refreshed she went to work the next morning. She noticed Granny Wu seemed distracted and dropped a bowl. Qin Jian could see something weighed heavily on her mind. When the lunch rush ended Qin Jian helped her sit down. Wei Hong wiped his hands. “Rest now Granny Wu. We will resume washing after lunch.”
“Granny Wu what is troubling you?” Qin Jian asked gently offering her water and wiping sweat from her forehead.
“Alas my only nephew fell from a roof while repairing a house. He is badly hurt,” Granny Wu said anxiously. “The clinic doctor says it is a serious fracture. He needs surgery and at least six months of care to recover. His parents passed away two years ago leaving him to raise his eight year old sister. He is only twenty one and had just finished repaying medical debts from his father’s long illness. Now this.”
“The poor boy. Where will he find so much money? The operation alone will cost twenty yuan and dressings will be another ten each month. Our village barely earns ten yuan in a whole year. If he does not get treatment he will be crippled for life,” she said wiping her eyes.
Qin Jian sighed quietly. Hardship was everywhere. She pulled five yuan from her pocket. “Take this Granny Wu. Consider it a loan. I am sure he is a hardworking young man and will pay it back once he is well.”
“I cannot accept Xiao Qin. You have not even received your wages yet.”
Qin Jian smiled. She was far from destitute. Between Lu Qingshen’s thirty yuan and her own savings she still had over fifty. “Please Granny Wu. His health comes first. We must help when we can.”
Wei Hong handed her another ten yuan. “Lend this to Wu Han. It would be such a shame to see a fine young man disabled.”
Granny Wu’s eyes filled with tears. “Thank you both.” Wei Hong helped her stand. Qin Jian put the matter out of her mind.
Half a month passed quickly. Qin Jian spent her weekends productively. She knew from memory which businesses would thrive. The noodle shop was steady work but she would not miss opportunities to earn extra money. Once she had saved enough she would open her own shop and be her own boss.
She asked Granny Wu to help buy raw peanuts. She boiled them with brown sugar and sold them outside the cinema. “Sweet brown sugar peanuts. Sweet enough to melt your sweetheart’s heart,” she called out clearly. Young couples heading in stopped to look. Her face was mostly covered by a cloth so she was barely visible in the evening light.
“How much per jin?”
“One yuan. Sweet enough your sweetheart will think of you every time they see peanuts.”
The young men could not resist buying. “Can I have half a jin?”
“Certainly.” Within an hour all fifty jin were sold. She earned fifty yuan. After deducting twenty five yuan for peanuts and seven for sugar she cleared eighteen yuan that weekend. With two weekends that came to thirty six yuan.
On Monday Wei Hong beamed kneading dough. “Good news Xiao Qin. Two pieces of news actually. One concerns your aunt and the other concerns you.”
“There is a new medicine from abroad that could help her. It is expensive but there is real hope now,” he said gratefully. “And I have you to thank. If you had not encouraged her to visit the shop I would never have known how deeply she feared becoming a burden to me.” He let the rest go unspoken.
“Here take this,” he said pressing a bag of brown sugar into her hands. “You like sweetened rice porridge do you not? It is good for young women.”
“Keep it for Aunt Wei. I will accept it when she is well and medical expenses are behind us,” Qin Jian said then turned the conversation. “What is the news for me Uncle Wei?”