Xu Gu’s mouth opened in surprise. “Huh? Professor Su owes you a debt?”
Su Yemang was equally stunned she didn’t even know what he meant by “owes a debt.”
Xiao Ye walked toward the small garden plot by the door.
He glanced back at Xu Gu. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll make sure to collect from her tonight.”
Xu Gu: “…”
Xiao Ye bent down and pulled up a handful of green onions, handing them to Xu Gu.
Xu Gu took them and grinned. “Good buddy! How did you know we were out of green onions?”
Xiao Ye’s lips curved slightly. “I ran into your mother after leaving the wrestling field. She said you have your engagement today and need noodles.”
Xu Gu scratched his head shyly. “Yes, that’s settled. Uh… the organization approved it, so I get to drink today. You should come over to my place later.”
Xiao Ye said in a deep voice, “Alright.”
Then he casually picked a basket of vegetables for him. “Take these.”
Xu Gu took the vegetables and laughed. “Thanks! Of all the garden plots in front of the houses, yours grows the best vegetables.”
As the evening darkened, wisps of cooking smoke rose in the distance.
“Slap.”
Xu Gu smacked his forehead. “Ah, I got too caught up chatting.”
He took a few steps toward Su Yemang. “Professor Su, for any life related matters in this family compound, just ask Captain Xiao.”
“I’ll… head in first, then.”
Su Yemang nodded.
Xu Gu pressed his lips together, smiling warmly.
“Captain Xiao, Professor Su will be your neighbor now. She’s right next door, so take good care of her.”
Xiao Ye said coldly, “Mm.”
Once Xu Gu left, Xiao Ye picked some chili and winter vegetables and put them in a basket, then went inside and slammed the door.
Su Yixin tilted his head, looking at Su Yemang. “Mom, do you really owe Uncle Xiao Ye money? He won’t even talk to you.”
Su Yemang tilted her head. “No, I don’t.”
“Oh.” Su Yixin crossed his little arms and rested his chin on them, puzzled.
In the distance, a gunshot from training rang out, startling a few birds in the compound trees.
In the orange red glow of the sunset, the birds lined up as if blending into a painting.
Su Yemang immersed herself in this refreshing beauty, unwilling to think too much.
But Xiao Ye’s words “I’ll collect my debt tonight” kept lingering in her mind.
Su Yemang likely puffed out her cheeks, then took out the key and unlocked the door, leading Su Yixin inside.
It was a three bedroom, one living room house with a kitchen at the back and a small yard.
The moment Su Yixin stepped in, he spun around happily. “Wow, three bedrooms!”
Su Yemang placed the luggage on the sofa. “Great! Then, Xinxin and Mom can each have a room.”
He happily ran back and forth from the living room to the bedrooms.
Peeking out from behind the panda curtain, Su Yixin shouted, “Mom, look! There’s a place to take a bath!”
Su Yemang went over, lifted the curtain, and saw that one of the master bedrooms had a bathroom.
“Bang, bang, bang ”
The door hadn’t even closed when Xiao Ye appeared at the entrance, knocking.
He looked meaningfully at Su Yixin.
Su Yemang looked up. “Captain Xiao?”
Xiao Ye carried a bundle and spoke coldly.
“The service center is north of the training ground, the supply depot south, the mess hall to the right, the wash area straight ahead, and hot water is available morning, noon, and evening…”
After seriously explaining, he set the bundle down.
Xiao Ye pointed to it. “Inside are lunchboxes, soap, Snowflake cream, and the like. You can use them first.”
Su Yemang waved her hand. “No, that won’t do. I’ll buy my own supplies. I can’t use yours.”
Xiao Ye glanced at her lightly. “No returns.”
“Then… fine. I’ll pay you for it,” Su Yemang said, taking out her wallet.
Xiao Ye’s voice was calm. “No need.”
Su Yemang looked up. “Huh?”
Xiao Ye looked at her briefly, a playful curl on his lips.
“Consider it on credit for now.”
“No ” she tried to protest.
Xiao Ye chuckled and walked toward Xu Gu’s house.
The compound’s boiler room provided plenty of warmth, and Su Yixin rolled happily on the sofa.
Su Yemang, however, felt like her mind had been doused in fog, from her arms all the way up to her head.
At Xu Gu’s house:
Xiao Ye clinked glasses with him, downing a few cups yet feeling no intoxication…
Dusk deepened.
Back at Su Yemang’s front door, a woman arrived, holding a little boy’s hand.
“Chen Wang!” Su Yixin ran up, overjoyed.
The woman smiled. “Yemang, you’ve arrived.”
It was Su Yemang’s colleague from the research institute, Chen Chunping.
Su Yemang excitedly went to take her hand.
“Chunping!”
“You’re here too?”
Chen Chunping handed over a basket of eggs. “My husband, Guoping, got transferred to the military district as an elementary school teacher, so I came along.”
Su Yemang was shocked. “Ah, Chunping… he even hit you before, and you still stay with him?”
Chen Chunping brushed aside her bangs. “He only hit me once. Besides, we’re both remarried now. No point in being picky.”
Su Yemang frowned. “Once won’t be the last time. If you just talk to a man, he gets suspicious and might blacken your eye…”
That evening: Su Yemang and her son were strongly invited by Chen Chunping to have dinner at her place, since her husband Xu Guoping wasn’t home. After dinner, Su Yixin and Chen Wang couldn’t bear to be apart they insisted on sleeping together.
In the end, Su Yemang had no choice but to agree, letting him stay at Chen Wang’s house.
The night in Liaodong was piercingly cold.
Shivering, Su Yemang walked home alone.
Passing the communal wash area…
“Smack!”
The sharp sound of a slap rang out.
“Yun Ruo! Fine if you like blind dates, but how dare you seduce my husband!”
Su Yemang froze in her tracks, looking inside.
Under dim light, a young wife had just thrown a basin of cold water on Yun Ruo.
“Splash!”
Yun Ruo was soaked, shivering all over.
She spat out a mouthful of blood. “Tch! That ugly man? I didn’t even pay him any mind.”
The young wife gritted her teeth. “You old auntie, who would believe a woman doesn’t care about a man?”
Yun Ruo’s eyes turned cold. Old auntie?
“Fine, you asked for it.”
With that, she delivered a side whip kick “smack!” sending the young wife crashing into the rough cement wall.
“Bang!”
Two kerosene lamps were knocked over…
The woman screamed as she got burned by the lamps.
The young wife’s friends shouted, “Yun Ruo! You’re over thirty and bullying girls barely in their twenties!”
She and a few friends rushed forward to pin Yun Ruo down.
“Yo! Can’t move now, huh?”
The young wife raised her hand to strike.
Yun Ruo remembered being bullied as a child, closed her eyes, and braced for the hit…
“Stop!”
Su Yemang rushed over and pulled the fat woman aside.
She took off her coat to cover Yun Ruo, then turned sharply. “Yun Ruo was acting in self defense! You deserve the beating!”
The young wife glared. “Who are you?”
Su Yemang straightened, looking the woman in the eye. “Don’t meddle. Do you have any proof Yun Ruo seduced your husband?”
The young wife snorted. “Proof? Yun Ruo’s thirty two and still unmarried. Look at her face obviously a man catcher!”
Su Yemang laughed. “Little girl, you keep harping on thirty two. Are you not going to live to thirty two? Always attacking that number!”
“Hahaha!” The onlookers all laughed.
The young wife trembled.
Su Yemang used a handkerchief to wipe Yun Ruo. Yun Ruo choked out, “Yun Ruo… what happened?”
Yun Ruo licked the blood at her lip. “Hmph. That man is a backstage technician from our troupe. While talking to me, he tried to put his hand on my thigh.”
“I slapped him, and he went back and blamed me to his wife!”
Yun Ruo’s exotic face was swollen and red under the light.
Su Yemang’s throat tightened. “Alright, we’re going to the security office to confront him bring that cowardly technician along!”
She waved at the approaching patrol team. “Comrades, this way! We’re taking a complaint to the security office…”
At the security office:
The officers questioned everyone. The technician admitted to harassing Yun Ruo and was immediately dismissed by the troupe’s electrician team.
After leaving the security office, Su Yemang wanted to help Yun Ruo clean her wounds and change clothes, but Yun Ruo declined, instead giving her a hair clip as thanks before leaving.
By the time Su Yemang parted from Yun Ruo, it was nearly 10:30 p.m.
Outside was pitch black, no one in sight.
The darkness of human nature left Su Yemang feeling conflicted.
She let out a long sigh…
Took out her key.
The moment she entered the house…
A man reeking of alcohol pulled her into his arms.
Before she could react, his lips were on hers…
His kiss was aggressive, consuming.
He pressed her against the door, kissing her all the way into the living room.
“Bang!” He kicked the door closed.
“Su Yemang, I’ve come… to collect my debt.”