“How about we ride our bikes to Beihai Park this weekend?”
“Can’t. After tomorrow’s exam, I’m going to Suzhou with my sister.”
“Suzhou? Then you’re not going to school the day after?”
“I’m taking leave.”
The round trip alone would probably take two or three days. Add in the time needed to purchase goods, and they’d likely be gone for around four days.
“Comrade Zhou Yuwei, who was it that said they were going to work hard and get into a good university? You’re skipping classes every other day. Do you really think your grades are going to improve?” Liu Changyun couldn’t help complaining.
Then again, maybe this wasn’t so bad. At least she wouldn’t leave him too far behind.
Hahaha…
“I really have been studying hard lately.”
“Mhm. I can tell,” Liu Changyun replied with an obviously perfunctory nod.
Zhou Yuwei didn’t bother explaining further. Empty talk meant nothing. Whether someone was a donkey or a horse, they’d know once it was put to the test.
The next day, after finishing the exam, Zhou Yuwei rushed home, packed her luggage, and headed to the train station with Zhou Yulan.
“Going somewhere again?”
“We’re taking a trip, Auntie Cao.”
“Not going to school tomorrow?”
“I’ve taken leave.”
Without thinking much of it, Zhou Yuwei answered casually before leaving the residential courtyard compound with her sister.
“Taking leave again? I told you—that girl has never been serious about getting into college.”
Auntie Cao deliberately raised her voice so that her son, who had just gotten home and was standing by the window, could hear.
Cao Bingkun watched Zhou Yuwei and her sister leave through the crack in the window before quietly closing it and returning to his books.
The moment the sisters stepped outside the compound entrance, they heard two bicycle bells ring.
Ring! Ring!
“What are you two doing here?” Zhou Yuwei asked Liu Changyun and Xu Zitao.
“We’re taking you to the station. Come on, hurry up.”
Liu Changyun handed his bicycle over to Zhou Yulan.
“Sister Lan, you ride. I don’t trust this one with my bike.”
Ever since the last incident, he had firmly resolved never to let Zhou Yuwei touch his bicycle again.
“Alright.”
Zhou Yulan got on the bicycle, with Zhou Yuwei sitting on the back. When they arrived at the station, she returned it to Liu Changyun.
“Thank you, both of you.”
“No need to be so polite, Sister Lan. It was nothing.”
After saying goodbye, the two boys turned their bicycles around and rode away.
It was Zhou Yuwei’s first time riding one of the era’s green passenger trains.
Looking out the window, all she saw were rows of low, single-story houses.
This was still an age before skyscrapers and high-rise buildings.
The train journey lasted a full twenty-six hours before finally reaching Suzhou.
By the time they arrived, it was around ten o’clock at night.
The sisters checked into a state-run guesthouse.
The receptionist glanced at them before asking coldly,
“Your introduction letter.”
Zhou Yuwei took out a letter of introduction and handed it over.
“Alright. You two will be staying upstairs.”
The receptionist had been looking down her nose at them, but the moment she saw the letter was issued in Beijing, her attitude changed completely.
“Big Sister, these are Beijing Eight Delicacies pastries—a local specialty from Beijing. Please have a taste.”
Zhou Yuwei handed her a beautifully boxed assortment of pastries.
“Oh, I couldn’t possibly…”
Sister Li beamed from ear to ear.
“It was just something we brought along anyway. Besides, Big Sister, your skin is amazing. They always say Jiangnan is home to beautiful women. Seeing you today, I’d say it’s absolutely true.”
“Oh my, you sweet-talker.” Sister Li laughed happily. “Your mouth’s sweeter than honey. You two are the truly beautiful ones.”
“Big Sister, our factory sent us here to purchase buttons. Do you happen to know Hongxia Button Factory?”
If there was anyone best suited for gathering information in this era, it was definitely hotel receptionists.
Anyone working at a state guesthouse was bound to have an extensive network of acquaintances.
“Hongxia Button Factory? Of course I know it. My husband knows one of the department directors there. His name’s Liu Zhao. There’s also a deputy factory director named Wu Xianjin. Everyone calls him Big Belly Wu—or Director Big Belly. People use that nickname so much that hardly anyone remembers his real name anymore. He’s actually a very nice man. If you need anything, you can go look for him.”
“Thank you, Big Sister.”
Zhou Yuwei continued chatting with her for a while about everyday family matters.
Sister Li enthusiastically introduced Suzhou’s famous attractions to them and recommended all kinds of local delicacies.
“Yes, the Humble Administrator’s Garden sounds wonderful. If we have time, my sister and I will definitely go take a look.”
Seeing Zhou Yuwei yawn, Sister Li smiled.
“You two should head upstairs and get some sleep. After sitting on a train for so long, you must be exhausted.”
“Then we’ll go upstairs first. We’ll chat again another day.”
“Go on. If you need anything, just come downstairs and let me know.”
After going upstairs, Zhou Yuwei immediately flopped onto the bed.
Zhou Yulan pulled her back up.
“Go take a bath.”
“I don’t want to move…”
She was simply too tired.
“You’re dirty.”
As she spoke, Zhou Yulan had already found a clean set of clothes for her.
With great effort, Zhou Yuwei dragged herself to her feet, took the clothes, and went to shower.
When she came back, Zhou Yulan picked up a towel and began drying her hair.
“Sis, I can do it myself.”
Zhou Yuwei accepted the towel.
Her own hair wasn’t very long.
Zhou Yulan’s, however, was much longer, so she went downstairs and borrowed a hair dryer from Sister Li.
After they finished washing up, they gathered their luggage and placed it by the door. Their schedule this trip was tight and their task was important—they couldn’t afford any delays.
“We’ll get a good night’s sleep and wake up naturally tomorrow.”
“Aren’t we going to the button factory early?”
“We’ll go after we’ve had enough sleep and a good meal.”
Zhou Yuwei turned over and quickly fell asleep.
Zhou Yulan tucked the blanket more securely around her before sitting quietly at the bedside, lost in thought.
The next morning, at around nine o’clock, Zhou Yuwei finally woke up.
She found Zhou Yulan sitting by the window, sewing clothes.
Bathed in the morning sunlight, Zhou Yulan seemed wrapped in a soft golden glow.
The sisters really were both exceptionally beautiful.
“Sis.”
“You’re awake?”
“Were you up really early?”
“I’m used to it.”
After washing up and changing clothes, Zhou Yuwei discovered that Sister Li worked the night shift and wasn’t on duty during the day.
Originally, Zhou Yuwei had wanted to take her sister sightseeing around Suzhou. Unfortunately, their pockets were painfully empty.
Their main purpose this trip was to buy merchandise anyway.
There would be plenty of opportunities in the future.
One day, she would definitely travel all the way from Suzhou to Hangzhou at a leisurely pace.
But for now…
Better keep working hard to make money.
When they arrived at Hongxia Button Factory—
“The gatekeeper isn’t going to let us in.”
After all, they weren’t actually representatives sent by any factory to purchase buttons.
Zhou Yuwei circled the factory once.
Soon, she spotted the lowest section of the perimeter wall.
Picking up a nearby sandbag, she carried it over and placed it beneath the wall as a step.
With a nimble leap, she flipped herself onto the top of the wall.
The entire sequence was so smooth that Zhou Yulan stood there staring in stunned silence.
“Sis, wait for me here.”
Zhou Yuwei’s voice drifted over from the other side.
“Alright… but what are you planning to do?”
Zhou Yulan called after her.
No reply came.
Zhou Yuwei wandered around the factory grounds until she noticed several workers following a man dressed in white who was carrying a few sacks.
The man in white looked like some sort of factory leader.
She immediately walked over.
“Hello, Comrade.”
Wu Xianjin looked at the exceptionally beautiful young woman standing before him.
“Who are you? I don’t think you work at this factory.”
“Hello, Comrade. I’m…”
She glanced around cautiously.
Seeing her act that way, Wu Xianjin raised an eyebrow and motioned for the worker carrying two sacks to leave first.
Zhou Yuwei discreetly handed him a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes.
“Comrade, I’m a relative of your Director Big Belly.”
“Huh? A relative of whose?”
“Wu Big Belly?”
“When did my family suddenly produce such an outstanding relative? And judging by your accent, you’re from Beijing, aren’t you?”
“If you’re looking for him, what do you need him for?”
Wu Xianjin had no intention of exposing her lie.
After all, whether his family had such a relative or not, who would know better than he did?