Shen Junshan: …
He took two big bites of the steamed bun, getting some filling stuck on his lips, with juice dripping down to the corner of his mouth.
Han Jiaojiao immediately picked up the rag on the table and wiped his mouth for him.
But she used a bit too much force, and a strong smell of dishrag rushed straight into Shen Junshan’s mouth.
Shen Junshan blinked, looking at the oblivious Han Jiaojiao, and didn’t say a single word.
After she finished wiping, Han Jiaojiao put down the rag and said, “I remember there’s a shuttle bus in the compound—it’s a family benefit, right? It even passes by your workplace. I’ll ride with you.”
“You’re going out again?”
“I woke up early today, and the noon market at the East Gate is open too. I’ve never been there before, so I wanted to take a look around and maybe swap for a few things. What do you think?”
The noon market at the East Gate wasn’t just for buying—you could trade things too. It only opened twice a month.
Lots of people would go camp out there early in the morning, hoping to exchange for good-quality items at bargain prices.
Han Jiaojiao wasn’t lacking anything, so she just wanted to browse and didn’t bother going that early.
Shen Junshan nodded, pulled out ten yuan from his money pouch, and handed it to her: “You can spend money while shopping, that’s fine. Just make sure to come back on time and don’t go running off with just anyone.”
Han Jiaojiao was speechless: “Do I look like the type to swoon over people? Do I?”
Shen Junshan: “…” He didn’t dare say a word and silently added two more yuan.
Maybe it was her imagination, but she felt like both Shen Junshan and Han Fang had a slightly pitiful look in their eyes.
Han Jiaojiao urged them to finish eating quickly, then packed up a few scraps of fabric to bring along.
After all, if she was going to the noon market to trade goods, she should at least bring something to make it look legit.
Shen Junshan glanced at the time and said, “The bus is about to arrive. Go down and give them the tickets, and save an extra seat for me.”
He tore off two tickets for her.
Residents of the compound could ride the shuttle bus for free twenty times a month, with tickets distributed per person in each household.
Their household got eighty tickets every month.
In the past, since she never rode the bus, Shen Junshan had given her share to a neighbor.
Han Jiaojiao held the two tickets, finding them novel. She noticed there were little marks on them and said excitedly, “What’s this? Why is there a little heart on it?”
“When the tickets are issued, they put different marks on each household so they don’t get mixed up.”
“That’s thoughtful.”
Han Jiaojiao clutched them like they were haute couture, beaming with joy as she headed downstairs.
Han Fang shook his head: “Brother-in-law, look, my sister really is still a fool. Smiling like a silly goose.”
“Yeah, a silly goose.”
Shen Junshan went back to the kitchen and crushed the things in the trash bag. Worried it wasn’t crushed enough, he used a rolling pin to grind everything into tiny pieces, making sure the original form was unrecognizable before disposing of it.
Han Jiaojiao ran to the bus door and saw there were still three seats left. She cheerfully handed two tickets to the conductor: “Two people—Junshan and me.”
Everyone in the compound knew she was a bit simple-minded, and they also knew she was always causing trouble with Shen Junshan, so they never gave her a friendly look.
When they heard she was going out with Shen Junshan, the whole bus turned to stare at her in surprise.
Han Jiaojiao was about to board when a figure suddenly darted out from the side. The person shoved Han Jiaojiao aside with her body, blocking the door and calling out, “Amin, you two hurry up—there are still seats!”
Han Jiaojiao frowned. Chen Amin? Why was it her family again?
Han Jiaojiao shoved the auntie back, annoyed. Auntie Liu gave her a surprised look but didn’t take Han Jiaojiao seriously and continued waving for Chen Amin to come over.
“Amin, Xiao Feng, hurry up, the bus is about to leave.”
Chen Amin and a girl about her age hurried over from across the street.
Just as they were about to board, Han Jiaojiao stepped in front of the bus door, one foot already on the step.
Auntie Liu’s face immediately darkened: “What are you doing! Can’t you see people are trying to get on? Move aside, don’t hold everyone up.”
Chen Amin saw who it was and spoke bluntly: “You big fool, everyone here is going to work or the market. What business do you have crowding in?”
“That’s strange, how do you know I have nothing to do? You staking out my house or something?”
Han Jiaojiao sneered: “Yesterday at noon it was you, last night it was your sister, and now early this morning you’re here again. Is your family just dead set on harassing mine?”
Being called out in front of everyone like that, Chen Amin’s face flushed red with embarrassment.
Seeing this, Auntie Liu rolled up her sleeves and shouted: “This bus belongs to the public. Anyone with a ticket can board. Who do you think you are, blocking the door!”
“I’ve reserved two seats and already paid for the tickets. If you two get on, the bus will be over capacity, so one of you has to get off.”
Outside, city buses were stuffing people in through the windows, but the compound’s shuttle was strictly one person per seat.
Empty seats were allowed, but standing passengers were absolutely not permitted.
Auntie Liu waved her ticket and yelled: “Why does a fool like you need to go out anyway? You’re just wasting a seat and holding people up!”
A woman on the bus couldn’t stand it anymore and said quietly: “Since when does riding the bus depend on whether you’re smart or not? Jiaojiao got here first and already paid for her ticket. You’re the ones cutting in line.”
“If other people are late for work they lose money. She’s just a free spirit with nothing to do—why should she compete with everyone else? Isn’t that just a dog in the manger?”
The bus fell silent again.
It was true that Han Jiaojiao had nothing pressing to do.
Maybe she really shouldn’t be fighting for a seat with the early shift crowd.
But Han Jiaojiao just smiled.
“If you know you’re going to be late, why not get up earlier? Being lazy and then blaming others isn’t quite fair, is it?”
Han Jiaojiao grabbed Auntie Liu’s waving wrist and snatched the ticket from her hand.
Her smile grew even brighter.
“So Auntie Liu, I thought you were being so generous, giving your tickets to outsiders. Turns out you’re just using other people’s tickets to buy yourself favors.”
“You—you’re talking nonsense!” Auntie Liu shouted, her guilt showing.
Han Jiaojiao wasn’t about to let her off the hook. She shook the ticket and said: “Every family in our compound has tickets with a distinct shape mark. Your family’s tickets are stamped with a little heart.”
Chen Amin protested: “So what if it’s a heart pattern? Can’t Sister Liu’s family just have that mark?”
“Oh? That’s strange then. Auntie Liu’s family happens to have the exact same mark as mine? Tsk tsk tsk, did logistics mess up? Then I’ll have to go ask them about it in detail.”
Muffled laughter came from inside the bus.
Everyone knew that Shen Junshan was generous and often gave away tickets he didn’t need.
Some people actually used them for their own families, while others took the tickets and sold them to outsiders.
The county buses had tiered pricing. If the work unit didn’t provide monthly passes, taking the bus every day cost two mao, and on tiered-fare routes, it could be four mao.
Over a month, that added up to five or six yuan—no small sum.
Han Jiaojiao said: “Our family had thirty or forty extra tickets this month, and you took them all, didn’t you? Auntie Liu, how much did you sell them for?”
“Bullshit! Don’t talk nonsense! I—I was just being kind-hearted, giving them to people who needed them. Is that not allowed?!”
“Oh? What, is Chen Amin your future daughter-in-law or something? Using other people’s tickets to curry favor—you’ve got some nerve!”
Chen Amin was furious and blurted out, “You’re lying! I paid one yuan and fifty cents!”
“One yuan fifty for a monthly pass—Auntie really knows how to do business.”
Han Jiaojiao looked at Auntie Liu with a half-smile, elegantly tearing the ticket to shreds.