For the next few days, Bei Qinghuan used the excuse of going out to buy groceries to look for an opportunity.
Besides a state-run market, there was also a free market nearby where local farmers sold vegetables grown on their private plots.
The Military Factory had many people, and even more women. Groups of employees and their families would gather early in the morning all over the free market to buy groceries and chat.
Bei Qinghuan listened in here and there, finally picking a circle and forcefully inserting herself into the conversation:
“Ah, you’re saying there are no job openings this year? Your daughter begged everyone she could but still couldn’t get in? Then how come I heard that the Third Workshop has a new employee?”
The three women gathered around the vegetable stall all turned to look at her.
Woman No. 1: “Really?”
Woman No. 2: “I’m in the Third Workshop. How come I don’t know about this?”
Woman No. 3: “Which workshop are you from? How do you know?”
Bei Qinghuan ignored the three questions and continued with her own narrative:
“These days, you can get in as long as you have connections. That woman even has a rural household registration, yet she got into the Third Workshop just like that. But you all, even if you have three generations working here, can’t get in. Tell me, isn’t that infuriating?”
Bei Qinghuan knew how to get under people’s skin.
The moment she said that…
Woman No. 1 had a shocked expression: “Really?”
Woman No. 2 had a curious expression: “I’m in the Third Workshop. How come I don’t know about this?”
Woman No. 3 had a puzzled expression: “Which workshop are you from? How do you know?”
Bei Qinghuan still only said what she wanted to say:
“Some factory directors, oh, they talk a big game, but in reality, they don’t follow the rules themselves and just hire people willy-nilly. And those supervisors are even worse. As long as they get some benefits, they’ll let anyone in. I heard that woman doesn’t even know how to use a straight-seam sewing machine or turn on the electric switch. Heh, and just like that, she’s a regular worker. Thirty-six yuan a month, mind you. Isn’t that all profit created by us common people? Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
This time, the three women finally spoke in unison: “Who is that woman?”
But Bei Qinghuan was already leaving. “You’d better not ask. Even if you did, it wouldn’t be your turn. She has the factory director as her backer!”
Having done her deed, she flicked her sleeves and left, her merits and fame deeply hidden.
Bei Qinghuan leisurely went home to work on her paintings.
But that afternoon, before Yan Guifang had even gotten off work, Mei Suqin came again.
This time, she had learned her lesson and brought nothing. Upon arriving at Bei Qinghuan’s home, she even had Bei Qinghuan make her tea.
Bei Qinghuan was very cooperative, politely brewing the tea and serving it. “Auntie Mei, please have some tea.”
Please ignore the three rotten tea leaves floating in the cup.
As expected, Mei Suqin’s interest was not in the tea.
She had a smile on her face as she looked at Bei Qinghuan. “Huanhuan, I came to ask you, I’ve already given you the application form, so why haven’t you gone to work?”
Inner voice: 【It’s almost the end of the month. If the damn girl doesn’t go to work, it’ll be hard for me to ask her for things. I wonder if it’s okay to just ask her directly now?】
Bei Qinghuan sat primly, looking very well-behaved. “Oh, I’m planning to open an Acupuncture Treatment Room, so I wanted to check with the neighborhood office these few days about how to handle the procedures. If it turns out to be too difficult, I’ll go to work then.”
Mei Suqin’s face fell.
“Since you’re planning to open a treatment room, then give me back the employee application form! The factory’s recruitment spots are very tight right now. People have to give gifts just to beg your Uncle Qin for one. And you, you just took a spot from me with empty words and then didn’t even go!”
Inner voice: 【Go on, go on, hurry up and open it. When Wei Kangqiao smashes your clinic, you’ll realize that you’re nothing without our Qin family!】
A smile couldn’t help but touch the corners of Bei Qinghuan’s lips.
She had originally planned to inquire about the procedures for opening the treatment room long ago. It was only because she had overheard Mei Suqin a few days ago saying she would offend people if she opened it that she had temporarily held off. And now, after waiting, she finally knew who the person Mei Suqin’s inner voice was referring to.
Wei Kangqiao?
She didn’t know him now.
But she would pay attention in the future.
Seeing as Mei Suqin had provided such a useful piece of information, Bei Qinghuan felt she could chat with her a little longer.
“Auntie Mei, when people ask Uncle Qin to get them into the factory, what kind of gifts do they usually give?”
This was not a good topic.
Mei Suqin instantly became vigilant. “Why are you asking that?”
“I’m asking if it’s worth five hundred yuan. Didn’t we agree? If you want me to marry into your family, you either have to provide the complete ‘Three Rotations and One Sound’ or give me five hundred yuan. So I have to ask, is this job opening worth five hundred yuan?”
“You!” Mei Suqin couldn’t hold it in again and shot to her feet.
“Have you got money on the brain? We have a marriage agreement between our families, yet you’re asking us for money day in and day out. Do you even want to marry into our family or not?”
Bei Qinghuan: “I don’t.”
“If you don’t, then why did you take our job opening? Are you trying to scam us for money? If not, then take out that old medicine and exchange it with me. Take it out!”
“Auntie Mei, I’ve always wanted to know, how did you know my family used to have old medicine?”
“I…” Mei Suqin was at a loss for words.
But her inner voice was deafening:
【In my past life, the district chief only found out after inquiring with Yan Qingcang’s old friend that the damn old man had bought up Qingyu Hall’s entire batch made with real wild rhinoceros horn. The district chief’s old mother was gravely ill and needed the best medicine, so he went to the factory to find Yan Guifang. Da Gang happened to be there and intercepted it. This was our chance to get rich. How could I possibly let you know about something like this!】
Yan Qingcang was Bei Qinghuan’s maternal grandfather.
So that was how it was.
The corners of Bei Qinghuan’s mouth turned up. “Auntie Mei, I’ve told you before, my family has no more old medicine. But I know who it was sold to. If you want to know, you can pay me for the information.”
Mei Suqin’s eyes lit up. “How much?”
Bei Qinghuan held up one finger. “One thousand.”
“One thousand for one pill? Are you crazy?”
“No. One thousand for one piece of information. The medicine will cost extra.”
“You, you vicious woman!” Mei Suqin wanted to raise her hand to slap her again but forced it down. “Can you not be like this? Huanhuan, you weren’t like this before. Why are you so awful now? Who taught you this, huh?”
Inner voice: 【You wretched thing, if I wasn’t thinking that only your kidney would be a match for me when I get seriously ill, do you think I would come here time and again to be provoked by you? You’re celebrating too early! I’ll show you how I’ll deal with you right now!】
After that thought, the pained expression Mei Suqin had been feigning was instantly replaced by a vicious glint.
She first glanced at her watch, then went to open Bei Qinghuan’s front door. Standing in the doorway, her voice suddenly became N times louder:
“Huanhuan, ah, even if you got involved with another man while you were sent down to the countryside, you and our Zhenghua have been a couple for so many years! You can’t be like this. Every time our Zhenghua comes to see you, you hurt him. How can you be so heartless?
Is that wild man of yours really that good? You’re already back in the city, can’t you let go of those wild men from the poor countryside? What on earth did those wild men give you to make you act like this?”
It was exactly the time when people got off work.
The employees and their families all lived in tube-shaped apartment buildings.
A characteristic of these buildings was that most people used the same staircase to get home.
Bei Qinghuan’s home was the second unit from the stairs.
The moment Mei Suqin uttered the first “wild man,” the people in the hallway stopped.
Soon, a long line had formed. People coming from behind couldn’t get through and were forced to stop as well, crowding the entire corridor.
Everyone watched in the direction of Bei Qinghuan’s home with excited expressions.
Bei Qinghuan: “…”
When it comes to fabricating lies and slandering others, I admit defeat.