After that night, Song Zhinian didn’t show up for two consecutive days.
Qiao Yuwei sat on a small stool, staring at the lumped-up noodles in her bowl, completely without appetite.
Just then, a loud voice suddenly rang out from outside the courtyard gate:
“Qiao Yuwei! Is Qiao Yuwei home? Someone’s looking for her at the entrance of the compound!”
It was Old Zhang from the gatehouse, his voice so loud it could be heard across half the residential complex.
Qiao Yuwei froze for a moment. In this era, communication was inconvenient anyone who came looking at the door was usually an acquaintance. But the original owner’s hometown was in City B, and she didn’t really have any close friends. After marrying Song Zhinian for over a year, she had offended quite a few people. Who could it be?
She stood up, brushed the dust off her clothes, fixed her hair, and walked out with doubts swirling in her mind.
Under the locust tree at the gate stood a woman wearing a faded floral cotton blouse and light canvas shoes. A one-year-old baby was strapped to her back. Her pant legs were rolled up, revealing bruised and scraped ankles.
The moment she saw Qiao Yuwei, the woman’s forced composure collapsed instantly. Her eyes turned red, and tears the size of beans fell down her cheeks.
“Yuwei.”
That choked call instantly unlocked the sealed memories of the original owner.
When she was young, the original owner’s parents were both workers at a liquor factory and were always too busy to take care of her. Her cousin Qiao Zhaodi, the eldest daughter of her second uncle’s family and three years older than her, spent her entire childhood by her side.
Qiao Zhaodi adored this younger cousin. The original owner was spoiled and reckless, often getting into trouble but it was always Qiao Zhaodi who took the blame for her.
She didn’t like studying, so she once sold her textbooks for candy. It was Qiao Zhaodi who exchanged her own books from a scrap dealer and brought them back for her. It could even be said that the original owner learned to read only because Qiao Zhaodi patiently taught her, stroke by stroke, day after day.
Unfortunately, in that era of heavy male preference, a girl’s fate was never her own.
At seventeen, Qiao Zhaodi was married off after her family accepted twenty-two yuan and two newly made quilts printed with peonies from a man in a neighboring village. The man was twelve years older than her.
The last image in the original owner’s memory was of Qiao Zhaodi on her wedding day, wearing a red cloth shirt, sitting on a donkey cart, turning back to smile at her with tears in her eyes.
Later, Qiao Zhaodi followed her husband to City A. Coincidentally, they lived in the same city. The man was said to be honest and didn’t dislike her for having two daughters; instead, he worked even harder. After policies loosened in recent years, he set up a dumpling stall in the market. Life wasn’t wealthy, but it was stable.
Qiao Zhaodi was gentle and never liked troubling others. If she came like this now, something serious must have happened.
Qiao Yuwei’s heart tightened. She quickly ran over and supported her shaky body.
“Sis, why are you here? What happened?”
Qiao Zhaodi could no longer hold herself together. She collapsed into Qiao Yuwei’s arms, crying desperately.
“Yuwei… I can’t live anymore.”
Her broken sobs mixed with fragmented words made Qiao Yuwei frown deeply. She helped her sit down on the stone bench under the tree and gently patted her back.
“Don’t cry first. Tell me what happened.”
Between sobs, Qiao Zhaodi explained everything.
It turned out her husband’s dumpling stall had been set up at the entrance of Dongfeng Market in City A. Business wasn’t booming, but the taste was authentic, and regular customers kept them afloat. It was enough to support their family of four.
But two days ago, a new dumpling shop suddenly opened across from them. The owner was the son of a deputy director from the city’s soda factory. Relying on his family’s power, he took a fancy to their good stall location and tried to buy it at a low price.
Qiao Zhaodi’s husband was stubborn. The stall was built through early mornings and late nights, their family’s livelihood. Of course, he refused.
Unexpectedly, this morning the deputy director’s son brought a group of thugs who stormed the stall, overturned all the pots and bowls without a word. Her husband tried to stop them but was beaten until his head was bleeding and was now lying in the hospital.
“Yuwei, I don’t want to trouble you, but there’s really no other way. The doctor said his leg is broken and needs surgery it costs 200 yuan. We just paid the stall fee a few days ago, we really don’t have any money left… and they’re still threatening us…”
Qiao Zhaodi broke into louder sobs, looking at her pleadingly through tear-filled eyes.
“Didn’t anyone intervene?” Qiao Yuwei asked.
Qiao Zhaodi shook her head.
“It’s useless. They’re powerful. We can’t afford to offend them.”
“Yuwei, I know it’s not a small amount…” She gripped her hand tightly, knuckles turning white, practically on the verge of kneeling.
“Don’t worry, once your brother-in-law recovers, we’ll pay you back slowly. If needed, I’ll go work temporary jobs at the factory or carry bricks at construction sites… we’ll find a way to gather it…”
Qiao Yuwei looked at her wrinkled eyes and hands hardened from kneading dough she was only in her early twenties but looked much older than her peers.
Then she looked at the sleeping baby on her back.
Something tightened painfully in her chest.
The original owner owed Qiao Zhaodi. She could choose not to help but such a kind person shouldn’t suffer endlessly.
She subconsciously reached into her pocket. There was only 50 yuan left from the bracelet she had pawned last time far from the 200 needed.
Where could she find the rest?
She had never been well-liked in the compound and had offended almost everyone. One hundred fifty yuan was no small amount several months’ wages. Who would lend it to her?
Then, a name suddenly flashed in her mind.
Song Zhinian.
Qiao Yuwei helped Qiao Zhaodi up.
“Sis, it’s too hot here. Come home with me first. I’ll go borrow the money.”
Qiao Zhaodi froze, as if grasping a lifeline, and quickly wiped her tears.
“Okay.”
A red-brick office building stood solemn and imposing. Guards at the entrance stood straight, belts polished. When they saw Qiao Yuwei, they saluted her seriously, startling her.
The guard recognized her as the family member of Commander Song and did not stop her.
Qiao Yuwei stood outside the office door, nervously clasping her hands, pacing back and forth.
How should she say it?
Would he think she was making up another ridiculous excuse to borrow money to support Lin Sen again? Just a few days ago, they had a misunderstanding where he even bit her.
Forget it worst case, he bites her again. She couldn’t just watch her cousin be forced into a dead end.
Knock knock…
“Come in.” Song Zhinian’s voice was cold.
Qiao Yuwei took a deep breath and walked in.
The office was bright, sunlight pouring through the window onto the desk. Song Zhinian had his jacket draped over the chair behind him, sitting upright and focused as he wrote something on a document. He didn’t look up.
After two days apart, he seemed to have changed his hairstyle his short, neat hair made him look sharper and more handsome.
Qiao Yuwei clasped her hands behind her back and walked toward him cautiously.
“Busy?”
At the familiar voice, Song Zhinian’s pen paused for two seconds before he finally looked up.
The moment their eyes met, his brows immediately furrowed.