The next day.
The moment Qin Yu walked into the office, Lao Mao came over to find him. “What are you busy with?”
“Lao Hei said a couple of things to me before he died. He asked me to get his death benefit approved and deliver it to the two kids he was raising,” Qin Yu replied, taking a sip of water. “I just finished writing the report and am getting ready to submit it.”
“Ah.”
“You lost three guys on your end. Don’t you need to deal with that?” Qin Yu asked proactively.
“The boss is handling it, getting in touch with the families of our colleagues killed in the line of duty,” Lao Mao replied, lowering his head. “I don’t like those kinds of situations, so I didn’t go.”
“Ah.” Qin Yu nodded.
“Hey, do you have anything going on later?” Lao Mao asked suddenly.
Qin Yu paused. “Just interrogating those two underlings. Nothing major.”
“Then come with me to Qi Lin’s place,” Lao Mao said, deliberately feigning a nonchalant attitude. “He’s been transferred to Logistics. He won’t get field allowances anymore, and his salary is taking a hit… I’m worried the kid might take it too hard and fucking hang himself.”
After working together for a while, Qin Yu had realized that Lao Mao just had a foul mouth. Sometimes he spoke without the slightest regard for anyone else’s feelings, but he actually understood things better than his words suggested. He probably knew he’d crossed a line with his words at the breakfast stall yesterday, which was why he was putting on this act. However, going to see Qi Lin by himself would be a bit awkward, so he came to drag Qin Yu along.
“Let’s go at noon after our shift. I need to check on Zhu Wei’s interrogation in a bit,” Qin Yu replied, glancing at the wall clock.
“Alright, I’ll come get you at noon.”
“Okay.”
…
The moment the noon bell rang, Qin Yu hopped onto Lao Mao’s electric motorcycle and headed to Qi Lin’s house.
Actually, anyone who held a position in the Police Department was considered to be doing pretty well in this era. At the very least, they were squarely middle-income within the Ninth District. No matter how dangerous the work was, it was still an Iron Rice Bowl: a secure job with a fixed monthly salary. But even so, Qi Lin’s life was incredibly difficult. His home was located in the Slums on the edge of Black Street, where the vast majority of residents lacked stable employment. The younger ones fared slightly better; they could at least do some manual labor to scrape by and earn a meal. But the old, weak, sick, and disabled suffered immensely. Some were simply unable to work. Furthermore, there were not enough resources in Songjiang to provide relief grain to everyone, meaning people here really did starve to death. The crime rate was sky-high, and people were constantly coming and going.
The reason Qi Lin lived in such a place boiled down to economics. Housing here was cheap, electricity and water were supplied only at set times, and the basic cost of living was rock bottom. Only by living here could he squeeze out a little extra money to support his family. This was also why he scrounged for every possible perk at the Police Department. Even if he got off shift early, he’d loiter around until he finished dinner before leaving, and he even brought his laundry from home to wash at the station… All of it just to save a few miserable bucks.
As Qin Yu stepped into Qi Lin’s small courtyard, he glanced around. The yard was square-shaped, covering roughly three to four hundred square meters, but most of it belonged to the landlord. They had simply rented out the two low, cramped bungalows near the entrance to Qi Lin on a long-term lease. The two bungalows faced each other, separated by a dividing wall with an iron gate set into it… An outsider might find this layout strange, but anyone who knew the area understood immediately. The landlord, fearing the tenants might have sticky fingers, had specifically installed the partition so the iron gate could be locked at night. However, since Qi Lin had lived there so long—and likely because the landlord knew his profession—management had grown lax. The iron gate was left open permanently, perhaps as a sign of respect…
As the two entered the yard, they looked up and saw Qi Lin sitting dejectedly on the steps, staring blankly into space.
“What are you doing?” Lao Mao strode up and asked.
Startled, Qi Lin stood up. “Why are you two here?”
“Checking to see if you’re dead yet.” If there was one thing Lao Mao excelled at, it was never saying a decent word when he spoke.
“Come, come inside.” And if there was one thing someone like Qi Lin excelled at, it was probably forgetting conflicts and awkwardness. He didn’t mention yesterday’s events at all. Adjusting his mood quickly, he smiled and ushered them inside.
“Where’s your mom?” Lao Mao asked.
“My mom is resting in the opposite room. My sister is out nearby doing some odd jobs with people; she’s not home,” Qi Lin smiled. “Come inside and have some water.”
“No thanks. Let’s go see your mom.” Lao Mao hefted the groceries he was carrying, specially bought for Qi Lin’s mother.
Qi Lin fell silent for a moment before shaking his head. “Don’t go.”
“What’s wrong?” Qin Yu asked.
“We got into an argument.”
“Fuck!” Lao Mao cursed upon hearing this. “You’re in a bad mood, so you take it out on your mom? How old are you? Can’t you act your age?!”
“Give me a break, she took it out on me.” Qi Lin sighed. “Out of nowhere, she insists I bring her home a daughter-in-law. Tell me… I’m about to be transferred to Logistics, making over a hundred less a month. Just staying alive is hard enough. Where the hell am I supposed to get her a daughter-in-law?”
“Why the sudden demand for you to get married?” Lao Mao asked curiously.
Qi Lin hesitated for a long while before waving the two inside and recounting what had happened.
Qi Lin’s mother suffered from liver disease. Without the massive funds needed for proper treatment, it had dragged on until it evolved into multiple complications. Her major organs were atrophying, and her days were visibly numbered. The old lady was uneducated, and their family had suffered through endless disasters. With little time left, she likely didn’t have many wishes left—she just wanted Qi Lin to get married so she could see the next generation before closing her eyes. Qi Lin also understood the deeper reason behind her actions. The old lady simply didn’t want him spending any more money on her; she wanted him to quickly find a wife and settle down.
Inside the room.
After listening to Qi Lin, Qin Yu stayed quiet. He didn’t know what advice to give either. Lao Mao, however, mulled it over for a while before asking, “Even if you want to find a woman, you need time to prepare. She suddenly wants a daughter-in-law, where are we supposed to find one? Even giving birth right now wouldn’t be fast enough.”
“She already made the arrangements. Old Dong’s wife next door found a broker. My mom’s idea is for me to just buy a wife. But you know my situation. I just got penalized. Not only has my income dropped, but there’s no telling what things will be like in Logistics moving forward…” Qi Lin looked deeply troubled.
Hearing this, Lao Mao pondered for a long moment. “Buying one works too.”
“Stop bullshitting.” Qi Lin waved him off. “What if my punishment ends up being severe and I can’t stay in the Police Department anymore? What do I do then?”
“They definitely won’t strip you of your rank,” Lao Mao said, keeping his head lowered. “No matter what, I’ll make sure you keep your job in the Police Department.”
Qi Lin froze upon hearing this.
“Give me the honest truth. Is the old lady really not going to make it?” Lao Mao asked quietly.
Qi Lin remained silent for several seconds before letting out a heavy sigh. “Without a cure, just maintenance… it means inevitable deterioration. I can’t say how long she has left.”
“Then get a wife,” Lao Mao said through gritted teeth. “It’s time you got married anyway. You can’t be a grown man rushing home every day doing nothing else. With someone here to look after things, you can focus on your work.”
“But the money I have on hand…”
“Hold on a second,” Lao Mao interjected. He spun around and shouted at Qin Yu, “Come outside with me.”
“Lao Mao, you don’t need to do this,” Qi Lin immediately stood up.
Lao Mao pointed a finger at Qi Lin. “I told you to wait, so wait.”
Two minutes later, outside the door.
Lao Mao puffed on his e-cigarette, looked down, and asked Qin Yu, “Got money?”
Qin Yu blinked. “I can lend him five hundred at most.”
“That’s not enough,” Lao Mao shook his head.
Qin Yu replied without a second of hesitation, “That’s all I can manage.”
Lao Mao looked up, enunciating every word. “If Qi Lin can’t pay you back right away, I’ll pay you back before Christmas.”
Qin Yu looked at Lao Mao with some surprise. He considered it carefully for several seconds before answering, “I only have fifteen hundred left to my name. I’ll give you thirteen hundred, and I’ll keep two hundred for food.”
“Thanks, brother.” Lao Mao patted Qin Yu’s arm.
“Hey, let me ask you something,” Qin Yu blinked, deeply curious. “If Qi Lin can’t pay me back, what are you going to use to pay me?”
“I’ll go whore myself out on Tu Zha Street to pay you back.”
“…You fucking bastard,” Qin Yu groaned. “I don’t want to lend it anymore.”
“Then it’s settled.” Laughing, Lao Mao barged back into the room and yelled, “Qi Lin, get in touch with the contact! We scraped together thirty-five hundred for you. You figure out the rest on your own.”
Standing in the dilapidated room, Qi Lin stared wide-eyed at the two of them for a long moment. Then, he bowed deeply. “I… I… I will definitely pay this money back.”
…
Ultimately, Qi Lin didn’t want to go against his mother’s wishes either, because he knew this might truly be the old lady’s dying wish.
At three o’clock that afternoon, with the large sum of cash strapped securely around his waist, Qi Lin caught a ride out of Songjiang’s urban center with Qin Yu and Lao Mao, arriving at Bei Tai Living Village.
The vehicle crossed the frozen Songjiang River, which had been frozen solid for years, its tires crunching over the pristine white snow before parking on an unnamed dirt road. Qin Yu and the other two hiked three kilometers to the entrance of Bei Tai Village and made a phone call.
After waiting for about half an hour, a fifty-something woman wrapped in a heavy military coat, her cheeks bright red, approached them and asked, “Here to buy a person?”
“No need to put it so crudely,” Lao Mao replied, looking rather displeased. “Looking for a wife.”
“Follow me.” Throwing the words over her shoulder, the woman turned and walked away.
The trio followed her around the dilapidated bungalows and stepped into a drafty civilian house that leaked cold air from every corner.
The woman yanked open an iron gate and pointed at the dozen or so people of various races sitting on the floor inside. “Black, white, we got ’em all. As long as the money is right, anything is negotiable…”
Staying by the doorway, Qin Yu covered his nose. “Qi Lin, head inside and take your pick.”
“Do they all have Residency Rights?” Lao Mao asked, pretending to know the ropes.
“Little brother, if they had Residency Rights, do you think I’d be introducing them to you?” The woman rolled her eyes. “Wouldn’t it be better for them to just turn tricks directly on Tu Zha Street?”
“…Big sister, you sure know the business.”
“Fuck,” the woman curled her lip. “Nowadays, who doesn’t have a bit of a backstory?”
Lao Mao was completely shut down, unable to utter a single word in retort.
The woman patted Qi Lin on the shoulder. “Little brother, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s just a transaction, customer comes first. Go on in and pick. Here’s a flashlight; it’s hard to make out the dark-skinned ones in here, so shine some light on ’em…”
Qi Lin was indeed feeling bashful, standing awkwardly by the doorway.
“Bang!”
Lao Mao kicked Qi Lin into the room. “Hurry up and get it done, it’s getting dark.”
Blinking rapidly, Qi Lin stumbled forward into the room.
…
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, a shadowy figure suspiciously scanned their surroundings before creeping up behind the window of Qi Lin’s house and calling softly, “Qi Lin, Qi Lin, are you home?”
A burst of hurried footsteps echoed from behind. Startled, the figure ducked down, pulling out a large shotgun concealed under their clothes. Glancing back, they realized it was merely a passerby.
Fine beads of sweat dotted the figure’s forehead. They cast one last look into Qi Lin’s empty room before frowning and leaving.