“You’re back?”
Perhaps from sleeping too long, her voice was a little hoarse, soft and fragile, carrying a delicate beauty.
Shen Chengdong sat down on the edge of the kang and asked gently,
“Are you still feeling unwell? When did it start?”
Looking at the culprit before her, Jiang Rou was seething inside. She cast him a faint glance and asked, “Are you tired today? Were there many cars to repair?”
“…” Shen Chengdong’s eyes flickered, instantly sensing something was off. The chill radiating from her made him pause before he admitted, “I didn’t go to the repair shop today. I went somewhere else.”
At those words, Jiang Rou could no longer stay lying down. She sat up abruptly, her eyes rimmed red. “Shen Chengdong, what did you promise me back then? You said you wouldn’t work with Liu Er. If you can’t even keep that, how am I supposed to trust you in the future?”
Seeing her on the verge of tears, Shen Chengdong’s heart ached. He quickly reached out to wipe them away, only to be shoved back hard.
“Stay away from me. I will never forgive you!”
Afraid the noise might be heard outside, Jiang Rou deliberately lowered her voice. Yet in her agitation, each word was bitten off sharply—like a fierce little rabbit baring its teeth.
Shen Chengdong wanted to explain, but before he could speak, she dismissed him coldly: “This isn’t the place to talk. Whatever you have to say, save it for home. Right now, I don’t want to see you.”
The atmosphere turned awkward. Knowing she was still furious, Shen Chengdong chose not to provoke her further. “Rest a little longer. I’ll go help Mom wrap dumplings.”
Jiang Rou turned her head coldly, treating him as nothing more than air.
By dinnertime, the whole family sat together, and everyone could sense a faint trace of unease in the atmosphere.
While ladling dumpling soup for Jiang Rou, Shi Lan asked softly, “Are you upset with Chengdong? You two haven’t spoken at all.”
The family had only just begun to warm toward Shen Chengdong, and Jiang Rou worried that if they learned the truth, things would become even more complicated. So she feigned weakness and explained, “I’m not feeling well, don’t have the strength to talk, and I prefer quiet. I warned him just now not to chatter in my ear.”
Her excuse was convincing enough that no one thought twice about it.
During the meal, Shen Chengdong sat beside her, trying several times to strike up conversation, but each attempt was silenced by her sharp glare.
Before they left, Chen Aihe packed a box of dumplings and handed it to Shen Chengdong. “Keep this for tomorrow morning. Just heat it up.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Taking the box, Shen Chengdong followed silently behind Jiang Rou as they stepped out of the courtyard gate.
Worried the dark road might trip her, he quickened his pace, caught up, and murmured humbly, “Wife, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hide it from you.”
Jiang Rou turned her head, her tone icy: “So many days have passed, and you still didn’t tell me. How can you say it wasn’t intentional?”
Even though the night concealed her expression, Shen Chengdong could easily imagine how sour her face looked. “I’m sorry. I wanted to wait until I had good news before telling you.”
Jiang Rou assumed his so-called “good news” meant making money through shady dealings, which only made her mood heavier.
By then, they had reached the fork in the alley. She strode off in the opposite direction of home, fuming, “Tonight I’m sleeping at Auntie’s. You go back by yourself.”
Shen Chengdong halted, then quickly changed course. “That road to Auntie’s is dark. I’ll walk you there. Besides, I wanted to ask about Shandian’s preferences.”
Seeing he intended to follow, Jiang Rou snapped, “Don’t you dare come with me. If you do, I’ll move back home.”
He froze, not daring to press further. Jiang Rou turned and left. Only after she had gone several meters did he quietly trail behind, watching her enter Chen Ailan’s house, reluctant to leave.
The night wind brushed his face, but it couldn’t blow away the restlessness in his chest. Scratching his cropped hair, he stood outside the gate, staring like a door guardian.
A man coming off the night shift stumbled upon him and was startled. Ready to curse, he swallowed the words when he saw Shen Chengdong’s fierce-looking face.
Meanwhile, inside Chen Ailan’s house—
Jiang Rou sat on a chair, her delicate face clouded with gloom.
Chen Ailan assumed it was nothing more than a childish spat between husband and wife, not worth taking seriously. “Come on, tell me. What are you two fighting about? Couples always quarrel—it’s part of life. But running back to your mother’s house every time, that’s not a good habit.”
Jiang Rou pursed her lips, not intending to hide anything. “He quit the repair shop and went behind my back to dabble in profiteering. Tell me, how could I not be angry?”
Afraid of being overheard, she deliberately lowered her voice.
Chen Ailan only raised her brows slightly, showing no surprise. After all, Shen Chengdong looked exactly like the sort of man unwilling to settle for the status quo—this step seemed inevitable.
“Now that you know, what do you plan to do?”
That was the very question Jiang Rou had been turning over in her mind all afternoon. Of course, divorce was out of the question. But she did want to teach him a lesson.
“Auntie, can I stay here for a couple of days? Please don’t tell my mother.”
“Staying here is fine, but if your mother finds out, don’t blame me.”
“…”
Everyone lived in the same alley. Even the tiniest bit of gossip spread like wildfire by the next day. If she stayed here too long, the Jiang family would surely find out. Biting her lip, Jiang Rou decided she’d better go home tomorrow.
That night, someone tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
Early the next morning, Jiang Rou stood by the window washing up when she heard a man outside grumbling to his wife: “Don’t know if that fellow was still out there last night. I couldn’t sleep a wink. If he dares stand outside again, I’ll report him to the Public Security!”
“Oh, stop bluffing. If you had that kind of courage, you’d have been promoted ages ago. Coward!”
“Who are you calling a coward? I’m not one!”
As their footsteps faded, Jiang Rou dabbed her face dry with a towel, wondering—could that man have been Shen Chengdong?
“Auntie, I’ll go buy some tofu. Do you need anything else?”
Chen Ailan was folding the bedding. She called back, “Get another bowl of soft tofu. I’ll take it to Yuan Shang at noon. Go early and come back quickly.”
“Alright,” Jiang Rou replied, taking the money and heading out. As she stepped through the gate, she instinctively glanced around. Aside from a few hurried passersby, there was no one else. She withdrew her gaze, stopped overthinking, and went to the street to buy tofu.
An old neighbor spotted her and greeted her warmly, “Xiao Rou, I heard your sister’s coming back soon? Your mother’s really blessed—two wonderful daughters!”
“Mm, she’ll be back next month.”
“And I heard she got engaged in the countryside—to one of the courtyard boys! Tsk tsk… plenty of people were sent down, but not many had her luck.”
Jiang Rou smiled politely without answering, thinking to herself: Of course Jiang Qiuyu is the heroine of the story—how could she not be lucky? After exchanging a few more pleasantries, she left the tofu stall.
On the way back, Jiang Rou carried the basin of tofu in both hands and walked slowly. As she neared the gate of her home, Shen Chengdong stood a short distance ahead, his gaze deep and steady. His tall, austere figure drew the attention of many passersby.
Jiang Rou pressed her lips together, unwilling to acknowledge him. As she passed by, however, the man blocked her path. Just as she was about to flare up, a metal lunch box appeared before her eyes.
“These are the dumplings Mom gave us last night. I pan-fried them in oil—share them with Aunt.”
Jiang Rou loved potstickers, but in those days cooking oil was precious. Normally, having dumplings at all was already a luxury; potstickers were out of the question. She paused for two seconds, then accepted the lunch box and murmured, “I’ll head back later. We’ll talk then.”
“Alright.”
Afraid she might soften and forgive him too easily, Jiang Rou hurried into the courtyard, her retreating figure firm and resolute.
Watching her go, Shen Chengdong felt a pang of unease.
An hour later, the two faced each other across the round table at home.
Jiang Rou pointed to a stool, her expression stern: “Sit down. We can’t just stand here talking forever.”
Right after, she sat down first, imitating the stern manner of her old homeroom teacher.
Shen Chengdong obeyed, sitting upright with his back straight, not daring to act out of line.
Seeing his attitude, Jiang Rou felt somewhat satisfied. She wanted to ask why he had left the repair shop without consulting her.
The next moment, Shen Chengdong pulled out a sheet of paper from his coat and handed it over. She unfolded it—wrinkled stationery, the pencil strokes crooked and uneven, unlike his usual handwriting.
“This is the self‑criticism I wrote yesterday. The conditions weren’t great; my hand was shaking.”
The page was filled edge to edge.
Scanning quickly, Jiang Rou found not a single wrong character. It was written with sincerity, full of promises for the future, and his reflections were even more thorough than hers.
“Where did you write this?”
“Outside Aunt’s house.” He had leaned against the wall, writing half the night, leaving only when it was time to make potstickers.
Remembering the complaints she’d overheard that morning, Jiang Rou’s lips curved faintly; her anger eased a little.
“You can really guarantee you’ll never dabble in shady dealings again? I don’t dare believe you now—after all, you’ve promised before.”
Seeing her temper soften, Shen Chengdong leaned forward quietly, assuring her earnestly: “This time I was wrong. Just this once. It won’t happen again.”
Thinking of the definite news from the transport team, a faint smile touched his eyes. “In a few days, I may start working with the transport team. I truly won’t be working with Liu Er anymore. Please trust me one more time.”
“The transport team?” Jiang Rou’s eyes widened in astonishment, hardly believing her ears.
“Yes, the transport team. Didn’t you say only repairing vehicles there would match my skills? Though for now I’ll just be a driver—it’ll take time before I can become a mechanic.”
“Actually, being a driver is already very good,” Jiang Rou whispered, blinking lightly. “It doesn’t have to be as a mechanic.”
But Shen Chengdong didn’t grasp her meaning, still fixated on becoming a mechanic someday. He didn’t press the topic further, though—instead, he pulled out a handful of crumpled coins and bills, laying them on the table with a look of relief.
“This is the money I’ve earned recently. At last, I can give it all to you.”
The notes were worn and creased, and as Jiang Rou counted them, her heartbeat quickened. It felt as though they had struck it rich!