Time flew quickly, and soon the appointed day arrived.
Early in the morning, Jiang Rou washed up and dressed carefully, brimming with confidence as she prepared to set out. But her mother, Chen Aihe, wasn’t reassured. Regardless of her injured foot, she insisted on going along. No amount of persuasion from Jiang Rou could change her mind, so in the end, Jiang Rou had no choice but to agree.
Originally, Shi Lan wanted to accompany them too, but Chen Aihe refused to let her get involved.
For convenience, Jiang Deshan’s bicycle was kept at home, and Shen Chengdong was tasked with taking them to the courtyard house.
On the way, Chen Aihe, seated on the back of the bike, muttered to the two of them: “Your father can’t step in, and your sister-in-law is in a sensitive period—she can’t be dragged into trouble. If Han Laosan refuses to vacate the house, we’ll go to your aunt for help. I don’t believe they can keep squatting there forever!”
Jiang Rou’s aunt, Chen Ailan, lived nearby. Known for her fiery temper, she wasn’t someone to be trifled with. She had just returned from caring for her injured eldest son in the southern army. The sisters had already discussed the matter—if Han Laosan tried anything shady, Chen Ailan would scold him until he lost his bearings.
Jiang Rou lowered her eyes, unconvinced about her aunt’s “combat power.”
When they reached the courtyard gate, Jiang Rou carefully helped her mother down from the bicycle. Shen Chengdong parked to the side, intending to accompany them inside, but Jiang Rou stopped him firmly:
“Didn’t you say you had to go to the repair shop today? Hurry along—we can handle this ourselves.”
Shen Chengdong was working as an apprentice at a bicycle repair shop. Because of the wedding, he had asked for a week’s leave. Jiang Rou didn’t want him to miss work over family matters—what if he lost the job and turned to shady dealings instead?
Recalling the plot in the book, her attitude was firm. Chen Aihe chimed in at that moment: “Exactly, work comes first. You shouldn’t get involved. Han Laosan is a sly one—he’ll surely send his wife to take the lead. You staying here won’t help.”
Shen Chengdong fell silent for a moment, unmoving. Seeing this, Jiang Rou quickly tugged at his arm and urged: “Go on now. Once things are settled here, I’ll come find you at the repair shop.”
The shop was nearby. Seeing her insist on sending him away, he frowned slightly, but Jiang Rou gave him no chance to argue. She pushed him straight out of the alley, reminding him as he left: “Don’t forget to share the wedding candies with everyone~”
“…”
Once outside, Shen Chengdong didn’t head straight to the repair shop. Instead, he stood at the corner across the street, waiting until Liu Er ambled over. Only then did he speak: “You’re late.”
“Sorry, Brother Dong. Just as I was leaving, my wife insisted I buy tofu. That’s why I delayed your matter.” Liu Er scratched his cropped hair with a sheepish grin, his honest look making it hard to connect him with black-market dealings.
Shen Chengdong pulled several wedding candies from his pocket and handed them over. “These are from my wife.”
His voice was low, but the word “wife” was spoken with such warmth that Liu Er raised his brows and teased: “Brother Dong, marriage has changed you! You’ve grown gentle~”
Shen Chengdong only curved his lips faintly, then pulled half a pack of cigarettes from his trousers and passed them over. “Keep an eye on Han Laosan’s household. If anything happens, don’t let her be bullied.”
“Don’t worry, with me around, Sister-in-law will be fine.” Liu Er thumped his chest in promise, then leaned closer to whisper: “Brother Dong, lucky I followed your advice—this time I made over a hundred yuan. Why don’t you join me? Isn’t this better than fixing bicycles?”
Some people couldn’t earn that much in a whole year. Shen Chengdong turned his head toward Liu Er, but Jiang Rou’s image flashed in his mind. He fell silent—neither agreeing nor refusing as he once would have…
Meanwhile, when Jiang Rou and the others arrived at Han Laosan’s house, they found the vermilion wooden door locked. Through the window, the place was quiet and empty.
Though she had half-expected it, Jiang Rou’s heart still sank. Chen Aihe’s face darkened with anger: “Well! What do these two mean by this? Do they think we can’t count?! You wait here—I’ll fetch your aunt!”
But Jiang Rou was quicker. “No, let me go. You mustn’t lose your temper standing here.” With that, she hurried off. The spring breeze brushed her cheeks with a chill, while birds chattered noisily in the treetops, stirring her restlessness.
Chen Ailan lived in the same alley. Seeing Jiang Rou arrive, she rushed out, her face full of concern, and pulled her tenderly into the house.
“You silly girl! Our door is never locked—just come straight in next time. Don’t stand outside calling; look at your little face, all frozen! So, what’s wrong? Did something happen with Han Laosan?”
Feeling the warmth inside the house, Jiang Rou quickly explained her purpose and asked earnestly: “Auntie, please keep an eye on my mother for me. I’m going to the factory to find him.”
“Can you handle that alone? Why don’t I go with you?”
Chen Ailan said this because Jiang Rou had always been indecisive, relying on her parents and elder sister for everything. The only time she had ever made her own choice was when she picked Shen Chengdong as her husband.
“No need, I can manage.” Jiang Rou’s reply was unusually firm, as if determined to prove herself.
The factory wasn’t far—just over twenty minutes by bicycle. After settling Chen Aihe and entrusting her to Chen Ailan’s care, Jiang Rou mounted her bike and set off. What she didn’t know was that Liu Er had been quietly following behind, worried she might run into trouble.
Her striking looks drew plenty of attention along the way, but Jiang Rou was too focused on reclaiming the house to notice the admiring glances.
When she reached the plant, the gatekeeper at the reception stopped her. “Hey, girl, who are you looking for? This isn’t a place you can just walk into.”
Jiang Rou hopped off her bicycle and spoke politely: “Sir, could you please call Han Laosan for me?”
At the mention of that name, the guard’s eyes flickered. He quickly replied: “He took leave today. Probably won’t be back for a few days. If you’ve got nothing urgent, best head home.”
In the past, Jiang Rou might have been brushed off. But things were different now—she wasn’t so easily fooled.
“Sir, may I ask why he took leave? If I can’t find him, I’ll have no choice but to report him to your factory committee. And if the leaders investigate, they might question you as well.”
Her gentle looks and clear, water-like eyes made her words all the more convincing. The guard’s heart skipped, and he asked nervously: “Why would you report him? Isn’t it you who wanted to borrow money?”
Just two days ago, Han Laosan had told him that a niece wanted to borrow a large sum, and asked him to keep her out of the gate. But now it didn’t seem to be the case.
Seeing that he believed her, Jiang Rou grew calmer, her tone of warning flowing naturally: “He said I wanted to borrow money? Ha—he tricked you. I never said that. It’s him who’s untrustworthy. If he keeps hiding, I really will go to your factory leaders. And when that happens, don’t blame me for showing no mercy.”
The gatekeeper’s head was spinning after hearing her words, afraid he might really get dragged into trouble. Without hesitation, he picked up the phone and dialed.
Soon, Han Laosan’s voice came through the receiver. The guard handed the phone to Jiang Rou, whispering nervously: “Girl, if you really go to the factory leaders, please don’t mention me—I’m innocent.”
Jiang Rou couldn’t help but laugh, then nodded seriously to reassure him. Taking the receiver, she asked with piercing directness: “Uncle Han, are you hiding from me?”
Han Laosan froze for a few seconds at the sound of her voice. Once he realized who it was, he gave an awkward laugh: “Oh, it’s Xiao Rou~ How could I dare hide from you? You really know how to joke!”
“Then come out. Let’s talk face-to-face.”
Her voice was soft, but carried an undeniable firmness. Han Laosan scratched his head irritably, trying to bargain: “Xiao Rou, the factory’s too busy these days; I can’t get away. How about I give you the house in a few days; will that do?”
He thought that since they were relatives, she would surely agree. But Jiang Rou pressed her lips together and flatly rejected him.
“Uncle Han, I really can’t wait. Just last night my grandfather told me your wife broke one of the hat stands at home. It pained him terribly. He said if you don’t move out, he’ll haunt you every day until you do.”
At that moment, Han Laosan suddenly felt a chill, cold sweat breaking out on his back. Just last night, his wife had indeed accidentally broken a hat stand—and no one else had seen it. If before he had been half-doubtful, now he was completely convinced of Jiang Rou’s words. There really were ghosts in this world—and one was hovering right beside him.
In fact, a few days earlier, his superstitious nature had already driven him to move out of the courtyard house. He had only left his belongings behind because of Jiang Qiuyu’s request. Now, he could no longer care about promises made. He hurriedly said: “Xiao Rou, please tell the old man not to be rash! I’ll vacate the house right away—just don’t let him cling to me!”
To him, no matter how close a niece might be, his own life was far more important!
Half an hour later—
Han Laosan returned to the courtyard, head hanging low. Before unlocking the door, he couldn’t help but glance suspiciously around, as if checking for unseen eyes. When he finally turned the key, he didn’t step inside first but motioned for Jiang Rou and the others to go ahead.
Chen Aihe didn’t understand, only thought he seemed oddly cautious, though at least he was keeping his word. Jiang Rou, watching it all, almost wanted to laugh.
After several days of packing, the house was noticeably emptier.
Not seeing Han Laosan’s wife, Chen Aihe couldn’t help asking: “Where’s your missus? You plan to move all this by yourself?”
She figured since they were vacating on time, lending a hand with the move wouldn’t be a big deal.
Han Laosan gave a sheepish grin: “She had family matters—went back to her mother’s place this morning. Sister‑in‑law, why don’t you check through the things here, then we’ll write up a note, so there won’t be any trouble later.”
Back when he first arrived in Beijing, penniless, even his rice bowl had been borrowed from the Jiang family. Chen Aihe could no longer remember what exactly had filled this house.
Anyway, aside from the furniture, there wasn’t much of value. She was just about to wave it off when Jiang Rou spoke up first: “Alright, let’s do as you say—write up a note.”