He asked what she was thinking about.
Xiao Hongyao held the apple and soda he had given her. The words she wanted to say reached the tip of her tongue, but in the end, she swallowed them back.
Some things would have to wait until after they were married.
“I ate too much,” she said with a smile.
He took the soda from her hand. “If you’re too full, don’t drink it.”
So this was what people meant by a typical straight man…
The two of them walked downstairs together. Song Kuoyang took out his bicycle key and unlocked it, then asked, “Where does your relative live?”
“Pomegranate Street. Do you know where that is?”
“I do. Get on. I’ll take you.”
Xiao Hongyao climbed onto the back of Song Kuoyang’s bicycle. When she used to ride on Tong Weiqiang’s bicycle, the chatterbox would talk the entire way, sometimes talking so much that she found it annoying.
This man, however, was far too quiet. All she could hear along the way was the sound of the wind and bicycle bells from other people.
Perhaps both of them were worried about annoying the other, so neither said much. They only exchanged a few words now and then, mostly reminders.
There was a pothole ahead, so he reminded her to sit properly. A vehicle was coming from behind, so he told her to keep to the side.
He dropped her off in front of Sister Zhen’s clothing shop. Since they had only just established their relationship and were still unfamiliar with each other, both felt a little awkward.
“I’ll come find you when I get back from Jiangxi,” he said.
Xiao Hongyao nodded. “Okay. Brother Song, be careful on the way. I’ll be waiting for you to return victorious.”
The way she called him “Brother Song” sounded too distant. He frowned slightly but did not correct her. After saying, “See you,” he left first.
Just then, Liang Zhen came out to see a customer off.
“Sister Zhen.”
“Xiaoyao.” Liang Zhen’s eyes moved from Xiao Hongyao’s face to the back of Song Kuoyang as he left. She lowered her voice and asked, “Is that your boyfriend?”
Xiao Hongyao was about to shake her head, but immediately realized that would be wrong. She quickly nodded. “Yes. That was Song Kuoyang.”
“Your boyfriend is so handsome! You two really make a good match.”
A good match?
Xiao Hongyao had never considered that question before.
But Song Kuoyang was indeed handsome. In theory and in reality, she certainly wasn’t losing anything by marrying him.
Liang Zhen asked again, “Why didn’t he come inside and sit for a while?”
“He’s busy. He doesn’t have time,” Xiao Hongyao replied casually.
After entering the shop, she took a small notebook from her shoulder bag. She discussed the fabric business with Liang Zhen while waiting for Liang Tian to arrive by truck so they could go together to the railway freight station.
Anyang County Railway Freight Station was located in the outskirts, surrounded by farmland.
Xiao Hongyao and Liang Tian had already been waiting in the freight yard for more than an hour, but the freight train still had not arrived.
Apparently, freight delays were normal.
Liang Tian usually handled deliveries and rarely came to the freight station to collect goods, so he was unfamiliar with the place.
Xiao Hongyao had brought cigarettes and roasted peanuts in advance and distributed them among the freight-yard workers. The thick skin she had developed during the apocalypse made it easy for her to strike up a friendly relationship with anyone.
“Brother, about how much longer until the freight train from the provincial capital arrives?”
“It should be soon. Since it’s being transferred from the provincial capital, it won’t be delayed too long. Usually it’s only an hour or so late. What are you transporting? Most of the goods arriving today won’t be collected until tomorrow or the day after, so there’s no need to rush. You can come another day. There won’t be any extra charge within three days.”
The station worker had accepted her cigarettes and peanuts, so he was happy to answer all her questions.
Xiao Hongyao was anxious because she had invested practically everything she had into this shipment.
“Someone is traveling with the goods. We’re picking up both the cargo and the person.”
“It won’t get lost. Don’t worry.”
Sure enough, not long afterward, the whistle of a train sounded.
The freight train had arrived.
They could not enter the unloading area, so they could only stand by the fence and look inside.
The freight workers slowly unloaded the cargo. The fabrics and cloth were small packages, while most of the large items on this train belonged to various organizations.
Liang Tian was tall enough to see over the crowd.
“Isn’t that Tong Weiqiang?”
Xiao Hongyao smiled and nodded. “It is.”
The moment she saw Tong Weiqiang, the anxiety in her heart finally eased. She shouted, “Brother Qiang!”
Tong Weiqiang heard her and looked in their direction. He ran over with a cheerful expression.
“You’ve been waiting long?”
“Half a day,” Liang Tian joked. “We’re treating you like a high-ranking official.”
Tong Weiqiang’s Hong Kong-style parted hair looked like it had not been washed for several days. It was greasy and looked rather ridiculous, almost like a traitor in an old movie.
Xiao Hongyao held back her laughter and asked, “Did everything go smoothly on the way?”
“Don’t even mention it. We almost didn’t make it. If we had missed the train, I even told Uncle De that Xiaoyao would probably think we had taken the money and run away.”
Xiao Hongyao laughed. “It wouldn’t have come to that. At worst, I would have gone to your house and made a scene. You can run, but your home is still here! Besides, do you still want your job?”
“Honestly, I don’t even want it anymore. You have no idea how advanced the big cities are. Skyscrapers everywhere, cars all over the roads. It’s just like foreign countries in the movies. I really wanted to stay there instead of coming back.”
“One day, our place will be just as good as those foreign countries.”
Even better.
As someone who had come from the future, Xiao Hongyao was completely confident about this.
Liang Tian shook his head slightly. “Comrade, dreaming during the day is fine, but you still have to recognize reality.”
Liang Tian sounded envious. “If we ever get an urgent delivery to Guangzhou, I’ll try to go and see the world too.”
While they were talking, Xiao Dejin called out to Tong Weiqiang from beside the train.
Tong Weiqiang ran back and helped his uncle carry several large and small bags toward the exit.
Xiao Hongyao followed them.
The station worker who had spoken to her earlier reminded her, “You can go directly to the freight office and get the delivery order. It’ll be faster.”
Xiao Hongyao and Liang Tian went to the freight office first, but the delivery order was under Xiao Dejin’s name, so they could not collect it.
Xiao Hongyao had sharp eyes. She caught sight of the total freight charge written on the document: 78.60 yuan.
But Xiao Dejin had previously told her that the freight alone for their three thousand pieces of fabric would cost 100 yuan.
That meant Xiao Dejin had been making quite a bit of extra money from the freight charge.
If she refused to pay the hundred yuan, she would have to expose him, and their newly established business relationship would immediately become unpleasant.
But she did not have much money left. She could not simply hand over a hundred yuan and pretend it was nothing.
After thinking briefly, Xiao Hongyao said to the clerk at the window, “Comrade, can I settle the freight charge first?”
“Sure. Seventy-eight yuan and sixty cents.”
Xiao Hongyao took out her small purse, counted out eight ten-yuan bills, and passed them through the window. The clerk quickly returned her receipt and change.
Not long afterward, Xiao Dejin came running over. He was clearly wary.
“Xiaoyao, what are you doing here?”
“The staff told me to come get the delivery order, but I couldn’t collect it.”
“I’ll handle the paperwork. Qiangzi is at the entrance. He said you came with a truck? Perfect. We can transport the goods back today, and I won’t have to find someone to make another trip tomorrow. Where’s your truck? I’ll have to trouble you to help move our luggage onto it first.”
“My truck is outside,” Liang Tian said. “I’ll go move it.”
Xiao Dejin looked at Xiao Hongyao. “There’s quite a lot of luggage. We won’t be able to move it all in one trip. Xiaoyao, you might have to go help keep an eye on things.”
Xiao Hongyao knew exactly what Xiao Dejin was doing. He did not want her to know the actual freight charge, so he was trying to send her away.
She did not refuse.
“Okay. I’ll go help.”
Only after they had left did Xiao Dejin hand his letter of introduction to the clerk.
“Comrade, I’m here to collect a delivery order. It’s under the name Xiao Dejin.”
At the same time, he took out the eighty yuan he had prepared.
The clerk quickly handed him the delivery order.
Xiao Dejin passed over the money.
“Please give me the change.”
The clerk glanced at him. “The young woman just paid the freight.”
“She paid it?”
“Yes.”
Xiao Dejin had never expected this young girl to make such a move. He said nothing more and could only take the delivery order and go collect the goods.
Once the fabric had been collected and loaded onto the truck, everyone stood beside it.
Xiao Dejin said they should first transport the fabric to the warehouse he had rented.
“We can divide the goods tomorrow or later.”
Xiao Hongyao did not want to create unnecessary complications or risks.
“I won’t have time tomorrow or the day after, and I don’t have a vehicle either. Let’s take the goods to my relative’s shop now and divide them today.”
Xiao Dejin wanted to divide the goods in his own warehouse beforehand so that Xiao Hongyao could not pick out the best fabrics first.
“This isn’t like dividing pork. We can’t finish it in an instant. Sorting the goods will take several hours. We’re all exhausted from the journey, and it’s already five o’clock. If you’re busy tomorrow and the day after, that’s fine. I’ll divide everything myself, and you can come pick up your share when you have time.”
Xiao Hongyao insisted, “My grandmother always taught us that today’s work should be finished today. Uncle De, if you’re tired, just sit beside us and tell us how to divide everything. Brother Qiang, are you tired?”
Tong Weiqiang was tired too, but he was excited.
“I’m not tired. The sooner we finish dividing the goods, the sooner we can get the job done and everyone can relax.”
Xiao Dejin still wanted to follow his original plan.
“Your relative’s shop sells clothes, right? She doesn’t have a permit to operate a fabric business. If we divide the goods in her shop and someone comes to inspect, this entire shipment could be confiscated.”
“It’s another relative. She has a textile business license.”
Xiao Dejin froze.
He had originally planned to take advantage of Xiao Hongyao’s truck to save himself some transportation costs. Who would have thought that he had climbed onto a boat she had already prepared—and now he could not get off.
The fabric was already loaded onto their truck. Whether he agreed or not, he had no other choice.
In the end, Xiao Dejin had no choice but to follow them to Pomegranate Street to divide the goods.
When they arrived in front of Sister Zhen’s clothing shop on Pomegranate Street, Xiao Dejin still refused to give up.
“We have to unload everything, divide it, and then load it back again. How much extra work is that?”
Xiao Hongyao was not foolish either. She immediately retorted, “Uncle De, we’re taking the larger share of this shipment. If we unload it and sort out our share first, it actually saves you a lot of work.”
While they were talking, Liang Tian had already opened the truck door, and Tong Weiqiang jumped down from the cargo bed.
Everyone began unloading the fabric, and Liang Zhen came over to help as well.
The neighbors on Pomegranate Street gathered around curiously, asking what they were unloading.
Liang Zhen took the opportunity to advertise loudly, “High-quality corduroy from Guangzhou! Anyone who wants fabric to make clothes, come to my shop!”
Xiao Hongyao added, “Neighbors, anyone buying fabric from us gets a discount! I guarantee our prices won’t be higher than the department store’s, and our fabric is even better.”
Privately sold fabric was usually more expensive than fabric from department stores. If their prices were the same—or even cheaper—people would naturally prefer to buy from them.
Some people wanted to look at the colors and patterns immediately, but Liang Zhen stopped them.
“No rush. Come back tomorrow. We have plenty of fabric. Everyone will be able to get some.”
The unloaded fabric filled half the clothing shop.
Xiao Dejin handed Xiao Hongyao a list.
“Which goods do you want? Three-fifths of the shipment belongs to you.”
Xiao Hongyao had already discussed their selection with Liang Zhen at noon.
They did not want the highest-grade fabrics. People willing to spend a lot of money on expensive fabric would not come to their shop.
They also did not want the cheapest fabrics because the poor quality could damage their reputation.
Their main focus would be mid-range fabrics that ordinary people could afford, along with some mid-to-high-end and mid-to-low-end varieties.
A small portion would be bright colors, while most would be colors that did not show dirt easily.
“Dark navy, royal blue, bright red, jujube red, dusty pink, dark brown, black, dark gray, light gray, cream…”
When Liang Zhen saw the words “printed” on the list, her eyes suddenly lit up.
Printed corduroy was extremely rare. Even the department stores in their county did not carry it.
Most importantly, its price was in the mid-to-high range—not excessively expensive.
“We’ll take all the printed ones.”
Xiao Dejin immediately objected.
“No, no. I have to keep at least half of the printed ones.”
“Didn’t you say three-fifths of the goods belong to us? If we divide them by quantity, we’re entitled to more than half anyway.”
Liang Zhen was deliberately playing the bad cop today. She quickly wrote down a number with her pencil.
Xiao Dejin stared at her. “How is that only three-fifths? There are twelve bolts of printed fabric, and you’ve marked ten of them.”
Liang Zhen looked at Xiao Hongyao.
Xiao Hongyao smiled and compromised.
“Fine. We’ll take nine bolts.”
“Nine is still too many.”
“That’s close enough.”
Xiao Hongyao gave Liang Zhen a meaningful look.
Liang Zhen immediately changed the subject.
“Boss Xiao, most of what we want is medium wale corduroy, plus some wide wale and some fine wale…”
“You should take more fine wale. Now that people’s lives are getting better, everyone is more willing to spend money on clothes.”
Fine wale corduroy was almost always high-grade fabric. It could certainly be sold, but it would move more slowly. When customers had other choices, ordinary people would naturally choose the more affordable medium wale fabric first.
Liang Zhen smiled and looked back at him.
“We took some. Aren’t those printed corduroys all fine wale?”
Xiao Hongyao immediately joined in.
“How about giving us all twelve bolts of the printed corduroy?”
Looking at the two women working together, Xiao Dejin was speechless.
“You two are more cunning than the Monkey King.”
When he had first met Xiao Hongyao, he had thought she would be easy to handle.
No wonder the real boss had completely left the business in her hands.
Tong Weiqiang also chimed in from behind.
“Uncle De, you’re going to wholesale the fabric anyway. Instead of giving it to someone else, give it to us. Whatever we want, just give it to us.”
“Other people need to make money too.”
“Wouldn’t it be better for your own people to make the money?”
That was what he said, but the fabric was already inside their shop, and Xiao Dejin had no choice but to let them select what they wanted.
By the time they finished counting everything, it was already dark outside.
Xiao Dejin called Xiao Hongyao and Tong Weiqiang outside and handed them another receipt.
This was the previously agreed commission of 300 yuan: 270 yuan for Xiao Hongyao and 30 yuan for Tong Weiqiang.
Tong Weiqiang was practically penniless, with only five yuan left on him. Xiao Hongyao had promised to cover his share.
“The freight from Guangzhou to Anyang is 78.60 yuan. I paid it just now. Based on three-fifths, our share is 47.16 yuan. From the 300-yuan commission, after deducting the freight you’re supposed to cover, let’s round it to 269 yuan.”
As she spoke, Xiao Hongyao handed over the money she had prepared.
Xiao Dejin had hoped to get away with hiding the true freight cost, but he had not expected the girl to calculate everything so carefully.
He counted the money and smiled.
“This time, we chose the cheapest freight option and saved you several dozen yuan.”
The accounts were settled, but Xiao Hongyao still gave him some respect.
“Thank you, Uncle De. Later, I’ll have Brother Tian help you deliver the goods. You don’t need to pay him an additional delivery fee. I’ll cover it.”
This was another favor she was doing for him.
Xiao Dejin smiled.
“Then I’ll thank you for that. By the way, I brought back the watch you wanted. Do you want to pick one?”
Xiao Hongyao only had a little over two hundred yuan left. She was worried she might need the money at any time, so she decided to postpone it.
“It’s too late today. Maybe another day. I’ll come pick one later.”
“Sure.”
They loaded the remaining goods back onto the truck, and Liang Tian helped Xiao Dejin deliver them to his warehouse.
The remaining three stayed behind and piled all the corduroy into the small room inside the shop.
Since no one would be staying at the shop overnight, Liang Zhen was a little worried about so much merchandise attracting thieves.
“Let your Brother Tian stay here tonight and keep watch. Otherwise, I won’t be able to sleep peacefully.”
Tong Weiqiang said, “I’ll stay. I’ll go home, eat dinner, take a shower, and come back.”
Xiao Hongyao also thought Tong Weiqiang was the better choice. Liang Tian was only helping them, and they could not keep troubling him with everything.
Liang Zhen asked again, “A lot of people will definitely come asking about the fabric tomorrow. What would be the best way to price it?”
Xiao Hongyao thought about it.
While Xiao Dejin still had not distributed his remaining corduroy to other buyers, they could quickly sell part of their own stock.
She would be working tomorrow morning and would not have time to come over and discuss the matter, so they had to settle it in advance.
“Sister Zhen, do you have time later?”
“Later?” Liang Zhen’s child was staying at her mother’s house. “I have time.”
“Then let’s go home separately and eat dinner first. We’ll come back later and discuss the prices. Once we settle everything, we can start selling tomorrow.”
For the sake of making money, Liang Zhen nodded.
“Okay.”
Tong Weiqiang had to come back anyway to guard the merchandise, so he had no objections either.
Xiao Hongyao rode Liang Tian’s bicycle home, while Tong Weiqiang sat on the back with the luggage.
Along the way, Tong Weiqiang never stopped talking. He excitedly told her all about the things he had seen during the trip.
“I even met another cousin-uncle.”
“Which cousin-uncle?”
“The one in Guangzhou. He works as the sales director at the Guangnan Textile Factory. They’ve already started producing denim. If we make money from this batch of corduroy, we can start reselling denim next.”
So the cousin-uncle in Guangzhou was Xiao Dejin’s cousin, and was also related to Tong Weiqiang.
Xiao Hongyao remembered the words she had seen written on the blackboard in the county textile company’s office.
Besides corduroy, the market was also short of labor cloth and nylon fabric.
She had gone to the department store some time ago to check the prices of labor cloth and nylon fabric. Only then had she learned that labor cloth was the official name for denim.
Denim could definitely be sold. Young people could use it to make jeans and jackets, while working people could use it for work clothes. The market potential was huge.
“Will that factory only produce denim in the future?”
“Not exactly. They produce all kinds of fabrics. It’s just that they’ll produce more denim from now on, so it’ll be cheaper. They’ll produce less of the other fabrics, so those won’t be as affordable.”
Xiao Hongyao said, “That sounds good. If we can sell this batch of corduroy smoothly, we’ll continue with denim next and sell some other fabrics while we’re at it.”
Tong Weiqiang was full of confidence.
“We even managed to get the textile business license, which was the hardest part. Selling fabric won’t be difficult for us. Tomorrow I’ll tell everyone I know to come to Pomegranate Street to buy fabric. It’s just a shame that corduroy produces static electricity and can’t be worn in certain workshops. Otherwise, I could make sure everyone in the entire factory, young and old, had a corduroy outfit.”
“Did you buy the tea I asked you to get?”
“I did. Two tins.”
Xiao Hongyao dropped Tong Weiqiang off at the entrance to his neighborhood.
Tong Weiqiang took a red bag out of his luggage.
“Tea and biscuits. I bought the biscuits for you. They’re from your money.”
Xiao Hongyao accepted them without hesitation and stuffed everything into her shoulder bag. She had paid for Tong Weiqiang’s travel expenses both ways, as well as the things he bought.
As Xiao Hongyao rode away, Tong Weiqiang carried the two large bags of luggage and hurried home.
But the moment he entered the courtyard, he saw Song Kuoyang sitting by the door, talking with his father, Tong Shoutian.
Afraid that his father might give him trouble, Tong Weiqiang immediately spoke first.
“Brother Yang, you’re back from the mountains! Did your experiment succeed?”
“If it hadn’t succeeded, would I have come back?”
Song Kuoyang looked him over. Seeing his greasy hair, he teased him.
“Is this the latest fashion?”
“I haven’t washed my hair for a week.”
Without even paying attention to his father, he shouted toward the kitchen, “Mom, I’m starving!”
Tong Shoutian glanced at his son but remained silent.
“You finally made it home. Your father and I were worried sick waiting for you.”
Madam Tong looked at her son with a heart full of concern.
“We were waiting for you before starting dinner.”
“We finished dividing the goods with Uncle De, so I came straight back.”
His younger sister heard her brother’s voice and came out of the room.
“Brother, what good things did you bring me?”
Tong Weiqiang took the things from his travel bag and distributed them among the family. At the same time, he quietly asked Song Kuoyang, “Brother Yang, how’s your marriage arrangement going? Is it settled?”
Everyone in the Tong family turned to look at Song Kuoyang.
He answered openly.
“It’s settled. When I get back from Jiangxi, I’ll go register the marriage.”
Madam Tong asked with a smile, “The third daughter of the Xiao family?”
“Yes.”
“That’s good. After all that going back and forth, you still ended up with a daughter from the Xiao family. It must be fate.”
Madam Tong glanced at her daughter and quickly changed the subject.
“It’s getting late. Let’s bring out the dishes and eat.”
Tong Shoutian stood up.
“Tonight, the three men of the family are having a drink.”
Xiao Hongyao got home at around seven.
Because Xiao Hongmin had already sent word that her third sister had gone to the railway station to help Song Kuoyang’s relatives collect fabric, the Xiao family was not worried about her coming home so late.
When they learned that Xiao Hongyao had not eaten dinner yet, Xiao Yuanyang asked, “Didn’t Song Kuoyang take you out for dinner?”
Xiao Hongyao explained, “The fabric doesn’t belong to Song Kuoyang. It belongs to his relatives, and he had something else to do. I went to help them, and they’re paying me for my work.”
“How much are they paying you?”
“I don’t know yet. If the goods sell well, they’ll give me more. If sales are poor, they’ll give me less.”
The Xiao family had been honest, hardworking workers for three generations. None of them knew anything about doing business, so everyone was somewhat worried.
The eldest uncle asked, “Could there be any risks?”
“Not really. I’m just helping Sister Zhen at her shop after work and running errands whenever I have time.”
Xiao Hongyao lowered her voice.
“Don’t tell anyone outside the family that I’m being paid to help. And don’t say that Song Kuoyang’s relatives are the ones reselling the fabric.”
Although the factory had never explicitly forbidden employees from earning extra money, she was afraid someone might become jealous and cause trouble.
The Xiao family silently nodded in agreement.
“We’re not stupid. We’ll just say it’s fabric from Liang Tian’s sister’s clothing shop.”
After saying that, Xiao Hongmin asked curiously, “What kind of fabric is it? Can we buy it cheaply?”
“This batch is all corduroy, with many colors and patterns that the department stores don’t have. You can go take a look later. The exact prices haven’t been decided yet. I’ll tell you once they’re set.”
Her eldest aunt went to heat up dinner for Xiao Hongyao.
The others were more interested in hearing about her meeting with Song Kuoyang.
That afternoon, Song Yanzhen had already delivered the 1,200-yuan bride price. The two young people must have gotten along very well and liked each other.
The Xiao family was curious about everything—what dishes they had eaten, what they had talked about, every little detail.
Xiao Hongyao could only tell them what she was willing to share.
“You’re going to rent a place after you get married?”
“Yes. The factory housing won’t be available until March next year, so we have to rent somewhere first.”
“Then wait until March to—”
Grandmother Xiao wanted to suggest that they wait until March to live together, which would save them the trouble of renting a place. But halfway through her sentence, she realized that might not be appropriate.
Young newlyweds were naturally eager to be together after getting married.
Xiao Hongmin noticed that Grandma had swallowed the rest of her sentence.
“Wait until March to do what? Grandma, don’t leave your sentence unfinished.”
Xiao Ganguju glared at her.
“Nothing. Let the groom’s family decide how they want to arrange things. Your third sister’s marriage is basically settled. What about yours? Has there still been no movement from Liang Tian’s family?”
Xiao Hongmin finally answered hesitantly.
“His parents want to ask when it would be convenient for them to come to our house and talk. Liang Tian’s family is having a difficult time. His younger brother’s marriage just cost them a large bride price, so they can only come up with four hundred yuan.”
In Anyang City, the minimum bride price for marriage was six hundred yuan. Anything below six hundred usually meant the woman was either remarrying or there was something wrong with her.
The eldest uncle’s expression darkened, but he said nothing.
Xiao Yuanyang was the first to speak.
“As a factory driver, Liang Tian earns at least seventy yuan a month. He’s been working for years and still hasn’t saved enough for his own marriage. Does he really have the nerve to marry? Why would you marry a man like that?”
“His family has a heavy burden. He can’t help it.”
Xiao Hongmin ignored everyone and went into the kitchen.
Tang Yueying took the heated dishes off the stove. She had heard their conversation while in the kitchen, so she could not help but quietly criticize her daughter.
“I really don’t understand what you’re thinking. You had a perfectly good marriage proposal and insisted on breaking it off. You had Song Kuoyang, a perfectly good man, and you didn’t want him. After looking at so many choices, you insisted on choosing a broken lamp.”
“Mom! Can you please stop saying things like that? Song Kuoyang has nothing to do with me anymore. Liang Tian’s salary isn’t much lower than his. He has changed. He doesn’t gamble anymore. He used to gamble because his family treated him unfairly and someone led him astray. He only gambled two or three times. He absolutely won’t do it anymore. If you don’t believe me, ask Third Sister. Liang Tian has been running around helping her these past few days.”
“Open your eyes and look—”
Tang Yueying had not finished speaking when Xiao Hongyao entered the kitchen.
The conversation between mother and daughter had to stop. Afraid that Xiao Hongyao would hear them and start overthinking things, Tang Yueying immediately changed the subject.
“Third girl, your food is heated. Eat while it’s hot.”
Xiao Hongyao realized she had come in at an awkward time, but she could not exactly leave again.
She had eaten quite a large lunch, so she was not very hungry yet. She scooped only half a bowl of rice.
The dishes were leftover pork cracklings with preserved vegetables and garlic-flavored fermented black beans.
She had thought she wasn’t hungry, but once she started eating seriously, she realized half a bowl of rice was not enough. After finishing it, she had to add more.
At that moment, voices came from the living room. Her third uncle and aunt had arrived, and they were also discussing Xiao Hongmin’s marriage.
The Xiao family’s kitchen had two doors—one leading to the living room and the other leading to the courtyard.
Knowing that another family-wide lecture about her marriage was about to begin, Xiao Hongmin wanted to leave through the courtyard and take a walk.
But Tang Yueying grabbed her.
“It’s already so late. You’re not going out.”
Sure enough, Third Aunt came to the kitchen doorway and asked casually, “Xiaomin, how much bride price did Liang Tian’s younger brother give his wife?”
Xiao Hongmin pretended not to know.
“I don’t know.”
“I remember Liang Tian’s younger brother has something wrong with his eyes. If he was able to get married, his bride price couldn’t have been low, right? Did Liang Tian give all his savings to his younger brother to help him get married?”
Xiao Hongmin muttered softly, “His parents favor his younger brother. There’s nothing he can do. Anyway, once we get married, we’ll have our own place and won’t live with his parents.”
Third Aunt’s words were sharp.
“His younger brother gave the woman at least a thousand yuan, but they’re only giving you four hundred. Xiaomin, you’ve always been a proud girl. Are you really willing to be treated as less important? Look at Song Kuoyang. They originally agreed on one thousand, and he added another two hundred. That shows his attitude. Your parents aren’t going to take your bride price money. After preparing your dowry, whatever is left will belong to you as your personal savings. Why don’t you fight for a little more for yourself?”
Xiao Ganguju complained, “Usually you’re so clever, but when it matters, you’re completely foolish.”
The eldest uncle added, “You’re only brave when it comes to bullying your own family!”
Tang Yueying held back her words and merely sighed softly.
Xiao Hongmin had nowhere to hide. She could only walk through the dining room toward the room she shared with her mother.
Xiao Yuanyang was angry too, but he knew his second sister was stubborn and would not change her mind. He therefore did not want to pressure her further.
Instead, he advised the elders, “Let’s wait until their family comes over and discuss it then.”
The third uncle said, “Exactly. Talking to Liang Tian’s parents is what matters. And we must have a serious talk with Liang Tian too. We have to make everything clear before the marriage and get him under control! After they marry, he must hand over his salary. He can’t touch gambling again. Otherwise, my fists won’t show any mercy.”
Tang Yueying agreed.
“They really do need to make everything clear before marriage. Money isn’t the most important thing. What matters most is having a steady, honest, dependable man.”
“Sister-in-law, how can you say money isn’t important? Money is the most important thing. As long as Xiaomin keeps control of the family finances after marriage, Liang Tian won’t be able to do anything even if he wants to rebel.”
The family continued discussing and arguing among themselves.
Xiao Hongyao stood at the kitchen doorway holding her bowl of rice, completely unable to get a word in.
After finishing her meal, she returned to her room.
She took out the two tins of tea and the biscuits from her shoulder bag, along with the apple Song Kuoyang had given her.
She held the apple beneath her nose and breathed in its faint, fresh fragrance.
It smelled wonderful.
How many years had it been since she had eaten an apple?
Grandmother quietly followed her inside.
“Who gave you all these things?”
“The apple was from Song Kuoyang. The two tins of tea were prepared by his relatives to give to someone else. The biscuits were brought back from Guangzhou by Tong Weiqiang for us.”
She handed the biscuits to her grandmother.
“Grandma, one package is for you. Share the other one with everyone.”
Xiao Ganguju looked at the precious treats in her hands. She could not bear to eat an entire package by herself.
“How could I finish all this? You eat more. Share the rest with everyone.”
Then she quietly asked, “Did Song Kuoyang take the initiative to return the money to you?”
The old woman had been thinking about this all along.
“He did.”
“How much?”
Xiao Hongyao had already expected her grandmother to ask.
“The cigarettes, liquor, and the business license fee came to about thirty yuan altogether. He gave me forty.”
As she spoke, she took out the money she had prepared and handed it to her grandmother.
Xiao Ganguju glanced at it but did not take it.
“Keep it yourself.”
She was satisfied with the way her future grandson-in-law had handled things.
Xiao Hongyao seized the opportunity.
“I still need to go out.”
“Where are you going this late?”
“The fabric just arrived, and it hasn’t been organized yet. Sister Zhen and I agreed to sort it out tonight. I’ll come back after we finish.”
Grandmother could not help murmuring, “It certainly isn’t easy to earn extra money. It’s already so late. Can’t you go another day?”
“We need to get the goods ready for sale quickly.”
Worried that it would be unsafe so late at night, Grandmother said, “Have your eldest brother take you.”
Xiao Hongyao did not want to disturb the family members chatting in the dining room.
“I rode Brother Tian’s bicycle home. It’s still early. I’ll go myself. After an hour, you can ask my eldest brother to come pick me up.”
“Grandma, don’t tell Third Uncle and Third Aunt that I’m helping Song Kuoyang’s relatives resell fabric. If they ask later, just say I went to help Liang Tian’s sister.”
She wanted as few people as possible to know. She had not even told Song Kuoyang the truth yet, and she certainly did not want the news reaching his ears through someone else.
Grandmother understood that it was better not to involve Song Kuoyang in this matter.
She nodded and reminded her, “Be careful on the way. Take the main road. Don’t go through small streets or alleys.”
The habits Xiao Hongyao had developed during the apocalypse meant that she always carried a dagger with her, so she was not particularly worried.
“I know. I’ll take the main road.”
She wrapped a small cloth bundle in an apron and left the kitchen.
There was no moon tonight.
Every household had lights shining through its windows, so even without streetlights, the road was still visible.
Once she turned onto the main street, there were few pedestrians at this hour. Occasionally, two or three bicycles passed by.
Xiao Hongyao rode quickly and soon arrived at Sister Zhen’s clothing shop.
The shop door was already closed.
She locked the bicycle and knocked on the door.
Liang Tian came to open it.
“That was fast. We just went home for dinner and came back too.”
Xiao Hongyao smiled.
“I hurried over because I wanted to return the bicycle. I was worried you might need it, Brother Tian.”
“I have long legs, so I walk quickly. If you need the bicycle, just keep using it for now.”
If Liang Tian had never had a history of gambling, he really would have been a very good man.
Borrowing someone else’s bicycle for a long time wasn’t ideal, so Xiao Hongyao smiled and politely declined. “If I need it, I’ll borrow Brother Tian’s again.”
“Xiaoyao, come sit down.” Liang Zhen was already sitting at the small square table with paper and pen laid out in front of her. She had also copied out another list of the fabrics. “Are we the ones who get to decide the prices?”
Xiao Hongyao couldn’t exactly tell her that she was the company’s major shareholder, so she pointed toward the door. “The boss told Tong Weiqiang to set the prices, so he has the final say. But we can discuss some preliminary prices first. Tong Weiqiang should listen to you, Sister Zhen. You have experience.”
Liang Zhen was modest. “I’m just figuring things out as I go. What experience do I have?”
Xiao Hongyao took out her small notebook from her shoulder bag. It contained prices she had written down during a visit to the department store.
“These are the department store’s prices for corduroy.”
Looking at the neat rows of handwriting, Liang Zhen couldn’t help praising her. “Xiaoyao, you’re really meticulous. You already went there to check the prices beforehand?”
“I didn’t go there specifically for that. I went shopping a few days ago, so I just wrote them down while I was there.”
“Are these the prices for all the corduroy at the department store?”
“Yes, all the prices I could find.”
“We have quite a few more patterns and colors than the department store.” Liang Zhen wasn’t sure what to do. “How should we price ours? That uncle of yours didn’t show me the wholesale price either, so I don’t know how to set them.”
This batch of corduroy was leftover stock from the Guangnan Textile Factory, so it had been purchased very cheaply. As long as they didn’t end up stuck with the inventory, it was practically impossible for them to lose money.
But Xiao Hongyao didn’t want Sister Zhen to know the purchase price, so she simply smiled. “We don’t need to worry about the purchase price. Wholesale prices are definitely lower than retail prices, so don’t worry about that, Sister Zhen. Here’s what I think: for fabrics that the department store sells, we should price ours a little lower. For fabrics they don’t carry, we can set our own prices, but we should still try to keep them affordable.”
Liang Zhen agreed. She earned a commission based on sales, so the cheaper the fabric was, the easier it would be to sell. That meant more commission for her.
Xiao Hongyao continued, “For example, the military-green medium-width corduroy costs three yuan per meter at the department store. We can sell it for thirty cents less, at 2.7 yuan per meter.”
“Sounds good.” Liang Zhen pointed at a long list of similar fabrics. “We can price all these medium-width fabrics at 2.7 yuan per meter. It’s simple and easy to remember.”
Xiao Hongyao quickly checked it off in her notebook.
Liang Zhen was a businesswoman, and her mind worked quickly. “People usually buy fabric by the chi. Three chi is equal to one meter. We shouldn’t copy the department store and advertise our prices by the meter. We can tell customers it’s ninety cents per chi. Nine-tenths of a yuan per chi is actually the same as 2.7 yuan per meter, but if we put ninety cents on the price tag, people will look at it and feel like it’s cheap.”
So that was the trick!
Sure enough, a businesswoman really did think differently.
Xiao Hongyao immediately switched into flattery mode. “Sister Zhen, that’s a great idea! You’re using some kind of psychological principle. Hmm, I haven’t studied enough to know what it’s called. Sister Zhen, did you graduate from college?”
Liang Zhen burst out laughing. “I didn’t even finish elementary school, let alone college… Xiaoyao, you really know how to flatter people.”
“I’m telling you what I genuinely think.” Xiao Hongyao looked completely serious.
Sitting nearby, Liang Tian laughed when he heard this. “I never thought my sister would ever get to go to college.”
Liang Zhen raised an eyebrow. “Xiaoyao is sending me there.”
The three of them laughed.
Following this approach, they quickly worked out the retail prices.
Xiao Hongyao said, “These are the basic prices. If someone buys a large quantity, shouldn’t we give them a little discount?”
Liang Zhen thought about it. “It would be difficult to give an actual discount. But when I measure the fabric, I can be a little generous with the length, or round the price down by a few cents or a dime.”
Xiao Hongyao had some marketing ideas of her own, but they might not work in this era. It was better to follow Liang Zhen’s lead for now. She clearly knew much more about business.
By the time they finished discussing everything, Tong Weiqiang still hadn’t arrived. Xiao Hongyao didn’t know whether he was taking too long to bathe or what.
Liang Zhen was worried that her child might stay awake waiting for her at home, so once they had finished setting the prices, she left.
That left Liang Tian to watch the shop.
“It doesn’t matter if Tong Weiqiang doesn’t come. I’ll stay here tonight.”
“We’ve been troubling you for several days now, Brother Tian.”
Xiao Hongyao had prepared a red envelope for Liang Tian, but she didn’t feel comfortable giving it to him directly, so she planned to have Tong Weiqiang give it to him privately.
“By the way, didn’t you ask me last time to find out from my classmate how much his father paid to get that approval slip from the county textile company?”
Right. There had been something like that.
Zhang Dabao’s son was Liang Tian’s classmate.
“He paid fifty yuan through his connections. It took a lot of effort before he finally got it.”
“Fifty yuan?”
“Yes, fifty.”
So Xiao Dejin had only charged Zhang Dabao fifty yuan for the approval slip, yet he had lied to her and demanded five hundred.
He really had been asking for an outrageous amount.
If Xiao Dejin had asked her for fifty yuan at the time, she would have paid him immediately instead of trying to find a way around him.
Thinking about it carefully, Xiao Dejin had sold the approval slip to Zhang Dabao for fifty yuan. Given how greedy and stingy he was, he probably hadn’t given much of that money to Section Chief Li Bin as a bribe.
She had already given Li Bin a pack of Soft Baisha cigarettes. Adding two tins of tea should probably have been enough.
Of course, she couldn’t be that stingy. She would add a little more. She had to be more generous than Xiao Dejin if she wanted to win Li Bin over.
It was almost nine o’clock, but her older brother still hadn’t come to pick her up. Xiao Hongyao began to worry that Grandma might have forgotten to tell her brother to come get her.
She didn’t want to wait any longer. It wasn’t far anyway. She could get home on foot in a little over ten minutes.
Liang Tian needed to stay at the shop, so it wasn’t convenient for him to walk her home.
“Why don’t you just ride my bicycle home?”
“No, I came here to return the bicycle. How could I take it again? I have a flashlight, and it isn’t far. I’ll be home soon.”
Liang Tian didn’t insist. After all, he walked this route every day and knew it very well. He didn’t think there was any danger.
Xiao Hongyao slung her small shoulder bag over herself and walked down the street with a flashlight in hand.
The late-autumn night was slightly bleak, and there were hardly any pedestrians outside.
During the years after leaving the shelter in the apocalypse, Xiao Hongyao had traveled with her older sister along roads far more dangerous than this. She wasn’t afraid.
Besides, there were streetlights along the main road. Their dim yellow glow stretched her shadow long across the ground, making it seem as though the figure beneath her feet was another version of herself keeping her company.
She thought of her sister again.
She didn’t know whether she could ever return to her original world—to save her sister, and to save herself.
After turning from Shanghai Road onto Jianshe Road, she was almost at the residential compound. But before reaching it, she had to pass along an unnamed dirt road with no streetlights.
There was a firecracker factory on one side of the dirt road and farmland on the other. In the distance, tiny points of light from the residential compound could be seen.
The night wind was chilly. The grass along the field ridges was mixed with fallen leaves from the trees, and the wind made them rustle.
Every now and then, the thin, cold chirping of field crickets could be heard. The sound made the night feel strangely empty.
Suddenly, amid the rustling wind, Xiao Hongyao heard something unusual.
She instinctively quickened her pace.
The footsteps behind her quickened as well—and they were faster than hers.
Xiao Hongyao’s right hand slipped toward the dagger inside her bag. With her left hand, she raised the flashlight and swept its beam behind her.
“Who’s there?”
A dark figure suddenly lunged at her.
Xiao Hongyao stumbled and fell to the ground. She swung the flashlight in her hand at the attacker, but she didn’t know where it struck. The impact was so strong that the flashlight flew from her hand and fell to the ground.
Its beam shone off toward another direction.
The attacker had covered his face with his clothes, so she couldn’t see his features. She could only tell that he was a man. He wasn’t very tall—only slightly taller than her—but he was very strong.
The man lunged at her again and reached for her clothes.
Xiao Hongyao grabbed his fingers and twisted his hand backward at the same time, then drove her dagger forward with all her strength.
In the apocalypse, she had mostly followed her sister around and had been practically useless. But she was still braver and stronger than an ordinary girl from this era.
And when she struck, she was fast, ruthless, and precise!
“Ah!”
A muffled cry of pain pierced the night.