“Huai Ru, I bought two bolts of cloth today, and a lot of cotton. We'll make new clothes for ourselves and your family, so we can have new clothes for the New Year.”
Li Wu Wei held a cigarette in his hand, standing shoulder to shoulder with the ancient sages. He didn't smoke much, only three or four cigarettes a day.
“Brother, two bolts of cloth? That's too extravagant.”
Qin Huai Ru widened her eyes. Usually, four feet of cloth was enough to make a winter padded coat, and if it was a short-sleeved summer garment, two and a half feet would be enough.
A bolt of cloth was dozens of feet long, how could they use it all up.
“It's nothing, it's just a little bit of money. You see, I went to Qianmen Street today and got an appraisal for our three-courtyard house. It's worth 30,000 yuan. And… ”
Li Wu Wei leaned in and whispered in Qin Huai Ru's ear: “My grandfather left a message before he passed away. The roof beams of our house have three golden nanmu beams, they are worth more than the house itself.”
“Ah!”
Qin Huai Ru gasped, then quickly covered her mouth. She was shocked.
“We should try to have a few more children in the next couple of years, to inherit the family property.”
Li Wu Wei extinguished his cigarette and pulled the blanket up, so it wouldn't leak any cold air.
“Mmm!”
Qin Huai Ru blushed and buried her head.
…
Over the next few days, Li Wu Wei was busy preparing for the wedding banquet. He stored all the supplies in his space.
But there was a problem, there was too much stuff, and he couldn't carry it all back to the village.
If he took the bus, it wouldn't be enough time, especially since they only got one day off per week.
Wait, he suddenly remembered he could ask for wedding leave, three days off with full pay. It wasn't explicitly written, but it was the factory's unspoken rule.
He was at a loss, Qin Huai Ru's salary was lower than his, there was a difference of a few dimes. Oh well, it was a slow drip, he shouldn't always try to take advantage of the factory.
If he wasn't at work, Qin Huai Ru could ask for leave. The winter meant the food wouldn't go bad, it would be the perfect time to have the wedding in the village.
It was already Friday, and the next day he asked Qin Huai Ru to ask for leave from the factory.
“Director, I need three days of wedding leave!”
“Alright, is this your husband's idea?”
The workshop director's face darkened. Rumors had spread around the factory that Li Wu Wei was avoiding holding a wedding and just asking for leave to get paid. But he was getting married for the first time, so he couldn't refuse.
“Yes, we need to go back to the countryside for a few days.”
Qin Huai Ru didn't explain further, but the news still spread.
“Li Wu Wei, that little scoundrel, is such a cheapskate. He wouldn't even hold a wedding, and now he's asking Qin Huai Ru to take leave to go back to the countryside. Is he going to mooch off his in-laws?”
“I think he's probably spent all his money and won't be able to make it through the month. He needs a few days to get his allowance?”
“It’s possible, I heard he spent all of last month’s salary on a bicycle.”
The workers felt like every time they gossiped, they couldn't avoid Li Wu Wei. He wasn't even at the factory, but he was still the center of gossip.
Qin Huai Ru was still in the second workshop, the more people saw her, the more they sighed.
Jia Dong Xu was trying his best to hold back. He really wanted to win Qin Huai Ru back. At least that way he would get something out of it, even if he felt like he had been cheated.
Unfortunately, his mother wouldn't agree. And Qin Huai Ru seemed to have no interest in him, which made him feel heartbroken.
“Qin Huai Ru, does your family really have no food?”
Chen Yun wanted to get to the bottom of it. If they were really struggling, she could help them out a little. She only managed the food for her apprentices.
“We have food, it's just that my family is having a wedding. A weekend trip back and forth wouldn't be enough time, so I'm taking three days off.”
Qin Huai Ru didn't want to lie to her master, but there were too many people in the courtyard who worked at the steel mill. If they knew her family had money, it would cause a lot of trouble.
“I see.”
Chen Yun really understood now. The woman was having a wedding, but the man wasn't contributing anything, that was really something else.
Qin Huai Ru was stunned, did she really understand?
…
Li Wu Wei slept until noon before getting up. He washed up and then wanted to go out for a meal. There were many restaurants in Beijing, he wouldn't go hungry.
He wasn't planning on saving any money, and besides, prices were really cheap right now.
He had more than 2,000 yuan, plus his monthly rental income. He wouldn't run out of money unless he bought something big.
“Yaya!”
In the back courtyard, Liu Guang Tian, the second son of the Second Elder, was playing around. That unfortunate child never had a good life, and he would be a good-for-nothing when he grew up.
When he reached the middle courtyard, he saw Yan Jie Fang, the second son of the Third Elder, rolling around on the ground. What a tough kid.
It was true that there were many children in the courtyard nowadays, it was lively.
The aunties from each household really didn't have time to work. If they did, they might find a job now, there weren't as many restrictions now.
“That heartless wretch.”
Jia Zhang Shi muttered under her breath. She knew that Li Wu Wei was a scoundrel, but she didn't dare make too much trouble, she was afraid he would interfere with her son's next blind date.
“Jia Zhang Shi, what are you muttering about? You have time to sew shoe soles, why don't you make me a pair?”
Li Wu Wei, on a whim, decided to fight fire with fire. Well, to learn from Jia Zhang Shi's shameless ways. My family is poor, that’s my right.
“Why should I make you a pair? This is for Dong Xu.”
Jia Zhang Shi's face fell. She wanted to take advantage of old Jia's family, no way.
“Jia Zhang Shi, that's not right. I and your Dong Xu are both workers in the same factory.
We grew up together in this courtyard. He and I are like brothers. You are his mother, why can't you spare me a pair of shoes?”
Li Wu Wei spoke with righteous indignation, using his twisted logic. He even stunned little Yan Jie Fang, who was rolling on the ground.
“You're so shameless! Ouch...”
Jia Zhang Shi was so angry that her hand shook, and the needle pricked her. She started to twitch.
Just as well, the men in the courtyard were all at work, nobody could deal with Li Wu Wei.
How could the world be like this? There was a big villain in the courtyard.
“Why am I shameless? I don’t have new shoes, you don't work every day, you've made so many pairs of shoes, what's wrong with giving me a pair?”
Li Wu Wei almost choked Jia Zhang Shi to death. Alright, enough was enough, he slipped away like a shadow.
“Murderous fiend, you're bullying an old woman!”
After he left, Jia Zhang Shi realized and started yelling. When the aunties arrived and heard what happened, they were stunned.
Who knew that some of the aunties would actually say: “Jia Zhang Shi, Li Wu Wei makes a point. You stay home and sew shoe soles all day, you've saved up a lot. What's wrong with giving him a pair.
Maybe if you're nice to him, he won't pick on you anymore.”
“Yes, Jia Zhang Shi, why don't you just give him a pair? I think Dong Xu and Li Wu Wei wear the same size.”
The aunties changed their tune because they were afraid that Li Wu Wei would target them. He didn't work and was always in the courtyard. If he had some ulterior motive, they would be in danger.
“You… ”
Jia Zhang Shi was angry, but when she thought about it, it made sense. He who eats my food is my master, he who takes my things is my master. She would keep Li Wu Wei satisfied with a pair of shoes, so he wouldn’t interfere with Dong Xu’s next blind date.
After this, she would think of a way to get her losses back. She had already lost a wife who had already been promised to her. A pair of shoes was nothing.
But the more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt. Qin Huai Ru was the wife she had chosen, she had heard that Qin Huai Ru was the most beautiful girl in the surrounding villages. It seemed like she had been helping Li Wu Wei all along.