Chapter 253

BANG!

A loud noise rang out, leaving everyone completely bewildered.

Zhao Guihua and Aunt Wang exchanged glances, then quickly ran outside. Their quick actions were matched by others who followed suit. As they rushed out of the courtyard, they encountered several neighbors, all looking in the direction of the noise.

Upon seeing the scene, Zhao Guihua let out a soul-shaking cry: "Holy cow!"

Such a sight was unprecedented. The public toilet, which had only been under repair for a few days, had turned into a pile of rubble. The communal toilet had completely collapsed. Previously, only the men's section had collapsed, and the women's section was still usable, albeit with slow progress in repairs due to lack of enthusiasm. But now, both the women's and the partially repaired men's sections had collapsed together.

Zhao Guihua: "This..."

She was at a loss for words, and the others were equally dumbfounded. Everyone was in a state of confusion. However, a few young men stood near the toilet, looking rather smug.

Judging by their demeanor, it was likely they were responsible!

Aunt Wang: "What's going on here?"

The leader of the group spoke up: "It's just a minor accident."

He quickly put on a smile, though it was more of a forced grin. "My brother accidentally caused the collapse. We're really sorry."

"Uh... what?"

What could possibly have caused the toilet to collapse like this? It was beyond exaggerated, leaving everyone puzzled.

The leader continued: "To make amends, we'll help rebuild it."

"Huh??" The crowd was even more confused. One neighbor asked: "You're offering to help? For free?"

The leader continued to smile, though it was a cold, forced smile. "Of course not for money. We caused the trouble, so we'll take care of it. We'll inform the neighborhood committee later."

Everyone: "Wow."

"Is this for real?" someone exclaimed, clearly impressed.

"This is... unexpected."

"But how did they manage to collapse the toilet? Was it really that fragile?"

"For now, we'll have to use the toilets on Back Street. What a hassle!" Previously, only the men's section was unusable, but now both sections were out of commission.

"Exactly, it's such a nuisance. How long will this take? The whole street will have to use the toilets on Back Street!"

"That's right."

Some were happy, while others criticized the situation.

Someone else added: "Lately, it seems like everyone's got it in for the toilet. Did we offend some kind of toilet god...?" They quickly covered their mouth upon saying this.

The leader narrowed his eyes, scanning the crowd with varying expressions, and said: "We'll work quickly, in three or four days, we'll get it done as soon as possible. We're really sorry for the inconvenience."

"Ah!"

"Such a hassle!"

Although there were many complaints, no one dared to say anything too harsh. After all, these men wore red armbands, and they were not to be trifled with. If they found a reason to make trouble, there would be nowhere to cry.

They were in a tough spot!

"Alright, everyone, please disperse. I'll arrange for people to start repairs right away, and we'll try to finish as soon as possible."

Hearing this, the crowd reluctantly turned back, clearly unhappy but with no other choice. It was indeed frustrating. Zhao Guihua's expression was deep, suspecting that this had something to do with Yu Baoshan.

Yu Baoshan had hidden jewels and gold in the toilet, and his breakdown was witnessed by many. The news of him embezzling confiscated assets would eventually spread. If it had already leaked, people would be looking for it. It was hard to say how many people were eyeing the treasure.

Zhao Guihua didn't know the specifics, but she could tell this wasn't simple. She had already benefited from the situation and was determined to stay silent. There was no point in getting involved, especially since these men with red armbands were not to be underestimated.

Despite their intimidating appearance, these men were not well-liked and were distrusted by many.

While some landlords were indeed corrupt, others were completely innocent and had been wrongly implicated. Everyone knew these men were troublemakers. Zhao Guihua followed the crowd back to the courtyard, where people were buzzing with gossip. Zhao Guihua sighed as she entered her house, saying: "I can't go to the mountain today."

"Huh?"

Her family members, who were preparing to leave, looked at her in confusion, wondering why she had changed her mind. Zhao Guihua explained the situation, and they understood. With these men working outside, how could she go to the mountain? If she returned with her harvest and passed by the toilet, she might be targeted and accused of something.

Even if she caught just one or two fish, it wasn't worth the hours of travel. So, Zhao Guihua decided to stay home. She said: "I'll stay home and assemble matchboxes."

Old Man Zhuang: "That's fine. Going to the mountain is tiring work. It's better to go together when everyone's available. I wouldn't feel safe if you went alone, especially since there are so many people on the mountain."

Zhao Guihua chuckled softly, saying: "What's there to worry about? I'm just an old lady. No one would try anything with me."

Old Man Zhuang: "Still, it's better to be careful."

Zhao Guihua: "Alright, I get it."

Soon, everyone left for work, and Zhao Guihua sat in the courtyard, assembling matchboxes with the others. When it came to making money, everyone was enthusiastic. Almost everyone with free time joined in.

If you're not enthusiastic about making money, there's something wrong with your mindset.

As they worked, the tea talk began again. However, today's topic wasn't focused on the people in the courtyard. Aunt Zhou still hadn't returned, and Zhou Qun and his wife hadn't come back last night. Aunt Su and Old Man Bai were still in the hospital. Bai Fendou remained holed up at home.

There was nothing new to gossip about, so the focus shifted to the outsiders. A nosy neighbor whispered mysteriously: "You know, the toilet didn't collapse on its own."

"Oh?"

Everyone turned to her, intrigued. She whispered: "I happened to be coming out to use the toilet when I saw them use something to blow it up. Can you believe it? How could they do such a thing?"

Zhao Guihua: "Oh my~"

While surprised, it wasn't entirely unexpected. These men were clearly up to something.

"They must be looking for something."

"Could they be searching for Yu Baoshan's hidden jewels? Otherwise, why would they blow up the toilet?" someone speculated shrewdly.

Zhao Guihua feigned indifference: "Even Yu Baoshan couldn't find them. What makes them think they can? Besides, even if it's true, the jewels are probably gone by now. Are they really that stubborn?"

"It's hard to understand."

"I think Yu Baoshan just saw a ghost in the toilet and started talking nonsense. Our toilet has had its share of ghost stories before. But for someone to believe his nonsense and come searching is just crazy."

"Don't talk about ghosts. I just peeked and saw them digging through the sewage. Do they really think someone would hide jewels in the toilet?"

Zhao Guihua: "Maybe... possibly?"

She scratched her head, genuinely puzzled by their logic.

This whole situation was beyond comprehension. From any angle, it seemed unlikely that someone would hide valuables in a toilet, let alone a sewage pit. Yet, these men were determined to dig and search. It was truly mind-boggling.

Indeed, greed could make people lose all sense of reason and logic.

Zhao Guihua: "I really don't get it."

"Neither do we."

Everyone was equally baffled.

At this moment, Liang Meifen was pushing her bike back from dropping her child off at school. As she passed by the public toilet, she shook her head vigorously, equally perplexed. Although she didn't fully understand what was going on, it certainly didn't stop her from enjoying the spectacle. She watched with great curiosity, recognizing a few familiar faces among the crowd—people who had been inquiring about Yu Baoshan. When she saw them actually starting to clean out the toilet, her eyebrows furrowed so tightly that a fly could have been crushed between them.

She really couldn't make sense of it.

Liang Meifen kept looking back, speechless, as she walked away.

Others naturally noticed as well. Not just Liang Meifen, but anyone passing by had reactions no less intense. Being watched like monkeys by everyone made them feel quite uncomfortable.

Moreover, they had never done such work before.

Leading the group was a deputy director surnamed Zheng.

Although he was only a deputy director, he had ambitions to rise to the position of director.

He loved being addressed by his surname and title, feeling it gave him a unique status.

"Director Zheng, do you think we can find those things like this?"

Although others might not know the truth about Yu Baoshan's rumored treasures, the members of the Revolutionary Committee were aware. They could guess that Yu Baoshan had indeed hidden something. Despite all their troubles and efforts, there weren't many wealthy families left nowadays.

If we talk about it, there was one family a few months ago that perfectly fit their target.

This family was a genuine capitalist, and although they had donated a lot and appeared quite impoverished, a relative had reported them. The relative claimed they were still hiding many valuable items, and their poverty was just a facade. When they investigated, it turned out to be true. Although the items were hidden tightly, they still managed to find quite a few.

However, this family wasn't honest. It seemed they were still planning to rise again, so they weren't willing to tell the truth. They answered slowly, like squeezing toothpaste, revealing information bit by bit after repeated questioning. But indeed, wealth can move people's hearts. An old man in their group had found a large gold bar and fled.

Although... he was caught on a bus before leaving the Beijing area, it served as a warning to them. They prohibited others from getting close.

Yes, this person was the one Ming Mei had caught, the one who had also beaten Liang Meifen's mother.

Because of this incident, they became particularly vigilant. Some with lower ranks were no longer allowed to participate, to prevent anyone else from trying to profit. Everyone who handled the case tried to skim off some money, but it couldn't go too far.

And it was this man who, during the interrogation, suddenly convulsed and died after foaming at the mouth.

It was said that he had taken rat poison.

As for where the rat poison came from or how he ingested it, they investigated for some time but found no evidence. Later, they speculated that he might have been afraid of suffering and had hidden the poison himself, choosing to commit suicide when he couldn't bear it anymore.

Such cases did occur.

Moreover, not many people were allowed to participate in the interrogation, so few had access to the capitalist. Therefore, the possibility of suicide was high.

This matter had already passed.

But just a few days ago, Yu Baoshan had been absent without leave from work. Since the incident with Xu Zhenqiu smuggling gold and fleeing, their management had become stricter, and neither tardiness nor absenteeism was tolerated.

So when Yu Baoshan didn't show up for work, an investigation was launched the next day.

This investigation revealed some discrepancies!

The case was taken seriously. Zhao Guihua and the others didn't know that Yu Baoshan was no longer in the hospital but had been taken back for isolation and interrogation. After a day and night of questioning, he finally broke down and confessed.

Although he tried to hold out, the interrogators had plenty of ways to break him. He eventually confessed.

It turned out that the capitalist they had caught was poisoned by him.

Although they weren't allowed to participate, the management seemed strict, but with determination, he found a loophole as an insider and successfully poisoned the man. As for why he did it, it was because he wanted to monopolize the man's treasures.

If the man had confessed, they would have eventually found the treasures.

But a dead man wouldn't confess, and no one would know about the existence of these items.

In fact, at the time, Xu Zhenqiu had found some large gold bars, and he had found others.

However, unlike Xu, he discovered a small secret compartment. He was very cautious and didn't make it known. Later, he quietly moved the items out and kept them for himself. The contents of the compartment were quite substantial.

Enough to drive Yu Baoshan crazy. He quickly packed the items and took them away.

In fact, he didn't have a good place to hide them, but he certainly couldn't leave them in that house. Such houses would usually be redistributed, and he didn't want to gift them to others, so he brought the items home.

His family's housing situation was tight, but as the youngest son, he was especially pampered by his parents and had a room to himself. He hid the items in his room. Although it wasn't very safe, it was better than leaving them out of his sight. But who would have thought that his sisters-in-law were always eyeing his room, even trying to move in without his permission. This made him worry.

At the time, he directly slapped the women to intimidate them, but he knew there might be another attempt when he wasn't home. If these women entered his room and found the hidden items, the situation would be dire.

So when he received a notice to go on a business trip, he was afraid his sisters-in-law would take advantage of his absence and enter his room. He decided to hide the items outside to get through these few days. That rainy night, after much thought, he felt it was necessary and went out to hide the items in the public toilet. Outside was naturally less secure than at home, but the public toilet was different. Due to rumors of ghosts, few people went there, and those who did hurried in and out without lingering.

In a way, it was quite safe. With this in mind, he hid the items outside. Unexpectedly, they went missing.

Could Yu Baoshan not go crazy?

Such a stroke of good fortune might never happen again.

He had risked everything by killing the capitalist, fearing the man would reveal the hiding place, only to end up with nothing.

Yu Baoshan was now under arrest. They came here to quietly search again, not fully convinced by Yu Baoshan's claim that the items were gone. Both Yu's house and the toilet were being thoroughly inspected.

Everyone felt it was impossible for the items to be in the toilet.

But Director Zheng considered himself experienced. During their raids, they had seen all kinds of hiding places, so they didn't want to rule out the possibility. What if the person who took the treasures, like Yu Baoshan, didn't dare to bring them home?

The most dangerous place could be the safest place. If the items were still hidden in the toilet but in a different spot, could that be possible? Maybe.

If the items were submerged at the bottom of the cesspool, could that be possible? It seemed so.

Smart people liked to think deeply, so the toilet was being searched inch by inch. There was another benefit to this: they hoped to observe the neighbors through their detailed investigation of the toilet, looking for anyone showing unusual behavior.

If someone behaved unusually, it might mean they had taken the treasures.

After all, it was unlikely for someone from elsewhere to be involved. The most likely scenario was that a neighbor had seen the items while using the toilet and taken them. So he carefully watched the reactions of those coming and going.

In his view, someone like Liang Meifen's reaction was quite normal—curious, speechless, and slightly annoyed.

Curiosity stemmed from never having seen such a thing before.

Speechlessness came from not understanding why they were cleaning the toilet.

And annoyance was because their actions had collapsed the toilet, forcing them to go to a farther place, which was certainly inconvenient and unpleasant.

Director Zheng analyzed the situation and concluded that it was normal for these emotions to intertwine. What he wanted to see was who was feeling guilty. Anyone who was guilty was sure to have something to hide. According to the information, Yu Baoshan had hidden quite a few valuable items, and they were not about to let them slip away.

They had to find them.

Once they found these items, the amount they reported as confiscated would be entirely up to them.

"Keep searching!" Director Zheng barked, rubbing his temples. So far, they hadn't found anything suspicious!

Liang Meifen, who had been deemed not suspicious, quickly returned to the courtyard to join the others in pasting matchboxes. She couldn't wait to share her observations, exclaiming, "These people are building a toilet, but why are they digging for manure?"

Everyone shook their heads, equally puzzled.

Bai Fendou, who had been recovering at home due to his injuries, woke up lazily. Unlike the others, he wasn't in a hurry to work and earn money. Leaning against the window, he said, "I bet those people are looking for something Yu Baoshan hid. I told you Yu Baoshan isn't a good guy, right? His grandpa was right to beat him. That guy has no morals. Beating him is like doing a public service. When have I, Bai Fendou, ever done anything wrong?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

His tone was filled with pride. Although Bai Fendou was still in the hospital when Yu Baoshan caused trouble at the toilet, he already knew the details. Having worked in the security department, he had his own thoughts and said seriously, "I think they're looking for those gold and silver treasures. There must be something to it. If it were just some crazy talk, they wouldn't be searching."

"Fendou makes sense."

"True, but I wonder how much gold and silver there is."

"You don't even have to ask. There must be a lot."

Everyone chimed in with their opinions, and Zhao Guihua joined the conversation, her hands still working swiftly.

Talking was one thing; work didn't stop.

Zhao Guihua said, "I wonder what's wrong with Yu Baoshan."

"That guy isn't a good person."

"Exactly."

As they chatted, they heard the ring of a bicycle bell, followed by a young girl with braided hair entering the courtyard. This was Tao Yuyue, who came to give Bai Fendou his IV drip. Usually, she came in the afternoon, but this time was an exception.

Tao Yuyue entered, saw everyone working, and nodded slightly, which served as her greeting.

Aunt Wang spoke up first, "Little Nurse Tao, you're early today."

Tao Yuyue replied, "Yes, I had no work this morning, so I came earlier."

In fact, it was Saturday, and since she had Sunday off, she wanted to finish this tedious task early.

She entered with her bag, and Bai Fendou immediately brightened up, "Little Nurse Tao, please sit."

Tao Yuyue: "Hello, Comrade Bai Fendou."

Over the past few days, she had been practicing on Bai Fendou, though her skills hadn't improved much. However, Bai Fendou didn't mind her lack of expertise. As she inserted the needle, he stared at her face, his eyes wide, unable to look away.

After much effort, Tao Yuyue finally managed to insert the needle.

Bai Fendou breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Tao Yuyue, saying, "Little Nurse Tao, today is the last day."

Tao Yuyue: "Yes, you'll be back at work next week. If you feel unwell, come to the clinic anytime."

Bai Fendou immediately grinned, "Don't worry, I definitely will."

Tao Yuyue pouted, "You can't just come for no reason. Our clinic is quite busy."

Bai Fendou smirked, "Little Nurse Tao, don't exaggerate. I know your clinic. It's pretty idle. There aren't many patients, just a couple of strays."

Tao Yuyue didn't get angry but instead smiled, "That may have been true before, but our clinic is quite busy now."

Ever since she arrived, the number of men with headaches and colds in the factory had increased. Their clinic was seeing more patients.

She knew it was due to her charm and smiled slightly, thinking these men had some taste. However, the quality of these "fish" in her pond wasn't high, and she wasn't very interested. What she wanted was a man from a well-off family, not an ordinary worker.

So far, she hadn't met anyone suitable and continued to keep her options open.

"I don't know if it's the heat, but many of our factory brothers have been complaining of chest tightness and nausea. Recently, our clinic has been selling a lot of herbal tea bags to prevent heatstroke." Tao Yuyue knew the reason but pretended not to.

Bai Fendou quickly caught on and snorted, "Those guys are just coming to see you. It's not even June, and they're already claiming to have heatstroke? By July and August, they'd be dying? They're just pretending to be big shots. Little Nurse Tao, you have to be careful. Those guys are totally unreliable. They go to the clinic for ulterior motives. You can't fall for their tricks. When a girl looks for a partner, good character and responsibility are the most important. If they don't have that, you absolutely shouldn't consider them."

"You're right, but I think we can't generalize. The factory doesn't have the best opinion of you, but after interacting with you, I find you quite decent. You're loyal and straightforward, which are rare qualities."

Bai Fendou was thrilled, "Really? Am I that good in your eyes? I knew it, I knew you were different from others. Little Nurse Tao, your judgment is excellent."

Tao Yuyue's disdain flashed briefly in her eyes but quickly turned into a smile. Her smile wasn't like other women's; it was subtle, with just a slight upturn of her lips, giving her a gentle appearance. She said, "Of course, I don't talk nonsense."

After a pause, she asked, "You're not fully recovered yet, but you're doing better. What do you usually do?"

Bai Fendou: "I... I read books. I like reading. Besides that, I sometimes go out to enjoy the scenery." In reality, he liked lying down and chatting.

Tao Yuyue's eyes flickered, and she smiled lightly, "Those are also things I enjoy. I'm staying with my aunt now, and on weekends, I like to go out for a walk. Tomorrow, I plan to go to the man-made lake. Since Sunday is Children's Day, I want to take my little cousin boating to celebrate a day early."

"Ah, I'll go with you. You're a girl, what strength do you have? I'll go with you; I'm strong and can row the boat." He eagerly offered.

Tao Yuyue: "Oh... that's not necessary."

Bai Fendou: "What's not necessary? It's the right thing to do. I'll go with you. What time tomorrow? I'll wait for you at the entrance of the man-made lake."

Tao Yuyue waved her hand, "No, no, several people from the factory have offered to accompany me, but I've refused. There's no special relationship; what would I do dragging you along?"

Bai Fendou: "Others too?"

He panicked, realizing Tao Yuyue was indeed very popular.

He quickly added, "Well, that's not a date. We'll just happen to meet. You can't refuse my kindness, can you?"

He had to go; otherwise, what if Little Nurse Tao got tricked by those wolves! No way!

Tao Yuyue gave Bai Fendou a playful glare and said with a smile, "We'll see."

Her voice rose at the end, and Bai Fendou felt his bones melt.

Although Wang Xiangxiu was also his type, she couldn't compare to Tao Yuyue. He thought Tao Yuyue was a rare combination of elegance and beauty. Her tenderness was different from Wang Xiangxiu's.

Wang Xiangxiu was, after all, an older woman, lacking Tao Yuyue's fresh and playful charm of a young girl...

Bai Fendou was floating on cloud nine.

Tao Yuyue chuckled softly and said, "Alright, I'm leaving now. I'll come back at noon to remove the needle."

It should be done by noon.

Bai Fendou: "Ah, won't you stay a bit longer?"

Tao Yuyue shook her head, "No, I'm leaving now."

She bit her lip and said, "If I go back late, my boss always gets upset. Our director wanted to introduce me to his nephew, but I refused. Now, if I don't do something perfectly, I get scolded. I'm leaving now."

"What! That scoundrel, how can he bully you like that?"

"It's not really bullying. I do everything by the rules, so there's no issue. I'm leaving now."

This time, she really left.

Bai Fendou watched her retreating figure, his heart racing.

Mom, I think I'm in love.

Bai Fendou felt like his heart had been struck.

This girl, she's such a good girl.

But such a good girl being bullied? That's just too much. Someone needs to teach that guy a lesson!

Bai Fendou started pondering... but at the same time, he was also thinking about tomorrow. He absolutely had to go to the man-made lake to bump into Tao Yuyue. She mentioned that someone else wanted to ask her out, but she refused. He had to make his move early, or someone else might beat him to it. Good girls are always in demand.

He clenched his fists.

Bai Fendou's actions were observed by someone outside the window. It wasn't that they wanted to eavesdrop, but the Bai family's house was right by the front gate, and everyone else was working in the front yard. Their house didn't even have a window, so if you couldn't see or hear what was going on inside, there must be something wrong with your eyes or ears.

Anyone with normal senses could see what was happening.

Zhao Guihua whispered, "Bai Fendou doesn't stand a chance against her."

Aunt Wang chimed in, "He's asking for it. He doesn't even know his own worth. You can pursue someone better than you, but you have to know your own value first. Acting like you're something special when you're not just makes you a laughingstock."

"He really is like that."

As neighbors, they all knew each other quite well.

"Mark my words, Tao Yuyue will never go for him."

"Oh, don't even mention Tao Yuyue. Even Wang Xiangxiu, the widow in our courtyard, wouldn't really go for him."

"This guy really lacks self-awareness."

"Exactly."

"But Tao Yuyue is quite cunning too, isn't she? Isn't she just leading Bai Fendou on?" Someone saw through Tao Yuyue's intentions. Although she said she wouldn't go to the man-made lake with Bai Fendou, she was clearly hinting that he should go.

Zhao Guihua looked up and said, "I think Tao Yuyue is doing just fine. Knowing what you want from the start isn't wrong. Who doesn't want to find someone better? Who doesn't want someone who cares for them? It's a matter of the willing being hooked!"

They spoke in lowered voices while discussing this, as talking about his "goddess" in public might set Bai Fendou off. After all, he did have a bit of a temper, so they kept their voices down.

Aunt Wang agreed, "True, everyone wants to find someone better."

As they continued to chat, Wang Zhaodi scratched her head and glanced back at Bai Fendou's house. In her eyes, his conditions were already quite good—he had a steady job and a place to live. For families like theirs, who couldn't save a single penny in a year, this was really quite good.

But clearly, others didn't think so.

She thought, this must be the urban-rural gap.

Zhao Guihua noticed her looking back and said, "You're still young, so you don't understand how important it is to find a normal person for a family."

Wang Zhaodi: "???"

Was she implying that Bai Fendou wasn't normal?

Wang Zhaodi didn't quite get it, but she stood up and said, "I need to go to the bathroom."

"The toilet in our alley is under repair. You'll have to go to the back street. I'll take you." Zhao Guihua stood up, showing some kindness.

Wang Zhaodi quickly waved her hands. "No, no, I can go by myself. Is it just down this street and then to the back street?"

Zhao Guihua nodded.

Wang Zhaodi didn't want to delay Zhao Guihua from her work, so she said, "I can manage. If I get lost, I'll ask someone for directions."

She didn't feel right asking Zhao Guihua to accompany her, as she knew it was work and shouldn't be interrupted. She ventured out alone, taking a deep breath. Although she was unfamiliar with the city and felt timid, she knew she had to be brave.

Wang Zhaodi walked timidly along the wall, feeling like the road stretched on forever. When she reached the toilet on the back street, she happened to see the center of their earlier conversation, Tao Yuyue. She felt nervous and pursed her lips.

Tao Yuyue had been having some stomach trouble and was quite distressed.

Tao Yuyue quickly asked, "Did you bring any toilet paper?"

She was really worried, as she had forgotten to bring any.

If it weren't for Wang Zhaodi coming in, she didn't know how long she would have had to wait. Seeing her, Tao Yuyue was quite relieved.

Wang Zhaodi: "I-I did bring some."

"Can you share some with me?"

"Sure."

After the "toilet paper kindness," Tao Yuyue thanked Wang Zhaodi as they left the restroom.

Wang Zhaodi blushed and muttered softly, "You're welcome."

Tao Yuyue looked at her curiously and asked, "You're not from the machinery factory, are you? Whose family are you with?"

Wang Zhaodi: "I'm a distant relative of the Zhou family."

"A distant relative?"

Tao Yuyue, who was also living with her aunt, felt a bit closer to Wang Zhaodi.

She asked, "What are you doing here as a distant relative?"

She looked Wang Zhaodi up and down and said, "Are you here to find a partner in the city?"

Wang Zhaodi's face turned bright red, and she quickly waved her hands. "No, no."

Tao Yuyue: "There's no need to be embarrassed. At our age, wanting to find a partner is normal. Wanting to find someone with better conditions is even more normal. There's nothing to be shy about. You can't be like this."

She could immediately tell that Wang Zhaodi was a country girl from a poor family.

Her clothes were patched so many times it was hard to count.

Wang Zhaodi whispered, "City folks wouldn't look at someone like me."

Tao Yuyue: "Why wouldn't they? Whether they look at you or not depends on what you do. Let me tell you, men aren't that complicated. I feel like we hit it off, so I'll share this with you. If it were someone else, I wouldn't say a word."

Wang Zhaodi looked confused.

Tao Yuyue: "If you want a good life, you have to use the right tactics. Don't let others' opinions dictate your actions. If you live poorly, no one will pity you. So don't let others' views hold you back. I'm going to the man-made lake tomorrow. Do you want to come along?"

Wang Zhaodi quickly shook her head. "I don't have any money."

Tao Yuyue: "What money? This way, you can come with Bai Fendou. I guarantee you won't have to spend a penny."

Wang Zhaodi: "Ah, this..."

"Come on!"

Tao Yuyue didn't say much more to Wang Zhaodi, just smiled and said, "You lent me toilet paper when I needed it most, so I'll treat you to a meal tomorrow to thank you."

She rode off quickly.

While she was indeed grateful to Wang Zhaodi, there was another reason she wanted her to come. Sometimes, a red flower needs a green leaf to set it off. Wang Zhaodi was the perfect match for that role.

The huge contrast would only make her look even more beautiful.

Wang Zhaodi: "Hey? Hey hey?"

She wanted to call out to Tao Yuyue but didn't dare to speak loudly. She returned home, feeling very confused.

"What's wrong?" Zhao Guihua asked. Wang Zhaodi recounted what had happened, "I-I don't know if I should go."

As an "outsider," she actually wanted to see more of the city, but she was also afraid and didn't want to miss out on the work she was doing. She was torn.

Zhao Guihua: "Just follow your heart. If you want to go, go. It's not like you'll miss a day of work."

Wang Zhaodi bit her lip. "Aunt Zhou isn't back yet..."

"She's not back, so what?"

"Yeah, what if she never comes back? Would you never leave the house?"

Wang Zhaodi: "..."

Everyone could see through Wang Zhaodi. She was quite easy to read, with everything written on her face. She really had no guile. Sometimes, one's upbringing plays a huge role. Like Ming Mei, who also seemed innocent and naive, but you couldn't easily read her thoughts.

Meanwhile, Ming Mei was being extra cautious. Ever since last night's dream, she had been on guard.

How could she not be careful?

In her dream, there was an accident on the bus. Although today wasn't a rainy day, it definitely wasn't that particular day, yet caution was still essential. Perhaps it was due to today's mental strain, but throughout the day, she felt more exhausted than usual.

"Meimei, you don't seem to be in good spirits today," someone remarked as she returned to the staff office after work, noticing her pale face.

Ming Mei: "Yeah, I didn't sleep well last night."

"You need to take it easy. You're carrying a double load now."

Ming Mei: "I know. It's tough being this early in the pregnancy."

"We women have it hard. Unlike men, who just complain about work, we have to juggle work, taking care of the household, and giving birth. It's exhausting."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Oh, by the way, Meimei, you have a package."

Ming Mei: "Hmm?"

She stepped forward to take a look, and it was quite large.

Ming Mei, upon seeing the name on the package, said: "It's from my uncle."

"Your relatives seem to be well-off. That cousin of yours who visited the other day, is he married?"

Ming Mei: "His kids are quite big, in fifth grade already."

"Ah!"

Everyone was shocked.

"He looks so young!"

Ming Mei: "The relatives on my mother's side all look young. Maybe it's because they take good care of themselves."

Her grandfather and late grandmother were the kind of people who loved to enjoy life, and they were quite particular about food and drink. Unlike most families who saved money by eating simple meals, their family believed in spending money to enjoy life. If they could afford better food, they wouldn't hesitate.

Under this influence, her uncle's family and her own family were inclined to live similarly.

With a carefree personality and good food, plus not doing physically demanding work, it's no wonder they looked young.

"Oh, I was thinking of setting him up if he wasn't married," someone said.

Ming Mei chuckled, "My cousin is older than my brother. He just looks young and has a lively personality, so people don't realize his age. But even if he were the right age, it wouldn't work. He's gone back to Jinling. He was just here on a business trip."

"Ah!"

"What a catch."

Ming Mei smiled, "If he heard that, he'd be over the moon."

"Oh, Meimei, your husband is here."

Ming Mei: "I'm off then."

She carried the package out, and Zhuang Zhixi spotted her immediately. Surprised, he quickly stepped forward to take it from her, saying, "Oh my, how could you carry this yourself? You should have called me; I'd be happy to serve you."

Ming Mei smiled sweetly, "It was just convenient!"

She muttered, "I wonder what my master sent me. But it must be something delicious."

Zhuang Zhixi: "Little glutton."

Ming Mei playfully glared at him, "Say that again, and I'll hit you."

Zhuang Zhixi: "I'm so scared."

They bantered playfully, and Ming Mei sat on the back of the bike, one hand holding the package and the other holding onto Zhuang Zhixi.

Zhuang Zhixi: "I'll ride slowly."

"Okay."

Although Zhuang Zhixi and the Zhuang family didn't know that Ming Mei could dream about reality and the future, her parents did. After all, Ming Mei had this "ability" since she was a child, and kids don't hide things well. Her father and mother were well aware.

They kept this secret from everyone else, only sharing it between themselves.

Even Ming Mei's brother, Ming Cheng, didn't know.

But they understood, so when Lan Ling heard her daughter wanted to transfer jobs, she immediately said, "Alright, leave it to me. I'll help you find the right connections."

Ming Mei could have transferred on her own, but to get a good position, she needed some help.

Lan Ling: "Since you're pregnant, whether you're carrying the baby or after giving birth, you'll have a lot on your plate. I'll see if I can get you a position with more flexible hours."

She still had some old connections. While she couldn't secure a formal position for her daughter, she could manage a transfer.

Ming Mei: "Okay."

She thought for a moment and added, "As soon as possible."

Lan Ling understood and said, "Don't worry."

There's always a need to rely on one's mother.

Although Ming Mei knew her mother-in-law was "reborn," there wasn't much she could do in this era. The social environment was what it was, and her mother-in-law didn't have the resources to make much of a difference. So, Ming Mei trusted her own mother more.

Lan Ling: "You two stay here; I'll go buy some meat. We'll have meat for dinner tonight."

Ming Mei smiled, "Sounds great."

She got up to open the package, but Lan Ling stopped her, "Don't open it here. Take it home first; it'll be inconvenient to carry it back if you open it here. Besides, your master sent it to your workplace, so it's meant for you."

Ming Mei didn't argue, "Okay."

Ming Mei and Zhuang Zhixi enjoyed a sumptuous dinner at Ming Mei's parents' place before heading home together.

By the time they got home, it was already dusk. The toilets were closed, and the matchbox-making work was done. It was too dark to work properly, and mistakes would be made if they continued. Everyone was gathered in the courtyard, chatting.

Hearing the sound of someone returning, everyone turned towards the gate.

Zhao Guihua was among them. She looked and said, "What did you bring from your parents' place again?"

She was starting to feel a bit embarrassed.

Ming Mei: "No, this is from my uncle."

She wouldn't call her master that in public.

Ming Mei didn't linger; she quickly went inside, eager to see what was in the package.

Zhuang Zhixi was also curious.

Ming Mei quickly opened it and laughed upon seeing the contents, "Look, they're such cute little clothes."

The package was full. Knowing that Ming Mei was pregnant, her master had sent two sets of baby clothes. Of course, it wasn't because her master knew she was having twins; that couldn't be detected yet.

Except for Zhao Guihua, who knew in advance, and Ming Mei, who had dreamt about it last night, no one else knew.

Sending two sets was just to ensure there were enough for changing. Besides the baby clothes, there was also a baby bottle and a small rattle, meant for the unborn baby. For Ming Mei, there were various types of long-lasting snacks, just as she had expected.

There were jerky, rice sticks, White Rabbit candies, and chestnut cakes.

Ming Mei: "So much."

The variety wasn't huge, but the quantity was substantial.

Zhuang Zhixi sighed, "Wife, if I were still a kid, I'd be jealous of you."

Ming Mei was puzzled, "Why? Just because of the food?"

Zhuang Zhixi shook his head, "No, not because of the food. But because everyone loves you so much."

Ever since Ming Mei got pregnant, their family had been sending all sorts of things, showing how much they cared for her. The feeling of being loved by everyone is always something to be envious of.

Ming Mei chuckled softly, wrapping her arms around Zhuang Zhixi's neck, "What can I do? Who told me to have so many relatives?"

In fact, Ming Mei's family wasn't that large, but compared to Zhuang Zhixi's family, which had even fewer relatives.

Zhuang Zhixi's parents had no relatives on either side.

That era was like that; many families had lost relatives during the war.

Ming Mei poked Zhuang Zhixi's cheek, "You're jealous, but there's nothing you can do about it, heehee."

Zhuang Zhixi: "I would have been jealous as a kid, but not now! My wife is so lovable; I'm over the moon. See, I have good taste; the person I like is just so great."

Ming Mei burst out laughing.

Zhuang Zhixi ruffled Ming Mei's hair, "I really do have great taste."

He lifted his chin slightly, looking quite proud.

Ming Mei leaned on him, "I have good taste too; you're great too."

Zhuang Zhixi chuckled, then asked, "Do you want to wash up or go out for a bit?"

Ming Mei: "Let's go out; there's no rush to wash up."

With a few key figures missing from the courtyard, it felt a bit quieter.

Usually, everyone would gather in the front yard, so Bai Fendou was leaning against the window, sticking his head out to chat with everyone. Actually, he could move around now, albeit with small steps, but he was lazy and hadn't gotten up, as if glued to the bed.

At the moment, they were discussing Wang Zhaodi's plan to go to the man-made lake.

Wang Xiangxiu was adamant about persuading Wang Zhaodi to join them, as she absolutely would not allow Tao Yuyue and Bai Fendou to go on a date. She was utterly shocked that Tao Yuyue would be so desperate as to even consider Bai Fendou. When she heard about their planned date for the next day, she was itching to interfere immediately.

However, she also needed to maintain a good image in front of Bai Fendou, so she strongly urged Wang Zhaodi to come along.

After all, it was Tao Yuyue who had invited them in the first place.

She was worried about Tao Yuyue, but not about Wang Zhaodi.

This skinny, timid girl wouldn't catch Bai Fendou's eye at all; his standards were quite high. So she wasn't concerned about that, only about Tao Yuyue. Of course, there was also the fact that Bai Fendou didn't want Wang Zhaodi to come.

It was rare that Bai Fendou and Wang Xiangxiu didn't share the same opinion.

Ming Mei and Zhuang Zhixi, who were unaware of the background, quickly started asking questions to get to the bottom of the situation.

"Zhuang's wife, do you think Wang Zhaodi should go?" Wang Xiangxiu was looking for support and was desperately trying to signal Ming Mei, even though they weren't particularly close. She hoped Ming Mei would say a few words in favor.

Ming Mei: "Me? I think she should go."

Wang Xiangxiu perked up immediately, saying, "See, even Ming Mei thinks so."

Her gaze towards Ming Mei softened considerably.

Ming Mei: "..."

She said, "Zhaodi, since you're already here, you might as well go out and see something. If Aunt Zhou comes back, you won't have any chance to go out at all. You came all the way to Beijing, and if you don't see anything, you'll regret it when you go back home."

"Yes, that makes sense."

"Zhuang's wife is right. If Aunt Zhou comes back, she'll be ordering you around all day, and you won't get a chance to go out."

"Well, she's just mean,"

"Hahaha."

"Oh, but will she really come back? What's happening with that situation?"

Everyone shook their heads, none of them knowing.

With Zhou Qun and Jiang Lu not at home, they had no one to ask.

"Who knows? Zhou Qun isn't back either. I guess he's staying at Jiang Lu's parents' place."

"He'll definitely be back today. Jiang Lu's parents' place is just a regular house, and Jiang Lu has brothers, sisters-in-law, and nieces and nephews. Can they really fit? They're lucky to have a place to crash for one night, let alone stay longer. That's just a dream."

Bai Fendou spoke up, confident that he knew Zhou Qun best. He continued, "Besides, it's not easy for a son-in-law to stay at his in-laws' place. He's not like Yang Lixin, who's a son-in-law by marriage. The Jiang family still has their own son."

Yang Lixin's face turned a bit sour as he gave Bai Fendou a cold glance.

No man wants to be a son-in-law living at his wife's family's home, and Yang Lixin was no exception. If it weren't for the promise of a better life, he wouldn't have given up his dignity. When you can't even afford to eat, dignity is worthless. Now, not only was he part of the working class with a good job, but he also had a nice place to live.

Even his parents in the countryside were receiving support from him.

Overall, the choice had been the right one.

But being called out so bluntly was deeply unpleasant.

Yang Lixin couldn't argue back, as doing so would imply he wasn't entirely willing. He wouldn't risk offending his in-laws, so he just looked at Bai Fendou with intense dislike.

Bai Fendou continued, "The Jiang family is so well-off, with their leadership positions, they probably look down on people. Zhou Qun won't be treated as well as he is in our courtyard. Mark my words, he'll be getting the short end of the stick over there. He..."

As he was bragging, he noticed everyone looking towards the door.

Zhou Qun and Jiang Lu had returned.

Jiang Lu's face showed her displeasure at Bai Fendou's words.

But Zhou Qun's expression was more complex.

If it had been before, Zhou Qun would have thought Bai Fendou was just spouting nonsense, not worth his time. But now, he was somewhat moved. Indeed, Bai Fendou understood him.

In his casual way, Bai Fendou had revealed his grievances!

When it came to understanding him, Bai Fendou took the top spot!