Section 18

"It's you."

Yan Ren was carrying a thermos. He nodded at her. "What are you doing here?"

"I came out for a walk." Only after explaining did Gu Yinxing wonder why she had bothered. Her face fell. "Do you need something? If not, I have things to do."

Her words had an edge to them.

A faint smile touched Yan Ren's lips. "What? Did you argue with your coworker again?"

Gu Yinxing raised an eyebrow. Her lips twitched, revealing a pair of dimples. Her smile was sweet, but her words stung. "Oh, who are you sticking up for? You're not even together yet, and you're already so protective of her."

Yan Ren had no idea where that had come from.

He ought to have been angry. But the thin veil of anger on Gu Yinxing's face and the barbs in her eyes felt like a kitten scratching at his heart. Instead of getting annoyed, he found it amusing. "Who are you talking about? I'm not sure I understand."

Hearing that, Gu Yinxing lost all interest.

She dropped the plum blossom she had crushed in her hand. "Forget it. I'm going back to the hospital."

"Wait." Yan Ren caught Gu Yinxing's hand. "Comrade Gu, can I ask if you're seeing anyone?"

Gu Yinxing: ???

Fury flared in her chest. She shot Yan Ren a fierce glare. "What's it to you? Do you ask everyone you meet that?!"

She rolled her eyes and marched off. Even her coat seemed to billow with indignation.

Yan Ren touched his face, puzzled.

He took no particular pride in his looks, but he knew he wasn't bad-looking. Why, then, did Comrade Xiao Gu get irritated whenever she saw him?

The Twenty-First Day of Being Overheard

Gu Yinxing was still simmering when she got home, her cheeks puffed with anger.

She parked her bicycle in the compound just as Song Jianshe and his family were heading out. All of them looked splendid in their best clothes. Even Song Chaohua had put on something presentable for once.

Gu Yinxing gave the whole family a once-over.

Auntie Sun came out just then. Seeing them, she asked, "Oh, where are you off to at mealtime? A celebration at a relative's place?"

Song Mei adjusted the red wool scarf around her neck. "Auntie Sun, we're not going to a banquet. We're eating at a restaurant."

"That's right! My son's treating the whole family to lamb hot pot!"

Huang Xirong announced it at the top of her lungs, glancing toward the Gu Family as though afraid He Chunlian might miss it.

"Lamb hot pot? Did your family strike it rich?"

Auntie Sun's eyes widened in astonishment.

Lamb had never been cheap. The Song Family wasn't large, but with four adults and a child, a restaurant meal would cost at least five or six yuan.

For plenty of families, that was seven or eight days' worth of groceries.

"Not at all." Huang Xirong waved a hand in feigned modesty, though she couldn't suppress her grin. "My son's just capable, and he found another good thing."

"Mom!"

Song Jianshe hurriedly cut Huang Xirong off.

Realizing her slip, Huang Xirong clapped a hand over her mouth. Then she laughed and changed the subject. "Sister Sun, we'd better get going. If we're late, all the good food will be gone."

"Of course. Go on, then."

Auntie Sun watched Song Jianshe's family leave, unable to hide her envy. She shook the wild greens in her hand,

then said to Gu Yinxing, "How is the Song Family so lucky? They must have made a tidy sum lately. I smell them cooking meat every day."

That was the trouble with living in a courtyard shared by so many households.

The neighbors were so close that you could tell what the family next door was cooking without stepping outside.

The Song Family had always been stingy, eating meat only a few times a month. Lately, though, they seemed to have changed their ways, cooking it every few days.

It had Auntie Sun and her husband craving it something fierce.

"Who knows? I wouldn't celebrate too soon if I were them."

Remembering the smug look Song Mei had given her, Gu Yinxing couldn't help curling her lip. "They get a little money and start showing off. Anyone would think they were rich."

While she was muttering, He Chunlian lifted the curtain over the main room's doorway. "Yinxing, why are you standing there gossiping after work? Come in and help me watch your niece. I still have dinner to make."

Gu Yinxing caught her mother's glare and drew her neck in. "Coming!"

She hurried inside.

He Chunlian let the curtain fall and poked her in the head. "What's the point of having a brain if you won't use it? Say that to Auntie Sun out there, and she'll have told everyone before you know it!"

"So let her."

Gu Yinxing pursed her lips. "Everyone's thinking the same thing anyway."

"Thinking it isn't the same as saying it. You're the only fool who said it out loud."

He Chunlian glared at her in exasperation. "Forget it. Go look after Second Girl. There's no getting through to you."

He Chunlian knew Auntie Sun well.

Within an hour, Auntie Sun had told everyone that the Song Family had gone out to eat, along with what Gu Yinxing had said about it.

While the Gu Family was eating dinner, they heard a commotion outside. It sounded as though Song Jianshe's family had returned from the restaurant.

Song Mei called out loudly, "Yinxing, why were you talking about our family behind our backs? Are you jealous that my brother's more capable than yours?"

"Exactly. Yinxing, if you wanted lamb, you should've said so. We're neighbors, after all. If you'd spoken up, we could've taken you along." Huang Xirong was all smiles, her face flushed and glowing with triumph. She hadn't been drinking, but she looked as giddy as if she had.

She had every reason to feel proud.

Her son had sold that snuff bottle to the director of their post office, making a hundred yuan on the resale. He had even gotten an industrial goods coupon. Those were in high demand—a sale at the Black Market would net him another ten yuan easily.

Who else in this compound had a son as capable as hers?

Gu Yinxing was furious. She sprang up to go outside.

"Sit down," He Chunlian ordered under her breath.

"Mom!" Gu Yinxing stamped her foot.

"Sit down and behave," He Chunlian said. "Eat your dinner."

Gu Yinxing looked at her mother, but she knew she couldn't win. She sat back down and swallowed her anger.

Gu Jinshui chuckled. "Yinxing, what's the rush? Just wait. Before long, there'll be a spectacle at their house."

"Really?"

Anticipation lit Gu Yinxing's eyes.

Gu Jinshui nodded. "Let them enjoy themselves for now."

"All right. I'll take your word for it."

Only then did Gu Yinxing settle down to eat.

He Chunlian rolled her eyes at Gu Jinshui. Outside, Huang Xirong was still holding forth, boasting about how much lamb they had eaten, how much they had spent, and how booming business was at Dong Lai Shun...

He Chunlian rose, lifted the curtain, and addressed Huang Xirong and her son, who were surrounded by neighbors in the courtyard. "My, you spent that much on one meal? Have you given up on keeping house?"

Huang Xirong had just begun to feel smug at the sight of He Chunlian. At those words, she spat, "Pah! You're the one who can't keep house! We can afford a seven- or eight-yuan hot pot meal. My son's capable and knows how to make money!"

She raised her hand so everyone could see the gold ring on her finger.

The ring had been put away, but Huang Xirong had insisted on wearing it to Dong Lai Shun today. Song Jianshe couldn't talk her out of it, so he had let her.

Song Jianshe had his own streak of vanity. He wanted people to praise him for his abilities.

"What exactly did Jianshe do to make so much money?"

Auntie Sun's husband couldn't help asking.

Everyone else pricked up their ears.

Most households in their shared courtyard were of modest means. Families like Song Jianshe's and Gu Jinshui's, with several members in steady jobs, were among the better-off. In many homes, only one person had a regular position while the others picked up odd work.

Everyone wanted to earn more, but few could find a way.

"Nothing much. I've just been trading a few antiques. I got lucky and made a little money, that's all," Song Jianshe said modestly.

As he spoke, he glanced toward the main room. He was plainly saying it for Gu Jinshui to hear.

Song Jianshe had originally meant to keep his antique trading quiet. But Gu Jinshui had caught him at it before, and his mother had let something slip too. After thinking it over, Song Jianshe realized he couldn't hide the money his family was making forever. He might as well reveal a little himself rather than leave others to speculate.

"Jianshe can do that too?!"

The courtyard manager had come over to see what the commotion was about. He couldn't help sounding surprised.

Song Jianshe pushed up his glasses. "I was lucky. I like reading when I have time, and I happened to stumble onto a good deal."

"Well, isn't that something! Auntie Huang, I've always said your son was going places!"

Auntie Sun praised him to the skies.

She even went back inside, brought out a handful of dried dates, and pressed them into Song Jianshe's hand. "Jianshe, my son brought these back. Genuine Miyun dates. Try them and see if you like them. My son isn't nearly as capable as you. If you get the chance, do give him a hand."

"You're too kind, Auntie Sun."

The praise went to Song Jianshe's head, though he demurred. "I can't compare to him. He earns a decent wage at the lumber mill."

"Oh, that little wage? It hardly keeps a family fed. Jianshe, I always knew you'd do well. You're clever, quicker on the uptake than most. Help him out, and I'll be sure to thank you."

Every word out of Auntie Sun's mouth was honeyed.

Song Jianshe's whole family was so flattered they hardly knew which way was up.

Someone else said, "If you ask me, Jianshe's the one in this compound with the brightest future. Jinshui can't hold a candle to you."

That struck a chord with Song Jianshe.

Song Jianshe had competed with Gu Jinshui all his life. When they were younger, Gu Jinshui had been quick-witted and good at school. Song Jianshe had spent years in his shadow, unable to hold his head up. Only after Gu Jinshui married the daughter of a capitalist and dropped his studies to make his way in the world, while Song Jianshe took over his father's job, had Song Jianshe felt he'd finally surpassed him.

Yet a few years later, Gu Jinshui had started some business outside the compound and made plenty of money. He might not have had the respectability of a regular job, but the Gu Family ate well every few days. Behind his back, who didn't say Gu Jinshui was capable and knew how to get things done?

The Song Family was reasonably well-off, but they had money to save and kept a strict monthly food budget. Even as the family's son, Song Jianshe only got a few extra bites of meat.

How could Song Jianshe feel content by comparison?

Now that he had pulled ahead of Gu Jinshui, Song Jianshe was riding high. He even signaled to his wife, Lin Lianhua, to take out the bag of White Rabbit candies they had just bought, open it, and share them around.

"Don't put it like that. How could Gu Jinshui and I even be compared?"

Inside, Gu Jinshui laughed.

He lifted the curtain and stood on the threshold. "Song Jianshe, what's that supposed to mean? I'm not even worthy of comparison now?"

A flicker of guilt crossed Song Jianshe's face when Gu Jinshui appeared. Then he reminded himself that he had earned his money through his own ability, without stealing or robbing anyone. Gu Jinshui had simply been too slow to act. That wasn't Song Jianshe's fault. He soon answered with an air of righteous innocence, "Jinshui, that's not what I meant. Don't read into it."

"Oh, so making a little money has changed your tone."

Gu Jinshui folded his arms. "Song Jianshe, take my advice and don't get too pleased with yourself. You might come crashing down and have no one to cry to."

Song Jianshe's expression shifted.

He was angry, but Gu Jinshui had a reputation as a tough, and Song Jianshe didn't dare fight him. Instead, he said, "There's no need for that. You see me making money and get jealous, so you say things like this."

"Me, jealous?" Gu Jinshui laughed and nodded. "Fine. I tried to warn you out of kindness, and that's how you take it. Pretend I never said a word."

With that, he turned to go back inside.

But a group of people suddenly entered the courtyard.

At their head was an older man dressed respectably. His hair was graying, but he was still vigorous. He strode in with a commanding air.

"Director, what brings you here?"

While everyone else was wondering who the newcomer was, Song Jianshe recognized him and hurried forward.

Director Chen was also taken aback to see so many people in the rear courtyard. But he quickly turned to Song Jianshe. "Song Jianshe, I need to speak with you. Let's go inside!"

"Dad, why spare him the embarrassment? Let's settle this right here. Song Jianshe, what did you sell my dad—"