Chapter 27

"We'll handle the handover. When the time comes, I won't accept a penny less than six hundred yuan," Deng Lan said with a strained smile and a nod.

Her feelings were tangled. She was happy, but also a little lost.

"Of course. Should we meet at the factory then, or here at your house?"

Liang Ying's smile grew brighter.

"Come to my house," Deng Lan said. "Your relative can use a sewing machine, right?"

"She can. She just has some trouble with her legs." Liang Ying didn't hide it. There was no hiding something like that, so she might as well say it outright.

As expected, Deng Lan didn't mind. "Trouble with her legs isn't a problem. If sewing doesn't work out, she can trim loose threads or do packaging."

So it really wasn't a major obstacle.

Liang Ying breathed a sigh of relief. The deal was all but settled.

Once they left the courtyard, Liang Ying insisted on treating Deng Mei to a bowl of dumplings. She paid for it herself and bought four steamed buns for Deng Mei to take home.

Deng Mei was almost overwhelmed.

"How can I accept this? All I did was say a few words, and you've treated me to dumplings and bought me buns. I'd feel terrible taking them."

"Please take them, Sister. Honestly, you have no idea how much you've helped me. You heard what I said at your sister's house just now." Liang Ying sighed and frowned. "That girl has a disability, and the man she was set to marry in the countryside is awful. They aren't even married yet, and he treats her like a workhorse. If this job had fallen through, who knows what would have happened to her? Now she can work and stay in the city. It'll be easier for her to find a decent husband, too."

"So that's what this is about. I was wondering what family would spend so much money buying a job for a girl."

Deng Mei couldn't help sighing. "People say you're a bad person, but I think that's nonsense. You care so much about your relative's child. You've got a better heart than any of them."

"We're all women, and we have children. I'm just putting myself in her shoes."

Liang Ying kept her expression steady. "Speaking of the factory, who's been talking about me now?"

"Who else but Lin Lianhua and Bai Xiaoyan? Don't worry. I'll set them straight," Sister Deng said, patting her chest.

Liang Ying smiled. "Then let me thank you in advance. You've always been fair-minded, Sister Deng. No wonder they promoted you to team leader. By the way, your workshop still hasn't chosen a group leader?"

"Not yet. It's a headache. They're all difficult. No matter who we pick, someone will object, and hardly any of them work hard."

Just talking about it gave Sister Deng a headache.

Third Workshop was nothing like Liang Ying's workshop. Most of the women in Liang Ying's workshop were young, proud, and hardworking. Their production figures looked excellent every quarter, with everyone working flat out.

Sister Deng's workshop was full of women in their forties and fifties. At that age, they had little interest in winning honors. They brought personal sewing to work and used every spare moment to make clothes for their grandchildren. They were no good at the factory work, but they were experts at claiming credit. Now two women were fighting over the vacant group leader position and gathering supporters.

Even with ten pairs of hands, Sister Deng couldn't have managed that lot.

"You could consider transferring someone from another group," Liang Ying said with a smile. "The factory hasn't said you can't."

Then she glanced at her watch. "Oh, look at the time! I have to get home before my daughter starts missing me. See you tomorrow, Sister Deng."

Sister Deng answered without thinking and watched Liang Ying hurry off. Then an idea struck her.

Of course.

Find someone from outside the group. That way, she wouldn't offend either side!

Remembering Liang Ying's words, Sister Deng smiled thoughtfully.

Liang Ying certainly knew how to think ahead.

But that was a good thing. She might be just the person to handle those troublemakers!

The Thirty-First Day of Being Overheard

Liang Ying's heart was still pounding on her way home after she'd blurted that out.

She hadn't meant to be so impulsive. Leading a group in Third Workshop would be no easy task. Those women were older and had years of seniority. Whenever they caused trouble, even the factory director and the others got headaches.

But Liang Ying didn't want to stay in her own workshop. Leaving aside Lin Lianhua's impending promotion to their group leader, Liang Ying needed a transfer for the sake of her future. Until her family's name was cleared, none of the honors won by her workshop would ever come her way.

After all, there were plenty of people who worked as hard as she did and had clean backgrounds.

Third Workshop was different. Its performance had always been poor, and the leadership was at a loss. If she could take on that burden, she might have a chance to move up.

People said you had to endure the bitterest hardships to get ahead.

Liang Ying wasn't afraid of hard work. She was afraid of having no future.

"You're back." He Chunlian and the others had already eaten. Gu Jinshui hurried over when he saw his wife. "Have you eaten?"

"I ate while I was out."

Liang Ying nodded. "The job's settled. We'll take her to the factory the morning after tomorrow. They said her legs won't be a problem."

"That's good."

He Chunlian poured Liang Ying a cup of chrysanthemum tea she had brewed. "You two are doing a good deed. Jinshui, make sure you see it through for her."

"I will. Don't worry, Mom."

Gu Jinshui agreed at once.

Deep down, the old lady was quite superstitious. She hadn't dared talk like that before, but as she gradually relaxed, her true nature was coming back.

He Chunlian shot him a look, then went into the room and returned with several tickets. "Here. Our school has a performance next Saturday. Do your best to swap shifts. You must come and support us."

"Of course, of course."

Liang Ying smiled. "We're in for a treat."

Gu Yinxing took two tickets. He Chunlian glanced at her, tempted to ask whether the second one was for Zhao Donglai. But her daughter had such a fiery temper that too many questions would only set her off, so He Chunlian held her tongue.

Early the next morning.

Gu Jinshui headed straight for Beizang Village.

He and Director Chen had settled their deal the day before: the Snuff Bottle in exchange for the Jade Cicada. But Gu Jinshui had insisted that the trade would only go through once Da Ya's situation was settled.

Director Chen hadn't refused. He'd even thought Gu Jinshui was a considerate man and agreed.

"Guan Henian, get out here! Our families agreed to this marriage. What gives you the right to call it off?"

When Gu Jinshui reached the Guan family's gate, he found a crowd gathered outside.

He squeezed through and saw an old woman in rough homespun clothes hurling abuse.

The Guan family's gate was shut tight.

Behind the old woman stood what was probably her family: a couple in their fifties and several younger men.

This had to be the Bai family who had arranged the marriage with the Guans.

"That's right, Da Ya, come out. Whatever's wrong, we can talk it through."

A man dressed fairly well, though his face was pitted and as rough as sandstone, pounded on the gate. "You called off the marriage without a word. What am I supposed to do now?"

"What are you supposed to do?"

The gate creaked open.

Elder Guan pulled it open and spat. "When your Bai family worked our Da Ya to the bone, did you ever think about that? You treated her like she wasn't human. I figured you didn't want her as a bride, so we called it off, just as you wanted. You can find a better match for your boy. What are you here making a fuss for?"

The villagers watching began to murmur.

"He's right. Ever since Da Ya got engaged to them, they've worked her like an ox. She helped harvest several acres of their rice last autumn."

"And that's not all. When Bai Laoda got married at the start of the year, Da Ya went over to help. She ran around doing everything and didn't even get a bowl of food. She had to go home to eat. Elder Guan cursed about it for three days."

They all lived in the same village. Everyone knew how the Bai family treated Guan Daya.

The countryside might still favor sons over daughters, but most people wouldn't treat a daughter-in-law like that, much less one who hadn't even married into the family yet.

The Bai family looked embarrassed as they listened to the villagers' complaints.

Old Madam Bai immediately started making a scene. "What family doesn't put a new wife to work? She's lame, too. She should be grateful my grandson is willing to marry her. Without him, who'd want her?"

"Bullshit!" Elder Guan was furious, the veins in his neck bulging. "My granddaughter would rather stay single for life than marry that good-for-nothing grandson of yours who beats women!"

"What? Bai Laosan beats women?"

The crowd was even more shocked.

An older woman couldn't help cursing. "How cruel can he be? Hasn't Da Ya been good enough to him? She even made him a whole set of clothes!"

"Grandpa, I... I lost my temper that once."

Bai Laosan was humiliated. But without Guan Daya, he'd have to pay bride money to find a wife, so he forced himself to speak gently. In his mind, once he married her, he'd beat her until she learned her place. How dare she tell her grandfather about it? Clearly, he hadn't hit her hard enough before. "I promise I'll never hit her again. Grandpa, people say it's better to tear down ten temples than break up one marriage. Besides, if Da Ya doesn't have me, what will she do after you two are gone?"

At that, the murmuring around them quieted.

Guan Daya had only the two elders and no other relatives in the village. If she couldn't find someone to marry, her future really would be a worry.

"Elder Guan!"

Just then, Gu Jinshui pushed through the crowd, beaming. "Elder Guan, Da Ya's job is settled!"

Elder Guan had been seething, but his expression eased when he saw Gu Jinshui. "You got it done?"

"I sure did." Gu Jinshui deliberately raised his voice. "Da Ya's so good with her hands that the supervisor took one look at her work and said she had to come work there. They're ready to talk wages!"

What?

A job?

The Bai family froze.

Bai Laosan's heart sank. He had a bad feeling about this.

"Guan Henian, what job? You're saying Da Ya can work in the city? Stop bragging. Who'd hire someone with a bad leg?"

Old Madam Bai curled her lip in contempt.

Elder Guan gave a cold laugh. "That just shows how little you know. Da Ya only has trouble walking. Plenty of people like her work in the city. She'll have a secure job from now on. And you think your grandson is good enough for her?"

Old Madam Bai flew into a rage.

She was about to spit out something nastier when the village chief arrived.

After hearing what had happened, the village chief, who knew a bit more about such matters than most, nodded. "City factories have always had some positions set aside for people with disabilities. They earn wages like anyone else. It's good that Da Ya has this opportunity."

Everyone was astonished. Those who had been enjoying the spectacle were now envious, while some of the older villagers were happy for Da Ya.

"If Da Ya can work in the city, that's wonderful. She won't have to worry anymore."

The Bai family looked as though they'd swallowed flies.

The village chief fixed his gaze on them. "Your family had better stop causing trouble. Marriage is supposed to bring two families together. After the way you treated Da Ya, you can't blame the Guans for calling it off. Keep this up, and you'll regret it."

His warning was unmistakable.

Gu Jinshui stepped forward. "Village Chief, you see the situation clearly. Some things can be forced, but you can't force someone into a marriage they don't want."

Without drawing attention, he offered the village chief a cigarette.

The village chief glanced at it. Seeing that it was a Zhonghua, he slipped it into his pocket. "Exactly. All right, everyone, move along. I won't stand for any more trouble!"

With the village chief's warning, the Bai family didn't dare keep harassing them. Still, they were clearly reluctant to let the matter go as they left.

Elder Guan invited the village chief inside.

Auntie Guan hurried out to pour water and make tea, but the village chief waved her off. "I could put a stop to things today, but the Bai family probably won't give up. You need to be prepared."

"We understand," Elder Guan said with a nod.

Gu Jinshui pressed the rest of the pack of cigarettes into the village chief's hand. "Sorry to put you to more trouble. You're the village chief. We can run ourselves ragged, but one word from you carries more weight than all our efforts."

The village chief was pleased by the flattery, though the pack of Huazi Cigarettes pleased him even more.

A pack of Zhonghua cost over a yuan. How much did the village chief make in a year? He could hardly bear to buy them himself.

"I'll help where I can. After all, they're always saying these days that marriage should be free—"