Chapter 13: Suspicion
"Why are you so late today? Is everything alright?"
Before Jiang Dahai even stepped into the courtyard, Li Hongying came out to greet him with concern.
Things had been slow at the factory recently, so Jiang Dahai didn’t have to work overtime. He usually clocked out at 6 PM sharp and got home by 6:30.
But today, he wasn’t home until almost 7:30.
"I’m fine. I stopped on the way to buy a pound of braised pork head."
Li Hongying took the meat from him, surprised and delighted. "Is it a special occasion? We’re having pork head when it’s not even a holiday."
"It’s been a while since we had any meat. This is a treat for the kids."
The moment the fragrant braised pork head was placed on the table, Jiang Peng dug in like a ravenous dog and didn’t stop.
Li Hongying and her daughter, Jiang Qing, also ate until their faces were glistening with grease.
In those days, getting to eat a meat dish was more exciting than a holiday.
"Moli, you have some more."
Jiang Dahai barely ate any himself, instead piling food onto Jiang Moli’s plate.
Soon, Jiang Moli’s bowl was heaped like a small mountain.
Li Hongying and Jiang Qing didn’t say anything, but Jiang Peng wasn’t having it. "Dad, why don’t you just give the whole platter to Sis!"
"Just eat your food and shut your trap!"
After scolding his son, he turned to Jiang Moli, his expression immediately softening into a doting father’s smile.
"Go on, eat."
Jiang Dahai’s unusual behavior made Jiang Moli uneasy. "Dad, this isn’t my last meal, is it?"
"Nonsense."
Although he scolded her, his tone was affectionate. "Don’t let your imagination run wild. Hurry up and eat. I have something to ask you after dinner."
Jiang Moli guessed it was probably related to the matter of being sent to the countryside, so she relaxed and started eating.
Li Hongying casually asked, "Didn’t we use up all our meat ration tickets already?"
"I bought it on credit. I’ll pay it back when I get my salary."
’Buying eggs on credit, buying meat on credit... What a life.’
The pork head had been prepared a bit sloppily; many parts still had bristles on them.
In the past, Jiang Moli wouldn’t have given such bristly meat a second glance.
But circumstances were dire. She had been here for two full days and eaten seven meals, and tonight was the first time she’d had meat—and it was bought on credit.
She was in no position to be picky, so she could only use her chopsticks to push aside the bristly parts.
...
After dinner, the father and daughter went out.
Jiang Peng wanted to tag along, but Jiang Dahai shooed him back inside.
Once they were somewhere private, Jiang Dahai finally spoke. "Moli, Mr. Gao said you went to see her, and the matter of being sent to the countryside has been resolved?"
"Yes."
Jiang Dahai was both happy and worried. "How did you resolve it? We can’t do anything illegal, you know."
Jiang Moli told him the truth.
She needed to secure a work position before the registration deadline for the educated youth program.
As for Gao Jing’s side, she would symbolically call Jiang Dahai to the Educated Youth Office for a lecture and criticism. This would placate the gossips and put the matter to rest.
"You gave the job to Mr. Gao on your own. Won’t it be hard to explain things to Miss Lu and the others?"
"Dad, if money can solve it, it’s not a problem."
She would try her best to complete the mission within half a year and get the 100 million bonus.
She would take out ten thousand or so yuan to split between Lu Tingting and the other two, telling them it was the money from selling the job.
"You’re right. As long as you don’t have to go to the countryside, nothing else matters. Worst case, I’ll give them half of my salary from now on."
It was truly something for Jiang Dahai to say that.
After all, the Jiang family was not well-off; they had to buy even a little meat on credit.
For that alone, Jiang Moli decided that before she left, she would leave the father and son one million yuan so they could live a stable and prosperous life.
"For now, don’t tell your Aunt Ying or Xiao Qing about this. Keep it from Xiao Peng, too. Everyone is watching our family. If this gets out, it will just cause more trouble."
Jiang Dahai had specifically taken Jiang Moli outside to talk privately, precisely to prevent eavesdroppers.
Jiang Qing had found a partner, and Jiang Moli was preparing to honor a childhood engagement—he and Li Hongying hadn’t told anyone about either of these things.
Now that they’d been reported, Jiang Dahai secretly suspected the Zhou Family next door.
The two families lived in the same courtyard, and it was inevitable that conversations would be overheard.
After they returned home, Jiang Dahai found his late wife’s pearl earrings and silver pearl necklace and gave them to Jiang Moli.
"I didn’t give these to you before because I was worried your careless self would lose them. Now that you’re grown up and more sensible, I can rest easy."
He was officially passing these things down to Jiang Moli.
This showed just how relieved and happy Jiang Dahai was that Jiang Moli had resolved the issue of being sent to the countryside.
...
That evening, there was an open-air movie showing at the People’s Square. Jiang Peng wanted to go, and since Jiang Moli had nothing better to do, she went along to join the fun.
"Sis, what were you and Dad whispering about outside for so long?"
"Grown-up business. Don’t be so nosy."
Jiang Peng gave a sheepish grin. "Well, you have secrets you don’t tell me, and I’ve hidden some things from you. Doesn’t that make us even?"
A half-smile played on Jiang Moli’s lips. "I have my reasons for not telling you. You hiding things from me means you have a guilty conscience."
Jiang Peng: "..."
After the two siblings left, Jiang Dahai also slung his toolbox over his shoulder and went out.
Besides being a mechanic, he also knew plumbing and electrical work. In his spare time, he would take on odd jobs like repairs to earn extra money for the family.
Once the father and his two children were all out of the house, Li Hongying looked at her daughter, who was sullenly scrubbing laundry, and said comfortingly:
"Don’t be upset. Those jewels were left by Moli’s mother. It’s only right for your Uncle Jiang to give them to Moli."
Jiang Qing’s face twisted into a sneer. "Even if they were Ruan Rou’s belongings, didn’t Jiang Dahai buy them with his money? You’ve been in this family for so many years, working your fingers to the bone serving him and his two children. Has Jiang Dahai ever bought you a single piece of jewelry? In the end, he just doesn’t care about you."
Li Hongying stammered, "Don’t talk about your Uncle Jiang like that. I’m just a housewife. What use would I have for things like that? You can’t eat them or drink them."
Jiang Qing was infuriated by Li Hongying’s weakness and low self-esteem, and didn’t want to say another word.
’Anyway, Jiang Moli’s good days are numbered.’
’Whether it’s jewelry, money, or ration tickets, with Jiang Moli’s stupid brain, she won’t be able to hold onto any of it once she’s sent to the countryside.’
’There’s no reason for me to be jealous.’
That night, Li Hongying suffered a rare bout of insomnia.
She had always considered herself quite fortunate. A village woman with a child in tow, she had managed to marry a capable man like Jiang Dahai, move to the city to eat state-supplied grain, and escape the toil of farming. The women back in her village were green with envy.
But her daughter’s words had left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Besides the jewelry, Jiang Dahai had also kept all of Ruan Rou’s clothes, her personal belongings, the books she had read, and the letters they had exchanged when they were courting.
As a woman herself, how could she not be envious of the love her husband held for his deceased wife?
She had been married to Jiang Dahai for so many years. And while he never let her lack for food or drink, he had never shown her the kind of love a man has for a woman. They were even intimate on the rarest of occasions.
The more she thought about it, the more miserable and wronged she felt, and she couldn’t help but start wiping away tears.
...
After learning about Jiang Moli’s family background and her absolutely rotten reputation, An Hui flew into a rage at her husband:
"Lu the Sixth! Xiao Cheng might have water on the brain, but you just let him do as he pleases! Are you hoping I’ll get angry enough to die so you can bring a younger woman into the house?"
"What are you talking about? Don’t be so quick to yell. I agreed to this marriage for Xiao Cheng’s own good."
"You’re full of it! Getting him a wife with a ruined reputation, making him a target for public scorn—you call that for his own good? I think you just can’t stand to see him happy!"
"Just listen to me first..."
Upstairs, Mr. Liu’s entire family pricked up their ears.