Chapter 487: Partners in Crime
Su Li had no idea what Wu Sheng was up to, though Little Tang Mo knew some of it.
Little Tang Mo and Wu Sheng had grown increasingly close. The boy had always been clever, and now that he was getting older, it was natural for Wu Sheng to begin teaching him what needed to be taught.
Su Li had her own lessons, and Wu Sheng had his.
Little Tang Mo dreamed every day of growing up fast, of becoming strong enough to protect his mother. Wu Sheng was happy to see this, so of course, he taught the boy everything he could.
Wu Sheng had trained countless people over the years. Teaching a single Little Tang Mo was child’s play for him.
Once Little Tang Mo was on winter break, Su Li sometimes had internships and was too busy to watch him. Whenever Wu Sheng was free, he would take care of Little Tang Mo.
Some of the things Wu Sheng did later, he didn’t hide from Little Tang Mo. In fact, he would deliberately explain the reasons, the process, and the expected results.
When Little Tang Mo heard that these people had spoken ill of Su Li, he listened with rapt attention.
Sometimes... he even pitched in with ideas of his own.
Wu Sheng was more than happy to entertain Little Tang Mo’s suggestions.
Unbeknownst to Su Li, Wu Sheng’s cultivation—or rather, mentorship—of Little Tang Mo had already quietly begun.
When it came to Su Li, Wu Sheng and Little Tang Mo were mostly competitors for her attention. But away from her, the big one and the little one were quick to become partners in crime...
Er... that is, they could quickly form an alliance.
After finally making Li Kai Xuan swallow a bitter pill and ensuring he wouldn’t have a happy New Year, Su Li and Little Tang Mo began their own preparations for the holiday.
Just like last year, Wu Sheng had to work over the holiday. He was leaving for a closed-door selection and training session, so once again, he wouldn’t be able to spend the New Year at home.
The Devil’s Training Camp was holding its selections early. This would be Wu Sheng’s final year in charge; it was also time for him to hand over the reins.
Wu Sheng had perfected the system, and it was time to pass it on to others. He had more important matters to attend to.
With Wu Sheng away, Wu Qihua and Su Li celebrated a lively New Year together, just as they had the year before.
For the New Year holiday, the factory and shops all closed their doors. The factory workers went on break, and after the Little New Year, Li Hongqin and Yin Cuihua also returned to their hometowns to celebrate.
These days, Li Hongqin and Yin Cuihua spent most of their time in the Imperial City. The rest was spent either on the road or back in their hometown.
Back in their hometown, the children’s clothing and school uniform business had completely taken over the market. Bolstered by advertising from Youpin Jun, business was booming.
Because business was so good, the factory had nearly doubled in size, and they had hired twice as many workers. Most new hires were locals from the county, which went a long way toward solving the area’s employment issues.
In an era when many enterprises were laying off workers, the factory’s sudden rise was a source of great inspiration.
The effect wasn’t obvious at first, but as time went on, the factory’s presence began to stimulate the entire county’s economy, in ways big and small.
The factory hired local people, who then had jobs and steady wages. Their lives improved, and their spending, in turn, boosted other local businesses like transportation, hotels, and restaurants.
Before anyone had really noticed, the county had quietly surpassed its neighbors in terms of development. Previously, Fengcheng County had been one of the more underdeveloped areas.
Ordinary citizens might not have had time to notice these changes, but the county leaders saw everything. And because it was such a good enterprise, they gave it their full support.
Li Hongqin, a woman from a rural village, and Yin Cuihua, who had started as an ordinary factory worker, had transformed into some of the most well-known figures in the county.
They had become successful, and even their old acquaintances from the village were proud. While Li Hongqin’s life was going smoothly, things weren’t quite as wonderful for Yin Cuihua.
At first, when she proved herself capable and started earning good money, her mother-in-law began to sing her praises, and her husband’s attitude grew gentler. But as time went on, as she became more and more successful—to the point of moving to the Imperial City to advance her career—things began to change.
Yin Cuihua had come to the Imperial City completely focused on her career. Though her aura grew more refined, and she became more stylish, beautiful, and youthful-looking as she learned to dress well and care for herself, she never forgot she was a married woman. She was completely devoted to her husband and never had any improper thoughts.
But the long separation, coupled with the fact that her husband hadn’t grown along with her, slowly created a rift between them.
Her mother-in-law, too, increasingly felt that they were losing their grip on this daughter-in-law.
Yin Cuihua hadn’t had a change of heart. She still wanted to build a life with her husband, and she did her best for him every time she went back. The growing lack of common ground between them, however, was a real problem.
No matter how hard she tried to ignore it, the inevitable problems still surfaced.
Yin Cuihua’s husband was an honest man—or to put it less kindly, he was timid and lacked ambition. Faced with his increasingly successful wife, he began to feel inadequate.
Many men have a chauvinistic streak. When they see themselves as inferior to their wives, their mindset can become twisted.
Yin Cuihua had gone home for the New Year full of excitement, laden with gifts, but by the fifth day of the festival, she was already on her way back to the Imperial City, her son in tow and her spirits crushed.
This meant she had left right after the third day of the New Year celebrations.
When Yin Cuihua appeared at Su Li’s doorstep, her face was so haggard that no amount of makeup could have concealed it.
"Sister Cuihua, hurry and come in."
The moment Su Li saw her, she knew something was wrong and quickly ushered her inside.
Su Li had sensed for a while that there were problems between Yin Cuihua and her husband. But Yin Cuihua was a proud woman; as long as she didn’t bring it up herself, there was nothing Su Li or anyone else could say.
"Su Li." The moment she was inside, an exhausted Yin Cuihua threw her arms around Su Li.
This woman, who more and more resembled a powerful career woman, finally revealed her soft, vulnerable side.
"It’s good you’re back. It’s okay."
Su Li hugged Yin Cuihua back and gestured for Little Tang Mo to take Yin Cuihua’s son to play.
The sensible Little Tang Mo, who knew the boy well, took him off to play.
Once the two children were out of sight, the tears Yin Cuihua had been holding back for so long finally burst forth.
After she had cried her heart out and vented her frustrations, Su Li shooed her off to take a bath.
By the time she came to her senses, she was already lying in Su Li’s soft, spacious bed. Her own son had fallen asleep beside Little Tang Mo.
In the quiet of the night, Su Li’s company finally helped Yin Cuihua calm down.
"Su Li..."
"Mm-hm," Su Li answered softly, rolling over to pat Yin Cuihua’s arm. "I’m here."
"I find myself thinking about when we first started making school uniforms. It was so tough, but we were so full of energy."
"Yeah, those were good times," Su Li agreed.
"Things were supposed to keep getting better. We used to be so poor we’d try to stretch every penny. We’re not poor anymore, so why have things turned out like this...?"
Yin Cuihua was completely bewildered. "My mother-in-law uses the money I earn to show off everywhere, but then she turns around and complains about me..."
"And him... How could he treat me like that...?"
There were things between a husband and wife that she couldn’t bring herself to tell Su Li, but the pain was unbearable.
She told Su Li bits and pieces—how her mother-in-law made barbed comments at the dinner table, how her husband would say ambiguous things to their son.
These incidents weren’t major, but they weren’t minor either. In the past, Yin Cuihua would have just endured it and moved on. But she had endured and endured, and now she couldn’t take it anymore.
Su Li patiently patted Yin Cuihua’s arm, offering comfort without a hint of impatience.
The trivialities of married life: speaking them aloud sounds melodramatic, but swallowing them is like a thorn in your throat.
She understood Yin Cuihua’s suffering.
While Yin Cuihua was recuperating at Su Li’s home, someone else at the Fengcheng County train station was boarding a train. Their destination: the Imperial City.
It was none other than Qin Shanshan and Su Dan.