Chapter Fifteen: Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures
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Several thousand miles away, deep in the woods, Song Mingrui lay sprawled on the ground, wolfing down a boiled potato. He was eating with such gusto that Old Shi could only roll his eyes.
“Are you out of your mind? Even according to the plan, it’s only supposed to take a year. What are you in such a hurry for? You’ve made it through all these years already. Just hold on for one more year, and afterward, you can live however you want with your sister-in-law.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. And you actually believed it would take a year? I knew Commissar Qiao was up to no good and would definitely set me up, so when I gave him my report privately last time, I deliberately added to the time. In truth, six months at most should be enough. If we’re lucky, I might even make it home in time to celebrate the New Year with my wife and children!”
Old Shi: “...”
You shameless bastard. You’re the one with an evil mind! So all that sorrow and anguish you showed before was fake, was it?
Perhaps Old Shi’s expression was too shocked, or perhaps Song Mingrui had seen straight through him and somehow guessed his innermost thoughts. He smacked his lips.
“Old Shi, you came to my wedding. You saw Wei Yao back then. She had only been sent to the countryside for a year—a fresh-faced young woman, beautiful as a flower. Every young fellow who saw her went half-mad. If I hadn’t been so handsome, she never would have chosen me. With such a beautiful and capable wife, how could I possibly feel at ease leaving her at home? I only hope we can complete this mission properly and get home to see her as soon as possible.”
Old Shi: “...”
What a shameless braggart, covering his own face with gold. Tch, utterly shameless. Handsome, my foot! You’ve got the face of a mule. Handsome, my ass!
On the other side of the mountain, a band of desperate criminals had abducted several villagers and were huddled in a mountain hollow around a fire. Their wary eyes kept sweeping over the surrounding darkness.
“Boss, it’s been several days, and there hasn’t been the slightest movement outside. Looks like this place is safe.”
The scar-faced man spat on the ground. He did not believe they were safe. In their line of work, there was no such thing as safety.
“Stay alert. Once we get out of these mountains and reach our territory, we’ll have nothing but good days ahead.”
“Boss, Skinny Monkey can’t have died for nothing. He was your own brother. We absolutely can’t let that Captain Song go. That man’s as sly as a fox. Dozens of our brothers have fallen into his hands, and none of them could have ended well. We have to avenge them!”
“Hmph. I’ll fight him to the death for the rest of my life!”
Time passed at an unhurried pace. Wei Yao had made a great deal of dried radish, shredded mustard greens, and pickled vegetables. She packed a container for each of her neighbors on either side, and gave one to everyone at the canteen as well. She even sent two containers to Liu Chunling, the deputy director of the neighborhood office who had helped her before. Connections could come in handy at any time, so they had to be cultivated.
Wei Yao’s preserved vegetables were made with generous ingredients and tasted excellent. Once she handed them out, they received a flood of praise.
After two autumn rains, the weather turned thoroughly cold. Song Yang and Song Hui put on their new clothes, and fearing they might feel chilly, Wei Yao dressed them in undershirts and knitted vests beneath them.
The children had grown sturdy, and their personalities had become much more cheerful. During his months at the nursery, Song Yang had made several good friends. Whenever he brought rice cakes or biscuits from home, he shared them with his friends.
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Wei Yao was filled with satisfaction. Nearly six months old, Song Hui had begun eating rice cereal, and every now and then, when she looked at Wei Yao, she would plaintively call, “Mama, mama, mama.”
The sound melted Wei Yao’s heart.
On her day off, with nothing much to do, Wei Yao took the two children to a photography studio. In those days, a single photograph cost one yuan, but she was willing to spend the money.
Since separating from the family, apart from her regular expenses and the money she had spent buying a house and replacing some furniture, she still had nearly two thousand nine hundred yuan in hand. She had put most of it away, using the rest for household expenses.
Life was comfortable and carefree, and she even had the leisure to enjoy things beyond mere food and warmth.
The mother and children were all dressed neatly. After the makeup artist gave them a simple touch-up, they began lining up for their photographs. Each of the three had an individual portrait, along with one group photo and a photograph of each pair. Only then were they finished. As they were leaving, Wei Yao heard the photographer mutter something about an examination.
While chatting and laughing with the children in her arms, she moved closer to the people who were talking and learned that the photography studio was recruiting apprentices.
Wei Yao’s heart stirred.
In those days, a photographer could earn more than four hundred yuan a month at most, while even an apprentice could make over fifty. If she could get into the photography studio, she would never again have to worry about people commenting whenever she brought out something new. With such a high salary, buying a few unusual and expensive things would hardly be worth making a fuss over.
Photographers were highly sought-after, and those hoping to enter the profession were as numerous as carp crossing a river. She had neither connections nor a powerful background. Forget becoming an apprentice—she was not even qualified to touch a camera.
After paying for the photographs, she led the two children outside, frowning. In her distraction, she accidentally stepped on someone.
“I’m so sorry, miss. Are you all right? I wasn’t paying attention just now. I truly apologize!”
“It’s all right, ma’am, really. You have two children with you, and it’s understandable that you didn’t see where you were going. I’m perfectly fine.”
The young woman smiled sweetly. As Wei Yao looked at her, she felt as though she had seen her somewhere before.
“Jingjing, what’s wrong? It’s our turn to have the wedding photographs taken.”
“Coming, Xudong.”
Fang Jing nodded at Wei Yao before walking inside. Wei Yao, however, stood frozen in place. Wasn’t this the very girl she had seen several months earlier—the one who had driven Song Liping into a complete breakdown?
“Mommy?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Come on, Yangyang. Let’s go home.”
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After placing Song Hui in her little bed, Wei Yao gave Song Yang two biscuits and mixed him a small tin of malted milk powder. She asked him to watch his little sister while she went to the kitchen to cook.
As she closed the cupboard, she suddenly noticed the canned goods and powdered milk inside. Only then did she remember the couple from the transport brigade who had visited when she had first moved. A sudden spark flashed through her mind.
She had said she had no connections, but wasn’t this one? In any case, a leader who cared about an employee’s family might truly be of use. It was worth trying, even if it meant clinging to the last hope.
Once she had made up her mind, she asked Feng Hai for leave the next day.
Carrying a few things, she went to the transport brigade.
Lu Guangyao was in his office writing a report when he heard that Song Mingrui’s wife had come. He immediately told someone to usher her in. After his previous visit to their home, he had personally gone to the cotton mill several times. Only after seeing with his own eyes that Wei Yao and the two children were living well had he finally felt reassured. At least when Song Mingrui returned, Lu Guangyao might suffer one fewer beating.
He was not particularly surprised to see Wei Yao again. She had gained a little weight and her complexion had improved considerably; her whole person radiated vitality.
“Comrade Wei, hello. Come in, sit down. Have some tea, have some tea.”
Wei Yao felt a little embarrassed. The last time he had gone to her home, she had not even let him inside. Now she had come to ask him for a favor, and the situation was truly awkward. For a moment, she nearly lost her nerve.
Lu Guangyao was an astute man. Seeing her hesitate, he guessed that she must have encountered some difficulty.
After some small talk, they finally got to the matter at hand. When he heard that she wanted to learn photography, he pondered for a moment and told her to go home and wait for news.
Wei Yao thanked him repeatedly. Then, imitating what Lu Guangyao and his wife had done, she tossed the gifts onto his office desk before turning and hurrying away.
Lu Guangyao: “...”
Was he really so frightening?
After leaving the transport brigade, she passed the post office in the western district and, by the worst possible luck, ran into Song Liping. Wei Yao spat toward the ground.
What terrible luck.
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