B5SB -Chapter 129 Borrowing Money

Gu Yihan pushed her bicycle, her eyes fixed on Maomao ahead, wiggling his chubby little bottom.

This guy really lived well at the military dog base.

Xiao Wu stood not far from the textile factory’s entrance. Seeing Gu Yihan come out, he waved one hand while pushing his bicycle with the other, calling out loudly: “Sister-in-law, over here!”

It was rush hour, and several female workers had gathered at the factory gate. Hearing the shout, they all turned their attention to Xiao Wu.

Seeing him in a military uniform, their eyes lit up. Many of the workers who had daughters immediately started scheming.

Gu Yihan gave the women around her an embarrassed smile and quickly ran toward Xiao Wu.

One of the workshop women whispered, “Do you think that soldier has a girlfriend? I must ask Comrade Gu tomorrow.”

Another woman sneered, “Liu Fang, your daughter with that big face isn’t a match for him anyway.”

Liu Fang’s expression immediately darkened. She shot back sarcastically: “Still better than your daughter, Li Shufen! At her age, she already looks like a little temptress.”

Li Shufen, hearing her daughter’s reputation insulted, shouted angrily: “I’ll tear that mouth of yours to shreds!”

Hearing the commotion at the factory gate, Gu Yihan quickened her pace. She urged Xiao Wu, “Hurry, Xiao Wu, let’s go!”

Xiao Wu, puzzled, lifted Maomao and placed him into the large basket specially made on the back of the bicycle.

As they pedaled off, Gu Yihan glared at Xiao Wu.

“You’ve gotten me into so much trouble. Tomorrow, a lot of people will surely ask me if you’re married.”

Xiao Wu saw her expression and chuckled. “Why not just say I have a girlfriend? That would solve it, right?”

Gu Yihan rolled her eyes, speechless. “I was ruined by you calling me ‘sister-in-law.’”

“Not many at the factory know I’m a military wife. They’d jump at the chance to marry their daughters off to a soldier if I helped set them up. That would be so annoying.”

Seeing Gu Yihan’s cheeks puff up with frustration, Xiao Wu didn’t understand what she was afraid of.

He thought of what he wanted to say next, his ears turning red. In a small voice, he asked: “Sister-in-law, what do you think of me?”

Gu Yihan was taken aback. She looked him up and down, confused: “What do you mean, and how does that concern me?”

Xiao Wu: “……”

Of course, it concerns her—he wanted Gu Yihan to introduce him to Li Yajing.

After thinking it over, Xiao Wu, who had liked a girl for the first time in twenty-five years, decided to take a gamble.

Without beating around the bush, he asked directly: “Sister-in-law, how about introducing me to Li Yajing?”

Gu Yihan froze for a moment upon hearing him.

“Do you like Li Yajing?” she asked casually.

Xiao Wu’s eyes blazed as he nodded vigorously, almost forgetting he was riding a bicycle.

Seeing the bicycle veering, Gu Yihan hurriedly warned: “Don’t look at me! Watch the road!”

Gu Yihan felt conflicted. As the saying goes, “Better not be a matchmaker for three generations.” She really shouldn’t act as a go-between—but Xiao Wu had helped her many times, so outright refusal felt awkward.

In the end, she chose a careful approach: “Xiao Wu, I can only ask Li Yajing about it for you. Whether you meet or not, that’s up to her.”

Satisfied, Xiao Wu brightened. As long as Li Yajing agreed to see him, there was hope, wasn’t there?

“Great! Sister-in-law, go ahead and ask Comrade Li. I’ll wait for your good news!”

Gu Yihan paused. “Good news? Is he trying to trap me?”

Elsewhere, Qiao Shuhui deliberately wore thin clothes, shivering as she stood at the entrance of the machinery factory’s clinic.

When Shen Yujie heard from the nurse that Qiao Shuhui had arrived, he put down what he was carrying and rushed to the door.

Seeing her trembling, he felt a pang of concern, quickly reaching out to take her hand. His touch was cold.

“Why are you wearing so little?” he asked worriedly.

Qiao Shuhui pulled her hands back, covering her face as tears slipped through her fingers.

Shen Yujie, unsure what to do, gently put his arm around her shoulder and cautiously asked, “Do you have some difficulty or problem?”

Her eyes red and swollen, Qiao Shuhui stammered, “Brother Yujie, can you lend me some money?”

Without a word, Shen Yujie took out the money he had just received that day and stuffed it all into her hands.

“Take this for now. If it’s not enough, I’ll figure something out. It’s getting colder; you need to dress warmly.”

Grasping the money tightly, Qiao Shuhui looked troubled. “Brother Yujie, you’re so good to me… won’t Sister Shanyue misunderstand?”

Thinking of the fierce woman at home, Shen Yujie snorted: “I have nothing to do with her.”

Seeing Qiao Shuhui shiver, he anxiously said: “Go home first, and I’ll find some cotton to make you something warmer when I have time.”

Qiao Shuhui was touched, tears in her eyes, choking out: “Brother Yujie, thank you. You’re the only one who’s ever really good to me.”

On her way home, she counted the money—48 yuan—and tucked it into her pocket.

She had been terrified of poverty in her past life, with all her earnings taken by her parents for her younger brother.

That’s why she knew the value of money from a young age—and why she was reluctant to let go of Shen Yujie.

At 9 p.m., Shen Yujie dragged his tired body home. Working at the machinery factory clinic was even more exhausting than at the military hospital.

Entering the dark living room, he fumbled to turn on the light—only to be startled by Yu Shanyue sitting on the sofa.

“Are you crazy? Sitting in the dark like this without turning on the light?” he snapped.

Unbothered by his attitude, Yu Shanyue held out her hand: “Your wages?”

Having already had a tiring day, Shen Yujie shouted angrily: “So late, and you’re asking for money?”

Yu Shanyue rolled her eyes, expressionless: “If you don’t give me the money, are we supposed to survive on air this month?”

Shen Yujie waved her off, annoyed: “I don’t have it. I lent it to someone else.”

Yu Shanyue’s eyes narrowed. “Who did you lend it to?”

When he stayed silent, she sneered: “I don’t even need to ask. You gave it to that wretched Qiao Shuhui!”

Shen Yujie flew into a rage: “Yu Shanyue, don’t be shameless!”

Yu Shanyue laughed coldly: “You think I’m shameless? Let me show you what ‘shameless’ really is.”

With that, she kicked him in the lower abdomen. As he collapsed onto the sofa, she quickly stepped forward and slapped his face several times: “I told you to be shameless! I told you to lend money! I told you to survive on air!”

Realizing he was being beaten again, Shen Yujie roared: “You shrew! You wild woman!”