DLRC – Chapter 17 Time to Find a Place to Live

She shrugged innocently. “It’s true I didn’t get any breakup money. The leftover money from before was all taken by you, and now I don’t even have a cent on me.”

Judging from Yu Bing’s tone, this wasn’t the first time he had come asking her for money. Who knew how many hundreds he had already taken in the past—it wasn’t surprising it was all gone.

Clearly, Yu Bing didn’t believe her. As soon as she finished speaking, he moved in to search her pockets. Yu Wei dodged him quickly, flinging the washbasin aside and avoiding him with a swift motion. Her anger surged instantly.

“I said I don’t have any, and I don’t! What’s wrong with you, don’t you understand human language?” Fortunately, the money she earned this afternoon hadn’t been withdrawn yet—if it had been and this useless brother of hers managed to grab it, she might have really lost it all!

Yu Bing hadn’t expected that his second sister—who had always been timid and meek after giving birth—would dare yell at him in such a tone. He stood there, stunned. Little Yu Hui clutched a small basin and quietly inched behind his mother, his wide, doe-like eyes fixed unwaveringly on Yu Bing’s every move.

There weren’t many people in the courtyard right now. Aside from two curious children peeking over at the commotion, everyone else was out chatting in the alley. No one inside the house bothered to come out to intervene in whatever was going on between Yu Wei and her brother.

Seeing Yu Bing frown, about to say something, Yu Wei cut him off coldly, “Actually, I think what you said earlier made a lot of sense. I do look pretty decent. I should spruce up and find myself a rich man.”

Yu Bing, still immersed in disbelief, was momentarily taken aback. Somehow, what she said… made a bit of sense?

“So yeah, I really don’t have any money. And even if I did, I’d need it to doll myself up. Makes it easier to snag a rich guy, right?”

With that, Yu Wei shot him a sideways glance and strode off, her steps wide and quick as if she were afraid her clueless brother might chase after her. Little Yu Hui had to break into a jog with his stubby legs just to keep up.

Staring at her disappearing figure around the corner of the courtyard, Yu Bing suddenly came to his senses: Wait a minute! He had come to ask for money—how did he end up letting Yu Wei just walk away without getting a cent?

Damn it!

Yu Wei still couldn’t convince herself to bathe in such an exposed public bathhouse. After quickly washing Yu Hui, she practically bolted, dragging him home. By the time they returned, Yuan Guifang and Jiang Min were also back and sitting at the table, sighing.

When mother and son approached, the two women looked at Yu Wei but said nothing. No scolding, no accusations—nothing happened. The calm was eerie, almost frightening.

“Second sister-in-law’s really good-looking. Tomorrow I’ll ask Yu Yi to keep an eye out at the factory—maybe there’s a supervisor who might take a liking to her,” Jiang Min said, trying to comfort Yuan Guifang.

She had always presented herself as composed and considerate in front of her mother-in-law—a dutiful daughter-in-law. Though she sometimes vented to her close friends in private, she knew the difference between what should and shouldn’t be said.

And honestly, a face like Yu Wei’s really was a shame to waste. If she didn’t go out and reel in a “golden bachelor,” that would be such a waste!

But even with such a pretty face, she just wouldn’t take care of herself. Now that she had that little brat Yu Hui, her “market value” had taken a nosedive. Otherwise, she could’ve been in high demand.

Yuan Guifang sighed. “Alright, you and Yu Yi keep looking. Who knows, maybe someone out there will take a liking to her.”

She and Jiang Min had just gone out to meet Luo Dongshen. And that meeting… had completely dashed her last shred of hope.

That man seemed to be doing just fine with his new girlfriend. The girl looked just as good as Yu Wei, maybe even better—and, more importantly, came from a respectable family. Unlike her own daughter, who had a strange temper and lacked self-discipline. Anyone with eyes could see who was the better choice.

On the way back, she had been planning how to scold her disappointing daughter. If Yu Wei hadn’t lost her temper and mouthed off at Luo Dongshen last time, they might’ve already gotten their marriage certificate by now.

But when she saw her daughter return home, holding Yu Hui’s little hand, with that serene, gentle smile on her face… Yuan Guifang suddenly didn’t feel like scolding anymore. She didn’t even want to open her mouth.

She was exhausted—physically and mentally. She didn’t want to bother with this disappointing daughter for one more day.

As for Yu Bing, who didn’t get any money, he had already gone back out before Yu Wei returned. Who knew what he was up to with no money in his pocket. Later, while Yu Wei was lying down in the room playing with Yu Hui, she finally heard the shouting outside.

“You bastard, you actually gave money to Yu Bing? You and I work our butts off to earn that money! I even have to budget my grocery shopping down to the last cent, and you go and give it to him? Don’t you know what he’ll use it for? He’s going out to party! He’s going to waste it!”

Jiang Min was furious. Yuan Guifang had gone to the bathroom to take a shower, which was the only reason Jiang Min dared to vent her anger at Yu Yi so openly and criticize Yu Bing so loudly at home.

Because the most spoiled person in the house was none other than Yuan Guifang’s youngest son—Yu Bing!

Although Yu Dachao was the father, he never concerned himself with the family’s affairs. Forget about these bigger issues—he wouldn’t even pick up a tipped-over oil bottle. Every day after work, he would come home, sit under the eaves to smoke, and when he got bored, he would head out to chat with the neighbors. Whether there was a quarrel going on at home, or his wife was scolding their two sons, he acted as if he couldn’t hear a thing.

That man really lived a carefree life.

Of course, Yu Yi didn’t want to be scolded by his wife, but Yu Bing had a clingy personality and was relentless. Most of Yu Yi’s money was controlled by Jiang Min, but he still had some for cigarettes and liquor.

That afternoon, when Yu Bing couldn’t get money from Yu Wei, he came to Yu Yi instead. Yu Yi thought that his younger brother hadn’t really asked much from him before. Now that Yu Bing had just started dating someone—rumored to be the daughter of a factory leader—Yu Yi didn’t think too much of it. He handed over some money and let him go.

“Not much money? Hah! Twenty yuan is half your monthly salary, and you just gave it to him like that?”

“Well done! Aren’t you generous? Tomorrow I’ll go buy myself a twenty-yuan outfit!”

“What are you talking about? You’re in the factory all year round—what new clothes do you need?” Yu Yi snapped impatiently at his wife.

It was just some money—not like he was giving it to him every day. Why make such a big fuss? The argument was giving him a pounding headache.

“Yu Bing can get twenty yuan to go have fun, and why can’t I spend twenty yuan on clothes? Yu Yi! Let me tell you, I’m not just buying clothes for twenty yuan—I’m going to buy something that costs forty!”

“Can’t you stop being so unreasonable?”

“How am I being unreasonable? I work hard every single day for this family, and then I come home only to get upset by you!”

“Well, I work all day too and I’m tired when I come back!”

“You’re tired? If you’re so tired, why did you give him the money then?”

The couple continued arguing over money. Meanwhile, Yu Wei covered Yu Hui’s ears and lay on the bed with him, their eyes wide open, staring at each other. When the noise outside finally died down, she knew that Yuan Guifang had returned.

“It’s kind of boring. Want me to tell you a story?”

The summer room was stuffy and hot. Most people sat out in the alley after dinner to catch the breeze that flowed through the courtyard. Yu Wei didn’t know anyone there and didn’t want to join in the lively chatter. She wasn’t fond of socializing with strangers.

It was hot in the room, but at least it was peaceful.

Yu Hui gazed into Yu Wei’s eyes, joy bubbling in his pupils. He loved being held and spoken to by his mother. Her voice was so gentle.

He nodded, and Yu Wei smiled, parting her lips to tell him the story of the Three Little Pigs building their houses.

When the story ended, the little one still wanted more. His eyes were wide with curiosity, and his rosy little mouth opened and closed as he spoke in a soft, sticky voice.

“Big bad wolf,” he said.

Yu Wei laughed. Finally, the little guy was willing to talk. She replied, “Yes, the big bad wolf. In the story, the big bad wolf wants to eat the little pigs.”

“Little pig,” he said again, full of curiosity.

“Next time, if we get the chance, Mommy will take you to see real little pigs.”

As for the big bad wolf… Were there even zoos around these days? If there were, she’d take little Hui Hui to see one when they had the money.

Finally satisfied, the little one drifted off to sleep with a sweet smile on his face.

Yu Wei hadn’t slept well the night before. In the middle of the night, the door suddenly banged open, and a drunken Yu Bing barged into the room and slammed the door shut behind him.

The loud noise woke the mother and son from their sleep. And just when they thought it was over, that wretched brat flopped onto the bed and started snoring loudly—so loudly that Yu Wei couldn’t sleep at all afterward.

The sound was deafening—like an earthquake, like a pile driver hammering into the ground, or the staccato drilling of a power tool.

Yu Bing was sleeping like a log, but the noise had completely robbed the mother and child of any sleep. The two of them lay side by side in the dark, eyes wide open, staring into the void for a long time until Yu Wei finally couldn’t stand it anymore and kicked the culprit awake.

Yu Bing smacked his lips a few times, grunted, and then quieted down. But it wasn’t even a few minutes before the snoring—like that of a dead pig—started up again next door.

Yu Wei spent the entire night enduring this hellish environment. She had no idea whether the little one eventually fell asleep, but as for her, sleep was out of the question.

Finally, as dawn began to break and Yu Wei was just starting to drift off, a rustling sound woke her up again.

Someone was rummaging through the wardrobe beside her. She forced her tired eyes open and turned her head—it was Yu Bing. What was he looking for?!

That wardrobe was shared by her and Yu Hui. It was small and barely held anything, just a pile of ragged old clothes and miscellaneous odds and ends. And now this guy, instead of sleeping or even washing up, was digging through her personal belongings first thing in the morning?

Yu Wei felt like her brain was about to explode. She held her tongue, curious to see what he was after. But the answer soon became obvious—he was looking for money!

“Damn it! Don’t tell me she already spent it all!”

Yu Bing rifled through the wardrobe for a good ten-plus minutes, back and forth, over and over, but couldn’t find a single cent. In the end, he cursed under his breath, walked over to the corner, peed into the chamber pot, and finally left the room.

The wooden door slammed shut behind him with a loud bang, startling Yu Hui awake from his sleep.

His mind was still groggy. He had gone to sleep late the night before and was now woken up way too early. His small eyes were misty with tears, looking pitiful and confused.

Yu Wei was fuming. The more unbearable the environment, the more determined she was to make some money and move out—and not just anywhere, but somewhere with privacy, not like this old courtyard where opening a window meant staring right into the neighbor’s house.

Go! She was going to find a place to rent right now. If she had enough money, she’d move out today!

This maddening environment would absolutely drive her crazy within three days if she stayed!

“Mommy.”

Yu Wei was slipping on her shoes when she heard his voice and turned back. “What is it?”

She was already standing, tying her hair, getting ready to head out. Yu Hui quickly slid off the little bed and clung to the hem of her clothes, his big watery eyes looking up at her.

Yu Wei’s heart finally softened a little at the sight of her adorable son. She shook off her earlier irritation and regained her motivation to earn money.

“Come on, sweetheart, let’s go find a place to live!”

She took Yu Hui with her to wash her face. The toothbrush she had just bought yesterday. Yu Hui didn’t know how to brush his teeth yet, but she planned to get him one after they moved.

Just as they were about to step out the door, Yu Wei suddenly remembered—if she wanted to be a streamer, her appearance couldn’t be too sloppy. Yesterday, someone had even commented on her looks.

But she didn’t have the money for makeup—she didn’t even own a cheap lipstick. So she turned back into the room and opened the wardrobe to find something decent to wear.

Since Yu Bing had rummaged through things earlier, many of the nicely folded clothes were now wrinkled. They weren’t worth much to begin with, but the sight of the mess irritated Yu Wei all over again.

She forced herself to stay calm and finally found a red-and-white plaid dress at the very bottom of the wardrobe. It had a bit of a retro vibe, which, in her eyes as someone from the modern era, actually looked pretty good. This would do.

Yu Wei told Yu Hui to stand guard by the door and let her know if anyone came in. Then she changed clothes and took him out of the courtyard.

Neither of them had eaten. Everyone else in the house who had jobs had already left for work. Yuan Guifang was sitting at the door knitting, along with a few of her old lady friends. The breeze at the alley entrance was cool and pleasant, and the sun hadn’t yet reached there—it was a cozy little scene.

Ever since Yu Wei had gotten together with Factory Director Luo six months ago, the man had given their family some money. Yuan Guifang had become a lot more confident on her grocery runs.

In the past, she’d pinch every penny, hesitating for weeks before buying a little meat. Later, they’d eat two or three meat dishes a week—it was pretty great.

But now, things had changed. Luo Dongshen had dumped Yu Wei, and the cash cow was gone. It was like being thrown back to square one. Yuan Guifang had lost all her neighborhood clout. The women who used to flatter her were now just watching the drama unfold. She was lucky they didn’t come just to gawk.

When she saw Yu Wei walking out all dressed up, she cursed to herself: Stupid girl. You never dressed up before, and now that Director Luo’s dumped you, you’re dressing like this—who are you trying to impress?!

She cursed silently but couldn’t hold back her curiosity and called out, “Where are you dragging Dabao off to again, all dressed up like that? Who are you trying to show off for?”

She said it loud and clear, giving Yu Wei no face. The surrounding neighbors all looked at her with strange expressions. Yu Wei frowned.