RIRW – Chapter 95

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With a free meal on the table, Zuo Dan was naturally eager. She hurried back to her room, putting on the thick military coat Shen Yiming had brought her, neatly rebraiding her hair until it was smooth and glossy. Grabbing the package for Zuo Xiaozhu, she happily hopped onto the backseat of Shen Yiming’s bicycle, waving to grandmother. “Grandma, we’re heading out! I’ll come back early to keep you company.”

“Have fun, don’t worry about me,” her grandmother replied with a smile, waving back.

As the two of them rode away, Grandma stood at the door, beaming with happiness. “What a lovely couple,” she murmured to herself.

Riding on the bicycle, Zuo Dan swung her legs and hugged Shen Yiming’s waist, grinning. “Shen Yiming, Comrade Yiming?”

“What is it?” Shen Yiming asked.

Zuo Dan coughed lightly. “Comrade Yiming, nosebleeds aren’t a small matter. You should take them seriously. How about we find time to go to the hospital for a checkup?”

“……”

She pinched the flesh on his waist. “Why aren’t you saying anything, you heartless guy? I’m just looking out for you.”

Shen Yiming freed one hand to grab her restless one. “Comrade Zuo Dan, if you keep misbehaving, I’m going to sneak into your room tonight.”

“Go ahead! Just be careful you don’t get another nosebleed, hahaha.” Zuo Dan laughed so hard she nearly fell off the bike.

Shen Yiming was defeated. How had he not realized before that Comrade Zuo Dan was this shameless? She had the nerve to laugh at him over something like this. He sighed. “Comrade Zuo Dan, I think I might be overheated. You should make me some green bean soup to cool down. I love that stuff.”

Hearing him bring up the embarrassing incident again, Zuo Dan immediately became flustered and clawed at him in retaliation.

Since both of them had their fair share of embarrassing moments, they decided to call a truce and moved on.

Zuo Dan brought up the topic of house repairs. “Comrade Shen Yiming, Grandma and I have already figured everything out. She said we just need to inform you, not discuss it with you. In the Shen family, women make the decisions at home.”

“No problem, I agree.” Shen Yiming was quick to respond. “These small matters are up to you. But speaking of big matters, I actually have something serious to discuss with you.”

“What big matter?” Zuo Dan was pleased with his attitude.

“Do you remember Sister Chu from my work unit? She reminded me today that we should get our marriage certificate early so we can start preparing wedding supplies. You know how many things we need for a wedding, and a lot of them require ration coupons to buy. Our wedding shouldn’t be shabby, so I think we should get what’s necessary. Since there’s no one in my family to handle these things, it’ll take time to gather everything. If we get the certificate early, I can ask colleagues who go on business trips to bring back better wedding supplies.”

No wonder he had been so agreeable earlier—this was what he had been leading up to.

Zuo Dan smirked. “Oh, really? I hadn’t thought of all that. When do you think we should get the certificate?”

“There are good dates in March and April. After the new year, I’ll have the elders visit your family for the formal proposal, and then we can get the certificate in March or April. That would be ideal.”

Zuo Dan poked his back. “You want to buy wedding supplies half a year in advance? Shen Yiming, what exactly are we buying that needs so much time? You think I don’t know? The hardest things to get are candy and a wardrobe. As for bedding, you can buy that in any department store. Are you taking advantage of the fact that I’m from the countryside and don’t know these things? Let me tell you, I’ve seen a lot more than you. Your little scheme—I’ve already figured it out.”

Shen Yiming let out a long sigh. “Comrade Zuo Dan, you’re lucky to have found such a smart partner like me. Imagine if you married someone dumber—how would you two even communicate?”

Zuo Dan slid her hand up his back slightly, feeling his body tense up again. She grinned mischievously. “Same to you.”

Chatting all the way, the long ride didn’t feel long at all, and before they knew it, they arrived.

At the entrance of the coal yard, Shen Yiming greeted the gatekeeper and registered his name before leading Zuo Dan inside.

It was, after all, a coal yard. Even in the office area, everything was covered in black dust. The leaves on the trees seemed to have a layer of coal ash on them.

Zuo Dan tugged at Shen Yiming’s sleeve. “Good thing you don’t work here. Otherwise, you’d come home every day with a layer of coal dust on your skin.”

Shen Yiming nodded, keeping his eyes forward as he pushed the bike along. He really didn’t want Zuo Dan to have to come to such a place.

When they reached the office, Zuo Dan saw a row of red brick buildings.

Xu Dapeng, looking clean and well-dressed, was standing there smoking with a younger man. His eyes had been fixed on the entrance, and the moment he saw them, he grinned and waved, running toward them.

“Comrade Zuo Dan! Long time no see!” Xu Dapeng greeted her enthusiastically.

Seeing him, Zuo Dan’s face lit up in surprise. “Comrade Dapeng! Everyone back home still talks about you, especially in this cold weather.”

Xu Dapeng immediately looked heartbroken. “They’re talking about the coal I deliver, aren’t they?”

“How are you so smart?” Zuo Dan replied in mock amazement.

Shen Yiming laughed. “He just knows himself well.”

Zuo Dan immediately covered her mouth and laughed.

Xu Dapeng pouted. “You guys just love bullying an honest person like me. Later, I’ll treat you to black corn buns, let’s see how you handle that.”

“That won’t do! I skipped my grandma’s delicious cooking just to eat this meal of yours.” Zuo Dan disagreed and tugged on Shen Yiming. “Come on, let’s go find Xiaozhu first, give him his package, then we can go eat. We can’t let Comrade Xu Dapeng go back on his word.”

Shen Yiming parked the bike to the side, and the three of them went to the dormitory to find Zuo Xiaozhu.

Zuo Xiaozhu had already eaten in the cafeteria and was chatting with his coworkers in the dorm. When he heard someone calling for him, he quickly ran out. Seeing Shen Yiming and Zuo Dan, he immediately felt the excitement of seeing fellow villagers.

He had been in the provincial capital for quite some time now, and he really missed home. Though life here was better than in the village, he had never traveled so far before and had been away for so long. The homesickness hit hard.

“This is from Uncle Shuisheng. He told you to stop sending money home; they don’t need it. Keep it for yourself. He also said to start saving up to get married.”

Zuo Xiaozhu nodded repeatedly, clutching the package. “How’s my grandpa? Is everyone at home doing well?”

Zuo Dan smiled. “Everyone’s doing great. Uncle Shuisheng is no longer the brigade leader, so now he just wanders around the village. When he has nothing to do, he goes to the commune for fun. He’s living well. He said not to worry about home, just come back for the holidays. Focus on working hard in the city and aim to become a full-time worker.”

Zuo Xiaozhu was touched. “Mhm, I remember. Dandan, be sure to tell my grandpa that I’m doing well in the city. My master values me, and I think I’ll be able to stay here long-term.”

Xu Dapeng chimed in, “Exactly! Xiaozhu has already come to the city; we can’t let him go back. Tell the folks at home not to worry.” Then he turned to Zuo Xiaozhu, “Work hard, and what’s meant to be yours will be yours.”

Hearing Xu Dapeng’s words, Zuo Xiaozhu felt reassured. He had heard that the coal yard recently got job allocation quotas. Since the cadres’ children had all been sent to the countryside, they weren’t allowed to take those spots. This meant apprentices like him might have a chance to become full-time workers—or the company might hire from outside. He had been unsure before, especially since he had no connections here and felt awkward asking Xu Dapeng for help. But now, hearing this, his worries eased.

After Zuo Xiaozhu returned to his dorm, the three of them got ready to go eat.

Xu Dapeng suggested a newly opened lamb soup restaurant, saying that a steaming hot bowl of meat soup was perfect for the cold weather.

Zuo Dan immediately swallowed her saliva. “We’ll need a few crispy flatbreads to go with it.”

“No problem! I’ll also grab some braised pork from another restaurant. You two will eat to your heart’s content today!” Xu Dapeng declared enthusiastically.

Shen Yiming saw how happy Zuo Dan looked and smiled. He knew she wasn’t actually that obsessed with food; she was just showing appreciation for Xu Dapeng’s hospitality.

As they walked toward the coal yard’s gate, they ran into Wei Jingren and Shao Aijun.

Zuo Dan recognized Shao Aijun as the young man who had been smoking with Xu Dapeng earlier.

As soon as Shao Aijun saw Xu Dapeng, he wanted to walk over, but Wei Jingren grabbed his arm, stopping him. The two of them just stood there, watching as Zuo Dan and her group walked past.

Zuo Dan glanced at their direction and noticed that Wei Jingren was staring at Shen Yiming with a deeply sorrowful expression—like a jilted wife who had been abandoned.

Wow. That gave her goosebumps.

She immediately hooked her arm around Shen Yiming’s.

Once they were far enough away, Shao Aijun couldn’t help but complain, “Why didn’t you let me go talk to him? When I asked Xu Dapeng about it today, he didn’t say no. His uncle is the deputy mine director—he could definitely help.”

With the coal yard offering job quotas, so many people had their eyes on those spots.

Wei Jingren bit her lip and lowered her head. “He won’t help me. Forget it. Even without an official position, it’s fine. I’m doing just fine in the cafeteria.”

Shao Aijun frowned. “What’s so great about that? You’re a high school graduate, yet you’re working as a temporary kitchen helper. The pay is low, and it’s not respectable. Wouldn’t it be better to have an office job? Why are you so soft-hearted?”

Wei Jingren stayed silent.

Her silence frustrated Shao Aijun, but he didn’t have the heart to scold her. He felt sorry for her—she had a biased mother and an unreliable stepfather who just leeched off her. If she stayed a temporary worker forever, how would she manage once she got married?

No, he had to find a way to get closer to Xu Dapeng.

Meanwhile, Xu Dapeng and Shen Yiming had already ridden their bicycles away from the coal yard.

Zuo Dan sat comfortably on the back seat of the bike, replaying Wei Jingren’s pitiful expression in her mind. She narrowed her eyes and let out two small hums.

Then she turned to Xu Dapeng. “Xu Dapeng, do you know that Wei Jingren?”

“Huh? You know her too?” Xu Dapeng was surprised, then quickly clarified, “No, no, we’re not close at all! Her boyfriend, Shao Aijun, works in the labor union, so we’ve interacted before. He came to me today asking for help with her permanent employment, but I didn’t agree.”

Zuo Dan responded with a simple “Oh,” not asking further. Instead, she tightened her hold around Shen Yiming’s waist and gave him a small pinch.

Why is he so attractive to people?!

At the lamb soup restaurant, Xu Dapeng got busy. As a coal yard worker, he was familiar with the restaurant owners—they bought coal from the yard, after all.

So, it was easy for him to order a pot of lamb leg soup and another large bowl of lamb offal soup.

While the soup was cooking, he ran off to another restaurant to get braised pork. By the time he returned, the soup was ready.

Zuo Dan didn’t hold back—she grabbed a flatbread in one hand and a spoon in the other, eating and drinking enthusiastically. Just watching her eat was enough to make others feel hungry.

Xu Dapeng also ate heartily, slurping loudly.

Meanwhile, Shen Yiming ate slowly, watching Zuo Dan with a smile. Every time she finished a flatbread, he would grab another for her.

By the time they finished eating, both Zuo Dan and Xu Dapeng were so full they could barely move.

“This is such a decadent life,” Zuo Dan sighed, rubbing her stomach.

Xu Dapeng let out a satisfied burp. “Shen Yiming earns a high salary. Once you two get married, you can eat like this every day.”

Then he turned to Shen Yiming and asked, “Your salary increased, right? How much is it now? Mine’s at forty-two yuan—I think that’s pretty good. Tell me yours so I have a goal to work toward.”

“Eighty-six.”

“…” Xu Dapeng felt utterly crushed. His own salary was already considered high thanks to his uncle’s influence. Comparing himself to Shen Yiming was just depressing.

He looked at Zuo Dan. “Go ahead and eat all you want! You won’t make him poor.”

Zuo Dan firmly shook her head. “Comrade Shen Yiming works hard for his money!” She didn’t want to turn into a big eater.

After dinner, it was getting late. Xu Dapeng was reluctant to part, chatting with them endlessly.

Zuo Dan cheerfully bid him farewell. “Comrade Dapeng, thank you! Comrade Dapeng, take care! Comrade Dapeng, goodbye!”

Then, she sat on the back seat of the bicycle and rode off with Shen Yiming.

Eating well and leaving satisfied—it was the best feeling.

When they got home, Grandma was already asleep, but fortunately, she had left the door open. The two of them carefully entered the house. Zuo Dan quickly went to brush her teeth—after eating lamb soup, she felt like her mouth was full of the taste.

Seeing her brushing her teeth, Shen Yiming also grabbed his toothbrush and joined in. The two of them squatted in the courtyard, brushing their teeth together. Zuo Dan glanced at him and mumbled, “Why are you copying me and brushing your teeth?”

“I want to kiss you later,” Shen Yiming said after rinsing his mouth.

Zuo Dan: “……”

After brushing her teeth, Zuo Dan hurried into the house. But just as she reached the main hall, Shen Yiming pulled her back, set the hot water bucket aside, and wrapped her in his arms, kissing her deeply. Zuo Dan tried to tickle him but was caught by Shen Yiming.

In the dark hall, only the sound of their heavy breathing remained.

After a long while, Shen Yiming finally let her go. Zuo Dan panted, moving her numb lips and tongue.

Shen Yiming was also out of breath. Then, he gently guided the dazed Zuo Dan to her bedroom door, placed the hot water beside her feet, and said, “Get some rest early.” After that, he quickly retreated to his own room.

Zuo Dan looked down at her completely intact clothes and was surprised. This little rascal was actually behaving tonight—he hadn’t even crumpled her clothes. Could it be that last night’s incident had left him with a psychological shadow?

At that thought, she suddenly let out a chuckle.

In the other room, Shen Yiming lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

The Next Morning When Zuo Dan woke up, Shen Yiming was already gone.

During breakfast with Grandma, she finally learned that Shen Yiming had been busy with an event at the military district these past few days.

“He told me to tell you that he’ll finish up his work quickly, and once he’s done, he’ll help you renovate the house. He wants you to just relax and enjoy yourself at home for now,” Grandma said.

Zuo Dan grinned. “He can do his work. I have Grandma with me, and that’s all I need. Grandma, let’s go out again later, okay? I think that fabric we saw yesterday would look great on you. Let’s buy it and have a tailor make you a coat—you can wear it for New Year’s!”

“I’m too old for that. No need to buy it,” Grandma waved her hand.

“No way! Grandma is so beautiful—you have to dress up and look even more amazing!” Zuo Dan insisted, shaking her head.

Grandma immediately burst into laughter, her face glowing with joy.

At the Newspaper Office Shen Yiming was incredibly busy, barely stopping all morning. Chief Editor Wang had assigned him the task of covering the military district event, so he had to gather materials and prepare promotional content.

He hadn’t even had a sip of water until lunchtime.

He figured that once he wrapped up all this work, he would take a proper break and spend time with Zuo Dan—exploring the city and working on the house together. He had brought her here early because he missed her, so he couldn’t just leave her feeling neglected.

Thinking about the upcoming break, Shen Yiming suddenly felt reinvigorated. He picked up his ink pen and continued writing.

Just then, someone called out, “Yiming, someone’s here to see you.”

The office was mostly empty at noon, so the voice of Uncle Zhang, the doorman, was especially clear.

Shen Yiming put down his pen and walked outside.

“It’s that female comrade from last time,” Uncle Zhang said.

Hearing this, Shen Yiming frowned slightly. “Uncle Zhang, tell her I’m not here. I’m swamped with work and don’t have time to step out. Please ask her to leave.”

Uncle Zhang nodded quickly. “Got it, got it, you go ahead and work.”

After all, Yiming was about to get married. It wouldn’t be good for him to interact too much with other female comrades—it was best to avoid any misunderstandings.

Once Shen Yiming returned to his office, Uncle Zhang hurried back to his post. Seeing that Wei Jingren was still waiting at the gate, he said, “Comrade, I didn’t see Yiming. He probably went to the military district—he’s really busy these days, barely even has time to eat.”

The message was clear: He’s busy—if you know what’s good for you, you should leave.

Hearing this, Wei Jingren’s face showed a hint of grievance.

Uncle Zhang didn’t like that one bit. Yiming’s fiancée was such a bright, cheerful girl, full of warmth—how could this woman compare? No wonder Yiming wasn’t interested.

“Comrade, you’d best be on your way,” Uncle Zhang said, growing impatient.

Wei Jingren bit her lip and glanced inside the office, but when she didn’t see Shen Yiming, she had no choice but to leave.

Back at Home Zuo Dan was helping Grandma water the plants when they heard a knock on the front door.

She quickly went to open the door. But when she saw who was standing outside, the smile on her face faded into something insincere.

“Oh, Comrade Wei Jingren, what brings you here?”

“Dandan, who is it?” Grandma asked.

“It’s Comrade Wei Jingren, Grandma. I’ll step outside to talk with her.” She made sure to close the courtyard door behind her—there was no way she’d let this woman step into the Shen family’s house and upset Yiming’s mother.

Outside the gate, Zuo Dan dropped all pretense of politeness, her face turning cold. “What do you want? Just say whatever you came to say.”

Wei Jingren looked at her and said, “I went to see Yiming today, but he was too busy to meet me. I actually wanted to explain things to him about the past.”

Zuo Dan folded her arms. “Go on.” She had nothing better to do anyway—listening to someone spin a tale could be entertaining.

“I never meant any harm to Yiming. I’ve known for a long time that I had a younger brother out there, and I always thought about him. When Grandpa Shen passed away, I actually met Yiming back then. I just wanted to get closer to him.”

Zuo Dan rubbed her arms as if she’d gotten goosebumps. “And so you took his job?”

“…I really didn’t do it on purpose. At the time, all I knew was that my mother wanted me to stay in the city. I thought she had found me a job—I had no idea she sent Yiming to the countryside and made me take his place. I actually tried to find a way for Yiming to return to the city, but my mother was very stubborn.”

Wei Jingren finished speaking and looked at Zuo Dan, who remained expressionless. “You know, my name is connected to Yiming’s. Yi Ming Jing Ren—his name means ‘a startling success,’ and mine is a homophone for ‘startling.’ I’ve always felt closer to him than to Xiaojun and Xiaohong. I could never hurt him. Comrade Zuo Dan, could you help me explain this to him?”

Zuo Dan rubbed her eyes dramatically. “Wow, I’m really moved after hearing your story. I don’t think I’ve ever heard such an emotionally touching fabrication before.”

“I’m not making it up! Everything I said is true!” Wei Jingren protested, her expression desperate.

Zuo Dan sneered. “Do you think I’m stupid or just gullible? That job was originally Shen Yiming’s. If you really cared about him, why didn’t you just give it back?”

Wei Jingren panicked. “I—I didn’t want to be sent to the countryside. I even planned to have a fake marriage with Yiming so I could give him the job. That way, we both could stay in the city.”

Zuo Dan chuckled. Now, this is getting interesting.

“Ohhh, so after the fake marriage, you were hoping it would turn real, huh? Comrade Wei Jingren, I’m not an idiot. I can see right through you. First, you took his job. Then, you planned to trick Yiming into marrying you. That way, you’d get to stay in the city and end up with him. Talk about wanting everything for yourself.”

Wei Jingren’s face turned even paler. “That’s not true!”

Zuo Dan sighed. “Alright, you might not be tired from all that talking, but I sure am from listening. If you’re done, go ahead and leave. I need to go back inside and spend time with Grandma.” She didn’t wait for a response and turned to open the door.

Just as she was about to step in, she turned back with a smirk. “Oh, and you should probably change your name. Otherwise, I might just find an opportunity to have a nice chat with your fiancé about your hidden intentions. I don’t plan on fighting with Shen Yiming over this, but who knows if your fiancé is as smart?”

With that, she beamed at her and went inside.

Wei Jingren stood frozen outside the Shen family’s gate, her face drained of color. She never expected Shen Yiming’s fiancée to be like this… No, she wasn’t like that at all! She really did care about Yiming as a younger brother. Ever since she first met him as a child, she had always wanted to treat him well…

That afternoon, Shen Yiming pedaled his bicycle home as fast as he could after work. Thinking about the people waiting for him at home, he put extra strength into his legs.

He rushed into the house, but to his confusion, Zuo Dan acted as if she didn’t even see him. She busied herself helping Grandma, moving in and out of the house, completely ignoring him.

Shen Yiming raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

Grandma leaned in and whispered, “The eldest daughter of the Wei family came by this afternoon. Dandan talked to her for a bit.”

Shen Yiming’s brows knitted together slightly.

After dinner, Grandma retired to her room to rest.

As soon as she left, Zuo Dan also headed toward her room. But just as she stepped inside, Shen Yiming followed right in behind her.

Zuo Dan curled her lips, plopped onto the bed, and waved him over. “Xiao Shen, come here, let’s have a chat.”

Shen Yiming could tell right away that she wasn’t actually upset—she was just messing with him. Smiling, he walked over. “Xiao Zuo, go ahead, I’m listening.”

Zuo Dan said, “I’m going to tell you something. Listen carefully, and then tell me what you think.”

Shen Yiming nodded seriously, his expression attentive.

So, Zuo Dan relayed the entire story about Wei Jingren, making it as vivid and detailed as possible. By the time she finished, her mouth was dry. Shen Yiming immediately handed her a cup of water.

After taking a sip, Zuo Dan asked, “Xiao Shen, what’s your take on this?”

Shen Yiming’s face was full of sincerity. “I really overlooked this issue—I need to correct it. First thing tomorrow, I’ll make her change her name. That way, she won’t be able to use it to annoy you anymore.”

Zuo Dan was very satisfied with his response. She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek.

Names weren’t usually a big deal, but using them to provoke someone was another story. And trying to mess with her and Shen Yiming’s relationship? Dream on. Their bond was like that of comrades in arms—unbreakable. Unless Shen Yiming himself betrayed her, no external force would ever be able to infiltrate their ranks.