"It was inside the pocket of my jacket, Iâve been wearing it since I got on the train. No one knew it was there. Dan Dan, how did the money disappear?"
"Youâve been wearing it? Didnât you take it off when we got off?"
Liang Weixiang thought back to when she was changing clothes at the train station and someone bumped into her. Suddenly realizing, she slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "Dan Dan, someone stole my money. Quick, letâs get off. Letâs hurry to the train station." She shouted to the driver in front, "Comrade, stop the car. We need to get off. Comrade, stop the car."
"Comrade, we can only stop at the station. Please sit down quickly."
"By the time we get to the station, the money will be gone. Hurry, stop the car."
Liang Weixiang kept shouting for the driver to stop, not understanding. Zhang Dandan was so embarrassed she could have died.
When they finally reached the next stop, they quickly got off the car.
"Mom, the money was lost at the train station. Itâs no use going back. Who knows where that person has gone now. I told you at the time to endure a bit, but you wouldnât listen. Now, itâs all gone. You brought only fifty yuan, when did it become so much?"
"Canât a mom have some secret money? Your dad doesnât even know about this money. What if we canât find it back? Iâve been saving for years. I saw that personâs face, letâs go back and see, maybe weâll run into them."
"Mom, just let it go. Anyway, Auntâs family is wealthy. You can stay at her place without worrying about food and drink. Maybe sheâll even give you money. Itâs just right that it got lost. Last time I came, just said everything was lost, and in the end, the clothes they gave me were my cousinâs, all brand new and very pretty. Not only did they prepare clothes for me, but gave me money. Mom, when you get there, just play the poor card." Zhang Dandan advised with experience.
Of course, Liang Weixiang knew what to do, but she couldnât just lose all her hard-earned money, right?
In the end, Liang Weixiang still dragged Zhang Dandan to the train station. They wandered around the station for more than an hour but didnât see the person who bumped into her.
In the past few days, the snow hadnât melted yet, and the cold wind was howling. The two of them froze at the train station for more than an hour.
By the time they arrived at Liang Hongmeiâs house, their hands and arms were almost numb.
Liang Hongmei had been paying special attention to visitors these few days. Whenever someone knocked, she would peek through the crack in the door first.
Seeing it was Liang Weixiang and her daughter, she quickly ran to her daughterâs house in the backyard to call Qin Xiu.
Then she slowly came back to open the door for them.
"Why so slow? Iâm freezing to death." Was the first thing Liang Weixiang said to Liang Hongmei.
Liang Hongmei didnât respond to her complaint, instead, she asked, "Hey, why are you here?"
"Why canât I come? Dan Dan said your restaurant is big and must need a lot of people. Hiring others is still hiring, why not use your own people. Letting outsiders make all that money for nothing. So, I came with Dan Dan." As she spoke, Liang Weixiang looked around the yard.
Just as her daughter said, Liang Hongmeiâs yard was even bigger than that of their village secretary. This house was impressive, with a very high threshold.
No wonder her daughter said this place was good.
Zhang Dandan awkwardly smiled at Liang Hongmei, "Aunt, I told my mom not to come, but she insisted. I couldnât help it."
"Didnât I tell you all, we donât need people at the shop now, didnât let you come. Coming here is a wasted trip."
"What, how could it be a wasted trip. How could you not need people, arenât there many people in the shop? Just dismiss one or two, wouldnât that work? Itâs a lot per month, just given to others for nothing. Why not give it to me? I do work just as well as them back home."
"Sister Wei Xiang, our shopâs staff are all long-timers, theyâve worked diligently for many years, well-skilled, nothing wrong with their work, why should I dismiss them?" Liang Weihong spoke coldly, not inviting them inside.
Liang Weixiang, freezing with chattering lips, just wanted to warm up by the fire, impatiently waving her hand, "Letâs not talk about this first, let us in to warm up. We lost our money on the way and searched for more than an hour at the train station, wearing too little, Iâm freezing to death."
"Truly like mother, like daughter," Liang Hongmei gave Zhang Dandan a meaningful look but still let them in. Liang Weixiang had never seen such good furniture in her life. Not even the principalâs home of their town school had furniture like this.
She thought to herself how Liang Hongmei knew how to enjoy life.
With the coal-burning stove in the living room, the house was warm, and Liang Weixiang and her daughter gradually warmed up, starting to feel lively.
They got up wanting to go inside Liang Hongmeiâs room.
"What are you doing?" Liang Hongmei couldnât stand how Liang Weixiang acted like she owned the place.
"Why so loud, I just want to see your place." Liang Weixiang looked at Liang Hongmeiâs brand new jacket and said, "Hongmei, I didnât know it would be this cold here when I came. Didnât bring any thick clothes, find me a couple of pieces of your clothes. Let me wear them first."
"They wonât fit, youâre too fat."
Liang Weixiang frowned, looking at Liang Hongmei, who was still so slender in her forties, feeling a surge of jealousy.
"Winter coats are bulky, and Iâm not much fatter than you. Look, I even fit into Dan Danâs clothes."
When she raised her arms to show Liang Hongmei, the seams under her armpits were already ripped open, and the fabric was stretched.
Zhang Dandan saw her clothes torn and got anxious immediately, "Mom, I told you not to wear them, you insisted. Really, take it off now. Aunt, please find my mom some clothes. Sheâs not fit for mine."
Liang Hongmei frowned and said, "Your mom isnât any better fit for mine. My jacketâs not even as loose as yours... Oh, wait, I have two pieces. You wait here."
Saying this, Liang Hongmei went inside to bring out two worn-looking jackets, "These I made my first year here. Besides some worn edges, everything else is good. Theyâre really warm."
"Hongmei, Iâm still your cousin, right? Itâs just a couple of jackets, you live in such a big house, why are you so stingy. Now that you have some spare money, you look down on us old relatives, donât you."
"Cousin, arenât you describing yourself? All these years, havenât you been looking down on us? Every time you return to your motherâs house, you never rest without throwing a few insults my way. When my parents passed, we didnât have money for the funeral. When I dragged myself through the rain to borrow money from you, what did you say? Even if I had to beg, I should keep away from your doorstep. Now you come to our house asking for this and that, what is all this? Slapping your own face, are you?"
"Hongmei, that was just a joke back then, you took it to heart. Besides, weâre not here to beg. These clothes are nice, Iâll wear them for now." Mention of old matters made Liang Weixiang feel a bit embarrassed. She just arrived and couldnât afford to anger Liang Hongmei over two jackets.
With the clothes in hand, Zhang Dandan quickly urged Liang Weixiang to change her clothes.
"Where are Ah Hui and Xiao Wan? Why havenât we seen them?"
"Ah Hui went to work, Xiao Wan is at her place." Liang Hongmei glanced at the clock and said, "You havenât eaten, right? Iâll make something for you to eat first, then Dan Dan, you take your mom to your place. I still have to go to the shop this afternoon."
With Liang Hongmeiâs words, Zhang Dandanâs face flushed, and she mumbled, "Okay, Aunt."
"Iâll sleep in the same room with Dan Dan, right? Thatâs fine, whereâs the room, Iâll put my luggage there first." Liang Weixiang assumed it was her daughterâs room.
Liang Hongmei frowned and looked at Zhang Dandan confused.
Zhang Dandan smiled sheepishly, "Mom, itâs not here. Aunt, you go cook, Iâll explain to mom."
Liang Hongmei didnât bother with the mother and daughter, quickly preparing them a meal, wanting to send them off as soon as possible.
Lin Wan worried her mom couldnât handle Liang Weixiangâs mother and daughter alone, so she brought Han Yi over to have a look.
Anyhow, theyâve been dining at momâs for dinner every day, never cooking themselves.
Just as Lin Wan came in, Liang Weixiang was curiously surveying the things in the house.
"This furniture is truly beautiful." Unlike before, when at their old home, with heavy rain outside, it would rain inside too. Even among the worst in the village, they were not the last, then second last.
Unbelievably, in the blink of an eye, transformed into a nouveau riche, wealthier than her own family.
The sudden contrast made it hard for Liang Weixiang to reconcile, deep down, Liang Hongmei was still that woman who wore patches, had dark skin, coarse hands, and was dirt poor.