Chapter 6: One Thousand Yuan Qian Qing, like a little rabbit, pressed her ear against the wall separating the two households. Next door, Wang Hua, seeing Wan Zhenzhen motionless and unable to leave the leader standing outside unattended, had no choice but to open the door himself. Yet, a hint of regret began creeping into his heart. When he first started dating Wan Zhenzhen, he thought she was quite pretty. Throughout all his years at school, no girl had ever shown him affection, so suddenly being pursued by a delicate young woman made him feel rather proud. However, once both families began discussing marriage arrangements, his feelings changed. First, Wan Zhenzhen's family demanded two hundred yuan as bride price. They had initially promised that this money would be brought back by Wan Zhenzhen herself. Yet, during yesterday's wedding ceremony, his mother never saw a single cent of it. When questioned, Wan Zhenzhen's mother acted as if everything were perfectly reasonable, insisting that bride prices were meant solely for the bride's family and there was no logic in bringing such money to the husband's home.

That was precisely why his mother had angrily left halfway through the banquet. Today too, early in the morning, his mother had summoned him just to scold him. If Wan Zhenzhen had been more sensible, she should have accompanied him. After all, now that she had married into the family, what harm could his mother possibly do, no matter how angry she was? Instead, Wan Zhenzhen had slept soundly, not even mentioning fetching her mother-in-law back. When he returned home in the afternoon, the kitchen remained cold and untouched. He waited for a long time before finally seeing Wan Zhenzhen come back from outside. Even then, she appeared utterly distracted. Wang Hua felt a faint sense of regret. If only he had listened to his mother and married someone from within the compound, someone whose background was well-known, none of these troublesome issues would have arisen. Once the door opened, Li Hongmei entered the room.

She served a cup of hot tea. Wang Hua's tone became somewhat eager: "Director Li, is there something you need?"

Li Hongmei took a deep breath and answered indirectly: "Have you been in contact recently with your cousin, Wang Youqing?"

Wang Hua was somewhat confused but answered honestly: "Ever since my father passed away, our two families haven't interacted much."

"So, you're unaware of the rumors circulating about the H Province oilfield?"

Wang Hua grew even more bewildered: "What rumors?"

Seeing that Wang Hua wasn't pretending, Li Hongmei stopped beating around the bush and recounted everything Wan Zhenzhen had done, step by step. As Wang Hua listened, his face grew increasingly pale. By the end, he was nearly fainting from anger. No wonder! No wonder she had seemed dazed ever since returning home, even adding too much salt while cooking. It turned out she had done something shameful!

"Director Li, I swear to you, I truly had no idea she did such a thing!"

He had actually thought Wan Zhenzhen looked clever, but she turned out to be incredibly foolish!

What possessed her to go digging up gossip? And even if gossiping, why spread outright lies? Was she trying to ruin her own reputation within the compound? The angrier Wang Hua became, the faster he stormed into the inner room, dragging out Wan Zhenzhen who had hidden there.

"Tell me! Was it you?"

At this moment, Wan Zhenzhen had already shed a basinful of tears. She put on an utterly pitiful expression, attempting to evoke Wang Hua's sympathy.

"Wang Hua, please listen to me. I just… sob… I just didn't think it through…"

Wang Hua, frustrated beyond measure, snapped: "If you didn't think it through, then what use is your mouth? Why spread rumors?"

Seeing Wang Hua's explosive demeanor, Li Hongmei followed him into the inner room.

"Don't hit anyone. Both of you come out first. Let's clarify this matter properly."

Wan Zhenzhen hung her head, following Wang Hua out. She stood beside the table, nervously twisting the hem of her clothes, saying nothing. Li Hongmei frowned and asked her: "Comrade Wan, the matter has been thoroughly investigated. Have we wrongly accused you?"

Pressured by Wang Hua's intense gaze, Wan Zhenzhen dared not show even a trace of dissatisfaction: "N-no, not at all."

"Then explain to me your motive for spreading such nonsense?"

Li Hongmei had already heard from her husband that someone would be promoted to vice-captain of the maintenance team by the end of this year. On her way here, she had repeatedly pondered the situation. Initially, she suspected Wang Hua, unwilling to be overshadowed by Zhou Hao, had instructed his wife to cause trouble. But judging by Wang Hua's reaction, he clearly hadn't known beforehand. This left her completely puzzled.After much thought, the only explanation seemed to be some personal grievance between Wan Zhenzhen and Qian Qing. But even so, no matter how deep the rift, one should never use work-related matters as a pretext. Fortunately, Qian Qing came directly to her; if Qian Qing had been the type to make a scene, how could these rumors ever be clarified? People might say nothing happened in the neighboring oilfield, yet others would assume you were merely covering up for former leaders.

Wan Zhenzhen's head spun with confusion, and her hatred toward Qian Qing grew even stronger. Alongside this, she felt utterly bitter. Having been reborn, she had believed herself ahead of everyone else, looking down on all around her. Yet here she was, only on the second day after her wedding, already bullied by Qian Qing. Beside her, Wang Hua's eyes filled with disappointment, shock, and regret.

At this moment, Wan Zhenzhen realized she must take full responsibility herself; she could not let even a hint of blame fall on Wang Hua, or else… She shivered involuntarily and spoke hesitantly: "It was just some unpleasantness between me and Qian Qing when we became neighbors, so I only meant to scare her a little… Director Li, considering this is my first offense, could you please let it go? I've just gotten married and didn't realize the seriousness of my actions. I beg you…"

Director Li snorted coldly, immediately stripping away any dignity Wan Zhenzhen had hoped to retain.

"Comrade Wan, regardless of whether you understand the gravity of the situation, you should never joke about matters involving life and death. Especially given that your father-in-law, Wang Hongxing, sacrificed his life during the construction of this oilfield. When others say such things, it shows disregard for the greater good; but when you say them, do you feel no shame? Have you not considered Wang Hua's feelings? Even if there are misunderstandings between you and Comrade Qian, you must not bring such emotions into your work at the oilfield. Everyone here possesses a red heart; not a single person wishes for accidents! We struggle on the front lines to deliver energy and build our nation! Just moments ago, I thought that after receiving this lesson, you might reflect upon your mistakes. But hearing you repeatedly claim ignorance of the seriousness proves this goes far beyond mere unawareness!"

Lowering her head under Li Hongmei's words, Wan Zhenzhen's tears fell heavily onto the floor. What did Li Hongmei truly know? She could only spout such lofty, hollow platitudes! She wasn't like Wan Zhenzhen; how could she possibly understand what life was like in either her natal home or her marital family? Yes, she had acted impulsively, but who could ever comprehend her predicament? If she didn't seize this opportunity to secure her first sum of money, how could she ever establish herself within this household?

"Fortunately, Comrade Qian came directly to me this time, preventing these rumors from spreading and causing major misunderstandings. However, your behavior is extremely serious in nature. I will document this incident in the Women's Federation's official records."

Ultimately, Wan Zhenzhen was not an employee of the oilfield, merely a family member. Li Hongmei couldn't impose any formal punishment on her, nor did she have the authority to demand even a written self-criticism. However, recording the incident in the Women's Federation files meant that whenever the oilfield recruited new workers in the future, these records would certainly be checked. Based solely on this incident, Wan Zhenzhen would likely never obtain an official position within the oilfield throughout her entire life. Both Wang Hua and Wan Zhenzhen immediately grasped Director Li's underlying message. Wang Hua's face turned ashen, while Wan Zhenzhen felt fear mixed with indifference. What was an official position anyway? In a few years, everyone would be fixated solely on money; who would care about such a worthless job? Wang Hua, however, thought differently. His monthly salary was over forty yuan, and his mother received a fifteen-yuan allowance each month.

This amount might suffice for three adults, but what if they had children? He had originally planned to ask his mother to approach the leadership soon; as the child of a martyr, the factory treated him favorably, and arranging a job for Wan Zhenzhen shouldn't have been difficult. Yet before anything even began, Wan Zhenzhen had ruined it all through her own actions! After finishing her remarks, Li Hongmei recalled Qian Qing's comments about Wan Zhenzhen complaining about her mother-in-law, so she added a few more words of admonition to the couple. Wang Hua's expression had become utterly unreadable. Wan Zhenzhen was truly something—only on her second day in the household, she had managed to drag these family matters before the Women's Federation. She had committed every possible blunder, large and small, effectively buying one disaster and getting another free. Once Li Hongmei left, Wang Hua closed the door and stood motionless at the entrance.With no outsiders around, Wan Zhenzhen's tears began to flow again.

In her previous life, she had cried often; merely lamenting her unfortunate fate could keep her sobbing endlessly. Especially when causing a scene at her daughter's workplace to demand money, she could cry until her voice choked, evoking sympathy from anyone. She had brought this skill into her current life. As she wept, she silently cursed Qian Qing and Li Hongmei in her heart.

"Wang Hua… please don't be like this. It was just a momentary lapse on my part. I only thought that since you and Zhou Hao are on the same maintenance team, and he's about to be promoted to deputy captain, I wanted to help you out. You're the child of a martyr; your background is far superior to his. Why shouldn't you be sent on this business trip instead? I was momentarily bewitched and tried to sabotage Zhou Hao…"

Seeing Wang Hua's expression soften slightly, Wan Zhenzhen continued, "I truly did this for your own good, Wang Hua. I couldn't stand seeing Zhou Hao constantly overshadowing you. Plus, Qian Qing kept boasting to me about how much the factory values Zhou Hao, which is why he was chosen for the trip. That's why I acted this way…"

What followed was a long, rambling litany of complaints and accusations. Qian Qing, leaning against the adjoining wall, listened intermittently, gaining an even deeper understanding of Wan Zhenzhen's utter lack of principles. Jealousy is contagious; Wan Zhenzhen was already twisted, and encountering Wang Hua, whose resolve wasn't particularly firm, only made things worse. Qian Qing realized that not only must she remain vigilant against Wan Zhenzhen, but Zhou Hao would also need to watch out for Wang Hua.

Suddenly, a knock came at the door. Qian Qing immediately stopped eavesdropping and hurried to open it. Li Hongmei stood there with a warm smile.

"I only remembered when I reached downstairs, Comrade Qian, that there shouldn't be any problem with your popsicle stall. Just come find me tomorrow to get the key."

If anyone had suffered losses in this incident, it was undoubtedly Qian Qing. First, she had been thoroughly intimidated by her neighbor, forced to endure anxiety while pretending not to obstruct her husband's business trip. Not to mention that with Zhou Hao leaving, they wouldn't even be able to visit her parents' home tomorrow as custom dictated. Anyway, since that room would otherwise sit empty, she certainly had the authority to make this decision. Li Hongmei had her own sense of justice; her husband was the maintenance team captain, who had already shown great appreciation for Zhou Hao. Furthermore, Zhou Hao's wife demonstrated such remarkable understanding. She definitely needed to discuss this thoroughly with her husband upon returning home. Once Zhou Hao came back, she would arrange a week's leave for him to properly compensate his new young bride. Qian Qing was overjoyed: "Thank you so much! I'm just wondering how the rent should be calculated?"

Li Hongmei waved her hand dismissively: "What rent? The space is just sitting there unused anyway. I'll simply inform the factory."

"That won't do at all," Qian Qing insisted.

"Everything must be calculated properly; we can't let the factory suffer any loss. How about I pay you a full year's rent tomorrow?"

Qian Qing wasn't someone with money to burn; rather, she worried that occupying this spot without proper payment might invite gossip. Moreover, it was already August; popsicles could probably only be sold for another month at most. Did she really intend to leave such a prime location idle afterward? Right outside the elementary school gate—what kind of money-making venture couldn't thrive there? Upon hearing this, Li Hongmei admired her even more. She cast a subtle glance toward the neighboring apartment and shook her head inwardly. Even the same rice nourishes a hundred different kinds of people. Though they were neighbors, how could their moral standards differ so drastically between heaven and earth? Having secured her little stall, Qian Qing felt extremely cheerful. The atmosphere next door, however, was far from pleasant. Wang Hua, listening to Li Hongmei's warm inquiries and care directed toward Qian Qing, felt jealousy surge within him, impossible to conceal.

Why?! His father had died serving the factory, yet Zhou Hao surpassed him in every aspect: assigned better housing, married the most beautiful wife, and now his new bride had earned diametrically opposite evaluations from the leadership. Wan Zhenzhen cowered aside, daring not to speak, watching the shifting expressions on Wang Hua's face.

Finally, Wang Hua merely snarled at her viciously, "Mind your own business! If you cause any more trouble, pack up and return to your maiden home!"

With that, he stormed into the inner room, slamming the door so hard it echoed thunderously. The corridor-style building offered no sound insulation; immediately, an elderly woman downstairs shouted angrily, "Can't you be a little gentler with your hands and feet?!"

Wan Zhenzhen bit her lower lip. Tomorrow was supposed to be the day she returned to her maiden home. She had planned to get the money today, buy even more gifts tomorrow, and make a grand return that would utterly overshadow Qian Qing. But given the current situation, Wang Hua probably wouldn't even want to accompany her tomorrow, let alone carry any fine gifts to save face. Thinking about returning home tomorrow, knowing her eldest sister would surely be there too, ready to mock her openly and subtly, Wan Zhenzhen nearly bit through her lower lip until it bled. Qian Qing, on the other hand, remained perfectly calm. Since one couldn't return to the maiden home alone, and her stubborn old father placed great importance on such formalities, she might as well not go at all tomorrow. She could simply send someone with a message instead.

Suddenly, Qian Qing felt as if struck by lightning. One thousand yuan!