Hechengming helped move the items inside and arranged them properly. Seeing that it was getting late, Sutan let him head home.
Before leaving, Hechengming asked, "Do you need any more help tomorrow?"
Sutan thought for a moment. "I'll let you know when I need you. You’ve already gone to so much trouble for me these past two days. Once I’m settled in, I’ll invite you over for a meal!"
As she spoke, a very important matter crossed her mind.
"Actually, I wanted to ask you something."
"Go ahead."
"I heard from someone recently that the Air Force Song and Dance Troupe is recruiting."
"You want to sign up?" Hechengming’s eyebrows arched in surprise.
Sutan nodded. "Even though I was released without charges, I still have that stain on my record. With that kind of reputation, it’s practically impossible to find any work."
"The military is different from other places. For one, it’s a place that builds character. Secondly, if I can get in, I’ll have a stable future; even when I’m too old to keep working, I’ll surely be able to find a better job than I could now."
"But you..." Hechengming frowned. "Being a female soldier in the Song and Dance Troupe isn't easy. Hard work and resilience are the primary requirements, and you need to have talent, too."
"I know." Sutan understood his concerns, but she offered no explanation. No amount of words would be as convincing as results.
Seeing that she wasn't joking, and remembering that Sutan used to be quite good at singing and dancing back in school, Hechengming said, "Registration starts next month. I’ll look into the details for you."
"Good, then I won’t stand on ceremony with you. I already owe you too many favors, a few more won't make a difference!"
Sutan’s refreshing, straightforward manner was exactly the same as it had been years ago. Hechengming’s thick eyebrows lifted slightly, and the corner of his mouth curved upward.
The house lacked a wardrobe, bedside tables, bowls, chopsticks, and a stove—it was missing quite a lot. For several days straight, Sutan was never idle; she spent every day scouring the markets.
After a few days of running around, the empty house finally began to look like a home. She hung curtains on the windows she had scrubbed until they sparkled, and a thick curtain was hung over the door.
Sutan added a large, pear-wood-colored, three-door wardrobe and a vanity with a mirror. In the outer living room, she placed a set of four sofas and added two chairs. The stove she bought was much larger than the one in Zhou Jianfeng’s house, with space for pots on both sides. For convenience, she also bought a large wooden tub.
Sutan carried the tub, intending to place it in the west room. When she pushed the door open, she saw the floor was paved with neat, flat bricks. She thought she had seen it wrong and rubbed her eyes, then ran to the east room. Only then did she realize that the floors in both rooms had been paved with bricks.
It must have been done on the night Hechengming came to build the kang.
Sutan’s mouth curled into a smile. She felt a sweet warmth in her heart.
Now that she had a home of her own, Sutan felt at ease buying things for the house. Her top priority was to stock up on potatoes, cabbage, and pickled vegetables. In the northern winter, fresh vegetables were expensive, so almost every household pickled their own. Sutan found that if pickled correctly, they tasted better than fresh greens.
At nine o'clock that morning, Sutan headed out under the sun. She hadn't gone far from the front gate when two police officers stopped her.
"Are you Sutan?" the officer asked, his tone relatively polite.
Sutan calmly acknowledged, "Comrades, how can I help you?"
"Do you know a comrade named Qin Hongmei, an accountant at the Textile Mill?"
"I do."
"She has reported that you emptied her home of its belongings. You’ll need to come with us."
Sutan had expected Zhou Jianfeng to make trouble, but she hadn’t expected the report to come from Qin Hongmei. It seemed she thought the smear tactics from last time had worked so well that she was reusing them to try and get Sutan sent back inside.
Sutan gritted her teeth. She rode her bicycle in front while the two officers followed behind. As the three of them appeared at the Meat Processing Plant’s family dormitory, a crowd quickly gathered.
From a distance, Sutan saw Qin Hongmei standing at the entrance of the Zhou family home. She couldn't tell what she was saying to Zhou Jianfeng, but she looked as aggrieved as if she were about to burst into tears.
"Police comrades, it’s her! She’s the one who stole everything from our home. Hurry and arrest her!" Upon seeing Sutan, Qin Hongmei’s eyes turned red. She looked as though she wanted to tear Sutan to pieces. "Sutan, how could you be so heartless? You moved everything out of the house. How are we supposed to live?"
Sutan’s clear eyes were filled with confusion. "Qin Hongmei, this is my house. What does it have to do with you if I move my own things out?"
"How can you say that? You and Jianfeng are about to divorce! If you take everything, how are we supposed to live when we move in?" Qin Hongmei was so focused on the items that she completely forgot there were so many neighbors watching.
Sutan scoffed and looked at the officers. "Comrades, you heard her. This is my home, and Comrade Zhou Jianfeng and I are not yet divorced!"
"This woman was Zhou Jianfeng’s childhood sweetheart, and I’m not sure what their relationship is now, but you heard what she just said. We haven’t been married for even two months, and she’s already pressuring Zhou Jianfeng to divorce me!"
"For her sake, Zhou Jianfeng took away my job and forced me to look after her children. I believe any woman with a household would find this kind of grievance unbearable!"
"I am a young, unmarried woman who was forced into a divorce right after marriage, only to be branded with the reputation of a 'second-hand woman.' I don't see any issue with me taking my own belongings from my home."
Sutan’s sharp gaze landed on Qin Hongmei. "Where did you get the key to my house?"
Qin Hongmei’s hand, which was holding the key, tightened instantly. "Jianfeng gave it to me!"
Sutan said nothing more and pushed the door open. The two officers followed, with the gossip-hungry neighbors trailing behind.
Sutan pointed to the items in the room. "She claims I emptied the place, but I only took what I brought with me. The bed, the wardrobe, the sofa, this stove, and the dish cabinet are all still here!"
"You took the sewing machine and the bicycle! Those are the two most valuable items!" Qin Hongmei’s eyes were bloodshot. She had been eyeing those two items ever since she laid eyes on them. Last time, she had put on an act and returned the bicycle to Sutan, but the wretch hadn't returned it to her yet, and now she had taken the sewing machine, too. How could she be so shameless?
Sutan laughed in disbelief. "Qin Hongmei, in what capacity are you questioning me?"
"As Zhou Jianfeng’s childhood sweetheart? Or as the woman Zhou Jianfeng keeps on the side?"
"You snatched Zhou Jianfeng away; I only took the sewing machine and the bicycle. My reputation is ruined, but you have Zhou Jianfeng, which means you have someone to provide for you!"
"Or perhaps, in your heart, Zhou Jianfeng isn't worth as much as the two things I took?"
Qin Hongmei was about to retort when she felt someone staring straight at her, as if they might devour her whole. She followed the line of sight and saw Zhou Jianfeng, who had appeared at the door at some point. She shuddered.
"Jianfeng is the most important person in my life, but these things are things he worked hard to earn. You can't just take them as you please!"
"If you don't want me to take them, then leave Zhou Jianfeng completely. Guarantee you’ll never come and disgust me again, and I’ll bring them back!"
"Divorce!" A deep, cold voice came from the doorway.