"Shazhu is really something else. Look at Yushui—she’s as thin as a bamboo pole. Who would believe her brother is a cook?"
"Exactly. He brings home lunch boxes for other men's wives every single day but can't be bothered to look after his own sister. He’s no man."
"It’s a good thing Yushui has Chen Mo. She looks so much healthier and prettier now."
"I never thought Shazhu was that kind of person."
The neighbors in the Courtyard began to whisper amongst themselves. The more Shazhu heard, the angrier he became, yet he couldn't refute a word because every bit of it was true.
"All of you, shut your mouths!" Shazhu roared.
"What’s the matter, Shazhu? You did it, but you don't want to hear about it?"
"Exactly. If you’re man enough to do it, be man enough to own it!"
"That's enough! Everyone, be quiet." Yi Zhonghai stepped out, his face grim. He turned to Chen Mo and said, "Chen Mo, must you insist on turning this Courtyard into a complete mess?"
"Yi Zhonghai, stop trying to pin labels on me. I don’t want to deal with you, so stay out of my way. And as for you—you’re an ex-convict, so shut your trap," Chen Mo retorted.
"You..."
"You what? Instead of wasting your energy trying to play patriarch to everyone else, why don't you spend your time trying to father a child? Do you even have the capability?"
"You..." Yi Zhonghai was so furious he couldn't even get a word out.
"Yushui, let's ignore them. We’re going fishing. I’ll buy you some new clothes later, and for your birthday, I’ll get you a bicycle," Chen Mo said, putting his arm around He Yushui’s shoulder with a smile.
"Whoa..."
As soon as Chen Mo said this, the Courtyard erupted.
Chen Mo was treating He Yushui too well—he was even going to buy her a bicycle! They weren't even married yet, just dating, and he was already this generous. Everyone wished they had a relative they could introduce to Chen Mo; he was the ultimate catch.
He Yushui, seeing the envy and jealousy on the faces of the neighbors, felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction. She followed Chen Mo out of the Courtyard, acting perfectly docile.
Qin Huiru watched them leave, grinding her teeth in resentment.
Why? Why did a little tramp like He Yushui get such a great guy who spoiled her rotten? Then she thought of Jia Dongxu.
In terms of looks, Jia Dongxu was a carbon copy of Mrs. Jia—short, ugly, and sleazy. Chen Mo, on the other hand, was over six feet tall, handsome, and dashing—like a combination of the greatest movie stars. As for his job, Chen Mo was a doctor, a man of culture; when he went to the countryside, the villagers gave him heaps of food, and his life was incredibly comfortable.
He didn't have a wicked mother-in-law breathing down his neck, and they had two large rooms, twice the size of hers. It was truly a case of people being incomparable and goods being better off thrown away.
And they weren't even married yet—just for a birthday, Chen Mo was already buying her a bicycle. Where else could you find a partner like that?
*No,* she thought, *I must ruin their relationship. I absolutely cannot let them end up together.*
Once outside the Courtyard, Chen Mo helped He Yushui up and sat her on the crossbar of his bicycle. She was already used to this, leaning back into his chest as they rode off.
They went to the department store first, heading straight to the clothing section. Summer was approaching, and there were many new seasonal arrivals.
Chen Mo held He Yushui’s small hand as they walked to the racks. She looked at the dazzling array of beautiful clothes, feeling as if it were a dream.
The sales clerk was cracking sunflower seeds and glanced at them, unimpressed. Chen Mo said, "Comrade, please take those clothes down so my girlfriend can try them on."
"If you try them on, you have to buy them," the clerk said impatiently.
*Slap!* Chen Mo brought his hand down on the table, startling the clerk.
"How am I supposed to buy them if they don't fit?" Chen Mo asked.
"Buy it or don't, I don't care. If you can't afford it, get lost," the clerk replied with a sneer.
"Is that your attitude? We were taught to serve the people. Is this how you serve the people? Call your manager," Chen Mo scolded.
He brought up the Great Leader, escalating the matter. As a transmigrator, he couldn't stand the clerks of this era who acted as if they were doing you a favor, carrying themselves as if everyone owed them money. There was even a sign nearby forbidding the beating of customers—the irony was infuriating.
"You..." The clerk’s face turned bright red with rage.
"You what? The Great Leader led us to overthrow the three great mountains, and now you want to climb back on top of us and oppress the people?"
"You—you’re talking nonsense! I didn't!"
By now, a crowd of shoppers had gathered to watch.
"You didn't? Everyone, judge for yourselves. This clerk uses her position to ignore customers. Is this how they serve the people? Do they treat the Great Leader's words like nothing? This is sheer reactionary behavior!" Chen Mo shouted.
"You, you, you..." The clerk began to panic, on the verge of tears.
"He's right! Every time I come here, the attitude is awful. This isn't serving the people!"
"That’s mild! Last time I was here, I even got shoved, and they were just as arrogant!"
Following Chen Mo’s lead, many others who had suffered at the department store began to denounce the clerk, throwing her into a state of panic.
The manager of the department store heard the commotion and hurried over. He approached Chen Mo and said, "Comrade, hello. I am the public-side manager here. What is happening?"
"You're the manager, right? Good. You judge this." Chen Mo recounted what had just happened, emphasizing how abysmal the clerk’s attitude had been. "You tell me—even the capitalists in the old society didn't dare to be this arrogant. Now, a lowly clerk dares to ride on the heads of the people, acting like a tyrant and treating the teachings of the Great Leader as garbage. How reactionary is that?"
The manager was terrified by Chen Mo’s rhetoric. He knew perfectly well how arrogant his clerks were, and if this blew up, his position would be in jeopardy.
He immediately turned on the clerk and roared, "What is the meaning of this? If you don't want to work, then get out! This department store exists to serve the people, not for you to act like a despot. Half a month’s wages docked, and a formal demerit!"
"Waaah... yes, sir," the clerk sobbed, terrified.
She hated Chen Mo with every fiber of her being, but there was nothing she could do. She didn't regret her actions; she just felt unlucky. Why was she the one to get caught when all the other clerks did the same thing?
The manager smiled at Chen Mo. "Comrade, I am truly sorry. It is our employee’s fault. Are you satisfied with this handling of the situation?"