Rest day was tomorrow, so everyone had collected their pay a day early. Hearing the commotion, many people turned to look.
Liu Meili clutched her chest and wailed, "Is there some mistake? We haven't received our wages!"
The accountant adjusted her glasses and checked the ledger twice. "Is this not it? Sang Jiqing from the pharmacy, October salary 51 yuan, one jin of meat coupons, five liang of oil coupons, and one industrial coupon. Liu Meili from logistics, salary 32 yuan..." She paused, then added, "You haven't just collected this month's salary; you’ve already drawn your wages for the next three months."
"What?!" Liu Meili stood there, stunned.
"Your niece came to the leadership and reported that your family was having difficulties. She even showed us a certificate from the factory hospital proving malnutrition, so she withdrew three months of your salary in advance. Honestly, Comrade Liu, you should have reported your struggles to the factory earlier. The children are suffering from malnutrition—how could we let that continue?"
Liu Meili couldn't hear anything after that; her mind was a whirl of "it’s over, it’s all over."
She left in a daze, but the gossip about her family didn't stop.
"Hey, did you hear? It’s because her son committed a crime and was sent to the public security bureau by the factory..."
"I heard the father and son are both rotten to the core."
"The father claims he didn't know about his son's wrongdoing, but I don't buy it. How could an apprentice have the guts to do something like that alone?"
"Shh, it's our turn. Stop talking."
The weather was beautiful, but Liu Meili felt a bone-chilling cold. She walked aimlessly and didn't even notice her scruffy-bearded husband heading toward her.
Sang Jiqing grabbed her arm. "I've been suspended. I’ll have to wait for notice to see if I can return to work. Jianshe was caught red-handed and is going to prison. Before that, we have to compensate the hospital for their losses. You collected the money, didn't you? Give it to me."
Liu Meili’s mind was still screaming that it was over. Her eldest son had lost his job and was going to jail—never mind how many years. What decent family would let their daughter marry him now? On top of that, there were the damages to pay and her own suspension...
Their savings had been taken by Sang Zhi, and they still owed the factory three months' wages. She suddenly collapsed to the ground, weeping like a shrew. "Oh, Heavens! There’s no way out! There’s truly no way left for us!"
...
Under the circumstances, Sang Zhi should have left, but she refused to. Now that she had money, she bought herself nice clothes and ate meat with every meal, leaving the rest of the Sang family, who were forced to subsist on husks and greens, to stare in envy.
Sang Jiqing was a resilient man. Even with investigators coming to summon him almost every day—growing more disheveled and gaunt by the hour—he stubbornly refused to crack or let slip a single piece of evidence. He even maintained a facade of harmony with her, greeting her when he came home and offering polite, elder-like concerns if they met outside.
Liu Meili, on the other hand, had been coming home late and leaving early for the past two days; she was nowhere to be found. Since he wanted to put on a show, Sang Zhi was happy to play along. After all, who didn't know how to act?
For a time, the other neighbors were completely confused. Su Xia, one of the few who cared about Sang Zhi, sensed something sinister about the uncle and was desperate for her to move out.
Sang Zhi wouldn't hear of it. Though she had been orphaned at a young age, she had been raised in luxury after being adopted. She could endure anything except being taken advantage of. Losing their wages, their money, and having their food supplies seized—this was only the beginning. And she had a goal in doing all this.
People’s expressions and words could lie, but their stomachs could not. These past few days, she could hear the sounds of that family going hungry wherever she went. Pushed to this point, whatever they were hiding would soon have to come out. Since she was now Sang Zhi, whatever they had taken from her, they would have to spit it all out—not a single cent could be kept!
...
According to the book, the great-uncle lived in the military compound. She didn't know which house, but since entry and exit were registered, she could just ask the sentry. Sang Yun hadn't been home for two days, so she had likely already established herself there.
It was time for her to go "seek refuge" as well. Unlike her cousin, who went out dressed to the nines, Sang Zhi specifically put on the thin, worn-out clothes the original owner had worn in early autumn. She had initially bought Maotai to pay her respects to the old man, but on second thought, that didn't fit the "poor, mistreated girl" persona she was crafting, so she swapped it for cornmeal and sorghum flour.
The sentry was a bit puzzled by her request; he hadn't realized the typically reclusive Divisional Commander Cai would have so many visitors today. He tried calling the Cai residence, but there was no answer. Since it was time for his shift change, he decided to see the favor through and escorted her in.
She hadn't understood before why Sang Yun would take such a huge risk, but now she did. Walking along the path, lined with tall, dense plane trees, the environment felt unusually quiet and mysterious. Barber shops, kindergartens, the Qunying School for children of military personnel, and playgrounds were all here.
Perhaps finding her approachable, the sentry gestured toward two auditoriums and explained, "One is the General Logistics Auditorium, and the other is the PLA Political Academy Auditorium. They show movies there sometimes; it gets very lively."
"Wow, being able to work here is a true sign of your capabilities." Sang Zhi was an expert at providing emotional value. A few sentences were enough to make the young sentry blush.
Sang Yun had just returned from buying soy sauce with Feng Xiangdong when she saw a familiar silhouette. But the girl was dressed so shabbily that she didn't think it could be Sang Zhi. Thinking of the man she had just seen, her heart fluttered. She had thought she wouldn't see Jiang Yan again, only to run into him at Divisional Commander Cai's house today. She learned from Feng Xiangdong that the commander was Jiang Yan’s former superior, and he was here specifically to celebrate the old man's birthday. In such a vast crowd, to meet twice without any deliberate planning—if that wasn't fate, what was?
Chattering and laughing, they arrived at the door.
Sang Zhi heard the commotion and turned her head. As if nothing had happened, she waved with a brilliant smile. "Cousin!"
Seeing her, Sang Yun’s smile froze. *Sang Zhi? How did she actually find this place?* Then what about the lies she had told? She couldn't run, and the fear of being controlled by her returned.
Feng Xiangdong also noticed the change in Sang Yun. On the way to buy groceries, he had asked how Comrade Sang had gotten the injuries on her face. He had a poor impression of this "usurper" cousin who was so overbearing.
As the two stood in a standoff, Divisional Commander Cai returned from his stroll. Sang Yun immediately stepped forward to help him, her expression subservient.
Divisional Commander Cai was a lean, wiry little old man; looking at his features, one could vaguely see a resemblance to Granny Cai. Influenced by the original owner’s emotional fluctuations, her eyes grew hot. It seemed the great-aunt and her brother had had a falling out in their youth and never kept in touch after they married. If it weren't for her concern for the original owner, Granny Cai wouldn't have entrusted her to him before she died. Effectively, Divisional Commander Cai had no idea what the niece coming to seek refuge with him was supposed to look like.
When Sang Zhi stated her identity, things became interesting. The group entered the house. Amidst Sang Yun’s restless fidgeting, Sang Zhi pulled out Granny Cai’s handwritten letter and a photograph of the two.
"Great-uncle, I was intercepted by my aunt and uncle as soon as I arrived in the city. My luggage and letters were snatched away. Cousin, why are you here?"
Feng Xiangdong, biased by his poor impression of her, saw the young woman who had saved his leader looking deathly pale, so he stepped in to defend her. "Comrade, it's not enough that you bully people at home, you have to come here to throw your weight around too? That’s going too far!"
Seeing someone backing her up, Sang Yun regained her confidence. Fortunately, she had anticipated a day like this and had already prepared excuses. "Cousin, didn't you say you didn't want to live with the elderly because you hated the smell of old people, and that’s why you forced me to take your place? I traded my easy job at the hospital just to come and take care of a war hero, but I have stepped back time and again. Why won't you let me live!"
Feng Xiangdong nodded. It was thanks to Comrade Sang Yun that the commander was being cared for. Two nights ago, when the old commander suddenly felt unwell, it was she who had rushed him to the hospital.
If the person being framed weren't herself, Sang Zhi would have applauded on the spot for her cousin's cleverness. Pushing all the negative factors onto herself while appearing high-minded—truly impressive.
Just as she was about to retort, she saw a familiar figure flash past the window, followed by the sound of the door opening. Even at a glance, she recognized who it was. It was the man she had saved at the train station, the same man who had appeared in her bed that night.
The only reason she had been able to kick the man and survive unscathed was because she had stubbornly denied everything and there were no witnesses. If he recognized her from the station, and with a troublemaker like Sang Yun in the mix, she would be in trouble. Plus, she couldn't explain the situation in the bed.
Though she wasn't certain he could identify her, she never took unnecessary risks. The atmosphere was perfectly set. She threw the items down, her eyes turned red, and she ran out, covering her face as if she were in agony.
As the two brushed past each other, Jiang Yan caught a whiff of a familiar scent. Given his sharp intuition, he turned back.
"Stop!"