When it was time to knock off work, a crowd of people ran over to see what was going on, and charging right at the front was Zhao Tiezhu's wife, Cai Shufen. She had already heard the news—Xiao Mandong had bought all kinds of dishes from the state-run restaurant. Her own man had worked for her for so long, and she'd never bought dishes from the state-run restaurant for him. But the moment her man left, she was buying dishes like that—it was utterly infuriating.
Word was that there was no dinner invitation today, that red envelopes were being handed out instead. Well, let's see it—after eating this meal, the red envelope money definitely wouldn't be coming. She was going to see this Xiao Mandong make a fool of herself. If she didn't give red envelopes, then she could have a thing or two to say about it and let out some of the anger stuck in her chest. And if she did give them, they certainly wouldn't be much, so she could still mock her. What was there for a divorced loose woman to act so smug about?
Xiao Mandong had already divided up all the goods beforehand, and the laborers knew full well that these things were for them. That afternoon, they had worked like absolute demons.
Nobody had expected to receive this much stuff. When each person came out, they were holding meat in their hands—at least two pounds, to be sure—along with leaf lard, peach cookies, egg cakes, a packet of sugar. The bricklayer was even showing off his Big Front Door cigarettes, and the carpenter was still grinning with a red envelope in his mouth. It was just too much.
Cai Shufen was about to explode. Was this not just blatant bullying? If she'd known yesterday there was this much stuff on offer, she would never have let her man go home.
She grabbed the newly-married Wang Dazhuang: "Dazhuang, how much money did she put in your red envelope?"
Wang Dazhuang cheerfully opened the envelope to show Cai Shufen—it was a Big Unity note. Cai Shufen's guts nearly turned green with regret.
Then Wang Dazhuang added: "Can't chat with you now, Educated Youth Xiao told us to go back home and grab our jugs. She's splitting up the leftover wine from the banquet at the health clinic. I've got to go home and fetch my jug."
"Educated Youth Xiao is really such a good person. She said if she treated us to a meal here, only we alone could eat it, so instead she bought meat for us to take home and share with our whole families. She even bought candy and cakes for the kids. I don't have kids, so it's all going to my wife."
The expression on Cai Shufen's face was impossible to describe. She had no idea what kind of madness had seized her yesterday. The work had been going fine, and then she came to make a scene. Educated Youth Xiao had only come by twice since the house repairs started—how could she possibly have been seducing her man?
But then again, not all of it was her fault—who told that woman to be divorced?
Cai Shufen charged straight into Xiao Mandong's courtyard.
"Educated Youth Xiao, where's my Tiezhu's share?"
"What share?" Xiao Mandong asked with a look of confusion. Of course she knew exactly what Cai Shufen was asking about, but she was playing dumb—did that infuriate you or not?
"My family worked on this for so long. You gave everyone something, so you're not seriously telling me you're skipping our family, are you? That would be beyond crooked of you."
"What I gave out today was for the roof-raising crew. Didn't you settle your pay in full yesterday? Besides, after all the trash you talked about me yesterday, I wouldn't dare give you anything. Lest you think there's something going on between your man and me, and I end up the villain."
Cai Shufen was so choked by Xiao Mandong's words she could only stammer.
"Well, you never said yesterday there would be this much stuff! If you'd mentioned it, there's no way I would have let Tiezhu go home."
Outside the courtyard, the onlookers were chiming in with their bits and pieces. Some said Xiao Mandong was right to do this—news of yesterday's scene was already known to many. When Wang Dazhuang had run over to check with his wife yesterday, some of the auntie workers were right there. They had warned Dazhuang's wife, saying that the educated youth was far too beautiful and she should keep an eye out. Dazhuang's wife hadn't taken it seriously, and the aunties had whispered behind her back that she was a fool.
Of course, there were also a few stirring the pot. "Educated Youth Xiao, this is where you're in the wrong, you know, how could you do this—after so many days of work, don't count out Tiezhu on the very last two days."
"That's right, Tiezhu's a very capable worker, never once slacking off. You're treating him so unfairly."
"I'll say it one more time: what I gave out today is to bring good luck for the roof-raising. My money didn't just fall from the sky, and I'm certainly not giving anything to someone who cursed me. Yesterday this big sister here plopped down in my courtyard and screamed at me, calling me a loose woman. Why in the world would I give her anything? Does it say 'easy to push around' written on my forehead?"
"Besides, you get paid per day you show up. Yesterday's wages were settled in full already. What, you expect me to hand out gifts to someone who doesn't come to work? Then let's see you all do it."
"And spare me all that back-and-forth. That's just how I am—I know how to be grateful, but I also know how to repay a grudge."
Who would have guessed it, but at that point Cai Shufen plopped herself right on the ground: "Educated Youth Xiao, if you want to keep today auspicious, then you make up the value of those items to me. I won't ask for much—just give me twenty yuan including the red envelope. And if you don't, then don't blame me if I start saying some very unpleasant things."
She knew all the goods had been handed out, so there was no way her family was getting anything. But today was one of those celebrated lucky days, and Xiao Mandong would surely want to keep it auspicious. She could squeeze money out of Xiao Mandong. Wasn't Xiao Mandong just scattering cash today for good luck? If she refused, she would ruin Xavier Mandong's entire day.
Xiao Mandong’s eyes darkened. Nothing aroused her contempt more than being threatened: "Say whatever you like. But now, get out of my courtyard."
Cai Shufen hadn't expected Xiao Mandong to be unbothered by her threat. Fine, then don't blame her.
"Raise the beam with all your might, next year's wall will collapse out of sight! This morning you're smug with glee, tomorrow you'll wail and weep by the knee! Someone stirs– a loose woman she relays– oh that flirtatious slut–"
"Ah—get off me! You—" Thud. Xiao Mandong hoisted Cai Shufen out of there and slammed her hard down on the ground.
Some of the villagers who had been vocal in support of her a moment ago now went completely quiet. Everyone thought Cai Shufen had gone way too far—how could she say such things on the day of someone's roof-raising ceremony?
"Tiezhu's wife, you've gone way too far here. What kind of grudge is this deep that you have to yell like that?"
"Exactly. It's not like your Tiezhu wasn't paid. Even if they don't share today's stuff with your family, it's purely because you dragged your man back home yesterday."
"If it were me, I wouldn't give you any either. Today is the sixth of the month, such a fine day! Say you refuse to work all of a sudden yesterday. If it weren't for Zhou Qichuan stepping in to help today, they couldn't even have raised the beam– would have had to wait all the way till the ninth. You can't have a heart that small. In this life, you can't go around being too wicked."
Cai Shufen hadn't expected them all to turn against her like that. But what had she done wrong? Her man had worked all of eight days, and with just two left, he was going to lose all those things? Wasn't that Xiao Mandong's fault?
Zhao Tiezhu came running up, and seeing his wife sitting on the ground, could barely hold back his fury. Yesterday she had practically forced him home, and today she dares come around demanding stuff? Did she have no shame at all?
Zhao Tiezhu yanked Cai Shufen up, his voice low: "You piece of trouble. On a beam-raising day you curse people's houses to collapse– aren't you afraid of divine punishment?" Cai Shufen shoved Zhao Tiezhu so hard he stumbled backward. Her rear was already aching from the throw, and now her own man was yelling at her—how was she supposed to put up with that?
