§Wedding House§
The Liberation Mine District factory area had flat asphalt roads paved inside, with banyan trees providing shade on both sides. Early summer sunlight filtered through the dense branches and leaves, casting mottled light and shadows on the smooth surface.
He Chunsheng stepped dazedly over one light spot after another, not even hearing someone calling him from behind.
“Brother Chunsheng! Brother Chunsheng!” Song Guodong spotted He Chunsheng from afar, but after several calls failed to get his attention, he had to hurry over. “What’s wrong? Are you sick?”
“No.” He had just been heartbroken…
He Chunsheng had hardships but couldn’t voice them. What did Master Cheng Lang’s words mean? How had Comrade Feng become his master’s wife!
His heart felt stuffy and blocked, an indescribable discomfort.
Then, thinking of how it was Master’s first time publicly declaring his partner, He Chunsheng suddenly looked at Song Guodong. “You wouldn’t happen to know about Master and Comrade Feng Man already, would you?”
Song Guodong was momentarily stunned, then nodded. “Yeah, I know. Their relationship isn’t ordinary!”
Song Guodong gradually caught on. Brother Lang hadn’t driven her away at all; Comrade Feng Man was still staying at his cousin and cousin-in-law’s house.
He Chunsheng’s heart ached even more. Looking at Song Guodong, he got angry too. “You knew before me?”
To think he had lost to this newbie who had only been around for a week—truly a great humiliation!
Thump thump thump. He quickly found Cheng Lang, who had just gotten off work and was inspecting equipment. He Chunsheng’s hair was steaming with hot sweat; he was truly furious. “Master, even if you won’t tell me about you and Comrade Feng, how come Song Guodong knew before me? I’m your proper apprentice! Doesn’t he have to wait in line behind me?”
Cheng Lang tightened the last screw, not even lifting his head as he brushed him off. “Fine. When we hold the banquet in a bit, you’ll be the first one invited.”
He Chunsheng: “…”
With a simple sentence, he dismissed his dense apprentice. Cheng Lang returned the repaired Diamond Angle Splitting Rod to the storeroom, took out his cigarette case, and handed one to Director Wu, who was in charge of procuring mining equipment. “Director Wu, a lot of the team’s equipment is aging. If it fails during mining…”
Director Wu took the cigarette, crushed the filter with his hand, and sighed helplessly. “No choice. Big You doesn’t care, Little You won’t approve. We can only keep repairing and using them.”
The mine district’s daily management fell to Deputy Mine Chief You Changgui, and further down, all equipment and tool procurement was handled by his handpicked nephew, You Jianyuan.
Everyone knew the procurement department had the most oil and water. The uncle and nephew’s intentions were obvious, but there was nothing to be done.
You Jianyuan rarely approved buying new equipment. In his eyes, gear that had served for ten years or so, repaired again and again, could still be fixed and kept in use.
Cheng Lang was about to leave, but for the sake of his coworkers’ safety, he mentioned it once more. “It’s fine usually, but if something goes wrong at a critical moment, watch out for mine safety. Those really antiquated pieces of equipment should be replaced if possible.”
Director Wu agreed inwardly. Thinking of Cheng Lang’s reminder, he planned to find an opportunity to push for it…
Exiting the storeroom, Cheng Lang pondered the matter of contracting the mine district. He had an appointment today to discuss details with the owner of a private mine district a kilometer away. The previous site he had eyed lacked decent housing, so he planned to switch to another. But just as he was about to leave, an arrogant figure suddenly appeared before him.
You Jianyuan had just returned from a commendation conference in the province, dressed in a black Western suit with a slicked-back hairstyle, full of high spirits.
“Cheng Lang, I heard you’re resigning. Good thing I put in a word and got it approved for you.” You Jianyuan was burly, a typical northern man, but his square face was etched with sinister cunning and calculation—unlike most northerners Cheng Lang had met.
“Fine.” Cheng Lang felt more disdain than hostility upon seeing the man again. With a flat response, he walked straight away.
You Jianyuan had wanted to show off his grandeur from attending the provincial commendation conference—even shaking hands with provincial leaders during the award… But Cheng Lang left quickly, leaving You Jianyuan annoyed and choking back his bragging halfway.
“Hah, half a month apart and he’s putting on airs. Who knows how he’s cursing me inside, but he only dares act like nothing’s wrong.”
Cheng Lang had many things on his mind and truly had no time to put on an act for this scum who had stolen a team’s credit to accept an award in the province. With his appointment to view the mine district and house with the private owner, Cheng Lang stopped by the pancake stall again to notify Feng Man about house-hunting the day after tomorrow.
……
Two days later, Feng Man went with Cheng Lang to a small factory area about a kilometer from the Liberation Mine District. Unlike the massive neighboring complex, this place looked rundown—dead branches and weeds everywhere, nothing substantial, with only a few scattered workers cleaning the site.
Cheng Lang had mainly brought Feng Man to see the house, forgetting how embarrassing the near-bankrupt mine district looked. He only glanced at the woman’s cheek from the corner of his eye and saw her looking around with keen interest, no trace of disdain on her face.
Feng Man was naturally just curious. This should be the private mine district where her fiancé later made his fortune in the book. Ink River’s largest mine district would soon become an empty shell, carved up in a few years by leaders with ulterior motives pocketing the gains, leaving the grassroots workers suffering.
And her fiancé in the book had met a benefactor’s promotion, starting from this private mine district and rising all the way.
“You plan to contract this mine district?”
“Yeah. This one’s private, owned by a local. Back when their village discovered coal, many people’s land and mines were consolidated and bought up, but he didn’t sell, wanting to do it himself. He lacked experience, though, and couldn’t hold on these years. Now he’s ready to sell.”
“So you think there’s potential here?” Feng Man knew nothing about this, but she trusted the book’s fiancé who could make a fortune.
“The previous owner’s mining frequency and techniques had issues, but most importantly, he misjudged the mine.” This whole area used to be village property, with fields and land divided among everyone. Boss Wang still had a few mines in hand. Tests showed one with barely viable ore content, one unsuitable in terrain for mining, and another a dead mountain with almost no minerals.
Feng Man’s eyes lit up. “You’ve prospected it? There’s treasure inside?”
“Can’t be a hundred percent sure. The machines didn’t detect it, but based on other experience, there might be something deeper.” Cheng Lang had learned from a prospecting master famous for his sharp eyes thirty years ago. With his own talent, he had inherited most of the master’s skills. The biggest difference was his bolder temperament—even daring to gamble. “Gamble once.”
“I trust your judgment!” Feng Man recalled the book’s fiancé hadn’t faced many setbacks; it described him as smooth sailing, not reaching top tycoon status but at least worry-free for food and clothing.
Cheng Lang drew some comfort from Feng Man’s excited tone. Even longtime coworkers, or even his own cousin, worried about this, but the woman about to marry him trusted him so completely.
At month’s end, Cheng Lang would leave the Liberation Mine District. This time, he came to negotiate the contract with the private mine district’s Boss Wang. “Little brother, I’ve laid out the mine district’s situation completely—no hiding. It’s not great, so don’t blame me for tricking you.” Boss Wang hadn’t expected a private buyer to take it.
“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.” Cheng Lang added at the end, “Right, Brother Wang, that flat house you mentioned before—is it across the way?”
Boss Wang planned to sell the mine district and head to the capital for development. He had brought it up to Cheng Lang several times before, but the man had shown no interest in buying a house along the way.
This time, he brought a woman. Boss Wang instantly understood. “Yes, my place isn’t like a capital siheyuan, but it’s spacious—much better than apartment living, perfect for a family.”
Feng Man hadn’t expected to be house-hunting in the late 1980s—a truly novel experience.
Boss Wang’s flat was a small siheyuan, with blue-brick-tiled rooms on three sides enclosing a tidy, cozy square courtyard. Three sides totaled six rooms, plus a separate toilet and shower area. The central yard had some vegetables planted, but neglected and unmanned, it was now overgrown with weeds.
“I was going to sell the mine district and then deal with this house casually. If you take it, brother won’t rip you off—six hundred, cheap.”
The price was fair. Boss Wang figured since he was selling the mine district anyway, and Cheng Lang seemed honest.
“How about it?” Cheng Lang turned to Feng Man and instantly saw satisfaction in her almond eyes.
Having endured cramped, stuffy apartments, Feng Man naturally approved of the flat with its big yard—convenient for everything. In winter, she could move a chair to the yard for some sun; how pleasant.
“Pretty good.”
“Then it’s settled. We’ll take this house.”
Boss Wang’s mines had no more oil left, and with the mine district on the brink of bankruptcy, it sold cheap: fifty-five thousand six hundred. Cheng Lang paid a three-thousand deposit, plus his savings and a loan, agreeing to settle the balance by month’s end.
Feng Man hadn’t expected to own a house so quickly. Her mind was already joyfully planning what flowers and plants to grow in the spacious yard, how to arrange the furniture and appliances inside.
But in an instant, she suddenly thought: Did the book describe her original self’s fiancé as this capable from the start?
Whatever. It must be. After all, Feng Man hadn’t read the novel too seriously back then, skimming through hastily without even remembering the leads’ names.
Her only impression of the original self was because they shared the same name.
On the way back, Feng Man brought it up proactively. “That house is spacious with plenty of rooms. Why not ask Brother Hua and Sister Xiaojuan if they’re interested in moving in?”
Cheng Lang had the same idea. More people meant mutual support, especially since he’d be away often. Leaving Feng Man alone in the big little siheyuan flat didn’t sit right.
“I’ll mention it to my cousin.”
After viewing the house, Feng Man stopped by the nearby packaging factory to pick up oil paper bags printed with logos and patterns.
Cheng Lang had thought Feng Man was just dabbling with her stall, but seeing her pay for and take several hundred yellow oil paper bags showed unusual dedication. At least other stall vendors, even restaurant owners, didn’t go to such lengths.
The oil paper bags had a cute, slightly oval head in the bottom right corner, simply sketched with a smile, two short braids sticking up on either side—very lively. Beside it, the two characters 【Feng’s】 danced like dragons and phoenixes, matching the person.
“You drew it?” Cheng Lang figured no one nearby had such ingenuity.
“Yeah, looks good, right?” Feng Man was very pleased with the bulk printing. Though costs rose a bit, it would build the brand and aid future expansion—definitely useful.
Especially now that copycats were selling under the same Thousand-Layer Fresh Meat Pancake name. Distinguishing herself was crucial.
Cheng Lang nodded. “Drawn well. The characters too.”
……
Feng Man replaced the old paper bags with the new oil paper ones and hung a signboard in front of half of Dong Xiaojuan’s stall space, drawing the pattern and writing Feng’s Thousand-Layer Fresh Meat Pancake. The changes weren’t huge and didn’t draw much notice from workers—they came for the pancakes anyway. Who cared about bags? A sharp-eyed one might mutter, deepening the impression subconsciously.
Since Feng Man sold exactly twenty Sesame Flatbreads fixed at noon and evening, demand always outstripped supply. Nearby imitators sold pancakes too, but everyone knew they were riding on Feng Man’s coattails.
Feng Man comforted her a few words. “These opportunists will slip up eventually. We’ll just sell our own.”
After Feng Man quickly sold out that noon’s twenty pancakes, some clueless seekers ended up at Liu Cuihua’s stall next door.
“Comrade, I heard there’s a really tasty Thousand-Layer Fresh Meat Pancake around the mine district. Which stall is it?” A middle-aged woman in dark blue work clothes got off her 28-Inch Bike and spotted the pancake spot.
Liu Cuihua, now practiced at bald-faced lies, said, “Right here! Mine!”
She followed by picking up Feng Man’s spillover customers. In this week, she had made some money, but her goods were inferior, sold dearer, with no repeaters. Daily quantities dropped, still with leftovers.
Today’s noon batch was yesterday’s leftovers, reheated and sold.
She sold two pancakes for two yuan to the comrade before her. Liu Cuihua’s heart opened up a bit more. But she never imagined those two pancakes would soon stir up big trouble!