hotmtlnovel Chapter 1585 The Stone in the Toilet
Chapter 1585 The Stone in the Toilet
Sun Yumei went home and told her family about her trip to Shenzhen before rushing off to Shenzhen.
Qin Hao personally drove to the train station to pick her up. When Sun Yumei stepped out of the train carriage, she was wearing a plain trench coat, had her hair styled in the most fashionable wavy curls, and wore exquisite makeup, making her stand out in the crowd.
Qin Hao leaned against the car, watching her walk over step by step, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Are you tired from the journey?"
"Not bad." Sun Yumei stretched, showing off her graceful figure.
"Come on, I'll take you somewhere."
Qin Hao started the car and drove towards the southern mountain area.
After about twenty minutes of driving, the car turned into a newly developed residential area. Rows of small villas with red brick walls and white walls lined the street, each with a small garden in front of its door. Although no flowers or plants had been planted yet, just by looking at the layout, you could tell that this was not a place that ordinary people could afford to live in.
Qin Hao parked the car in front of one of the three-story villas, took the keys, and gestured with his chin to Sun Yumei: "We're here."
Sun Yumei got out of the car, looked up at the small building in front of her, and her eyes lit up.
The first floor houses the living room and kitchen, spacious and bright, with floor-to-ceiling windows facing south, letting in plenty of sunlight. The living room features a leather sofa, a fruit bowl and fresh flowers on the coffee table, and a brand-new Panasonic color TV, far superior to the old black-and-white television in the dance troupe's activity room.
The second floor has a bedroom and a study. The bedroom has wooden floors, a large bed that is 1.8 meters wide is placed against the wall, a warm yellow lamp is placed on the bedside table, and several new clothes are already hanging in the wardrobe, obviously Qin Hao prepared them in advance.
The third floor has a small terrace with a set of rattan outdoor tables and chairs. Standing on the terrace, you can see the direction of Shenzhen Bay in the distance.
After looking through each room, Sun Yumei stood on the third-floor terrace. The wind blew through her hair. She took a deep breath, suddenly turned around, and hugged Qin Hao's neck tightly.
"Darling, you're so good to me."
Qin Hao grinned mischievously: "Then how are you going to repay me?"
Sun Yumei took the initiative to offer a kiss, and the two separated after a long while.
Standing on the balcony and gazing into the distance, Sun Yumei told herself that from that day on, she had settled down in this building in Shenzhen.
Sun Yumei enjoyed a very comfortable life for the next few months.
When Qin Hao wasn't busy, he would come to the villa to stay overnight. Every time he came, Sun Yumei would prepare a table full of dishes in advance. Although her cooking skills weren't particularly good, she had learned a few of Qin Hao's favorite dishes and could make them quite well. After dinner, the two of them would snuggle on the sofa to watch TV or sit on the terrace to enjoy the breeze and chat, living a life as sweet as honey.
When Qin Hao was busy, she was quite relaxed. She would sleep in until she naturally woke up, make herself a cup of coffee, then change into pretty clothes and go shopping in Dongmen, or go to a newly opened beauty salon nearby for a treatment. Shenzhen had far more trendy things than Beijing—French perfumes, Japanese cosmetics, Hong Kong fashion—Qin Hao never hesitated to spend money on anything she liked.
Sun Yumei is very content. She earns a little over three hundred yuan a month in the dance troupe, rehearses until her toes bleed, and after performances she still has to squeeze onto a bus to get back to her dormitory. Now she's supported, lives in a three-story villa, and can buy whatever she wants. What more could she ask for?
Of course, she knew in her heart that all of this was based on Qin Hao's feelings for her. So she was extra careful. Every time Qin Hao came, she would make sure she was perfectly presentable, and she would speak and act in accordance with Qin Hao's wishes, never saying a word that would displease him.
……
Days passed by, and before we knew it, it was the end of 1993.
That afternoon, after shopping in Huaqiangbei, Sun Yumei was carrying several bags and walking back. When she reached an intersection and was waiting for the traffic light, she suddenly heard someone call her name.
"Sun Yumei?"
The voice was hesitant, carrying a hint of uncertainty.
Sun Yumei turned her head and paused for a moment.
"Chen Qiming?"
Chen Qiming stood on the other side of the intersection, wearing a faded gray jacket, wrinkled trousers, and worn-out leather shoes. He looked drab, as if covered in Shenzhen's dust.
Across from him stood Sun Yumei, wearing a well-tailored camel-colored cashmere coat, a silk scarf around her neck, and a pair of small leather boots. She carried several bags of groceries from the mall, her hair styled in fashionable curls, and her face adorned with exquisite makeup.
The two people stood at the same intersection, yet seemed to come from two different worlds.
Chen Qiming looked at Sun Yumei, his eyes filled with shock.
The Sun Yumei he remembered was quite pretty in college, but compared to the woman in front of him who exuded sophistication and elegance, she was completely different.
"You... what are you doing here?" Chen Qiming asked, somewhat stammering.
“I live nearby.” Sun Yumei smiled, her gaze subtly sweeping over Chen Qiming. She secretly sighed, thankful she had chosen Qin Hao. If she had followed Chen Qiming, she probably wouldn’t even be able to afford these cheap clothes from a street stall.
However, considering they were college classmates, Sun Yumei still said with a smile, "Long time no see! Have you eaten yet? Let me treat you to a meal."
Chen Qiming hesitated for a moment, looked down at his own attire, then at Sun Yumei, and finally nodded: "Okay."
Sun Yumei took Chen Qiming to a decent Cantonese restaurant nearby and ordered several of their signature dishes.
The two sat down, and Chen Qiming's gaze remained fixed on Sun Yumei.
"How are you doing in Shenzhen?" Chen Qiming forced a smile.
"It's alright," Sun Yumei said casually, putting a piece of poached chicken into her mouth. "Qin Hao has been quite considerate of me."
Chen Qiming paused for a moment.
"Qin Hao..." he repeated the name, his voice a little hoarse.
The two remained silent for a while. Chen Qiming lowered his head and ate a few mouthfuls of rice. Several times he seemed about to speak but then stopped, his lips moving but then closing again.
Sun Yumei saw everything clearly and knew exactly what was going on; she would never give up her comfortable life, no matter what.
Finally, Chen Qiming put down his chopsticks, looked at Sun Yumei with difficulty, and asked that question:
"How...is he to you?"
Sun Yumei did not answer immediately, but put down her chopsticks and slowly spread her hands.
She wore a jade bracelet on her left wrist and a delicate gold bracelet on her right wrist. All ten of her fingernails had been meticulously manicured, and the skin on her hands was fair and smooth.
“Didn’t you see it all?” Sun Yumei said with a smile.
As Chen Qiming looked at those hands, the color drained from his face.
Those hands were the hands of his dreams. He had thought countless times how wonderful it would be if he could hold those hands one day.
But does he deserve it now? He's wearing cheap clothes and earning a meager wage in a factory.
Chen Qiming felt as if something was blocking his throat, and he couldn't swallow a single bite.
"I'm full." He stood up, his voice hoarse. "I'm leaving now."
Sun Yumei watched his hurried departure and sighed softly.
She didn't dislike Chen Qiming, but she didn't feel she owed him anything either. Everyone has their own path, and she chose Qin Hao, without regret.
……
After leaving the restaurant, Chen Qiming walked alone on the street for a long time.
Shenzhen winters aren't particularly cold, but he still felt a chill run through his body.
Sun Yumei's fair and delicate hands seemed to be waving in front of him, as if mocking his incompetence.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost dug into his flesh.
One day, he will trample Qin Hao under his feet! One day, he will take Sun Yumei back!
How can he win it? He doesn't even have a decent job right now, what does he have to compete with Qin Hao for?
However, an opportunity soon arose.
These days, everyone in Shenzhen is talking about one thing – the stock subscription certificate system is going to be abolished.
The previous stock subscription certificate system was essentially an entry ticket. To buy new shares, you needed a subscription certificate, but the number of certificates was limited, and most were snapped up by people with connections. A small group of people reaped the vast majority of the profits, while ordinary people didn't even have a chance to get a share.
Finally, the relevant departments couldn't stand it anymore and introduced a new policy: starting in 1994, all newly listed stocks no longer required subscription certificates, and everyone could participate in the stock market.
For Chen Qiming, this was like a ray of light in the darkness.
Previously, without a subscription certificate, he could only watch others make fortunes in the stock market. Now that the barrier to entry is gone, he can finally get in!
He had traded stocks before coming to Shenzhen, and although he lost all his savings, he always believed it was because he didn't have enough capital. Now things are different. He worked at the Great Wall Power Plant for a few months and saved up a few thousand yuan by living frugally.
Chen Qiming gritted his teeth and poured all his savings into the stock market.
……
On New Year's Day in 1994, Sun Yumei was at home looking through the calendar for the new year when the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Yu Mei, it's me, Han Ling." The voice on the other end of the phone carried a hint of anxiety.
"Han Ling? Happy New Year!" Sun Yumei leaned back on the sofa and said with a smile, "What, missed me?"
"Yu Mei, I need your help." Han Ling's voice wasn't as cheerful as usual, carrying a hint of hesitation and difficulty: "Could you... ask Qin Hao to find Xiao Ran a job in Shenzhen?"
Sun Yumei was taken aback: "Xiao Ran? Wasn't he doing a good job as a counselor? What happened?"
Han Ling sighed and explained the whole story.
It turns out that Xiao Ran had recently been tutoring students outside of school to earn extra money, hoping to make more money. However, someone reported him, saying that a teacher was privately taking on extra work, violating school regulations. The school wanted to discipline him, but Xiao Ran felt wronged and resigned in anger.
"You know him, once he gets angry, not even ten oxen could stop him." Han Ling's voice trembled slightly. "After quitting his job, he had no income, so he wanted to come to Shenzhen, saying there were more opportunities here, but I was worried about him being unfamiliar with the place. After thinking it over, among our classmates, Qin Hao was the most successful, so..."
After listening, Sun Yumei remained silent for a moment, then said, "I'll ask Qin Hao for you."
After hanging up the phone, Sun Yumei explained the situation to Qin Hao.
Qin Hao was looking at the company's year-end financial statements when he heard the report and frowned.
"Xiao Ran?" He put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and thought for a moment. "If it were anyone else, it would be fine, but with Xiao Ran, forget it."
"Why?" Sun Yumei asked, somewhat surprised.
"Given his extreme personality, if he knew I arranged this job, he might quit on the spot." Qin Hao shook his head. "That would just make things awkward for everyone."
Sun Yumei thought about it and agreed. She knew Xiao Ran's personality to some extent; he had an extremely strong sense of self-respect and couldn't stand being given charity. If he knew that Qin Hao had arranged the job, who knows what kind of trouble he would cause.
“Then I’ll go and refuse Han Ling.” Sun Yumei sighed.
"Hmm." Qin Hao picked up the report again.
Sun Yumei called Han Ling back and subtly conveyed Qin Hao's meaning. Han Ling remained silent for a long time on the other end of the phone, finally saying only, "No matter what, thank you," before hanging up.
……
Xiao Ran still came to Shenzhen, carrying only a few hundred yuan and a heart full of enthusiasm.
He rented a dilapidated room in an urban village for eighty yuan a month. The room was small, about ten square meters, with a wooden bed, a window that couldn't be closed properly, peeling paint on the walls, and water stains on the ceiling. The bathroom was at the end of the corridor and was shared with other tenants.
Xiao Ran threw his luggage on the bed, sat on the edge of the bed in a daze for a while, then went out to the newsstand and called Han Ling to let her know he was safe.
"I've arrived. Everything is fine, and the place I'm staying is nice. Don't worry."
On the other end of the phone, Han Ling's voice trembled slightly: "Nothing's wrong, is it?"
"It's really nothing, don't worry." Xiao Ran tried to make his voice sound relaxed. "There are many opportunities in Shenzhen, I'm sure I can find a good job."
After hanging up the phone, Xiao Ran returned home and looked at the drafty room, giving a wry smile.
After barely getting a night's rest, Xiao Ran went to the job market early the next morning.
The job market in Shenzhen was much larger than he had imagined, bustling with people. Various job postings covered the walls, and job seekers crowded the stalls.
Xiao Ran squeezed through the crowd, looking at each stall one by one, and the more he looked, the more disheartened he became.
Most of the stalls were hiring general factory workers, aged 18 to 35, with no educational requirements, and a monthly salary of 400 to 800 yuan. It wasn't that he couldn't do these jobs, but the idea of a college graduate working on an assembly line was something he couldn't accept, and the salary didn't meet his expectations.
Those positions that require a certain level of education are either professional positions such as secretarial or accounting, which are not related to his major; or they require three to five years of work experience, which he has been doing as a counselor at school since graduation, so his work experience is practically zero.
Xiao Ran spent the whole day at the job market, submitting seventeen or eighteen resumes, but not a single one responded to him.
I went again the next day, and it was the same.
Day three...
Frustrated with his job search, Xiao Ran wandered the streets. Passing by a shopping mall, he remembered that Han Ling had always wanted a Walkman, so he went in to check the prices.
In the electronics section of the mall, a Sony Walkman was priced at over four hundred yuan. Xiao Ran touched the dwindling amount of money in his pocket, sighed, and turned to leave.
Just as he stepped out of the mall, he saw a vendor selling pirated cassette tapes on the overpass. The vendor had spread a cloth on the ground with a dozen or so tapes on it, and next to it was a sign that read: "Latest Hong Kong and Taiwan Hits, five yuan a tape."
Xiao Ran stopped and watched as people stopped to buy from the vendor. Suddenly, an idea popped into his mind.
He went over and chatted with the vendor for a bit, learning that the cassette tapes came from the wholesale market, costing only 1.5 to 2 yuan each, and selling for 5 yuan a box, making a considerable profit. Moreover, it wasn't just cassette tapes; pirated CDs also sold well, costing 3 or 4 yuan each and selling for 10 to 15 yuan, earning even more than cassette tapes.
Xiao Ran gritted his teeth, took out two hundred yuan from his remaining money, found the boss who sold pirated goods, and bought a batch of pirated tapes and CDs.
After that, they found a corner on the overpass, and like others, they laid out a cloth and put their goods on it.
Surprisingly, business is actually quite good.
Shenzhen has a large migrant worker population, and most of them can't afford genuine products. Pirated tapes and CDs perfectly meet their needs. Moreover, Xiao Ran is more shrewd than other vendors. He secretly memorizes which discs sell well and even compiles and prints out all the song lists so that customers can easily find what they want.
For several days in a row, Xiao Ran's stall did well, earning over a hundred yuan a day, much better than when he was a teacher at the school. As his wallet bulged day by day, Xiao Ran gradually gained confidence and began to dream about a bright future. Once he had saved enough money, he would rent a proper storefront and open a record store, so he would no longer have to work under the sun on the overpass.
However, the good times did not last long.
That afternoon, Xiao Ran was selling his wares enthusiastically on the overpass when he suddenly heard someone shout, "The city management officers are here!"
The vendors nearby quickly packed up their things and ran away. Xiao Ran was a beat too slow. Just as he finished tucking in the corner of his cloth, several uniformed city management officers rushed in front of him.
"What are you doing? Is this yours?"
"I..." Xiao Ran opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say for a moment.
"Operating without a license and setting up a stall on the street, these goods are confiscated!" The leading urban management officer confiscated all his tapes and CDs without any hesitation.
"Wait, that's mine—" Xiao Ran tried to snatch it back, but was pushed away by another city management officer.
"Stop talking nonsense! Show me your ID card and border pass!"
Xiao Ran's face turned pale. He had obtained a border pass, but left it in his rented room and didn't have it with him. In Shenzhen, not having a border pass could result in deportation.
"I...I have my border pass at my place, I'll go back and get it—"
"Stop trying to pull any tricks on me, come with us first!"
Xiao Ran was forced into a van by two urban management officers. Several other vendors who had also been arrested were already sitting inside, all looking dejected.
Sitting in the car, Xiao Ran's mind was a mess. If he were deported, all his efforts over the past few days would be wasted, and he had no money to pay the fine. After much thought, he could only call Han Ling.
"Han Ling, I've been arrested by the city management officers..." Xiao Ran's voice was very low, as if he had swallowed all his pride.
Han Ling was so anxious on the other end of the phone that she almost cried: "What? Where are you? Is it serious?"
"It's nothing, it's just... I forgot my border pass, and I might be deported. Could you help me contact Sun Yumei and ask Qin Hao to help me out..."
When he said those words, Xiao Ran's hand holding the microphone was trembling.
Han Ling immediately contacted Sun Yumei, who then called Qin Hao. Qin Hao took Sun Yumei and rushed over there.
Qin Hao intervened, spent some money, and asked a friend to intercede on his behalf, managing to get Xiao Ran released.
It was already dark when I left the urban management bureau.
Xiao Ran stood under the streetlight with his head down, looking disheveled and covered in dust. His gaze was unconsciously drawn to a roasted sweet potato stall by the roadside. The aroma of roasted sweet potatoes wafted over, and his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, but after touching his empty pockets, he looked away again.
Qin Hao noticed this detail, glanced at Xiao Ran, and said, "Let's go, I'll treat you to a meal."
Xiao Ran hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded.
The three of them went to a small restaurant nearby, where Qin Hao ordered four dishes and a soup.
As soon as the dishes were served, Xiao Ran began to wolf them down. He hadn't eaten anything all day, and his stomach was growling loudly. He finished a bowl of rice in no time, then asked for another, and his chopsticks were practically never stopping picking at the food.
Sun Yumei sat opposite Xiao Ran, watching him eat, and became furious: "You gave up being a good counselor in Beijing to come to Shenzhen to sell pirated goods, and you even got caught by the city management. Do you know how worried Han Ling was about you? She cried when she called me! Can't you just give her a break?"
Xiao Ran put down his chopsticks, looked up, and stared at Sun Yumei.
“Sun Yumei, I know you look down on me.” Xiao Ran’s voice wasn’t loud, but every word seemed to be spoken through gritted teeth: “You don’t need to worry about Han Ling’s matter; I’ll handle it myself.”
"You'll handle it?" Sun Yumei sneered. "The result of your handling will be that you get arrested by the urban management officers and we have to bail you out?"
"That's enough." Xiao Ran had already stood up. He looked at Qin Hao, his eyes filled with complex emotions, his lips moved, but in the end he only said one sentence:
"Old Qin, thank you for getting me out of here. I'll repay that favor."
After saying that, he turned and left without looking back.
Sun Yumei slammed her fist on the table in anger: "What kind of person is he! I was just trying to speak up for Han Ling, and he comes at me! I really don't know what Han Ling sees in him; he's like a rock in a toilet—stinky and hard!"
Qin Hao watched Xiao Ran's retreating figure disappear through the door, a slight smile playing on his lips. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said unhurriedly:
"Knowing he's like a rock in the toilet, why would you still pick on him? Aren't you just asking for trouble?"
Sun Yumei was taken aback, then glared at Qin Hao, both amused and annoyed: "Whose side are you on anyway?"
Qin Hao shrugged: "Now you know why I didn't agree to help Han Ling find him a job, right? I shared a dorm room with him for four years, and I know his temper perfectly well."
"Hmph, then why are you helping him?" Sun Yumei snorted.
"After all, we're classmates. We can't really send him to Zhangmutou for labor reform, can we? Besides, with his bad temper, he might end up dead. And helping him would make both of us owe me a favor, so why not?" (End of Chapter)