Chapter 13: The Narrow-Minded Cousin

Wang Yong, a man in his thirties who had never married and whose appearance was less than impressive, worked as a mechanic in the factory. He had only gotten his job at Dafa thanks to the arrangement of Chen Anlong. Some opportunistic and clueless people believed he had some special connection with the boss, and so always flattered and catered to him at work.

After being showered with compliments for so long, Wang Yong began to lose himself, deluding himself into thinking he had powerful backing. He went around boasting to others that he was personally appointed to the factory by the boss, and his attitude toward his colleagues grew increasingly arrogant.

Thanks to his silver tongue, he even managed to find himself a girlfriend in the factory—a girl of eighteen, pretty enough to catch the eye.

Once their relationship was established, Wang Yong, eager to please his young girlfriend, rented an old room in Baisha Village for thirty yuan a month.

When Hao Meng brought Jiang Fan to Wang Yong’s rented room, Wang Yong had not yet finished work. The two waited until half past eleven before seeing Wang Yong return, arm draped over his girlfriend’s shoulder, humming softly.

Seeing Hao Meng arrive with a strange boy, Wang Yong needed no explanation to guess he was here to seek shelter for the night.

He took in Jiang Fan, dressed in cheap blue polyester clothes that didn’t quite fit, his simple and honest appearance making him seem all the more rustic. Under cover of night, Wang Yong cast a shadowed, resentful gaze at him.

Wang Yong’s dissatisfaction stemmed from watching Hao Meng grow from a snot-nosed little girl into the village beauty, which had sparked inappropriate thoughts in him. He’d once tried to persuade his parents to help him propose to Hao Meng’s family. Fortunately, his parents, sensible and unwilling to ruin neighborly relations, mocked him for being a toad lusting after a swan, and gave him a severe scolding. Outwardly, he claimed to have given up, but inwardly, he never forgot.

Even though he now had a girlfriend, seeing Hao Meng with another man—especially one so rough and rustic—made him feel unfairly treated, thinking himself far more handsome than Jiang Fan.

He made no effort to hide his displeasure, looking at Hao Meng and saying bluntly, “He can only stay for one night. Our work hours are long and we need plenty of sleep. With strangers around, both Jia Jia and I won’t rest well.”

Wang Yong disliked Jiang Fan, but his girlfriend Jia Jia saw things differently. The streets were full of handsome men, but all strangers; the gender imbalance on the assembly line was stark. For the boy who was about to stay the night, Jia Jia couldn’t help but steal a few glances.

Though his clothes were plain and rustic, his bright, resolute eyes shone with clarity, giving off an air of trustworthiness.

Jia Jia compared Jiang Fan to Wang Yong. Aside from not having a job and looking down-and-out, she found Jiang Fan far more pleasing than her boastful boyfriend.

With this feeling brewing inside her, hearing Wang Yong’s unfriendly reply, Jia Jia tugged at his arm and said, “Everyone falls on hard times—especially away from home. Besides, he’s A Meng’s friend. He’s only staying for one night; it’s not as if you’ll lose anything. Why be so stingy?”

With Jia Jia’s approval, Wang Yong said nothing more.

But Hao Meng, seeing Jiang Fan standing awkwardly in silence, didn’t want him to feel aggrieved. She chimed in, “You two have tough jobs; it’s true another person in the room is inconvenient. I’ll take my friend to a hostel for the night, so we won’t trouble you.”

She prepared to take Jiang Fan away.

Though Jia Jia didn’t know Hao Meng or Wang Fang’s exact occupation, during factory holidays or festivals, friends and relatives would gather to celebrate, and she was very familiar with Hao Meng.

Hearing Hao Meng’s polite but unhappy reply, Jia Jia pulled her back and said, “A Meng, don’t listen to him. It’s just a few nights; it won’t make any difference.”

Hao Meng had originally planned to drop Jiang Fan off, then return to her hotel dormitory.

But after Wang Yong’s unfriendly words, she didn’t want to embarrass Jia Jia, so decided to stay, planning to find Jiang Fan a room nearby the next morning.

The thirty-yuan old room, though built with red bricks and blue tiles, was aged, and the plaster was peeling off the walls.

Inside, wooden planks patched together served as a bed, topped with a cotton quilt, a straw mat, and a blanket—the sleeping arrangements.

Since they were only visiting temporarily, there were no extra bedding supplies. Hao Meng went to the village store to buy a straw mat and a blanket, spreading them out on the floor to make do for the night.

Though men and women living together was common, being caught by the local security patrol could spell trouble.

These “vampires” would fine people for illegal cohabitation—a penalty twice as high as not having a temporary residence permit. Sometimes, if they saw a woman dressed fashionably, they’d falsely accuse her of prostitution, multiplying the fines several times.

The factory badge served as a temporary residence permit within the village, but outside, the rule was invalid.

Wang Yong and Jia Jia both had factory badges from Baisha Village. Wang Yong even spent money to get a fake marriage certificate, which had gotten him out of trouble countless times. Entering the room, Wang Yong, determined not to share a bed with Jiang Fan, clung tightly to Jia Jia.

Hao Meng immediately saw through his intent. After laying the straw mat, she said to Jiang Fan, “We’ll squeeze together for one night. Tomorrow we’ll get up early, look for work, and check out nearby rooms.”

Hearing this, Wang Yong didn’t hold back. Before Jiang Fan could lie down, he turned off the room light.

Though Jiang Fan and Hao Meng had already shared a bed, with others present, Jiang Fan felt awkward in the pitch-dark room, lying down with his back to Hao Meng.

Once she felt Jiang Fan had settled, Hao Meng gently covered him with the blanket. Because they were borrowing a place, she made no intimate gestures, just casually rested her hand on his waist.

Dependent on others and faced with Wang Yong’s attitude, Jiang Fan lay motionless on the straw mat, feeling a lump in his throat.

The room soon fell silent. Only carefree Jia Jia drifted off quickly. Wang Yong waited about half an hour; seeing no movement from Hao Meng and Jiang Fan, he assumed they’d fallen asleep and began to quietly roam his hands over Jia Jia.

Usually, Wang Yong’s long work hours left him without much interest, but tonight he was unusually excited—not wanting to share a bed with Jiang Fan, and jealous of him sleeping next to Hao Meng.

That jealousy festered into anger he couldn’t shake, so he sought release with his girlfriend.

Jia Jia, exhausted, felt Wang Yong’s amorous hands. Normally she’d oblige, but with a stranger present, she complained, “There’s someone else here. Can’t you behave for one night? Holding back won’t kill you.”

Wang Yong replied, somewhat disgruntled, “Isn’t it you who wanted him to stay? Why should I have to hold back? It’s pitch dark—they can’t see us anyway.”