The full name of Xiao Jiang is Jiang Sihan, and Luo Bei still remembers the scene when she first met him.
He was carrying a guitar on his back and didn’t talk much. Rent in the urban village is relatively cheap compared to regular neighborhoods. Nowadays, the apartments in regular neighborhoods usually require a three-month deposit and one month’s rent upfront, but it’s different in the urban village. Generally, it’s only one-month deposit and one month’s rent, or two-month deposit and one month’s rent for furnished room. So for those who lack money, the urban village is the first place to choose.
The basement only had one bed and no other appliances, so it was only one-month deposit and one month’s rent. Jiang Sihan gave 1000 yuan in cash at the time, and Luo Bei noticed that after paying the deposit and rent, he only had some change left in his wallet, the biggest being fifty yuan.
Even if Grandma Luo is kind-hearted, she didn’t like to pry into other people’s affairs, so to this day, Luo Bei doesn’t know what kind of work Jiang Sihan is doing.
He seemed to be living a hard life. A few times when Luo Bei saw him, he was carrying a plastic bag filled with instant noodles. His complexion was already very pale, and with his skinny frame, he looked no different from the vampires in TV dramas.
The hospital canteen was already closed, so Luo Bei ran to a nearby small restaurant and bought a serving of egg fried rice for Jiang Sihan, specifically asking the owner to add an extra egg because he really looked malnourished.
Luo Bei had previously learned about the process of childbirth and bought chocolates and Red Bull which were said to be effective, for Zhao Pianpian.
Jiang Sihan held the still-warm disposable lunch box, which was heavy enough to satisfy an adult man’s appetite. He knew he was in a very difficult situation right now, but his stomach was honest. He stood up and walked towards the emergency exit without saying a word. When he opened the lunch box lid, he found two chicken wings on top of the fragrant egg fried rice.
Many years later, Jiang Sihan still looked back on this bowl of egg fried rice with full nostalgia.
It was the most delicious egg fried rice he had ever eaten.
The rice was separated grain by grain, coated with lard and egg, not too salty or bland, just right.
Zhao Pianpian was giving birth for the first time. By the time she was finally pushed into the delivery room, it was almost dawn of the next day. Generally, once in the delivery room, childbirth is quick. By the time the sun rose, the nurse came out to inform them that mother and baby were safe.
Grandma Luo was overjoyed and after chanting a few Amitabha Buddha1, hurriedly left the hospital, saying she was going to prepare some food for Zhao Pianpian.
Even Luo Bei, looking at the washed and wrapped baby, couldn’t help but tear up.
The little one’s forehead was wrinkled and his skin was slightly red. He barely opened a small slit, and his little eyes looked pitiful.
Luo Bei knew that his vision was blurry now, everything and everyone looked fuzzy.
Although Zhao Pianpian felt weak at the moment, she hadn’t fallen asleep. She looked at her baby with gentle eyes, as if he was her whole world.
“Have you thought of a name for him?” Luo Bei asked.
Zhao Pianpian turned her head and looked out the window. It was the best time of the day. She whispered, “Let’s call him Qichen.”
“What’s the significance?” Luo Bei asked.
“Qi means to start, and a good day starts from the daybreak2, doesn’t it?” Zhao Pianpian explained.
Luo Bei remembered the plot of the novel. The baby was originally named Zhao Qichen, but later changed to Lei Qichen. The plot was irreversible.
Although Zhao Pianpian was rich, she wasn’t someone who spent money recklessly. The middle-aged women and old ladies in the village loved to gossip, but they had good hearts. Before the baby was born, they sent clothes that their children had worn before.
In fact, clothes that have been worn by other children are better for newborns because the fabric becomes softer after washing. At first, Zhao Pianpian didn’t have breast milk, but the doctor still let the baby try to suckle.
Zhao Pianpian’s face twisted with pain.
Fortunately, the baby could drink the precious colostrum3.
Since it was a natural birth, the recovery was fast. After only a few days, Zhao Pianpian was discharged from the hospital. At night, she lay in bed and watched her baby sleep soundly. She didn’t complain about the unfairness of fate at all. On the contrary, she was full of gratitude. Grandma Luo took care of her so thoughtfully, even though they were not related by blood. Luo Bei was the same. Afraid that she might develop postpartum depression, Luo Bei came to chat with her and help take care of the baby every day after work.
Although they were just landlady and tenant, their relationship was even closer than that of relatives.
People have emotions. After work, Luo Bei hurried back to room 202. During lunch with her colleagues one day, she passed by a baby supplies store and couldn’t resist buying a new set of clothes for the little baby.
For this past month, she had been in contact with the baby every day, and although she occasionally felt tired, it was enough time to develop feelings for the baby.
It is truly very difficult for a single mother to raise a child alone. The novel only briefly mentioned these things, but when Luo Bei was really by Zhao Pianpian’s side, she truly felt how strong this seemingly fragile woman was inside.
Luo Bei had thought about it, if it were her, she really didn’t have the courage to take on the responsibility of giving birth and taking care of a child.
Perhaps Zhao Pianpian really loves Lei Yuhao.
“The baby grows so fast, you buy him clothes every few days, and he can only wear them once or twice,” Zhao Pianpian deftly changed the baby’s diaper.
Luo Bei didn’t pay much attention and replied, “It’s okay, if he can’t wear them, we can save them for someone else.”
“Then don’t waste your money either,” Zhao Pianpian began to nag, “You only make a few thousand yuan a month now, it’s better to buy clothes for yourself and dress nicely to find a boyfriend, isn’t it?”
Due to the age difference, Zhao Pianpian now automatically treats Luo Bei as a younger sister. Of course, she no longer calls her Grandma as Grandma Luo, but directly calls her “Grandma,” indicating that the position of the Luo family’s Grandma-granddaughter in her heart is no different from that of her own relatives.
Luo Bei felt a headache after hearing this, “I haven’t thought about it.”
Zhao Pianpian looked at her, “How can you not think about it? You are at the right age to date now, isn’t it perfect?”
“I haven’t met the right person,” Luo Bei thought for a moment and said, “And what I’m thinking about now is paying off the debts at home and trying to buy a small house in the city with the rental income in the future. I don’t have the energy to date right now.”
Zhao Pianpian nodded thoughtfully and said, “Do you really want to buy a house?”
Luo Bei knew Zhao Pianpian’s personality well. She was easily trusting of others, which could be a problem if she encountered the wrong people. Even though Luo Bei knew that Zhao Pianpian was wealthy, she had not considered borrowing money from her. But if Zhao Pianpian encountered other people, with her defenseless mentality, her money would likely be gone before her child even returned to the Lei family.
In the end, it was all about the halo effect of being the female lead.
If Zhao Pianpian were the wife of a CEO today, Luo Bei would not refuse if she wants to lend her money for a down payment. But the current situation was different: Zhao Pianpian was alone with her child and had many expenses to cover. Luo Bei had to refuse.
“Alright!” Luo Bei said sternly, “Don’t even mention lending me money. Even if you really had money right now, you need to think about the fact that you’re not alone anymore. And besides, it’s best for friends not to have any financial dealings with each other. If I really needed money right now, then you could lend it to me. But the key is that I don’t, so I still want to do my best.”
Her family’s debts were not yet paid off, so even if she borrowed money for a down payment, even if she scrimped and saved every month, she may not even have enough to pay the mortgage. It would take years before she could repay the debt. Zhao Pianpian was kind-hearted, but Luo Bei did not want to take advantage of her kindness.
A down payment was not a small sum of money. Based on current housing prices, even if she put down 30% for a small house, it would still cost a few hundred thousand yuan.
Zhao Pianpian looked at Luo Bei and sighed, “Alright, when you’re ready to buy a house and you need money, just let me know.”
Luo Bei was worried about her.
With this kind of personality, if she encountered someone with bad intentions, it would be strange if she didn’t get taken advantage of.
She repeatedly reminded Zhao Pianpian, “Don’t show off your wealth. Although the people here are kind-hearted and honest, it’s only because nothing has happened yet. Don’t let anyone know that you have money, otherwise they will target you and cause trouble for you.”
Zhao Pianpian looked at Luo Bei in confusion.
Luo Bei was also speechless. The plot of this novel was really flawed. Zhao Pianpian wasn’t someone who lived in an ivory tower, she had lost her father at a young age and relied on her mother for support. She should have a good understanding of society, but her personality seemed more like that of a well-protected rich girl.
Luo Bei really worried about the female lead. “You can’t be too trusting of others. Anyway, don’t show your wealth in the future. In addition, you are a single mother, and the tenants here come from all over the country. You never know who is trustworthy and who is not. It’s always better to be cautious, you know?”
After Luo Bei’s sincere advice, Zhao Pianpian finally nodded, indicating that she had taken it to heart.
Luo Bei had dealt with all kinds of tenants since she was young. She had seen all kinds of people. They, a grandmother and granddaughter, had managed to hold on to this building, which was not easy. Fortunately, most of the landlords in this urban village were from the same village as them. Zhan Qi’s Grandma and her own Grandma were the best of friends when they were young. In this bustling city, in such a place, the reason for the peace was because there were people protecting it.
A mighty dragon cannot subdue a local snake4. The most powerful figure in this urban village is Cheng Ge. His background is very complicated, but everyone here, young and old, relies on him for protection. No one dares to cause trouble, and no tenant dares to do anything bad. Cheng Ge’s father and Luo Bei’s Grandpa used to be sworn brothers, so even though the Luo family is now only a widow and orphan, no one dares to bully her and her Grandma.
Cheng Ge’s father used to be a gangster, and his mother liked to play cards. Going hungry as a child was a common occurrence. Grandma Luo was very concerned about him and often brought him food or invited him to eat at their home. So Brother Cheng has a deep affection for Grandma Luo. He doesn’t address her as Aunt Luo like the other people, but he calls her “Mom Luo.”
As soon as Luo Bei returned home, she saw Cheng Ge coming over carrying hairy crabs while chatting with her Grandma.
She respectfully greeted him, “Uncle Cheng.”
- this is a Buddhist’s chant. In this context, Grandma Luo is basically expressing gratitude to Buddha for Zhao Pianpian’s safe delivery ↩︎
- 晨 (Chén) could mean morning, dawn, or daybreak. ↩︎
- the first milk produced by mothers that has high nutritional and immune-boosting properties. ↩︎
- A chinese proverb meaning that even a capable person cannot win against less capable people in their own territory. ↩︎