Chapter 7 As long as she still wants his money
Zhou Lin carried a small basket of heavy eggs on the dirt road back to the city, his steps heavier than when he came. His mother's joy was like a mirror, reflecting the bitterness in his heart.
The next day, Zhou Lin was up before daybreak. He steamed a bowl of smooth egg custard for Su Hexi and also boiled two eggs.
He wrapped the hot bowl in an old towel and walked quickly to the door of the tailor shop, fearing that it would get cold.
Su Hexi also got up early. She changed into some old clothes that were barely enough for her to move around in. She was planning to go out and run a few laps around the neighborhood to lose weight. When she opened the door, she saw Zhou Lin standing at the door like a black tower, holding something in his hand.
Su Hexi's heart skipped a beat. Did Zhou Lin figure it out so quickly? He came to ask for a divorce?
Her face immediately hardened, and her tone was stern: "Why are you here so early? Have you thought it through? Do you agree to a divorce?"
Zhou Lin was choked by her words, his eyes dimmed for a moment, but he held the bowl forward and said in a low voice: "No... these are the free-range eggs my mother gave me. I made a bowl of steamed egg custard and two boiled eggs. You... eat them while they're hot, to replenish your body."
Su Hexi was stunned for a moment, staring at the bowl of golden, tender, steaming egg custard and the two plump eggs in his hand. She didn't react for a moment. What was going on? A final meal before execution?
She immediately refused: "I don't want it, you can take it back and eat it yourself." Then she walked around him and went out for a run.
Zhou Lin stubbornly blocked her path, forcing the bowl into her hands, nearly scalding Su Hexi. "You have to eat! You...you can't go hungry now." His tone was filled with unquestionable insistence, his eyes filled with complex emotions that Su Hexi couldn't understand. "I'll be back early tonight to cook for you. It's cold in the shop, don't freeze."
As if he was afraid that she would throw the bowl back at him again, he turned around and walked away quickly towards the construction site.
Su Hexi stood there, holding the bowl of piping hot egg custard, watching Zhou Lin's rapidly receding figure. She felt a wave of inexplicable irritation. What was wrong with this man? Was his brain circuitry different from normal people's?
She sighed, looking at the smooth egg custard in the bowl, the aroma filling her nose. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't hungry, but she couldn't waver in her determination to lose weight. She placed the egg custard and boiled eggs on the worn-out table in the shop and went for a run.
After coming back from running, Su Hexi looked at the bowl of cold and solidified egg custard and felt a little uncomfortable, but she was soon overwhelmed by the reality of the problem.
She had a shop, but a good cook cannot cook without rice. Without cloth, she could do nothing.
The supply of goods is not a big problem. The county town is so small that the biggest source of fabric is the textile factory where Zhao Wenbin works, or the nearby fabric wholesale market. The biggest problem is money.
The little money she had was almost gone after changing shops, not enough to buy a batch of decent fabrics.
This is how it works when opening a store. The initial investment is huge, but it takes time to recoup the investment.
She sat in the cold shop, looking at the empty sewing machine with a frown on her face. A penny can make a hero fall.
His eyes accidentally swept over the bowl of cold egg custard and the two eggs on the table.
An idea came to her mind: she could partner with Zhou Lin!
Although she was extremely reluctant to have anything to do with him anymore, it seemed that he was the only way to get the money the fastest. Moreover, she wasn't asking for it for free; it was an investment! It was a loan!
In the evening, Zhou Lin finished work early and even bought some grains and a small piece of meat, thinking of making something nutritious for Su Hexi. He came to the tailor shop with his things, feeling a little uneasy, wondering if she had calmed down.
As soon as he entered the room, he saw that Su Hexi did not give him the cold face as usual, but was sitting there, as if... waiting for him?
Zhou Lin's heart tightened slightly.
"Zhou Lin." Su Hexi spoke, her tone calm and businesslike, even with a hint of negotiation, "I want to discuss something with you."
"You say." Zhou Lin immediately put down his things and listened carefully.
"To open this shop, I need capital to buy fabrics. I don't have any money right now." She paused, observing Zhou Lin's expression. Seeing that he didn't show any impatience or rejection, she continued with a brave face, "I'll lend it to you, or you can invest in it. When the shop makes money later, we'll split the profits 50-50. What do you think?"
Zhou Lin was stunned. He had never expected Su Hexi to say this to him.
She didn't just want money to mess around, or to support others, but...did she really want to open this tailor shop? And wanted to share the profits with him?
An indescribable feeling of surprise and bitterness washed over him. He didn't care if the store made money, and a 50-50 split wasn't even on his mind. What mattered to him was that she seemed... willing to have a normal relationship with him, even one with the promise of a future? Even if it was just business.
"Okay." He nodded almost without hesitation, his voice choked with excitement. "How much do you need? I'll find a way."
He agreed so readily that Su Hexi was caught off guard. Her prepared words got stuck in her throat. She gave a figure, the minimum starting capital she had calculated.
"Okay." Zhou Lin nodded again, "Tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow at the latest, I'll find a way to deliver it to you."
He didn't even ask how she planned to use the money, or whether it would just go to waste. As long as she asked, as long as she wanted his money, and was willing to let him participate in her life a little, even if it was just nominal, he felt... life seemed to have hope again.
"Okay, then I'll wait for your money."
Su Hexi was not worried at all that Zhou Lin would go back on his word since he had promised her personally. In her memory, whatever she wanted, as long as she asked Zhou Lin, he would find a way to get it for her, and this time was probably no exception.
The next day, Zhou Lin worked extra hard on the construction site. During a break, he found the foreman, Wang Dapao.
Wang Dapao was settling accounts with a cigarette in his mouth. When he saw him coming, he snorted in annoyance.
Zhou Lin rubbed his calloused and wounded hands, and said in a low but pleading voice, "Mr. Wang, I'd like to...take an advance on my wages. I need it urgently at home."
Wang Dapao raised his eyelids and looked at him, sneering, "Advance? Zhou Lin, you haven't even paid me back the advance you gave me last month, and you're asking for another advance? Do you think I'm a bank?"
"Please, Mr. Wang, just give me an advance. I'll work harder next month and deduct the money from my wages!" Zhou Lin's voice contained a barely perceptible pleading tone.
Wang Dapao watched the beads of sweat forming on his tanned face, then recalled hearing yesterday that Zhou Lin's wife had bought a shop... He narrowed his eyes, somewhat surprised that the troublemaker was actually trying to get down to business. Although he was mean, he wasn't completely unsympathetic, especially since Zhou Lin was a skilled worker who never cheated or played dirty.
He blew out a smoke ring and finally waved his hand impatiently: "Alright, alright! Since you're still honest, I'll give you a half-month advance! Next month's salary will be cut in half! Remember this!"
"Hey! Thank you, Mr. Wang! Thank you!" Zhou Lin thanked him repeatedly and breathed a sigh of relief.
After receiving the stack of money that smelled of sweat and dust, Zhou Lin didn't stop for a moment. He counted it carefully and added the few cents he had left to make up the amount Su Hexi wanted. He took it to the tailor shop after finishing work that afternoon.
Su Hexi looked at the money Zhou Lin handed over. It was clearly freshly scraped together, even stained with body heat and dust from the construction site. She felt a mixture of emotions. She opened her mouth, but ultimately said dryly, "Thank you. I'll pay you back when I make money."
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