The bell chimed as I pushed the door open, and a woman in her early forties with curly hair poked her head out from behind the shelves. "Good morning! What can I do for you?"
Feng Yulan was about to speak when Zhang Shumin interrupted her, saying, "I heard you're hiring?"
Sister Hong—presumably the boss's wife—looked them up and down, her gaze lingering on Zhang Shumin's bandaged shoulder. "You're injured. You can't work."
"I'm looking for a job." Feng Yulan stepped forward. "My mother-in-law just came with me."
Sister Hong's frown relaxed: "Will you settle the account?"
"Yes! I used to be an accountant in a textile factory." Feng Yulan blurted out, and then regretted her rashness - they should try to keep a low profile now.
But Sister Hong's eyes lit up: "Great! Old Li has gone back to his hometown to take care of his mother, and we're in need of someone who can do the accounting."
She turned to Zhang Shumin and said, "Sister, if you don't mind, I have a spare room in the backyard that I can rent to you for a low price."
Things went incredibly smoothly. Half an hour later, they were standing in the small shed behind the grocery store—a 15-square-meter single room with simple but clean furniture, including a double bed, a small square table, and two chairs.
What surprised Feng Yulan the most was that the window faced a stream and the sound of gurgling water could be clearly heard.
"The monthly rent is 80, including utilities," Sister Hong said cheerfully. "The monthly salary is 120, with a three-day probation period. How's that?"
Feng Yulan looked at Zhang Shumin, who nodded imperceptibly.
"Thank you, Sister Hong. We rented it."
After Sister Hong left, Feng Yulan excitedly threw herself on the bed, but was pulled back by Zhang Shumin: "Check it out."
Zhang Shumin endured the pain and carefully checked the doors, windows, walls and even under the bed. Only after confirming that there were no monitoring devices or suspicious traces did she allow Feng Yulan to sit down.
"Mom, you're too nervous." Feng Yulan complained softly, "It looks quite safe here."
"The safer the place, the more dangerous it is." Zhang Shumin took out the remaining money from her handbag and counted it. "We need to change our identities."
She pulled out two ID cards - they were their own, but they had been treated with special chemicals by Zhang Shumin on the first day of their escape. The photos and names were blurred, and she could only barely make out their gender and approximate age.
"From now on, your name is Lin Fang, and mine is Wang Xiuzhen. We are mother and daughter, and we came from the north to seek refuge with relatives," Zhang Shumin instructed. "Remember, under no circumstances should you reveal your real names."
Feng Yulan nodded, then suddenly remembered something: "That scheduled email..."
Zhang Shumin's expression immediately turned serious: "What email?"
Feng Yulan had no choice but to confess that she had set up an automatic email before her escape, which contained evidence of Zhang Shuo's crime and everything she knew about Lao Jin.
"Stupid!" Zhang Shumin was so angry that her wounds began to ache. "There must be someone with Lao Jin's support within the police force. This is equivalent to directly exposing our position!"
"I set the delayed sending, and I used the computer in an Internet cafe..." Feng Yulan defended weakly.
Zhang Shumin took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down: "When was it sent?"
"Come to think of it...it should have been yesterday."
"Then there's still time." Zhang Shumin pondered, "Who should I send the email to?"
"Officer Li, it's..."
"The one with the glasses?" Zhang Shumin interrupted. "He was transferred last month."
Feng Yulan was struck by lightning: "How did you know?"
"I read the newspaper every day," Zhang Shumin sneered. "The email is likely in the hands of the deputy captain now—he's Lao Jin's cousin."
Feng Yulan's legs went weak and she fell onto the bed. Her self-proclaimed clever move might have put them in a more dangerous situation.
"Don't panic." Zhang Shumin surprisingly stopped blaming him. "Just settle down and wait and see what happens."
The days that followed were surprisingly peaceful. Feng Yulan went to work at the grocery store at seven every morning, responsible for stocking and bookkeeping. Zhang Shumin stayed in the cabin to recuperate, occasionally emerging to bask in the sun and secretly observe the town's situation.
Sister Hong is a kind-hearted widow. Her husband died in a car accident three years ago and left this shop to her.
She soon fell in love with the diligent and capable "Lin Fang", often invited her to dinner, and sent some daily necessities to "Auntie Wang" to nourish her body.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
