“Thanks for your trouble.”
Su Lan was polite, too, turning and gesturing to Zhao Shuo and Zhao Guangyuan.
She followed Bai Ting up the stairs, chatting as they went. “Jiang Luo and the others… they’re doing business?”
“I just heard they went to Zhejiang Province, left without a word. Didn’t say goodbye, didn’t tell me anything,” Bai Ting said with a smile. “I had no idea either.”
“My kid was still in vocational school,” she added.
“He left after leaving a note for the teacher, didn’t even attend class. Nearly drove me crazy.”
Despite saying that, Bai Ting was smiling as she spoke. Su Lan guessed that Jiang Luo and the others probably made a good profit on this trip.
Bai Ting invited Su Lan and her family to sit on the sofa in the bedroom and poured tea for the three of them. Zhao Guangyuan and the others were courteous. Zhao Shuo, whose car had a gift box of fruit, brought it up and offered it to Bai Ting.
“No, no, you’re too kind,” Bai Ting said, politely declining.
“Auntie, please take it. Jiang Luo is here, and we really appreciate your care,” Zhao Shuo said graciously.
Bai Ting finally accepted it, feeling embarrassed.
Through Bai Ting, Zhao Shuo and Su Lan learned what Jiang Luo and Wang Chuang had been up to—they had bought dolls in Wencheng, brought them to Haicheng, and were selling them quite successfully, making a tidy profit.
Bai Ting kept praising Jiang Luo: “This kid has always been sharp.”
“When they left, my husband even said he wasn’t worried about Jiang Luo—he was worried Wang Chuang would slow him down,” she added.
Bai Ting went into the bedroom and brought out one of the dolls Wang Chuang had brought home to show them. “Here, something like this.”
Jiang Luo had explained that a single doll sold for 68 yuan at Pacific Department Store, but they bought it for 15 and sold it in small markets—it sold extremely well.
Zhao Shuo looked at the doll and handed it to Su Lan, who recognized it. A colleague at her office had mentioned that Pacific Department Store sold it for 68 yuan, expensive, but small markets had it for 25, with different hair colors and dresses. She had bought two—one for her daughter, one for her niece.
So this doll came from Jiang Luo? Su Lan was surprised.
She handed it to Zhao Guangyuan, who also recognized it, and then smiled: “One doll earns him five yuan, ten dolls fifty, a hundred dolls five hundred.”
Bai Ting, not understanding business, said, “Not just a hundred—one batch has a thousand or two.”
Zhao Guangyuan laughed: “A thousand dolls would earn five thousand.”
“Two thousand dolls, ten thousand.”
Zhao Guangyuan looked at Zhao Shuo: “Shuo, your brother’s business sense isn’t worse than yours. Two thousand dolls would earn him ten thousand—more than you.”
Zhao Shuo couldn’t help but chuckle: “He’s smart.”
Bai Ting also smiled. She was saying all this for Su Lan’s family’s sake, thinking that compared to Zhang Xiangping and her husband, Jiang Luo’s biological parents could provide a much better environment. If he preferred his biological family, it would be a hundred times better than staying at their silk factory.
Bai Ting continued, “Exactly, Jiang Luo’s been clever since he was little, really sharp.”
She went back into the room and brought out several dolls with different hair colors, handing them to Zhao Shuo and Su Lan: “Take these back. Share with relatives and friends. It’ll be impressive when you talk about it—these dolls in Haicheng, Jiang Luo brought them.”
Su Lan and the others took the dolls and laughed. They had worried that Jiang Luo might struggle or suffer outside, but now they were much less concerned.
“By the way, Auntie,” Zhao Shuo suddenly remembered, “what happened at the Jiang house today? Why did Zhang Xiangping call, saying Jiang Luo stole money from them?”
“Oh, that.” Bai Ting explained: “Don’t pay attention to Zhang Xiangping and Jiang Jianmin—they’re not good people, to be honest.”
She clarified: “Jiang Luo didn’t steal from them—he was getting them to pay up. Jiang Luo sells dolls, right? They came in by truck, and he rented a small truck with my son to deliver and sell them around town. Last night, Jiang Jianmin smashed the truck window.”
“You know why he did it? He saw a money pouch inside and thought there was cash.”
“Can you believe that? Smashing your own son’s truck to steal his money.”
Su Lan and her family exchanged looks, each with an expression of speechless disbelief.
………………………
Initially, they hadn’t had any particular opinion about Jiang Jianmin and Zhang Xiangping, nor did they look down on the couple for being ordinary workers. At that time, especially ten years ago, working in a state-owned enterprise and eating from the communal pot was considered quite respectable.
But after a few interactions, including a few phone calls, they learned that Jiang Jianmin constantly boasted, “My son is a top student at Fudan,” and that the couple had raised Jiang Luo carelessly. Gradually, Su Lan’s family began to disapprove, developing a dislike for Zhang Xiangping and her husband.
Now, hearing that Jiang Jianmin had smashed the rental truck Jiang Luo used for his merchandise over money, their disapproval intensified.
Jiang Luo had gone to Zhejiang Province alone, hauled back goods to sell, and even rented a truck specifically to do it. This showed the child was determined and working hard.
As parents, how could you not only fail to support your child but also smash a truck just for money? Even if Jiang Luo wasn’t your biological son, you raised him for eighteen years—didn’t you feel any connection?
Su Lan’s family had once thought there must be some affection, just as they felt a bond with Zhao Mingshi. But now they realized there was no real affection at all. The couple had never truly cared for Jiang Luo, raising him with complete indifference.
If Jiang Luo didn’t go to school, didn’t work, spent time at discos smoking, drinking, and fighting—then the blame lay squarely on Zhang Xiangping and Jiang Jianmin.
Su Lan felt her blood boil, her expression darkening. In front of Bai Ting, she turned to Zhao Shuo: “Son, ask them how much money Jiang Luo took, return it, and don’t waste time arguing with them. Otherwise, they’ll make it sound like Jiang Luo really stole from them.”
Then she looked at Zhao Guangyuan. “The kid knows he’s earning his own money; we can’t just ignore it. Check where we can get a truck for Jiang Luo. Renting a truck costs money, and if it gets damaged, he’ll have to pay. Managing both dolls and a truck is exhausting.”
“Got it.”
“Alright.”
Zhao Guangyuan and Zhao Shuo nodded in agreement.
To ease the tension, Bai Ting got up with a smile and went to get the fruit basket. “I’ll wash some fruit for you.”
So, Su Lan and her family sat at Wang Chuang’s house for a while. Bai Ting also shared several funny stories about Jiang Luo’s mischievous childhood. Su Lan and Zhao Guangyuan listened attentively, and Zhao Shuo joined in; whenever a story was amusing, everyone laughed together.
“Oh, having fun, huh?”
Finally, Zhang Xiangping and Jiang Jianmin returned.
Even while still downstairs, they had heard Bai Ting and the others talking and laughing on the second floor.
Already boiling with anger over Jiang Luo, Zhang Xiangping grew even more irate seeing Bai Ting and Su Lan’s family laughing. As soon as she reached Bai Ting’s door, she sneered, “With a son like Jiang Luo, how can you laugh?”
Bai Ting and Su Lan went silent and turned toward Zhang Xiangping at the door.
Bai Ting immediately jumped to her feet, pointing at Zhang Xiangping: “What are you saying? What do you mean by ‘with a son like Jiang Luo’?”
“Isn’t Jiang Luo your son? Didn’t you raise him for eighteen years?”
“What’s wrong with Jiang Luo? If you say things like that about your own son…”
“Even if Jiang Luo isn’t perfect, it’s because you raised him poorly!”
Zhang Xiangping’s eyes narrowed. “Our business, our son—why should you meddle? What’s it got to do with you?”
“Mind your own business!”
Bai Ting immediately turned to Su Lan and the others. “Now she’s calling me meddlesome! Did you know that when Jiang Luo was little, while they were at work, they didn’t cook meals or save any food for him? Jiang Luo had to come eat at my place! A perfectly good child, and no one took care of him!”
Bai Ting was angry. Now that she had money, her confidence was high. Hands on her hips, she squared off against Zhang Xiangping: “It had nothing to do with me? Then why did he eat at my house? Pay me back! Give me all the money for all those years of meals! Pay up!”
Zhang Xiangping also put her hands on her hips. “Go ask whoever fed him! Did I eat it? Did I eat it?”
“You shout at me because you didn’t eat it? Can you get anything by shouting?!”
“Is he my son? Is he my son?”
“Go ask whoever it is!”
Su Lan, Zhao Guangyuan, and Zhao Shuo all stood up from the sofa.
Zhao Shuo frowned. Su Lan, calming herself, said, “Alright, alright, don’t quarrel.” Zhao Guangyuan spoke for Bai Ting: “Why can’t you just talk properly?”
“This lady invited us kindly to sit up here. If you’re dissatisfied, take it up with us. Why quarrel with a neighbor like this?”
Su Lan signaled to Zhao Shuo with her eyes: “Son, ask how much and return it to them.”
Zhao Shuo stepped forward, moving to Zhao Guangyuan’s side, standing at the doorway in front of Zhang Xiangping. Pulling out his wallet, he said, “Tell me how much my brother took, and I’ll pay it back.”