Chapter 19: The Accommodation Problem Is Solved

Song Jianshe did not expect Factory Director Wei to be so firm, exerting direct pressure on him. Having already missed out on the position of workshop director, he could not afford to lose his role as a team leader as well; that would be a tremendous humiliation. He immediately agreed to pay the three hundred yuan. However, lacking the funds at the moment, he signed an agreement in the presence of the leadership, stipulating that fifteen yuan would be deducted from his monthly salary by the factory’s finance department and transferred to Lu Meiqin until the total was paid within twenty months.

Following this, Wen Ran demanded that while they would move out, her mother’s dowry must also be taken along. She reasoned that while the emotions invested over the years could not be recovered, the physical assets certainly could. Since he had already committed to the three hundred yuan, Song Jianshe figured there was little else of value left to take, so he agreed. Factory Director Wei provided them with a signed and stamped certificate. Unfortunately, the timing was poor; by the time they received the document, the Civil Affairs Bureau had already closed, leaving them to process the divorce the following day.

Song Jianshe left the factory office without a backward glance, followed shortly by Section Chief Fu and the two department heads. Wen Ran and her mother walked slowly, only to be called back by Director Wei after a few steps. "Master Lu, there is an empty bungalow in the staff living quarters. If you and your daughter have nowhere to stay, you might as well make do there for the time being."

"Thank you so much, Director! If there’s a vacant room in the compound, that would be perfect!" Lu Meiqin thanked him before adding, "We owe this divorce to you, Director; otherwise, we might not have received a single cent, nor would the process have gone so smoothly."

Director Wei chuckled. "It was just a small favor. You are an employee of this factory, and helping comrades resolve their hardships is part of my duty. Let me take you to see the place."

"Thank you so much!" Lu Meiqin was at a loss for words; this man was not just a factory director—he was a living saint. Wen Ran, feeling that the director was being suspiciously kind, hesitated before asking, "Director, may I ask why you are helping us so much?"

"Hahaha..." Director Wei laughed it off. "Didn't Section Chief Fu say I was a righteous man? I am righteous! Just call me Uncle Wei from now on; 'Director' sounds too distant." In truth, he felt a debt of gratitude toward Shen Zhaoting, and he had watched Shen Nanzheng grow up. Besides, having accepted the expensive Moutai and Zhonghua cigarettes, he had every reason to ensure the job got done.

Wen Ran did not believe in this "righteousness." He hadn't been righteous before, and there was no mention of it in the book! She couldn't figure it out. Director Wei didn't give her the chance to dwell on it, intending to have his wife build a rapport with the mother and daughter once they were settled. That way, he could introduce Shen Nanzheng to Wen Ran naturally.

He led them over cheerfully and even handed over the keys. The bungalow was roughly the same size as their twenty or thirty-square-meter space in the tube-shaped apartment building, more than enough for the two of them. The room had been used for storage and had never been occupied, but it would be perfectly fine once tidied up. It had electricity, so they just needed to install a lightbulb. Water access was slightly inconvenient, but that didn't matter; they could fetch water from the public tap.

Wen Ran surveyed the room and noted it wasn't far from the public tap. They would just need to acquire a set of cooking utensils. As for the bed, they could move the two single beds from their current home, along with her wardrobe, bedding, and personal belongings. The prospect seemed quite promising, and Lu Meiqin was equally satisfied.

After Director Wei took his leave, the mother and daughter returned home. Just as they reached the entrance of the apartment building, Lu Meiqin’s close friend, Sister Li, slipped them two meat buns before leaving with a few polite words. Old Madam Song smelled the pork cracklings from afar and swallowed hard. Usually, when Lu Meiqin came to town, even if she didn't bring meat dishes from the cafeteria, she would cook them herself. This time, however, the divorce seemed to have changed her entirely; she hadn't even cooked a hot meal.

"Lu Meiqin!" the old woman barked. "As long as you don't have that divorce certificate, you’re still a daughter-in-law of the Song family. You need to cook for me! Give me those meat buns!"

Lu Meiqin took a bite. "I have the factory certificate, so if you want to eat, make your son cook! Ranran, eat quickly; there are plenty of pork cracklings in these today."

Wen Ran took a bite; the skin was thin, the filling generous, and the pork cracklings were visible in every mouthful. "So delicious!" she praised.

Old Madam Song’s stomach let out an uncooperative growl. "Jianshe, get me two meat buns!"

Song Jianshe was seething with frustration. Having paid out three hundred yuan, he had effectively worked for eight months for nothing and was now mired in debt. The few remaining yuan had gone to Wen Xin. The old lady had thrown a fit all night yesterday because she didn't get her braised pork, and he feared she would cause another scene tonight if he didn't feed her. However, having failed to secure the workshop director position, he had no face to borrow money. Even if he could, he had no meat coupons left—the last one had gone to Wen Xin. With the factory director backing Wen Ran and her mother, he dared not lose his temper, lest he lose his team leader position too. He could not lose his job or his housing, so he compromised, "Mom, I’ll fry you two eggs."

"There are no eggs left! Don't you know those two ate them all this morning?" Old Madam Song fumed. "What have I even eaten since I got here? Just some dough-drop soup!"

"Dough-drop soup is good," Song Jianshe pacified her. "It’s easy on the stomach!"

Wen Ran almost laughed out loud while eating her bun. Only Song Jianshe could come up with "easy on the stomach" as an excuse. She and her mother finished their meal, ignored the mother and son, and went out for a stroll to digest. They returned only after they were certain the pair had finished their own meal. They had used the time to clean the bungalow. Back in their room, Old Madam Song was still poking at her dough drops, clearly disgruntled. In truth, having white flour to eat was a privilege they didn't appreciate. Song Jianshe was filled with fury, and it was only mounting.

He felt as though his luck had hit rock bottom recently; nothing was going his way. With Wen Xin gone, there was no one to confide in, and the daughter left behind was enough to drive him mad. The marriage had reached its end, and they had become like enemies.

Wen Ran and her mother deliberately ignored them and went about washing up before heading to bed. Moving their belongings to the bungalow required a plan; otherwise, a miser like Old Madam Song would never let them take a single thing. Her mother had a rotating shift at the hospital, so she didn't have to work the next day. The two discussed their strategy and acted separately the following morning. Lu Meiqin’s task was to take the certificate to the Civil Affairs Bureau, and Song Jianshe cooperated fully. Both were eager to finalize the divorce, and Old Madam Song was equally keen for her son to get it over with so he could remarry. Everyone would be at ease once the certificate was issued.

After they left, Wen Ran began packing. She had basically packed everything in her room. Old Madam Song watched her like a thief, muttering as she worked. "Is that yours? You’re just packing it up!" "You can't take that!" "Don't touch that!" "That’s off-limits too..."

When the old woman saw that her words had no effect, she reached out to grab things herself. Wen Ran had been waiting for this; as soon as the old woman reached out, she brandished her embroidery needle.

"Ouch! You wretched girl, you’re trying to stab me!"

Wen Ran curled her lips. "How was I to know you’d reach out to snatch things? You should be ashamed of robbing a junior!"

"None of this is yours; it all belongs to the Song family!" The old woman shook her hand in pain. "I’m telling you, even if you pack it all up, I won't let you take a single thing out of this house!"