Chapter 88: The Third Card

The Village Head readily agreed to Yao Jia’s request, saying, “No problem at all. In fact, I have nothing to do today. I’ll personally take you there!”

Yao Jia and Meng Xingzhe both stood up from their small stools. The weather was a bit damp, and after sitting for a while, the stool surface became somewhat sticky. Meng Xingzhe’s trench coat seemed to have an unusually strong adhesive quality, and when he stood up, the small stool clung to his coat for a second or two before falling to the ground with a thud.

“………”

Yao Jia noticed the myriad of emotions flickering across Meng Xingzhe’s face in an instant, like a kaleidoscope. He was clearly stunned by this “phenomenon” he had never encountered before. It must have been the first time in his life he saw a person leave a stool, only for the stool to refuse to leave the person.

The three of them stepped outside, and it wasn’t long before raindrops began to fall. The Village Head quickly said to Meng Xingzhe and Yao Jia, “Oh no, our village hasn’t paved the roads yet. When it rains, the ground becomes slippery and sticky, making it hard to walk. How about I find you two pairs of non-slip rubber shoes to change into?”

Yao Jia promptly agreed, giving her shoe size and nudging Meng Xingzhe until he reluctantly revealed his shoe size as well, which she then relayed to the Village Head. She didn’t forget to add, “Thank you so much, we’re really troubling you!”

They returned to the Village Head’s house together. The Village Head first handed two umbrellas to Yao Jia, then found two pairs of rubber shoes.

The shoes didn’t look new. Meng Xingzhe took one glance and frowned as if he could crush a fly between his brows.

The Village Head, while handing the shoes to Yao Jia, said, “These are old shoes, and the sizes might be a bit large, but they’re better than what you’re wearing now. Don’t worry, my wife scrubbed them clean. Just bear with them for a bit!”

Yao Jia took the shoes and inspected them. Although the shoes had a naturally aged color, they were indeed cleaned, and a faint scent of detergent lingered on them.

Yao Jia had boarded at a public high school, choosing it over an expensive private one to rebel against her parents. Most students at public schools came from ordinary families, and she quickly blended in, shedding any airs of superiority.

Wearing a pair of clean old rubber shoes was no big deal for her. But for Meng Xingzhe, it seemed like a matter of life and death.

He shook his head firmly, even going so far as to disparage himself to avoid wearing them: “I might have athlete’s foot. I wouldn’t want to infect the rubber shoes.”

“……”

Yao Jia almost felt a hint of despair in Meng Xingzhe’s heart as he resigned himself to his fate.

Stifling a laugh, she asked the Village Head for a plastic bag, put her own shoes and the oversized rubber shoes in it, and carried it by hand. After some thought, she asked for a few more plastic bags to put in her bag.

Meng Xingzhe asked why she was carrying an extra pair of shoes while wearing rubber ones. Leaning close to Yao Jia’s ear, he whispered with a raised eyebrow, “Don’t tell me you’re preparing them for me. I swear, I won’t wear those shoes even if you beat me to death!”

Yao Jia turned to look at his face. Smooth, fair, and handsome. Yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that soon reality would slap that face into a swollen mess.

They left the house again, Yao Jia and Meng Xingzhe sharing an umbrella, while the Village Head held his own.

The rain outside had intensified, and the water on the ground turned into a glue-like substance, making it hard to keep one’s footing, each step sticking to the soles.

Yao Jia put on the non-slip rubber shoes. Though they were a bit large, she managed to walk steadily. Meng Xingzhe, in his big leather shoes, struggled with each step against the sticky mud.

Almost every step he took, the Village Head would anxiously call out from behind, “Careful!”

Yao Jia held back her laughter the entire way.

She recalled this was their second time sharing an umbrella in the rain. The last time was awkward yet romantic. This time, however, was purely awkward, with all romance drowned out by Meng Xingzhe’s stumbling steps.

As the rain grew heavier, Yao Jia tried to take the umbrella from Meng Xingzhe, saying, “Let me hold it. You focus on your footing!”

Meng Xingzhe was about to retort, “Do you think I can’t handle it?” But just as he opened his mouth, he slipped, and the umbrella tilted, drenching Yao Jia’s head.

“……”

Meng Xingzhe hurriedly handed the umbrella to Yao Jia.

Holding the umbrella, Yao Jia couldn’t resist teasing Meng Xingzhe, “Still not changing shoes?”

Despite his disheveled state, Meng Xingzhe remained stubborn, “No way!” After a pause, he added with feigned arrogance, “Can you imagine someone as distinguished as me wearing rubber shoes? It would be a waste of talent!”

Under the umbrella, Yao Jia couldn’t help but roll her eyes. His image was already as bedraggled as if he’d rolled in a sandpit. She couldn’t fathom where he got the nerve to maintain such a lofty self-image.

“Just watch your step,” Yao Jia said, umbrella in hand, walking while teasing Meng Xingzhe. “If you fall and drag me down with you, I’ll shove you into a puddle!”

No sooner had she spoken than the sticky ground and oversized shoes caused her to lose a shoe from her heel.

In her panic, her exposed foot slipped, and with a cry of “Ah!” she began to fall backward.

Behind her, the Village Head shouted a heart-wrenching warning, “Watch out!!”

But his warning was too late. Yao Jia had already let go of the umbrella and was falling backward.

In the 0.01 seconds before hitting the ground, Yao Jia thought with resignation, This is it. The world is about to lose a clean girl and gain a muddy Yao Jia.

As her thoughts settled, she closed her eyes, bracing for a hard landing in the mud.

But in the next moment, she realized she had fallen into something dry and warm, with a faint fresh scent. This “mud” even had a heartbeat.

When Yao Jia opened her eyes, she saw Meng Xingzhe’s smooth chin. In that instant, she found a man’s most attractive feature to be his chin.

She realized she was cradled in Meng Xingzhe’s arms, and he was lying on the muddy ground.

Yao Jia’s gaze traveled upward. She saw him straining to keep his head from resting in the mud, his last act of defiance.

The rain poured down, drenching Yao Jia’s body, face, and eyes. Raindrops on her eyelashes blurred her view of Meng Xingzhe, making him appear handsomely misty.

Yao Jia’s heart raced.

Who said this rain wasn’t romantic? She felt overwhelmed by the romance!

This seemingly fastidious guy, who acted like he had a cleanliness obsession, had willingly laid himself down to keep her from falling into the mud.

Yao Jia looked at Meng Xingzhe, who frowned and asked irritably, “Is it my turn to shove you into a puddle now?”

She laughed. The cold wind and rain couldn’t suppress the warmth and sweetness rising in her heart.

The Village Head hurried over, picking up the muddy umbrella and holding it himself, while covering Meng Xingzhe and Yao Jia with a clean one, urging, “Get up, get up, the ground is cold!”

Yao Jia quickly got up, swiftly slipping her exposed foot back into the rubber shoe, then reached out to help Meng Xingzhe.

But as she pulled, her foot slipped out of the shoe again, nearly causing her to fall.

In the end, Meng Xingzhe stood up with the Village Head’s help.

Yao Jia circled behind him to check his back. It was a sorry sight. The once valuable, limited-edition trench coat was now a monument covered in mud.

She moved to the front, looking up to meet Meng Xingzhe’s annoyed expression.

He frowned, impatiently extending his hand toward her, “Give it here.”

“?” Yao Jia was puzzled, tentatively placing her hand in his open palm.

“Like this?”

Meng Xingzhe chuckled, a mix of helplessness and exasperation, lightly patting her hand.

“I meant the rubber shoes!”

Yao Jia was momentarily stunned. “Weren’t you refusing to wear them?”

Meng Xingzhe wore an expression of noble indifference, as if the shoes he was about to put on weren’t rubber but a crown to be donned, “I’ve changed my mind!”

Yao Jia pulled out a pair of rubber shoes from a plastic bag and handed them to him. The Village Head helped support Meng Xingzhe as he changed into the shoes.

As he pulled up the back of the shoes, he looked like a warrior heading to his doom, gritting his teeth and steeling his heart. From that moment on, he was no longer the meticulous Meng Xingzhe who always matched his clothes, shoes, and socks perfectly.

Once he had changed, Meng Xingzhe took the umbrella back from the Village Head.

He held the umbrella with one hand and wrapped his other arm tightly around Yao Jia’s shoulder, pulling her close to him.

“Watch your step. If you fall again, I’m not going to be your cushion!” he said in a mock-annoyed tone.

Yao Jia’s ears turned red, her face flushed, and her heart raced. She leaned against his side, looking up at him.

It turned out he finally agreed to change his shoes because he was worried she might stumble again.

It turned out he compromised his steadfast principles for her.

The cold wind blew, and the rain fell, but Yao Jia’s heart was warm and full.

The Village Head watched them, sincerely remarking to Yao Jia, “Little General Manager Yao, your driver is quite something!”

Yao Jia burst into laughter.

Meng Xingzhe kept a stern face but didn’t offer any explanation. It seemed he was willing to play the role of her driver.

The three of them continued walking, and when Meng Xingzhe wasn’t paying attention, Yao Jia quickly rummaged through her bag and slipped something into his coat pocket.

The Village Head led the way, taking them first to a villager’s home.

“This family is surnamed Huang. They bought the most appliances, so let’s start by checking their place,” the Village Head explained.

At the Village Head’s call, a child and a dog came running out.

The child and the dog were none other than little Huang Dahuang and his small yellow dog, Huang Xiaohuang.

The little yellow dog barked at the strangers, which attracted the big black dog from next door.

Meng Xingzhe’s grip on Yao Jia’s shoulder tightened suddenly. She quickly stepped in front of him.

Little Huang Dahuang saw their reaction and grinned, showing his small teeth. “I know! Uncle is afraid of dogs!”

Meng Xingzhe, pale-faced, still corrected him, “Call me brother!”

Little Huang Dahuang chuckled and deliberately called him “uncle” again to tease him. Then he chased his little yellow dog into its pen and shooed the big black dog back to its own home.

But the big black dog refused to leave, barking at the little yellow dog’s pen as if calling for a rebellion.

With each bark, Meng Xingzhe’s grip on Yao Jia’s shoulder tightened.

Unable to bear it, Yao Jia stepped forward to help chase away the big black dog.

Seeing her move, little Huang Dahuang quickly shouted in his crisp, childish voice, “Sister, don’t move! I’ll handle it!”

He dragged over an iron shovel, taller and longer than himself, and with a mighty “hey-ha,” he pretended to strike at the big black dog.

Finally intimidated, the big black dog tucked its tail and ran back home.

Little Huang Dahuang tossed the shovel aside, puffed out his chest like a little hero, and invited Yao Jia and Meng Xingzhe inside.

But Yao Jia paused at the door, pulling out the plastic bags she had asked the Village Head for earlier. She handed two to Meng Xingzhe and told him to use them as shoe covers.

They put the plastic bags over their shoes before entering Huang Dahuang’s house. Huang Dahuang’s father and the Village Head insisted it wasn’t necessary, but seeing Yao Jia and Meng Xingzhe had already covered their shoes, they couldn’t stop praising them, “Oh, you two are so considerate!”

When others praised her, Yao Jia might think it was just polite talk, but when the villagers did, she felt their sincerity.

Inside, as Yao Jia inspected the appliances, she asked, “Mr. Huang, how much did you pay for your refrigerator?”

The Village Head interjected, “Just call him Master Huang, no need for formalities!”

Master Huang chuckled sheepishly, thought for a moment, and gave a number.

Yao Jia raised an eyebrow.

The price was several hundred less than the genuine article.

At this point, Meng Xingzhe asked, “Master Huang, how did you hear about Kunyu Electric’s promotion?”

Master Huang thought back and replied, “I remember two groups of people came to distribute flyers, both claiming Kunyu Electric was running an appliance promotion. But it was strange—the first group had higher prices, while the second group’s prices were several hundred less for each item.”

“Did you ask why the prices were different?” Yao Jia inquired.

Master Huang replied, “We did ask. The first group said their prices were already the lowest possible, and any lower would mean selling at a loss. They couldn’t stop others from selling at a loss, but they wouldn’t do it themselves.”

After a pause, Master Huang continued, “I also asked the second group why their prices were cheaper and if they were selling at a loss. They explained that although both groups sold Kunyu products, they were different distributors. They said Kunyu Electric’s products are distributed through various dealers, and their dealer was willing to earn less to sell more, offering us villagers a better deal. Hearing that, and since their prices were indeed much lower, most of us ended up buying from them.”

Little Huang Dahuang, who had been listening inside, grew impatient and ran outside to play as the rain lessened.

The Village Head, feeling stuffy inside, also stepped out for a smoke.

Yao Jia and Meng Xingzhe checked each appliance, confirming that Master Huang’s purchases were not genuine but refurbished.

Feeling a weight on her heart, Yao Jia asked, “Do you remember the name of the dealer you bought from?”

Master Huang thought for a long time but shook his head.

Meng Xingzhe prompted, “Did they give you a receipt when you bought the appliances?”

Master Huang said, “No invoice, just a receipt. They said not issuing an invoice would save another hundred.”

Meng Xingzhe said, “A receipt is fine. Can we take a look?”

Master Huang called his wife to help find the receipt. She searched for a long time without success, so Master Huang went in to help.

Yao Jia and Meng Xingzhe stood in the outer room, exchanging a glance that quickly turned into a playful exchange of looks.

Trying to strike a pose, Meng Xingzhe slid his hands into his coat pockets.

Yao Jia nearly burst out laughing.

He looked like a mud-covered man trying to act cool.

But then Meng Xingzhe paused, surprised to find something in his coat pocket.

He pulled out his hand and opened it to reveal a shiny card.

He looked up, his expression full of surprise, and asked Yao Jia, “What’s this? Did you give it to me?”

Yao Jia nodded with a smile, “Who else but me could have put it in your pocket?”

Meng Xingzhe’s lips curled into a slight smile as he tilted his chin up, “When did you slip it in?”

“When my heart was moved,” Yao Jia replied, mimicking his gesture.

Meng Xingzhe laughed, leaning closer to her, his voice low and magnetic, making everything sound like sweet nothing, “What did I do to move your heart, hmm?”

That “hmm” gave Yao Jia goosebumps.

In novels, she always thought it was a cheesy word, but hearing it from Meng Xingzhe, she found that sometimes cheesiness could feel quite romantic.

She glanced around, and seeing no one else, she quickly tiptoed to whisper in Meng Xingzhe’s ear, “You were willing to get dirty for me, and that moved my heart.”

After speaking, she stepped back, smiling at Meng Xingzhe.

Meng Xingzhe looked at her with a mix of helplessness and amusement.

“So this card is called the Heartfelt Transformation Card!” Yao Jia declared as she stamped a name onto the card.

At that moment, Master Huang and his wife emerged from the inner room.

Meng Xingzhe carefully placed the card back into his pocket, patting it gently after doing so.

Master Huang held several small, old, folded pieces of paper in his hand—receipts from his appliance purchases.

He handed these receipts to Yao Jia.

Yao Jia noticed that the receipts bore the name “Longma Appliance Sales Company.”

She passed the receipts to Meng Xingzhe. After examining them, he took photos with his phone.

Yao Jia also took out her phone, checked something briefly, and then looked up to quietly inform Meng Xingzhe, “This is not an authorized dealer of Kunyu Electric.”

As they left Master Huang’s house, the rain had stopped, but the ground was still slippery.

Yao Jia saw little Huang Dahuang playing tag with other children in the yard, their pants covered in mud. As they ran past Meng Xingzhe, Yao Jia worried that the mud splattering on him might upset him, so she wanted to intervene.

But it was too late. The kids dashed by like wild rabbits, leaving a trail of mud spots on Meng Xingzhe’s coat and pants.

Yao Jia looked at the fresh mud spots and then at Meng Xingzhe’s face, expecting to see an expression of utter despair.

To her surprise, Meng Xingzhe remained completely unfazed.

He glanced down at her, and after reading the question in her eyes, he raised an eyebrow and said, “Since my pure soul is already dead, what difference does it make if my body gets a little dirtier?”

Yao Jia couldn’t help but burst into laughter, seeing his once pristine demeanor grounded in the rustic reality.

They continued visiting each household, documenting the appliances each family had bought and used.

After the round, Yao Jia told the Village Head, “I’m here to conduct an initial survey of the appliance usage in the village. To be honest, there are issues with the appliances you’ve purchased. Kunyu Electric will send personnel to resolve these problems. You may need to replace your machines, but rest assured, Kunyu Electric will cover the costs, so you won’t have to spend a single cent.”

Yao Jia provided more detailed explanations, and the Village Head was stunned for a moment before he spoke.

“So those people sold us refurbished machines? No wonder they were so cheap! No wonder they didn’t give us receipts! These people are despicable, cheating even us farmers out of our money. Little General Manager Yao, you must investigate them and prevent them from harming others! It’s not easy for us in the countryside to earn money!”

Moved, Yao Jia promised, “We will.”

After calming down, the Village Head thanked Yao Jia, “Thank you, Little General Manager Yao, for coming here personally to investigate and offering to replace our machines at no cost. On behalf of the villagers, thank you!”

Yao Jia repeatedly said it was no trouble.

As dusk fell, Yao Jia, having braved the wind and rain all day, felt her stomach growling. The Village Head, hearing her stomach’s protest, insisted that she and Meng Xingzhe stay for dinner before leaving.

Faced with such a warm and sincere invitation, Yao Jia gladly accepted and took Meng Xingzhe to the Village Head’s home.

While the Village Head and his wife were cooking, she discreetly slipped a few pink bills into a drawer in the outer room.

Meng Xingzhe asked what she was up to.

She replied, “Paying for the rubber boots, the meal, and the afternoon’s work.”

As they waited for dinner, a sudden scream came from outside.

It was followed by cries and wails.

The Village Head rushed out, saying, “Something must have happened, I need to check!”

The cries grew more desperate, with shouts of “Help” mixed in.

Yao Jia recognized a familiar child’s voice crying.

Listening closely, she told Meng Xingzhe, “It’s Huang Dahuang!” She added, “Since dinner’s not ready, I’ll go see what’s happening!”

With that, she turned and ran outside.

Meng Xingzhe, alarmed, followed her, “Can you slow down? Watch out for the slippery ground!”

— Translator’s Notes —

• pink bills: In Chinese currency, the 100-yuan banknote is pink in color.

• Huang Dahuang and Huang Xiaohuang: These are playful names; ‘Dahuang’ (Big Yellow) and ‘Xiaohuang’ (Little Yellow) are common for dogs in China, combined with the family name Huang (Yellow), creating a humorous pun.