Chapter 42: Forced by Circumstance

"Don't think you can just keep freeloading! When are you going to pay the overdue rent? The police have been coming around every few days this past month, and I haven't even settled that score with you yet!" Cao Wanri, finally unable to stomach it any longer, put on a stern face and started the confrontation.

"Brother Cao, that’s not fair of you," Yang Rui said with a cheeky grin. "It’s early in the morning—can’t you say something pleasant? Besides, I’m right here, aren't I? I’m not going to skip out on your money. We’ve known each other for years; my reputation in the industry is rock solid! I’ve got a stall at the Textile City, after all. In business, integrity is everything!"

Cao Wanri cursed silently: Don't get me started on your line of work! That stall of yours won't even last half a year!

"Cut the crap! Give me a straight answer—when are you paying?" Cao Wanri wasn't buying it. He set down his bowl and chopsticks and glared at Yang Rui.

"Come on, Brother Cao, do we really have to do this?" Yang Rui was getting annoyed. He’d been tormented by those people all night; he should have been asking for emotional damages instead of being badgered for money. "Demanding debts at the crack of dawn—that’s not very brotherly, is it?"

"The one who owes money is suddenly the one in the right? I don't care. If you don't pay up in full by the end of the month, don't blame me for being heartless!"

"Don't do that! Don't be like that, Brother Cao!" Once he realized the threat was real, Yang Rui softened immediately. "Everything is negotiable. It’s not worth ruining our years of brotherhood over this!"

"Alright, alright!" Yan Lan interrupted softly. "You two grown men, arguing until you're red in the face over trifles—aren't you afraid of being laughed at? Hurry up and eat so I can clear the table."

Yang Rui nodded repeatedly, feeling like he’d hit the jackpot. He could have hugged Yan Lan. This wasn't the first time Cao Wanri had come to collect, but she always stepped in at the critical moment. Whenever she spoke, Cao Wanri would shrink back—a man with a beautiful wife is always a bit henpecked. It looked like the risk of ending up on the street had just dropped a few points.

Cao Wanri shot Yang Rui a vicious glare and, looking thoroughly unwilling, went back to shoveling food into his mouth.

Yang Rui downed two large bowls of congee and stuffed a few fried dough sticks into his mouth, guessing it would hold him until noon, before wiping his lips. Looking at Yan Lan’s delicate, beautiful face, he smiled and said, "Sister Lan, thanks!"

"What are you thanking me for? Hurry down and open the shop," Yan Lan said gently.

Yang Rui nodded. He wanted to say goodbye to Cao Wanri, but seeing his dismissive expression, he found it amusing. As he walked to the restaurant door, he felt a sudden impulse and couldn't help but look back. "Oh, right, Brother Cao, a small suggestion!"

Cao Wanri and Yan Lan were both stunned, looking at him in confusion.

"You know, could you guys replace that old bed of yours? It’s too noisy! Don't spend all your time worrying about your little brother—that must be exhausting!" With that, he took advantage of their stunned silence and slipped away, laughing heartily.

By the time they recovered, Cao Wanri was already shouting curses: "Bastard! Scoundrel! Hoodlum..."

Yan Lan, meanwhile, was blushing furiously, a strange ripple passing through her heart. Yang Rui had grown up... She remembered when he first came to rent the room, just a poor graduate, and she was barely in her thirties. Back then, he was poor but a handsome boy, and she had always treated him like a little brother. It had been seven years; she had watched him stumble forward every step of the way, and no one knew the hardships better than she did. Especially his never-say-die attitude—she couldn't help but admire it. It wasn't easy for someone without support to struggle in society, and that was one of the reasons she had always taken special care of him.

Time truly is the best catalyst. Yang Rui had transformed from an honest, naive kid into a glib, seasoned veteran; from a childish boy into a man full of masculine vigor. One had to credit the "great dyeing vat" of society for these changes.

"Wife? Honey..." Cao Wanri called out several times before snapping Yan Lan out of her thoughts. Recalling those inexplicable feelings, a wave of shame washed over her. She stole a glance at her husband and, seeing that he wasn't suspicious, let out a sigh of relief, though her face burned even hotter.

"Don't worry, honey. As soon as that brat comes back, I’m kicking him out! Damn it, that little hoodlum!" Cao Wanri, thinking his wife was still angry, tried to comfort her, ending with a few more curses.

Yan Lan smiled to herself: *That little brat! Just wait until you get back, I’ll show you.* But aloud, she said, "Forget it, he’s still just a kid."

"What? He’s a kid? He knows plenty..."

"Enough!" Yan Lan cut off his indignant rambling. "Finish your food, I need to clean up!"

Yang Rui’s shop was located under the South Market of the Textile City. As the oldest market in the area, the facilities were dilapidated, and the foot traffic was nowhere near that of the newer markets. The only advantage was that the rent was slightly cheaper.

After sitting in the shop for half the day without seeing a single soul, Yang Rui sighed, told his assistant to watch the store, and wandered out to clear his head.

He aimlessly drifted through several streets until, before he knew it, he had reached the bustling Diyang Road Pedestrian Street in Keqiao. Just as he was feeling bored and planning to turn back, a familiar shout caught his attention.

Shouting was common on the pedestrian street, but Yang Rui knew that voice all too well!

He squinted to get a better look—good grief! Wasn't that... him? Since when had he changed professions to run a roasted chestnut stand?

Yang Rui crept up behind him and, lowering his voice to mimic a customer, said, "Hey man, can you roast ten jin right now?"

"Sure can!" the man replied without looking back.

"Great! Then I'll take ten jin!" Yang Rui stifled a laugh, continuing to tease him. He was bored anyway, and messing with an old acquaintance was good entertainment.

"Coming right up!" The man turned around nimbly, preparing to get to work, but when he saw Yang Rui staring at him with a mischievous smirk, he froze for a second before laughing and cursing: "Damn! It’s you, you little brat! Nothing better to do? Messing with me! I got all excited thinking I’d landed a big sale!"

"I’m telling you, Niu Laosan, you really know how to make a mess of things! You’ve actually stooped to selling chestnuts? You’ve shamed our profession of Feng Shui! Such a respectable job, and you’ve ruined it like this! Don't you dare tell anyone you know me in the future; I can’t afford the disgrace!" Yang Rui put on a stern face, lecturing him in all seriousness.

"Shh! Keep it down!" Niu Laosan quickly hushed him, pulling him into a quiet corner with a bitter expression. "You know how tight things are lately! I can't be like you—a guy who’s full himself and the whole family is full. I’ve got a wife and kids, mouths to feed!" He spread his hands helplessly.

Yang Rui paused, remembering Niu Laosan’s two little girls and the one his wife was currently carrying, and couldn't help but marvel at how actively he was responding to the second-child policy.

"Anyway, where have you been hiding lately? I haven't seen a shadow of you." Niu Laosan changed the subject.

"Don't even get me started!" That was like a match to a fuse, instantly igniting Yang Rui’s bottled-up frustration. "You’d better not mention it; the mere thought of it makes my blood boil!" He spat bitterly. "It’s cursed, I tell you. That woman, He Yuting, has been hounding me like a vengeful ghost! For the last few months, I’ve been no better than a rat crossing the street—wherever I go, I get chased away. I’ve had the worst luck imaginable!" By the time he finished, his face was filled with gloom.