Chapter 149

In the backyard.

Tang Shi, along with several young married women and the villagers invited by Xiao Yang to make shoes, had all stopped working.

It was not because they were lazy, but after working for the better part of the day without even a sip of water or a chance to visit the outhouse, anyone would have reached their limit.

Seeing that Xiao Yang was nowhere in sight, Tang Shi hastily got up and ran to the outhouse not far away.

Seeing this, the other young women had initially wanted to go as well.

However, the moment they saw Xiao Yang returning in the company of Xiao Li, they instantly straightened up and behaved themselves, though they still refrained from doing any work.

After all, under such a harsh working environment, they wouldn't want to work here again even if their lives depended on it.

They remembered that back at Liu Xing's place, although it was somewhat tiring, everyone could sit together and talk freely about whatever they pleased without any taboos, and as for visiting the outhouse or taking a break, nobody ever uttered a word of complaint.

Yet now, not only had they missed out on lunch, but even their personal freedom was restricted.

To be honest, they wouldn't want to do this kind of work even if they were paid a hundred yuan a day!

Regret came too late now, and going back seemed entirely impossible.

At this thought, the young women felt no more fear toward Xiao Yang and Xiao Li, only irritation.

No matter what, this was no longer the old feudal era.

Treating them like beasts of burden was out of the question.

Walking into the backyard, Xiao Li noticed the glares from the young women.

After a brief moment of surprise, she glared at Xiao Yang beside her: "What on earth did you say or do to them earlier? Why are they all looking at me like I'm their sworn enemy?"

"Nothing at all!" Xiao Yang felt completely justified.

Hearing this, Xiao Li was too furious to waste her breath on him. She swept her gaze across the entire backyard: "Huh? Where is Tang Shi?"

"In the outhouse," replied a round-faced young woman.

"Without my permission, who gave her leave to go?"

Xiao Yang snapped angrily.

In truth, he said this out of fear that Tang Shi might run away.

Yet in the eyes of the young women and the dozen or so villagers who had come to help, this was blatantly throwing a petty official's weight around.

Although most of them dared to be angry but not speak out, a small fraction stood up.

Among them, a burly man declared: "Xiao Yang, I have matters to attend to at home, so I won't be playing servant to you, big shot, today."

"What do you mean by that?" Xiao Yang was already boiling with internal anger. Hearing this from the burly man, his temper flared instantly. He stepped forward and grabbed the man by the collar: "Listen to me carefully. If you dare step foot outside the supply and marketing cooperative's gate today, I'll bring people over tomorrow to collect that debt of over a hundred yuan your family owes. If you don't have the money, see if I don't tear your house down!"

These fierce words instantly filled the backyard with the heavy stench of gunpowder.

The burly man clenched his fists, ready to throw caution to the wind and land a punch on Xiao Yang.

However, Xiao Li could no longer contain her fury and exploded: "Enough, Xiao Yang! Do you still think you haven't embarrassed yourself enough? We invited them here to make shoes and make a win-win profit, not to push them into a rebellion!"

"Would they dare?"

"Do you think they are worthy?"

Xiao Yang failed completely to grasp the gravity of the situation, his tone remaining as haughty as ever.

The next second, however, he received a solid, resounding slap across the face from Xiao Li.

The crisp sound startled not only the young women but also the burly man.

The burly man looked at Xiao Li in astonishment, initially wanting to say a few words, but ultimately retreating a few steps and standing obediently.

After all, he was no fool; the brain-damaged one here was Xiao Yang, not Xiao Li.

If he continued to act recklessly and defy reason, he feared he truly wouldn't make it out of this supply and marketing cooperative alive.

Holding his cheek, Xiao Yang cast a terrified glance at Xiao Li, but he did not retaliate nor curse back. Instead, he turned and left, gnashing his teeth, though his sinister gaze let everyone know that the matter was far from over.

Yet unexpectedly.

Just as everyone sat in silence, Xiao Yang returned once again. He looked at Xiao Li, his lips parting with extreme reluctance: "That labor-protection supplier, Old Wang, is here for the payment. Are you going out to entertain him?"

To outsiders, these words sounded rather baffling.

Yet Xiao Li knew full well that Xiao Yang had no money left to pay the supplier.

Otherwise, how could he have swallowed his pride and come back to her right after being beaten?

Seeing that the supplier Old Wang had already led his men into the backyard, she could no longer hold back and roared: "Who let you in? Wait outside. Not a single penny of yours will be shorted later."

These words carried immense lethality, terrifying both Old Wang and Xiao Yang.

Knowing that this young woman Xiao Li was not someone to be trifled with, they exchanged glances and hurriedly crept out of the backyard.

At that moment, quietness returned, and the atmosphere grew inexplicably oppressive.

Cursing her teammate as a pig in her heart, Xiao Li sat down at the workbench where Tang Shi had been making shoes.

She remained silent at first, waiting quietly.

It wasn't until Tang Shi emerged from the outhouse that she put on a mild expression and beckoned warmly: "Elder Sister, come over here. I have something to ask you."

"Oh," Tang Shi replied timidly, hurrying to Xiao Li's side.

The others in the backyard also felt a lingering sense of apprehension.

After all, they were no fools; Xiao Li was not Xiao Yang.

On the surface, she seemed much better at dealing with people than Xiao Yang, but in reality, she was utterly scheming!

"Xiao Yang told me you couldn't even cut out a single decent shoe sole all morning today. Is that true?" Xiao Li began, her voice still gentle, yet carrying a faint chill.

This startled Tang Shi, but she nodded honestly nonetheless: "That is true, but you really can't blame me for that."

"Why? Was it Xiao Yang's fault, or the tools?" Xiao Li couldn't help asking.

"The tools played a part, but more importantly, you don't have the molds for cutting the soles, nor do you have a grinding wheel." Tang Shi did not conceal the truth and reported honestly.

"What are the molds like? Are they difficult to make?" Xiao Li asked, momentarily stunned.

As for the grinding wheel, she didn't need to ask; she already knew where such things were sold.

"The molds look simple enough, but I could never make them myself. Liu Xing made every single one of them with his own hands. On the workbench in his main room, I saw at least several hundred molds, most of which were for shoe soles, along with molds for the shoe randing, molds for the heels, and..." Tang Shi spilled everything she knew in one breath.

Initially, Xiao Li calmly committed the information to memory.

Yet as she listened, a look of profound astonishment crept into her phoenix-like eyes.

By the time Tang Shi finished speaking, astonishment had transformed into shock, and shock into gaping speechlessness.

Seeing that Tang Shi had finished, she finally snapped back to her senses: "Do simple slippers and sandals really require so many molds and procedures?"

"There's even more! Every single tool Liu Xing bought came in sets of dozens. Over here, you..." Seeing that Xiao Li was about to lose her temper, Tang Shi shrank her neck and quickly clamped her mouth shut.

Xiao Li pressed no further, clutching her throbbing temples. After a long moment, she asked: "Tang Shi, tell me the truth. Did Liu Xing invite some master shoemaker to help him make shoes?"

Without a master shoemaker guiding him, she would never believe that Liu Xing could have conceived of slippers and sandals involving so many complex processes.

"No, as far as I can see, he is the master shoemaker himself." Tang Shi bit her lip: "Anyway, I've never seen a pair of shoes he couldn't handle."

"Indeed, those shoes of all different shapes and styles just seemed to effortlessly flow from Liu Xing's hands. We initially thought it was a simple task, but once we tried it ourselves, we realized it was as difficult as ascending to heaven," the round-faced young woman chimed in involuntarily.

"Why didn't you mention this when you first arrived at the cooperative?" Xiao Li asked with a darkened face.

This Liu Xing truly seemed to be an absolute monster!

She must have lost her mind to try crossing swords with such a monster!

Wasn't that just courting death?

"You and Xiao Yang didn't give us a chance to speak. The moment we arrived, you rushed us to work without even granting us time to visit the outhouse," Tang Shi retorted with dissatisfaction.

"Well, I won't pressure you anymore. If I let you work freely, can you make slippers and sandals?" Xiao Li looked at Tang Shi, a spark of hope in her eyes.

"Simple slippers, perhaps, but sandals..." Tang Shi hesitated before answering honestly: "Even with the molds Liu Xing made, I couldn't do it."

"Why?"

Xiao Li could not help asking, a trace of anger lacing her voice.

Having spent so much money and wasted so many resources, only to be met with this outcome—to be honest, she was utterly unreconciled!

She truly, deeply felt unreconciled!

"Because every style of sandal has a template mold! All we have to do is fit the processed materials onto the mold to shape the shoes. Without those template molds, we simply cannot do it with our bare hands," Tang Shi revealed the inside story.

"What! Making sandals requires template molds?" Xiao Li was dumbfounded.

Why did she suddenly feel that making shoes was far more complicated than when she attended high school in the county?

"Of course they do. Liu Xing seems to have design drawings for over a hundred sets of template molds! Those molds are all made of wood, and usually only Zhao Xiaomao, Kang Hu, and Liu Qiuyuan are allowed to touch them. People like us can't get near them," Tang Shi thought for a moment and replied.

"Are you certain everything you've said is true?"

"Are you certain you aren't deliberately using Liu Xing to undermine me?"

The more Xiao Li listened, the more sour her heart felt, and a blazing fury welled up within her.

Had she not known that throwing a tantrum was useless, she would have loved nothing more than to break into curses right then and there.

She had thought that with recycled tires and hired hands to make shoes, she could suppress Liu Xing and make a fortune. Now, it seemed that was nothing more than wishful thinking!

As it turned out, she understood nothing about the footwear industry and had no idea that manufacturing a pair of shoes could be this difficult.

Seeing Xiao Li's expression, Tang Shi shrank her neck: "Things are already like this; what reason would I have to use Liu Xing to undermine you?"

The unspoken implication was: I don't even need to undermine you; you wouldn't be able to stomach this result anyway.

Xiao Li pointed at Tang Shi, gritted her teeth, and stood up to leave.

"Hey, can we go home now?" Tang Shi asked hastily at the sight. "It's almost three o'clock in the afternoon, and we haven't even eaten lunch!"

"Get lost!" Xiao Li waved her hand without looking back.

Keeping these people here any longer was pointless, so chasing them away was the best choice.

Yet she would not admit defeat. Since she couldn't poach talent from Liu Xing's side, she refused to believe that the vast city of Hengyang didn't have other skilled shoemakers.

Once she poached one over, she believed all the problems with shoemaking would be easily resolved.

Hearing this, Tang Shi and the others heaved sighs of relief and bolted out of the backyard.

Yet before they even stepped past the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative, they were blocked by a dozen staff members wearing Industrial and Commercial Bureau uniforms.

One tall official held a megaphone and announced: "Listen up, everyone. Stay at your workstations and do not move, or bear the consequences!"

"What is going on?" Xiao Yang stepped out to take a look.

Upon spotting Bureau Chief Ding among the bureau personnel, he was so frightened that he scrambled back inside.

Yet some people could not hide no matter what, and that person was Xiao Li. Without showing panic, she approached Bureau Chief Ding: "What is the meaning of this? My cooperative pays its taxes on time every month; surely we haven't engaged in any illegal activities?"

"Whether you have or not, you know best." Bureau Chief Ding waved a hand at his subordinates: "Search the place. Confiscate anything related to ration coupons and vouchers."

"Understood!" At the command, the dozen bureau personnel scattered, some heading for the counters, some toward the warehouse, and others toward the backyard.

Seeing this array of force, Xiao Li finally began to panic.

Just as she was wondering what to do, a figure appeared at the front gate that caused her heart to flutter with dread.

It was none other than her father, 'Xiao Daode'.

By this time, Xiao Daode had long since lost the high-spirited arrogance he possessed before his arrest.

Not only was his hair completely white, but his eyes were profoundly haggard.

Escorted by two police officers and accompanied by Bureau Chief Wu, he walked desolately into the cooperative.

"You're here," Bureau Chief Wu greeted Bureau Chief Ding with a smile.

"Mm," Bureau Chief Wu nodded slightly.

"Dad!" Ignoring Wu and Ding, Xiao Li cried out and threw herself into Xiao Daode's arms.

The two officers moved to block her, but Bureau Chief Wu stopped them with a glance: "Xiao Li, say your proper farewells to your father. After today, you won't have another chance."

"No! What crime has my father committed? Even if he engaged in speculation and resold fake fertilizer, given all the solid contributions he has made to Zhangmu Township over the years, his crimes shouldn't warrant death!" Xiao Li looked up at Bureau Chief Wu through her tears, utterly bewildered.

Bureau Chief Wu did not answer, merely waving his hand toward the officers who had entered the backyard.

Those officers ran into the backyard and soon emerged carrying several brass chests.

Placing them on the ground and opening them, the contents instantly shocked everyone present.

Even Xiao Yang was dumbfounded, for he genuinely had no idea that hidden within the familiar backyard were brass chests filled not mostly with money, but with all kinds of ration coupons and vouchers—ranging from expensive television invoices down to receipts for boxes of matches worth a few pennies, stacked to the brim inside the chests.

"Dad, why did you hoard all these vouchers?" Xiao Li asked through her tears.

Xiao Daode kept his head down in silence.

In the face of undeniable evidence, any explanation would merely be a cover-up and only deepen his crimes.

At that moment, Bureau Chief Wu bent down and pulled out the vouchers from one of the brass chests. At the very bottom, he uncovered a gleaming, polished handgun along with several rounds of ammunition.

Seeing this, Xiao Li's legs buckled, and she collapsed in a heap onto the ground.

She had known her father was greedy, but she truly never imagined he would dare to conceal firearms.

If they were to hold him accountable for this, he would likely be stripped of his life.

Yet what broke her down even further was yet to come. An officer found skeletal remains in the backyard, and judging by the extent of decomposition into bare bones, they had been there for a year or two.

"Is this the corpse of Zhang Ainiu?" Bureau Chief Wu asked Xiao Daode.

"Yes, it is him," Xiao Daode replied.

"You killed him back then over three yuan?" Bureau Chief Wu couldn't help asking.

The question sent a violent shiver through Xiao Li, for she truly could not fathom that her own father had committed murder.

"I had to kill him because he knew too many of my secrets," Xiao Daode sighed heavily. "Truth be told, I didn't want to do it at the time, but it was Xiao Yang's words that made up my mind."

"Where is Xiao Yang?" Bureau Chief Wu scanned his surroundings.

Seeing no sign of Xiao Yang inside the cooperative, his expression shifted: "Damn it, we let the little bastard escape."

"He... he hid in the backyard just now," Tang Shi raised her hand and said timidly.

Upon hearing this, two officers immediately sprinted toward the rear.

Moments later, they dragged a disheveled Xiao Yang back out.

Bureau Chief Wu looked at him with a smile: "Xiao Yang, do you have anything to say?"

Xiao Yang lowered his head, unable to utter a single word.

"Take him away!" With a wave of Bureau Chief Wu's hand, two officers stepped forward and escorted Xiao Yang out of the cooperative.

Xiao Daode was likewise taken away, looking like a walking corpse.

The bureau personnel then began hauling away the daily commodities and vouchers stored inside the cooperative.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Bureau Chief Wu sighed heavily: "Xiao Li, take your people and leave. This cooperative is going to be sealed up. Some things—you're still too young, and it's better you don't know."

"Yes, yes!" Xiao Li tried to stand, but her legs refused to obey.

Without paying her any further mind, Bureau Chief Wu walked out of the cooperative alongside Bureau Chief Ding. As he reached the front entrance, he suddenly turned back to look at Xiao Li: "Tomorrow is market day. Come to the market to see your father off; this will likely be the last time you ever see him in this lifetime."

With those words, he walked away without looking back.

Hearing this, how could Xiao Li fail to understand the implication behind Bureau Chief Wu's words?

Clutching her head in despair, she finally lost her last ounce of strength and fainted onto the ground.

...

"Big Brother, why hasn't Grandfather come back to see me yet?" Riding atop the back of the little black calf, Lan兰 caught sight of the approaching market ahead and suddenly tilted her head to ask.

Leading the ox by its rope, Liu Xing knew Lan兰 was projecting her longing onto familiar sights. He gave a soft sigh and replied: "Your grandfather must be very busy. But don't you worry, he will definitely come to see you—perhaps before the Dragon Boat Festival, or maybe even tomorrow."

Such an ambiguous answer left the clever Lan兰 feeling somewhat distressed.

Yet she showed no sign of it, instead putting on a brave face and changing the subject: "Oh! Big Brother, look! Look over there! Why is the market so lively today?"

Following her gaze toward the road ahead, Liu Xing saw that it was indeed bustling, and his brow furrowed slightly.

To verify his suspicions, he quickened his pace.

At the market, the front entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative had already been sealed with paper strips.

A crowd of peddlers and merchants had gathered around the entrance, discussing the scene animatedly.

"My word! What wicked sin did Xiao Daode commit anyway? I saw him wearing handcuffs earlier!"

"That's not even the point. The point is that Xiao Yang got arrested too. Goodness, they wiped out the whole family in one go!"

"What kind of nonsense are you talking about? Didn't you see that Xiao Li hasn't been arrested yet? Pity that poor girl!"

"Forget about that; didn't you see earlier? They hauled a skeleton out of this cooperative, and word is it's Zhang Ainiu!"

"Really? Didn't Zhang Ainiu go away to work in another province? How... how did he end up dead inside the cooperative?"

"Who are you asking? But judging by how things look, Xiao Daode must have done it. Have you forgotten? He was the very one who claimed Zhang Ainiu went off to work far away in the first place!"

"Right! Right! Right! I remember hearing those exact words from his mouth!"

"Well, if that's true, Xiao Daode is a murderer!"

"Shh... keep it down. Xiao Li hasn't gone far yet!"

...

Guiding the little black calf past the cooperative, Liu Xing was quite astonished by what he overheard.

He had originally assumed Xiao Daode's crimes extended no further than speculating and reselling ration coupons.

Never had he imagined that the man would dare to commit murder; it meant the waters running deep within that cooperative were far murkier than he thought.

Fortunately, he had leveraged the currents of the times to bring Xiao Daode down. Had he been reborn just a few years earlier, there was no telling how he might have met his end.

"Big Brother! Big Brother! It's so lively here, can I get down and take a look?" Perched on the calf's back, Guazi asked as she watched many children playing and frolicking near the cooperative's entrance.

Liu Xing's face darkened instantly at the request: "You've only just arrived at the market and you're already acting disobediently? Didn't you hear people say someone died here? If you don't want to suffer from sleepless nights, you'll stay right down here."

"I definitely don't!" At the mention of a dead person, Guazi shrank her neck in fright.

Lan兰 smiled softly at the sight: "Big Brother, now that the cooperative is sealed up, won't you have a monopoly on selling shoes in the market from now on?"

"Not necessarily. Even though Xiao Daode's cooperative has gone under, someone else will eventually take it over—it's only a matter of time," Liu Xing sighed lightly. "You know, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Doing business is only interesting when you have competitors. Look at how Xiao Daode monopolized the market for over a decade, only to let his own arrogance drag him down in the end."

"So, a person must always have self-awareness and keep rivals to check themselves; only then will you have the drive to keep moving forward," he added after a brief pause.

"Oh!" Lan兰 nodded, understanding only half of it.

Wasting no more breath, Liu Xing led the black calf toward his shoe shop.

To his surprise, right outside the shop's entrance, he spotted the figure of Xiao Li.

Alongside her were Tang Shi and the other young women.

"Her cooperative has been sealed up, so why on earth does she still have the heart to come to my shoe store?" Puzzled beyond measure, Liu Xing scratched his head, quickly brushed aside his confusion, and stepped forward to meet them.

Seeing that Liu Xing had finally appeared, Xiao Li stopped negotiating with Nai Xinru and Liu Dongju, turning instead to gaze quietly at him as he approached.

"Young Brother, she..." Liu Dongju wanted to explain, but Liu Xing cut her back with a gesture: "Take the calf and the shoes on its back inside the shop, and keep an eye on Lan兰 and Guazi. Leave the rest to me."

"Alright!" Casting one last wary glance at Xiao Li, Liu Dongju led the black calf away.

Seeing that the surrounding onlookers had consciously dispersed, Liu Xing smiled at Xiao Li: "Say whatever you have to say quickly. I don't have time to waste on you."

"I'm leaving," Xiao Li choked out after holding back for a long time.

"And?" Liu Xing asked, spreading his hands in bewilderment.

As far as he was concerned, he shared no friendly ties whatsoever with this Xiao Li, did he?

Xiao Li swallowed a sob: "I need to ask you for a favor, otherwise I won't even have the travel fare to get back home."

"Huh?" Liu Xing paused for a moment before snapping back to his senses: "Would fifty yuan be enough?"

"I don't want your charity; I'm trading items for it." Xiao Li stamped her foot in frustration.

"I don't want them," Liu Xing shook his head repeatedly.

Anything associated with Xiao Li at this moment reeked of bad luck.

No matter what, he could not accept a thing.