No wonder Wu Yumei was so happy that she wao sing. Just two days ago, the small restaurant she had been painstakingly running was on the verge of closing dow, by a miracle, it came back to life thanks to a person who came in the middle of the night to eat without paying. Not only did this person have excellent cooking skills, but he was also a martial arts expert. The key point was that Old Huang had lu his fate.

  When Old Huang was around, business was booming. The ption of ingredients and seasonings was low, and the cost of buyiables dropped signifitly. With the boss handling the cashier, the daily turnover saw a noticeable rise. If this tinued for a month, they would turn a profit.

  It all started with that bowl of noodles, which she had given for free. Wu Yumei firmly believed in the karmic theory of good deeds being repaid with good fortune. If it hadn't been for her kindness in not charging him, Old Huang wouldn’t have stepped in to make chi hot pot. If she hadn’t kindly let him stay, there wouldn’t have been any of the subseques ood fortune—perhaps even the kids ier café would have died.

  Thinking of it this way, didn’t that mean she had bee a living Bodhisattva? As she thought about it, Wu Yumei felt a surge of happiness in her heart.

  She invited Old Huang to stay at her house, but it wasn’t because she was chasing after him. She was a straightforerson with a ki, and she wasn’t that ope came to retionships between men and women. She simply felt that the restaurant was too cold, and the table that was made into a bed was too hard. Besides, Old Huang had been there for two days without taking a bath. It would be o let him take a hot shower at her pce.

  The siderate boss seemed to have fotten that there ublic bathhouse on Coal Port Road. The big pool there would be much more fortable than her own showerhead.

  Business was det that evening. Though the table turnover rate was not high, the average spendiable was signifit. Seeing the stack of cash in the register, Wu Yumei beamed with joy. By midnight, the ingredients were all sold out, and the job was done. Wu Yumei annouhat they could close early a for the night.

  The three of them locked the door ahe restaurant happily. Wu Yumei hahe keys to the Wuling Zhiguang (a small car) to Huang Pihu: "Old Huang, you drive."

  Huang Pihu refused. "I don’t have a driver's lise."

  "Go get oer," Wu Yumei said, sliding into the driver’s seat and opening the passenger door for him to get in. This had inally been Xiao Hong's seat, but now Xiao Hong could only pout and sit in the back, as the van had been modified for cargo and had no back seats.

  Wu Yumei rented a pearby, just a few hundred meters away, in a dipidated residential area in the Shipyard New Vilge. There wasn’t even a streetlight, and it itch bck. The Wuling Zhiguang finally stopped under Building 17. Wu Yumei turned off the engine, pulled the handbrake, and took the keys out, saying, "We’re here."

  Yi Leng g the upper floor, thinking to himself that this was fate. Wu Yumei actually lived in the same building as his daughter. Maybe they were even in the same unit. Sure enough, Wu Yumei went straight to Unit 2. The motion-sensing light was broken, so she groped her to the sed floor. She took out her keys and opehe door to Room 201, turning on the light.

  Yi Leng looked at the door to Room 202. His daughter’s family lived there. He never expected that they would end up being neighbors.

  The youts of Room 201 and 202 were a bit different. One was south-fag, the other north-fag. The living room in the middle didn’t see any sunlight, and the heating valve in the room was turned off because someone was only home at night. It would be a waste to turn it on during the day, but the heating was on both upstairs and downstairs, so the temperature was still bearable.

  Wu Yumei lived in the south-fag room, Xiao Hong lived in the north-fag room, and Old Huang had to sleep in the living room. Xiao Hong wasn’t happy about the arra, but she didn’t have the right to pin. She could only mutter under her breath that it would be inveo go in and out of the room to use the bathroom.

  "Let’s all make do for now. Once business improves, we move to a bigger pce," Wu Yumei said. It seemed like she also thought that it wasn’t very ve for men and women to live together. So, she went to her bedroom, got two old bed sheets, and a roll of iron wire to make a small area for Old Huang.

  With that sorted, it was time to take a shower. The boss went first. Wu Yumei ged into her home clothes and slippers, carrying a small basket into the bathroom. She was done iy minutes and came out.

  Wu Yumei’s hair was still wet and casg down, with a pleasant st of shel. Her face was flushed from the steam, and the colr of her clothes was slightly open, her eyes sparkling with a smile.

  Huang Pihu’s eyes went wide, and his throat tightened as he swallowed. After spending four years in prison, he hadn’t smelled a woman’s fragrance. How could he hahis?

  "Xiao Hong, hurry up, while it’s still steamy," Wu Yumei said, not even gng at Huang Pihu, and slid into her bedroom in her slippers.

  Xiao Hong’s shower took a long time—she stayed in for a full half hour. Although she wasn’t sidered beautiful, her youthfulness made her rosy and fresh like a camellia.

  Finally, it was Huang Pihu’s turered the bathroom, took off his clothes, and turned oap, only to find there was only cold water, no hot water. It turned out that the old sor water heater was used here. Though the sun had been good that day, Xiao Hong had used up all the hot water, and now the water temperature was close to room temperature, nearly freezing.

  Xiao Hong had dohis on purpose, but Huang Pihu didn’t care. He took a cold shower anyway, ing out five mier, his body steaming hot. He thought that by now, both female roommates must have goo their rooms. But uedly, the south-fag bedroom door opened. Wu Yumei came out holding a tea cup to pour some hot water. Huang Pihu almost got caught pletely naked.

  Wu Yumei had seen men before, but she had never seen a man like this. She was stunned.

  In the summer, the shipyard workers liked to go shirtless and have barbecues and beer outdoors, and there were hardly any worth looking at—big bellies, thiecks, and reg hairlihey looked nothing like what you'd expect from the w-css big brother image.

  But beh Huang Pihu’s bulging clothes, there was actually a body of solid muscle, with a terrifyingly low body fat pertage. His six-pack abs were clearly defined. In the dim light of the fifteen-watt bulb in the living room, Wu Yumei failed to notice the more terrifying scars on Huang Pihu’s body. Even if she did see them, she wouldn’t reize the marks from gunshots, knife wounds, and severe torture.

  Now, it was Wu Yumei’s turn to swallow. The two of them stared at each other in the living room, the atmosphere thick with tension, until Xiao Hong opehe door to the north-fag room and came out to use the bathroom. When she saw them like this, she cleared her throat. Wu Yumei hurriedly went bato her room, closing the door behind her. Her face was hot, and her heart ounding. She thought to herself, what did I evehe door for? She had pletely fotten.

  She spent the wenty minutes calming herself down behind the door, waiting for her heartbeat to return to a normal pace. When she finally opehe dain, everything was dark. The lights were off, and there was no sound from Huang Pihu. Wu Yumei felt a bit annoyed. How could this man be so passive? He wasn’t ag like a man at all. She huffed and forcefully locked the dain, the click of the lock eg clearly in the dark night.

  After tossing and turning in bed for a while, Wu Yumei still couldn’t fall asleep. She began to think about Huang Pihu. Acc to the usual logic, since he had just e down from the mountain, he should have been starving for a woman. Why hadn’t he made a move? He wasn’t a young man who o hold back. Was it because she wasn’t attractive enough?

  Thinking this, Wu Yumei got up, looked at herself in the mirror, and applied some lotion, turning herself into a “fragrant baby.” After a little posing and self-indulgence, she quietly went to the door, unlocked it, and opened a crack. The light from the bedroom leaked out. If Huang Pihu didn’t make a move now, then he was a fool.

  But just opening the door didn’t mean Wu Yumei was ready to let Huang Pihu in. She erson who valued her dignity too. What she was doing was simply to prove her own charm. If Huang Pihu tried to e in, she wouldn’t let him get away with it. Hmph.

  However, despite waiting, she eventually drifted off to sleep.

  In the middle of the night, Wu Yumei was suddenly woken up by the sound of a door opening and closing. She got up, turned on the light, and looked around—Huang Pihu was o be found. Even the car keys hanging above the shoe rack at the door were gone. She quickly ran to the kit baly, only to see Huang Pihu starting the car, the exhaust spitting out clouds of white steam.

  Wu Yumei felt a warm feeling in her heart. She hadn’t even thought about the possibility of him stealing her car. After all, if he didn’t care about her, he wouldn’t care about such a junk car. Huang Pihu was someone who would care for others. He had probably goo buy supplies early in the m, she thought. But then she paused. Wait—he didn’t have any moo buy supplies, did he?

  This time, Wu Yumei couldn't stay calm. She y back down but couldn't fall asleep, waiting until after 7 in the m. She heard the sounds of the door opening and closing again, and her heart finally settled. Old Huang had really goo buy vegetables.

  Wu Yumei got dressed and came out, pretending to have just woken up, stretg zily. She asked Old Huang, "Why are you up so early?"

  Huang Pihu said, "I went to the market and talked to a few vendors about supplyiables for us, so we won't have to get up early every day anymore."

  Wu Yumei couldn't uand. It was the usual routine for restaurant operators to go to the market early to buy the freshest ingredients. Doing so saved money and ehe best quality goods. By the time the goods were delivered in the m, the quality was not as good. So why let someone else deliver it?

  Huang Pihu expined, "I didn't go to find wholesale vendors one by one. Instead, I found a market stall with a fixed spad made a list for them to deliver daily. Of course, the prices are higher than wholesale, and it includes delivery charges."

  "But they o make mooo," Huang Pihu said. "We're short-handed, and our main business is at night. Getting up at four or five in the m to buy vegetables is too exhausting. I think it's better to give up some profit and focus on the business, which will earn us more in the long run."

  Wu Yumei was silent for a while, feeling that what he said made sense and could not refute it.

  "Alright, it's up to you," Wu Yumei said, her voice soft and obedient like a little wife.

  Huang Pihu pced the items from his bag oable: hot, golden brown pan-fried buns, with both pork aable fillings, and three bowls of tury egg and lean pork pe, freshly bought from a nearby breakfast shop, emitting a delicious fragrance.

  Xiaohong, who was young and loved to sleep, had her room dhtly shut with faint sn sounds ing from within. Wu Yumei sighed, "This child is really blessed. Let's eat first before she wakes up."

  On this Sunday m, the two sat in the warm room, eating breakfast. The window fag north had a red "Fu" character pasted on it. Looking out, they saw the building across the street, icicles hanging from the eaves, and a string of wax sausages hanging inside someone's anti-theft window. The quiet, cozy atmosphere felt like a couple quietly living their life together.

  Wu Yumei suddenly thought this moment was so beautiful, and she wished it could st forever.

  Huang Pihu suggested revising the menu to focus on a few signature dishes, eliminating the miseous ohis would make it easier to purchase and at for the ingredients needed each day.

  Wu Yumei grabbed a piece of paper and, together with Huang Pihu, worked on the menu. They decided to feature "Da Hong Pao" (a type of tea) as the main item, along with some cold dishes, stir-fries, and desserts. Then, she took a colored card, used a fountain pen, and wrote out the menu with elegant, iron-hooked, silver-brushed calligraphy, which was fluid yet strong, refleg her own personality.

  "Your handwriting is really good," Huang Pihu plimented. "You must have done well in school."

  Wu Yumei's expression dimmed for a moment. "What's the use? We didn't have mo home, and I had to start w after graduating from high school."

  "Educatio equal culture. I think you're very cultured now," Huang Pihu said, gng at Wu Yumei. This made her suddenly realize she hadn't washed her face after getting out of bed. She gasped and hurried to wash her face, but discovered there was no hot water.

  "The sor heater isn't w; we o repce it with aric water heater," Huang Pihu said as he followed her.

  "It'll cost a thousand yuan," Wu Yumei said.

  "It'll be fih just a couple hundred. Leave it to me," Huang Pihu volunteered. He knew Wu Yumei was good at managing money, making every penny stretch. More importantly, the house was rented, and they didn’t know when they might move out. Taking the water heater down aalling it elsewhere would be a hassle.

  "Really?" Wu Yumei was skeptical, but still went to the bedroom to get the money for Huang Pihu, and opehe window slightly to let some air in. From door, she could hear the sound of reading aloud; it was the girl door.

  Although they lived door, Wu Yumei, always busy from m to night, hadn’t met Yi Nuannua, unaware that the girl door was the er from yesterday.

  As Wu Yumei turned around, Huang Pihu actually ehe bedroom, casually closing the door behind him.

  Wu Yumei's heart started rag, both excited and expet. Finally, Old Huang couldn't resist anymore.

  However, Huang Pihu went to the window and listeo the reading sounds. The girl door ractig English vocabury.

  "Her pronunciation isn’t quite right," Huang Pihu remarked seriously. "The teacher has taught her badly."

  Wu Yumei was a bit disappointed, feeling sour. "So you know English?"

  Huang Pihu replied, "I lear from a tape when I was little."

  Wu Yumei said, "Then teach me."

  They exged awkward words for a while, and then Huang Pihu left without anything happening. This made Wu Yumei angry as she fiercely hit the pillow.

  Yi Leng, knowing Wu Yumei's thoughts, wasn’t unfamiliar with women’s desires. After all, he used to be a notorious pyboy himself. But siting married, he had calmed down. Though he had lost four years of freedom, he had tempered his resolve, strengthening his will.

  Moreover, he always felt that his deceased wife was still around, and with his daughter living right door, he could not afford to let himself go. That would be a betrayal to his wife and daughter.

  Right now, Yi Leng was most ed about two things: his daughter’s English and her lunch.

  As for other matters—world peace, the ozone yer, money, career, social es—he didn’t care at all.

  Thinking of his poor daughter, memories of the family’s past suddenly overwhelmed him. Yi Le an inexplicable sensation—Xiang Mo was still out there, and she was on her way.

  In Room 202 door, Xiang Bing rubbed her eyes while watg her niece recite English. She wasn’t good at English herself and couldn’t tell what was wrong with the pronunciation. This se reminded her of the pain she felt when her sister’s grades always overshadowed hers.

  Suddenly, Yi Nuannuan stopped reg, looking strange as she said to Xiang Bing, "Aunt, I feel like my mom is here."

  Xiang Bing said, "Don’t scare me. Did you dream of her?"

  Yi Nuannuan said, "No, it’s probably my sixth sense. I just feel like she’s here, very close to me."

  Jiangwei City, although not eically developed, had a small airport that was envied by a neighb city. Though only a 3C level, it was enough to handle Boeing 737s. The airport was located in the shipyard area, by the sea, and was called Xiliuort.

  At that moment, on the runway of Xiliuort, a French Dassault Fal 2000LX business jet was nding against the backdrop of the sunrise over the sea. Ihe luxuriously decorated , a woman iwenties looked out the window at the low-rise city buildings.

  She was the same girl who had seen Yi Leing bread in the snowstorm two days ago outside the Jiangbei High-Speed Railway Station.

  For some unknown reason, she had insisted on apanying her father to Jiangwei for a business deal. Her father’s pany wao purchase four 3E-css tainer cargo ships and four Cape-sized dry cargo ships. These two types of ships were huge, and the stru costs were extremely high.

  [--------------------------------------------]

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