Chapter 116: The Past of a Woman Chasing a Man (Part Two)

Teased in public, Ar-Lin shyly covered her face, too embarrassed to make a sound.

A-Miao chimed in, "He is a buffalo by nature, so calling him 'cow dung' is hardly an exaggeration; it’s just a pity for a fresh flower like our Ar-Lin."

Liu Zhengjun, caught off guard by the public teasing from Jiang Fan and A-Miao, wanted to retort but was too tongue-tied to find the words.

Anxious to play matchmaker, Jiang Fan asked the four girls, "Have you all eaten yet?"

The three other girls, unfamiliar with him, were too shy to speak, so A-Miao replied, "Are you planning to treat us?"

Having just finished his own meal, Jiang Fan patted his chest and said generously, "No problem. Let’s go to my uncle’s dumpling shop; my treat."

A-Miao pouted, "All you ever talk about is that dumpling shop. Can’t you be generous enough to take us somewhere decent?"

Jiang Fan stared at A-Miao, curious. "How do you know I’m always at the dumpling shop?"

"I know plenty about you; it’s just that you aren't aware of it yourself."

As his reputation in the factory grew, more people at the Dafeng factory began to take notice of Jiang Fan. His daily habits—frequenting the dumpling shop, having adopted two younger sisters, dating a stunning girlfriend, and maintaining a close relationship with the beautiful proprietress of the fruit stand—had become common fodder for gossip among the workers during their spare time.

Realizing he was the talk of the town, Jiang Fan stuck out his tongue and said, "Fine. Since you all care about me so much, I’ll be generous just this once. Let’s go to Huifeng for a feast."

The Huifeng restaurant, located across from Jiang Fan’s rental, was an ordinary eatery, but it offered a wide variety of dishes. The owner's son was the head chef, and his culinary skills were quite good; among the migrant workers, Huifeng was considered a rather upscale establishment.

Seeing Jiang Fan return with a group of girls shortly after leaving, Xiao Yuxin teased Wang Wenyu, "Your man is so popular with the ladies; you, the official wife, had better be careful!"

Among the four girls, even the prettiest, Ar-Lin, was only of above-average beauty and could hardly compare to Wang Wenyu. Still, harboring the typical insecurities of a woman in love, Wang Wenyu felt a flutter of anxiety. She walked into Huifeng and teased Jiang Fan, "Do you have such a bottomless appetite? Eating again when you’re already full?"

After Jiang Fan introduced Wang Wenyu to the girls, he pointed at Liu Zhengjun with a mischievous grin and said to her, "Wife, you be the judge. This blockhead Liu Zhengjun is thick-limbed and slow-witted. He has a beautiful flower like Ar-Lin chasing him, yet he insists on sleeping alone in his factory bunk."

Hearing Jiang Fan’s suggestive teasing, A-Miao switched sides and joined in to rib Liu Zhengjun: "You’re actually quite emotionally intelligent, aren't you? Despite not being much to look at, you still managed to snag such a beautiful girlfriend."

Although Wang Wenyu was accustomed to being complimented, hearing it from Jiang Fan’s friends felt different. She joined A-Miao’s camp, using Jiang Fan as the punchline: "It’s not that he has high emotional intelligence; he’s just thick-skinned. I was so hounded by him that I had no choice but to give in."

Seeing Wang Wenyu making fun of him too, Jiang Fan replied with an ambiguous smirk, "The sun hasn't risen yet, so it doesn't count as truly 'giving in' just yet."

Hearing him bring up the sun again, Wang Wenyu rolled her eyes and gave his arm a sharp pinch, though she remained silent.

Since it was Jiang Fan’s first time at the restaurant, the owner, eager to curry favor, prioritized their table’s order. The couple and Liu Zhengjun had just finished dinner, and the four women had just finished their sweet soup. It was a hearty meal by the standards of the working class. After everyone had taken a few bites, Jiang Fan pressed for the truth about what was going on between Liu Zhengjun and Ar-Lin.

They eventually learned that when Ar-Lin first arrived at the factory, she had only four yuan in her pocket. She had spent it on a straw mat and a washbasin, leaving her unable to afford even a bucket for showering, let alone daily necessities like shampoo or soap. Every time she showered, she had to wait for her roommates to finish so she could borrow their buckets. For the first week, she hadn't used soap or shampoo even once.

While she could manage the showers, the most embarrassing moment was similar to the plight of Huang Guihua: when her period arrived, she couldn't afford a pack of sanitary pads. Huang Guihua had her sister, A-Zhen, to look after her, and when they couldn't afford pads, they bought toilet paper instead.

Ar-Lin, however, had no family, no friends, and no money, so she resorted to using scrap newspaper. One day after her shift, Liu Zhengjun, who was on duty at the production workshop gate, noticed that the back of her pants was wet.

The inarticulate Liu Zhengjun secretly wrote a note of warning. While waiting in the lunch line, he slipped the note and five yuan into Ar-Lin’s hand and scurried away as if he had committed a crime.

"I think you might be on your period; the back is wet. Remember to take care of yourself." Seeing those few short words, Ar-Lin’s gratitude was beyond measure.

Those few simple words and five yuan were all it took for Liu Zhengjun to break into Ar-Lin’s heart. From then on, she would greet him whenever she saw him, and if she caught him doing laundry, she would rush to help him. Ar-Lin’s interest was obvious to everyone, but Liu Zhengjun, that blockhead, was hopelessly dense around girls. Always feeling he wasn't good enough for her, he would scurry away like a mouse seeing a cat whenever she approached.

Ar-Lin’s affection for Liu Zhengjun was no secret; it was known not only to her own production line but to everyone across the four lines under A-Miao’s supervision.

Hearing A-Miao recount this, Jiang Fan remembered Zhao Sixi’s attempts to hit on Ar-Lin. He looked at Liu Zhengjun and asked, "Do you know Zhao Sixi?"

Liu Zhengjun, already blushing beet-red from being grilled by the table, shook his head honestly and remained silent.

Ar-Lin spoke up for the first time: "He doesn't know. I didn't want to drag him into it, so I never mentioned it."

Hearing A-Miao describe Liu Zhengjun as a blockhead, Wang Wenyu thought of Jiang Fan’s own past. She chimed in to encourage Liu Zhengjun: "My own 'scoundrel' here was just like you in school—blushing whenever he saw a girl. Now he’s thick-skinned as they come. A man needs to be brave enough to take the first step."

After Wang Wenyu finished, Jiang Fan pressed further: "We’ve said all we can. Do you agree or not? Can you act like a man and give us an answer?"

Seeing Liu Zhengjun shyly keeping his silence, his face flushed crimson, Ar-Lin gathered her courage and said, "Don't force him. You can't force feelings. If he doesn't want to, then let it be."

In the past, Ar-Lin had only expressed her feelings through actions, never directly. Her interjection now was a clear declaration that she truly liked him.

Like a prisoner awaiting judgment, Liu Zhengjun kept his head bowed, stole a glance at Ar-Lin, and whispered, "I don't disagree. I just feel I’m not good enough for her."

Seeing that the blockhead had finally admitted his feelings, Ar-Lin, who had endured so many hardships, felt tears of joy stream down her face.

A-Miao, who cared deeply for her subordinates, saw her efforts finally pay off. She glanced at Jiang Fan, who was still teasing Liu Zhengjun, and in that moment, her hidden adoration for him inadvertently flickered through the atmosphere.

A-Miao’s stolen glance at Jiang Fan did not escape Wang Wenyu’s notice. With a woman’s keen intuition in matters of the heart, she couldn't help but take a few extra looks at A-Miao.