Chapter 83: A Woman Cannot Say No

Seeing Jiang Fan carefully selecting the fruit, Brother Hui picked up two of the largest empty cardboard boxes from beside the fruit stand and said, “No need to fuss, just fill two boxes at random and you’re good.”

Jiang Fan replied courteously, “A guest is a guest; I can’t take advantage of you.”

Having warmed up to each other a little, Brother Hui teased, “A guest is a guest? But yesterday, when you helped someone choose, why did you pick only the wilted ones?”

Jiang Fan looked at Brother Hui in surprise and asked, “How did you know?”

Realizing he’d let something slip and not wanting Jiang Fan to think he’d arranged someone to follow him, Brother Hui explained, “Yesterday, Deputy General Manager Tang went home, passed by the security team, and gave both bags of fruit to my cousin, told him to share them with the security guys, said it would be a waste if they spoiled.”

The warmth that had just appeared on Jiang Fan’s face vanished instantly, and his tone turned cold. “Your cousin’s an official in the security squad?”

Noticing Jiang Fan’s clear dislike for the security team, Brother Hui knew it was too late to cover up, and that making excuses would only make things worse. He nodded and admitted, “Zheng Xiaolin and Zheng Xiaomao are both my cousins. Whatever issues you have with them are between you and them; friendship is friendship. If you’re willing, tomorrow’s invitation still stands. If not, just pretend I was never here.”

Jiang Fan put down the mangoes he had chosen and said coldly, “A friend like you is too noble for me. As a poor man, I should know my place. Sorry for wasting your time. Please go.”

Brother Hui looked at Jiang Fan’s determined expression and shook his head. “You’ve got character. Until we meet again, then.”

Jiang Fan took his words as a threat and glared at Brother Hui, gritting his teeth. “I’m ready anytime.”

Brother Hui heard the misunderstanding in Jiang Fan’s tone and offered a reminder: “When I said ‘until we meet again,’ I meant the fate of encounters between people. If you insist on twisting my words, it’s not worth me explaining further.” With that, he turned and left.

Jiang Fan muttered under his breath, “Birds of a feather, what a bunch.”

Brother Hui heard but didn’t look back.

Jiang Fan’s rented room and the fruit shop were in the same building—a single-story row with five storefronts. Xiao Yuxin’s shop was in the center, with a daily goods store to the left and a hair salon to the right.

The encounter had left Jiang Fan disgruntled. He sat indignantly by the shop’s entrance.

Two girls sat chatting outside the hair salon, backs turned, but they had overheard the entire conversation between Brother Hui and Jiang Fan. After Brother Hui left, one of the girls, about eighteen or nineteen, came over and said, “Hey handsome, help me pick two pounds of Red Fuji apples.”

Jiang Fan wasn’t in the mood for business. He nodded toward the shop. “Two-fifty a pound, pick and weigh them yourself.”

The girl pouted playfully, feigning shyness. “Can’t you help me pick? Don’t you know how to cherish a beauty?”

Jiang Fan got up and walked inside. “Alright, alright, I’ll help. Just don’t blame me if I pick the wilted ones.”

At that moment, he couldn’t help but resent Deputy General Manager Tang for getting him into this.

The imported Red Fujis were heavy—three apples came to more than two pounds. He weighed them and asked, “It’s four ounces over. Do you want them all?”

The girl replied flirtatiously, “Yes, of course. A woman can’t say no, and a man can’t say he can’t. Don’t you know that?”

After this tease, she picked one apple out of the tray and handed it to Jiang Fan. “Here, since we’ve just met, have an apple on me.”

Jiang Fan stepped back, waving his hand. “It’s too expensive. You enjoy it. But why can’t a woman say no?”

The girl noticed Jiang Fan genuinely didn’t get the innuendo. She giggled and eyed him. “Don’t you have a pretty girlfriend? Haven’t you heard these things before?”

Jiang Fan shook his head. “What’s that got to do with having a girlfriend?”

“Doesn’t your girlfriend ever sleep in the same bed with you and say she doesn’t want to?”

Jiang Fan frowned slightly, muttering “don’t want to” under his breath a couple of times before finally catching her meaning. He grumbled, “Who would have thought you girls are so open these days?”

“We’re in the era of reform and opening up. If we’re not open, how could we live up to the spirit of reform?”

Realizing he was no match for her banter, Jiang Fan finally took a good look at her. Her makeup was thick, lips painted a bright red. She was under 160 centimeters, but had a striking face and a shapely figure—neither fat nor thin, with full curves.

He had noticed before that the hair salon’s door curtain was always drawn, and most customers were locals, with a few flashy men coming and going. He’d thought it was a top-notch salon, but from the girl’s words and behavior, he suddenly understood what kind of business it really was.

Her teasing lifted his mood a little. Casually, he asked, “Who’s your boss?”

“The real boss is Brother Lu. He rarely shows up; I’ve only seen him a few times. Day to day, the shop’s run by Skinny.”

Jiang Fan studied her and pressed, “You saw me give Skinny a hard time and just now insulted your boss. Aren’t you afraid they’ll take it out on you?”

The girl curled her lip. “If the master doesn’t hit, the servant won’t be punished. In this line of work, looks are all that matter, not like working in a factory. What’s there to be afraid of? My name’s Aqin—I think we’re from the same province.”

Jiang Fan detected the Sichuan accent in her voice and nodded. “Probably. I’m Jiang Fan.”

Aqin wanted to chat more, but seeing Xiao Yuxin approaching from afar, she pulled a wad of bills from her bra, counted out six yuan, and handed it to Jiang Fan. “Next time, let me treat you to a late-night snack.”

Before Jiang Fan could reply, she hurried back to the salon.

Jiang Fan muttered to himself, “Keeping money there, and taking it out without a care—does she need reminding that I am a man?”

Xiao Yuxin reached the shop in time to hear his comment. She snapped, “No one needs reminding; the whole street knows you’re a real man now.”

Hearing the barbed tone in Xiao Yuxin’s words, Jiang Fan asked, “What do you mean by that?”

She used her foot to drag over the plastic lounge chair Jiang Fan had been sitting on, sat down heavily, and said with a hint of mockery, “What do I mean? You’ve managed to offend both big shots in the village at once—if that’s not manly, what is?”

Only then did Jiang Fan notice that Yueyue, who had left with Xiao Yuxin earlier, hadn’t returned with her. He guessed Brother Hui must have met up with her after leaving. He bristled, “So what if I’ve offended them? As if I’m scared.”

Seeing him acting stubborn again, Xiao Yuxin lowered her voice and explained, “Brother Hui may be a man of the streets, but he’s nothing like Brother Lu—he doesn’t bully the weak or chase every dime. That’s why I wanted you to get to know him—a friend is another path. I didn’t expect your stubborn streak to flare over something so small.

This isn’t a city, it’s a village. Do you know the strongest bond in any village?”

She didn’t elaborate, just stared at Jiang Fan, hoping he’d pick up on the real issue from this hint.

Jiang Fan shook his head.

“And you call yourself a college graduate. The strongest link in a village is family ties—everyone’s related, one way or another.

Brother Hui and Brother Lu have fallen out, but they haven’t come to blows yet, mostly because of those family connections. If things go on, they’ll end up at each other’s throats. You need friends from all walks of life if you want to stand firm here. Between Brother Lu and Brother Hui, you should know who to choose by now.”

Jiang Fan stubbornly retorted, “He’s related to both security team captains. Why should I be friends with him?”

Xiao Yuxin, exasperated, stood up and tapped him on the forehead. “I’ve explained so much and you still don’t get it. Most families here are related—are you saying the whole village is bad?”

It was only now that Jiang Fan understood why Xiao Yuxin was lecturing him about village ties. Seeing she was genuinely upset, he rubbed his forehead, sniffed his fingers, then leaned in and said, “Smells good. Do it again, Sister Xin.”

Seeing him joke to lighten the mood, Xiao Yuxin finally smiled. “I’d never harm you. I know the people here. Next time, don’t be so stubborn. He’s older than you—if you see him again, just say hello first, it doesn’t cost you anything.”

“Alright, alright,” Jiang Fan nodded vigorously. “I’ll listen, okay? After being scolded, I need to go out and clear my head. You look after the shop.”

Dongguan only had a few friends for him. Leaving the commercial street, Jiang Fan didn’t know where else to go. He wandered around the village twice, but with nowhere to be, he ended up at the dumpling shop to visit the old couple, Huang Guihua, and Zhang Xiaoye.