Chapter 405: Jealousy and Resentment Brew in the Dark

The first snow of the twelfth lunar month fell silently in the middle of the night.

When Li Ping'an pushed the door open in the early morning, a thin layer of white already covered the courtyard.

The snow kept drifting, fine and fragmented, like sifted grains of salt.

He picked up the bamboo broom in the corner and swept from the main house doorway toward the courtyard gate.

The broom's strokes across the snow produced a soft rustle, unusually clear in the quiet morning.

When he reached the courtyard gate, he saw Xu Damao limping out of the Central Courtyard.

Limping, his complexion was sallow, his eyes puffy.

The two exchanged a glance.

Xu Damao's steps faltered, his mouth twitched, as if to greet.

But that look was like a knife tempered with ice.

Li Ping'an nodded and continued sweeping the snow.

Xu Damao walked past him, his urinal swinging, spilling a few drops of yellow stains onto the snow, leaving glaring blemishes.

After a few steps, he suddenly turned back.

"Li Chief, is there enough coal at home?"

The question came abruptly.

Li Ping'an stopped the broom.

"Enough."

"That's good." Xu Damao grinned, "I heard coal is tight this year, many households don't have enough. Yet you manage; you can even afford honeycomb coal."

There was an ulterior meaning.

Li Ping'an caught it.

But he simply replied lightly, "With the base supply, it's all the same."

Xu Damao chuckled twice, said nothing more, and walked out of the courtyard.

The silhouette in the snow was crooked, like a withered tree bent by the wind.

In the Central Courtyard's Jia family, Jia Zhangshi was sipping Bangzi Noodle Porridge with pickled vegetables.

Qin Huairu and Wo Wo Tou had fingers frozen bright red.

Bang Geng and Xiao Dang hunched over the table doing homework, their pencil tips worn, scratching the paper with a rustling sound.

"Mom, we don't have enough coal," Qin Huairu whispered, "the stove was sealed last night and went out this morning."

Jia Zhangshi slammed the bowl down heavily.

"If it's not enough, just buy it! What good is telling me that?"

"The coal tickets are used up," Qin Huairu's voice grew softer, "this month's quota is only a hundred jin; how can we cook and heat with that?"

"If it's not enough, go to the street office!" Jia Zhangshi glared, "We're a hardship household; shouldn't the street office take care of us?"

As they spoke, Xu Damao's voice came from outside the window.

"Jia Zhangshi, have you eaten?"

Jia Zhangshi pushed the window open, letting the cold wind rush in.

"Xu Damao, something?"

Xu Damao stood in the snow, rubbing his hands.

"I have something to tell you," he lowered his voice, "Do you know how much honeycomb coal the Li Family bought?"

"How much?"

"Over four hundred pieces!" Xu Damao held up two fingers, "Exactly four hundred pieces! One honeycomb coal equals three regular coal pieces; do the math, how much coal is that?"

Jia Zhangshi's eyes widened.

"Where did he get that much money?"

"He's a chief, and both spouses have jobs."

Xu Damao said sarcastically, "High salary, plenty of subsidies. Not like us, scraping by."

He paused.

"I heard his family also bought two hundred jin of cabbage, piled it densely in the cellar. Their life is… "

Jia Zhangshi's complexion changed.

The chopsticks in his hand snapped onto the table.

Qin Huairu quickly picked them up.

"Mom…"

"Shut up!" Jia Zhangshi sprang to her feet, "Why does the Li Family live so well? We have to freeze and starve? This is unfair!"

Xu Damao agreed, "Who says it isn't? They have the means; what can we do?"

He sighed, limped away.

Leaving Jia Zhangshi standing by the window, her chest heaving violently.

In the Security Department office of the Steel Rolling Mill, the furnace blaze burned brightly.

Li Ping'an was reviewing documents, Wang Dahu stood at the desk reporting.

"Chief, the plant's security has been good lately, except… Xu Damao seems off."

Li Ping'an lifted his head.

"How is he off?"

"He tells everyone that your lifestyle is decadent," Wang Dahu lowered his voice, "Saying your family eats meat every meal, buys honeycomb coal without blinking, and stores hundreds of jin of cabbage. Between the lines, he hints your income is illegitimate."

Li Ping'an set down his pen.

"When did it start?"

"Just these two days," Wang Dahu said, "especially after he bought coal yesterday and came back. He tells everyone, adding embellishment."

Chen Jianghe pushed the door open and entered, his face darkening at the words.

"Brother-in-law, what is Xu Damao trying to do?"

Li Ping'an was silent for a moment.

"Jealousy."

Two words, said lightly, but very accurate.

People like Xu Damao, if they can't get by themselves, they can't stand seeing others do well.

Especially they can't stand seeing those who were once worse than themselves doing well.

"Should I go warn him?" Chen Jianghe asked.

"No need," Li Ping'an shook his head, "the more you reason with him, the more he gets worked up. Just pretend you didn't hear it."

He picked up his pen again.

"You go on with your work; I have this matter under control,"

The two exchanged a glance and stepped back out.

The door closed.

Li Ping'an leaned against the chair back, looking at the snow outside the window.

The furnace fire crackled.

He, however, felt that the room was a bit cold.

After work in the afternoon, Li Ping'an pushed his cart out of the factory gate.

The snow stopped, but the sky grew even gloomier.

The wind brushed his face like a small knife.

Passing the grocery store, he saw Xu Damao talking with a few people.

The people Li Ping'an recognized were officials of the neighborhood office, usually responsible for area management.

Xu Damao spoke with saliva flying, gesturing wildly.

Seeing Li Ping'an, his voice rose even higher.

"... We must be vigilant about the problem of life corruption! Some cadres, whose salaries haven't risen much, live more comfortably than capitalists! There must be something wrong here!"

One official frowned.

"Comrade Xu Damao, you need to speak with evidence,"

"Evidence?" Xu Damao pointed at Li Ping'an, "Look at him! The bicycle is permanent, the clothes are genuinely good, the house's honeycomb coal piles up, the cabbage is stored in a cellar! Is this normal?"

The officials turned their heads and saw Li Ping'an.

Their gazes were complicated.

Li Ping'an didn't stop, pushing his cart forward.

Xu Damao shouted from behind, "Li Chief, don't go! Tell everyone how you spend your days."

Li Ping'an turned his head and gave him a glance.

That look was very calm.

The calm made Xu Damao's heart twitch.

But he still held his neck stiff.

"What, you don't dare to speak?"

Li Ping'an smiled.

His smile was faint.

"I, Li Ping'an, act righteously and sit upright. The salary, the subsidies, the factory has records of everything. Both my spouse and I have jobs; our living expenses are covered by our own means, and the neighborhood office has the data. If you want to investigate, go ahead and investigate."

Having said that, he pedaled away.

His silhouette in the snow stood perfectly straight.

Xu Damao stood where he was, his face flushed bright red.

The officials shook their heads and dispersed.

In Xi Kua Yuan, Lin Xueqing was pickling sauerkraut.

A large jar was placed in the corner of the main hall, packed with sliced cabbage leaves, a layer of vegetables, a layer of salt.

She wore an apron, sleeves rolled up to the elbows, her hands turned white from the brine.

Seeing her husband return, she wiped her hands.

"Ping'an, someone from the neighborhood office just came."

Li Ping'an stopped in his tracks.

"What are they here for?"

"They came to ask about our winter stored vegetables," Lin Xueqing said uneasily, "they said someone reported that we bought too many cabbages, exceeding normal demand."

"How did you say that?"

"I said for a family of four, two hundred jin is the set amount," Lin Xueqing said, "they looked at the grocery ledger, said nothing, and left."

Li Ping'an nodded.

He pushed the cart into the house.

"It was reported by Xu Damao."

Lin Xueqing was startled for a moment.

"He? Why?"

Jealousy. Li Ping'an took off his coat, "Can't stand seeing us living well."

Lin Xueqing fell silent for a moment.

"Then... will there be trouble?"

"No." Li Ping'an was very certain, "We do everything by the rules. Coal is bought with coupons, vegetables are supplied by ourselves. Wage income, the factory has records. He can't find anything."

Although he said that, Lin Xueqing still worried.

In these days, being watched is never good.

At dinner, the family of four sat around the table to eat.

Sauerkraut with pork, and flatbread.

Li Yaozong ate with relish, Xiao Nuanqing also imitated her brother, picking up a piece of meat, stuffing her mouth full.

"Dad, today in class Wang Xiaojun said his father was being investigated." Li Yaozong suddenly said.

Li Ping'an's chopsticks paused.

"Why?"

"I don't know." The child shook his head, "Just said his father spent money lavishly and was reported."

Lin Xueqing's face turned pale.

Li Ping'an gave his son a piece of meat.

"Eat your meal, don't think about this. When you're out, don't tell others what we eat at home. If someone asks, say we have mixed-flour steamed buns and cabbage."

"Got it," Nuanqing also followed her brother in agreeing.

After the meal, Li Ping'an stood in the courtyard.

Snow began to fall again.

It fluttered down, like torn cotton fluff.

In the central courtyard, Jia Zhangshi's scolding could be heard.

"... heartless! Living like a landlord yourself, yet you don't help the neighbors! Let us widows and orphans freeze to death!"

He pointed at the mulberry tree while cursing the locust tree.

Li Ping'an understood.

He ignored it.

He turned and went back inside.

At night, Lin Xueqing tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Li Ping'an also couldn't sleep.

The two lay side by side, listening to the wind outside the window.

"Ping'an." Lin Xueqing whispered, "What if... we give some of the coal to the Jia family?"

"No." Li Ping'an was firm, "If we give coal today, tomorrow they'll demand grain, the day after money. It would never end."

"But if we keep causing trouble like this..."

"Let them cause trouble."

Li Ping'an said, "We've done nothing wrong, so we don't fear ghosts knocking at the door. Besides, if you give to the Jia family, will others expect the same? If you give, it makes you look guilty. And she wouldn't even be grateful; it's taken for granted."

He took his wife's hand.

"Go to sleep, we have to work tomorrow."

Lin Xueqing sighed and closed her eyes.

But Li Ping'an knew she wasn't asleep.

He himself wasn't asleep either.

In his mind he thought of Xu Damao, of Jia Zhangshi, and of those watching the spectacle.

This siheyuan is like a stage.

You finish your act, I take the stage.

Previously Yi Zhonghai played the lead role; now it's Li Ping'an's turn.

But he doesn't like acting.

He just wants to live a peaceful life.

But sometimes, in this world, just because you don't want to sing doesn't mean you can avoid it.

Early the next morning, Li Ping'an pushed his cart out.

The snow had stopped, but the road was icy, very slippery.

He pushed carefully.

As he passed the central courtyard, he saw Xu Damao standing at his own doorstep, talking with several neighbors.

"... I'm doing this for everyone's good! The cadres' lifestyles are corrupt, harming the people's interests! We must dare to struggle!"

Seeing Li Ping'an, he raised his voice even higher.

"Some people, don't think being a section chief makes you great! The masses' eyes are bright!"

Li Ping'an didn't stop.

He pushed the cart out of the alley.

Behind him, Xu Damao's voice still drifted.

"... I've already reported to the factory discipline committee! I believe the organization will give everyone an explanation!"

Li Ping'an's mouth twitched.

Factory discipline committee?

Xu Damao is trying to blow this up.

Fine.

The more it escalates, the clearer the truth becomes.

Li Ping'an isn't afraid of being investigated.

What he's afraid of is that they won't investigate.

He rode his bike to the Steel Rolling Mill, and the guard on duty gave him a somewhat evasive look.

Obviously, the rumor has already spread.

Li Ping'an didn't mind.

He pushed the cart into the plant, went upstairs, and entered the office.

Wang Dahu was already waiting, his expression looking terrible.

"Director, the Discipline Inspection Committee... someone's coming."

Before the words finished, two middle-aged men in Zhongshan suits pushed the door open.

The leader had a solemn expression, holding a notebook in his hand.

"Comrade Li Ping'an, we are from the plant's Discipline Inspection Committee. There are some matters we need to clarify with you."

Li Ping'an stood up.

"Please sit."

His voice was calm, his gaze untroubled.

As if he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

Outside the window, the sky was overcast.

Snow, it's coming again.

A wind is about to rise.