Chapter 9: The Scoundrel Chicken Vendor of the 2000s (9)

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Gu Chen was also startled by her, his expression and tone innocent. "Didn't I already introduce a big boss to take the chickens? Two large trucks full. This is the referral fee—I worked all night."

Lin Juan asked, "Didn't Li Dahai say he didn’t want them?"

"He didn’t want them, but someone else did," Gu Chen sat down eating a pancake. "That Boss Yao approached me, offering two thousand yuan as a referral fee to find him some chickens first. I had already promised Li Dahai’s friend, and though two thousand is a lot, a man must keep his word. So I declined Boss Yao and said we’d cooperate next time. Later, since he didn’t want them anymore, I went back to Boss Yao, and we sent the trucks off overnight. He paid me the two thousand."

He bit into his pancake: "There were only nineteen hundred inside. I spent a hundred on cake and Wangzai milk, still have a few dozen left on me."

Lin Juan held the two thousand yuan, still feeling dazed. She had worked hard selling breakfast, barely earning enough to support the family. In a whole year, she could hardly save two hundred yuan. Even when she worked outside before, the most she saved was a bit over a thousand.

Now their savings at home were less than five hundred yuan. They were truly poor. This was the largest sum she had ever seen, like a fortune.

"I’ve figured it out. Trust or not, only you take it seriously. Others don’t see you as a brother at all," Gu Chen sneered, self-mocking. "Helping so-called brothers for nothing, no gratitude. But when working for outsiders, they make money quickly."

He glanced at the two kids happily eating cake, paused mid-bite, his expression complicated and unspeakable. He lowered his head silently and continued to eat.

Lin Juan understood.

Gu Chen was very loyal. He would help these so-called brothers without hesitation, always for free, yet no one valued him and even mocked him.

Last night must have hurt him deeply. Now, just because he earned some money and bought a little food for the kids, they were so happy, but it pained him inside.

For Lin Juan, she hoped Gu Chen would soon see through that group of brothers and stop mingling with them. They never truly cared about him. But seeing him so sad, she still felt heartbroken.

Gu Chen looked back at Lin Juan. "Hurry up and eat breakfast. It’s time to go to school."

Lin Juan said, "I’ll go by myself. You’ve been busy all night."

"I’m not in a rush. You’ll still have time if you go yourself."

Today, Lin Juan and the kids didn’t have fried rice noodles or fried noodles for breakfast. Instead, they drank Wangzai milk and ate cake.

She worried the kids might get hungry, so she packed an extra cake in a bag for the two little ones to put in their schoolbags and eat after class.

"Yay!" Little Yanyan was thrilled, clutching the cake with her chubby hands, already imagining showing off to her friends.

She had Wangzai milk to drink and delicious cake to eat.

Her dad bought it for her!

Gu Chen carried the breakfast bucket outside. Lin Juan, following, noticed two bags on the ground, each holding two chickens. Their heads drooped, looking dazed.

"Where did the chickens come from?" Lin Juan asked, seeing two black bags hanging on his motorcycle’s front.

"They were given by Wang Wei’s mom when we caught chickens yesterday. I told her I didn’t want any, but she insisted on tying them to my bike," Gu Chen said as he tied the breakfast bucket to the bike. "Last night was hectic, running everywhere on bumpy mountain roads. The chickens kept clucking all the way, so noisy. They probably went crazy from the ride."

He took down the two bags hanging on the bike’s front and handed them to Lin Juan. "These are eggs from those chicken farmers. They insisted on giving them to me too. I was afraid they’d break if I drove fast. Bringing them back was a real hassle."

Lin Juan decided to leave the chickens for now, took the eggs into the kitchen.

Judging by the amount, there must be over a hundred.

She usually added some crushed eggs to the fried noodles or fried rice noodles she bought for breakfast, usually bought from villagers. Now, they would have enough for several days.

Lin Juan thought, though Gu Chen was somewhat lazy, he was kind-hearted and well-liked.

Otherwise, who would send him chickens and eggs?

Only those so-called good brothers took advantage of him! It was infuriating!

*

Yesterday, Gu Chen rode his motorcycle taking Lin Juan and the two kids to school, which sparked village gossip. Usually, he was still asleep.

Every day, Lin Juan would get up at midnight to prepare breakfast, ride the tricycle with the kids, and leave breakfast for Gu Chen.

But these days, Gu Chen had unusually gotten up early to take Lin Juan and the kids to school.

“The sun must be rising in the west,” said an old village auntie.

Gu Tang’s sister-in-law twisted her waist and walked over, her thickly drawn eyebrows raised. “What? I heard Gu Chen was just standing by collecting the money, pulling the breakfast cash into his hand. Otherwise, why would he be so attentive?”

She got up early just to spread this news.

“Really?” The auntie shook her head. “This man doesn’t earn money to support the family and even takes Lin Juan’s breakfast money? That’s just heartless.”

“Exactly,” Gu Tang’s sister-in-law looked at her brightly polished nails. “The worst thing about a man is his face. It’s Lin Juan’s own choice — she was so eager to marry him that she only has herself to blame.”

News spread fast in the village.

Soon everyone knew Gu Chen was cheating Lin Juan out of her hard-earned money.

Since Gu Chen had been lazy before but never like this, villagers guessed:

“He must owe money somewhere! Got into the habit of being short on cash.”

“Is he gambling? How much does he owe?”

“I heard it’s thousands. If he doesn’t pay soon, the debt collectors will come.”

“Tsk tsk, owes tens of thousands. Gu Chen’s life is ruined. If he doesn’t run, they’ll break his arms and legs.”

...

Today’s breakfast sales went smoother. Gu Chen helped pack and collect money.

During the peak, a crowd of students and parents swarmed around. They worked nonstop, and all three buckets were quickly emptied.

Gu Chen took Lin Juan to town. With some extra money in hand, he wanted to buy everything. As soon as they entered the market, he kept shouting:

“Buy some ribs, roast duck, pork shoulder.”

“Also get some chicken legs, buy more—the kids love them.”

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“Later we’ll get milk and cake, let them eat their fill.”

...

Gu Chen, flush with earnings, suddenly acted extravagant. Lin Juan naturally wouldn’t listen to him.

In the end, they only bought a portion of roast duck, a pound of ribs—the duck could be eaten immediately, the ribs with carrots and corn would be simmered into soup—and some small chicken legs the kids liked. These cost over thirty yuan.

Lin Juan felt heartbroken.

Gu Chen even bought a box of Wangzai milk. When he wanted to buy cake, Lin Juan quickly stopped him. “We still have some at home. Eat it first!”

He treated money like it was nothing.

“Didn’t we just earn some money?” Gu Chen said.

Lin Juan replied, “Does that mean we have to spend it all at once? We still have to live.”

“Then we’ll earn more.”

“What if we can’t? We can’t live like this,” Lin Juan said, then added, “The kids get spoiled, always asking for cake and milk. If we can’t afford it, they’ll feel sad and disappointed.”

Gu Chen sighed and stopped buying.

Lin Juan urged him to go home quickly; he hadn’t slept all night.

When they returned to the village, villagers saw Gu Chen’s bike loaded with many bags, Lin Juan carrying a box of Wangzai milk. They had spent quite a bit.

Gu Chen owed so much outside, yet they ate and drank lavishly.

“Auntie.”

“Second uncle.”

Lin Juan greeted people politely.

Gu Tang’s sister-in-law also saw them. Maybe feeling sorry for Lin Juan—her husband owed over a hundred thousand and was about to flee—she didn’t want to compete with her, so she greeted Lin Juan first.

But seeing the milk box Lin Juan carried and the many bags on the bike, she asked directly, “Why buy so much? Must have spent a lot, right?”

Owing so much and still living large?

“It’s all for the kids. How could we be so heartless?” Lin Juan said, feeling some comfort.

He still cared about her and the children, thinking of them first when he earned money.

Gu Tang’s sister-in-law wanted to ask more, but Gu Chen yawned, obviously exhausted. Lin Juan quickly said goodbye and told him to drive home.

Once they left, Gu Tang’s sister-in-law said, “Still living it up, not realizing death is near!”

When the debt collectors come, she’d be the first to point out Gu Chen’s house.

They said the collectors were brutal. If the debts weren’t paid immediately, they’d break legs.

Some even chopped off fingers.

*

When Gu Chen got home, he didn’t immediately shower or sleep. He looked at the bright sun. “Should we dry the grain today?”

“Of course, we have to hurry or it’ll sprout from the humidity,” Lin Juan said. “You go rest. I’ll do it.”

“You can’t carry it,” Gu Chen said, turning to the storage room, lifting bags of grain out. He pushed and lifted the sacks, dumping them all out.

In and out, in less than ten minutes, a dozen bags of grain were spread out.

If it were Lin Juan, she’d struggle for ages because the bags were so full she couldn’t carry them, dragging them out bit by bit.

Lin Juan put on a jacket and straw hat to avoid sunburn, holding a wooden rake, following Gu Chen to spread out the piled grain evenly to dry.

After finishing, Gu Chen immediately took his clothes and went to shower.

Lin Juan carried the drooping chickens to their coop and let them out. Seeing their pitiful, sluggish state, she fed them and couldn’t help but laugh.

She could already imagine those chickens bouncing along the mountain roads with Gu Chen—it must have been a comical sight.

“What are you staring at?” Gu Chen came out of the shower, drying his hair.

“Nothing,” Lin Juan got up and started back inside.

Gu Chen said, “Go to sleep now. I’m dead tired.”

Lin Juan, of course, didn’t sleep yet. She planned to weed the fields and plant some vegetable seedlings.

“Did you not sleep last night either? Your dark circles are huge. Hurry up,” Gu Chen said, pulling her inside.

“Wait, wait, I want to shower first. I’m all sweaty.”

Lin Juan said that, and Gu Chen let her go but told her to be quick.

When she entered the room, he was already lying on his bed, beckoning her over.

Lin Juan hesitated. How long had it been since they shared a bed?

She could sleep on the other bed.

“Come on, I haven’t slept all night. Yesterday I ran around everywhere. I’m too tired to stay awake,” Gu Chen said weakly, half-closing his eyes.

Lin Juan didn’t think much and got onto his bed. Lying down, she said, “I have to wash your sheets. How long has it been since they were cleaned?”

“Mhm,” Gu Chen said, pulling her into his arms, resting his head on her shoulder. His warm breath brushed her neck like a feather.

She felt uneasy all over, avoided his gaze, and took out the stack of red bills he had given her. “All this money—you’re giving it all to me?”

“All for you, whatever you want to do with it,” Gu Chen closed his eyes, tightening his hold, even resting his feet on her.

Lin Juan counted the money along with the day’s breakfast earnings, feeling a glow in her heart.

She planned, “In a few days, let’s save up an even amount and put it in the bank. That way we’ll have some emergency funds.”

That would be their first family savings. It made her very happy.

Gu Chen didn’t reply but let out a light snore.

He was really exhausted.

Lin Juan didn’t speak again, carefully placed the money under the sheets, and closed her eyes.

She hadn’t slept well either, had gotten up early to work, and soon fell asleep.

The kindergarten in town served children from nearby villages. They couldn’t stay for aftercare at noon. Lin Juan woke briefly, still thinking about picking up the kids.

She planned to quietly get up and fetch them.

But as soon as she moved, Gu Chen woke up.

“I’ll go get the kids,” Lin Juan said.

“I’ll go,” Gu Chen rubbed his eyes and sat up. “The sun is too hot. If you ride back slowly, they’ll be hungry by the time they get home, and you’ll have to cook.”

“Riding a bike doesn’t use gas,” Lin Juan said.

Gas money is still money.

She had been frugal since childhood, otherwise her aunt would scold her. She didn’t dare eat more than a few bites. After having kids, she tightened her belt even more, calculating every penny.

“Do you want me to ride the bike?” Gu Chen asked.

“No,” Lin Juan refused.

Gu Chen got up. “Don’t worry about it. I think I’m pretty good at this job. I’ll do more runs and give all the money to you and the kids.”

Just hearing that soothed Lin Juan. Her brows lifted unconsciously. “Don’t overdo it or work too hard. I can make money myself. We’ve always managed this way.”

“Got it.” Gu Chen grabbed his keys, swung his long legs onto the bike, and revved off.

Lin Juan watched his back disappear from sight, then reluctantly turned away. She put her hat and jacket back on, quickly checked the grain, then went to the kitchen to start cooking.

With so many things bought today—soup, stir-fry, meat—she had to hurry.

---

Outside the central school in town.

Kindergarten lets out half an hour earlier than elementary school. The gate was crowded with parents picking up kids and some small vendors. It was very busy.

“My brother and I drank Wangzai milk today. It was so good. Dad even bought cake—delicious cake. We still have lots at home,” little Yanyan held her brother Gu Zijia’s hand, boasting to yet another friend about her breakfast.

The two kids were adorable, with big bright eyes and delicate features, their skin fair and tender, chubby and cute. Among the many dark-skinned, skinny village children, they stood out.

Not only teachers liked them; other kids surrounded them too.

After Yanyan finished talking, a friend came closer: “Your dad’s really nice, buying you Wangzai milk. My dad never buys us that.”

“And yummy cake!” Yanyan emphasized. “My brother and I even brought some to school. We ate it after class. It was so good.”

“I want cake too,” said a chubby boy nearby, drooling.

“You can ask your dad to buy you some,” Yanyan said.

Before the boy could reply, Gu Tang’s sister-in-law’s second son, Gu Jie, came over and loudly mocked, “She’s lying. Her dad’s lazy. There’s no way he’d buy cake and Wangzai milk. Their family’s poor, living in a shabby house!”

Yanyan was so angry her eyes reddened. Gu Zijia clenched his fists and glared at Gu Jie. “Don’t talk about my dad like that. Or I’ll beat you into a pig’s head!”

Gu Jie felt intimidated. Gu Zijia was truly tough; last time he and his brother bullied Gu Ziyan, Gu Zijia chased them all over the village with a rock, scaring them badly.

“Anyway, your dad has no money. There’s no way he can buy cake and Wangzai milk. Your family’s broke. My mom says you’re losers with no future!” Gu Jie said, then ran toward the gate.

Yanyan, upset, said, “My dad did buy them for us!”

She looked at her brother, feeling wronged.

“Ignore him. Next time, big brother will teach him a lesson,” Gu Zijia tried to sound mature, comforting his sister.

Yanyan nodded.

“Let’s go find mom,” Gu Zijia held her hand and they walked out.

Outside, they didn’t see Lin Juan. She usually arrived early, waiting at the gate.

“Ha ha ha, your mom doesn’t want you anymore,” Gu Jie ran up to Gu Tang’s sister-in-law, who was pushing a bike, laughing maliciously, unafraid of Gu Zijia.

The two kids were confused, and Yanyan’s eyes welled with tears. Gu Tang’s sister-in-law saw this but didn’t stop her son, pretending not to hear.

Yanyan sniffled, “Brother, where’s mom?”

“Mom will be here soon. Wait a bit,” Gu Zijia reassured her, pointing fiercely at Gu Jie. “If you bully my sister again, I’ll smash your head!”

Gu Tang’s sister-in-law scolded immediately, “How can you talk like that, you—”

“Dad’s coming!” Yanyan suddenly looked toward the road, eyes wide and a little excited.

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