For Yan Zhao, anger and sex were certainly rted, considering he once had the experience of being used of rape after the act.


    Chen Men''s earlier displeasure was evident on her face. Since she didn''t exin at the time, he naturally assumed she wouldn''te over tonight, otherwise he wouldn''t have locked the door.


    But that was all in the past, so there was no need to bring it up.


    The woman was only wearing a thin sweater and was terribly cold, shivering even wrapped in a nket. Yan Zhao took off his undershirt and held her close to warm her up.


    ...


    Afterwards, Chen Men got up and first gave Yan Zhao a pager. The phone was now installed on this side. She picked up the phone, dialed 126, and when the operator answered, she said, "Please call 1168." After hanging up, the pager in Yan Zhao''s hand had already buzzed, disying their home phone number on its narrow screen.


    "So this is a pager?" Yan Zhao''s eyes were full of caution and a hint of wariness. "I heard these things cost over 2,000 yuan. Who gave it to you?"


    Chen Men, holding her own pager, continued to show off: "Someone gave it to me because of the project. Don''t worry, it''s clean."


    They had just finished having sex, but there wasn''t a trace of warmth on this man''s face. He truly resembled the golden shield on his shoulder, his face full of vignce.


    So Chen Men took out her notebook from the drawer.


    She had a habit of keeping ounts, from her first few trades in government bonds to Dongfang Group and Qinchuan Group. Every transaction, in and out, was carefully recorded.


    Moreover, Yan Zhao''s biggest concern should be that contractors usually have to go out to entertain clients, drink, and sing karaoke, but this was actually a misconception.


    Dealing with the client and the design team requires someone who understands the ways of the world, enjoys drinking, and has a bit of social standing. Give them a title like manager.


    This job, paying Yan Bin a thousand yuan a month all-inclusive, he''d jump at the chance, after all, he likes going out and socializing.


    On the construction site, there''s Chen Degong, who can take care of everything from bringing in materials to supervising workers. He''s called a supervisor or foreman. In his previous life, Chen Degong was Lu Jingyu''s foreman, and he never gave Lu Jingyu a moment''s worry in this aspect.


    So Chen Degong is very reliable. It can be said that without Chen Degong, Chen Men couldn''t be a contractor.


    And the client, which is the head of Qinchuan Group, is who Chen Men needs to socialize with.


    She just needs to win over Mrs. Ma, which is like capturing the king to win the game. One word from her canmand the entire situation.


    She''s not greedy either. She''ll take on one project at a time, win over Mrs. Ma first, then move on to the next leader.


    Being a contractor doesn''t require clocking in and out every day, and she can still take care of the children. What''s wrong with that?


    "The construction industry is veryplicated," Yan Zhao said after listening to Chen Men''s long exnation and closing her ount book.


    This was after sex, when men are usually most agreeable. Chen Men said softly, "Then how about I report every transaction to you first in the future?"


    "Including the bribes, kickbacks, and favors you give to people?" Yan Zhao raised an eyebrow.


    Just because he didn''t find any favors in the ounts doesn''t mean they don''t exist.


    Yan Zhao wasn''t stupid. Although bribes and favors are typically a willing exchange between two parties, and unless the government investigates, no one would report it, bribery is still illegal!


    Little Lang was whimpering on the other side, not because he needed to pee, but probably because he found Chen Men missing in the middle of the night and was deliberately making noise.


    Chen Men had to go back to her side. She sat up and started getting dressed. "Well, let''s try it then, see if you can find any ws in my work."


    At least for the Qinchuan Group project, she didn''t need to give anyone kickbacks. For future projects, she''d take it one step at a time. She had already lived an extra lifetime, surely she could handle these things.


    "Lie down. I don''t have high demands in that area, once a day at most. I won''t touch you again," Yan Zhao suddenly reached out, pulled Chen Men back down, and moved aside a bit.


    Although it was spring, tonight there was rain and snow outside, and it was particrly cold. Chen Men would catch a cold if she went out.


    But Yan Zhao''s way of asking her to stay made Chen Men very ufortable. He had never actively hugged her before. If he had just reached out and held her, yed coy, or said something nice, she would have stayed willingly.


    But he didn''t. He had to say it in such a harsh way.


    "Little Lang is crying," Chen Men said.


    In her heart, she thought: Can''t you not lie so far away? Communication isn''t just for that moment. Shouldn''t there be some affection between husband and wife?


    "Let him cry," Yan Zhao said coldly. "He''ll naturally stop when he''s cried enough." Hey far away, motionless, making one want to hit him.


    Sure enough, after crying for a while and not getting his mother''s attention, Little Lang really did stop.


    Yan Zhao didn''t make a sound anymore, which seemed like permission. Chen Men boldly tugged at the man''s ear, which was soft and burning hot.


    Yan Zhao probably didn''t expect Men to pinch his ear. His whole body stiffened, and he instinctively grabbed her hand. His eyes were full of sternness: "You can do the project, but you absolutely cannot cross policy red lines or break thew."


    Although that was the principle, Chen Men still felt a bit ufortable. She withdrew her hand that had been rebuffed in her attempt to caress him, and asked Yan Zhao in a low voice, "Captain Yan, do you know whates after ''a dog biting a dumbbell''?"


    Yan Zhao thought for a moment: "A hard mouth?"


    Chen Men nodded: "Yes, a hard mouth." His mouth was indeed hard, stubbornly hard.


    Although even if Yan Zhao strongly opposed, Chen Men would stillplete the Qinchuan Group project with quality and quantity, but since Yan Zhao didn''t object, she could now spread her wings. If not to make a big ssh, at least she could save some money for herself.


    In the midst of the wealth boom of the 1990s, if not risking everything like Zhou Xueqin to ride the waves, at least she could save up some nest egg for a morefortable life in the future.


    Of course, at first, she thought Lu Jingyu was just angry because she had rejected him before, and wanted to intentionally badmouth her in front of Yan Zhao. She thought she just needed to exin things to Yan Zhao and it would be fine.


    But early the next morning, Chen Men felt that it might not be that simple.


    That guy Lu Jingyu was like a stye in her eye. Chen Men tried hard not to pay attention to him, but he kept appearing in her life.


    Today was the weekend, and it was raining and snowing. The children were all ying on the kang bed, singing "Gongxiami" together.


    Yuanyuan and Little Wang worked well together. Little Lang didn''t know many of the lyrics and couldn''t join in, so he kept drinking water from his cup, asionally kissing his little Doraemon rm clock, pouting with a resentful look on his face.


    Because exams wereing up, the two older ones had to study hard. Chen Men ordered them to practice writing and review their lessons.


    But as soon as the two older ones started writing, Little Lang would sing a line: "Gongxiami..." Yuanyuan would immediately respond: "My rtive."


    He might not be good at singing, but he was great at causing trouble.


    Chen Men had to go to the construction site, so she took Little Lang, the biggest troublemaker, with her. She put a fur hat and gloves on him, and for going out, she had urgently bought him a pair of green little rain boots. As they walked down the street, the little one jumped and hopped ahead, leaping into every puddle he saw.


    Suddenly he stopped: "Mommy hasn''t hit me in a long time."


    "You little rascal, when has mommy ever hit you?" Raising a child to be more wronged than Dou E, Chen Men felt so unfortunate.


    Little Lang jumped again: "It was snowing, daddy didn''t send money, and mommy kicked Little Lang into a snow pit!"


    Chen Men thought to herself, that was your birth mother. This stepmother doesn''t rely on your father to make money, we have a new way to make big money.


    Children under three don''t have fully formed memories, so he probably just suddenly remembered because of the rain and snow.


    After he turns four, he probably won''t remember these things anymore.


    Going out meant taking the bus and transferring twice. Holding a soft, fluffy bundle, Chen Men didn''t feel cold, but she sincerely felt that as a contractor, once she earned a bit more money, she should buy a car to drive.


    When they arrived at the construction site, they first saw Jinbao, who was using a small cart to move bags of cement. Only thirteen years old, he was tall and strong like Chen Degong, very sturdy. Rural schools have early holidays, so he hade to help with work after school let out.


    "No one else is working today, so you shouldn''t either. Go back to the work shed and rest," Chen Men said, touching the boy''s frozen ears.


    Jinbao said, "My dad says if snow seeps into the cement, it''ll be ruined. If others aren''t working, I have to. This is our own job."


    That''s true, his father was relying on this project to save up tuition for him and his two sisters.


    "Let''s go inside first," Chen Men picked up Little Lang. "y with Little Lang for a while. Little Lang, say hello to your big brother."


    In Jinbao''s memory, Little Lang was always in tattered clothes, fiercely biting people. But now Little Lang wore a big cotton coat, had fair skin, and looked adorably chubby.


    "Oh, aunt, this child doesn''t bite anymore," Jinbao said in surprise, after testing with his finger and finding that Little Lang actually licked him.


    As cousins, they naturally had an affectionate bond. Little Lang tugged at Jinbao''s ears, while Jinbao patted the dirty shoes on Little Lang''s feet.


    Just as they reached the work shed, they could hear faint sounds of arguing from inside.


    "Men, the contractor, why are you paying the workers extra? Are you stupid? Don''t you know other contractors don''t do this at all? If we keep doing this, we''ll lose money sooner orter." It was Zhou Qiaofang, arguing with her husband.


    Jinbao, used to his parents'' arguments, held Little Lang and said, "Aunt, you should go back. They do nothing but argue when they''re not eating or sleeping. It''s so annoying."


    Chen Men felt something was off. She had never let Chen Degong lose a penny; her brother had always been making profits. How could her sister-inw say he was losing money?


    "Sister-inw, what''s going on? Who is my brother giving extra money to?" Chen Men asked as she lifted the curtain to enter.


    While other contractors used worn-out cloth and felt for their work sheds, Chen Men''s was made of wool felt with an outeryer of red and white woven fabric. On rainy and snowy days, with the stove lit inside, it got so hot that Chen Degong was sitting there bare-chested.


    When Zhou Qiaofang was on good terms with Zhou''s Mother, she wouldn''t see Men. But whenever Zhou''s Mother beat and scolded her, driving her out of the house, she would be willing to see Men.


    She was baking tbread and brewing hot tea. After washing a teacup, she handed Chen Men a cup of freshly brewed bitter tea with arge piece of rock sugar added. Then she said, "You''re giving Li Guangming two yuan a month, but your brother is secretly giving him an extra yuan. That''s thirty yuan a month, which is a semester''s tuition for three kids. Men, you might be fine, but if your brother keeps subsidizing wages like this, won''t he end up losing everything?"


    "Zhou Qiaofang, Li Guangming needs money, but do you?" Chen Degong retorted.


    Just as Zhou Qiaofang was about to jump up, Chen Degong quickly said, "If you don''t want to work, then get out. Go back to that pigsty of your mother''s home."


    The sister-inw took a deep breath and began to cry softly. During Zhou Xueqin''s recent visit, she had given Zhou''s Mother a lot of money. When Zhou''s Motherpared her to Zhou Xueqin, she had scolded her out of the house. How could she dare to go back now?


    But even though the sister-inw wasn''t entirely right, the issue of wages was indeed her brother''s fault.


    So Chen Men said, "Brother, we agreed on three yuan for skilled workers and two yuan for unskilled workers. I said before that Li Guangming gets two yuan, and that''s what it should be. You can''t give him three yuan."


    "He''s pitiful," Chen Degong said.


    As Zhou Qiaofang was about to speak, Chen Men stopped her: "There are plenty of people as pitiful as him. Brother, we''re not running a charity. Besides, if you give him three yuan for unskilled work, the skilled workers will find out and demand a raise. Even if we raise their wages by one yuan, we''d still have a profit. But what do you think other contractors will do when they find out? We''d be disrupting market prices, don''t you understand?"


    "Yes, yes, Men is right," Zhou Qiaofang said. "These past few days, I met someone educated and experienced, who used to be a contractor. They said the same thing."


    Criticized by the two women, Chen Degong fell silent for a while, then said, "Alright, I''ll talk to him."


    "You''re so stubborn. Oh, Men, I made a pair of shoes for Yan Zhao. Can you take them back for him to wear?" Zhou Qiaofang said.


    Willing to make shoes for Yan Zhao – clearly, the sister-inw had been hurt deeply enough by Zhou''s Mother.


    Some things are better left unsaid once understood. Chen Men epted the shoes and said, "Thank you, sister-inw."


    "Men, there''s a contractor in the neighboring vige, Lu Vige, who''s really good at his job. First, he knows how to cut costs and deduct workers'' wages. Second, he''s great atworking. A few years ago when there weren''t many projects, he didn''t make much money. But now that he''s back in business, he can use all his old connections. I heard he''s bidding for a residential building project for the Dongfang Group, which is worth 200,000 yuan. Look at your brother, he has no ambition and just keeps losing money on workers. Men, if we keep doing projects like this, we''re bound to lose money. Why don''t you let me introduce you to someone? You could subcontract the project out," Zhou Qiaofang thought Men was on her side, so she continued.


    The contractor from Lu Vige could only be Lu Jingyu.


    Yesterday, Yan Zhao had mentioned Lu Jingyu, and today the sister-inw was beating around the bush, but still talking about Lu Jingyu.


    Although Chen Men didn''t know the specifics yet, it was clear that Lu Jingyu had not only approached Yan Zhao about her, but had also given his opinions on her project in front of the sister-inw.


    The sister-inw was still smiling, but Chen Degong was fuming. Chen Men gave a coldugh: "Sister-inw, if the contractor from Lu Vige is so good, why don''t you go work for him? We''ll mind our own business."


    The smile froze on the sister-inw''s face. "Men, I''m just thinking of your best interests."


    "Sister-inw, I appreciate your concern, but I need to think about my brother''s and Jinbao''s future. I have to do this project myself," Chen Men retorted.


    The sister-inw turned around to see Chen Degong about to utter the word "get out," while Jinbao, holding Little Lang, didn''t even look at her as he walked out.


    Seeing that neither her son nor her husband was willing to acknowledge her, the sister-inw angrily sat down by the stove and repeated, "How did I be the odd one out everywhere?"


    Chen Men gave another coldugh. Her attitude towards her sister-inw was always the same: you''re free to leave, no one''s stopping you.


    She was about to head home with Little Lang when, just as they left the construction site, they ran into a small police car. The driver, Little Liu, recognized her and waved, gesturing for her toe over.


    Chen Men thought it might not be appropriate to hitch a ride in an official police car.


    Yan Zhao was sitting in the back seat. After Men got in the car, he exined, "It''s the weekend. I just attended a meeting and happened to pass by. Let''s go home."


    Yan Zhao had attended a meeting at the city bureau, but he had left early and specifically drove around the Qinchuan Group''s residential area. He had looked at all the big-character posters on the walls and circled the construction site.


    Little Liu had noticed that the contractor''s name posted on the construction fence was Chen Men''s. He thought to himself, Captain Yan is quite considerate of his wife, caring so much about her small project.


    But sister-inw is impressive too, being a contractor. She must be the first female contractor in the whole city.


    Leaders all have their preferences. Sun Nutao loves to listen to revolutionary-era red songs like "Return from Target Practice" and "Unity is Strength." The newly arrived Deputy Bureau Chief Zhao likes "Sweet as Honey" and "Small Town Story." No one could figure out Captain Yan''s taste, but Little Liu had one song that he was sure would make the leader give him a thumbs up tomorrow if he yed it.


    The problem was that the cassette was buried deep in the pile, not easy to find. He had to search while driving.


    Yan Zhao''s gaze fell on the cloth shoes. He took them and asked softly with warm eyes, "Did you make these?"


    Could a female contractor with golden hands make something like this for him?


    Men smiled, curious to see what else this man would say.


    Yan Zhao said, "Make a few more pairs. I like wearing cloth shoes, but the ones sold outside wear out too quickly."


    Chen Men nodded seriously: "It''s not that cloth shoes are no good, it''s that the cement pavements in the city wear them out quickly. You''d need a new pair every three to five days. I''m afraid I couldn''t keep up even if I stayed home making shoes all day. How about this: why don''t you transfer to a rural police station as a local officer? Even if you walk a lot, the soil won''t wear out the shoes as much. Then I could make you a pair every month?"


    Yan Zhao turned to look at Chen Men: ... This idea actually sounded pretty good?


    Chen Men, not to be outdone, smiled and stared back at him.


    "Men, Men, I love you, just like the captivating orchid. Men, Men, I love you, when I see plum blossoms, I think of you." Finally, Little Liu found the song. As soon as he started ying it, he adjusted the rearview mirror to watch Captain Yan''s expression.


    This was a deration of love, after all.


    The route from Jinnan back to Jindong District passed through Yanguan Vige and the First Squadron.


    It had just rained and snowed today. Chen Men was afraid Little Wang wouldn''t be able to resist going out to y in the snow and mud, so she had closed the courtyard gate. But in this kind of rainy and snowy weather, children loved to y outside, sshing about in garbage dumps and mud piles – their favorite ces.


    This was the entrance to the First Squadron vige. Yan Zhao''srge courtyard house with its gray bricks and big tiles was hidden in a haze of mist.


    From a distance, it looked tall and imposing.


    Little Liu nced in the rearview mirror with a smile, only to see Captain Yan''s murderous re.


    What was wrong now? Did he dislike this song too?


    "Stop the car!" Yan Zhao said.


    At the vige entrance, several children were digging in the mud. Among them was a chubby boy, his bottom sticking up as he vigorously dug for water. He wore arge padded jacket made of nylon with cotton lining on top, and fashionable bell-bottom pants on the bottom, all covered in mud like a pig.


    This was Lu Dabao, and Chen Men was very familiar with that little chubby bottom.


    As soon as the car stopped, Chen Men noticed Yan Zhao''s face hadpletely changed. Then she saw Dabao and understood why.


    The "Glorious Military Family" que, the only one in Yanguan Vige, had been taken down by Lu Dabao and was being used to dig in the mud.


    Yan Zhao got out of the car and strode over. With one swift motion, he lifted Lu Dabao up: "Little friend, what''s that in your hand?"


    "Who do you think you are, sticking your nose in everything? Get lost, you poor excuse for a cop," Lu Dabao said defiantly.


    The five-pointed star, the bright red characters spelling "Glorious Military Family" - it belonged to Yan Zhao. His father''s was in the capital.


    Such a que wasn''t easy to obtain. Only those who had been on the battlefield, who had rolled in the gunpowder smoke of war, could receive one.


    During the Cultural Revolution, having it on your wall was a symbol of honor. It even meant an extra twenty jin of white rice rations per month for the family. But now it was bent, covered in mud, twisted and warped like a piece of scrap metal.


    Yan Zhao took the que, wiped it clean with a handkerchief, and ced it in the car. When he returned, Lu Dabao was still cursing, with the other children chiming in.


    Yan Zhao bent down, raised his head, and listened carefully in the sleet for a moment. Then, calmly and deliberately, he reached out and yanked down Lu Dabao''s pants. With his iron-like hands, as the child struggled, he delivered a resounding p.


    After the p, he lifted Lu Dabao and nted him back in the muddy garbage pit. Then he headed towards the vige.


    He would soon discover that his home had been turned into a pigsty by Zhou Xueqin and Lu Jingyu.


    Lu Dabao stood there, his mouth twisted, about to cry. When he saw Chen Men, he paused, probably trying to recall where he had seen her before.


    Chen Men turned away, continuing to straighten the metal que. Little Lang, seeing her struggle, reached out to help: "Mama, Little Lang is strong, let Little Lang do it."


    Chen Men no longer looked at the little brat she had raised in her previous life.


    In that life, she had argued with him, scolded him, hit him, and cried for his future, pouring her heart and soul into raising him.


    She had cared for him just as much as she had for Yuanyuan.


    The little brat had grown up to have a sessful career, with a big beer belly, always calling her "Mom" even more affectionately than Yuanyuan.


    But when she and Lu Jingyu were on the verge of divorce, not only did he not support her, he stood with his hands in his pockets, smiling, and said: "Mom, Dad''s career is sessful, and he''s still so young. Look at you, wrinkled face, just an old hag. You were so mean to us when we were little, did you think I wouldn''t hold a grudge? If it weren''t for your good cooking, and the fact that you''re actually a good mom, I''d be encouraging him to divorce you. Why are you being so dramatic?" Not a good mom, just a good housekeeper.


    If he truly saw her as a mother, he should have been like Little Wang, who at six or seven years old would wash his own clothes and help with housework, because he understood the need to care for adults.


    After that, Men moved out to live on her own and never cooked for Dabao''s family again.


    Good. In this life, he wouldn''t have the chance to hold a grudge.