Chapter 46: The So-Called Magic Cloak

You Qili was still not released.

Even though Wei Dong’s return to the freight dock was met with thunderous cheers.

That was how the vocational school student described it, which made Wei Dong smirk—clearly, you haven’t seen the world; this isn’t even a thousand people.

Maybe not even eight hundred.

Still, the sudden outburst startled the passengers waiting for the ferry on the nearby riverbank.

Aside from the certainty that they’d receive their wages for the day, the real excitement was the arrival of various newspapers, most of which reprinted yesterday’s editorial and the “letter from an enthusiastic reader”!

To put it in the parlance of forty years later, all the official media outlets had reprinted it with approval.

Their collective stance was made abundantly clear.

Yet You Qili had also expressed his stance from the detention center.

When Dong Xueying returned, her face betrayed a host of emotions, and during dinner she explained: “He’s submitted a membership application in the detention center…”

Her tone made it clear that even now, You Qili’s tactics seemed baffling.

Wei Dong nearly spat out his food; from a perspective forty years in the future, it was pure showmanship.

Of all times, he chose now—wasn’t this a slap in the face?

It only further emphasized his image as a martyr and deepened the division.

It made the voices advocating for his release outside look awkward.

And it forced the opposing side to double down; otherwise, letting him go now would be tantamount to admitting they were entirely wrong.

Wei Dong felt as if he’d just managed to prop up a ladder, only for it to be yanked away.

Damn it, he’d planned to set off for the vast world of Jiangzhou right after the Spring Festival, but now he’d have to wait.

Wei Dong was well aware he couldn’t handle a major campaign like “switching planes” on his own—he’d have to follow and learn.

But now he couldn’t even accompany his parents back to their hometown.

He might as well run two more shipments of sand and stone; truthfully, he’d poured almost all his earnings from the citrus business into this.

Even now, it was best not to make money in Shangzhou; he’d been careful enough not to sell preserved meat there before.

He hadn’t expected that this “strategic” low profile would be mocked.

The next day, his parents took the steamboat downriver from Jiangzhou. Wei Dong repeatedly reminded them about travel safety before they chose the riverboat over the city’s motorized ferry.

They still bought the cheapest, fifth-class tickets: “Board in the morning, nap away the day, and you’re there. Why pay for a sleeper? Save the money for your wedding.”

Wei Dong bit back a retort: “You two haven’t had your fill of running a stall yet. I’m wary of making money now! Mom, you look much better these days. Dad, is your back still sore?”

His mother had indeed acquired a different bearing from the kitchen aunties on the construction site: “All for setting you up, you know. We got a few calls, one from the Optical Factory—three times, in fact—and two from Red Light Factory. I noted them all down for you.”

Now that he was a minor celebrity at the dock, it was easy for him to board the barge and help his parents with their luggage.

Wei Dong sighed, “Can’t I earn a living myself? It’s enough for you two to have a comfortable life.”

His father laughed, half-scolding: “It’s our duty. If we don’t help our son get settled, are we supposed to start saving for our coffins instead?”

That made Wei Dong pause; perhaps they had a point. He let them be.

As they disembarked, Feng Chu was already waiting on the shore, tail wagging: “Uncle, Auntie, welcome! I’m here to help Brother Wei Dong fetch you—my sister’s cooked, just waiting for you to come home to eat.”

She wore a simple blue cotton coat, neat and clean—her youthfulness was her greatest charm.

Her delicate face was framed by two neat braids, quick-witted and lovely.

The old couple couldn’t help but size up the honest, pretty, albeit slender city girl.

They paid no mind to Dong Xueying, who was busy in the kitchen with the baby. Wei Dong’s mother quickly went over to help, whispering, “Is this your little sister? How old is she? Is she engaged?”

The girl replied promptly, “Nineteen, just a few months younger than Wei Dong. She’ll graduate from Provincial Telecom School this year and get a permanent government job in the city.”

His mother’s eyes sparkled instantly.

After her days in the factory district on the southern shore, she deeply understood that a secure job and official status ranked far above being self-employed.

The girl then came over to take the baby, shifting the child into her own arms, and helped her sister tidy her hair, as if arranging the best fruits at a market stall for display.

Having run a stall herself recently, Wei Dong’s mother found the gesture oddly familiar.

With two young women present, his father felt a bit awkward and lowered his head to sip his drink: “This place is really something. You’ve been living here and haven’t gone home?”

Wei Dong brushed it off: “Still have business in the city. I was going to leave with you tomorrow, but I can’t yet—need to wait a couple more days.”

His father, more worldly than his son, stole a glance and misread the situation: “If you’d told us sooner, your mother and I would’ve gone home last night!”

But his mother, bringing dishes to the table, decided they’d wait for the boy. Besides wanting to see more of this clever, lovely city girl, she clearly wasn’t eager to face the Li family back home.

After dinner, they enthusiastically accepted Feng Chu’s suggestion to visit the festival lanterns in the park.

Wei Dong took the opportunity to load the film his parents brought into the “point-and-shoot” camera for testing.

Dong Xueying tried to wrestle the baby from Wei Dong, but failing that, walked quietly beside him, signaling her sister to get close to her future mother-in-law.

Feng Chu, self-proclaimed as the little sister-in-law, didn’t have much subtlety yet but eagerly chattered away, recounting how her sister had cared for her growing up.

Wei Dong’s mother, a country woman at heart, had never been doted on by a city girl before and was almost overwhelmed by the attention.

Just then, they bumped into Shi Linyan, who was holding her mother’s arm.

The English teacher, who had lain at home as if gravely ill for days, froze, on the verge of tears, upon seeing Wei Dong cradling a child and fiddling with his camera.

Her mother, catching sight of them, sneered and raised her voice, “Look at you! Thrown out of the Tax Bureau compound, unable to make a profit—now you’re chasing after a city girl, trying to wash off your country bumpkin roots. But you’ll never change—you’re still a pauper at heart! Lost all your money, didn’t you?!”

Wei Dong’s parents, recognizing an official from the Tax Bureau, instinctively bowed their heads, not daring to reply.

But Dong Xueqing immediately shot back, “You don’t understand—that’s called compassion, helping others, doing good for the people!”

The old woman scoffed from above, “Girl, don’t be fooled by a bumpkin like him. He’s just exploiting loopholes—sooner or later, it’ll end badly!”

Even the sister was accustomed to yielding, not wanting to quarrel with someone from the system, quietly shielding Wei Dong’s parents as they tried to slip away.

But Wei Dong wouldn’t let it go. With a sharp wit, he quipped, “When you’re good-looking and someone calls you ugly, you don’t get mad—it’s just jealousy. But if you’re truly ugly and someone calls you ugly, then you’re angry—because it’s the truth.”

Dong Xueqing thought for a moment, then cheered, clapping her hands, “Exactly, Brother Wei Dong! That’s so funny and spot-on!”

Her enthusiasm immediately lifted everyone’s spirits.

Shi Linyan, who had always found Wei Dong amusing, burst into tears.

Her heart was in agony.

Once, all his laughter belonged to her.

But Wei Dong, steely as ever, pressed on: “If you’re really ugly and someone calls you handsome, you’d think they’re mocking you. Aunt Shi, you city folks are really something. Your family’s rolling in riches, almost as well-off as the developed countries of ZB-ism. Careful the authorities don’t come checking if you’ve embezzled public funds.”

The old woman immediately heard the sarcasm and flew into a rage.

Dong Xueqing clapped and laughed even harder.

Her elder sister couldn’t help but smile, chiding, “Enough, Qing, behave yourself!”

How could she be so childish in front of her future mother-in-law?

But Wei Dong’s parents were thoroughly pleased.

With such loyal support for their son, they kept thanking Dong Xueying, gripping her hand tightly.

They looked as if they were ready to discuss the dowry.

Even Wei Dong found Feng Chu much more agreeable, giving her a thumbs-up and proudly snapping photos with the baby.

Watching that broad, familiar-yet-strange back, Shi Linyan felt her vision darken with grief…

Dong Xueqing recognized her old classmate and, as they walked away, sneaked a glance back, her eyes shining with curiosity. Wasn’t this the famed top student from her junior high days? And she had some connection to her brother-in-law, too?

That night, back home, she pestered her sister for information.

Dong Xueying, ever the neighborhood gossip, immediately spilled everything she’d heard from far and wide.

Feng Chu, sharp as ever, realized that the Russian tapes in the recorder might have something to do with that classmate. If not for her mother’s meddling, perhaps the two would have become a couple.

Dong Xueying earnestly advised her sister, “Wei Dong is truly outstanding. Old You thinks highly of him. I remember when Old You argued fiercely with the city leaders and left in a huff, Wei Dong was the one who kept everyone grounded. You must listen to him.”

Her sister nodded vigorously, “I’ll make sure he becomes my brother-in-law!”

She clapped a hand over her sister’s mouth, “I’m working hard every day, just to shoulder the family’s responsibilities and give you the very best I can get!”

The young woman, who had endured hardship for years, could only shake her head as tears streamed down her face.

But her tears were nothing like those of the English teacher.

The pampered girl, who had never suffered a blow in her life, now felt her world collapse—family, love, everything.

She went straight home and fell ill.