CHAPTER 408: 393 LI YIBAI’S WIFE AND CHILDREN

"Thank you, thank you, comrade!" Zhang Ying was overwhelmed with gratitude. "Comrade, you are such a good person!" She had been wandering outside on her own and rarely encountered kind people. Only today did she realize that good people do exist; she just hadn’t met them before.

Tian Sangsang gently shook her head and kindly asked, "Big sister, why are you crying here? If you have difficulties, tell me about them. Maybe I can help you."

Seeing her kindness, Zhang Ying finally couldn’t hold back and vented her feelings.

"My husband got admitted to a university in the East Sea and hasn’t come back for three years. Recently, he suddenly sent me a letter saying that we no longer have anything to do with each other because he has found a girl he likes. He even sent fifty yuan to me, telling me never to look for him again. Back then, the travel costs and tuition for him to get to the East Sea were collected by my family, using up all the money we had. The debts his mother owed in the past? My family helped pay them off over the years. But now, he claims we’re unrelated, and he even abandoned the child!"

Listening to her, Tian Sangsang couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow in her heart. It seemed this man was nothing but scum—a classic case of someone who gets into university and then abandons his wife and child. If he hadn’t liked her from the beginning, why ruin her life?

Choking through her words, Zhang Ying continued, "My father has been unwell for the past few years and fell seriously ill earlier this year, urgently needing money. I spent the fifty yuan my husband sent to pay for my father’s medical treatment, but even then, he still passed away. I had to sell our house to afford the funeral. Last month, I took my child and planned to go to the East Sea to demand answers from him. But I was broke and couldn’t afford the travel expenses. I made it as far as Beijing and ran out of money."

"With no money, my son and I couldn’t find a place to stay, nor could we cover the travel expenses. We ended up sleeping in an alley. During the daytime, I worked in a small diner just to feed my child. I was doing okay, but a few days ago, the boss’s relative came and wanted my job, so I was fired."

Tian Sangsang’s face grew melancholic. Indeed, life was not easy for women. She asked the big sister where she was from, and the sister replied that she was from S Province, which was to the west of Beijing. But getting to the East Sea from there was still far; she would have to go southward.

"As it happens, I’m from the East Sea, and my in-laws are here in Beijing," Tian Sangsang said. "Big sister, which school does your husband attend? I can lend you money, so you can go find him and demand answers. He can’t just brush you off with fifty yuan; that’s too stingy."

Zhang Ying wiped her tears and said, "I can’t remember. I didn’t go to school for long. I think it’s some kind of film school."

Tian Sangsang’s eyes lit up. "East Sea Film Academy?"

"That’s right!" Zhang Ying replied, suddenly recalling that it was indeed that school.

"Well, this is quite the coincidence!" Tian Sangsang couldn’t help but marvel at how small the world was. "It seems like fate brought us together, big sister. I have a friend studying at the East Sea Film Academy. What’s your husband’s name? Maybe I can help you find him."

"His name is Li Yibai," Zhang Ying said, feeling an even deeper connection with Tian Sangsang.

Tian Sangsang froze. "Li Yibai?"

Zhang Ying looked at her nervously. "Comrade, have you heard of him?"

"It seems familiar, but I don’t know him personally," Tian Sangsang said, suppressing the shock in her heart. Then she calmly asked, "Is it ’Li’ as in the surname of Li Bai, ’Yi’ as in one, and ’Bai’ as in white?"

Zhang Ying nodded.

Could it just be a coincidence of names? Tian Sangsang discreetly glanced at Zhang Ying’s child and noticed that his facial features indeed bore some resemblance to Li Yibai. Could he really be that Li Yibai? The same Li Yibai who had a wife and child? The original story of him had only skimmed over his past, never mentioning a family. The narrative began with his life in the East Sea. Who would have thought... This really was a case of Chen Shimei!

However, the current storyline had diverged from the original plot. Tian Sangsang didn’t harbor as much resentment toward Li Yibai anymore, as he hadn’t directly affected her path for the time being. She wouldn’t go out of her way to create trouble for him, nor would she avoid helping Zhang Ying and her child just because of their connection to him.

"Big sister, do you still want to find him?"

Zhang Ying replied, "He’s never liked me. Back then, even when we supported his education, he didn’t seem grateful and constantly complained that I was uneducated, ignorant, and not pretty enough. Over the years, I’ve come to terms with it. Living on my own, I don’t have much affection left for him. The only reason I wanted to find him is because he’s Xiaozhi’s father. But now, I don’t want to look for him anymore. I want to first find a job and settle down. Once I have money, then I’ll go to the East Sea and demand an explanation. I need to ask him why he’s so heartless as to abandon his own son!"

"Big sister, you’re thinking wisely. As women, why should we rely on men? Men can change their hearts, but we can only rely on ourselves!" Tian Sangsang felt moved and asked, "Big sister, what’s your name?"

"Zhang Ying!"

"Can you cook? Do you cook well?" Tian Sangsang asked. "My factory is in need of an auntie to cook for the workers."

Hearing about a job opportunity, Zhang Ying eagerly looked at her. "Yes, yes! I’ve been cooking and working since I was young. When I went to that little diner, I wanted to cook, but the boss wasn’t hiring cooks, so I ended up sweeping the floors. When I applied to be a nanny elsewhere, they wouldn’t hire me, saying they didn’t trust me because I’m not a local. I may not be able to cook like a master chef, but I know cleanliness and hygiene are crucial when cooking. Only then can food be healthy!"

"Then come to my factory, big sister. However, we have a trial period. I need to assess you for a while before formally hiring you. If you want this job, you can come with me to the factory now and cook one meal. If the food is decent, there won’t be a need for further assessment."

Zhang Ying, with no other options at the moment, felt an overwhelming surge of happiness at Tian Sangsang’s offer.

"You’re my savior; I’ll do my best!" She was about to kneel in gratitude, but Tian Sangsang quickly stopped her.

They headed to the factory together.

Tian Sangsang took them to the kitchen and gave Zhang Ying some ingredients—vegetables, meat, and eggs—to prepare a few dishes.

Zhang Ying worked swiftly and skillfully, years of cooking at home making her adept. She washed and prepped the ingredients with care and speed. Before long, she had made a dish of crispy stir-fried greens, some braised pork, and two fried eggs.

Tian Sangsang tasted them, and they were delicious.

She then asked Zhang Ying to prepare something with the remaining ingredients, which only included rice noodles. Using the simple ingredients at hand, Zhang Ying made clear soup rice noodles topped with chopped scallions and sesame oil. It was still good—homely and comforting.

"That’ll do."

Zhang Ying was overjoyed, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Tian Sangsang said, "Our factory provides food and accommodation, but only lunch is included. Most employees have their own homes, so they don’t stay at the factory. Considering that you currently don’t have a place to stay, you can live here with Xiaozhi. Lunch will be provided, but keep in mind that the factory has machines, which can be dangerous. You’ll need to keep an eye on your child."

Understanding her instructions, Zhang Ying promised, "Xiaozhi is very well-behaved; he won’t run around!"

Tian Sangsang nodded. "As for wages, I’ll pay you——"

"At the previous diner, I was paid eight yuan a month for washing dishes and sweeping. If you give me four yuan a month, I’ll already be very satisfied." Having a place to stay and food provided, she was incredibly grateful.

That was too low—a clear case of exploiting outsiders!

Tian Sangsang said, "Big sister, how about this: I’ll pay you fifteen yuan a month. In addition to cooking lunch every day, you’ll also be responsible for cleaning the factory. We don’t have many people for now, but we can discuss again if the workload increases later."

Feeling she was getting far more than she deserved, Zhang Ying looked astonished and fearful.

"You don’t need to be alarmed. These are standard rates in Beijing." Tian Sangsang glanced at Xiaozhi, who was starving on the floor, and said to Zhang Ying, "I’m heading home. The food left on the table, which the workers didn’t touch, was made by you. You and Xiaozhi should eat it. Only when you’re full can you work properly."

Zhang Ying expressed heartfelt thanks to her. What she didn’t know was that Li Yibai, thanks to his exceptional writing talent, had already earned a spot as an exchange student at Kyoto University.