MTLNOVEL Chapter 32: Role Reversal
Chapter 32: Role Reversal
Su Liyan looked radiant. Her loose white shirt tucked neatly into cropped jeans, paired with simple white sneakers—practical yet stylish for their evening plans. Lu Yuan had promised they would hunt cicada monkeys at Houhai after dinner, and such an adventure called for comfortable attire.
Lu Yuan himself still wore his factory clothes, though he wouldn’t need them anymore. As they stepped outside, Su Liyan slipped her arm through his, creating a picture of youthful elegance that drew envious glances from neighbors in the yard. Many thought it an unfair pairing—like a delicate flower somehow misplanted in common soil.
They walked to a nearby Shaanxi noodle restaurant on the first street outside the compound. Each ordered a bowl of knife-cut noodles, but true to Lu Yuan’s generous nature, their simple meal expanded to include various cold dishes and braised beef in soy sauce, accompanied by bottles of orange soda they both favored. The final bill came to several yuan—a significant sum for an ordinary meal.
While waiting for their food, Lu Yuan recounted the day’s events at the factory. Su Liyan’s eyes widened with disbelief.
“I can enter the factory too?” she asked, her voice tinged with wonder.
Lu Yuan nodded confidently. “Yes. We’ll complete the paperwork tomorrow. Once I pass the civil service examination, we’ll be that dual-income family everyone envies.”
He leaned forward with a conspiratorial smile. “And I’ve arranged something special. You won’t be assigned to my old workshop with its exhausting labor. You’ll join the sampling inspection team—drinking tea, chatting, and taking leisurely walks will constitute your workday.”
The prospect of becoming a respected craftsman filled Su Liyan with joy. Truth be told, she had grown restless at home, unwilling to socialize with the neighborhood women who gathered in the backyard to exchange gossip and criticize others—including, she knew, frequent disparaging remarks about her husband. She preferred solitude to their company, but even household chores couldn’t fill all her hours.
“Brother, you’re amazing,” she said, admiration warming her voice. “Speaking foreign languages, arranging job transfers…” She hesitated, her lips pursing slightly. “You must have gone to considerable trouble for me. I would have been happy with any position at the factory.”
Su Liyan had never imagined herself becoming a factory worker. It seemed an impossible dream.
Lu Yuan grinned. “That wouldn’t do. My beautiful wife deserves better than toiling in a workshop.”
His words melted her reserve. Though she had been sitting across from him, Su Liyan rose and moved to his side, pulling her stool close. With shy eyes and a soft voice, she murmured, “I want to sit with my brother.”
Her coy demeanor stirred something in Lu Yuan—this sweet vulnerability was a side of her he treasured.
After their meal, they strolled toward Houhai. Despite its name suggesting an ocean, it was merely a large lake. Their plans to catch cicada monkeys were thwarted by crowds that outnumbered the insects, but neither minded. The outing was about companionship, not success in their mock hunt.
Walking home, they each clutched a bottle of iced orange soda. Su Liyan held Lu Yuan’s arm, leaning against him as evening streetlights illuminated their path. At eight o’clock, while villagers in the countryside would have already retired for the night, the imperial city hummed with activity.
Su Liyan felt suspended in a dream. Just days ago, she had worried she would never marry well. She had arrived in the city for her arranged meeting wearing clothes so faded they had lost their original color. Cornmeal had been her staple diet in the countryside, her home a weathered structure barely providing shelter.
Now everything had transformed. She had a husband who inspired envy. She wore fashionable clothes from the department store. White flour and meat appeared at every meal. Their residence was a spacious public apartment exceeding one hundred square meters. Most significantly, she would soon transition from being the daughter of a criminal to a respected worker.
And she knew exactly whom to credit for this transformation. The realization made her tighten her grip on Lu Yuan’s arm.
Lu Yuan, oblivious to his wife’s emotional journey, was contemplating his newfound freedom. No more early mornings at the factory. The civil service examination wouldn’t take place until winter, leaving months for leisure—fishing at dawn, perhaps, and listening to storytellers under the overpass in the afternoons.
Study for the exam? Hardly necessary. If he passed, fine. If not, the mere attempt would grant him status. Besides, with his financial security, the outcome hardly mattered. And given his modern knowledge base, becoming a government coder should prove straightforward.
The following morning, after breakfast, they set out early for Innovation Factory. Lu Yuan guided Su Liyan through the office building to complete the necessary procedures—first finalizing his internal retirement, then arranging her employment.
Director Liu’s prior instructions ensured efficiency. Within twenty minutes, everything was formalized. All that remained was introducing Su Liyan to the inspection team.
As they exited the office building, they encountered Xu Erlei.
Typically, Xu Erlei wouldn’t acknowledge Lu Yuan, but seeing Su Liyan beside him sparked curiosity. “Sister-in-law… what brings you here today?”
Su Liyan smiled warmly. “I’m completing employment procedures with my husband.”
“Employment procedures?” Confusion clouded Xu Erlei’s expression. Innovation Factory wasn’t currently hiring.
Lu Yuan answered with his characteristic grin. “I’m taking internal retirement. My wife will assume my position.”
Xu Erlei’s confusion deepened to astonishment. “You’re retiring? Why?”
“My health can’t handle heavy labor,” Lu Yuan explained casually. “I’m going home to prepare for the civil service examination.”
Xu Erlei stood speechless, his thoughts transparent: Are there truly such shameless people in this world?