Chapter Twenty-Eight: A Glance and a Smile

When he dashed up the slope, his left foot caught on a stone hidden by tall grass, and he tumbled to the ground. In the blink of an eye, the grey rabbit vanished without a trace.

Forced to give up the chase, Xu Sigui looked down at his left instep. Though the skin wasn’t broken, it was already bruised and swollen. He loosened his shoelaces, fearing that if he didn't, the pressure against the shoe would only make the throbbing, "puffy" foot ache more.

When he stood up to walk, he lacked his usual ease. After a few steps, he hobbled along, favoring his left leg like a cripple.

Xu Sigui had no choice but to retrieve the dry branch he had tossed aside earlier, using it as a cane to limp out of the woods. From the east end of the village to the west, he avoided the main path in front of the houses as if fearing to be seen, instead taking the overgrown trail behind the houses. When he finally reached home, he collapsed into a chair, sighing with deep frustration.

Feng Yueliang, who was busy nursing their child, noticed his state and asked what had happened. He shook his head and snapped back as if venting his temper, "Mind your own business!"

Feng Yueliang turned her head away, remaining silent. *I offer kindness and you treat it like dirt,* she thought. *Serves you right! Why are you snapping at me? This is just karma!*

Xu Sigui’s foot was sprained, and his mother, distressed by the sight, summoned the local bonesetter that same evening—a burly man with stubble on his chin. The man massaged and manipulated the injured area before applying a medicinal plaster.

The bonesetter told Xu Sigui that no bones were broken and the injury was minor. He advised him not to remove the plaster for a while, to avoid going out or walking if possible, and to rest at home. He promised that after two or three days, the swelling would subside and he would be fine.

When Xu Sigui asked for the fee, the bonesetter held up his middle and index fingers. "Twenty yuan," he said. "If it’s not better in four or five days, I’ll return the money." Xu Sigui had his wife pay the fee, and the bonesetter departed.

On the third day, the swelling did indeed go down. Feeling little pain, Xu Sigui tore off the nearly dry plaster and threw it out the door.

Instead of returning inside, he headed toward the east end of the village.

Feng Yueliang, who was sitting inside nursing the child, stood up nimbly. She ran to the door and called out, "Sigui, where are you going? The bonesetter said you shouldn't be active yet. Your foot hasn't fully healed; you really shouldn't be wandering about."

Xu Sigui stopped and looked back. "Yueliang, why are you so worried? I’m stifled at home. I thought I’d head to the east end to find someone for a game of chess. It’s not strenuous exercise; what’s the harm?"

"Do anything else, but please, don't play chess. You only lose, and your luck is terrible. You’ve been so unlucky lately that even without playing chess, you managed to sprain your foot. Haven’t you learned your lesson?" Feng Yueliang’s words were reasonable. Xu Sigui listened to her and turned back, though he kept his head bowed and avoided her gaze. "Fine, fine," he muttered to himself. "I won't move. I’m afraid of what might happen if I do."

Suddenly, he remembered what Wu Xiaofeng had promised him a few days ago. He told Feng Yueliang, "President Wu’s company is hiring, and he agreed to let me apply. I’m supposed to contact his secretary, Liu Xiangnan. I don’t want to go, Yueliang. Why don’t you go in my place? It’s the same thing."

"That is not the same thing. What a man does, a woman can't necessarily do." Feng Yueliang gently placed the fed, sleeping child back into the cradle, fearing she might wake her. She whispered, "How about this? You rest for a few more days, then you go to President Wu’s company yourself."

"That won't work," Xu Sigui said, lowering his voice. "If I wait a few days, the company might be full. If they aren't hiring anymore, wouldn't I be wasting an opportunity?"

Feng Yueliang saw the logic in this. She brushed off her sleeves and said, "Fine. You and Mom take good care of Qiqi. If she cries, give her the formula. I’ll go to President Wu’s company tomorrow and talk to Secretary Liu first."

The next morning at dawn, Feng Yueliang rose to dress and groom herself. She put on a bright red qipao and stood before the mirror. She looked radiant, which bolstered her confidence for the interview.

She preened, smoothing the collar and patting the hem of her dress. She turned to check her back and sides, admiring every angle. She felt the qipao looked exceptional, as if it were a red peony enveloping her in elegance and grace.

It was part of her wedding trousseau, rarely worn since. When she was pregnant with Xu Qiqi, she hadn't been able to wear it at all.

Now, a month after giving birth, her slim figure had returned. Clad in the red qipao, she possessed a unique charm of a young woman.

Before leaving, she sprayed herself with violet-scented perfume, and the fragrance immediately filled the air.

Xu Sigui, who was awake in bed but hadn't yet risen, caught the scent. He propped himself up and squinted at his wife in the mirror. "Yueliang, you’re going for a job interview, not a blind date. Why dress up so flashily? And you’re wearing perfume, too!"

Feng Yueliang was pressing her perfumed temples with her index fingers. She retorted, "What do you know? As an applicant, I need to present an image. Besides, dressing up isn't just about making a good impression; it’s a form of respect for others."

"You’re dressed so bewitchingly—who are you trying to charm?" Xu Sigui asked, revealing his sensitive and extreme mindset.

Feng Yueliang felt a sting of resentment. She walked to the bedside, her brows arched in anger. "Fine! I won't go for you then! Go yourself!"

Feeling he had overstepped, Xu Sigui lay back down. "Forget it, forget it," he said, adopting a conciliatory tone. "I was just joking. Go on, hurry up."

Feng Yueliang turned away, disappointed. Catching the smell of her husband’s unbrushed breath, she spat toward the corner of the door and then walked out with a graceful gait toward the town.

As she crossed the dikes and the small bridge over the stream, she recalled a dream from the night before that she couldn't quite remember clearly. It was something about being hired as President Wu’s secretary, and beyond office work, she was frequently attending social events with him... *That’s impossible, I’m only applying on my husband’s behalf.* The thought made her feel dazed and bewildered.

When she reached town, she didn't know where the company was located. She stopped at a diner for breakfast and asked the owner, who told her it was at the east end of town.

She walked over and saw a three-story office building. A rectangular wooden sign hung on the wall by the first-floor entrance, written vertically: *Jiangnan City Mutian Town Construction Co., Ltd.*

At that moment, men were arriving in small groups. Assuming this was the company, she followed a few of them through the door. Inside was a hall with a wooden frame holding a small blackboard, on which a notice was written in chalk: *All male applicants, please bring two photos, your original ID card, and a copy to the second-floor office for an interview. Office of the Company, [Date].*

Feng Yueliang read the notice repeatedly. She felt it was pointless to go upstairs, as three conditions were not met:

First, they were only hiring men, and she was a woman.
Second, she hadn't brought photos for her husband, nor had she brought any for herself. Of course, this was easily solved—either of them could go to a photo studio.
Third, neither the ID nor the copy was with her, so she would have to go home to get them.

She walked a few steps away from the building but suddenly thought that since she was already there, she should go up and ask for clarity.

Feng Yueliang returned to the lobby and climbed the L-shaped staircase to the second floor. From a distance, she saw a long, queue-like line of people standing outside the office door. There wasn't a single woman among them; it was a sea of men.

Standing there, a thought struck her: why line up behind these men? She would just barge into the office.

She summoned her courage and pushed forward, but she couldn't get in; she only managed to squeeze to the doorway, blocked by the line.

Many men stared at her. Some said, "No cutting in line! You have to wait your turn!" Others scoffed that cutting in was useless because the company wasn't hiring women.

She turned back and gave a charming smile. To the man who had spoken last, she said, "You’re right. I’m not here to apply; I just need to ask a question in the office."

Some argued on the spot, "You couldn't ask earlier or later? Why now? You're wasting everyone’s time."

Feng Yueliang ignored them, pushed past the line that had reached the door, and headed straight for the office.