Rising at 4 AM and not returning home until 9 PM after closing the stall.

The initial phase of any business is grueling. In the food stall business, the hard work never ends unless you expand enough to free yourself from the tedious labor – just like the former “Zhang’s” where Xia Chang Zheng and Zhang Cui had three additional staff members. How could Xia Chang Zheng not have it easy then?

Things were different now. The work that originally belonged to Zhang Man Fu now fell entirely on Xia Chang Zheng. He was experiencing the hardships of the food business for the first time and struggled to adapt. While farming was certainly tough, it had its busy and slack seasons. Even during the busy season, at least farmers didn’t have to wake up at 4 AM. Back in the village, with no entertainment and no television, most people were asleep by 9 PM.

In the commercial district, he and Zhang Cui were just returning from closing their stall.

For convenience with their food stall equipment, they rented a room in a single-story courtyard. Three families shared the courtyard, and the couple rented a red brick room with a slanted roof, likely originally built for storage. The monthly rent was only 5 yuan, as this area wasn’t home to wealthy people, and the overall environment was poor and dirty.

Back at “Zhang’s” in Anqing County, they had a small courtyard behind the shop, making it convenient to bathe and wash up.

Here, they had to heat water in a basin and carry it to the shared bathroom.

It wasn’t that they were overly particular, but in the summer heat, they’d return home drenched in sweat after closing the stall. While they could wear old clothes to sell food, they couldn’t be dirty and smelly.

After taking turns bathing, they lay on the small broken bed past 10 PM. If they didn’t talk, Xia Chang Zheng could fall asleep within three seconds. Zhang Cui suddenly asked him something, but his mind was too sluggish to respond quickly.

He replied irritably, “Can’t it wait until tomorrow? Found it, found it, let’s sleep!”

He was dog-tired, and it was already past 10 PM. With only five hours of sleep before having to wake up again, Xia Chang Zheng could barely keep his eyes open and just brushed her off.

Zhang Cui suddenly sat up in bed: “What do you mean wait until tomorrow? The college entrance exam is approaching, so don’t forget what you promised Zi Yu! Besides, if it weren’t for that little wretch, would we be in such a miserable state? If it weren’t for her making Principal Sun disapprove of us, we’d still be running ‘Zhang’s’ successfully. We can’t suffer while she lives comfortably!”

The shabby room had gaps everywhere, so they had to keep their voices down at night to avoid being overheard by neighbors.

Though Zhang Cui’s voice was low, her anger couldn’t be contained.

She was the type who never saw herself at fault. Despite being the one who schemed against others first, she couldn’t accept when others retaliated.

The loss of “Zhang” was clearly due to the Xia family’s troubles and the couple’s discord, which drove away their remaining business. Now that life had become difficult, she blamed everything on Xia Xiao Lan.

They had come to the commercial district to make their mark.

Zhang Cui spent several hundred yuan on two sets of street vending equipment.

May’s business operated at a loss, eating into their savings and causing Zhang Cui great stress.

June finally started showing profits, but only just over 200 yuan.

In hindsight, they shouldn’t have driven Xia Hong Xia back to the village. She could have remained as the comfortable proprietress of “Zhang’s” – even with poor business, they could still earn that much monthly. While the commercial district’s market was larger than the county’s, the provincial capital also had many more food stalls. With business not yet stable, Zhang Cui felt uncertain.

Either way, their current difficulties were all because of Xia Xiao Lan.

Zhang Cui’s words also drove sleep from Xia Chang Zheng’s mind. Indeed, he had been “Boss Xia,” doing little work but earning good money, receiving praise from vendors, and dressing well and properly… The current stark contrast in circumstances was truly hard to accept.

“A few days ago when I went out, I found some thugs who boasted they could help. My requirements weren’t high – just break Xia Xiao Lan’s hands. But their price was quite steep, so I haven’t agreed yet, which is why I haven’t mentioned it to you.”

Creating an “accident” to disable someone wouldn’t just prevent them from taking this year’s exam, but possibly forever.

Xia Chang Zheng’s method was vicious, but Zhang Cui approved.

Neither was completely ignorant of the law – Zi Yu had taught them some. They knew such actions could lead to imprisonment if caught, so they absolutely couldn’t be directly involved.

Zhang Cui calculated their savings. “How much do they want?”

“2,000 yuan – it’s too expensive!”

Zhang Cui’s heart ached severely. Her total savings were less than 4,000 yuan.

Taking away more than half at once meant that if their food stall business remained lukewarm, it would take nearly half a year to save back that 2,000 yuan.

2,000 yuan to break Xia Xiao Lan’s hands?

Though Zhang Cui thought it expensive, she still nodded in agreement through gritted teeth.

“As long as they get it done, I’ll accept paying 2,000 yuan!”

Zhang Cui and Xia Chang Zheng were bold because they didn’t know about Zhao Gang’s situation. Having left Anqing County, they were unaware of developments there, and Xia Zi Yu had never told them about his dealings with Zhao Gang.

The next morning, after the breakfast rush, Zhang Cui had Xia Chang Zheng watch the stall while she took her bankbook to withdraw 2,000 yuan.

She never kept money at home. Xia Zi Yu had said banks were safer than home, and Zhang Cui agreed.

Given their current living situation – a small red-brick room where the iron lock could easily be broken, sharing a courtyard with three households – if money was stolen from the home, they wouldn’t even know who took it.

Wrapping the money in cloth, Zhang Cui handed it to Xia Chang Zheng to deliver.

While the couple usually operated in the north of the city, Xia Chang Zheng deliberately went to the south to find some thugs.

He had previously negotiated with them about creating an accident to break a student’s hands, and they had asked for 1,000 yuan. When Xia Chang Zheng asked Zhang Cui for 2,000 yuan, he planned to keep half for himself as secret savings.

It was tragic how married couples could deceive each other when trust was lost.

Xia Chang Zheng paid half the money, and they guaranteed: “Just a little girl? That’s nothing. Once we break her hands, you can pay the remaining half!”

They wouldn’t dare to violently break into someone’s home during the ongoing Strike Hard campaign.

But creating an accident would leave no evidence for the police. As long as everyone maintained it was an accident, the police station couldn’t do anything. One thousand yuan was substantial – each person could get two or three hundred yuan, so the thugs readily accepted the job.

Xia Chang Zheng was delighted.

He couldn’t be blamed for being a heartless uncle – he wasn’t having her killed.

In Da He Village, only his daughter Xia Zi Yu deserved to attend university. How could someone like his second brother Da Jun be worthy of having a university student for a daughter?

Moreover, his niece Xia Xiao Lan was truly annoying, making everything unpleasant. Whenever she was involved, his family’s life became troubled. What if Xia Xiao Lan got into university and sought revenge against them?

With the remaining money in his pocket, Xia Chang Zheng could finally speak with his head held high:

“That girl studies at Anqing County No. 1 High School. I can’t show my face, but you figure it out – she’s in Class 3 of the senior year, named Xia Xiao Lan. Worried about getting the wrong person? No, you definitely won’t make a mistake. You’ll know what to do when you get there!”

Xia Xiao Lan wasn’t boarding at school. She would have to go to school to get her exam admission ticket, right?

This was the perfect time to strike. After waiting several months, Xia Chang Zheng believed this worthless girl must have lowered her guard.