I met Jiang Qiman when her husband, Lao Qin, was seriously ill. She was working as a cleaning lady in my company’s office building at the time and begged me to help her forward the link to donations for her husband’s treatment. Some years ago, Jiang Qiman’s husband had been addicted to gambling and had a serious heart condition, which pulled the family into the mire completely, and Jiang Qiman had to carry on alone.
At the end of the year before last, Jiang Qiman and her husband moved out of the basement and took over a small hardware store in their hometown, barely making ends meet.
In September last year, after not seeing her for almost a year, Jiang Qiman complained to me again on WeChat. She said she was in a bit of a panic, her mother-in-law was injured by a neighbor in her hometown, her husband, Lao Qin, went back, leaving her alone in Beijing to look after the store. Life is like a dog and pony show, one foot just pulled out of the mud, and then one foot into the fire.
But she still tries her best, just like many ordinary middle-aged people in this city who have no skills and are struggling to make a living at the bottom, in the midst of patience, she still keeps a glimmer of hope for herself.
Click to read the previous article: “A Woman Pulled Into the Abyss by Her Husband
1
Jiang Qiman has always been an optimist, and even though she was slightly shaken by the words “believe in fate” in the darkest days of her life, she was still convinced that “there is no way out of heaven”.
Her husband, Qin, had been seriously ill the year before, and this sudden change not only nearly killed Qin, but also almost took half of Jiang Qiman’s life. Slowly, Jiang Qiman secretly gritted his teeth to cheer himself up: “to hold on.”
Six months spent all the couple’s hard-earned savings for many years, the old Qin heart is ashamed, the mouth said “I’ll make money to support the family”, but the body is very honest – since then most of his time, is sitting behind the counter of a 10 square meters hardware store, waiting for customers to come to the door, and really hold up the facade or Jiang Qiman, she was busy outside.
Open this hardware store is also no way out. The old Qin heavy work can not do, and can not eat every day waiting for hunger, the husband and wife to work together, there is nothing to do, can only rent the store, selling hardware and building materials, as well as some groceries. Usually the old Qin home to look after the store, Jiang Qiman go out to work. If you can pick up a small job of decoration, the old Qin also go out to earn some extra money, and take a break.
Near the end of 2017, it is too cold, old Qin a one-time into a lot of goods, ready for the winter. Unexpectedly, business a but every day cold down, the landlord turned out to be the most door-to-door people: “I came to tell you that the house may not continue to rent, be prepared.”
See Jiang Qiman and old Qin face full of questions, the landlord put on a look of secrecy: “to demolition.” After saying that, shaking his bitter face, he turned around and walked away.
Back from the well-informed laundry owner next door, Jiang Qiman face question marks disappeared, replaced by a bitter face than the landlord: it turns out that these rooms are all illegal construction, and now this area is catching strictly. This can be done? Jiang Qiman “deposit one to pay three”, and now full count only live a month.
“By then the house can not live, the rent to give back?” The next day when he saw the landlord, Jiang Qiman could not help but ask.
The landlord was straightforward: “I guess you can still live for a while, the rent, can not be refunded.”
The landlord is usually stingy, because there is no bathing place in the house, you have to use the landlord’s bathroom, and the landlord also charges the tenant 200 yuan a month for the bath. Thinking of this, Jiang Qiman said nothing, who let himself stall such a landlord it.
After Jiang Qiman rented the place, he heard some things about the landlord in bits and pieces: he is a Korean, came to China some years ago, so the tenants simply call him “Lao Han”. Old Han found a Chinese wife, speaks Chinese smoothly, and seems to have no intention of returning to China. A few years ago, he rented a few rooms from the school across the street, the whole rent is about 20,000 a year, really cheap, and then sublet the rooms one by one, from then on there is a second landlord identity.
Earned rent, the old Han brain and have an idea – the vacant land in front of the house just adjacent to the street, why not build a storefront house? The front room was soon built, and a small bedroom was added to the back, which was leased immediately after the building, a computer repair store, a lottery store, and later Jiang Qiman opened the hardware store, the monthly rent added up to 12,000.
Once the two-year lease period was up, the school did not agree to renew the lease. To say that the old Han is also really capable, he does not vacate not to return, reluctant to leave. What’s more, he even refused to pay the rent to the school. The school couldn’t stand it anymore and took him to court with a lawsuit.
Not to mention how difficult it is to find a room at the end of the year, even if it is good to find, Jiang Qiman hands also do not have a few cash money, the first few days are used to buy goods. “Live for a day, so many goods can not be put, others to buy when willing to give as much as the money are sold.” Looking at the high and low shelves, Jiang Qiman and Lao Qin only think of desperate to get out, loss on loss.
The rush, 1/3 of the goods have not been dumped off the shelves, several storefronts were cut off. The day after the power cut, the security guard of the school across the street came and posted a notice, a court judgment – the landlord owed the school a total of more than 460,000 yuan.
More than two years have passed, and the school has finally come to its final victory. The power cut is obviously aimed at the old Han, but the city’s doors are on fire and the fish in the pond, Jiang Qiman and the old Qin anxiously around but can not do anything. Almost New Year’s Eve, the remaining goods can not be sold, first find a basement to store up, and then the next year. Counting the rent not returned, this time Jiang Qiman lost more than 10,000 yuan.
Jiang Qiman and her husband returned home early to the town for a long time, and she looked forward to the New Year as much as she did when she was a child. Because after the New Year, she had to rush back to Beijing to reopen.
2
After the New Year, the newly rented store was chosen in a location not far from the old one, and when you go out and turn a corner, you can see the old Han’s several storefronts, which are now empty.
Instead of saying “choose”, it is better to say that there is no choice. First, Jiang Qiman’s youngest daughter has been in the nearby school on loan, the transfer is not an easy thing; second, this is not too far from the building materials market, in case the old Qin took the renovation work, convenient to buy building materials; third, so many years of working in Beijing, are staying in this area, is also considered accustomed to.
The new 15 square feet of this valve is the old Qin private initiative to rent, at first Jiang Qiman too expensive, said look again. Not Jiang Qiman a person too expensive, to rent people are too expensive to rent this store, “the dawn owes the landlord two hundred dollars”, so vacant for more than six months.
Old Qin gave the new store an atmospheric name – Yunding building materials, the existence of the basement goods again to see the light of day, Jiang Qiman wipe them new, neatly arranged on the shelves, the store even opened. Hardware commodities have a wide range of names, like Jiang Qiman such a small store is by no means possible to do a full range of goods. Hardware is not like tobacco and alcohol, people buy every day, a month can not sell a piece is also possible, “the old folks who left Beijing, when she inventory, seven years ago, there are things.” So, acquaintances of the old folks will also be spontaneous mutual aid, you put an impact drill in my store, I put an angle grinder in your store, sold on a red packet meaning.
Jiang Qiman capital is not much, old Qin’s health is not good, last year, too many goods folded the capital, the two discussed, not a one-time more into the goods – and then encounter unexpected circumstances, really can not afford to toss. So the hardware store also sold cigarettes, alcohol and cooked food. Summer drinks sell well, some people buy sitting in front of the store, while chewing the store’s chicken claws and duck head, while drinking beer, gulping choking smoke. Because of this group of night drinking hobbyists, Jiang Qiman and Lao Qin usually close at 12:00 midnight.
Tobacco and alcohol profit is thin, buy more people, there is some profit, but that’s all. “Others say if you do not sell fake cigarettes and wine, do not expect to get rich. There is the promotion of fake wine, he said that drinking does not kill people, let me rest assured that the order, I drove him away, he said I was dead in the head.” From the mouth of the salesman, Jiang Qiman first learned that the profits of fake wine at least 300%, really big temptation.
Jiang Qiman’s store level is not enough, good selling cigarettes basically can not get, customers come once or twice to buy, the third time will not come. She also knows that the profits of counterfeit cigarettes, such as a fake Chinese more than 200 yuan, can sell 650, there is a ban on the sale of foreign cigarettes, the purchase price is particularly cheap – but a nearby supermarket was caught selling foreign cigarettes, not only confiscated all the cigarettes, but also fined a sum. Law enforcement officers can not prevent the inspection, they are sometimes in uniform, and sometimes come in cold search, sometimes in plain clothes to buy cigarettes, buy fake cigarettes, the store will wait to be fined.
“I think it’s better to behave properly, not to do things that are against your conscience.” Because of this, after each check, the inspector will routinely verbally encourage Jiang Qiman some: “to comply with the law, and strive to raise the level, you can order more cigarettes.”
Milk, towels, umbrellas, slippers, silk quilts, as long as someone has come to ask something, Jiang Qiman will think about getting some goods. Do not dare to speculate, learn to adapt to the times. But this also brought Jiang Qiman endless trouble – the goods must be neatly arranged, the countertop must be clean, the store to meet the safety standards and health standards, the door has to eliminate the dirty – the community is checked from time to time. So, Jiang Qiman always woke up in the morning and folded the bedding into tofu blocks and put them into the big box, and put the dishes and cutlery into the small box after eating. A store is a store, not a trace of living in a home. Every now and then, you have to be recruited by the community to clean up the streets.
“But every day, in addition to earning money for the landlord, there is no money left for yourself.”
People in middle age, the only way to live is to endure
When she is really tired, Jiang Qiman lies down on the bed in the store and rests almost, so that she can go out to work – she takes hourly work orders online, and over time, she has accumulated several fixed customers, and she has to go to work for them on the half day of the first three days and the whole day of the double holiday. Other times will also take some temporary work. Some customers will temporarily add work, making time is very tight, in order not to delay the next customer, Jiang Qiman can only seize the time to chew a bread or cake, ride a bike to catch up.
When he went to the client’s home, Jiang Qiman saw the life of rich people: a couple of Arab executives with their children live in a star hotel for a long time, and have been in China for more than 20 years, “they are too rich and have high hygiene standards, so there is pressure to work there”; a client who is engaged in art lives in a duplex, “he drives a luxury car, I can’t name it, the pattern is eagle wings”.
Envy to envy, after work out, Jiang Qiman still have to cross the street back to their own store, only here to put their tired.
In June, the eldest daughter came from her hometown, did not finish high school, do not want to go on. Jiang Qiman was in a beauty salon also a part-time cleaning job, going to do two hours every night, so that it does not delay the day to take orders. The oldest daughter has little education, so don’t be choosy, the beauty salon is short of a receptionist, so hurry up and go.
3
The business in the hardware store is not salty, but can help the old Qin find some sense of existence, not because of nothing to do and decadence, it is enough.
The goods into the arrival, most of them are moved into the house by Jiang Qiman placed in the right place, usually on the shelves to manage the replenishment, is also Jiang Qiman worry about hands, over time, the old Qin also fell a peace of mind, mineral water is missing, are too lazy to put a few bottles in the past, just leaning on the bed to brush the phone.
Jiang Qiman do not bother with him, the store is not open to quarrels and fights, talking about peace and prosperity. Old Qin is not not working, the hardware store mainly depends on him to look at the lack of goods he will personally go to the market to buy goods, received the renovation work, will also be non-stop to do.
However, the good-tempered Jiang Qiman was finally completely annoyed by one thing, simply annoyed and ashamed, so angry that she cursed at old Qin: “Old thing, go away!” Old Qin, however, did not have the slightest intention to apologize, did not even say sorry, but just muttered: “Who would have thought it? Who would have thought?”
What Lao Qin couldn’t expect was confirmed by the doctor – that day, when Jiang Qiman was alone in the hospital listening to the doctor’s announcement of her pregnancy, she was really going crazy. But now, she can only wait to make an appointment with the doctor and go for an abortion.
Jiang Quxiang’s heart was burning: now she could not only earn money, but also had to pay for the operation, and had to trouble her mother-in-law to come all the way here to take care of her, and the train ticket was booked.
On the morning of the surgery, Jiang Qiman, who is proud of his usual work and good health, was still busy in the store, picking up things. The mineral water just arrived to be put away, in a box of water bottles from the ground a moment, Jiang Qiman feel all the vitality of the body are leaked, it is an unprecedented alien, mixed with the general terror of blood.
Old Qin was on the sidelines, hands and feet, dozens of years old man crying, but forgot what he should do most at this time. Jiang Qiman in fear, eventually called a car with the drop itself, saving his life.
After a few days, Jiang Qiman was discharged from the hospital. The mother-in-law didn’t dare to take care of her son’s fault, and she was very grateful. But the mother-in-law still said one day: “Too delicate, rest for a month and still need to be taken care of.”
But Jiang Qiman still felt very weak, sweating when moving, unable to make strength. I know I can’t rush, but I’m more anxious than anyone else.
Several old customers were also in a hurry, asking all day long when they could come to work, so Jiang Qiman had to tell the truth, saying that he couldn’t work recently. The salon manager also came to ask, Jiang Qiman had no choice but to resign from work.
After another 20 days or so, Jiang Qiman felt that her strength had recovered, so she bought her mother-in-law a return sleeper ticket and put her on the train herself.
The day after the mother-in-law left, Jiang Qiman tried to take a single, first to practice his hands. 4 hours down, really a bit untenable, sweating, waist sore.
The next two days, Jiang Qiman also did not dare to take orders, rest in the store. “Things will not be so bad, and then rest on the rest.” Jiang Qiman is still more or less confident about his physical condition and remains moderately optimistic.
Jiang Qiman is trying to let her mind and body slowly calm down, but God does not give her enough time to build up that ease of catching up with life – her mother-in-law has only been back home for a week, she was beaten up and admitted to the hospital.
4
The person who beat up her mother-in-law was a neighbor’s woman.
The neighbor wanted to build a house, but the home base of the old village was never planned, and now it is still whoever occupies it. The neighbors have a lot of heart, think that the mother-in-law on the old Qin a son, and early in town to buy a house, after certainly not live in the countryside, so they want to take the mother-in-law’s door that land to occupy, anyway, not to occupy for nothing.
The mother-in-law is a young woman who is not allowed to take advantage of the situation, and one is not allowed to die, arguing, and finally started to fight. The gray hair of the mother-in-law was soon the unreasonable also want to grab three points of the shrewish woman pressed to the ground punching and kicking a pass, sent to the hospital to take a look at the film, the whole broken 6 ribs.
The loss also ate, the crime also suffered, but also have to fill a medical bill into. “I’m afraid my mother-in-law is paralyzed, I have to go back to serve her”.
It’s not that Jiang Qiman doesn’t want to serve, his mother-in-law just served himself for more than a month a while ago, and it’s still fresh in his mind. But now not only their own health is not well, the family’s economic situation is more nervous, Jiang Qiman’s most urgent idea is to settle down to earn more money.
The mother-in-law was indignant and almost passed out in the hospital, old Qin and his elder sister, who has been working in Beijing for many years, hurried home. Before leaving, took away more than 10,000 yuan for the purchase of goods, as well as the store’s best few cigarettes.
The mother-in-law was admitted to the hospital for a week, and no neighbors were seen apologizing, not to mention compensation. The medical expenses paid out of pocket almost 20,000, the old Qin with the money also spent almost 5,000.
The police officer in charge of the case said that the injury identification will take at least another week, waiting for the results to come out to draw conclusions. The old Qin did not have any access, every day can only wait for the letter.
Early autumn turned cold, Jiang Qiman’s heart is burning: in a few days, will have to pay the utility bills and next quarter’s rent, a rough estimate of 20,000. Money in hand is not enough, this week, she only dared to enter the 4,000 goods, some customers want 10 cigarettes at a time, she only 5, the door-to-door sales can not earn. Business is obviously much worse, sometimes a morning can only sell 300 yuan.
The younger daughter has to go to school, the older daughter is brought up by her grandparents, and Jiang Qiman is not close, but also embarrassed to let her take time off to help watch the store.
Jiang Qiman was bolted to the hardware store, can not go anywhere, the work of a trip to the toilet, are afraid to miss the sale. One day Jiang Qiman saw a single online, a large company female white-collar because she could not take time off work, hired someone to accompany her husband to see a doctor, to 200, “if someone to watch the store, I’ll take it.”
The old customers called again to ask Jiang Qiman when in the end they could work properly. Jiang Qiman is afraid that customers are anxious to really replace people, let his young daughter watch the store on weekends, he went out to work.
After a long time, it was time to pay the rent, but Lao Qin had not returned. Jiang Qiman ran to discuss with the landlord, asking if he could wait for the old Qin to come back and then pay the rent, the money is not enough. The landlord was nice and agreed.
But the old Qin side of the money is also not enough, and then not discharged from the hospital will be evicted. The neighbors did not apologize for not paying money after beating people, the dispute is not finished for a while. The identification result is a second degree of minor injuries, the police said after reading, this is a criminal case, have to investigate and collect evidence, after the festival to arrest people, finished and left.
5
The old Qin intended to return to Beijing, with his wife and daughter to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival. Jiang Qiu Man is very happy, but want to cry, because there is a thing that can not let Lao Qin know anyway, so she is very aggrieved.
Old Qin and big sister went back home together because of the mother-in-law’s hospitalization the same night, big sister’s husband came over.
Jiang Qiu Man has always felt that big sister’s wife is not bad: old Qin big sister family has long been out to work to open a store, and now has a car and a house, although the car is just an ordinary car, the house is just a room in Hebei, that is also much better than Jiang Qiu Man family conditions. Not long ago, the two families also took big sister’s husband’s car to go into the goods, the way to talk and laugh, so lively.
A look at the big brother-in-law into the store, Jiang Qiman smile to welcome. The old Qin is not in, there is nothing to talk about, there is a hitch in the gossip. Unexpectedly, the big brother-in-law suddenly approached Jiang Qiman and whispered, “I like you for a long time.”
Jiang Qiman giggled a little, just pretend not to hear, no longer pay attention to him.
Jiang Qiman remembered that time to go back to the goods, big brother-in-law quietly told her: “If you want to go out to play, I can drive you.” So it was a bad thing to hold back. Seeing that Jiang Qiman no longer pay attention to him, big brother-in-law had nothing to say to chat with his youngest daughter, who also did not want to say much, so big brother-in-law was reluctant to leave until the store was closed.
Jiang Qiman was terrified, but fear what comes. The next night, my brother-in-law came back to the store, this time to say more blatantly: “Don’t be a brainiac, I will not treat you badly.”
“No, I can earn my own money.” Jiang Qiu Man straight nauseous, finished this sentence had to say, and no longer want to say half a word. But big brother-in-law is like nothing, until 11:30 p.m. people drinking in front of the store left, the store to close, only to go.
Jiang Qiman can not sleep solidly, fearful of the night, in a trance. The next morning the goods arrived, she was busy counting the number, someone came to buy beer, people left to find out that less than 10 yuan. In the evening, brother-in-law came again, carrying a box of rice in one hand. No matter how he spouted, Jiang Qiman just ignored. When the big brother-in-law was called away by a phone call, Jiang Qiman turned around and threw the box of rice into the trash.
“Don’t let your brother-in-law come to the store, for fear that others will gossip.” To Lao Qin on the phone, Jiang Qiman could only say so much.
“It’s okay, don’t think too much.” In fact, Lao Qin often think too much, before Jiang Qiman cooking, Lao Qin often disguised as Qin Ermus, looking for traces in Jiang Qiman’s cell phone, once suspicious, immediately deleted. However, the old Qin on the other end of the phone how to think more, probably would not have thought that big brother-in-law would have such a fancy.
The oldest brother-in-law is a “record”, once and a divorced, unemployed woman cheated, not long after, was found by his sister, a scolding, the woman left.
Jiang Qiu Man’s cold treatment slowly received the effect, brother-in-law many days not to come, Jiang Qiu Man can finally clean up the mood, look after the store.
9 p.m., the store came a young man, pulled out a pack of cigarettes and said, “This cigarette choking throat, fake, pay! Do not pay money to report.” Jiang Qiman fire, turned around and took out all the invoices into the cigarette lot number, said loudly: “Report it, if all the real cigarettes, you have to pay!”
The young man put away the pack of 5.5 cigarettes, turned his head and walked away.
6
After the holidays, the police began to go to the old village investigation and evidence. In the face of questioning, the neighbor’s shrew did not admit to beating her mother-in-law. There were many witnesses, but no one was willing to come forward to give evidence. The mother-in-law is not well liked in the village, and when she was beaten, there was no one to help her, so don’t expect anyone to stand up for her afterwards.
The police are in a difficult position, if this can not arrest people.
The mother-in-law thought it was too simple at first, thinking that she had to pay for the beating, and then continued to stay in the hospital without money, and when her family persuaded her to leave the hospital, she refused, always saying that the shrew had to pay for the medical expenses anyway. I didn’t realize that not only would I not get compensation, but I wouldn’t be able to get medical insurance for my medical bills – I can’t get reimbursed for fighting.
The mother-in-law moved to town after being discharged from the hospital and needed to buy a washing machine, but Old Qin’s pockets were cleaner than his face at this time. The first thing you need to do is to ask your sister for 1,000, “as a return of our money” – the old Qin was not sick before he followed his brother-in-law to do the renovation, there are still more than 20,000 unsettled, it has been several years, according to say, to 1,000, or for his own mother, this request But not excessive.
But the big sister is fuming: “You should not ask me for money, I have to open a store to capital turnover, but also to pay the mortgage, where to get the money?”
Jiang Qiman couldn’t figure out how his aunt could be such a person: “I bought stationery for my niece this year and spent more than 200.”
“Who asked you to buy for her daughter, you go to her to ask for it back!” The old Qin also can not figure out how to have such a sister.
No matter how the family, the critical moment still has to be consistent. The town police station can not control, old Qin will go to the county public security bureau to sue, there must be a statement.
But the mother-in-law can not wait a day, like crazy, scolded after the father-in-law scolded older sister, scolded older sister scolded old Qin, scolded people day and night. The phone calls in the middle of the night to scold the son useless, unfilial, can not give her anger: “this breath is not out, I will not live.”
The father-in-law and elder sister also followed to help, and brought Jiang Qiman along: “You come back quickly, take your elder sister together to beat that woman.” “You are ungrateful, have you forgotten that our mother serves you? Come back and make trouble together.”
Old Qin was scolded, red-eyed yelled: “Can we all stop, let me live a few more years in peace and quiet.”
A few days after going to the county public security bureau to report the case, the town police said they would go to do ideological work and let the neighbors pay for some medical expenses. The mother-in-law refused to do it and insisted on pursuing criminal responsibility and putting the woman in jail. The shrew didn’t mind, she got more aggressive and pushed the mother-in-law’s woodpile over.
The police see the woman is unreasonable, first asked the village cadres to negotiate to see, consultation can not be transferred to the prosecutor’s office according to law. The police also had a headache, saying that the woman had a tendency to fear a fatal case. More than one thing is better than one thing, Jiang Qiman and Lao Qin is also anxious to negotiate a solution, as long as the compensation for medical expenses, moral damages, and then apologize at home, will not be held criminally responsible. The mother-in-law, who could not swallow the anger, also nodded her head.
However, the mother-in-law side of the talk, but the shrew side is not moved, the police face also do not buy, rather than jail to pay. The police acted in accordance with the law and kept their word, and soon the shrew was arrested.
The old Qin went back to Beijing, came back, said thanks to the landlord, paid the rent, utility bills are still owed for the time being.
Since the old Qin came back, there are helpers, the store business better, when the hardware sold well, and can earn several hundred a day. The old Qin took a renovation job, Jiang Qiman calculate to regain the work of the beauty salon next, the beauty salon manager also kept her position. If there is less chaos at home, they can both be freed up to focus on earning money and making up for the loss.
Jiang Qiman finally felt that the whole world is quiet, repeatedly disrupted life, to the present, should also be a little bit better.
Recent Comments