Did My Ex-Wife Agree to Remarry Me Today? - Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Picking Up Trash

A thin scab had formed where the piece of lip skin had fallen off. Li Zhou had never experienced anything like this; it felt as though something that didn’t belong to her was stuck to her lip, and she found herself unconsciously touching it every so often.

While taking a call, her right index finger rested habitually against her mouth.

Once she understood the message from the other end, she lowered her hand and crossed her arms. “I’ll do my best to rush it,” she replied. “I’ll aim to finish by the 5th.”

The person on the line said, “The scale of this exhibition is just too large. Doing it all by yourself will be exhausting, and the deadline is so tight. Should I send some people over to help you?”

The original setup date for the Environmental Protection Exhibition was March 10th. Moving it forward had suddenly compressed her preparation time by five days. Li Zhou was indeed feeling the pressure.

She said to Director Cao, “Alright, go ahead and call some people for me.”

Cao Rong was a staff member at the Local Marine Conservation Association and the lead organizer for the Jiang-Wu District Marine Exhibition. As soon as Li Zhou agreed, she immediately sent out a call for volunteers on her WeChat Moments.

Because it was noted that Li Zhou was the one who needed help, responses flooded in. The more the merrier, Director Cao thought. She accepted everyone, created a group chat, and pulled in every willing soul.

Meanwhile, Li Zhou, oblivious to the chaos in the group chat, focused on drawing the restoration models and calculating the raw materials needed for the display.

The next morning, the first person Li Zhou saw was A-Mei.

A-Mei was handling her skateboard with surprising grace. She emerged from her own courtyard, rolled down a gentle slope, glided across a flat stretch, and with a powerful kick, rolled up into Li Zhou’s yard.

She was actually quite good.

“Morning, Sister Zhou!”

Li Zhou noticed that A-Mei’s braking technique wasn’t the one she had taught her last night. She was stunned to see the girl perform a “tail-drag” power slide to stop. Had she learned this before? Was it muscle memory?

“Morning, A-Mei.” Li Zhou greeted her, then leaned down to release Biscuit, who had been wagging his tail incessantly.

The puppy was full of energy after a long sleep. Before his paws even hit the ground, he was already trying to run. His back paws kicked off Li Zhou’s palm, and he lunged forward, only to lose his balance on the concrete and perform a clumsy forward roll.

The tumble didn’t dampen his spirits. He scrambled up and chased after the skateboard, his white tail wagging like a metronome.

“Hey, be careful,” Li Zhou called out, watching the puppy’s retreating back.

A-Mei spread her arms wide like a lead goose in flight, leading Biscuit in a smooth loop around the courtyard before coming to a steady halt in front of Li Zhou. She presented a container of Tangyuan (glutinous rice balls). “Sister Zhou, my grandma cooked Tangyuan—sesame and peanut fillings. Eat them while they’re hot.”

“Are you starting on the fish skeleton today? I’m here to help.”

“Did you see Director Cao’s post?” Li Zhou asked. She had checked her phone earlier and seen a few familiar names.

“Yeah,” A-Mei said. “There are tons of people in the group. I live closest, so I came first.”

Li Zhou wasn’t in the group, so she didn’t realize what “tons of people” actually meant. She thanked A-Mei and Ms. Wang for the food and headed inside. A-Mei kicked up her board, caught it, and followed. The white puppy trotted behind on its short legs, struggling but joyful. It was his first time seeing a skateboard, and he thought it was the most interesting thing in the world.

In the studio, Li Zhou powered up the machinery to preheat while she tended to Ms. Wang’s kindness. She opened the thermal flask and scooped up a Tangyuan, blowing on it gently.

A-Mei sat across from her, staring at the steaming bowl. “The ones with two sesame seeds on the outside for eyes are the sesame ones. The smooth ones are peanut.”

The “eyes” were clearly A-Mei’s handiwork. Li Zhou looked at the plump white dumplings and let out a faint smile.

As she smiled, the scab on her lip tugged. A-Mei noticed immediately and gasped. “Sister Zhou, did someone bite you last night?” It definitely wasn’t there when they were making the skateboard.

“No.” Li Zhou denied it instantly. Who would dare bite her? “It just fell off on its own.”

A-Mei pinched her own lip, trying to look down at it. “How come mine doesn’t fall off? I can’t even pull it off.”

Li Zhou didn’t know how to explain.

By the time Jin Fei arrived at the studio and expressed the same confusion, Li Zhou decided to put on a face mask to prevent this tiny scratch from turning into a full-blown comedy routine.

This was the scene Chi Yun witnessed as she craned her neck over the courtyard gate: Li Zhou, wearing a mask, looking visibly annoyed at a man.

Her ex-wife was dressed in a moon-white long shirt and khaki linen trousers—ethereal and beautiful. Her hair was gathered in a gentle style, secured with a wooden hairpin, looking like a graceful noblewoman from an ancient scroll.

But her eyes were cold and stern; she was clearly dissatisfied with the man in front of her.

Who is he? Chi Yun wondered. And who are all these other people who seem busy but have their ears and eyes glued to the center of the yard?

Unlike the others, Chi Yun didn’t hide. She stood tall and watched openly. After a moment, a voice interrupted her.

“Excuse me, could you move your car? We need to stack these waste cardboard boxes here.”

Chi Yun wasn’t inclined to give up her spot, but seeing the yard filled with sacks and the growing pile of boxes with nowhere to go, she relented. She moved her car away.

“You can park temporarily on the coastal road behind the house,” said Cao Rong. She and Chang Qi were in charge of collecting cardboard donated by local fishermen. She didn’t recognize Chi Yun, so she assumed she was either a tourist or another volunteer. “We’ve sectioned off part of the road there; you can park in that spot.”

Chi Yun nodded and drove off. Her black business van rolled slowly through the “Stone House” village and onto the coastal road. While she was debating where to park, Ms. Wang (Wang Fang) poked her head out from her back door while harvesting mustard greens.

Recognizing a familiar face, Chi Yun was overjoyed. She pulled over right next to Ms. Wang’s back gate.

Ms. Wang’s movements were swift and practiced. Chi Yun didn’t even bother locking the car; she jumped out and approached the older woman respectfully. “Grandma, do you remember me? We spoke yesterday.”

Wang Fang recognized her, but her attitude was noticeably frostier than the day before. “What do you want?” she replied gruffly.

“Do you know what’s happening next door? Why are there so many people?”

“That crowd?” Wang Fang intentionally dragged out her tone. “Just a bunch of admirers, taking every chance they get to show off.”

“Are those boxes and plastics being used to make something?” Chi Yun asked.

“Xiao Zhou is setting up an exhibition,” Ms. Wang explained. “But the things salvaged from the sea are often incomplete; she has to use recycled materials to supplement them. It’s too much work for one person. With more people helping to find raw materials, she can focus on the coordination.”

Wang Fang felt she had said too much and tried to shoo her away. “As you can see, she’s very busy. Don’t go looking for her for the next few days.”

Chi Yun smiled, undeterred. She took off her coat and began rolling up her shirt sleeves. Her gaze was soft yet determined. “I can help, too.”

“You?” Wang Fang looked Chi Yun up and down, noting her expensive business attire. “Forget it.”

To Ms. Wang, Chi Yun looked like a pampered lady from a wealthy family. What could she possibly do? Help pick up trash on the beach?

Chi Yun tied her long hair back, took off her wristwatch, and maintained her smile. “I can do it.”

She had hands, feet, a back that could bend, and shoulders that could carry weight. The sea was just a bit annoying, that was all. She wouldn’t go where the tide could reach; she’d just pick up trash along the edge of the sand.

Seeing she wasn’t joking, Wang Fang asked, “You’re serious?”

“Of course,” Chi Yun said. “I can’t lose to that group of admirers.”

“After all… they’re my rivals in love.”

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