Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Showing the new home.

There is strength in numbers. The truck stopped downstairs of the residential complex. Lin Nanjiang jumped down first and lit the prepared firecrackers. Then he shouted and asked everyone to help with the moving. In two or three trips, the truck was emptied.

Lin Quansheng volunteered to go downstairs to see off the moving team and settle the balance. The two real owners, Liu Suqin and Lin Nanjiang, stayed at home to pack their luggage and then began to warmly entertain the guests who came from afar.

After seeing people off, Lin Quansheng came back with some glutinous rice balls, steamed buns, melon seeds and fruits he bought from a small supermarket near the community. Everyone was still immersed in amazement, strolling around the house like Granny Liu visiting the Jia Mansion, touching here and looking there, and exclaiming as if they had never seen the world before.

If they were stunned by their first experience seeing high-end buildings in a big city, the landlord's son, Chen Jiaming, who arrived shortly after, was also impressed. He praised the design to his parents right in front of Lin Nanjiang, saying, "Why didn't I think of decorating like this? Someone told me before that tile floors are easier to maintain than wood, but when I saw these gray tiles in the store, I thought they were dull and would look dingy. But now I see the gray tiles in Anan's house, and they're not dull at all; they look classy and bright! And while their decor is simple, with the perfect mix of furniture and appliances, it looks elegant and spacious. It's really great! I'll definitely ask Anan and his family for advice when I need to renovate again."

Chen Jiaming is actually two years older than Lin Nanjiang, but he is not married and is a sunny and cheerful person. During the Chinese New Year holiday, he had already become friends with Lin Nanjiang and Lin Quansheng, so he did not follow his parents in calling him Xiao Lin, but instead called him by his nickname according to their local custom.

Aunt Chen also said, "I just asked your dad about this. I don't know what's going on. I heard Xiaolin's place is 20 to 30 square meters smaller than A-Ming's, but it looks like it's a lot bigger. And ours was also renovated at great expense. You live alone, so you won't need the refrigerator or washing machine for the time being. The other furniture and decorations are just as good, but it's not as high-end as theirs. Xiaolin's place looks like a rich person's house."

Lin Nanjiangjiao listened to their sighs, his mouth almost flying to the sky, but he was still trying to be humble, "I didn't do anything, I spent a lot of money to hire a designer to do it, I heard he's a college student! But our Suqin is also very good, she discussed with that college student designer for a long time, gave a lot of suggestions, and the designer could only nod his head. In the end, he produced the design drawings according to the requirements, and no one has ever said anything bad about it after seeing it."

Liu Suqin thought that she was just taking advantage of her rebirth. Interior decoration is still in its infancy, but if you look back a few decades, this industry has almost reached its peak and started to develop in the direction of smart technology. There are a lot of decoration cases of various styles on the Internet. Among her peers, she is relatively open to new things. She is very good at using certain audio, video and books. Even if she has not eaten pork, she has seen pigs run. Now, based on her Internet experience and her own experience, she can easily stun professional designers with just one move.

She was also very satisfied with the actual effect, but she felt a little guilty about Lin Nanjiang's boasting. She quickly changed the subject, "Honey, it's getting late. Why don't you ride your bike to the restaurant to order lunch? We need a large quantity, so we can avoid the lunch rush and not have to wait for half a day."

Lin Nanjiang looked at his watch and saw that it was indeed past ten o'clock. He had to order a dozen dishes. Even if the chef was very professional, it would take at least an hour. By the time the food was packed and served on the table, it would be almost twelve o'clock. It was just in time for dinner, so he nodded in agreement, said hello to the guests, and hurriedly took his wallet and keys and went out.

As for the menu, they had already discussed twenty or thirty dishes over the past few days, and the specific items would be adjusted based on the restaurant's food reserves. However, thorough preparation gave people confidence, and Lin Nanjiang had no worries about not being able to put together a hearty and delicious lunch.

The host left at the last minute, so Lin Quansheng stepped up to help wash and cut the fruit, entertain the guests, and even showed his friends the room he would be living in. Everyone teased him with envy and jealousy, but he was quite satisfied. After more than half an hour, he went to find Liu Suqin again, "Is there anything else going on at home? If not, I'll go to the restaurant. Nanjiang can't carry all those dishes upstairs by himself."

"Go ahead, Aunt Zhang and I are here." Liu Suqin said. Seeing her daughter being held and teased by her friends, with her baby bottle in her arms and her feet raised, looking very contented, she slapped her forehead and added, "By the way, Brother Quansheng, you guys should buy some wine and drinks. We haven't prepared anything at home."

Lin Quansheng had already walked to the door. He answered without even raising his head, then went downstairs with a thud.

Liu Suqin really didn't lack manpower here. She just needed to steam the ready-made buns. Li Hong and Aunt Chen insisted on squeezing into the kitchen to help. She felt a little helpless. "There's not much work in the kitchen. I really don't need you. Go to the living room and have some fruit snacks."

But Aunt Chen refused to listen and rushed to the sink to wash the dishes she had just found in the cupboard. Aunt Zhang taught her on the spot, "Turn the faucet to the left and hot water will come out in a while."

Aunt Chen smiled and said, "I know about that. Ah Ming also has a water heater. We have hot water ready for washing dishes and taking a bath. It's very convenient."

The aunties were not surprised, but the young Li Hong was really impressed. She was reluctant to leave and eagerly helped in the kitchen, passing bowls and rags. As she worked, she kept muttering, "Oh, it's great to have money. I don't have to wash clothes myself, and I don't have to boil water. I can finally see the world today..."

Aunt Chen was washing dishes while lamenting to Liu Suqin and Aunt Zhang, "Now that you live in the city, I won't have anyone to cook with me. I'm a little uncomfortable."

Liu Suqin smiled and said, "Since you're here, why don't you and Uncle Chen stay a few more days? We can get together more often."

"I plan to stay for a few days, hopefully in time for your hotel's opening."

"It's not a restaurant, just a small noodle shop." Liu Suqin corrected with a smile and told the opening time. "That's great, everyone should come and support us. We will give you all free meals when the time comes."

Uncle Chen had just come out of the bathroom and was passing by the kitchen door when he heard this. He stopped and reminded them seriously, "Our family of three are all going, but we can't get a free meal. Xiao Liu, you have to charge for opening a business, so that you can make a lot of money in the future."

Liu Suqin humbly accepted the instruction and said, "Okay, I understand."

She thought what Uncle Chen said made sense. Business still needs to be auspicious. Free meals and discounts are not advisable. They are a small business, so they can think of other plans for the opening ceremony, such as giving away free drinks and side dishes. Liu Suqin kept this in mind for the time being and would discuss it with Lin Nanjiang and Lin Quansheng when she had time.

The restaurant recommended by Lin Quansheng was indeed good. The chef was the owner himself, and he and his two apprentices managed the kitchen in an orderly manner. The dishes were cooked quickly and well. By the time the two of them took the food home and re-plated it to fill a large table, it was only half past eleven.

But we can also eat now.

This morning was quite tiring. Everyone was starving. Even though there were not enough stools at home, many people stood by the table with their bowls and chopsticks while eating, but it did not affect their enjoyment of the meal.

After the meal, Liu Suqin and Aunt Chen cooked some glutinous rice balls and put a few in each person’s bowl as a small dessert. The first meal after the move ended successfully.

The table was filled with delicious dishes, including chicken, duck, fish, meat, and seafood, catering to everyone's preferences. Everyone was eating with their mouths full. After eating and drinking, except for Chen Jiaming who had to work in the afternoon and said goodbye and left early, everyone else, including Uncle Chen and his wife, was too lazy to move, chatting in groups of three or two.

The only pity is that I was too busy today and didn’t have time to install an antenna for the TV. Otherwise, the atmosphere would be much more lively if we turned on the TV and chatted.

However, the coffee table in the living room is piled with fruits, drinks and snacks, and it is very pleasant for everyone to eat melon seeds and chat.

Liu Suqin was also very comfortable. The meals were ready, so she didn't have to work in the kitchen for most of the day. After the meal, someone rushed to clean up the table and kitchen. She wiped her mouth, took her child to the bedroom to feed and coax him to sleep, and chatted with her sisters about gossip.

When they lived in the village before, they often came to visit her during holidays, and Liu Suqin didn’t feel bored at all. But it is not so convenient after moving to the city.

None of them had border passes, and the reason they were able to enter the city with a clear conscience today was that they had been following them from the beginning to the end, and had been riding in a car all the way, so the probability of being checked was low. Even if they were really checked, Lin Nanjiang had a way to prevaricate. As long as one of the group had all the documents, he could explain in a nice tone, and give them a pack of cigarettes or something, and they could basically get away with it.

But if Li Hong and the others came to the city alone to look for her, the chances of them being caught on the way would be very high, and if they were caught, they would be caught without a trace, and there would be no way to defend themselves. Liu Suqin wouldn't let anyone take such a big risk to meet her, but she didn't have the time to personally go to the border to pick up the sisters.

In short, there will be fewer opportunities to meet in the future, and Liu Suqin feels a little regretful.

The sisters didn't think too much about it. They were still sighing that she had turned into a city dweller, and it was a big city like Shenzhen, which was prosperous and bustling. As long as you had money, you could buy anything. It was so convenient and really enviable.

Liu Suqin was moved when she heard this and started to remind her, "Not only is the city convenient, but the wages are also high. Nanjiang and Quansheng have been in charge of renovating the house these past few months, so they've been running around the nearby streets and alleys and seen many factories' job postings. They asked around and found that wages in the inner city, whether large or small, are generally several hundred or several hundred higher than those outside the city. Besides piecework, overtime also comes with extra subsidies. For example, if you work overtime for more than four hours, or until eleven or twelve at night, the factory will give you a midnight snack allowance. Even if it's only three or five yuan each time, you can still earn an extra hundred or eighty yuan a month, right?"

"Really?"

Seeing their eyes light up, Liu Suqin continued to reveal more secrets, "There's something even more amazing. I heard that in electronics factories invested by foreigners, the wages for ordinary workers in the workshop can reach 800 to 1,000 yuan! But the requirements for these factories are also high, I think they require a junior high school, high school or technical secondary school degree."

"Oh my god!" Li Hong slapped her thigh excitedly. "I've heard that the treatment inside the Great Wall is good, but I didn't expect it to be this good. If we had come to work inside the Great Wall from the beginning, we would have earned thousands more over the years!"

Among the three girls who came today, one was a fellow villager from the next village of Liu Suqin, and they did not work in the same factory. They gradually became friends after they came out to work. Another one was a female worker in the same dormitory as Liu Suqin. They became good friends after spending time together day and night. As for Li Hong, she was the first good friend Liu Suqin met after she started working.

At that time, they were still working in a small workshop. Both of them couldn't stand the chaotic dormitory environment, so they agreed to run away. Li Hong asked her fellow villagers and found out that the current factory was good in all aspects. After inspection, she took Liu Suqin to jump ship together.

Later, the cousin who brought Liu Suqin to Shenzhen also went back to get married, and Li Hong became her closest person.

When they were at their best, they could be described as half-sisters.

Li Hong's "we" also refers to the two of them.

The good sister sighed for the salary they had earned less in recent years, as if they had missed out on a hundred million yuan. However, Liu Suqin reminded her jokingly, "It's not too late to know now. The border pass is not as difficult to get as we thought."

She then briefly described the process of getting a border pass in her village through Aunt Jin's grandson. "I got mine before the New Year. I don't know if the price has increased recently, but it's better than going to those unscrupulous scalpers. Besides, the one they give you is genuine and legal, so there's nothing to worry about."

Liu Suqin has bought a house now, and has no plans to move her household registration to the Special Administrative Region for the time being, so she is still an outsider and her border pass needs to be renewed every year. Before leaving the village, she went to Aunt Jin's house to say hello. Her grandson Dalin said very readily that if she needs anything in the future, she can just call back to the village or tell his grandparents.

In that case, Dalin shouldn't mind her recommending her friends to do business there.

Speaking of which, Liu Suqin was reborn into her twenties, and her mental age seemed to have returned to her youth. Occasionally, she would flirt and play with Lin Nanjiang, and there was no sign of the generation gap of several decades.

But sometimes, her thinking and character are unexpectedly mature.

It was like she no longer imposed her ideas on others.

Liu Suqin, who knew how the future would develop, was of course extremely sure of her choice. She also believed that as long as her friends accepted her advice, they would not become rich in this life, but at least they would have enough food and clothing. However, she did not have the mentality that her friends had to accept her "correct path".

She was also doing this for her friends' sake, and sincerely suggested some more relaxed directions, but if they remained in the status quo, she would choose to respect and bless them.

Liu Suqin talked a lot at this moment because she saw that Li Hong was ready to make a move. Based on the premise that the other party was moved, she gave her reminders and guidance, but she would not make decisions for her friend.

She couldn't possibly know what she wanted better than Li Hong.

Li Hong's hometown is a mountain city. The girls there are famous for being passionate, lively and capable, and Li Hong is no exception.

Liu Suqin still remembered that in her previous life, shortly after Fangfang turned one year old, she received news that Li Hong had also found a blind date in her hometown and was preparing to get married. She did not go out to work that year.

The two people's hometowns are separated by thousands of miles, and it is inconvenient for them to contact each other since they both live in the same village. In the first two years, they wrote letters and made a few phone calls intermittently, but as time went by, they gradually lost contact.

One day before her rebirth, Liu Suqin was watching videos when she came across Li Hong's account. She quickly recognized her as a relative, added her on WeChat and started video chatting with her.

The two good friends who had not been in touch for more than 20 years still talked about everything like they did when they were young, and Liu Suqin learned about the other party's experiences over the years.

Li Hong, like her, got married and gave birth to her eldest daughter soon. At first, her husband worked outside to earn money, and she stayed at home to take care of the child. However, she met an unreliable man. After working outside for a whole year, the money he brought back was not enough to support the child. He still treated himself as a free and easy bachelor, and drank and played cards after receiving his salary every month. In addition to taking care of the child and farming, Li Hong also had to squeeze time to spin ramie thread to earn a living. She had suffered enough from having no money.

Later, when the child was weaned, Li Hong reluctantly handed the child over to her parents-in-law to take care of, and went to Wancheng with her husband to knit sweaters. She saved her salary in a fixed deposit after receiving it. Despite such strict discipline, the man was honest and obedient.

The couple worked in the factory for several years and successfully saved some money, but they did not choose to return to their hometown to build a house. To be precise, it was Li Hong who went against the majority's opinion and used the savings to open a stationery store in her hometown county.

The stationery store business soon got on track, the eldest daughter was taken to school, and her husband was incompetent but obedient. Li Hong felt that her life was very stable and began to plan to have a second child.

But when the second child was also a daughter, her in-laws began to criticize her, and her husband became increasingly dissatisfied with her dominance and gradually began to have affairs outside. So after her eldest daughter took the college entrance examination, Li Hong divorced her husband and lived alone with her two daughters.

Fortunately, Li Hong remained adamant about the division of property, refusing to budge, insisting on the house and stationery store, with the car and savings going to the man. The man, anxious to marry his mistress and have a son, had no choice but to agree. Later, Li Hong single-handedly managed the stationery store and successfully raised two sisters. The eldest daughter attended a medical college and, after graduation, joined the county hospital, where she married a doctor and started a loving family. The younger daughter secured a local job and a stable life.

Whether married or single, the two children remain close to their mother, frequently accompanying her for dinner and shopping. Li Hong, unfazed, provided down payments for each of them. The children now have stable jobs, have their own social security contributions, and will soon receive their pensions. Feeling they have accomplished their mission, she closed the shop and began enjoying life, playing cards, traveling, and leading a fulfilling life.

Because Liu Suqin complained that her husband and children were not at home all year round and she had nothing to do, the very active Li Hong immediately came to find her with her suitcase. The two friends who had not seen each other for many years still had endless things to say when they met, and they even lay on the same bed and talked late at night.

Talking about the sadness and happiness of these years, and talking about her two sensible and caring daughters, Li Hong smiled contentedly and said that she had no regrets in her life.

Liu Suqin can still remember her friend's sparkling eyes at that time. She truly feels very happy and satisfied in this life.

Come to think of it, you have a house and a pension, caring and filial children, and you don’t have to take care of your elderly parents. Who wouldn’t envy this life?

No matter how bad that man was, he gave Li Hong the most precious daughter in the world. As a mother, Liu Suqin could understand if she continued on the path of her previous life.

But if her best friend could just find a better man and have a happy and complete family, Liu Suqin would be more relieved.

Therefore, since Li Hong was interested in the work inside the Great Wall, Liu Suqin did not hide anything and told her everything she could.

The other party was indeed very excited and even suggested that seeing it with his own eyes is believing. He now wanted to go to the nearby factory to take a look.

Liu Suqin nodded immediately. "Okay, I'll go with you. Besides the factory, we can also go shopping on the street. In fact, there are jobs everywhere on the street. For example, there are shops selling clothes, shoes and jewelry. In addition to the basic salary, there are also commissions. The more you sell, the more you earn. The salary is not lower than in the factory."

After hearing this, Li Hong became even more impatient and wanted to go out, pulling the two girls who were still hesitant. Liu Suqin went to the living room first and told Lin Nanjiang to take care of the children at home, as they would always be out for an hour or two.

Lin Nanjiang disagreed. "How about I take you there on my bike? That way, you won't have to walk. We have Quansheng and Aunt Zhang at home, so the child won't need anyone to take care of her. Or I can take Fangfang shopping with me."

"Your daughter is still taking a nap." Liu Suqin resisted the urge to roll her eyes and invited the other men in the living room. Unfortunately, none of the men were interested in going out in the sun at noon, so she naturally rejected Lin Nanjiang's suggestion. "Then we girls can take our time shopping and you can rest at home."

Lin Nanjiang said aggrievedly: "Okay."

He wanted to give him a few more words of advice, but his wife had already turned around with Li Hong's hand, leaving him with a cold and ruthless back.

Liu Suqin and her sisters were out for nearly two hours. They looked around at the recruitment information of nearby factories, randomly stopped a few passers-by to ask about the specific treatment, and went shopping. Each of them bought two pieces of clothing.

Passing by a sweet soup shop, Liu Suqin invited them in to drink sweet soup. The four of them ordered four different flavors and then took turns eating. After drinking a bowl of sweet soup with smoothie, the summer heat disappeared at this moment, and they felt refreshed.

In the end, the four of them went back satisfied, talking and laughing, and made an appointment with Liu Suqin to come to the city to go shopping like this next time they had the chance. It was so pleasant.

Liu Suqin felt that she had no sales skills at all. She had demonstrated the benefits of being inside the country to her friends with her own actions, but in the end, only a few people accepted her recommendation.

If we replace them with someone with stronger motivation, such as the big real estate agent, the results would not be so dismal, even if we cannot win them all.

But it doesn’t matter. As long as Li Hong is willing to support her, Liu Suqin will not lose out on this trip.

Li Hong was not only supportive but also as active as ever. As soon as she entered the residential complex, she suddenly stopped, reached out and grabbed Liu Suqin, her eyes serious. "I've decided to come to the border to look for a job, too. Suqin, could you please introduce me to that Dalin? If it's convenient, call the company ahead of time and let them know. I'll take some time in a couple of days to go find him in the village with money and documents for help."

Liu Suqin wasn't surprised by her choice, but she was also stunned by the efficiency. "So fast?"

"Yes, yes, this is a big deal. Sister Hong, you still need to think it over carefully."

"With Suqin and her husband and Quansheng here in Guannei, you have someone to look after you. There's nothing to worry about. But it's already the end of August, and the Chinese New Year is just a few months away. Why don't you work until the end of the year and get all the withheld wages? If you still want to come to Guannei next year, it won't be too late to ask Suqin for help."

Several people advised Li Hong not to make an impulsive decision. They had some things that were difficult to say directly. Li Hong was the oldest among them. Even Liu Suqin was married and had children now, so they only had one or two years left.

Once you get married, the next step is to have children, and then take care of them and do housework in your hometown. What's the point of going to the city at this time?

Liu Suqin didn't think about these things. She was just worried that Li Hong didn't understand the process of the border pass, so she comforted her, "The procedures in Dalin are very fast. If you need it urgently, you can get the certificate in two or three days. There's no need to start preparing so early."

"Then why don't I get my permits done sooner and come to the interior to join you?" Li Hong said jokingly, then said seriously, "You guys came out later, so you might not know. I didn't even graduate from junior high school, and I hadn't even had my fifteenth birthday yet, when I followed my fellow villagers to Shenzhen to work. I was young at the time, so even the more formal factories wouldn't hire me, so I worked secretly. By the time I met Suqin, I had already been here for almost three years and was a real veteran. If I hadn't benefited from Suqin and her husband's help and followed them into the city to see the world, with my own abilities, I'm afraid I would never have made it to a big city in my lifetime."

"Sometimes I feel like I'm such a loser, and my life is so meaningless. It's like I can see the end of my life at a glance, with not a single ounce of hope left... You ask me to wait a little longer, and I understand the logic, but after the New Year I'll be twenty-four already. Unknowingly, I've already spent nine years in this small town in the interior. How many nine years can we have in a lifetime? Do I really have to wait any longer?"

Several people were silent.

They are all young people full of vigor and vitality. Who doesn’t leave their hometown with high expectations for the future?

But when I arrived in the so-called big city, I found that the future was still unclear. I worked day after day in the dark factory workshop, feeling confused, entangled, and lost. I wanted to change but couldn't find any way out. Then I became numb in the hopeless life, and began to live in a daze and go with the flow.

Li Hong's words were not exactly eye-opening, but they fully expressed the bitterness and pain they had experienced since going south to work.

They do not have the courage like Li Hong to start from scratch at this awkward age, but they respect their hopeful friend, stop trying to dissuade her, and sincerely wish her to make a name for herself in the Special Administrative Region.