Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Li Hong’s defense is broken repeatedly.

The next day, Liu Suqin withdrew the like while crying.

Lin Quansheng is considerate and thoughtful towards his sweetheart and has a strong sense of boundaries, but he shows a completely different face in front of them, which is as annoying as it can be.

The reason was that when he went to mail the letter, the staff told him that the registered letter in the city could be received on the same day at the earliest. Even if it was slower during the holidays, it would definitely be received within two days.

So the next morning, from the moment Lin Quansheng entered the house, he kept muttering to himself, wondering if Miss Li had received his letter successfully, whether she had opened and read it in time after receiving it, how she felt after receiving his sudden letter, whether she was willing to reply, and how long it would take for her to receive her reply.

There are many more examples like this.

In short, he talks about Miss Li all the time, like a headless fly that has lost its direction and is in confusion. Only topics related to his sweetheart can cheer him up a little.

Seeing him so lost in unrequited love, Liu Suqin and Lin Nanjiang went from patiently comforting him and actively encouraging him in the beginning to gradually becoming numb and wanting to cover their ears, all in just one morning.

It was really because he was too good at talking. He repeated the same thing in her ear thousands of times, and the effect was comparable to Tang Monk chanting scriptures. If she was not afraid of hurting the sensitive and fragile heart of this "boy", Liu Suqin really wanted to cover her ears and beg Master Lin to stop this magical power.

There are so many people at home, but Lin Quansheng doesn't bother anyone else. He just picks on her and Lin Nanjiang to cause trouble.

After finally making it to the afternoon, Liu Suqin heard the familiar doorbell. She knew it was probably Li Hong. Her arrival meant they could go out shopping, which meant she would finally be free from the chanting of "Elder Lin". Liu Suqin was so happy that she cried. Her reaction was faster than anyone else in the living room. She almost jumped up from the sofa and trotted to open the door in her slippers.

Sure enough, seeing the familiar figure of his friend, he excitedly gave him a big hug and said, "You are finally here. If you don't see me again, I will want to pull Nanjiang out to pick you up."

"It's only been over a month since we last met, and you missed me so much?" Li Hong teased, not understanding why. "But please control yourself. I need to check on our little Fangfang first. After the New Year, she's another year older. Hasn't Fangfang grown into a more beautiful little girl?"

Xiao Fangfang, who had been actively looking for someone to chat with recently, heard someone calling her. She immediately climbed up from her father's arms, stood on his legs, and waved her little fists enthusiastically in the direction of the sound, "Ah, ah——"

"Oh, Xiao Fangfang can talk now! You're so smart! Auntie is here to see you." Li Hong also waved and greeted the child with an auntie's smile. "I was right, your sweet baby is getting more and more beautiful. Look at your fair skin and big eyes. Xiao Fangfang, you are so adorable. Did you grow up eating cuteness?"

After interacting intimately with the adorable little kid she'd been thinking about, Li Hong changed her shoes and headed back inside. She also thanked the kid's mother for her hospitality. "It's okay for you to come pick me up. I'm not that arrogant. But if I play here too late tonight, I might have to trouble your family to take me home."

"Are you planning on going back to the factory tonight?" Liu Suqin was surprised. "Just sleep here. If you don't want to squeeze in with my mom or Aunt Zhang, you can sleep in the children's room for the night. Just spread out the bedding. It's all ready-made, no hassle."

"Oh, just let me experience the feeling of having a car take me there," Li Hong said with a half-hearted smile. "Besides, I have to go to work tomorrow morning, so I can get an extra hour of sleep in the dorm. You know how important an hour in the morning is."

Who doesn't have trouble getting out of bed when working for someone else? Liu Suqin nodded, "That makes sense. Let Nanjiang take you home tonight."

Lin Nanjiang was about to agree when Lin Quansheng volunteered, "I'll take you there tonight. I need to go home too."

"Then drive back home so you don't have to walk to work tomorrow, right?" Lin Nanjiang bluntly exposed his plan. Lin Quansheng didn't take it seriously and asked, "Does the boss agree?"

"Help me see the guests off, so I can save myself some trouble." Lin Nanjiang advised, "But don't oversleep tomorrow."

Tomorrow is the opening day, and we need to go to the market early in the morning to buy supplies. On such an auspicious day, we cannot make any mistakes.

Lin Quansheng promised not to let him down, and the matter was settled.

Li Hong didn't care which of them gave her a gift; they were all friends who had known each other for many years, so it didn't matter who it was. She was more concerned about the amount of information revealed in their conversation.

From what they said, it seemed that Lin Quansheng had moved out to live on his own. Li Hong was shocked and couldn't help but whisper in Liu Suqin's ear, "Aren't they so close that they can wear the same pants? Why did Lin Quansheng suddenly want to move out of your house?"

At the moment of asking the question, Li Hong imagined many reasons in her mind. It might be because Suqin's mother also came, and there were many people in the family. Lin Quansheng was not used to living with the elders and would rather move out by himself. It might also be that he was looking for a partner recently and needed private space. What she least wanted was of course that they had conflicts and disagreements and decided to live separately.

Imagine if Lin Nanjiang and Lin Quansheng, half-brothers, fell out. Wouldn't their friend Suqin be caught in the middle? Putting aside their long-standing friendship, there were also financial interests at stake, and a falling out like that would be incredibly troublesome.

Although Li Hong was envious and jealous of Lin Quansheng, she thought he was lucky to have met Suqin and her honest husband, who helped him make money and travel. If she were a man with some strength, she would have slept with her!

But she also really didn't want to see her old friends break up.

Their current situation is so good, everyone is busy making money together and working together. She doesn't know how much she envies them!

Liu Suqin didn't know her friend's worry, and thought she was just gossiping, so she laughed and said, "Brother Quansheng's house is ready, so naturally he has to move back to his own house."

"What?" Li Hong had never expected reality to be so different from her imagination. She felt terrible. "Lin Quansheng bought a house? When?"

Liu Suqin looked at her in surprise and explained, "Didn't I tell you before that he was considering buying a house? Then he found a suitable one and bought it right away. He did a simple renovation before the New Year, and now the ventilation is almost there, ready for moving in."

Even though she'd been warned in advance, Li Hong still couldn't accept it. "I knew he was considering buying a house a long time ago, but how can ordinary people buy a house so quickly? Even with your help, it should take him another year or two to save up the money. How can he be so rude? He said he was considering buying a house, and within two months, he made the purchase and even renovated it straight away. Are houses in Shenzhen so cheap?"

When Qian Juxiang heard this, she looked at Li Hong with admiration, thinking that it was not her problem that she always felt out of place in this family.

Isn't this a normal person?

Lin Quansheng was not unhappy about his friends questioning his ability. He was happy in his heart. Since he came to the city, everyone around him was richer than him. He was embarrassed to show off his newly bought house. The joy of buying a house was reduced by half.

Now that Li Hong, who has no house or car, has arrived and just happened to be talking about this, isn't this his turn to shine? Lin Quansheng came over with a smile, seemingly understated but actually boasting, explaining, "You're right. Compared to Nanjiang's house, my house is really a bargain. It's one of those old buildings facing the street. Besides the good light, there's nothing else to it. Living on the fifth floor, climbing the stairs every day is a chore. When it gets hot, the house is probably like a steamer inside, and the area is more than half the size of this place..."

Li Hong didn't believe it. "Why would you buy it if it's so bad?"

"I had no choice. I only had this little money. If I didn't buy it then, I wouldn't be able to afford it after the New Year."

"Why? Have house prices gone up again?"

Lin Quansheng nodded.

Li Hong's eyes flickered thoughtfully, thinking to herself that while this guy might be showing off, he did have some truth in what he said. Money is limited, so you can't be picky. If you're too picky, not only will you be unable to buy the house you want, but you might also end up unaffording the house you once could afford. Houses in big cities are easy to sell, so it's better to act early.

However, considering her current situation, it was too far-fetched to consider such things. Li Hong put this idea aside for the time being and asked Lin Quansheng, "When did you move? Why didn't you notify me?"

"Didn't your sister-in-law call you a few days ago?"

Liu Suqin reminded her, "You said you were busy earning overtime pay during this last period of time, and at most you could take a half-day break during the Lantern Festival. So I simply didn't mention it."

Lin Quansheng nodded in agreement. "It was just a simple cleanup, and I cooked some instant noodles as if it was cooking. Luckily you didn't take time off to help me move, otherwise I wouldn't even be able to treat you to a meal. I'd feel so bad."

Li Hong didn't feel any regret when she thought about the lucrative overtime work, but she made one final request, "Then I'll come to your place later, is that okay?"

She couldn't even dream of owning a "mansion" like her friend's. She probably wouldn't be able to afford one in her lifetime. But if she worked hard after learning makeup techniques and put in some extra work, she might still have a chance of owning one, right? Since she was out today, she decided to go visit his house and give herself some material for her dreams.

Lin Quansheng pretended to be modest. "Why not? When you go out shopping later, come to my place first. It's not far away. But I hope you don't mind that my place is too simple."

Li Hong now regarded him as her goal, so naturally she wouldn't despise him. "Look at what you said. Am I the kind of person who has high expectations but low skills? It's so difficult to buy a house of my own in Shenzhen. When we were still outside the Great Wall, we didn't even dare to dream of such a thing. Now, apart from Suqin and her husband, you are the most successful among us. You must be very happy in your heart, right? Don't pretend in front of me."

Everyone was talking and laughing as they walked to Lin Quansheng's house. Li Hong thought to herself, let her see how shabby Lin Quansheng's house was.

Then they climbed up to the fifth floor in one breath. Lin Quansheng just opened the door with the key and Li Hong rushed in right after him. The first thing that caught their eyes was the living room filled with sunshine. An exquisite chandelier hung on the snow-white ceiling, and there was a sofa that looked very soft and comfortable. Several clothes drying on the balcony added a bit of life atmosphere to the whole home. There was also a restaurant closest to them, which was also small in size but had everything needed. There was even a wine cabinet in the corner.

There was no need to go into the bedroom and kitchen anymore. Li Hong stood at the door, staring at the back of someone's head dimly. "You told me a house like this is shabby, then what is the place I live in? A doghouse?"

Lin Quansheng scratched the back of his head, turned around to hand out slippers to everyone, and said with a simple smile, "When I bought it, it was indeed worn and old. Suqin even called it old and dilapidated. Later, she took the time to help me renovate it. I was stunned when I saw the result."

Li Hong said she would never believe even a single word he said.

But Liu Suqin saw that her friend seemed a little excited today, so she took over the conversation and pretended to casually talk about something that would definitely make her friend happy, which was that she had successfully found a job.

"Really? Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?" Li Hong's attention was drawn to this, and she urged, "Then tell me quickly, how is the job going?"

Liu Suqin hadn't started work yet and didn't know the specific situation. She just recounted what she had seen and heard that day. Lin Nanjiang and Qian Juxiang helped to supplement from time to time, introducing how high-end and luxurious the photo studio she was about to work in was and how it was opened to serve wealthy people.

"What else?" Li Hong's eyes lit up as she kept asking. Liu Suqin thought for a moment and said, "Oh, right. Many of our colleagues were brought here from Gangcheng by our boss, General Manager Su. She also said that if our employees perform well, they can be arranged to go to Gangcheng for training and further studies."

Li Hong exclaimed, "Your boss is so generous that he can even send people to Hong Kong for further studies?"

"Yeah, you have no idea how rich President Su is. Just the investment scale, staffing, and facilities for this photo studio alone would have to start at least in the six figures, with no upper limit. Her assistant, Julie, also told me that President Su is only making a small investment here to test the waters, and her main business is still in Hong Kong." Some gossip is better enjoyed with the sisters. Liu Suqin brought up work to encourage Li Hong, but she ended up being so good at making fun of her that she also got carried away. "Also, I saw the bag President Su is carrying in a magazine. It's a new brand, and the price is comparable to Brother Quansheng's apartment."

"What? Someone really has a house in their hands?"

"That's not the point. The point is that people who haven't bought this brand before should first buy the classic style with a larger capacity, which is the best value for money. The fact that Ms. Su bought the latest handbag means she has more than one in her family."

"What kind of family is this? They can take turns carrying bags worth tens of thousands of dollars?" After hearing this, Li Hong suddenly felt that she was fine again. It turned out that there were so many rich people in the world, so there was no need to worry about her being one more!

She also understood what her friend meant. Such a rich boss could succeed in any business, but he spent huge sums of money to open a photo studio and hired makeup artists with high salaries, which showed that he was very optimistic about this industry.

If they follow the big boss's footsteps and work hard in this industry, their future in making money will definitely be good!

When coming down from Lin Quansheng's house, Li Hong regained her former outgoing and lively self. She walked in front arm in arm with Liu Suqin and chatted. The topics were all over the place and they spoke freely. However, when they arrived at the mall and saw her good friend start her unstoppable shopping spree, Li Hong, who had just recovered, gradually began to doubt her life again.

This wasn't her first time shopping with her friend. In the months before the Lunar New Year, Li Hong hadn't yet gone to extremes with overtime. On her monthly day off, she'd take at least half a day off, visiting Liu Suqin for a meal to improve her diet. Occasionally, they'd go shopping together, accompanying her to the mall to pick out skincare products, jewelry, and the like.

The skin care products Liu Suqin bought were indeed not cheap, but she only bought three or two items at most each time, and the prices ranged from a few hundred to just over a thousand. When they went shopping in a jewelry store together, the styles she chose never cost more than three thousand.

Li Hong certainly couldn't bear to buy these things, but she could afford the money if necessary, so she was still enthusiastic about helping her friends choose jewelry.

It was not until today when she came to the mall with her friend’s family that Li Hong understood what it meant to be arrogant.

Their first stop was the gold shop on the first floor. Liu Suqin, who was walking in front, didn't look like a customer, but rather the store's top seller. She was familiar with the place and asked the clerk to put the latest models on the counter. Then she selected them and arranged them for all the adults and children present. She even bought a whole set for herself, which made the store manager who came to greet her in person very happy. He looked at her as if she were a family member and called her "Mrs. Lin" sweetly.

In such a shopping atmosphere, even the determined Li Hong couldn't resist and bought a pair of lightweight gold earrings.

Well, the style she chose is of course different from Qian Juxiang and Aunt Zhang, and it still makes her look younger.

There was no way out. The store manager was so happy to see her dear "Mrs. Lin" that she took the initiative to promise to use her highest authority to give them a 12% discount.

When Li Hong heard that there was a bargain, she couldn't control her hands.

Everyone walked out of the jewelry store with a piece of gold jewelry in hand. It turned out to be just an appetizer. Liu Suqin then bought a set of skincare products and then restocked her supplies at the makeup counter. However, she went to the second-floor maternity and baby section, where she bought a few toys, clothes, and shoes for the children. Then, Liu Suqin asked if they wanted to look at adult clothing. Everyone shook their heads, so she gave up and went to the camera counter instead.

Buying the camera took the longest time because Liu Suqin suggested that she wanted to try it out to see the shooting effect. The staff actually agreed, but the trial later turned into a teaching session. The young staff was very patient and taught several people step by step how to frame the picture, when to press the shutter, and several classic photo poses, such as the scissors hand, and shouting "eggplant" in unison when taking photos.

After an hour of trouble, it was finally time to pay. The camera, accessories, film and bag together cost more than 3,000 yuan. Li Hong had a numb expression on her face, thinking to herself, this is great. The total consumption today is 13,000 yuan. Even if she were to sell her, it would not be worth a fraction of what others spend in a day.

There is a rich man next to her!

The next second, the rich man's friend turned around and asked her, "By the way, you said you were going to buy two new sets of clothes?"

Li Hong was so frightened that she almost jumped up and denied it three times in a row, "I'm not, I didn't, you remembered it wrongly."

How much money does she have in her pocket? If she follows Suqin to buy new clothes, she will probably be left with nothing after buying them.

Qian Juxiang felt that she and Li Hong really thought alike, so she gave her a look of affirmation and quickly replied, "Since you've almost finished shopping, let's go back early. It's time to start preparing dinner."

When she said this, Qian Juxiang herself felt dazed. Who could have thought that one day she would actually say something like "I've bought almost everything", as if buying things was free.

What is even more unimaginable is that this sentence is actually what she is thinking at this moment.

Lin Nanjiang looked at his mother-in-law's exhausted face, then looked at his own and his good brother's hands, which were occupied. He also tried to persuade her, "Suqin, why don't you go back and rest first?"

Liu Suqin turned around and continued to ask Li Hong, "Should we go home with everyone first, or go to Women's Street alone?"

When Li Hong heard the word "Ladies' Street", she instantly disappeared from the panic she felt when she was called out the previous second.

Ladies' Street is a place they often visit. The clothes there are famous for their good quality and low price. It is also very suitable for people who are good at bargaining to find bargains. Every time Li Hong goes there, she can get away with it before completely angering the boss lady. This is commonly known as bargaining at the bottom line.

She loves going there so much.

So Li Hong stood up again and decided that the two sisters would go to the Women's Street alone, while Lin Nanjiang would take the others and their bags home first and prepare dinner for them at home.

Qian Juxiang didn't stop her daughter from making an appointment with someone for the second half of the night because she had also been to that women's street and had been dragged to try on several sets of clothes and eventually bought them all, so she knew the general situation there. She was actually smug about her own wit. It was because of her timely interruption that the couple, who spent a lot of money, forgot about the diamond ring they had mentioned yesterday, saving them a lot of money.

She had asked her son-in-law in detail, and just now she secretly asked about the prices of those diamond rings in the jewelry store, which scared her so much that she gasped!

Even if my daughter bought a cart full of clothes from Ladies' Street, it would still not be worth the price of a small diamond ring.

Qian Juxiang casually told them not to stay out too late and to go home early, otherwise they wouldn't wait for them until the food was ready. Then she couldn't wait to tell the others to go home. In her heart, she was actually hoping that Liu Suqin would buy more clothes. This girl had been vain since she was a child, and her attention was all on beautiful clothes, so she didn't even think about diamond rings or anything like that.

But she was obviously too happy too early. Lin Nanjiang suggested going home to rest first. It was not because he was reluctant to spend money, nor did he forget the diamond ring he had been thinking about. It was entirely because he considered that they could continue shopping after dinner.

As the lights come on, the nightlife in big cities has just begun.

Lin Nanjiang brought this up when everyone was relaxed and eating their fill. Qian Juxiang's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "What? We still want to keep shopping? Aren't you tired?"

The others were also caught off guard, especially Li Hong and Lin Quansheng, whose attention was all on the Lantern Festival Gala that was about to be broadcast on TV.

You can go shopping any day, but you can only watch the Lantern Festival Gala tonight.

Little did they know that their hesitation was exactly what Lin Nanjiang wanted. He tried hard to suppress the corners of his mouth and said, "Are you all tired? Well, let's go shopping by ourselves."