Chapter 27 If you met both him and me at the same time, who would you choose...?
The eldest brother and sister-in-law run a pastry shop. Business stabilized in the second month. Now it's the twelfth lunar month, and word has spread from previous customers, so there's a constant stream of people coming to buy New Year's goods. The shop is doing just as well as it did in the first few days after it opened.
The older brother and sister-in-law are busy. They say that this month, at the end of the year, they estimate they can earn two or three times their usual amount, with a minimum of four or five hundred yuan. The couple is happy to be busy.
Nie Qingqing received a call from Mr. Yan, who said he had some ideas to discuss and asked if she wanted to have dinner that evening at the same restaurant she had chosen last time.
Of course we agreed! My brother and sister-in-law closed their shop an hour early and went to the beef offal restaurant they had wanted to eat at for a long time. They ordered a large portion. Mr. Yan likes the duck blood that's cooked in it, so Nie Qingqing ordered another portion to cook in it.
Mr. Yan said, “I’ve printed a batch of gift boxes for the year-end business. You can have a mold made with the name of a pastry shop made, put some ink on it, and stamp it on the boxes. It will look nice and classy, and it will definitely sell well during the New Year. If you need them, I’ll give you a few hundred at cost price.”
That's great! Song Zhao had suggested it before, but my brother and sister-in-law's small pastry shop couldn't afford to print them, while other shops had minimum order quantities.
Nie Qingqing offered tea instead of wine: "Mr. Yan, how can we thank you?"
Mr. Yan smiled and said, "It was nothing. Isn't this dinner a way of thanking you?"
Strike while the iron is hot, the next morning, Nie Qingqing and her brother and sister-in-law transported the packaging back. Sure enough, the first batch of gift boxes sold really well. These 500 boxes should be able to be sold before the Chinese New Year.
Nie Weibin admired him, saying, "Boss Yan is better at business than we are."
Nie Qingqing said, "Of course, many people from their village have gone out to sell roasted nuts and seeds. How come he's the only one who has made it big and started a factory? He's got brains and guts, so he deserves to succeed."
Zheng Fanghui was very worried. She knew her own strengths and weaknesses with Nie Weibin. She knew that Boss Yan was helping her because of her aunt. She was worried about that kind of thing, but she only dared to think about it in her heart and dared not mention it.
...
Song Zhao shared the same concerns as his sister-in-law. He dared to bring it up; husband and wife can ask each other anything, and he believed Qingqing wouldn't scold him for being petty.
He then asked, "Qingqing, why is Mr. Yan so good to you? Do you have any clue?"
Nie Qingqing didn't understand. Was it what she thought it meant? Looking at Song Zhao's worries, it really was what she had thought.
She laughed and said, "Don't be jealous. He's interested in my brother and sister-in-law's pastry-making skills. Look at all his relatives, which one has he helped? People only help others if they are useful. This help is just a small thing for him, but it's a huge help to my brother and sister-in-law. They will definitely be grateful."
Song Zhao understood: "You mean, Mr. Yan wants to start a pastry business in the future and is using your brother and sister-in-law as talent reserves?"
Nie Qingqing said, "I don't know. If that day really comes, it won't be a bad thing for my brother and sister-in-law. Mr. Yan is a bit older, but he's rich. If he wants to find someone, he won't choose someone like me who already has a marriage and family. It's not worth it. Don't think about such things anymore."
Song Zhao asked one more question: "If you met both him and me on a blind date, who would you choose?"
Nie Qingqing replied without hesitation: "I choose you, because I like you."
Song Zhao was very happy and stopped having wild thoughts.
...
The three children were on winter vacation, and the Chinese New Year was approaching. The law firm wasn't very busy, and Nie Qingqing and He Shumei were chatting about the New Year at the front desk.
He Shumei said, "Your sister-in-law's pastry gift boxes are impressive when visiting relatives. Please save eight boxes for me."
Nie Qingqing said, "Okay, my sister-in-law said she'll make some fresh ones on the 29th of the lunar year. We can share them among our families. Lawyer He likes to have a couple when she's drinking coffee in the afternoon. I'll send her a few boxes when we have the holiday."
Just then, a customer arrived, wrapped in a scarf, wearing a mask and sunglasses, completely covered up.
He Shumei quickly said, "I'll take care of them first, we can talk later."
Nie Qingqing grabbed her arm, glanced at the woman outside the door for a few moments, and asked He Shumei, "She looks like Lawyer Zhu to me."
He Shumei opened her eyes wide and looked carefully, but couldn't see it: "Really? Why would she come? Are you sure you're not mistaken?"
The woman outside hesitated for a moment, then turned to leave. Nie Qingqing pushed open the door and took two steps after her, calling out, "Attorney Zhu, is that you? Attorney He is available. Since you're already here, come in and let's talk."
...
In the reception room, Attorney Zhu took off her scarf and glasses to show Attorney He the bruises on her face and her swollen eyes, which made Attorney He clench her fists.
She had been training her apprentice for two years; she could teach and scold him as she pleased. But how could she not be angry when someone else bullied her?
Zhu Shizhen was very strong and did not cry: "Master, Sheng Shiqi hit me on the first night after our marriage. I only found out then that his ex-wife was concerned about her reputation and did not mention his habit of hitting people when he was drunk. He apologized to me when he sobered up and promised not to do it again. I believed him and forgave him once. I said that if he did it again, I would definitely divorce him. Look at my face and my body. Even if he kneels down and says he will quit drinking this time, I will not believe him again and I will not forgive him again."
If he could change, his ex-wife wouldn't have divorced him.
Zhu Shizhen himself went to persuade his ex-wife to give up most of her assets, leaving her with almost nothing. He said it was karma, and this time she was determined to leave with nothing and get a divorce.
"Master, Sheng Shiqi does not agree to the divorce. I want to file a lawsuit in court and would like to trouble you to help me with the divorce case."
Attorney He was furious. No matter how she tried to persuade him before, he wouldn't listen. And now, after such a short time, he's realized he wants a divorce.
“I told you, there must be a reason why such an outstanding man's wife is determined to divorce him. Either the wife is having an affair, or the man has some shortcomings, but you just wouldn't believe me!”
When her husband beat her, Zhu Shizhen didn't cry; but when her master scolded her, she choked up and said, "Master, I know I was wrong. Can you help me with my divorce case?"
Despite the criticism, the lawsuit still had to be filed, and Attorney He took on his apprentice's divorce case.
...
As an assistant, Nie Qingqing naturally accompanied Attorney He to talk to Sheng Shiqi. Having been a junior manager for several years, she knew how to play the game of tai chi. Since he had been married for less than two months, he naturally refused to get a divorce.
This hypocritical fellow showed no remorse whatsoever; he was just as perfunctory as if he were fooling a child—it was all so fake.
“I acted inappropriately while drunk, and I will definitely apologize to Zhenzhen and promise not to hit her again. If you see her, tell her to go home immediately. I’m too busy with work to coax her.”
Based on Nie Qingqing's previous experience mediating in the Women's Federation, this man is not easy to deal with. Approaching him with gentle words, like Attorney He did, will definitely not work.
Yesterday, she suggested to Attorney Zhu that she tie up Sheng Shiqi and beat him up after he fell asleep.
Attorney Zhu said she couldn't do such a thing, she only wanted a divorce, and there was no need to do it, leaving Nie Qingqing speechless.
Attorney He didn't have much patience for the man who assaulted her apprentice: "Don't talk to me like that. My clients now only want a divorce. If we can't reach an agreement, we'll go to court."
Sheng Shiqi was not in a hurry at all: "How many couples don't fight these days? If they fight, they get divorced. The Civil Affairs Bureau is too busy to handle it all. Even if you go to the Women's Federation, it's just mediation. I'm willing to apologize and write a guarantee that I will never do it again. Our relationship has not broken down, so there is no reason for divorce."
Attorney He didn't waste any more words with him: "Okay, let's go to court then."
...
Going to court would drag on forever. She didn't want any of Zhu Shizhen's dowry; she just wanted a quick resolution.
Nie Qingqing asked her, "Attorney Zhu, are you determined to get a divorce, even at any cost?"
Zhu Shizhen said firmly, "Yes, from childhood to adulthood, my parents have never laid a finger on me. Hit me? Who does he think he is? I don't want to wait even a day longer."
"That's good enough," Nie Qingqing said, taking out her camera and telling her to lower her head and turn to the side.
"Qingqing, what are you going to do?" Attorney He asked.
Nie Qingqing: "Help Attorney Zhu get a divorce."
As long as the divorce is finalized and nothing else matters, she still has ways to resolve the situation.
...
Sheng Shiqi saw Lawyer He's assistant arrive again, accompanied by a helper carrying a bag, the contents of which were unknown.
He was full of disdain. He didn't even take a legitimate lawyer seriously, so what could two housewives do?
Sheng Shiqi sneered, "Even Attorney He is helpless. I'm not afraid of going to court. Why are you wasting your energy? Go back."
He Shumei couldn't stand this kind of man who thought he could control everyone. Well, let's see if he can withstand this shameless beating today.
She opened her bag, took out a gong, and started banging it; the sound was deafening.
Nie Qingqing took out a photo of Zhu Shizhen's bruises after being beaten, and shouted it out to passersby.
"Come and see! This is your boss. He beats his newlywed wife at home. His ex-wife couldn't stand his violence, which is why they divorced. Just because his ex-wife gave him face and didn't say anything doesn't mean his second wife will tolerate it."
Sheng Shiqi was furious and quickly stopped them: "What exactly do you want to do?"
Nie Qingqing: "We'll help Attorney Zhu get a divorce. If he doesn't get a divorce, we'll work right outside his office every day."
Sheng Shiqi threatened, "Aren't you afraid I'll call the police?"
"Go ahead and call the police. You're not afraid to call the police when you beat your wife, so what are we afraid of when we're just banging a gong?"
He Shumei said, "We work in a private company, what are we afraid of? If you don't leave, today it's your company, tomorrow it's your home, and the day after tomorrow we'll be knocking on the door of the newspaper office!"
Nie Qingqing told him, "If you can't change your habit of hitting people when you're drunk, then don't get married and cause trouble for others. Even if you do change, Attorney Zhu will never forgive you. Just get a divorce quickly!"
...
Sheng Shiqi finally agreed to sit down and talk. Lawyer Zhu was even willing to leave with nothing, not even her dowry. Nie Qingqing didn't understand what else there was to talk about.
Little did she know that Sheng Shiqi was vicious. He proposed, "Zhenzhen, I really don't want a divorce. If you want a divorce, fine. I need time to calm down. You can't remarry within five years, otherwise it will upset me. But I can remarry. If you can accept this agreement, then we can get a divorce. If you can't, then we can go back and live a good life together."
"You bastard!" Nie Qingqing couldn't stand it anymore. "She'll be thirty in five years! You're so vicious!"
Attorney He looked at his apprentice and asked, "You should make the decision yourself. If you want a divorce, agree. If you don't, we'll go to court."
After this marriage, Zhu Shizhen was disappointed with men and had no plans to remarry in the near future.
Without hesitation, she said, "Okay, five years it is."
Seeing that she was willing to stay single for five years in order to get a divorce, Sheng Shiqi knew there was no way to salvage the relationship, so he finally signed the agreement, and the two of them got divorced before the end of the year.
...
Holding the divorce certificate, Zhu Shizhen was overjoyed and bowed deeply to Attorney He: "Master, you have always said that being a good person is just as important as being a professional. I finally understand. Thank you for still being willing to help me. From now on, I will focus on my work."
Attorney He treated this case as a normal client-client relationship, saying, "You should thank Qingqing and Shumei. I wouldn't have done the methods they came up with. Without them, you would still be entangled with your ex-husband."
Zhu Shizhen turned to Nie Qingqing and He Shumei and bowed as well: "Thank you. Qingqing, I feel very guilty. I looked down on you in my heart before and said bad things about you. I never expected that the person I looked down on would help me."
Nie Qingqing didn't take it to heart at all. She straightened her body and, of course, comforted her now that things had come to this.
"Who hasn't talked badly about others behind their backs? You've talked about me, and I've talked about you at home too. It's only human nature."
Today is the last day of work at the law firm. Since it's a private company, they can take holidays whenever they want. Attorney He was supposed to leave the day before yesterday, but due to the case, he postponed it until today.
She said, "Let's have lunch together, Xiao Zhu. You stay and eat before you leave. With your divorce, it's not good for your career development in the local industry. I can introduce you to Shenzhen."
Zhu Shizhen was deeply moved. She had changed; now she felt only genuine affection and could discern who was truly good.
"Thank you, Master."
After dinner, they could have their holiday. There were still several days until the Chinese New Year, and the paid holiday made Nie Qingqing and He Shumei extremely happy.
Attorney He took out three red envelopes and gave one to each of them and Attorney Zhu: "Happy New Year! You have all worked very hard this year, and this bonus is well-deserved."
Lawyer Zhu said happily, "Master, there's still some for me."
Attorney He said, "Originally there wasn't any, but I gave it to them. I can't do something like leaving it blank. I've taken the red envelope, so you're treating to dinner today."
The lawyer went to pay the bill happily.
...
After lunch, Nie Qingqing and He Shumei returned to the law firm, cleaned up, locked the door, and then they could go home for the holidays.
The two discussed that they would use the 200 yuan red envelope to buy New Year's goods tomorrow, so they wouldn't feel bad about spending the money.
"Attorney He is very generous. Who would have thought she would pay two months' salary?" For He Shumei, it was two months' salary.
Nie Qingqing said, "With this money, let's close our night market stalls."
"It's time to take a break," Zhigao said. "The wholesale market over there is going to close for the holidays, so it's hard to get goods."
“We’re so happy to have a few extra days off. It’s good to work for a private company. I was planning to go on a trip for a few days, but your Song Zhao and Yu Zhengmin don’t have any leave,” He Shumei said regretfully.
Nie Qingqing said, "Winter clothes are too bulky, so I'll wait until spring to go out and have some fun. But my brother and sister-in-law run a pastry shop, so I guess they won't want to close it down to go out."
As the two were talking, they arrived at their doorsteps. A pretty young girl, about eighteen or nineteen years old, stood at the door of both houses, unsure which one to look for.
Nie Qingqing hurriedly asked, "Miss, who are you looking for?"
The girl blushed: "Hello, I'm looking for Factory Director Song."
It's Song Zhao again. I wonder if he's a relative or a friend?
Nie Qingqing opened the door, invited her to sit down, and asked, "What's your name? What do you need from my husband?"
The young woman, afraid of being misunderstood, didn't know where to stand when she came in, and was very awkward: "Sister-in-law, you can just call me Zhaodi. I am a poor student who was sponsored by Director Song. I have been admitted to university and came here specifically to express my gratitude."
Thank you for coming empty-handed; you must have something else on your mind.
Nie Qingqing asked her to sit down: "Sit down and rest for a while. I'll pour you a cup of tea to warm you up."
He Shumei followed her into the kitchen, turned on the tap, and, amidst the noise of washing cups, whispered, "I'll make some tea. Go call Song Zhao and ask what's going on."
She really should ask. Others say it's what they say, she should ask Song Zhao.
She came out and said to the girl, "My husband will be off work early. I'll go call him. Have a seat and don't rush."
He Shumei brewed tea, brought over some pastries, and comforted her, saying, "Don't be shy, have some water and something to eat. These pastries were made by our own people, and they're delicious."
...
Nie Qingqing ran to the convenience store at the entrance and called Song Zhao.
Song Zhao was quite surprised and pleased. He asked, "Is this the number of the convenience store at the entrance? You're on holiday? That's quite early."
Nie Qingqing, with her gossipy nature, couldn't wait to say, "Is it necessary to call you for a holiday? Someone is looking for you. They came to your house. It's an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl. She's not as pretty as me, but she's young."
Song Zhao was completely confused: "Who is it? Is it a relative?"
Nie Qingqing said, "They're not relatives, but a poor student you sponsored. They're a freshman now and came to thank you. I don't know how to handle it, so I'm asking for your opinion."
Song Zhao remembered this and quickly explained, "I have never sponsored anyone. Think about it, my father and I were sent to the countryside, we were exonerated, I went to university, went abroad, and returned to China. With all these things, do you think I can remember sponsoring anyone? With Yun Li's personality, would she let me sponsor a girl's schooling? She heard from someone that doing so would help me build a good reputation, and she took it upon herself to do it. When I found out, I told her to support the girl until she graduated from high school and then stop. Qing Qing, you're not angry, are you?"
What's there to be angry about? In the end, I helped someone.
Nie Qingqing said, "You look so nervous. It's okay. I know what to do. Don't overthink it. I'm not angry."
...
Nie Qingqing returned with a reassuring smile on her face and told the girl the truth: "I have found out that it was my lover's ex-wife who sponsored you. She used Song Zhao's name to try and give him a good reputation. He and his ex-wife are divorced and he has almost forgotten about this."
The girl didn't ask any more questions and quickly stood up to apologize: "I'm sorry, I misunderstood and caused you trouble. I'll leave now."
"Wait a moment," Nie Qingqing called out to the girl.
A young woman like her must have really encountered some trouble; otherwise, a freshman wouldn't be spending her winter break now and still not going home for the Lunar New Year.
She took the money out of the red envelope that Attorney He had given her and handed it to the girl, but the girl refused. Nie Qingqing then put the money in her pocket.
“I don’t know what trouble you’ve encountered. The money in this red envelope is a reward and thank you from someone’s master for helping them. I think it’s fate. You can keep it and don’t have to pay me back. If you meet someone in need in the future, you can do the same to them, and that will be how you repay my favor.”
The girl was probably genuinely in trouble; she pushed it twice, then accepted it, bowed deeply, and said, "Thank you. I will definitely remember this and help those in need in the future."
After escorting her downstairs, He Shumei suddenly said to the girl, "When you're feeling better and able to support yourself, change your name to something you like. Of course, this is just a suggestion; it's up to you."
She didn't believe that any girl would like to be called Zhaodi, Laidi, or Pandi. Fortunately, when she had the ability, she could change it herself.
The girl's eyes reddened, but not wanting anyone to notice, she ran out in one breath, stood at the entrance of the family compound, and bowed deeply into the courtyard.
...
Even a hero can be stifled by a penny, and this is two hundred yuan! Nie Qingqing laughed at herself: "Look at me, what a hypocrite. You'll have to buy your own New Year's goods tomorrow. I'm not going."
He Shumei disagreed: "You're so generous with money, but you can't even afford to buy New Year's goods for yourself?"
We still need to buy New Year's goods. Nie Qingqing joked with her, "It's all because you led me to set up a stall. It's easy to make money, so I'm more generous. If it were before, I definitely wouldn't have been willing to give it to her."
He Shumei opened her red envelope and gave her a hundred yuan: "How could I watch you not get a bonus? Let's split it in half, consider it as half of the money I gave to that girl earlier."
Nie Qingqing: "Really for me?"
He Shumei: "Don't be so polite, take it, let's go shopping for New Year's goods happily tomorrow."
...
Song Zhao and Yu Zhengmin were on different routes after get off work. He went to his mother-in-law's house, had dinner, and then took the children home.
But Qingqing had an early holiday today and actually came to pick him up. He was so happy that he felt he could eat half a bowl more rice that night.
Yu Zhengmin was also happy and asked He Shumei smugly, "Meimei, did you come to pick me up? This is the first time."
He Shumei wasn't there to pick him up, of course. It was Nie Qingqing who was coming to pick up Song Zhao, and she came along to gossip.
But she learned her lesson: "If I don't pick you up, who else can I pick up?"
She couldn't wait to ask Song Zhao, "Director Song, in order to resolve the grievances with that young girl, Qingqing gave her the two hundred yuan bonus that Lawyer He gave her, without letting you see her. Don't you feel sorry about that? Although it wasn't your money that she sponsored, your ex-wife was spending your money."
Song Zhao retorted, "You're crazy."
Then he took Nie Qingqing's hand and left, adding, "Don't wait for Qingqing to chat tonight. She's on vacation and doesn't need to get up early tomorrow. We're going to see a movie tonight."
He Shumei laughed: "Look at Director Song, he's mean and stingy, and Qingqing says he's good and has no flaws, but I think he's all flaws."
Factory Director Yu smiled and said, "Factory Director Song is a very tactful and polite person. He only speaks like this because he's familiar with us. You have a day off tomorrow, so why don't we go see a movie together?"
He Shumei: "No, Director Song definitely doesn't want the two of us to be with you, watching a movie together? You'll be going to sleep halfway through. Go home and take care of the kids. Qingqing and I have to get up early tomorrow to buy New Year's goods."
...
While at her parents' home, Nie Qingqing told them about the girl named Zhaodi who had come earlier that day: "She must have run into trouble. I gave her money, and she didn't really refuse, so she accepted it. Mom, I did the right thing, didn't I?"
My sister-in-law, Zheng Fanghui, has made some money running her shop, and she knows how hard it is to earn money. She definitely wouldn't be willing to part with it: "That's two hundred yuan, Qingqing. You're really generous."
Xiaoyin thought for a moment and said, "If I had two thousand yuan, I would be willing to give it to someone in this situation."
Nie Qingqing nodded firmly: "Yes, that's what I meant. If I have some, I'm willing to give some. If I don't, there's nothing I can do. I have to take care of my own family first. I thought, she's only eighteen or nineteen years old. If she can get through this difficult time with two hundred yuan and find her way home, and I don't help her, I'll be thinking about it for the rest of my life. I might as well help her and put my mind at ease. I told her not to pay it back and not to come looking for me again. I'll just help her this once."
That makes sense. Tang Guizhi said, "Mom thinks you did the right thing."
Nie Qingqing felt smug. She hadn't done anything wrong, and she could finally have a peaceful New Year.
Song Zhao remained silent, so Nie Qingqing nudged him and said, "I'm not jealous at all, aren't you going to praise me?"
Tang Guizhi stepped on her foot under the table, and Nie Qingqing pulled her leg back and cried out, "Mom, why did you step on me again? I'm really not jealous."
Song Zhao hurriedly put down the bowl and rubbed her leg, stepping on the instep. What's the use of rubbing the leg?
He started to rub his hands, saying, "I know you would never be jealous for no reason."
"Of course, finding me will save you a lot of trouble, and you can massage for a while longer."
...
After dinner, Tang Guizhi pulled Nie Qingqing into the kitchen and harshly criticized her: "Being generous depends on the situation. You should have been jealous this time."
Nie Qingqing: "Why? What does it have to do with Song Zhao? He knows nothing about it. Isn't that unfair? I'm not jealous of that kind of thing."
That evening, Song Zhao was fiercer than usual, and after they were done, he asked, "Qingqing, why aren't you jealous?"
Nie Qingqing hugged him tightly: "You were kept in the dark and didn't know anything, it's not your fault. I'm being so reasonable, aren't you happy?"
Song Zhao hummed in agreement: "It is very happy."
...
Hearing Song Zhao and Shu Mei talking at the gate in the morning, Nie Qingqing remembered that she had made an appointment to go shopping for New Year's goods, so she quickly got up.
Song Zhao said, "We finally get a few extra days off, why are you up so early?"
He Shumei knocked on the door first before going home to wash up. She turned to Song Zhao and said, "If you want to pick out good New Year's goods, you should go to the farmers' market early. You don't even pick and choose when you buy vegetables."
Song Zhao didn't want to waste time talking to her, so he brought out breakfast.
Nie Qingqing asked the three children, "Which of you wants to go to the street with us?"
Xiaoyin doesn't like crowds. It's almost the end of the year, and the streets are packed with people, which she doesn't like. She said, "Aunt Qingqing, I won't go."
Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan wanted to join in the fun, so Nie Qingqing and He Shumei each took one of them. Perfect timing, they skipped breakfast and headed out.
Song Zhao chased after them to the door: "Aren't you going to eat breakfast before you go? Who goes shopping on an empty stomach?"
He Shumei said, "We all went out, of course we were looking for good food outside."
Nie Qingqing said, "You and Xiaoyin eat. After you finish, take it to my mom's house. Tell Tanggao not to rush, and that we'll bring some goodies over this afternoon."
...
She and He Shumei, two adults with two children, ate lunch outside, and then went shopping. They bought two baskets of things, from melon seeds, candy, cigarettes and alcohol to chicken, fish, meat and eggs, as well as vegetables that are not common in winter.
Nie Qingqing delivered half of the goods to Huazhi Lane, and took the other half to her parents-in-law.
After her mother-in-law remarried, she spent the Spring Festival with Uncle Meng. On New Year's Eve, Nie Qingqing and Song Zhao took the children to her father-in-law's house to celebrate the New Year.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, my mother-in-law returned to her previous home without bringing Uncle Meng. She had previously said that she wouldn't allow other men to live in the house, and she really kept her word.
Cheng Dong and his wife arrived. Nie Qingqing and her sister-in-law cooked lunch together. After lunch, Cheng Dong told his wife to go home first, and then they started discussing things.
"Mom, I want to move back home with my wife. Her younger brother is getting married, and there's not enough room."
They should have moved back in the first place. The young couple wanted to stay with their parents for convenience, but now that their younger brother is getting married, it's no longer appropriate for them to stay.
He Suwen said, "Ask your older brother, half of this house belongs to him."
Song Chengdong, quite self-aware, suggested, "Brother, how about we also put up a partition in the middle?"
Song Zhao said, "There's no need for a wall. It looks messy. I'll keep my half as a room for Mom to come back and stay whenever she wants. We'll build a low flower bed in the middle of the yard and plant some flowers and plants. From the outside, it will still look like a family. This will save us from having to divide the yard if you take over the whole place later."
Cheng Dong was quite happy: "Thank you, brother, thank you, Mom. I'll start work on the eighth day of the first lunar month, do it according to your instructions, and then my wife and I will move in."
...
On the eighth day of the lunar new year, Nie Qingqing and He Shumei's first day back at work, a foreigner came to the law firm and spoke in a language they couldn't understand.
How can we communicate like this? Even with gestures, she still couldn't understand. Attorney He wouldn't arrive until the afternoon, but the other party still wanted to try, making Nie Qingqing sweat with anxiety.
Fortunately, Attorney Zhu came to say goodbye and helped translate. That's when we understood that the person wanted to find a lawyer to help draft a compliant rental agreement. Because of the language barrier and the lack of trust, they came to the law firm, and Attorney Zhu helped them with it.
Attorney Zhu gave Nie Qingqing a task: "Qingqing, when my master takes on foreign clients in the future, you need to at least be able to understand them. You need to learn English. Doesn't your Xiaoyin have English books? Learn with her."
Lawyer Zhu's advice made sense, and Nie Qingqing took it to heart. When she got home and told Xiaoyin, she was very supportive: "Aunt Qingqing, it's never too late to learn. I support you."
This is a good thing, and Song Zhao will definitely support it: "Xiaoyin will teach you the basics, so you don't need to find a separate teacher. I can teach you too."
That's great! With two ready-made teachers at home, I don't have to worry about stumbling and making a fool of myself while learning.
Nie Qingqing said, "As long as you don't think I'm stupid, I'll take you on as my apprentice. If I learn slowly, you're not allowed to scold me."
Song Zhao made a promise to her: "Learning English is a long-term thing, you have to stick to it. If you do it for two hours every night without fail, then you won't have time to go find He Shumei to knit and chat."
"Okay, I promise I won't slack off."
Nie Qingqing agreed. Teaching one child was the same as teaching two or three, so she might as well bring Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan along and let the two children start learning English in elementary school.
Tangyuan is no match for Tangyuan in math, but she learns languages extremely quickly. Xiaoyuan is smart and keeps up closely. Nie Qingqing struggles to learn and is far behind the other children.
To help her, the family only spoke English to create an environment for her to communicate. By the Dragon Boat Festival, she was able to have simple conversations in English.
Attorney He was impressed and said that her perseverance was admirable, which made her very happy.
...
Last year during the Dragon Boat Festival, the meat-filled rice dumplings at home were very popular. This year, I made more than a hundred and put them in my brother and sister-in-law's pastry shop before the festival. They were packaged in gift boxes with mung bean cakes and sold quite well.
Nie Qingqing asked Song Zhao, "Don't pack your colleagues in gift boxes anymore. I'll just string them together and give them to you like I did last year."
Song Zhao said, "Don't rush. There have been rumors that the branch factory is going to merge and reorganize with the head office, and some production lines will be moved to the head office. Everyone is talking about it, so no one has time to worry about sending zongzi."
Nie Qingqing exclaimed in surprise: "The branch factory hasn't even been profitable for a year, and it's already going to be restructured? Isn't this like discarding a used tool after it's been used?"
Song Zhao smiled and reassured her, "It's not that serious. Let's wait for the investigation team from the main factory to come and investigate. Right now it's just rumors, it's not certain."
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