Chapter 31 In the new environment, she still handled it with ease…
Upon arriving at the residential complex at the address provided by Attorney He, Song Zhao immediately remarked, "This is an overseas Chinese community; you need foreign exchange to buy a house here."
The environment is really nice, and there's even an elevator. Once inside, we quickly arrived at the seventh floor that Attorney He had rented for us. Before, I lived on the sixth floor in my hometown, and I had to climb up and down the stairs several times a day. Now that it's one floor higher, but there's an elevator, it's much more convenient to get in and out.
Nie Qingqing sighed, "No wonder the rent is so expensive. If the law firm hadn't subsidized half of the rent, I really wouldn't have wanted to live here."
Song Zhao brought back several thousand yuan in dividends for the New Year, and was confident: "Even without subsidies, we can afford to live here."
The apartment has three bedrooms and two living rooms. Before the deal was finalized, Attorney He explained the background of the apartment: her client had just finished renovating it and then returned to Hong Kong Island. She wouldn't be coming back anytime soon, so she could stay there for a year or two without any problems.
The three rooms were furnished with beds, wardrobes, and desks, and the bedding was newly purchased by Attorney He. The house even had a washing machine and a refrigerator, and there was a television in the living room.
Looking at the brand-new, untouched appliances, Nie Qingqing hesitated and said, "Can we use these? They'll be old if we use them, and it won't be worth it for the landlord."
Song Zhao had already made up his mind: "If Attorney He says it can be used, then we'll use it. When we move, we'll take the used appliances with us and get them a brand new, identical one."
In that case, there will be no burden when using it.
Tangyuan toured every part of the house and then ran over: "Mom, I'll share a room with Xiaoyuan again, so when my sister comes over for the holidays, she'll have her own room."
Nie Qingqing: "At least you have a conscience. Then you and Xiao Yuan can choose a bigger room to stay in."
Song Zhao opened the window and looked down at the surrounding environment. He was very satisfied: "This place is really nice. Tangyuan Xiaoyuan's school is right next door, so I don't have to pick her up and drop her off."
Nie Qingqing felt even more indebted to Attorney He: "I really need to work hard and not let Attorney He down."
Song Zhao laughed at her for being so easily pleased: "These are just small favors for Attorney He, yet you're so grateful right away. You've bought people's hearts too cheaply."
Nie Qingqing: "I don't think like you. People are really good to me. I can tell whether it's bribery or genuine kindness."
...
The pots and pans at home were brand new, but there was no rice, flour, cooking oil, meat, or vegetables. The luggage they brought was packed in half a day, and Song Zhao suggested going out to eat.
Eating out once or twice is fine, but we can't eat out every day. Nie Qingqing worried, "We're both at work tomorrow, what will Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan eat? Who will look after them? There's still a week before school starts."
Song Zhao said, "What's so difficult about that? Tangyuan is naughty, but Xiaoyuan can keep an eye on his studies. Tomorrow I'll take them to the factory, and they can do their winter vacation homework in the office. They'll eat lunch with me in the canteen, and I'll bring them back in the evening. It will be even more convenient when school starts, since the school is right next door. They can go to and from school by themselves, eat in the canteen at school, and then come back to do their homework. They're fourth graders, so you have to believe that they can do a good job."
Tangyuan assured, "Mom, Grandma knew we were coming, so she taught us how to do laundry and cook half a year ago. Now we have a washing machine at home and a cafeteria at school. That's great!"
Nie Qingqing was glad she came at the right time; Tangyuan was a bit older now. If she were in first or second grade, she really wouldn't feel comfortable letting go of her completely.
She nodded: "Okay, I trust you. Let's make this arrangement for now and go eat."
...
There was a small restaurant at the entrance of the community. We ordered a few stir-fried dishes. After eating, we asked around for the location of the farmers' market. It wasn't far. It was about a ten-minute walk. We went there and bought rice, flour, cooking oil, and vegetables. Since there was a refrigerator, we bought a little more. The four of us carried it all back in one trip.
Hearing the noise, the neighbor across the hall opened the door to greet them. After looking them over, his gaze fell on Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan. He then smiled and said, "You must be our new neighbors. Lawyer He said you would be coming today."
Nie Qingqing had already heard about it from Attorney He, and politely replied, "Attorney He mentioned to me that you are Mrs. Liang, right?"
The woman smiled and nodded: "Yes, thanks to Attorney He for helping me with the lawsuit, I was able to get both of my children back. Are both of your children in the fourth grade?"
Nie Qingqing patted Xiao Yuan on the shoulder and praised him, "This little one is smart. In our hometown, the age limit isn't that strict. If you pass the entrance exam, you can study together."
Mrs. Liang glanced at Xiao Yuan a few more times before saying, "What a coincidence, our child is also in fourth grade."
Nie Qingqing said, "Attorney He's cousin is the homeroom teacher of Class 1, Grade 4, so she transferred my two children to her class."
In the heat of the moment, Mrs. Liang said, "My family also got our school transfer arranged by Attorney He. She doesn't do things for people easily, but she's been really good to you."
...
After chatting for a bit, they went home. Xiao Yuan had a good impression of his neighbor and said with relief, "Aunt Liang was really nice. I hope we can become good neighbors in the future."
Tangyuan thought differently: "Don't be so silly. Why would she chat with us behind closed doors? Why didn't she ask her child to come out and say hello? Aunt He has already told her about our family situation. Why is she still being so cautious? How annoying."
Nie Qingqing tapped Tangyuan on the forehead: "You're being too clever. If they're being polite, we should be polite too. Don't take it to heart."
There was an underlying meaning in his words. Song Zhao asked, "What's wrong? Are the new neighbors difficult to get along with? Then why did Attorney He help rent this place?"
Nie Qingqing was worried that the living room wasn't soundproof, and since she was about to pick up the groceries she had just bought, she talked to them in the kitchen.
"Attorney He told me that Mrs. Liang came from a wealthy family and married the young man from the fishing village who had saved her. After the marriage, problems with her husband's family surfaced, causing a lot of unpleasantness. Attorney He said that Mrs. Liang also had problems. She forbade her husband to contact his family again and forbade his family to visit her home, which led to the divorce proceedings."
It was already unexpected that an ordinary family could marry someone like Mrs. Leung's, who came from Hong Kong Island to do business in the mainland. The mundane realities of daily life are different from the gratitude of love at first sight, so it's not surprising that they divorced.
Song Zhao said, "If she has such requirements, why not make marriage a prerequisite?"
Nie Qingqing said, "How could a young lady living in a castle know what the everyday life of us ordinary folks is like? She only brought up divorce because she was bothered by her in-laws after getting married. There are many reasons for their divorce. Lawyer He said it's hard to comment. He also said that Mrs. Liang is very self-important and we shouldn't flatter her or be enthusiastic. If she makes a gesture, we should return the favor, but we shouldn't take the initiative."
Song Zhao understood: "Then let Xiao Yuan and Tang Yuan stay at school, far away from their children."
Tangyuan said confidently, "Dad, you don't need to worry about us. With me here, I won't let Xiaoyuan be bullied."
Nie Qingqing was worried about Tangyuan's personality and repeatedly warned him: "Xiaoyuan has excellent grades and is the teacher's darling. Who would dare to bully him? But you, you've changed to a new school and don't know the risks. Don't cause trouble. Your dad and I won't be able to handle it."
Tangyuan: "Mom, I'm not stupid or naive. I won't offend others unless they offend me. Even if I fight back, I'll find out the details first so as not to cause trouble for you and Dad."
Nie Qingqing had no way to deal with him, so she told Xiao Yuan, "Keep an eye on him. If you can't persuade him, call me."
Song Zhao smiled and said, "The thing we don't have to worry about at home is glutinous rice balls."
Tangyuan said proudly, "Dad understands me best."
...
Nie Qingqing arrived at Attorney He's house at 7:50, even though her shift started at 8:30. If Attorney He were driving, it would only take him ten minutes to get from home to her workplace.
Attorney He's makeup was almost finished. Seeing Nie Qingqing's bare face, he took out a new lipstick that he had prepared in advance and gave it to her, indicating that she should also put one on.
"This color isn't very bright, you should try it first. You have good, fair skin, so you can skip the powder. Just a little lipstick will make your complexion look different."
Attorney He suggested that it must be for work. Nie Qingqing carefully applied the lipstick. She had only worn lipstick for two weddings. Bright red was too bright, but the color Attorney He gave her was very comfortable and suited her well.
Attorney He handed her the makeup mirror: "How about it? Isn't it different?"
Nie Qingqing looked in the mirror. In the past, she didn't need makeup, but when she dressed up, she looked good.
She thought to herself, "It's pretty good, but it takes a little getting used to. I'll get used to it after applying it a few more times."
Attorney He laughed: "I like your straightforward personality. Let's go to work. When you have free time, you can drive my car to practice your driving skills. If needed, I'll have an extra driver."
Actually, Nie Qingqing already had a good feel for driving. She didn't say anything and agreed, "Then I'll familiarize myself with the route when I have time."
...
Nie Qingqing is Attorney He's assistant; she only does what Attorney He tells her to do and is not busy.
Around noon, Attorney Zhu arrived. She asked the receptionist to pour her a cup of tea. The receptionist hummed in response, but first went to open the door for another lawyer, then made coffee for that lawyer, chatted for a few minutes, and only then came over to pour the tea.
Lawyer Zhu watched coldly, as if seeing his past self. He had also looked down on Qingqing, ignoring his master's discerning eye. If she had no merits, how could he have been kept by his master's side? Therefore, one should never underestimate anyone one doesn't know.
I wonder how many times this young receptionist will have to suffer before she understands the lessons she learned. Sigh, you have to go through things to understand, so there's no need to give her advice. It's useless; she might not even agree with it, and she might even think she's meddling.
When the receptionist came to serve tea, Lawyer Zhu deliberately ignored her, not even giving her a glance.
Nie Qingqing saw it; when the receptionist turned around, the corners of her mouth twitched.
Lawyer Zhu didn't need to look; he knew what the receptionist was thinking. She dared not call him "Master" in public anymore, only respecting him in her heart. The receptionist was probably thinking, "She was expelled from the master's school, yet she still shamelessly came here. Doesn't she have any shame?"
She glanced in the direction of the front desk and asked Nie Qingqing curiously, "She treats you like you're not there and deliberately neglects the things you asked her to do. Aren't you angry?"
Nie Qingqing wasn't fooled. She laughed and joked back, "Why would I be angry? It's because you came that I told her not to neglect you. Otherwise, with your personality, if you complain to Attorney He, she'll be the one who suffers. Serving tea and water isn't my job. If I don't do it well, she'll be the one who gets scolded. If she were my client, I would just serve her myself. There's no need to get angry with her."
Everyone at this law firm is shrewd and calculating. The receptionist is probably new and hasn't figured things out yet.
Zhu Shizhen truly admired Nie Qingqing; she was like a fish that could adapt to any environment, able to thrive in any pond.
Lawyer Zhu laughed: "That's what my mentor taught me too. She said that companies like ours are different from the 'iron rice bowl' system. You'll learn from your experiences. You don't need to stand up for what you don't like. I didn't expect you to understand this principle so well. No wonder my mentor was willing to spend time and effort to help you rent a house, find connections, and transfer your child to a different school so that you could continue to be her assistant."
Nie Qingqing, feeling embarrassed by the flattery, asked, "You didn't come here today just to chat idly, did you?"
Attorney Zhu got down to business: "We've started work. I've come over to invite you and Master to dinner. Also, I've been asked to do this for someone. Master's ex-boyfriend contacted me, wanting her to get rid of Attorney Xun, otherwise it will look bad for both families."
Nie Qingqing asked, "Attorney He's ex-boyfriend? Isn't that Attorney Xun's uncle?"
Attorney Zhu: "Yes, I guess my mentor wouldn't agree. She never brings personal grudges into her work and has no intention of embarrassing the Xun family. As long as Attorney Xun is willing to stay and does her job well, there's no reason to fire her."
Nie Qingqing said indignantly, "That's right. If the Xun family has the ability, they should ask Lawyer Xun to go back themselves. If they don't, they can't force others to do things their way and make Lawyer He the villain. Surely Lawyer Xun isn't the only person in the Xun family with a normal mind?"
Attorney Zhu hurriedly said, "That's not it, but when it comes to the interests of one's own family, it's inevitable to be unreasonable. I'll mention it after we finish eating. Just complete the task and that's enough. Go and call your master. I'll wait for you outside."
...
Attorney He was busy as soon as she started work and only had an hour to eat. Attorney Zhu didn't dare to chat casually, so she reported to Attorney He on the cases she had handled here and their current developments.
Finally, when the Xun family matter was brought up, Attorney He was indeed not satisfied. However, she did not take her anger out on Attorney Zhu. She said, "Go back and tell them that the message has been delivered, but I will not agree. Attorney Xun and I are not as likely as they are worried about."
Attorney Zhu agreed, but Attorney He refused to let him pay for the meal. Nie Qingqing insisted on going out to pay, actually whispering something to Attorney Zhu.
"Don't pass on Attorney He's last sentence to the Xun family."
Attorney Zhu and Nie Qingqing were very in sync this time: "Sure enough, we share the same views on some things."
Of course, the last sentence couldn't be included, otherwise, Attorney Xun would be too heartbroken. If there were even a one percent chance that the Xun family would use today's words to shut them up, and wouldn't give them a chance.
...
On the first day back to work after the Lunar New Year, neither Song Zhao nor Nie Qingqing worked overtime. Song Zhao lived far away, and it would take her forty minutes to get back. On her way back, she bought some fresh vegetables, cooked porridge, washed and chopped the vegetables, and Song Zhao arrived just in time.
Song Zhao immediately went into the kitchen to take over cooking. Everything was ready, so he just put it in the pan and stir-fried it. In just twenty minutes, the family was eating dinner.
Song Zhao was worried that she wouldn't adapt well to the new environment and asked with great concern, "Are your colleagues in the new environment easy to get along with?"
Actually, it was her first day at work, and she didn't get to talk to many people. But everyone at the law firm knows her background and is currently taking a wait-and-see approach.
However, she wasn't ashamed at all, jokingly saying, "They know my educational background and don't think highly of me, but I'm not their assistant, so as long as Attorney He is satisfied, that's fine."
Tangyuan loves hearing gossip and funny stories, and asked impatiently, "Mom, did anything interesting happen at your workplace today?"
"There really is one."
She became angry as soon as she brought it up: "Attorney He's ex-boyfriend is Attorney Xun's uncle. His family is afraid that Attorney Xun and Attorney He will become a couple, so they want Attorney He to fire Attorney Xun."
Tangyuan exclaimed, "Wait a minute, Mom! The Xun family should be calling Lawyer Xun home. Why would they let Aunt He do this bad thing?"
Song Zhao smiled: "See, even a child understands this. The Xun family is pretending not to know. I'm curious, though. How did Little Xun's uncle cross Lawyer He's bottom line and get dumped?"
See, Song Zhao guessed that the problem lay with the Xun family, not with Attorney He.
Nie Qingqing said, "How could I possibly ask Attorney He? Attorney Xun mentioned it briefly, saying that before Attorney He and his uncle broke up, they each represented a couple in a lawsuit. After the lawsuits were over, the two broke up. He didn't know the details, but it must have been work-related, and they crossed Attorney He's line."
Song Zhao's thoughts jumped around so quickly that he suddenly became worried about Nie Qingqing: "It's obvious that Attorney He is very strict at work. Your job is not easy."
Attorney He gave her such a high-level job, so her expectations must be high.
She said, "I do my job seriously and ask questions when I don't understand. Attorney He can see my efforts. If I make a small mistake, it's because I'm not capable enough, not because I'm trying to fool her. She won't blame me."
...
The first weekend after starting work happened to be the eve of the Lantern Festival. Nie Qingqing and Song Zhao took Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan to visit Song Zhao's father's friend.
Uncle Gu adopted a son years ago, and this son later had a daughter named Gu Lehan. Uncle Gu sold all his businesses and switched to opening a hotel, saying that the hotel had fixed assets and monthly revenue, so there were no outstanding debts or collection issues, and he could leave it to his granddaughter with peace of mind.
If it were Nie Qingqing, she wouldn't have thought of such a reliable solution. She greatly admired the old man's wisdom. Even if the hotel stopped making money, there was still a building. He could sublet it to someone who knew how to manage it and still collect rent.
They had lunch at Uncle Gu's hotel. Uncle Gu was very hospitable and loved listening to the Song family's everyday stories. He asked them many questions, and after lunch they continued to drink tea and chat until 3 p.m. before leaving.
Gu Lehan was puzzled: "Grandpa, why did your old friend suddenly send his son and daughter-in-law to visit?"
Gu Zhenshan sighed softly: "Your parents passed away early, and your grandfather is getting old. From now on, you'll have to rely on your friends. Your Grandpa Song thinks the same way. We're exchanging relationships. Your Grandpa Song is principled and a very good person. I think his son and daughter-in-law are also very good people. You can help each other in the future, so you should visit each other more often."
Gu Lehan held the hand of her only relative with great distress: "Grandpa, you've worried yourself sick over me, but I'm not your biological child."
Gu Zhenshan had long since let it go: "I was also raised by people with no blood relation. You are the best gift your parents left me. Don't think about these things. When you have time, spend more time with Nie Qingqing. There is a difference between men and women. Don't contact Song Zhao too much."
Gu Lehan quickly said, "Grandpa, I understand all of this, don't worry."
...
Song Zhao's father gave Nie Qingqing two phone numbers. Another friend is currently not in Shenzhen; he went on a trip to visit relatives and, according to the neighbors, won't be back for a month or so. So, let's leave it to fate.
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Yu Zhengmin came over for a meal.
Nie Qingqing asked him, "Why didn't you celebrate the holiday with Zhigao and the others?"
Yu Zhengmin: "Zhigao's sports car hasn't come back yet. Meimei's older brother is going to have drinks and dinner with the big boss he's partnering with. Perfect timing. I told Meimei that I'll come to your place for lunch. She's going to work, so we can have a good talk on the phone."
Song Zhao opened the kitchen door and said, "If you make this call, it will take at least half an hour. Make the call now."
Yu Zhengmin chuckled: "Meimei and I haven't met yet, you guys call home first."
Nie Qingqing called the convenience store in Huazhi Lane. Her mother was waiting for her. She said on the phone, "Your brother and sister-in-law are busier during holidays. Tanggao wants to talk to Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan. They can't wait. Luckily, it's only been a dozen minutes. Let Tanggao talk to her two younger brothers first. I'll go call Xiaoyin."
Nie Qingqing handed the phone to Tangyuan, and the children took turns chatting for more than ten minutes. Xiaoyuan was still thinking that Uncle Yu needed to talk to Aunt Meimei on the phone, so he reluctantly hung up the phone.
Yu Zhengmin chatted with He Shumei for more than half an hour. Song Zhao prepared the dishes and urged them to eat before he reluctantly hung up the phone.
Song Zhao poured him a drink: "Did you come to call today?"
Yu Zhengmin: "How could I? I'd like to have a couple of drinks with you too, otherwise I'll be all alone. I'll try to bring Meimei over in the second half of the year. I'll look for a job if I can, but it won't matter if I can't."
Nie Qingqing said regretfully, "He, the lawyer from the law firm here, doesn't have the final say alone, otherwise Shumei could continue working as the receptionist."
Yu Zhengmin had his own thoughts: "If she tries a few more jobs, maybe she'll find one she likes even more."
That's true. Nie Qingqing's current job as an assistant is practically her third job.
...
On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan went to school. The children went first, and the parents went an hour later.
When Nie Qingqing arrived at the door of Class 1, Grade 4, she ran into Tangyuan who was coming out.
Tangyuan pointed to the fourth row: "Mom, I'm sitting there, and Xiaoyuan is sitting in the first row. The teacher separated us."
Nie Qingqing said, "Then you have to follow the arrangements. It's to prevent you from talking to Xiaoyuan during class. Xiaoyuan will be too embarrassed to refuse you. I think the teacher's arrangement is very reasonable."
Tangyuan wanted to see the school, so she said, "Mom, Xiaoyuan and I want to visit the new school. We'll wait for you there."
Nie Qingqing thought for a moment and said, "Okay, if we can't find each other, we'll wait at the school gate. If we still can't find each other, we'll just go home."
...
Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan transferred to the class. Apart from Mrs. Liang, Nie Qingqing didn't know any other parents. She was wondering why Mrs. Liang wasn't there. Then she arrived with the homeroom teacher, Teacher Luo. When Mrs. Liang saw her, the two nodded to each other.
The parent-teacher meeting wasn't very informative; it mainly covered the school's achievements, the prospects for the new semester, and some important points to note. It ended in just one hour.
Mrs. Liang's children are twins, a boy and a girl. Both children are quite introverted. We were neighbors for seven or eight days, and I only saw them twice.
She didn't initiate the conversation with Mrs. Liang; it was Mrs. Liang who took the initiative. Seeing Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan standing outside the classroom with her child, she asked, "You're starting English classes in fourth grade. Does your child have any prior knowledge?"
Fortunately, when she was learning, Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan learned together, and the two children's spoken English was better than hers.
She was very modest: "I let the child get a little exposure to it beforehand."
Mrs. Liang was surprised, not expecting Nie Qingqing to have such foresight, and immediately changed the subject: "We found a craft class in an all-English environment, we're leaving now."
Nie Qingqing recalled those six months when her family spoke English so she could learn to speak English as quickly as possible. At first, it really gave her a headache, but it worked.
She waved and said, "See you later."
Mrs. Liang was puzzled that Nie Qingqing hadn't offered to go along. It seemed she had a strong sense of pride, but when it came to things that were good for the child, she was willing to suffer for it by prioritizing her pride.
Tangyuan waved and said, "See you tomorrow, Lin Xiang'an and Lin Xiangwan!"
The twins waved goodbye: "Jiang Chengzong, Song Jiayuan, see you tomorrow."
...
Nie Qingqing had been neighbors with the family across the street for several days, but she still didn't know the names of their twins. Tangyuan, on the other hand, started talking to them within an hour of starting school.
Nie Qingqing asked him, "Didn't we agree not to take the initiative?"
Tangyuan argued, "Mom, that's just you adults arguing. I don't want Lin Xiang'an and his sister to think that the neighbor's kids are impolite. I'm just the one who greets them first, and then I won't take the initiative anymore."
Nie Qingqing praised him, "That makes a lot of sense. You're more thoughtful than your parents."
...
The fifth-grade parent-teacher meeting was also today. When Meng Hongxiao entered the school, she saw someone who looked a lot like a relative from her hometown. After the meeting, she chased after her and realized that it was indeed her husband's cousin from his hometown.
On the day she married into the Nie family, her cousin kicked out her younger cousin, who was the most boisterous during the wedding pranks. Therefore, she had a deep impression of her cousin.
My father-in-law passed away, and my mother-in-law sold the house she was allocated in our hometown. I've been in Shenzhen for over ten years and haven't contacted my sisters-in-law back home. I never expected my cousin from my hometown to come here.
Of course, she had to say hello. After the parents who were chatting with her cousin left with their children, she hurriedly went up to greet them: "Qingqing, is that you?"
Nie Qingqing also recognized her cousin-in-law. She hadn't seen her for over ten years and almost didn't recognize her.
She hurriedly greeted, "Sister-in-law Hongxiao, I didn't expect to run into you here."
Meng Hongxiao recognized Nie Qingqing because she hadn't changed much and was easy to spot. She touched her face, feeling rather envious. Her cousin had been raised so well; she must have had a good life these past few years.
She looked Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan up and down, and asked with a smile, "I saw you coming out of the fourth-grade classroom. I haven't seen you before. Did you transfer here?"
Nie Qingqing nodded and told Tangyuan Xiaoyuan to greet her: "This is your aunt."
Tangyuan Xiaoyuan obediently greeted everyone.
Nie Qingqing patted Xiao Yuan on the shoulder and introduced, "This is my second husband's child. He's in the same class as Tangyuan. He also has an older daughter who is in the first year of high school in our hometown."
After chatting for a while, my cousin's wife, who was waiting to go home and cook, said, "Our two children go to the same school, so we have a lot of opportunities to meet. Let's find some time to sit down and chat properly next time."
Nie Qingqing agreed, "Okay."
...
After walking a short distance, Tangyuan asked, "Mom, that's Grandpa's relative, right? Grandma said Grandpa's family is mean to our family, so why are you talking to her, Mom?"
Nie Qingqing said, "This aunt has no conflict with us. She takes the initiative to talk to us, so we should say a few words. Otherwise, we'll seem petty. Later, Mom won't take the initiative to talk to her. After a while, she should understand."
Tangyuan nodded: "Then I understand."
Nie Qingqing had no idea what he understood, and asked, "What do you want to eat? Let's go buy groceries."
Xiao Yuan loves anything sweet and sour: "I want to eat sweet and sour fish."
Nie Qingqing was afraid of any difficult dishes. After getting married, Song Zhao learned a few dishes that the children liked from his mother-in-law. Thinking about it, he was happy and said, "This is a bit difficult. Let's buy the fish first and wait for Dad to come back to cook it."
...
Meanwhile, Meng Hongxiao returned home and told her mother-in-law, "Mom, I ran into Qingqing from my second aunt's family today. She's remarried and has two children who are enrolled in Friendship Elementary School."
Hu Qiugui asked in surprise, "How is that possible? How could her impoverished family get into Friendship Primary School?"
Meng Hongxiao disliked her mother-in-law looking down on people, so she only said, "Mom, don't say that. I saw it with my own eyes. Qingqing is dressed fashionably and speaks with grace and poise. Maybe her current husband is capable enough to get the child into school."
Hu Qiugui scoffed: "Given her family's circumstances, if she finds a capable second husband, she can't be picky about age. I bet he'll end up as an old man."
Meng Hongxiao didn't want her mother-in-law to spread rumors, so she had to continue explaining.
"Mom, you can't just guess. Her second husband's son is a year younger than Qingqing's son. He's very smart, and the two kids are in the same grade."
Hu Qiugui couldn't accept it and started gossiping: "Younger than Yao Xiang? What does her second husband do?"
Meng Hongxiao: "We've only met once in so long, how could I possibly ask that?"
Hu Qiugui chuckled: "Tang Guizhi can turn her life around with her second-marriage daughter? I'll ask around another day."
Meng Qiugui shook her head, not wanting to continue the topic, and turned to cook.
...
After arriving home, Nie Qingqing made a phone call to her family.
Her family and her uncle's family had a very bad relationship. Her uncle's family moved to the place where her cousin was studying the year the college entrance examination was reinstated. Every time they sent small favors back to their hometown, they would exclude Nie Qingqing's family. The two families had long since stopped interacting.
If it were her cousin attending a parent-teacher conference today, Nie Qingqing and her cousin would both tacitly remain silent.
"Mom, I ran into my cousin-in-law Hongxiao today. Her second child is in fifth grade at Youyi Elementary School."
Nie Qingqing said on the phone, "She took the initiative to catch up with me and say hello. We chatted for a few words, but didn't say much more."
Tang Guizhi knew her sister-in-law too well, and advised her: "Your aunt looks down on our family the most. She can't wait to see us stay poor. Even if your cousin-in-law is a good person, don't associate with them too much."
Nie Qingqing knew, of course: "I know. Today, my cousin's wife took the initiative to strike up a conversation. I just replied with a few casual words. If she doesn't take the initiative, I won't talk to her."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
