Neighbor
The first thing Chen Jin did after finishing her internship was to drive her Santana to Xiuli Community to collect rent.
So far, she has been collecting rent from her 20 houses smoothly, and the tenants have not caused any trouble to her.
Just by introducing tenants to her and several uncles, Bai Xinping received an introduction fee that was enough to offset half a year's rent. Bai Xinping felt that this was easy money to make, but the houses of the landlord and her uncles were all fully rented out, so he had no way to continue helping to attract tenants.
Chen Jin: "I should be able to take possession of my resettlement house in Jinxiu Community this year. I will contact you then. Please help me introduce it to a new place."
Bai Xinping's eyes lit up. "No problem. I will definitely introduce him to my colleagues and friends when the time comes."
According to what was agreed upon before, if the tenant he introduced had rented for half a year, Chen Jin would give him one month's rent for free, so Chen Jin confiscated his rent for this month. I went door to door with a notebook, collected money, and asked the tenants to sign. By the way, I also asked them whether they would go home for the New Year, and reminded them that if they did, they must turn off the gas, turn off the power, and lock the doors and windows.
The situation now is different from the time when she was in Qiaodong Village. At that time, the tenants lived nearby and she could know about any situation in time. Now that it’s far away, the tenants have to be aware of it themselves.
One tenant went home early to celebrate the New Year and asked his friend who lived next door to help transfer the rent. This is the advantage of letting them invite their acquaintances to rent a house. If anything happens, they can still find someone.
After collecting the rent, Chen Jin went downstairs to meet his third uncle, and then drove to the shops outside the community to check out the decoration situation.
"It's all decorated, but there's still some smell. Breakfast shops have to be more careful. Let's ventilate it first. After the Lantern Festival, when the people living here should all be back to work, we can open it."
Chen Jin stood outside and looked up. The first three shops on the left side of the community gate had shop signs hung up, namely "Yongfei Supermarket", "Yongan Breakfast Shop" and "Xiangxiang Fruit".
The store name is simple and direct, clear at a glance and catchy.
Chen Jin was watching with great joy, thinking in his mind what name to give to his shop in Jinxiu Community. Should he call it "Chen Jin Supermarket"? Or "Today Supermarket"?
As I thought about it, I burst out laughing.
The third uncle looked back at her and felt helpless: This silly child, she laughs all the time.
The next day after collecting the rent, Chen Jin finally made time to come. She called Chen Jia, the person with the most free time in the family besides herself, and went to the barber shop opened by her eldest sister that was recommended by Aunt Ke Xin.
Chen Jin brought a magazine with him, and also some drawings of the effects he wanted to create.
Chen Jin communicated with the stylist for a long time, mainly because she was afraid that the hairstyle would not be what she wanted, and it would be difficult for her to go out and meet people. Aunt Ke Xin's eldest sister came over to assure her that if it wasn't done right, she would just straighten it back for her. So Chen Jin closed his eyes, gritted his teeth and said, "Let's give it a try."
Chen Jia was eager to try and also wanted to do the styling, but Chen Jin did not encourage her. Seeing that Chen Jin had already put on the cap and started perming his hair, Chen Jia still hadn't made a decision.
Chen Jin sat and slept in the barber shop for two hours. Chen Jia was bored, so he went walking around the nearby streets for two hours and brought her back a cup of bubble milk tea.
"There's a new milk tea shop on Chang'an Road. There's also a small jewelry store over there. They're pretty nice." Chen Jia showed off his gains - two key chains. He gave one to Chen Jin, just in time for her to string together the keys to her house.
Chen Jin spent the entire morning in the barber shop. After washing his hair, he didn't see any effect. It was only after the stylist blew his hair dry that he saw the curve of the curls.
Chen Jia regretted it when she was only halfway through blow-drying her hair. She should have permed her hair at the same time!
"Third sister, it looks good!" Chen Jia circled around her and said happily, "It's really the same as the hair of the female stars in the magazines! I want to get one too!"
She was reluctant to let go of her long hair which she had kept for a long time and hesitated for a long time before making a decision. But after Chen Jin permed her hair, she couldn't wait any longer.
Chen Jin looked at himself in the mirror and felt a little strange. But the perm effect is really good, exactly what she wanted!
Chen Jin gradually lost herself in the compliments from the stylist and Chen Jia:
Oh my god, who is that beautiful lady in the mirror?
Oh, it’s her rich woman today!
"The stylists in our barber shop all went to the Special Administrative Region to learn. We can do all kinds of styles for Hong Kong movie actresses. If Miss Chen is satisfied, you can recommend it to your family and friends." The stylist struck while the iron was hot. "We have also launched a membership system. You can apply for a membership card in our shop. Recharge 1,000 and get 100 for free. You can get a 20% discount when you come to get your hair done in the future, and you can wash your hair twice a month for free..."
Chen Jia: “…” I can’t afford to charge a thousand yuan.
Chen Jin did not hesitate and directly applied for two membership cards, recharged 1,000 yuan into each, and gave one to Chen Jia. "We agreed to go shopping this afternoon. If you come tomorrow, I'll accompany you. Or you can find other friends to come with you."
Unlike Chen Jin who has few good friends around her, Chen Jia grew up in the staff quarters of the Meteorological Bureau and attended a school near the unit. Many of the people she interacted with were children of her second uncle and aunt's colleagues, so she had quite a few good friends.
Chen Jia was a little hesitant to accept it. Although she knew that her third sister was now a wealthy woman, she couldn't feel at ease spending her third sister's money all the time. After thinking for a while, he said, "Third sister, I'll borrow your card first. I can pay for whatever I want."
After saying that, she smiled and said, "Thank you, Third Sister."
"That's fine." Chen Jin didn't dwell on it. When her family was not well off, her second uncle and aunt often bought things for her. Now it is only right that she returns the favor to Chen Jiaye. However, she herself is an experienced person and knows that sometimes, even if the relatives are very close, she will feel psychologically burdened if she receives too much kindness from others.
The awkwardness of teenagers may not be a big deal in the eyes of adults, but it is just twisted.
After getting a new hairstyle, Chen Jin felt that his aura was different even when he walked.
At noon, Chen Jia and I found a restaurant to eat some stir-fried dishes, then went to a nearby cafe and ordered two cups of coffee. We sat in a small room separated from the cafe and watched the literary young people in the cafe chatting while reading books. At that time, Hacken Lee's "Looking Back" was playing.
Chen Jin occasionally feels a little dazed about her current life. If it weren't for the demolition, she might not have had much connection with the barber shop this morning and the coffee shop now, and might have just passed by in a hurry.
After coming out of the coffee shop and standing in the sun watching the passers-by, I suddenly felt that I was worrying about nothing.
In any case, her life has changed, and there is no need to think about what it would be like if there had been no demolition.
It turns out that I am too idle, otherwise I wouldn’t think about all these trivial things.
Chen returned to the small villa in the evening and had just parked his car when his neighbor next door also drove back at this time. She went around to the trunk to get something and made eye contact with him as he got out of the car.
He was wearing a suit and a black coat, with the same 4:6 hairstyle as Liming, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on his high nose bridge. He had sharp eyes and pursed his lips when he looked at her, but he quickly withdrew his gaze from her and took a few steps with his long legs to the gate of his house.
Take the key, open the door, go in, and close the door again.
Chen Jin raised his eyebrows and muttered quietly, "She looks okay."
Then she put this person out of her mind and decided to wash all the new clothes.
Professor Song's house next door was quiet. She heard that President Xi and Professor Song's son and his family were coming here to celebrate the New Year. She went out early and came back late these two days and didn't really notice whether they came or not.
Her third uncle asked her to move back to Hanlin Garden during the New Year so that they could be close to each other. Chen Yongan said that he would come to her place and stay for two days after his one-on-one tutoring during the winter vacation was over in a few days, and Chen Jia might also come over at that time. The guest bedroom upstairs has not been cleaned up, but all the things are there. I'll make the bed and find the quilt when they arrive.
The next day, Chen Jin separated the newly bought clothes by color and fabric, put them in the washing machine to wash in batches, and then took them out to dry in the sun.
It's a rare occasion when I have nothing to do at home, so I turn on the TV first. Even if I don't watch it, there must be some sound at home, and then I start cleaning the house.
I went out at noon and ate a bowl of hot noodles at an old shop on Wutong Road that was still open when I got home, and then went to a nearby small supermarket to buy two large bags of snacks and fruits.
After taking a nap, I curled up on the semi-circular sofa in the small living room on the second floor to bask in the sun. Sunny days in winter are the most comfortable. The sunlight can make people's bones lazy.
She said she wanted to go to the study to play on the computer and look at the references for her thesis, but it was just a thought as her body was already controlled by the sofa and she couldn't move.
In the evening, I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in the small living room and watched the winter sunset. I felt my stomach protesting, so I slowly moved downstairs to prepare a simple meal.
It is said that wealth can solve most of the troubles.
Look at the “high-tech” in the kitchen. Electric rice cookers and pressure cookers are common. Even a dishwasher is installed. You don’t have to worry about whether to wash the dishes after eating, because there is a dishwasher!
Teacher Song also asked her if she wanted to hire an aunt to come and clean and cook for her, and Chen Jin refused without hesitation. She doesn't create much trash at home by herself, and she can take care of herself. She is still keen on being alone now, and we'll talk about it when she doesn't want to do housework anymore.
There was a carpet on the floor in front of the sofa in the living room. Chen Jin sat cross-legged on the floor. The food was mixed together and placed on the coffee table. He ate while watching TV and occasionally gulped his drink.
Sigh comfortably: "Ah!"
Chen Jin didn't know how she fell asleep in the living room downstairs. If she hadn't woken up from the cold in the middle of the night, she wouldn't have noticed it. She quickly turned off the TV, went upstairs to brush her teeth and wash her face, then fell asleep on the bed.
But the next morning I started to have a stuffy nose, a sign of a cold. I cooked some porridge and drank it, then took some medicine. I thought I had nothing to do, so I went upstairs to sleep.
The doorbell rang at home.
Still wearing pajamas and cotton slippers, he came out and opened the door in a black down jacket. Standing outside the door were Professor Song, a couple in their forties, and a boy in his twenties.
Chen Jinduo took a look at the boy in front of him and felt that heredity was truly magical. This guy's facial features were very similar to those of President Xi. Looking at him, it was as if he saw President Xi when he was young. He had an elegant temperament and a face that looked like he was very good at studying.
It seems that Professor Song and President Xi’s son and his family have returned.
"I knew you were home when I saw your car. This is my son Xi Jin, my daughter-in-law Mei Ying, and my grandson Xi Qinghe." Professor Song introduced: "This is my neighbor friend Chen Jin, whom I often mentioned to you."
She was flattered that Professor Song addressed her as "little friend". However, she and Professor Song are indeed TV partners, and can barely be considered friends regardless of age difference.
Chen Jin called out "Hello Uncle Xi, Aunt Mei" and greeted Xi Qinghe. Seeing that they were all dressed up, he remembered that he was still in pajamas and felt a little embarrassed.
He quickly opened the door and invited them in to sit down.
Xi Jin and Mei Ying also heard the name "Chen Jin" on the phone a few months ago. At first, their mother just mentioned it casually, saying that a little girl was about to move into the small western-style building next door. Starting in October, their mother mentioned "Chen Jin" more frequently.
For example, the little girl gave me some small ornaments and dolls.
By November or December, their father also started to bring it up, saying that their mother would go to the girl's house next door on time every day after dinner and taking a bath, and sit on the sofa with her to watch TV series. The old man also said that he would buy a camera and take a picture of the scene and send it to them next time.
But the camera was bought, and the old man thought that he had taken many photos but none of them were good, so he didn't feel comfortable taking it to the next door girl to embarrass himself. It's shameless to say that the little girl was not photographed well.
They thought that thanks to the little girl next door, the two old people in their family could still interact with their neighbors. I bought some gifts in Beijing before coming back. They just got home yesterday, and the little girl happened to be at home today, so they came to visit.
Xi Jin and Mei Ying were just observing Chen Jin quietly. The little girl seemed to be a cheerful person with clear eyes and a crisp voice when talking to people. No wonder their parents always praised her.
Mei Ying: "My parents-in-law mentioned you a lot on the phone, and we've been thinking that when we get back, we must come over to see what this good girl looks like. Thanks to you often coming to our house to play, my parents-in-law like you."
Who wouldn’t like such a generous, optimistic and cheerful little girl?
"No, no, I should be the one thanking Professor Song and Dean Xi. I've been there many times to eat their meals." Chen Jin smiled awkwardly. Not only had he been there many times to eat their meals, he'd also been there to eat their fruits. Well, anyway, she felt that she had really gotten a great deal.
"Uncle and aunt, please sit down first. I'll go get you some water."
"Oh, you're welcome." Professor Song pulled her to sit down and instructed his grandson Xi Qinghe to go to the restaurant to get cups and pour water. "The red checkered cup is mine, the black and white checkered cup is Xiao Jin's, and you can use the others as you like."
Professor Song has come so many times that he has his own cup at Chen Jin's house.
Xi Jin and Mei Ying were at a loss whether to laugh or cry, as they had a deeper understanding of what their father said, "Your mother is just short of having someone move over."
"I don't know what you like. This is a small gift I picked out. I hope you like it." Mei Ying handed over the bag in her hand as soon as she sat down.
He even prepared a gift for her? ! It was a small ceramic panda ornament, which looked so adorable that it simply touched Chen Jin's heart.
Chen Jin felt happy but embarrassed: Professor Song’s son and daughter-in-law were too polite!
Professor Song's son and daughter-in-law both work in research institutes in Beijing. Xi Qinghe, who is one year younger than her, has actually started studying for a doctorate degree...
She is a little envious of other people's smart genes.
Chen Jin, a person who doesn’t like studying, actually likes people who know how to study. If Li Xingyi had not had good academic performance, Chen Jin would never have paid much attention to him. But who would have thought that academic performance can only test a person's ability to learn textbooks, but cannot test a person's inner qualities.
"You are about the same age. Xiao Jin, when you go out to play with your friends, you should call Shang Qinghe. This child inherited the personalities of his grandfather and his father. He is introverted. How can he study every day? Go out and make more friends and walk around more often so that your brain can be active." Professor Song said.
Chen Jin and Xi Qinghe looked at each other and said nothing.
Chen Jin: Next time I go out to play, I will probably go to learn makeup techniques. Should I bring a boy with me? Oh, the picture is too strange, I dare not think about it.
As they were chatting, Chen Jin sneezed several times. Professor Song then noticed that her nasal tone was a little heavy today and asked her if she had a cold.
"Maybe I caught a cold. I took medicine this morning."
Professor Song told her to drink more hot water and lie down to rest. He stopped chatting and told his son and his family to go back. "I'll come to see you later."
"No, no, my uncle's brothers and sisters will be here this afternoon. They are here." Chen Jin didn't want to delay Professor Song's time with her family, and Chen Yongan's one-on-one tutoring was over today. He couldn't stay idle all night and had to come to see her.
"Okay then, have a good rest. If you have any problems, call us. We are all next door."
After sending the person out, Chen Jin sneezed several times in a row. When he looked up, he met his neighbor who was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. Chen Jin shivered with cold when the wind blew, and ran home. He no longer had the mood to see how handsome his neighbor was.
In the evening, Chen Yongan and Chen Jia indeed came over with their luggage.
"You're only staying for two days. Why bring a suitcase?"
Chen Yongan sighed, sat down on the sofa, and looked left and right. This was totally different from the small Western-style building they had seen when they came here last July.
"If I don't come out to catch my breath, I'm going to be overwhelmed by all those exercises."
Chen Yongan: "When I was taking the high school entrance exam, I said that I might as well go to a technical secondary school. If I had gone to a technical secondary school, I would have graduated and started working soon, so why would I have to study so hard?"
That's what I thought at the time. After all, he performed well in the high school entrance examination, and he could still reach the passing score to go to a technical secondary school. But at that time, the second uncle, Chen Jia's father, said that the academic qualifications of college students would become more and more important in the future, and those who graduated from technical secondary schools would have to continue their studies if they wanted to move up, so it would be better to go directly to high school and take the college entrance examination.
Not only him, but also when Chen Jin graduated from junior high school and faced the choice of going to high school or to a teachers' college, it was her second uncle who insisted, saying that many children from cities with good grades would definitely choose to go to high school and take the college entrance examination, and that people would not make a blind choice. So her mother was persuaded and supported her to go to high school and then to college.
Seeing that college students are not fully guaranteed jobs now, it shows that the number of college students is increasing. With more people with higher education, the requirements of recruiting companies will definitely increase gradually. So Chen Jin thinks that his second uncle is really far-sighted and insists on letting them finish high school and take the college entrance examination.
"Only those who endure the most hardships can become the best."
Chen Jia: "Third sister, stop talking like my dad."
She had heard it enough at home and really didn't want to hear it anymore.
It’s different when there are two more people at home. The egg noodles we eat at night taste delicious.
The guest room downstairs was left to Chen Yongan, and the guest room upstairs was covered with beds and given to Chen Jia.
After a night's sleep, her cold was gone.
Chen Yongfei asked her to drive them out to play. Chen Jin had nothing to do now, so she agreed to their request. She changed her clothes and asked them to go out.
As soon as I walked out of the community gate, I received a call from Aunt Ke Xin, asking her if she was in the small western-style building at Nanjing University. She wanted to invite her out for afternoon tea so that she could give Chen Yue some advice.
Chen Jin: "Aunt Ke Xin, it just so happens that Chen Yongan and Chen Jia are with me, let's go together."
"Third sister, who is it?"
"Aunt Ke Xin said she would treat us to afternoon tea and let us chat more with Chen Yue. By the way, you two are from the same school, so you usually talk when you see each other, right?"
"It's not easy to meet someone from the same school. Chen Yue is in the arts class, and I'm in the science class." Chen Yongan said, "But I don't think her grades have been affected. She still gets first place in the exams, and she's always on the school honor roll."
"Oh, then let's just chat casually later and don't mention anything else." For example, the incident when he met Chen Wensong and his current wife at Junhao Hotel.
The place that Aunt Ke Xin booked is a cake shop in the old city. It has a wide variety of desserts, even coffee and milk tea, and its main feature is a complete range of products.
When they arrived, Aunt Ke Xin had already ordered seven or eight desserts, and the waiter brought them to them as soon as they sat down.
"Didn't you say you were going to learn makeup techniques? Why didn't I see you there?"
The makeup shop recommended by Aunt Ke Xin is also opened by her eldest sister. She also runs a barber shop and a bridal shop. The makeup shop is classified as part of the bridal shop, but it is also operated as an independent storefront.
The last time Chen Jin went to get her hair done, she went back and called Aunt Ke Xin and found out about this.
So Chen Jin signed up for the makeup training course held by Sister Jiang's Cosmetics Shop. She couldn't catch up with the training course before the New Year, so she signed up for the nearest course after the New Year.
Chen Jin explained it again.
Auntie Ke Xin didn't stay long, "I've already paid the bill, you young people can play together, and call me when you're done, and I'll come pick up Chen Yue."
She was an adult standing there, and the young people were too embarrassed to chat openly, so she waited for Chen Jin and the others to come over, exchanged a few words, and then left.
Sure enough, as soon as Aunt Ke Xin left, Chen Jia and Chen Yongan relaxed their sitting posture and started to eat dessert with spoons.
Chen Yue and they had known each other for more than ten years. As they ate, the topics opened up and their relationship became closer.
"Uncle Chen Wu's sister Xinran opened a photography shop, and their family also moved to the Rose Garden."
"Also?" Chen Jin looked up, "Did your family also buy a house in Rose Garden?"
Chen Yue nodded, "Yes, my mother and my aunt went to look at a house and they said Rose Garden had the best value for money, so we bought a house there."
Chen Yongan and Chen Jin smiled awkwardly, "Then you know your dad..."
Chen Yue snorted softly, "I know, they also live in Rose Garden. If they live there, then my mom and I can't live there? Rose Garden is not a real estate project opened by their family, so they have to bear it even if they don't like it!"
"I want to see how long they can be so proud."
She is indeed Aunt Ke Xin’s biological daughter, and her fighting ability will surely be strong in the future.
Chen Jin once again expressed his deep feelings that the young and middle-aged women comrades in their Qiaodong Village are so outstanding. Each of them is willing to take on responsibilities and is willing to take on responsibilities. Look at the older generation, many of them are confused.
"By the way, we live across from Mr. Chen's house. They have been putting on operas every day recently."
Chen Jin, Chen Yongan, and Chen Jia stopped eating dessert and asked, "How do you sing?"
"Uncle Wenxing and his wife have been married for several years but have no children. Auntie Chen always makes insinuations at home, saying that they eat and live in their house, but they don't have children and they come home from get off work every day without working. You don't know that Auntie Chen instigated Uncle Wenxing to divorce, but Uncle Wenxing didn't agree. Auntie Chen then instigated Uncle Wenxing to find someone else to give birth to a son and bring him back, saying that as long as he had a son, it would be fine."
Chen Yue gloated, "Chen Sanpo's daughter-in-law is not a pushover either. She said that if Chen Sanpo dares to act like a demon again, she will kick the two old people out."
"Will Mr. and Mrs. Chen agree? They paid for the house, right?"
"But the house is under Uncle Wen Xing's name. My mom said that Uncle Wen Xing is very cunning."
“Tsk tsk!”
“Tsk tsk!”
“Tsk tsk!”
The three people who heard it all had a sense of enlightenment that "there is indeed retribution."
Jiang Kexin received a call and came to pick up her daughter. Seeing her smiling and waving goodbye to Chen Jin and the others, she felt relieved and said with a smile: "You young people can chat about the same topics. You can invite them out to play more often in the future."
Chen Yue smiled secretly. They were indeed able to chat and gossip together, which made her feel better.
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