The fan was still whirring. Gu Mingyue handed Lu Lin a glass of cold water and asked casually, "Where did you get the money to buy a fan? Don't you hand over your entire salary?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Lin quickly put down his cup, reached into his pocket, pulled out a wad of crumpled change, and handed it to Gu Mingyue, his tone somewhat cautious.
"The subsidy from the last mission just came in. I was thinking that you always get rashes in this hot weather, so I went and bought a fan first. The rest of these are for you. Don't be angry, I didn't waste money."
Gu Mingyue couldn't help but laugh when she saw his nervous expression.
"I'm not here to interrogate you, I'm just curious. I'm so glad you thought of me."
As she spoke, she didn't take the stack of change, but instead turned around and took a brand new bill from the drawer and stuffed it into Lu Lin's hand.
"Take this as pocket money. If you want to buy something to eat in the camp, don't always deprive yourself."
Lu Lin was taken aback and tried to push the money back: "No need, I don't need to spend much money in the camp."
"Just take it." Gu Mingyue stuffed the money into his pocket and patted it lightly with her fingertips. "You care about me, so I have to care about you too."
Looking at her smiling face and touching the money in his pocket, Lu Lin felt a warmth spreading through his heart.
After the family members in the residential compound learned that their family had a fan, they came to see it out of curiosity.
They're just using the excuse of watching to freeload off the cool breeze.
As soon as Aunt Li pulled her daughter-in-law into the courtyard, she saw five or six people crammed into Gu Mingyue's main room.
The fan whirred, and everyone gathered around the air source, chatting and laughing. Even Gu Mingyue was squeezed into a corner, busy handing out water to others.
She frowned, thinking to herself: This fan must use so much electricity.
It's one thing if one or two people come to freeload, but with so many people surrounding them, how could Mingyue and her husband possibly say anything?
Looking at these people again, they realized that they didn't usually interact with Gu Mingyue, but now that they knew she had a fan, they came over to her.
She didn't rush in directly. First, she pulled her daughter-in-law to stand at the gate of the courtyard and waited for someone to come out of the house for some fresh air before smiling and walking in, deliberately raising her voice a little.
"Wow, it's so lively! I told my wife I was just here to see something new, but I didn't expect everyone to come."
As she spoke, she walked over to Gu Mingyue and patted her arm. "Mingyue, your fan is good, but it's hot today. The machine needs to rest after running for a while. Don't wear yourself out and then you won't have a place to cool off later."
Then she turned to the people inside the room and smiled, "Let's not crowd here anymore, the young couple still have their lives to live."
"We just bought this fan, let Mingyue's family try it out first to see if it works. When it gets hotter, we can take turns using it to cool off and give the machine a rest."
Upon hearing this, the people inside understood the meaning, and those with good judgment quickly got up.
"That's right! We were so focused on cooling off that we forgot the machines needed a break too. Well, let's head back now. Thanks, Mingyue!"
The others followed suit and walked out.
Most of the people in the room tactfully got up to leave, but Hu Xiao'e didn't move. Instead, she moved closer to the fan and slowly fanned herself.
"Why take a break? This machine isn't that delicate. I'm feeling bored at home. I'll stay here and cool off for a while before leaving. It won't interfere with Mingyue's family affairs."
Gu Mingyue's smile froze for a moment. Just as she was about to speak, Aunt Li spoke first, her tone still warm but with an undeniable gentleness.
“Xiao’e, it’s not that the machine is delicate, it’s just that Mingyue is busy with work. Look, there’s still a fabric pattern spread out on her table. She’s going to sew a summer jacket for Lu Lin. If we delay any longer, she won’t finish it before dark.”
As she spoke, she reached out and gently tugged at Hu Xiao'e's arm. "Besides, isn't your child still waiting at home? Don't let the child get anxious because they can't find anyone. If you still want to come later, wait until tomorrow morning when it's cooler and Mingyue's family isn't busy. Wouldn't that be more convenient?"
Hu Xiao'e had no choice but to reluctantly stand up, muttering, "Fine, I'll come again tomorrow," before leaving unwillingly.
After everyone had left, Aunt Li said to Gu Mingyue, "To deal with someone who refuses to leave, you have to bring up her own issues. Either say she has something to do at home, or say you're busy here. Don't confront her directly. Just follow the conversation and get her to leave. Then she'll have no reason to stay any longer."
Gu Mingyue nodded, feeling completely relieved. With Aunt Li's advice, she wouldn't have to worry about this again in the future.
Gu Mingyue breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at Aunt Li, saying, "Auntie, thank you."
Aunt Li waved her hand, "No need to thank me, we're all neighbors, how can I make things difficult for them? Next time someone comes, just say that the fan needs to be turned off at regular intervals, or that Comrade Lu needs it to sleep at night, and that it won't have enough power to run at night if it blows too much during the day. That'll definitely work."
After seeing Hu Xiao'e off, Aunt Li pulled her daughter-in-law, who hadn't said much, aside and introduced her to Gu Mingyue with a smile.
"Mingyue, this is my daughter-in-law, Luo Cailing. She usually stays at home and is very honest."
Luo Cailing was pushed in front of her mother-in-law. She nervously clutched the hem of her clothes, glanced up at Gu Mingyue, and then quickly lowered her head again.
Gu Mingyue wore a well-fitting plain-colored short shirt, her hair was neatly combed, and she had a faint smile on her face, which made her look refreshing and energetic.
Thinking back to myself, I realized that my clothes were still the old style from a few years ago, my hair was casually tied up, and I hadn't even had time to wipe the sweat from my face. A feeling of shame welled up inside me, and I said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "Comrade Gu, hello."
Gu Mingyue noticed her unease and took two steps forward, smiling as she handed her a glass of cool water: "Sister Cailing, drink some water to cool off. Don't be shy, just make yourself at home."
Seeing that her daughter-in-law was more relaxed, Aunt Li explained her purpose, "Mingyue, I wanted to tell you that a few days ago I heard from the Women's Federation that the textile factory in town is hiring temporary workers. I was thinking that Cailing has nothing to do at home, so I wanted to take her to ask about it."
"I was worried she'd feel awkward being alone, so I was thinking of asking you to come along. If you're also looking for work, the three of us can go together, so we can keep each other company. What do you think?"
Gu Mingyue was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and nodded: "This is a good thing! If Sister Cailing is willing to go, let's go and ask together tomorrow. It's good to have more people to help each other."
Gu Mingyue paused for a moment, holding the water glass, then smiled and nodded: "Auntie, I'm not in a hurry to find work right now, I still have to take care of the family. But you've helped me so much today, so it's not a big deal to accompany you and Sister Cailing to the Women's Federation to ask around. Just consider it a walk and I can help you strike up a conversation."
Aunt Li was immediately delighted when she heard this: "Oh, that's good! I feel more at ease with you coming along. Cai Ling is a shy girl, but with you here, she'll be more relaxed."
Luo Cailing also quietly raised her eyes, and her gaze towards Gu Mingyue held a hint of gratitude.
She was initially worried about what to say at the Women's Federation, but with Gu Mingyue by her side, she wasn't so nervous anymore.
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