Back when Gao Cheng went to see Manager Lin, Aunt Gao had already prepared some snacks to go with the drinks while cooking. A dish of peanuts and a plate of steamed eggplant with garlic. There were no meat dishes; instead, she used the pickled fish that Xiao Bei had given to Xu Keke. When she brought it back that day, Xu Keke had shared half with the Gao family, and she never expected it would be used for her own family's affairs today.
The main dish was noodles, mixed with the fried sauce Xiao Bei gave them. The sauce also contained diced meat, more generous with the ingredients than homemade, and tasted much better. Apparently, Xu Keke brought it back from the southern army. Manager Lin was startled again; he had noticed immediately upon entering that the sisters' attire was different from when their mother had just passed away.
He had initially thought the child was just young and didn't understand, and that she'd probably spent all the money he gave her on clothes. But now that he'd heard about it, and looking at Xu Keke's clothes, it was definitely true—the shirts and jackets were clearly the kind issued by the military. You couldn't buy those anywhere else.
Manager Lin and Gao Cheng had become familiar with each other over the past ten years or so by frequently visiting the warehouse. After the mother and her three children moved in, he visited less often. As for Qi Chang, he only knew that someone had moved into the empty room in the yard. He only saw Qi Chang for the first time that day when the two children's mother's funeral was held.
Looking at Xu Keke's relationship with the Gao family, Manager Lin thought even more highly of her. The Gao couple weren't bad people, but everyone has their flaws. This couple had many rules and a lot of issues. They were actually one of the most difficult people to get along with. Even the smallest thing could cause a major argument. Yet this girl managed to get along so well with the whole family; it was truly remarkable.
"I'll let your dad go first."
Xu Keke never expected Manager Lin to say something like that right away. She thought she would have to say something to him before things would work out.
In the dim light, Xu Keke looked at him. Manager Lin had just picked up his wine cup and clinked it against Gao Cheng's; the sound was very soft. Sincere hearts meant the wine was poured full, and neither of them dared to pour too much for fear of spilling.
Manager Lin held it out horizontally, carefully brought it to his lips, and took a small sip.
"You won't be able to stay in this house for many more days!"
As soon as he said that, everyone in the room looked at him. Manager Lin wasn't being coy; the Gao family's alcohol was too strong, so he quickly picked up his chopsticks, put an eggplant in his mouth, and swallowed. His face was already flushed red.
“Your dad broke up with that Luo Wei, and I reckon he’ll be transferred soon. This house belongs to the stationery store, so they’ll have to take it away eventually.”
Gao Cheng pushed the pickled fish towards Manager Lin, "But what about these two sisters? Is there any way to help them? We can't just let them sleep on the streets."
Manager Lin chuckled, "Meng Zikang changed jobs. If it were just him, they would definitely let him stay in the dormitory. But with the two sisters, they'll probably arrange housing for him."
Xu Keke understood; this was why Manager Lin was confident he could get rid of Meng Zikang.
"It's not that there's no way out!" Manager Lin glanced at Xu Keke. "You can work at our stationery store. You can continue living in this house."
Aunt Gao, who was standing in front of the table, gasped. Gao Cheng also looked at Xu Keke in surprise.
Xu Keke didn't understand, and Gao Cheng got anxious, "You silly girl, hurry up and thank your Uncle Lin. That stationery store isn't a place just anyone can go in. Maybe one day you'll be transferred to the grocery store."
“That’s great! I was just thinking that if all else fails, I could introduce this child to a family. At least he’ll have a place to stay, a home, and someone to take care of him.”
Upon hearing Aunt Gao's words, Gao Jiale became anxious, "Mom, what are you saying? How old is Meng Dong? She hasn't even graduated from high school yet, how can she get married?"
"Why can't we get married? I've had you since I was sixteen. Why can't we get married? Besides, she has a younger sister; do you think it's easy to find someone like that?"
After she finished speaking, Xu Keke was completely shocked. How could she say that? It was as if she had really entrusted her with finding a husband for herself. However, Xu Keke knew that now was not the time to argue about this. She sat on the stool, her face blank, and remained silent.
Even Manager Lin misunderstood. "If you can really think of this, it proves you're old enough. It's not like you can't find someone. If you want, I can introduce you to my wife's nephew. He's a good guy, and not bad-looking either, but he burned his arm in the factory fire that year..."
"Ah!" Gao Cheng couldn't help but exclaim. The girl was a perfectly healthy child. Even if she was going to have a younger sister, she shouldn't have married a disabled person.
Manager Lin hurriedly waved his hand, "He's not crippled. When he was dodging, a wooden stick hit his arm and burned the skin. You can't tell when he's wearing a long-sleeved shirt. It's this kid, he's too honest. I introduced him to a few people, and they all showed their injuries to others after only a few words."
After he finished speaking, everyone in the room fell silent. It seemed that he was seriously injured, otherwise why would people have run away at a glance?
Manager Lin knew it was difficult to explain, so he said, "Well, don't feel pressured. I'll arrange a meeting sometime, and you'll understand. If it doesn't work out, that's okay too. I genuinely think you're a great person, which is why I wanted to introduce you to someone."
Xu Keke's feelings were somewhat complicated, but she understood that neither Manager Lin nor Aunt Gao were bad people. They were just too enthusiastic. It was precisely because of their enthusiasm that they offered to help her. As they say, everything is a double-edged sword; there's a good side and a bad side. Since she had considered the good benefits, she couldn't complain about the bad troubles later.
She just smiled faintly and said, "I'll think about these things some more. I was focused on going to university, I never expected that the housing issue would cause problems."
"You silly child, let me say a few more words today," Manager Lin said, seemingly already considering her his nephew's wife, as he launched into a heart-to-heart talk. "Going to university isn't easy. Tuition, food, clothing, and dormitory fees. Have you thought about where you're going to come up with all that money? It costs money every month."
"I have thought about that. I could apply to a teacher's college. They provide room and board. Besides, I can find some odd jobs during my holidays." Xu Keke spoke earnestly; this was something she had seriously considered, and she really wanted to hear other people's opinions. After all, there were always things she hadn't considered.
Manager Lin laughed, "You're a smart kid. Teacher's college is hard to get into; you need to be one of the top students in the school to get in. Let's not even talk about whether your score is high enough. Just look at your sister. You go and provide her with room and board, but what will happen to her? She's eight years old now. Where will you put her?"
This was Xu Keke's most critical issue; it was precisely this matter she hadn't figured out. She had always felt there was still a year, no need to rush, she could deal with it a year later. She hadn't expected things to escalate so quickly.
"Let Jiajia come stay at our house," Gao Jiale said, standing up and addressing the adults at the dining table.
“Yes, my brother is right. Jiajia can stay at our house,” Gao Lan chimed in.
Gao Cheng and his wife exchanged a glance but neither of them said anything.
Xu Keke had originally planned to give the Gao family more money, since she would be back on the weekend anyway. But seeing the Gao couple's reaction, she knew that this plan might not work.
Gao Cheng waved his hand, "Alright, we'll talk about this later. Let Manager Lin eat first; the noodles are almost soggy."
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