Qin Xiaoyu had been searching for a piano for a long time without success, but Grandma Zhang, with her extensive connections, carried it into the house without much effort, and soon after, a piano teacher was easily found.
With the piano, my younger sister is less anxious. She can play for half a day at a time and is completely absorbed in it.
This is her only connection to her past life and Zhou Xing's mother; it was the best medium of communication back then, but now it's a substitute.
Hanhan started school, and her younger sister settled down. Qin Xiaoyu began investigating projects.
Her cousin borrowed 15,000 yuan from her and has already organized his team, wanting to open up a new battlefield. He said he wanted to get Qin Xiaoyu to join him, but she refused.
She wanted to start her own business, and it was best not to partner with relatives, as it could easily turn them into enemies. She kept this to herself, but couldn't say it aloud.
Captain Chen hadn't been seen for a few days, and when he came back, he said he wanted to treat Qin Xiaoyu to dinner. Qin Xiaoyu considered Captain Chen's family like an older brother, and since his sister-in-law would also be joining them, Qin Xiaoyu really had no reason to refuse.
Once seated, Qin Xiaoyu understood the significance of this meal. There was another person present: Director Hong of the sock factory.
"I've come to apologize to Principal Qin." Director Hong presented the glass with both hands.
"Brother Hong, you're too kind. This isn't your fault. We were all in a very passive position at the time, and I understand your actions." Qin Xiaoyu didn't hold him responsible. Besides, he not only refunded the money but also compensated her with a thousand yuan for the renovations. He had handled the matter very well.
"I beg Principal Qin right now, please forgive my mistake and let me rent my house again."
“He comes to see your brother Chen every day, pestering and nagging. I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I told your brother Chen to ask Xiaoyu to come out. Xiaoyu is a straightforward person; she’ll talk things out and resolve things face to face.” Sister-in-law Chen explained the situation.
"Isn't that house easy to rent out?" Qin Xiaoyu was a little curious. A house that was only half-renovated should be easy to rent out at the original price.
“It’s hard to rent them out now. That area used to be the dormitory for the heavy machine tool factory. Now that the factory has some money, they’re going to build a new building complex. They’ve demolished all the bungalows, and the new buildings can’t be built anytime soon. Who would rent those houses for? I think if the girl continues to run the school, it’s fine. But if she doesn’t want to run the school, then the houses are useless.” Captain Chen was honest and didn’t hold back at all, explaining the situation completely.
"They're building a tower? That's great! Hey guys, aren't you going to buy one?"
"Where can you buy them? They're all allocated by the factory. It's based on seniority. If it's a big factory, a difference of one month's seniority can mean a difference of dozens of people. When allocating housing, there's a factory-wide meeting, and everyone lines up and draws numbers according to seniority. It's so competitive, how can anyone buy one?" Captain Chen was amused by Qin Xiaoyu.
"Oh, I see. I didn't know how the housing was allocated." Qin Xiaoyu finally understood. She guessed that the original owner of the building where she lived had also held a public office, which was why he was allocated a house. Now that he was in prison, the house was vacant, which benefited her.
"Little Fish Girl, give me a piece of your mind. I've never seen a man so long-winded. It's so annoying! You eat everything but can't do anything right, all you do is talk." Captain Chen spoke his mind, which made Factory Director Hong lower his head.
"Brother Chen, let's not talk about him anymore. The situation at the time was beyond his control. How about this, I'll think about it and give you an answer the day after tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay, the day after tomorrow it is. Come and eat, it's getting cold." Sister-in-law Chen walked past the two men and started chatting happily with Qin Xiaoyu.
"I really have to thank my sister-in-law for always taking such good care of me." After all the trials and tribulations, Qin Xiaoyu cherishes even more the friends who lent a helping hand when she was in trouble.
"What are you talking about? No matter what they say outside, I'm telling you, Brother Chen, our Xiaoyu isn't that kind of person. If she were that kind of vixen, would I trust you to associate with her? I'm not the kind of person who tolerates injustice." Sister-in-law Chen's words made everyone laugh. Her words were rough, but the truth was right.
"That's what they say, but some people know I'm fine, yet they still stay far away from me," Qin Xiaoyu sighed.
"Just hide! With your skills, making a comeback will be a piece of cake. He ignores you now, but he'll regret it later!" Sister-in-law Chen declared firmly.
Qin Xiaoyu thought to herself, "Oh my god, are you a time traveler too?" She suddenly noticed that Sister-in-law Chen's hairstyle was newly done, and a thought popped into her head.
"Did your sister-in-law get her hair permed? My hairdresser did it, right?"
"Little Fish, you have a sharp eye. It was your master who did this. I asked her about you, and she knew nothing. Heh." Sister-in-law Chen was a straightforward person, and her tone was disdainful.
Qin Xiaoyu had been trying her best to understand Master Wang, knowing that she was timid and afraid of trouble. But now that the storm had passed and Bai Weiwei was no longer helping her cause trouble, Zhou Xing's mother was like a bird in a cage, with no real power. Master Wang could easily sneak over to see her.
After such a long time, the person who was like a mother to her daughter suddenly stopped paying attention to her, and Qin Xiaoyu felt terrible.
Sometimes she couldn't help but be cynical, perhaps because her master was afraid that things would get out of hand and she would have to take the school back.
But then he immediately dismissed the idea, thinking, "No, Master must have his own reasons."
The next day, Qin Xiaoyu handed her younger sister over to Grandma Zhang and went to the sock factory to take another look.
It's late autumn now, and winter is just around the corner. It's freezing cold, and construction doesn't usually take place in the north, but you can still see signs of unrest in the residential areas.
Some people are moving things, and some are repairing houses.
This was something Captain Chen explained to Qin Xiaoyu later. Originally, when the dormitories were built, they were designed so that several family members could live in one main room. However, every family has to grow up and have children. When the children grow up and get married, they need a house. Housing is allocated based on seniority, so young people don't get a chance.
At this point, the power of the people was brought to its fullest extent. Like the Tang family, they demanded space in the courtyard, squeezing in a room here and a room there, one by one, solving the problem for each of the eldest, second, and third sons.
When it's time to move to a new apartment, a two-bedroom, one-kitchen unit would be considered good. Naturally, it's inconvenient to cram a family of ten or so people into an apartment building. The factory isn't entirely heartless; it naturally tries to accommodate those who can't move upstairs, especially now with the succession system and the presence of affiliated primary and technical schools. Fathers work in the factory, and sons continue to work in the factory, generation after generation. If this isn't addressed, it seriously affects the factory's production enthusiasm.
With the new policy for the relocation of residents from the hospital, it's no longer possible to provide new apartment buildings. Instead, they'll allocate old dormitories in remote areas that nobody wants to live in.
Although the commute to work was longer, the young people were still very happy to have their own house with its own yard. People in that era were used to hardship, and riding a bicycle for an hour to work was not a big deal.
So the dormitory was thriving. Those who could move upstairs packed up their belongings and moved on lightly. Those who couldn't go upstairs tidied up the central room, hoping to get an extra meter or two during the evaluation, which would be a freebie.
Once Qin Xiaoyu entered the sock factory building, she understood why Factory Director Hong was so anxious to find her.
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