The four families here are all related by marriage and godparents, so it's not a big deal that they've connected on the first floor.
Her suggestion was approved by everyone, except for Aunt Wang who objected.
"No, this dragon formation won't work. If all four buildings are connected, and everyone shares the same energy, some of them will be uncooperative and will ruin the feng shui."
"Who are you talking about? Name them by name, don't try anything funny." Commander Zhou immediately became suspicious.
"No, no, godmother, you're overthinking it."
“I think it would be better to build it into a walkway. This sunny walkway can also be used as a greenhouse, so we can still see flowers in winter.” Zhou Xing’s mother thought even more.
"That's a great idea. I'll take care of the flowers!" Grandpa Hanhan had always felt inferior and worthless, but now he volunteered.
"Sure thing, old buddy, I'll help." Commander Zhou now follows Hanhan's grandfather's lead without question, fishing, gardening, and I guess the next step will be playing cards.
Qin Xiaoyu is most gratified by this; he has successfully recovered from the blow of retirement and is no longer dominated by feelings of powerlessness and loss. Grandpa Hanhan deserves much credit for this.
"It would be great if we could build a sunlit passageway. After my baby is born, I can take him to play with his two older brothers," Zhou Yue said with a grin.
"Sister Xiaoyue, I've packed up two more of the kids' old clothes. They've all been washed and dried. There are two big bags of them, and they're all practically brand new. Kids grow so fast; they'll outgrow the clothes after one or two wears. I'll bring them to you later," Fourth Sister-in-law said with a smile as she came over.
"Alright, alright, you're so stingy! If you're going to give me a gift, give me a new one! What's the point of giving me an old one? I didn't pay you!" Qi Si said angrily.
"Silly child, what do you know? It's easier to raise a child if they wear old clothes. It's hard to find someone you know well," Zhou Xing's mother scolded.
Upon hearing the words "silly child," Qi Si blushed and fell silent.
"Alright, let my mom deal with my brother from now on. I can't control him anyway." Qin Xiaoyu took advantage of the situation, which angered Qi Si so much that he reached out to grab her, but she quickly hid behind Zhou Yue.
Zhou Yue sticks out her still-flat belly, which is the best talisman.
It's freezing cold now, and the tunnel won't be under construction until next spring, so everyone will have to make do. Seeing the snow falling one after another, Qin Xiaoyu hired a cleaner.
The only problem is that this place is a bit remote, and there is a large construction site not far away, so going out to buy groceries is a hassle, and we have to rely on Grandma Hanhan to carry them back.
Although she worked hard every day without complaint, Qin Xiaoyu always felt bad about it, so he would give her a ride whenever he had time.
Commander Zhou's car was assigned to him. Although it was often idle, it was mainly for his use and not for others to order around.
That day, Qin Xiaoyu made her usual rounds of patrols. When she reached the fountain, she heard crying. She went around to investigate and found it was guard Xiao Chen.
"What's wrong? Did someone wrong you?" Qin Xiaoyu asked hurriedly. Everyone treated Xiao Chen like family and didn't stand on ceremony with him. Had she done something careless that hurt his feelings?
"No, they've all been very good to me." Xiao Chen wiped away her tears and stood up.
"What happened?" Qin Xiaoyu always liked to get to the bottom of things.
"I'm being discharged from the army." Xiao Chen started sobbing again.
It turns out that Xiao Chen was a soldier from a rural area, and he was supposed to return to his hometown after his discharge. If Commander Zhou hadn't retired, he could have worked for a few more years, but now that Commander Zhou's word no longer matters, he was laid off directly.
"You don't want to go back to your hometown?" Qin Xiaoyu understood a little.
“I definitely don’t want to go back. My family is dirt poor, and it’s deep in the mountains. I can’t even find a wife.” Xiao Chen cried even harder when he talked about his wife.
Who else is in your family?
"He has parents, and they are in good health; they even farm the land."
“I have a suggestion, what do you think? The boiler operator we have now is borrowed from Captain Chen. When they have work on their construction site in the spring, he will leave, so it's not a stable job. I'm looking for a long-term worker. If you're interested, you can bring your parents over. They've also built houses for people to live in over by the boiler room. Although they're not as nice as the buildings here, they're bright and clean and quite decent. You can go back and think about it.”
Xiao Chen's eyes widened in astonishment. When he first moved in, he had visited the place extensively. When he saw the house behind the boiler room, he thought, "Wow, this is much better built than most houses. I wish I could have a room here." He was so happy that he jumped up and down, never expecting Qin Xiaoyu to make such a decision.
"Sister Xiaoyu! I agree! I agree! Let my parents come, I'll go out and find odd jobs, I can go with Captain Chen to work on construction sites."
"Why are you looking for odd jobs? I'm asking you to stay so I can drive for my boss. What will happen to him if you leave?"
"Sister Xiaoyu, we will send someone to come even after I leave. This is the kind of treatment the organization gives to veteran revolutionaries."
"Let's not accept that kind of treatment. If we send someone else, they'll be a stranger, and it will take time to build a relationship. It'll be inconvenient for everyone. I'll have Da Da send that person back, and just keep you by my side, okay?" With Qin Xiaoyu saying this, how could Xiao Chen refuse?
Commander Zhou always approved of Qin Xiaoyu's arrangements. He immediately made a phone call. The other side didn't have enough manpower, so they were happy to hear his magnanimity. They praised him a few times and the matter was settled.
With a private driver, Qin Xiaoyu simply returned the car assigned to her by the military. Driving a government vehicle wasn't very liberating, and since she already had two cars, she gave the sedan chair to Xiao Chen.
Grandma Hanhan benefited the most from this car. Xiao Chen has a good temper and is always available to go to the vegetable market or the morning market, solving the problem of buying groceries.
"Sister Xiaoyu, look at that big empty space on the west side of the yard. Once my parents move in, we'll plant vegetables all over it for you. That'll be enough for everyone to eat." Xiao Chen had already made plans.
That's probably how relationships between people work—it's all about empathy. Qin Xiaoyu had been so considerate of him; how could he not repay her?
Tang Wenwen returned to report after finalizing the deal with Shanghai No. 1 Department Store. She also took the opportunity to visit her new home. It was rare that Jiang Fusheng didn't come along this time.
“If he stays there any longer, he’ll be ousted from his manager position. There’s already talk of them being unhappy about his unauthorized absence,” Tang Wenwen sighed.
What does he mean?
"Him? He wanted to resign and work for us, but I stopped him. That No. 1 Department Store has been passed down through generations of the Jiang family. Can we just throw it away like that?" Tang Wenwen said helplessly.
"Was everything going smoothly in Shanghai?"
"You're talking about this? I'd like to interrogate you. What's the background of this Ah Lei?" Tang Wenwen also glanced at Qin Xiaoyu sideways.
"How would I know? He just appeared out of nowhere." Qin Xiaoyu still doesn't know anything about A Lei's background. She only knows that his ancestors were probably powerful. Although he grew up abroad and has his own career, he always seems to be useless. She can't say what his abilities are.
"I think his relationship with Manager Zhang is unusual. When I first arrived, Manager Zhang's attitude was already quite good. But as soon as he showed up, Manager Zhang became very enthusiastic, as if he would do anything to keep me there if I didn't stay at the Department Store. It was like we had no choice but to cooperate." Tang Wenwen's words made Qin Xiaoyu laugh. It turned out that A Lei had this ability.
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