Wang Lei's enthusiasm was likely to be dampened by Commander Wang. Ordinary people wouldn't want to marry a widow, let alone a diamond bachelor like him who had never been married.
That's like stirring up a hornet's nest. Qin Xiaoyu wants to make money, make lots of money; men are all jerks, don't get in her way.
The snow kept falling, but it wasn't compacted; it was loose and soft, making it impossible to ride a bicycle. Qin Xiaoyu pushed it all the way back. She didn't dare leave it outside the barbershop, afraid that if Master Wang slept too soundly at night, someone might steal it without her even knowing.
These days, a bicycle is a big-ticket item. This was the one Tang Wenzhi used to ride; the host used to get to work entirely on foot.
"Why didn't you come back earlier in this heavy snow?" Hearing the door open, my cousin-in-law came out to take a look and complained when she saw it was her.
"It's okay, it's not too late." Qin Xiaoyu didn't dare to mention singing.
"Come over here, the kids are all here. Let them come over during the day, it'll save a lot of coal. Your room is still warm from the fire you just lit," her cousin-in-law called out. Qin Xiaoyu rubbed her hands and ran over.
The room was warm and cozy, the stove was burning brightly today. Hanhan and her younger sister were playing cards quietly on the kang (heated brick bed), while Tanglong and Xiuqin were doing their homework at the table.
"Xiuqin is back?" Qin Xiaoyu was a little surprised. It wasn't the weekend, so how could she be back?
"Your brother's going to be busy; the workshop's about to start, and he won't feel at ease without him watching over things. The factory manager said he should work a few extra days. So I had my eldest daughter come back to stay for a few days; she's practically frozen solid at school," my cousin-in-law said with a laugh.
"The workshop contract is done?" Qin Xiaoyu's eyes lit up.
"How could it not work? The factory manager was so anxious he was about to vomit blood. So many people in the factory, young and old, are waiting to eat. You don't know, they are the No. 6 Electronic Components Factory. There are several large factories ahead of them with complete equipment. When the orders come in, they can't even get a piece of the pie. Now that they have their own products, how could the factory manager not be happy?"
As she spoke, her sister-in-law told Qin Xiaoyu to warm her feet on the kang (heated brick bed), and then took out a basket of peanuts and melon seeds. Hanhan and her younger sister gathered around, the younger sister opening her little mouth, waiting for her brother to feed her, like a little bird waiting to be fed.
"Hanhan, feed your little sister less; she ate too much this afternoon," her cousin-in-law said worriedly. Hanhan nodded.
My cousin's wife is usually very frugal and doesn't buy these kinds of things. Today is like the sun rising in the west. Is she in a good mood because her cousin's career is turning around?
"Come and eat too." Qin Xiaoyu peeled open a peanut, revealing four small purple beans. She took a bite and her mouth was filled with fragrance. She quickly called Tang Long and his sister over.
"You eat, they've been eating all afternoon. I have good news for you, your brother's fine money has been refunded, the factory manager said it's called research money." My sister-in-law frowned, not uttering any new terms.
"Develop new products," Xiuqin added.
"Yes, that's what they said. They said that new products all have costs, and they even gave an extra 100 yuan bonus. They even give overtime pay for working overtime." My cousin's wife couldn't stop smiling.
"That's wonderful, I'm so happy for you."
"Let me tell you a joke, it's hilarious. You know how honest your brother is? When the factory manager was talking about product development in a meeting, your brother wanted to explain that it wasn't like that, it was for my sister-in-law. He just opened his mouth when the factory kicked him under the table twice, and that's when he stopped talking."
Her cousin's wife laughed so hard she almost fell over. Qin Xiaoyu gave her a mental thumbs up. This was the kind of person her cousin should be. She hadn't misjudged him; he was definitely a genuine person.
"And another thing, your brother told the factory manager that my family was struggling financially, supporting two students, and the factory manager agreed to let him bring some work back for me to do, so I could earn a wage at home."
"Congratulations, sister-in-law! Haha." Qin Xiaoyu was genuinely happy for her cousin-in-law, seeing her beaming face. After being cooped up at home for so long, she probably forgot what a salary was like.
"Isn't all this thanks to your help? Without you, we're nothing." The cousin's eyes reddened, and she took Qin Xiaoyu's hand and patted it hard twice.
"My second aunt has gone to great lengths for our family." Xiuqin looked up at Qin Xiaoyu, her eyes sparkling.
Qin Xiaoyu's efforts in her previous life were no less than those in this one, yet she received nothing in return and was even repaid with ingratitude. She hopes for a better outcome in this life. However, she genuinely loves this warm family atmosphere; she wishes everyone could be like that.
The door opened, and Grandma Hanhan peeked in.
"Auntie, come in and sit down!" My cousin's wife immediately got up to greet her and pulled her into the house.
"I saw the bicycle there, but no one was in that house. That was strange." Grandma Hanhan was showing more and more concern for her, which warmed Qin Xiaoyu's heart.
"Mom, it's so warm on this kang (heated brick bed), come and warm yourself up."
"Come and eat some peanuts." My cousin-in-law pushed Grandma Hanhan to sit on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed). Grandma Hanhan was usually full of resentment and didn't get along with anyone, so she was very lonely and didn't feel like she belonged to the group. Today, she suddenly seemed a little uncomfortable with these feelings and looked rather awkward sitting on the edge of the kang.
With her keen eye, she peeled a peanut and fed it to her grandmother.
"Look how clever this child is, I feel like I have no one to love me." The cousin-in-law was teasing Hanhan, but unexpectedly Xiuqin got up and came over to peel peanuts and feed them to her.
"I'll take care of my mom."
"This child..."
The cousin-in-law was taken aback. She had always been a little biased towards her two children, probably because Tang Long was a boy and the eldest grandson, so she gave him a higher regard. Xiuqin, on the other hand, was like a blade of grass that could survive anywhere and hadn't received much attention.
It was only after Qin Xiaoyu reminded her that she remembered to be nicer to her daughter. Unexpectedly, her daughter's words today made her feel both guilty and happy. It seems that the two of them should get along better in the future.
Xiuqin was also influenced by Qin Xiaoyu's advice. She was used to being independent and didn't know how to act coquettishly. Qin Xiaoyu said that girls who know how to act coquettishly have good lives, and told her to learn it. Unexpectedly, her mother actually fell for it.
"Is Wenxuan still at get off work?" Grandma Hanhan asked, trying to make conversation.
"I'll be working overtime from now on, I'm going to be busy from now on." My cousin's wife couldn't hide her smugness.
"The factory has work? That's good news." Grandma Hanhan nodded.
"The factory manager said that if the new products perform well after this period, he'll promote Tang Long's father to deputy workshop director." The cousin had instructed her not to say this without concrete evidence, but his wife couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Oh my, our family has never produced such a high-ranking official before, this is incredible!" Grandma Hanhan was so startled that she dropped the peanuts in her hand.
"Isn't that all thanks to your wife? Without her, he'd be nothing." The cousin-in-law looked at Qin Xiaoyu and found her pleasing to the eye no matter what.
"Her?" Grandma Hanhan didn't quite understand. She wanted to ask, but was afraid of seeming too obsequious to Qin Xiaoyu, so she swallowed her words.
"What are you all doing in this room?" The door slammed open, and the wind whipped in snow. The lady stood in the doorway.
"Oh dear, Mom! The snow is so slippery, what are you doing here?" Grandma Hanhan was startled and, together with her cousin-in-law, helped her mother-in-law in.
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