She knew some etiquette and didn't feel comfortable going empty-handed. However, she was short of money and couldn't afford a decent gift. She just picked up two envelopes and bought cakes at the grocery store at the entrance of the family compound. She had to shamelessly borrow the cake ticket from Su Hua.
The railway bureau's family compound is not big, and the family building where Cai Zhuhua lives is not far from the attic where Su Hua lives, just a five-minute walk away.
There are two types of houses in the Railway Bureau's staff housing estate. One is the Su family's original house, which was built in the late 1940s and is more than 20 years old. The other is the staff housing estate they live in now, which was built only a few months ago. Normally, it has five floors, but the attic on the top floor is not high enough, so it can only be considered half a floor.
Unlike Su Hua's family's narrow and low attic, Cai Zhuhua's family lives on the third floor, which is the best floor, and it has a good layout with three bedrooms and a living room.
Su Lin carried the cakes upstairs step by step. Her palms were so nervous and sweaty that they almost soaked the hemp rope used to tie the cakes.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Su Lin knocked on the door of the Cai family's house.
"Here I come."
Half a minute later, Cai Zhuhua's wife Zhang Qiuwen opened the door.
She didn't recognize Su Lin, looked her up and down suspiciously, and asked, "Little girl, who are you looking for?"
Su Lin smiled sweetly, hinting at a flattering tone. "Aunt Zhang, I'm Su Lin, and I'm here to see Uncle Cai."
"It's Linlin. When will you come back?" Zhang Qiuwen's attitude was neither cold nor enthusiastic.
Su Lin replied awkwardly, "Just got back yesterday afternoon."
Zhang Qiuwen said "Oh", stepped back, made room at the door, and said, "Come in."
Zhang Qiuwen had just mopped the floor in the room, and the water on the tiles had not yet completely dried. Su Lin's shoes were covered in dust from outside, and when she stepped on the water-stained but dry floor, each step left a gray footprint.
Su Lin stood there awkwardly, forcing a smile and asking, "Aunt Zhang, isn't Uncle Cai home?"
"Well, he's at work." Zhang Qiuwen asked, "What do you want to see him about?"
"Well, nothing much, I just came to thank Uncle Cai." Su Lin said, "Uncle Cai gave me a new life. If it weren't for his help, I might have wasted many more years in the northwest countryside, so I wanted to thank him in person."
"Then why don't you come? Tomorrow is a weekday and he has to go to work." Zhang Qiuwen smiled faintly, as if he had just noticed the dusty footprints under Su Lin's feet. "It's okay if your feet are dirty. Come in first, and I'll mop it again later."
"No, thanks."
Zhang Qiuwen's eyes were indifferent, but Su Lin felt ashamed when she was stared at by her quiet eyes.
She lowered her eyes, her fingers clenched subconsciously: "Aunt Zhang, since Uncle Cai is not at home, then I, then I will wait until he gets off work in the evening and come over."
"That's fine." Zhang Qiuwen nodded and said, "It's 7:30 in the evening. Your Uncle Cai usually listens to the radio after dinner, so he's free at this time."
Su Lin agreed: "Okay, Aunt Zhang, I will come on time."
"Well, let's go back."
Su Lin had just walked out of the door and hadn't turned around when she heard the sound of a door closing from behind.
She turned around, watched the door close behind her, pursed her lips, and walked downstairs without saying a word.
This time she was not very lucky. As soon as she came down from the Cai family building, she met the "intelligence team" in the hospital.
At eight or nine o'clock in the afternoon, everyone had eaten breakfast, went to work, and the naughty children went to school. The housewives had nothing to do so they gathered together and sat in the yard to chat.
Su Lin passed by the 'Intelligence Group' and was recognized immediately.
Someone said, "Su Lin? You are Su Lin, right?"
Su Lin was forced to stop and nodded politely: "Yes, Auntie, I am Su Lin."
"It's really Su Lin, I almost didn't recognize you."
"Su Lin, didn't you go to the countryside? Why are you back?" someone said bluntly. "It must be hard in the countryside. I see you've gotten tanned."
Su Lin stood there awkwardly, not knowing how to answer.
Cai Zhuhua used connections to get her back to Shanghai, and this was not a topic that could be brought up in public.
Fortunately, someone interrupted her in time and gave her a ladder to climb down.
"You're stupid! Su Lin isn't the Su family's biological child. She was stolen by Wang Chunqi. Why would she be sent to the countryside in place of the Su family's children under the Su family's quota? Wang Chunqi has been arrested, and the Su family's twins have also been sent to the countryside. Isn't it only natural for her to come back?"
"That's right. I heard that she was the only child in her family, and her father was a martyr. The country gave her preferential treatment under the policy, so she didn't have to go to the countryside."
"That's it."
Suddenly someone mentioned Pan Zhiyuan's mother: "Hey, Zhiyuan's mother, isn't your Zhiyuan dating Su Lin? Now that Su Lin has returned to the city, when are you planning to hold the wedding?"
Only then did Su Lin notice that Pan Zhiyuan's mother was also there.
She was a little embarrassed and a little panicked.
Pan Zhiyuan's mother has always looked down on her and never given her face in public. I wonder what bad things she will say about her in front of others this time.
"There's nothing wrong with it. My Zhiyuan and Sulin have nothing to do with each other. It's just rumors from outsiders." Pan Zhiyuan's mother flatly denied it. "Don't talk nonsense. It's damaging our Zhiyuan's reputation."
The man was a little unconvinced and turned to ask Su Lin: "Su Lin, are you and Zhiyuan really at odds?"
Pan Zhiyuan's mother glared at Su Lin secretly.
Su Lin didn't dare to confront Pan Zhiyuan's mother directly. She was still hoping to marry Pan Zhiyuan. If she angered his mother at this time, it would not do her any good to marry into the Pan family.
Su Lin didn't say anything, just smiled.
If you ask again, he will change the subject and say, "I just got back and haven't packed my things yet. I have to go now."
Su Lin was tactful and did not reveal that she was dealing with Pan Zhiyuan. Pan Zhiyuan's mother's expression also softened a little, and she did not say anything to belittle Su Lin. After she left, she found an excuse and slipped out of the "intelligence team".
"Su Lin, Su Lin, wait a minute."
Pan Zhiyuan's mother caught up with Su Lin downstairs of the family building.
Su Lin turned around and greeted her politely: "Auntie."
"Su Lin, I didn't expect you to actually come back." Pan Zhiyuan's mother said, "Looking at you now, I can see that your time in the countryside has not been easy. So, listen to me and honestly cut off all ties with my Zhiyuan. Don't get entangled with him anymore. Zhiyuan gave you money in the past, so forget it."
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