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Chapter 125: Chapter 125: Nian Nian, What Happened to You?
Upon returning to their room and turning on the fan, Tong Yao felt as comfortable as if she had just walked into an air-conditioned room. The local gossip-monger, Number Six Mozzie, flew in from outside, buzzing about the latest scandals he’d heard. Firstly, he talked about Chen Yanmei’s family issues, before swiftly shifting onto Li Nuanchun.
[At midnight, Li Nuanchun and Liu Gensheng were spotted kissing in the men’s restroom. The two stayed there for over half an hour before emerging, then went together to the male shower room.]
One would almost choke on their own saliva upon hearing this information. Li Nuanchun, having a secret rendezvous with Liu Gensheng in the middle of the night, the audacity to even take a romantic bath together. What a bold bitch, huh?
"Aren’t they afraid of being discovered?"
[Liu Gensheng put two big iron basins on the stairs.]
Tong Yao: This preventive measure isn’t bad. The stairs are not lit at night, it’s pitch black. No one would expect anyone to leave iron basins on the stairs, any inadvertent kick would make a big noise. When Li Nuanchun hears the noise, she could slip into the female shower room without anyone knowing.
Having nothing to do that afternoon, Tong Yao read a book for a while then took a nap, sleeping right through till four in the afternoon when Si Xiaohui came over to wake her. Sitting on the bed, Xiaohui vented her frustrations.
"Sister-in-law, you have no idea what a success He Fang’s business is now. When I came over, she hadn’t even closed her stall yet, and there were students queuing up for her milk tea all the way to the school gate. I’m sure He Fang’s smug as hell right now. They say the wicked will be punished. When will He Fang finally have hers? I can’t wait any longer."
Just the thought of He Fang’s joyful countenance as she collected money got Xiaohui all worked up. All that money should rightfully be theirs. Instead, it had all gone into He Fang’s pocket.
Tong Yao stretched lazily, got off the bed, and said, "Stay cool. He Fang won’t be gloating much longer. I’ve already rented the shop outside the school. Tomorrow, I’ll call Boyi and ask him to come over and supervise the renovation works. Once the shop is ready, I’ll buy a big fridge. We’ll sell cold drinks. He Fang can’t afford a fridge, so she won’t be able to compete with our business."
Even if He Fang could get a fridge, she would never be able to replicate their workmanship.
"You’ve rented a shop?" Xiaohui asked, surprised and elated. "Why didn’t I hear you say you were going to rent a shop before?"
"I wasn’t certain I’d be able to rent it before, which is why I didn’t mention it." Walking over to the mirror, Tong Yao re-tied her hair. "Once Boyi arrives, I’ll take you guys to buy some kitchenware. From then on, you two will be cooking and eating over there. It’s too inconvenient to come here every day. And this place is too small; it can’t fit so many people."
This place is a single room. It was okay for Xiaohui, a girl, to come around. But it indeed would feel a bit crowded once Boyi also came around.
What’s more, having a grown man around her and Si Chen’s room wasn’t very suitable.
"Whatever you say goes, sis. I’ll do as you say." Xiaohui was so happy she was practically flying. Street vending and running a shop were totally different, they were on entirely different levels. Once they had a shop, then she could truly be called a boss. It made her truly feel like a member of the royal family.
Not only would they no longer have to endure the sun in the shop, they would also gain newfound respect when returning to the village.
Those villagers that once looked down on them, wouldn’t be able to reach out for them in the future.
Feeling elated, Xiaohui couldn’t help but keep bouncing around. She took a broom and swept the already clean floor again. She also rushed to prepare dinner, and by the time Si Chen returned, the food was already set on the table. While her cooking skills weren’t as good as Si Chen, it was still passable. After dinner, she was quick to clean the table.
Walking back to her rental apartment, she continuously sung praises of Tong Yao in front of Si Chen. 𝓷ℴ𝓋𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝒸𝓸𝓶
"Brother, now I finally understand why you and mom are so good to my sister-in-law. I was foolish before, always wanting to compete with her over everything. But I won’t be capricious and headstrong like that anymore. She’s a great person. Marrying into our rural family as someone from the city, we really should treat her better. Otherwise, she would feel so pitiful without any friends or relatives nearby."
"What made you realise that all of a sudden?" Si Chen really didn’t take Xiaohui’s words to heart. He had seen Xiaohui grow up and knew exactly what kind of person she was: impulsive, fickle, easily influenced by others, and quick to quarrel over the most trivial matters.
In contrast, Tong Yao’s character was much more stable than Xiaohui’s. Even though they were around the same age, Tong Yao was more decisive. Apart from occasionally acting a little childish around him, she always had measure in her heart. She would never let herself be swayed impulsively, like a headless fly, unsure of her direction.
Thinking of the words she once used to belittle Tong Yao, Xiaohui awkwardly forced out a chuckle, "Well, the foundation of our family’s wealth is in sister-in-law’s hands. I used to think she was useless, always reading and never helping out with housework. Now, I realise that her clever mind which is capable of making money is so much more useful than doing housework."
As long as you have money, you could hire a few nannies to do the housework. Only if you don’t have money, then you have to do everything by hands.
"Remember to listen to her more after you’ve come to your senses." Thinking of Tong Yao’s cheerful face during the day, Si Chen’s lips unconsciously curled into a smile. When Tong Yao was sitting on the front bar of the bike, her soft and fluffy hair was rubbing against his chin and chest. It tickled, making him want to scratch and touch her hair.
"Brother, don’t you worry! I promise to behave." By then, the two of them had reached the rental apartment. "Brother, you should go back now! I’ll go inside."
"Make sure to close the doors and windows at night." After watching Xiaohui close the door, Si Chen finally turned to leave.
As usual, it wasn’t until eight o’clock in the evening, when most people had finished bathing, that Tong Yao took her change of clothes downstairs for a wash. Just as she reached the entrance of the bathing area, she bumped into Qian Niannian, who was holding a pile of dirty clothes and heading out after her shower. The two did not bother to even greet each other, simply brushing past one another.
Tong Yao left her change of clothes in the outer room, then went into the inner room to shower. The bathing area was empty and dimly lit, its silence slightly unnerving. Tong Yao shivered, hastening to turn on the shower.
Meanwhile, Qian Niannian, who had reached the stairway, suddenly stood still, as if thinking about something. After hesitating for a moment, she secretly glanced left and right to make sure no one was around, then stealthily returned to the bathing area. Seeing the clothes Tong Yao had left behind, she bit her lip, picked them up, and threw them into the trash bin outdoors.
Having done all she set out to do, Qian Niannian hastily headed back to her dormitory. Her hands, for some reason, were shaking uncontrollably, possibly due to exhilaration or intense/nervous excitement.
"What’s wrong with you, Niannian?" Guo Nan noticed Qian Niannian’s odd demeanor and approached her with concern.
"Why would anything be wrong with me? Why are you asking?" Qian Niannian seemed a bit guilty, avoiding Guo Nan’s gaze.
"No reason, just curious." Guo Nan didn’t give it much thought despite finding Qian Niannian’s recent behavior rather odd.
