NOVPUB
Chapter 461: Chapter 451: Awkward in Speech
"This is the place," Liu Jia found the door to the unit and pointed it out to her brother.
"Let’s hurry up then," Shuanzi said, feeling some fear towards the dark building. Although he said they should go up, he grasped his sister’s hand and didn’t dare to rush out first.
When it comes to the unknown, people inherently feel fear.
"Hold on. Let’s wait for our parents to get here," the sisters had run ahead and arrived before Li Xianglian and her husband.
"Hmph, country bumpkins," Aunt Sun muttered as she returned from grocery shopping and saw a group of kids dressed in raggedy clothes, carrying big and small bags—obviously rural folks who had come to the city to seek help from relatives. She passed by the children, snorting disdainfully through her nose to show her contempt.
The children all heard her comment, "Does she have a problem or what? We don’t even know her," Shuanzi felt baffled. He didn’t know this old woman, so why would she insult them?
It wasn’t until the old woman had entered the building that Li Jia spoke up, "That old lady is a neighbor of our second uncle’s, very fond of taking small advantages."
"Really? How come these city folks are just like us rural people?" Shuanzi felt somewhat disheartened.
"Silly boy, people are the same everywhere." Liu Jianjun and his wife had just walked over and heard the last part of the girls’ conversation. "Come on, let’s not stand around the entrance or else we’ll keep getting called country bumpkins," he said with a self-deprecating chuckle.
"Hmph, the character of these city folks isn’t all that great, not as good as mine even," Shuanzi said, a bit disgruntled.
"You’re being silly, comparing yourself to that kind of person," Shitou chided his brother, who occasionally had a hot temper.
The group ascended to the third floor, where Liu Jia pointed across the corridor and whispered, "That old lady lives there, and this is our second uncle’s place," pointing to the door in front of them.
"So close," Shitou scratched his head. Life wouldn’t be easy for their second uncle’s family living so close to such a neighbor. "Since our second uncle is hardly ever home, can our second uncle’s wife stand up to that old lady?" He was certain that they must experience hardship and grievances, judging from his own experience.
"Shh, keep your voice down. That old lady is definitely eavesdropping behind her door right now," Liu Jia motioned with her fingers.
The two boys immediately clammed up, as their mother had warned them before arriving: they were not to cause any trouble for their second uncle’s wife.
"Alright, go ahead and knock," Liu Jianjun finally said.
Li Jia obediently knocked on the door, and then the whole family stood quietly, listening for any sounds from inside.
Soon they heard footsteps approaching the door, and yes, they also heard a dog barking.
"It’s Taxue," the little girl cracked a smile.
Both boys looked at their sister with questioning faces.
"It’s our second uncle’s dog, named Taxue. It’s really nice," Li Jia really liked Taxue.
At that moment, the door was opened from the inside.
Shen Yunfang was momentarily taken aback upon seeing the people outside, then her face broke into a smile, "Big sister, how did you get here so quickly? I was thinking you’d arrive in a couple of days. I was even planning to pick you up at the train station. I didn’t expect you to be here already. Come in, come in."
"Second Aunt," Jiajia called out warmly.
"Hey, Jiajia, you’ve gotten prettier again! Hurry and come in so your Aunt Yunfang can have a good look at you," Shen Yunfang warmly ushered everyone inside. She took the children’s hands, examining each of them with attention.
The three children from Sister Li’s family weren’t particularly attractive, but at first glance, they gave off an impression of being decent, genuine, and endearing.
Shen Yunfang had everyone sit down and immediately started busying herself washing apples and handing out candies.
"Yunfang, don’t fuss over it, they won’t eat any," Li Xianglian called out from the direction of the kitchen.
Shen Yunfang came out with a plate of fruit, "Why wouldn’t they eat? When you’re at Aunt Yunfang’s place, don’t be shy. If you should eat, you eat. Here’s one for each of you, and you must finish it." Fearing the children wouldn’t dare to help themselves because of their parents’ instructions, she simply put an apple into each of their hands.
Shuanzi held the apple uncertainly, unsure of what to do. He had seen apples in books, but he had never actually held one like this.
"It’s from your Aunt, so eat it," said Liu Jianjun as an apple was passed around awkwardly, everyone seeming reluctant.
"Yunfang, we didn’t bring anything fancy, just some peanuts and stuff, so don’t look down on it," Liu Jianjun said, a bit embarrassed.
"Brother-in-law, you brought peanuts for me? That’s wonderful! You have no idea how hard it is to get these here, I haven’t had them in such a long time," Shen Yunfang expressed her delight.
"Heh, it’s nothing expensive. In the future, I’ll have your sister send some over every now and then to make sure you have plenty," Liu Jianjun said with a smile.
After some small talk among the adults, Li Xianglian got straight to the point.
"Yunfang, what work do you need us to do for you? Don’t worry, your brother-in-law and I are strong, and these kids can work too. Just tell us what to do, we can start early and finish early, so we can head back home sooner." Li Xianglian meant that the longer her family stayed with her younger brother and sister-in-law, the more they would inconvenience them. She hoped to quickly help out with the work, finish early, and leave, causing less trouble for her siblings.
"What are you saying, you’re turning a good thing into something bad. Yunfang, don’t get me wrong, we just don’t want to trouble you by staying and eating here, so we want to finish the work quickly and get home so you’re not burdened with looking after us," Liu Jianjun chimed in to explain for his wife.
"Brother-in-law, no need to say more, I understand. Do I not know my own sister? If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have asked you over," Shen Yunfang spoke truthfully.
"However, it’s not yet time for you all to start working. Just settle in comfortably; I’ve got everything planned out," and with that, Shen Yunfang shared her plans with them.
When Li Xianghe heard she was to sell things, she shook her head like a rattle, "No, Yunfang, I really can’t do that. I’m just not articulate; hard labor, sure, but speaking and selling, I really can’t do."
"Sister, don’t be nervous, it’s not as hard as you think. You won’t need to hawk anything; just help me watch over some items, that’s all," Shen Yunfang quickly reassured her, knowing this wasn’t something instinctive, but could be learned over time.
Liu Jianjun had a different concern from his wife, "Yunfang, won’t this get us into trouble with the law? We can’t just openly do business like this; the government won’t allow it." He had seen too many people punished for speculating and wondered if his sister-in-law was safe doing this.
"Brother-in-law, don’t worry about that. You might not be aware of this back home," and Shen Yunfang then explained the new state policies and the changes occurring around the streets and alleys of the Capital.
"Hongjun’s comrade is the director of the local residents’ committee here, and his wife is the local police officer in this area. They are both involved in this business, so we don’t need to worry about safety."
With national policies supporting and acquaintances locally, safety seemed assured.
Having heard this, Liu Jianjun felt relieved. As long as they weren’t getting arrested, nothing else scared him. It was just about putting yourself out there, and he could do that with his eyes closed.
Shen Yunfang then outlined the arrangements for their family for the next month.
Li Xianglian and her husband were thrilled to hear they would have their own space in a siheyuan; having a private area meant they could be more at ease.
