Chapter 38: Confirmed
No matter how fierce the words sounded, Zhang Ze was actually worried deep down that his brother’s straightforward temperament would lead to him being ostracized there, but fortunately it was grassroots level, and the work that the commune Eight Great Officers needed to handle was his strong suit.
As long as he worked hard and did a good job, he could gain the support of the production team members; he knew his own brother well, and there was absolutely no problem with that.
Meanwhile, Zhang Ze busied himself with the tasks at hand while carefully explaining the things to watch out for to Mao Jinqian.
Several streets away at the City Z courtyard, the Luo Family couple had already prepared a large table of dishes.
Braised fish, stir-fried shredded vegetables, stewed pig trotters with soybeans, vegetables and tofu soup, scrambled eggs with tomatoes.
The dishes were full of color, aroma, and flavor, paired with dry rice made from pure rice, which made one’s appetite surge just looking at it.
Sitting around the dining table, the Luo Family couple enthusiastically urged the two girls to eat, especially Su Ning, fearing she would be polite and reserved, not eating well or enough.
“Where is Xiao Ning from?”
“From Beijing City.”
“Then coming to Xiangnan is to study?”
Smiling and shaking her head, Su Ning swallowed the food in her mouth and was just about to answer when Luo Shuangshuang beside her started chattering and told everything for her.
When the couple heard that she had not chosen to continue university but instead came to her maternal grandfather’s hometown to live, with her job already settled and entry procedures done, just waiting to start work on Monday, a sense of regret for being a step too late surged in their hearts.
Thinking that the two girls working together would allow them to take care of each other and repay kindness in one perfect stroke was probably not going to happen.
Luo Fussen smiled and patted his daughter’s flailing hand on his left, “Xiao Ning, if you encounter any difficulties in Gu City in the future, remember to come find us. Uncle Luo may not be able to guarantee fixing everything for you, but he absolutely won’t let you be bullied!”
This was undoubtedly a weighty promise, and everyone present could understand the meaning between the lines.
Her foot under the table was bumped by someone; Su Ning met that face winking and urging her to say something, and she naturally set down her chopsticks and raised a smile.
“I actually do have something that needs Uncle Luo’s help.”
“Oh?”
Luo Fussen and his wife exchanged a glance, their faces calm but a hint of depth appearing in their eyes, “Xiao Ning, tell us, what is it?”
But when they heard her finish, their expressions were somewhat surprised and amused: this girl was using the promise from the city’s top official’s family for such a small matter?
Polite and discerning, composed in handling things with perfect propriety.
By the end of the meal, the couple’s impression of her had grown even better, and they began treating her truly like their own junior.
……
South Gate First Street, Su Family Courtyard.
Dripping with sweat, Zhang Ze and the other simply took off their T-shirts, bare-chested as they busied themselves, finally getting the courtyard tidied up almost completely.
When the family was brought over later, they just needed to buy some furniture and daily necessities.
“Brother Zhang, Brother Mao!”
“Hey, Ning Ning is here? We’re in the courtyard…”
They were happily standing in the front yard inspecting the results of their labor when a sudden call came from the gate; Zhang Ze kicked out without thinking, interrupting the naive reply.
“Clothes!”
“Oh oh oh, right right, quick!”
Mao Jinqian was kicked squarely, and before he could voice a question, he heard the reminder and then remembered that the two of them were half-naked and bare-chested right now.
Fortunately, T-shirts were easy to put on; he slipped it on at top speed, just managing to finish before she stepped in.
Unaware of how their hearts were pounding from the tension of this episode, Su Ning carried two large lunchboxes leisurely into the courtyard,
“All done?”
She looked around; the places on the roof with collapsed or broken tiles from last time had all been replaced, inside and outside the rooms had been freshly coated with putty, and in the courtyard not only were the weeds cleared but a small stone path had been filled, leveled, and laid as well.
This speed was top-notch!
She couldn’t help giving a thumbs-up in praise, “You must be exhausted; I brought meal, you two big brothers eat it while it’s hot!”
“Hehehe, Ning Ning is so thoughtful; I’m just hungry!”
“When are you not hungry?”
Chuckling and scolding, Zhang Ze took the lunchbox from her hand, and upon feeling its weight, he couldn’t help raising an eyebrow, “Looks like Ning Ning brought quite a lot of good food~”
“Of course, heavy labor requires good food; Ning Ning is feeling sorry for us!”
The two didn’t stand on ceremony; amid the joking, they each grabbed one, squatted on the ground, and eagerly opened the lunchboxes.
Heaping braised pork, with fragrant soup juice coating plump white rice, emitting an enticing sheen that made one’s mouth water just looking at it.
“The state-run restaurant is serving braised pork today? Ning Ning’s luck is too good!”
“Mmm, so fragrant! So delicious!”
Standing to the side, Su Ning smiled without speaking, inwardly pondering: how to bring up what happened in the afternoon.
At the time, she hadn’t thought too much, just felt she couldn’t let that guai zi take Luo Shuangshuang away, without considering any danger.
It was indeed a good deed, but if it reached Grandpa Fu’s ears, the old master would probably nag her for several rounds again.
Sure enough, after hearing the whole story, Zhang Ze and Mao Jinqian both looked serious and said she shouldn’t have gone alone, though they both chose to avoid mentioning not telling Old Fu about it.
These two brothers wouldn’t say it, so couldn’t she find someone with weight to give them a tight incantation?
“Ahem, since Brother Zhang the job matter is settled, you and Brother Mao can start heading back to Beijing City.”
“Alright, Forward and I will discuss it, see who goes back first to pick up the family.”
“Since the police officer said the accomplices are caught, there’s no need to worry about revenge. Besides, I’ll start work at the factory the day after tomorrow. My opinion is you two go together; it’s better to have company and take care of each other for both families.”
After thinking, Su Ning still made this proposal; as Zhang Ze and the other were about to say something, she waved her hand and continued, “Your jobs also need to be settled and entry started quickly.”
The greetings were all made, just waiting for the old master’s mailed work quota connection proof, which should be on the way now.
Although this cross-region assignment had a relatively loose deadline, they still needed to hurry; of course, it was best to handle family matters first and enter the job quickly.
The reasoning was sound, so Zhang Ze and the other could only nod in agreement, deciding on the spot to go early and return early, move her home and set off immediately.
Just in time, if they were fast, they could catch the last route bus to Star City.
All three were people who acted immediately without dragging their feet; once decided, they moved swiftly.
They checked out of the guesthouse and moved all the luggage stored there at once into Su Ning’s small courtyard.
They also helped her install the new lock she bought, repeatedly reminding her of safety precautions, before Zhang Ze and Mao Jinqian left in a hurry for the station, half their hearts uneasy.
……
Watching them until their figures were out of sight, Su Ning turned back and closed the gate securely.
The overcast sky made the courtyard seem even more desolate and dim.
She groped for the rope to turn on the light under the eaves of the courtyard house; the lit dim yellow light immediately dispelled some of the faint fear in her heart.
“Time to get used to living alone.”
Pinching her cheek, Su Ning perked up and began carefully inspecting her new home.
In the middle was the living room, connected left and right to two main house rooms, each similarly twenty or thirty square meters, with perfectly square room shapes.
Simple furniture was already placed in the rooms: beds, wardrobes, and tables all wiped clean.
She opened the luggage brought from Beijing City for cover, and placed all the things one by one.
On the bedroom bed, she laid a set of plain small floral four-piece bedding; finding the bed board too hard, she took out two cotton quilts from the space to pad it until it was soft enough, then nodded in satisfaction.
She hung matching curtains and tablecloth, and finally placed a few pots of small orchids with flower buds.
After meticulously arranging all the rooms to her liking this way, Su Ning didn’t feel tired at all; instead, she got more and more enthusiastic.
Crafting her own little nest by hand, with everything pleasing to the eye, felt truly wonderful!
“Tomorrow, plant three or two fruit trees in the courtyard, and a row of climbing Chinese trumpet vines and climbing roses along the wall corner, and it’ll be complete.”
Clapping her hands, closing the small wooden door of the cabinet, thinking of the wall of flowers soon to bloom in the courtyard, her mouth corners couldn’t help curving up high.
Surveying the finally tidied kitchen, bowls and plates, chopsticks and spoons, pots, spatulas, knives, and other kitchenware were all properly placed; seasonings, grains, vegetables were also taken out in appropriate amounts and set out openly.
Only missing coal briquettes and firewood; nothing else was overlooked.
“Right!”
As if recalling her previous guess about the space, Su Ning quickly flashed into Peach Blossom Spring.
