Chapter 82: Coming To The Door
Because of Jiaming’s help with the introduction, the meeting with the new person in charge at Sixth Factory this time went very smoothly, and the batch order task was settled.
Although the quota for the first transportation was far from meeting the requirements, it could at least be used to temporarily make do, and more could be added later when the blended fabric inventory caught up.
After everything was settled, she informed the Zhang Family and Xiao Qiao and others in the Little Red Building that Su Ning and Yan Bei and Jiaming would set off on their return journey the next day.
The more than five-day return trip had no further unexpected incidents, and the trio safely arrived in Gu City.
Following Jiaming’s suggestion, upon returning to the city, she did not rush to the factory to end her leave and go back to work, but instead asked Director Liang for three more days to rest well at home for a few days.
……
Although she hadn’t lived in the small courtyard at South Gate for long, it had already given her a sense of home in her heart.
Lying on the bamboo chair under the grapevine trellis, looking at the vines on the wall and the blue sky and white clouds in the distance, her body and mind were rarely relaxed.
Little Round Circle finally didn’t have to stay alone in Peach Blossom Spring Space and could come out to accompany its owner, frolicking freely in front of her.
“Woof woof woof~”
“Ning Bao Gai!”
“Hehe~ Hearing Little Round Circle call you, I knew you were here.”
Moving her hand away from her face, Su Ning smiled as she watched Luo Shuangshuang, who was trotting into the yard—her person not yet arrived but her voice coming first as always.
Today she was wearing a pink top and black pants, short-sleeved and long-legged, with two braids flung behind her, a few strands of hair scattered across her forehead and face from running.
Because of her teasing words, she put on a fierce expression to scare Little Round Circle, but the dog wasn’t afraid and barked at her even more vigorously instead.
Luo Shuangshuang helplessly spread her hands. “Maybe my charm is too great?”
“Alright, Little Round Circle, no matter how much you like me, for the sake of your little life, I won’t take you home!”
“Woof woof!”
“Hey, what expression is that? Ning Bao Gai, it’s been a few days since you saw the little dog, has it become a spirit?”
Seeing Little Round Circle human-like rolling its eyes at her fiercely, Luo Shuangshuang exclaimed in surprise.
“What nonsense are you saying? Forgot that after Jian Guo, no becoming spirits is allowed?”
“Hehehe~ Right oh.”
Sitting up, she poured her a cup of boiled water, knowing she didn’t like brown sugar water, so she didn’t add sugar.
Taking the enamel cup without any reservation, Luo Shuangshuang gulped down more than half of it, let out a water burp, her eyes sparkling as she looked at her, red lips curved up, just short of wearing her little thoughts openly on her face.
“Heh~ They’re on the table inside the room, all for you, go get them yourself.”
“Hahaha~”
Winking mischievously at her, Luo Shuangshuang excitedly put down the cup and darted into the main hall.
On the pear wood tea table were placed several exquisitely packaged gifts.
A tube-shaped orange-red lipstick, a sky-blue silk scarf embroidered with ink-green Xiangnan bamboo.
A box of chocolate, a bottle of pink perfume, and a high-end ladies’ watch similar in style to the one she was wearing on her hand.
Luo Shuangshuang hugged this pile of gifts, happily spinning in circles uncontrollably.
Three workers… oh, now four workers’ Luo Family was affluent, and she was the only daughter at home, so she naturally wasn’t unfamiliar with these rare good things.
But the meaning was different; this was a gift specially picked out for her by the first good friend she truly acknowledged in her heart!
“Ning Bao Gai, woo~ I like you so much!”
“So happy?”
“Of course~”
Grinning, she bounced out of the room, Luo Shuangshuang placed the gifts on the low table beside the recliner, chattering while fondling each one lovingly.
“Right, almost forgot!”
Patting her forehead, her fair forehead instantly turned red, showing how hard that instinctive pat was.
As if she didn’t feel the pain, Luo Shuangshuang leaned close to her side. “A couple days ago, after I got off work and watered the flowers and plants in your yard, when I locked the door and went home, I ran into a female comrade at the street who was looking for you.”
“She looked about our age, with an accent similar to yours. She said her name is He Yue and she’s your best friend?”
What best friend? She even claimed to be Ning Bao Gai’s best friend.
Would a best friend never have been mentioned by Ning Bao Gai? Would a best friend not even know the specific address?
Pouting, Luo Shuangshuang, instantly displeased in her heart, glanced at her with the look of a heartless cad. “But I didn’t tell her where you live~”
That type with obvious ulterior motives, eyes darting around, was exactly like those ‘friends’ around her who flattered to her face but stabbed in the back.
“He Yue?”
How did she come to Xiangnan Gu City?
Could it be…
A chill rose in her eyes, Su Ning lowered her gaze, her fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the rocking chair armrest.
Based on the score estimate she gave her back then, He Yue was still far short of continuing to university.
With the He Family’s severe preference for boys over girls, at most they’d find her a job to boost her value and quickly marry her off to someone decent, then demand double or triple repayment later.
With such a large bride price and the opportunity to benefit He Yue, how could they possibly let her run so far away out of control.
“How did she find her way here?”
“From what she said, she seemed to have found the textile factory first. As for how she found the textile factory, I don’t know. Why? Is she really a good friend?”
“Who hasn’t misjudged once or twice in their youth.”
“Pfft~”
Amused by her words into bending over laughing, Luo Shuangshuang wiped the corner of her eye. “I hadn’t even probed sideways, and she proudly told me directly that she came here to study at Xiangnan University.”
“With that intelligence, she probably bought her spot from somewhere?”
Her fingertips pausing slightly, Su Ning looked at her and nodded seriously. “Very possible.”
Xiangnan University, though not as prestigious as those two, was still a well-known university nationwide.
It was still far from the start of school registration time, and Xiangnan University was in Star City, not Gu City. What was He Yue doing looking for her at this time?
Luo Shuangshuang picked up the palm-sized perfume bottle again and sniffed it lightly under her nose. “From her demeanor, she probably won’t give up easily without finding you.”
“Ning Bao Gai, how about I help you…”
Grasping her clenched fist signaling intent, Su Ning said amusedly, “With this? To tickle someone?”
“Hey, you think I’m stupid? As long as I let out a hint, I won’t even need to do it myself—plenty of people would be willing to help.”
“Alright alright, not unworthy of you.”
“Of course~”
The two exchanged a glance and burst into brilliant laughter.
The large bamboo chair could easily fit both of them lying down.
Luo Shuangshuang didn’t mind the heat and squeezed onto the chair to lie side by side with her, the bamboo chair creaking and shaking.
“By the way, Ning Bao Gai, why didn’t you choose to go to university?”
“And you, why not?”
She didn’t because she had glimpsed the future, knowing universities would suspend classes soon. To learn medicine, completing studies in one or two years ahead of time was something even she felt was unlikely.
Better than wasting that time and energy on half-baked learning, than the current situation.
“I really hate that group of people. It’s so much better now—starting work early, earning my own money, spending it myself, no need to associate falsely with them, free and refreshing!”
Luo Shuangshuang half-lay on her shoulder, looking at her long, curly, thick eyelashes trembling lightly, her hand feeling a bit itchy.
“Hey, Ning Bao Gai, let’s not talk about them. Come with me to my maternal grandmother’s home tomorrow, okay~”
“To your maternal grandmother’s home?”
“Yeah, you still have two days of leave, and I’m off tomorrow too. With this damn weather getting hotter, going to the countryside is not only fun but also a way to escape the heat and relax. How about it?”
“Where…”
“Knock knock knock~”
Standing up simultaneously, Su Ning waved at Xi You who was about to go open the door. “Xi You, I’ll go.”
What was meant to come would come, and besides, even if it really was He Yue at the door, did she need to hide?
“I’ll go with you.”
The two and one dog arrived one after the other behind the gate.
Hearing the door knock again, she opened it without warning, nimbly sidestepping to avoid the person who nearly tumbled headfirst in.
“Gah~”
Startled into nearly falling flat on her face, He Yue pouted unhappily. “Ning Ning, you… how are you here?”
“Hi, Comrade He, we meet again. Forgot to introduce, I’m Ning Bao Gai’s best friend Luo Shuangshuang.”
Emphasizing “best friend,” seeing the other person’s face change suddenly, Luo Shuangshuang smiled even more brightly.
“Since you’re also Ning Ning’s friend, then we’re friends too. So why didn’t you tell me last time that Ning Ning lives right here!”
“Why should I tell you? And who’s friends with you.”
“You!”
