Chapter 465: The Neighbor from the Big City

The New Year arrived in a blink, and every household in the community began making paste and pasting couplets. Firecrackers constantly went off, and after a burst of white smoke, the scent of sulfur dioxide gradually filled the air.

Many in this community aren’t versed in chemistry. They don’t even know the molecular formula of sulfur dioxide, but for them, this might just be the pure essence of the New Year.

At this time, the online New Year goods festival had already concluded. Just at the Shanghai branch alone, transaction volumes had surpassed fifty million, a height never achieved by Lashou and Nuomi.

Therefore, employees from various branches and the headquarters received generous bonuses and joyfully went home for the New Year.

Jiang Qin specifically used the internal management system to convey his New Year’s greetings to everyone and issued a vision letter titled “Continuing the Past and Opening the Future,” hoping everyone would aim higher and stronger next year.

“Jiang Qin, are you done yet? Come out and help your dad with the Spring Festival couplets!”

“Got it!”

“Remember to change out of that old jacket. Nan Shu bought you a new one that you can only wear starting from the first day of the New Year!”

“But I’m holding billions, you know? I just led nearly two thousand employees to look to the future. Don’t rich bosses always prefer novelty to the old?”

Jiang Qin grumbled but still dug out an old jacket he wore in high school from a trunk and put it on, then pulled open the door and walked out.

At this time, Yuan Youqin was sitting in the living room, watching TV while rolling out dumpling wrappers, and Feng Nanshu was responsible for wrapping them, her small hands nimble beyond belief.

Ever since a little rich girl joined the family, Mrs. Yuan no longer complained about the hassle of wrapping dumplings and even sometimes seemed to enjoy it so much that she wanted to keep going.

And Feng Nanshu also loved wrapping dumplings with her, practically unable to stop.

The two of them worked together seamlessly, even finding time to chat about the plot of some TV dramas, making it hard for anyone to believe they weren’t actually mother and daughter.

Jiang Qin stood at the doorway of the maid’s room, watching the mother and daughter with a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth, chuckling inwardly at something.

At that moment, Jiang Zhenghong passed him a bucket of paste: “Hold this. Let’s go paste up ‘Meeting Happiness Outdoors’ and ‘Spring Garden’s Full Brightness’.”

“Since when do we have a garden?”

“Doesn’t matter; we have to paste. We’ll do it by the door. It’s all part of the set, can’t miss any piece.”

Holding the bucket of paste, Jiang Qin noticed the little rich girl was watching him, so he flashed a fierce grimace.

Feng Nanshu pulled a face and looked at Yuan Youqin: “Auntie, Jiang Qin is scaring me.”

“Jiang Qin, are you bloated from not eating enough?” Yuan Youqin playfully waved a rolling pin.

Jiang Qin thought to himself, oh no, this little temptress knows Mom’s got her back. Her telling on me is getting smoother by the day. Stinky sister, bullying me because I’m the youngest in the family?

He suppressed a smile, carried the paste bucket out the door, then waited downstairs for his perennially late dad, chatting with his uncle who lived upstairs about global situations as they walked down, then began pasting the Spring Festival couplets.

“The European and American debt crisis is impacting the whole globe now.”

“Exactly. Heard the U.S. dollar rate continues to plummet; the economy won’t recover anytime soon.”

“At least Iraq’s counter-terrorism efforts have ended…”

“But the Israeli-Palestinian conflict’s still ongoing.”

Listening to the two of them, Jiang Qin couldn’t help but sigh, “Dad, you’ve pasted ‘Spring Garden’s Full Brightness’ upside down.”

Jiang Zhenghong was stunned for a moment: “You brat, why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“I was afraid interrupting you might stir up international turmoil, causing the dollar to devalue further, hence provoking the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and intensifying Iraq’s chaos.”

“…”

As they were speaking, two women suddenly walked past the entrance to their building. The older, probably in her forties, had a mature vibe, wearing a fur coat, her face heavily made up, and a string of pearls around her neck, exuding an aura of a wealthy woman.

The younger woman, around twenty, had three piercings in her right ear, wore a diagonal skirt with black stockings, looking very trendy, even sporting earphones around her neck, totally giving off young, hip vibes.

Jiang Zhenghong glanced at the mature woman and did a double take, “Yo, is that Qiao Yun? Back for the New Year, huh?”

“Hmm.”

The elegant lady nodded slightly, her demeanor rather aloof, giving off an air of indifference, then she walked up the stairs.

The uncle watched them disappear into the stairwell, puzzled: “Hong, which Qiao Yun is that? How come I don’t know her?”

“It’s Ding Qiao Yun from the Ding family. She married off to Yuecheng in her twenties. You were quite young then; probably don’t remember. I heard she had turned into a wealthy wife and hasn’t been back for a long time.”

“She got divorced, I heard it from Xiao Peng. She’s been sent back here.”

Wearing a military coat, the Third Uncle came over and joined the conversation, and the topic naturally shifted from global issues to neighborhood gossip.

Jiang Qin, wrapped in his cotton-padded jacket, stood there for ten minutes and realized they were only getting started, quite bemused, thinking: Men gossiping can really give women a run for their money. I’d rather go home and watch the little rich girl wrap dumplings.

“Dad, I’m heading back. Try to chat less, don’t cause any international upheaval. We still have floor mopping waiting for you at home!”

The uncle suddenly showed a surprised expression: “Hong, you still mop floors at home? That’s news.”

Jiang Zhenghong’s face darkened: “Don’t listen to him, I never mop the floor at home.”

“Same here. The women handle the housework. We men work hard all year long; can’t we relax a bit during New Year?”

Listening to the three old men boast was hilarious to Jiang Qin, who then jogged upstairs.

They lived on the fifth floor. As he passed the third floor, he saw the “wealthy woman” he had just seen entering the building coming out of an apartment, carrying a bunch of cardboard and some old small appliances.

Jiang Qin was about to walk past when the “wealthy woman” suddenly spoke up.

“Kid, do you want these cardboards? You can sell them for money.”

“?”

Jiang Qin turned back and took a quick mental note of her character.

A woman with poor emotional intelligence, divorced and sent back to her hometown, starting to clean up the old house to reluctantly celebrate the New Year, but the house is filled with junk nobody wants, she’s too lazy to go downstairs, thinking the hometown is full of poor folks who like picking up cardboard as treasures, surely she could help her dispose of them.

Wow, this person is pretty interesting, almost like a living Buddha.

“Ah ba ah ba ah ba…”

Jiang Qin gestured at his ear then waved his hand dismissively and pocketed his hands before walking back home.

Mute? Ding Qiao Yun was speechless, feeling unlucky to encounter such during the New Year, then she just piled up the cardboard in the hallway and turned to head back inside to sort more things.

By then, Yuan Youqin already started boiling the dumplings, making the first meal of the morning.

Meanwhile, Feng Nanshu continued wrapping dumplings and watching Dongfang TV’s New Year show “Summer Home Three Sisters,” showing an appearance of being smart and eager to learn.

“What drama is this? You seem so engrossed,” Jiang Qin said as he dabbed a bit of flour and smeared it on her pretty face.

Feng Nanshu wiped her face with the back of her hand then looked up at him: “Summer Home Three Sisters, it’s about the story of three pairs of good friends.”

“What? These good friends are kissing?”

“That’s what good friends do.”

“?”

Jiang Qin was dumbfounded for a while and couldn’t find any words to argue because he had reached the end of his road, facing only a dead end.

Just then, his phone in his pocket rang. It was a courier text notifying him of a half-day off at noon and that there were packages waiting to be picked up.

He stood up, flicked the TV to “Journey to the West” for the little rich girl, and pocketed his car keys before heading downstairs.

The packages being mailed came from all over the country—Shanghai, Shanghai, Kyoto, and various second and third-tier cities involved in the business area, containing local specialties sent as a token of appreciation from the branches.

Jiang Qin drove back to the community with these items, parking his car just as he saw the “wealthy woman” named Qiao Yun coming downstairs, carrying a bunch of cardboard to throw away.

Noticing a newly arrived Audi A6 in the community, the “wealthy woman” couldn’t help but look surprised, then stared for a long while, seemingly curious about whose car it was.

Jiang Qin didn’t hesitate, got out of the car, and walked past her without making eye contact, hands stuffed in his pockets.

He decided to leave the items in the car; they wouldn’t spoil in the cold. After lunch, he planned to call Guo Zihan and Yang Shuan to play a game of moving boxes.

At that moment, the “wealthy woman” stood by the trash can, watching Jiang Qin go upstairs, her mind a bit foggy.

“Kid, do you want these cardboards? You can sell them for money.”

She recalled her earlier words, sinking into silence, then coughed, feeling a bit embarrassed.

So he drives an Audi. Such a person would hardly want her old boxes.

By midday, every household in Hongrong Homes began boiling dumplings, along with stewing mutton and pork, the entire community filled with delicious aromas.

At that moment, a commotion suddenly erupted between the third and fifth floors of Building 1, Unit 7.

“Mom, I’m not going. If you want to go, you go yourself!”

“Cao Ran, don’t you throw a tantrum. Did you see that kid just now? He drove back in an Audi. It’s not easy to afford an Audi in Jizhou!”

The fashionably dressed young girl showed a hint of annoyance: “What does whether he can afford an Audi have to do with me?”

Ding Qiao Yun removed the earphones from her daughter’s neck: “Your father, that bastard, transferred all the marital assets. I don’t have a job, how am I supposed to support you?”

“Find a job then.”

“You think jobs are that easy to find? What can I do without any skills? I refuse to work in a factory. Let’s find someone well-connected; maybe we’ll stumble upon an opportunity.”

Cao Ran turned her head away, annoyed: “What kind of place is this anyway? Everyone’s so backward. Look at that boy’s down jacket—it’s a style from three years ago, right?”

Ding Qiao Yun took a deep breath: “I know, our Ran’er is a big city princess, despising villagers. But for the sake of our future, please don’t be petulant. Let’s just go and sit there, get to know them.”

“Then give me five hundred yuan; I want to go out and play this afternoon.”

Ding Qiao Yun, though helpless, agreed and then pulled her daughter to the door of Jiang Qin’s home.

Jiang Qin answered the door, being the youngest sibling, he hadn’t expected the woman from the third floor to be standing there.

“What’s up? Do you need something?”

“You…you can speak?” Ding Qiao Yun was startled.

Jiang Qin paused, then smiled: “I like playing mute when I have nothing to say.”

Ding Qiao Yun chuckled awkwardly, thinking to herself that she shouldn’t have tried to give her junk to someone who drove an Audi, acting all charitable. Isn’t that speechless?

But this also indirectly confirmed that this family did indeed have some substantial background. Despite being young, the boy spoke with an air far removed from childishness.

“Jiang Qin, who’s here?”

“I’m not sure myself.”

Jiang Zhenghong came over at that: “Oh, it’s Qiao Yun. How could you not recognize her? You should call her aunt.”

Ding Qiao Yun smiled slightly: “Hong, I’ve been away from home too long. I didn’t recognize you just now downstairs.”

“Normal, last time we met was several years ago. Come on in, is this your daughter?”

“Yes, this is my daughter, Cao Ran.”

Ding Qiao Yun glanced back at her daughter, knowing she was raised like a rich princess, too proud to look down on people from a small place, hoping only that she would settle down.

But Cao Ran didn’t disappoint her; she followed inside without calling anyone, looking around their modest home, perfectly embodying prejudice and arrogance.

“This child, never been back here since she was little. At that time, our family made a fortune doing business in Yuecheng, spoiled her so much that she doesn’t know basic manners, born with princess syndrome.”

“?”

As they were speaking, Feng Nanshu walked out with a cup of tea, her stunning face displaying perfect aloofness.

Seeing her, Ding Qiao Yun suddenly paused, then turned back, puzzled.

What’s going on? My daughter is a city girl, having lived a privileged life. How come in front of this girl, my own daughter seems more like someone from the countryside?

At this moment, Cao Ran was also taken aback, gazing at the girl about her age in front of her, feeling a strong sense of oppression, especially from her air, making her feel unable to lift her head. Gone was her earlier confidence.

“Little rich girl, do you have princess syndrome?”

“I have good friends brain.”

“Odd that the not so pretty ones end up with ‘princess syndrome’…”

Jiang Qin pretended to mutter to himself, creating an awkward moment for Ding Qiao Yun and making Cao Ran’s face turn uncomfortable instantly.

At the same time, Yuan Youqin walked out from the kitchen, glanced at Ding Qiao Yun, then at Jiang Zhenghong with a somewhat blank expression.

“Who is this?”

“Qiao Yun, the eldest from the Fifth Lord’s family. She just got back today.”

Yuan Youqin oh’d, pretending to recognize them, and then cordially invited Ding Qiao Yun and her daughter to chat in the living room, reminiscing about the past and probing for updates and backgrounds.

When Ding Qiao Yun learned that Jiang Zhenghong was just a minor official in the Sanitation Department and that Yuan Youqin worked at a hostel, not even on the permanent staff, her face changed immediately, showing less warmth and her tone grew colder.

She was looking for an easy, high-paying job close to home in Jizhou, but realized this family couldn’t help her with that.

Upon reflection, even an Audi wasn’t that expensive, especially a second-hand one.

Yuan Youqin noticed this attitude and silently continued sipping her tea, choosing not to engage further.

At this moment, Jiang Qin was in the kitchen, secretly feeding Feng Nanshu a dumpling before grabbing one himself, then putting on his coat to take the little rich girl outside.

“Mom, we’re heading out to paste couplets at the little rich girl’s place.”

“Go on, hurry back. Don’t miss dinner!”

“Got it.”

By this time, Ding Qiao Yun also stood up, pulling at her fur coat slightly: “Ran Ran, let’s go. We still need to buy some groceries before the stores close.”

Cao Ran arrogantly hummed, stood up, and followed Ding Qiao Yun out the door of Jiang Qin’s house.

Girls love to compare, especially in terms of beauty—a silent battleground—so Cao Ran always felt inferior when seeing Feng Nanshu.

But this didn’t make her feel ashamed; she thought what use was the beauty of a girl from a small town who couldn’t have seen as much of the world as her, a city girl.

The mother and daughter regained their composure and left with their heads held high, planning to buy some dumpling fillings and skins to make do with the celebration.

As they left the house, they ran into Jiang Qin and Feng Nanshu who had just stepped outside.

The couple was holding hands at the street corner, engaged in some somber and slightly silly conversation.

Ding Qiao Yun and Cao Ran weren’t initially paying much attention, but just as they turned to leave, a flash of brilliant gold caught their eye.

A Rolls-Royce pulled up on the road just in front of them and came to a slow stop, causing them both to pause in shock as a driver in white gloves stepped out and opened the car door.

“Miss, Young Master Jiang, please get in the car.”

“Uncle Gong, I’ve told you, I can drive there myself; it’s not that far.”

“No, young master. I’m the young lady’s personal driver, and I haven’t even driven ten kilometers this year. Waking up in a several hundred square meter villa and reading ‘The Unwanted Son-in-law’ feels somewhat unsettling.”

“Uncle Gong, you’re too honest. I’d only feel unsettled if I don’t find money on the street.”

“…”

Ding Qiao Yun and Cao Ran, not too far away, could hear their conversation clearly.

Miss, Young Master Jiang, personal driver, a massive villa…each word that was spoken stiffened their posture even more, buzzing in their minds.

Soon after, Jiang Qin and Feng Nanshu got into the car, which slowly drove off down the street.

As they left, their license plate became visible, displaying ‘Shanghai’ followed by the numbers 6 and 8.

“What use is beauty in a small town girl who hasn’t seen the world as much as you?” The chic city girl recalled these words meant to comfort herself and felt a sudden intense frustration. She put on her headphones and walked away, ignoring her mother’s calls and just picked a direction to leave.