Indeed, it wasn’t long before they couldn’t keep the business open; they packed up overnight and left. It’s said they didn’t even pay the rent they owed. Originally, they had agreed to rent the place for 10 yuan a month, but they ran away overnight without paying a dime, leaving the house all smoked up and filthy. Rotting vegetables were piled up inside, stinking and sour, the smell was incredibly foul.
This had the family next door cursing for days on end, leaving one to wonder if Hu Li’s mother felt any shame.
Granny Lu sighed with relief, now truly at ease, as their family alone remained selling there.
And, sure enough, Granny Lu had Granny Hua come to live with them. After all, there was plenty of room in the house, and Granny Lu could have some company, so she wouldn’t be lonely when the children went off to school; Granny Hua’s old house was simply not fit for living anymore.
Originally, Granny Hua refused, feeling their family already took enough advantage of Granny Lu. If they were to move into her house, eat her food, and occupy her place, how could they do such a thing? Eventually, Granny Hua gave in, persuaded by Granny Lu’s words. She might not pity Granny Hua, but what about Hua Jun? They couldn’t let the child suffer too; their dilapidated house was leaking, after all. What if it collapsed one day?
Granny Hua cried again, thinking of her twenty-something-year-old child, foolish and simple-minded, all they could do was swallow their tears.
Qin Xiangnuan and Qin Xiangyang were quite welcoming of Granny Hua’s family moving in; the household chores were all taken over by Granny Hua’s family. The brother and sister couldn’t find any work to do, so they focused all their attention on their studies.
By the time it reached ninth grade, Qin Xiangnuan received about ten thousand yuan in rent. She sent this ten thousand yuan to Jian Zhiqing, thereby clearing her debts, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, the heaviness in her heart dissipated.
However, at the same time, and for some unknown reason, her mood became more repressed.
Having paid off the debt, she wondered, did this mean the relationship between them was now severed?
As for all of this, she did not know, and it remained unresolved.
Meanwhile, at the Jians’ in Capital City, Jian Zhiqing had just picked up his clothes, ready to head out, when his father, Jian Ming, came downstairs.
"Hey, Zhiqing, are you going out?"
"Yes, there’s something on at the military unit." Jian Zhiqing was about to leave with his things.
"Great," Jian Ming walked over and sat on the sofa nearby, "Leave your clothes. I need them to meet an old friend."
"Dad, I need them too," Jian Zhiqing really had a headache. This piece of clothing he never really got to wear properly since he got it; all throughout the year, it was his father who wore it. After all, whose clothes were they, his or his dad’s?
"I have important matters this afternoon," Jian Ming, ignoring his son’s protest, snatched the piece of clothing, put it on right away, and even admired himself in the mirror for a while.
There’s no denying that the clothes really made one look spirited when worn, particularly because Jian Ming used to be a soldier. He had a very straight posture, and the clothes were crisp, so it made him look very dignified. No matter the occasion, he wouldn’t be embarrassed.
"Dad, can I have my clothes back?" Jian Zhiqing couldn’t help but press on his forehead, "Can’t you have another one made instead of having to wear mine?"