"Sure, let me wash my hands first, then I’ll come over," Jian Zhiqing first returned to his own room, took off his wool coat, and changed into more comfortable clothes. This wool coat had become his work outfit, and he absolutely wouldn’t wear it except for formal occasions, otherwise, a coat worn for two years wouldn’t look so new.
When he came out, he washed his hands with soap in the basin, and the water was still warm, which must have been heated up by Qin Xiangnuan recently.
The dishes Qin Xiangnuan cooked were not many, just some common home-cooked dishes.
Hot and sour shredded potatoes, Mapo tofu, braised pork, and a green vegetable and tofu soup. There were both meat and vegetarian options, certainly enough for the two of them. Jian Zhiqing genuinely enjoyed the dishes Qin Xiangnuan made; they really suited his taste.
He ate two bowls of rice and was indeed too full to eat any more. He would digest a bit before going to work. He looked at the watch on his wrist—it was only half-past twelve, and his shift didn’t start until two-thirty. He still had more than an hour to catch a nap.
Their way of getting along was very simple, basically following their own schedules without disturbing the other. This was nice, and Qin Xiangnuan felt relaxed. She too would take a nap, then prepare vegetables for the next day, spend some time reading in the system, embroider, paint, or make clothes. The day passed just like that.
Jian Zhiqing was about to return to his room when he noticed a pair of cotton slippers by the door. Quite unique, he had seen Qin Xiangnuan wearing a pair before; such slippers were not for sale outside. He had actually looked for them before, so he knew these had to be made by Qin Xiangnuan herself.
Although he really wanted a pair, thinking that it would be much more convenient to wear them at night—one could just slip into them—he found them much more comfortable than the icy leather shoes. Of course, he wasn’t audacious enough to ask Qin Xiangnuan to make him a pair.
Now he had a pair of his own.
He truly felt that the name Qin Xiangnuan was very fitting, warm and comforting. Though sometimes she seemed hard to approach, deep down, she was a truly warm-hearted girl.
He couldn’t wait to take off his shoes, and the moment he slid his feet into the slippers, it felt like his whole foot was comforted and relaxed. The uppers were solid camel-colored wool, tightly knit, with a flat, multi-layered sole, making them comfortable to wear. Underneath, it seemed as if there was a layer of cotton, shaped according to the arch of the foot, with parts higher and parts lower, so stepping on it felt like stepping on cotton—extremely comfortable.
Anyone with such a pair of slippers would surely suffer less during the winter.
When Qin Xiangnuan came out, Jian Zhiqing’s door was already closed. She knew that he always took a nap when he came back in the afternoon. Now was his time to sleep; the slippers she had left outside were gone, only a pair of leather shoes remained.
She couldn’t help but lift the corners of her lips.
They must fit him quite well, I guess.
In fact, her new neighbor was really easy to get along with. As long as he was well-fed, he wasn’t a bother in the morning, and she even had free labor in the morning.
The small house in the park was under renovation; the workers had already broken some bricks to widen the entrance. With the speed of progress, it would take only a few days to complete. She stood at the door for a long time; the workers got up early, probably wanting to finish early and get paid. All the materials belonged to the workers, and each was paid 55 yuan per day. She didn’t need to take care of anything; even the cleanup would be done by the workers, who would deliver her a finished storefront.