The mother and daughter cleaned the yard and the inside of the house thoroughly for three days.
Lin Wan’s apartment was vacated by the previous tenants, and as soon as Lin Wan received the keys, she excitedly brought Mom along to clean her yard, too.
The previous tenants lived meticulously, so there was not much cleaning to do. Lin Wan was relieved that although the water wasn’t piped, the toilet had a sewer.
They used a seated toilet, which Lin Wan felt was dirty despite being meticulous.
She thought about checking the market in the coming days to find someone to replace it with a new one.
In the North, they use heated beds, so she didn’t need to prepare a new bed.
There wasn’t much needed, just a sofa, a wardrobe, and perhaps a kitchen cabinet.
She wasn’t in a hurry to move in, as Mom’s rent had just been paid for two months.
For the past few days, everything at the shop was handed over to Xiao Gu, and Brother Huang delivered fish and shrimps to them daily at regular intervals. With the quantity fixed, Xiao Gu only needed to settle the bill.
Xiao Gu had finished junior high school, plus Mom had taught him some accounting basics over the past few months, making the accounts very clear.
Lin Wan was satisfied and secretly raised Xiao Gu’s salary by twenty yuan after the New Year.
Xiao Gu is an orphan who grew up in an orphanage, knows gratitude, and during his free time, he would buy clothes, shoes, and socks to send to the orphanage.
Lin Wan would sometimes give him some fish and shrimp for him to take there.
In this situation, others at the shop were not optimistic. After a period of instability, everyone was tense, and people barely managed their own affairs, let alone having spare money to help others.
Take Xiao Yu as an example, she quite liked Xiao Gu initially but reconsidered and gave up because Xiao Gu kept sending things to the orphanage with a "generous hand."
This was something Xiao Yu privately complained to her about.
Actually, Xiao Yu’s concern was reasonable. Her family wasn’t well-off and didn’t have the ability to work in a factory, so she could only come out and find work on her own. Jobs weren’t easy to find during this time.
She hit many obstacles before settling here. Although it didn’t seem prestigious to outsiders, the salary was indeed high.
In the face of life’s pressure, who cares about appearances anymore?
She cherished this job very much, and thanks to her job, their family’s living conditions were gradually improving.
She had secretly saved up a hundred yuan herself, and her family was planning to rebuild their house next year.
Xiao Gu was the only guy in the shop, and he wasn’t bad-looking, so secretly some of the girlfriends were interested in him.
She also had thoughts; Xiao Gu being an orphan meant if they got married, they wouldn’t have to face in-laws every day, and the couple could close their door, live together, save money, and buy a house. Life should be prosperous.
However, she noticed that every time it was payday, Xiao Gu would take a day off. Out of curiosity, Xiao Fish asked him.
Only then did she know he often went to the orphanage to support those orphans and advised them to help those in need if they were able.
Xiao Yu didn’t agree with this; she was just starting out and had no spare money to help others. Even if she had the intention, she lacked the ability.
Xiao Yu felt Xiao Gu wasn’t suitable; constantly helping others was a bottomless pit. What about their own future household?
This kind of thing depends on the individual; it’s okay to help others when one has the ability.
Xiao Gu wasn’t mindless; he himself knew how to plan his own life.
Xiao Gu visited the orphanage once a month, and each time, he bought practical items needed there, sourcing them directly from the factory for cheaper prices.
He usually kept the spending under fifteen yuan. Sometimes, when it wasn’t necessary, he wouldn’t specially buy things to take there.