Chapter 122: Everyone Is Here
Shen Yue fell asleep thinking, ’Why couldn’t it be my older brother who moved out.’
Far away in the provincial city, Shen Que couldn’t sleep.
In the hospital ward, Shen Que sat up straight, holding a pen in his hand.
That posture, that expression.
If you didn’t know better, you’d think he was gearing up for a final battle!
Shen Que raised his wrist, solemnly and with great dignity, drew a cross on the calendar with the pen.
"Six more days."
Staring at the calendar, Shen Que couldn’t help but smile as Jiang Cheng’s image floated into his mind.
"Six days!"
Just thinking about going back made Shen Que’s heart burn.
His initial reluctance to return was decreasing by the day, gradually turning into anticipation.
Director Lian, doing rounds, peeked through the little window on the door.
After a glance, Director Lian seriously remarked to the person beside him, "Schedule me for an ophthalmology appointment tomorrow."
"Director Lian, are you not feeling well? We can go now, we have doctors on call!"
Director Lian shook his head.
"No need, I’ve just been rolling my eyes too much lately."
The resident doctor nearby, holding back laughter, gave Director Lian a thumbs-up and said, "You’re amazing!"
Director Lian laughed out of irritation, "Dealing with troublesome cases, how can I not be amazing?"
Director Lian opened Shen Que’s ward door, flicked on the light.
"Comrade Shen Que, I’m sorry to inform you, as your attending physician, I have decided to keep you here a few more days, seeing as not sleeping late at night might be due to your injury, I need to observe you for two more days."
Observe for two more days?
Impossible!
Shen Que lay down in an instant, pointed straight at the door with his arm.
"I’m going to sleep, please do not disturb."
Director Lian smiled smugly.
"Alright, but let me remind you, if you don’t rest properly, I’ll have to file a little report."
Shen Que turned his head to look at Director Lian.
With a face full of self-satisfaction, as if Shen Que couldn’t do anything about it, making Shen Que turn his head away.
"Alright, you file your report, then I’ll just have a chat with your wife about someone’s reckless antics...."
Shen Que’s mouth was covered.
He disdainfully pulled off Director Lian’s hand.
"Did you wash your hands?"
"No!"
Director Lian said righteously, glaring at Shen Que, "Don’t spew nonsense, my wife would be worried sick!"
Shen Que chuckled darkly.
"I return the sentiment to you."
Director Lian, realizing this, snorted, "Right, you and I aren’t on the same level! Nonsense talk."
"Nonsense talk" was the new nickname Director Lian and some comrades had given to Shen Que.
Whenever he saw Jiang Cheng, Shen Que would start talking nonsense; hence, nonsense talk.
Ignoring Director Lian’s teasing, Shen Que got up to ask something serious.
"I remember you have a house in City S, is it rented out now?"
Director Lian shook his head, asking, "What are you planning?"
Shen Que unceremoniously replied, "If you’re not living there, rent it to me temporarily."
"Comrade Jiang is currently renting an empty room in my house, I can’t just leave her homeless when I get back."
"But I think she might start looking for a place on her own, nonetheless it’s best to be prepared."
After Shen Que finished speaking, he looked at Director Lian and asked, "Is there a problem?"
Director Lian listened while feeling a toothache.
"There’s no problem with the house, as for you... I’m not so sure."
"I’ve never seen a man who hasn’t even defined the relationship, yet gives gold and finds housing for her."
Shen Que lay back down, calmly replying, "That’s because none of you are as serious as I am."
"Please close the door on your way out, I need to get some proper rest, still six days left!"
With those words, Shen Que closed his eyes and went to rest.
Director Lian had gotten used to how quickly Shen Que cut him off.
*
Jiang Cheng, unaware that Shen Que had found housing for her, was used to relying on herself for everything.
That night, Jiang Cheng translated until 10:30, then from 10:30 to 11:30 continued learning a new language.
She took a break at 11:30 and got up again at 4:30 in the morning.
During her workout, she continued learning a new language, then resumed translating after exercising.
Her schedule was fully packed.
At 6:20 in the morning, Shen Yue came over to call her for breakfast.
Jiang Cheng washed up, carrying a bag of rice in hand, as her contribution to the group meals.
Grandma Shen had long stopped refusing her offer.
She had decided that when she passed, her house would go to Jiang Cheng.
The four of them sat together for breakfast, Jiang Cheng mentioned the situation with Grandpa Ma to Shen Xing.
"Don’t worry, sister, I’ll help Grandpa Ma after school, and I won’t say a word."
"Good, if you encounter troublemakers, just run and find help, understood?"
Shen Xing nodded.
Seeing the two finished talking, Grandma Shen chimed in, "Old Man Ma has had a tough life, so many hospitals have offered him money to go there with his expert bone-setting skills, but he refused all."
"Just to stay near those two mudbrick rooms."
"His daughter was lost at the door of that house, Old Man Ma is waiting for her to come back."
So that’s how it was.
The topic about Old Man Ma ended quietly.
After breakfast, Jiang Cheng took Shen Xing and Shen Yue to school.
The three of them rode out from the alley, and even from a distance, you could hear their laughter.
He Dan, just coming back from night shift, tightened the cloth bag in her hand as she emerged from the corner, staring at the backs of Jiang Cheng and the others.
How did it come to this?
He Dan couldn’t fathom it.
"You’re back."
Lin Chengyuan came out of the alley, wheeling his bicycle, just in time to see He Dan.
He Dan put on an exhausted yet gentle look, taking a few small steps forward.
"Just got back, I bought you meat buns from the southern city."
As she spoke, He Dan took out a squashed bun from the small bag and handed it to Lin Chengyuan.
Lin Chengyuan loved He Dan’s thoughtful nature, and he never thought to ask if He Dan had eaten before he took the bun.
"I’m heading to work; I heard the decision for the factory director will be made in half a month, then we can move out."
Upon hearing this, He Dan’s eyes brightened several degrees.
The daily gentle attentiveness was all for this moment.
All the pretending to be obedient these days, occasionally mentioning the merits of moving out, were worthwhile.
Finally, she had Lin Chengyuan on her side.
"Chengyuan, you’re amazing!"
He Dan’s praise was very pleasing to Lin Chengyuan, who felt that the director position was as good as his.
By then, it wouldn’t be strange for the director to be allocated housing.
Lin Chengyuan, holding a bun, cycled to work, and He Dan, exhilarated, entered the large courtyard.
At the same time, after dropping off Shen Xing and Shen Yue, Jiang Cheng arrived at the textile factory again.
The guard at the entrance directly pointed Jiang Cheng to the auditorium and whispered, "Sent Jian’s family letter over."
Jiang Cheng thanked him, nodded knowingly at the guard, and headed toward the auditorium.
A banner for the vice-director election hung inside the auditorium.
After Jiang Cheng entered, she sat directly at the candidates’ table where Secretary Feng promptly placed her nameplate in front of her.
The workers present for the election stared at Jiang Cheng.
Was she Jiang Cheng?
The translator who got the textile factory foreign trade orders?
Most people didn’t believe it.
Mainly because Jiang Cheng was too young and looked like a pretty woman without any sort of aggression.
It couldn’t possibly be that the foreigners placed orders because they found her pretty, could it?
Jiang Cheng, composed and calm, looked around.
Zhou Zhennan, Jian Yueer’s father Jian Chunsheng, Qi Huoer, they were all there.