After the rush at the small restaurant, Cheng Su and her husband, Qi Taiguo, finally headed home on their bicycle, side by side. They chatted and laughed along the way, their joyful laughter making the pedestrians along the road envious.
Meanwhile, at the compound, Platoon Leader Lu quietly pulled his wife aside and said, "I think somethingās off with Qiulanās mood, her eyes are red. She couldnāt have been given a hard time at Cheng Suās place, could she?"
Li Qiumei was playing with their son when she heard this and was taken aback, "Really? Sheās been going to work for several days now and hasnāt mentioned anything bad, and sheās even put on weight."
"Who knows? Commander Qiās wife can be unpredictable. If she suddenly blows her top, who knows what kind of unpleasant things she might say? Didnāt she end up pulling Qiulanās hair and cursing at her over a simple disagreement?" Platoon Leader Lu was somewhat skeptical.
Li Qiumei glared at him, "You always assume the worst in people. I think Cheng Su isnāt like that. Wasnāt it all a misunderstanding at first?"
These days, Li Qiulan had been going to work just fine, sometimes even bringing home some food, saying it was from Cheng Su, who had too much to eat. Surely she hadnāt been treated badly, right?
Despite saying that, Li Qiumei couldnāt help feeling worried. She handed their son over to Platoon Leader Lu, "You take care of the kid; Iām going to see whatās going on."
Li Qiulan was in her room, wiping away her tears.
Li Qiumei pushed the door open and entered. Qiulan quickly wiped her tears and, somewhat flustered, asked, "Sis, whatās up?"
"Your brother-in-law noticed your red eyes. Are you really dropping gold beans here? What happened? Did you do something wrong at work and got scolded?" Li Qiumei closed the door and sat down on the bed to ask.
Li Qiulan smiled, "Nothing like that, just a bit homesick is all."
Li Qiumei looked at her skeptically, "If you are really not happy there, you have to speak up. Donāt keep it all inside. Cheng Su, she..."
"Sister, itās really not that. Sister Su is very nice, truly nice. Sheās generous with us too. Just tell her what dish you want for lunch, and sheāll make it. Whenever she buys fruit or anything, she lets us have our fill," Qiulan reassured her quickly.
"No problems then," said Li Qiumei, relieved by her sisterās words.
"Sister, Sister Su is really amazing. Sheās not old, but sheās top-notch smart. Look at how successful her restaurant is! Remember the pineapple jam I let you try? Do you know how much she sells it for?"
Li Qiumei wondered, "Didnāt you say it was one yuan per jin?"
"Hmm, but whatās even more incredible, you donāt know yet. There was a food company that approached her to buy the recipe. Do you know how much they offered?" Li Qiulan continued.
"How much?"
Li Qiulan held up two fingers in a āVā sign, "Twenty thousand."
Twenty thousand startled Li Qiumei so much she stood up; that was an astronomical price.
"Really?"
Li Qiulan nodded, "Sister, donāt tell anyone, but itās true. And Sister Su didnāt sell it. She wants to make it herself. I think Sister Su will definitely be something great in the future."
Li Qiumei was shocked by her sisterās words. Twenty thousand, and she chose not to sell, but to produce it herself. Was Cheng Su a fool?
"Sheās not a fool. With her talent, you see, sheās even planning to start studying again and go to university," said Li Qiulan, sharing what she had heard and seen, and added dreamily, "Sister, do you think if I studied too, I would also become as smart and capable?"
Would that make him look at her differently?
"Study?" Li Qiumei looked at her sister and said, "Qiulan, at home, your three younger brothers are all waiting for their tuition fees."
"I was just saying, I donāt have that kind of talent," Li Qiulan forced a smile and dropped her gaze, no longer speaking.