People are like this, coming and going; today you leave, tomorrow she arrivesâeveryone is just a passerby.
A new family has moved in, also at the level of a platoon leader. Their surname is Song. Platoon Leader Songâs full name is Song Cheng, and he came here during the annual troop rotation. Heâs thirty-five or six, a man of few words who exudes masculinity. Usually, he doesnât say much, just nods slightly when meeting others. He certainly looks like a typical soldier, serious and authoritative.
As for his wife, Sister-in-law Song, she has dark skin, a loud voice, and a fiery temper. Sheâs the epitome of a rural woman, and oddly enough, she doesnât care much for tidiness. Her hair is always in a mess. Perhaps itâs due to years of hard work, she looks a few years older than Song Chengâbarely in her thirties but looking like sheâs forty-one.
They have one child, but itâs a pair of twin sons, only five years old. However, because Sister-in-law Song doesnât like tidying up, both kids are always dirty, with snot all over their faces.
Hualing and her husband used to live in an apartment with just one bedroom and a living room, and it was just barely enough space for them. Even so, Hualing still complained the place was small. Now that the Song family has moved in, a family of four with a lot of belongings and growing children, the space seems even more cramped.
After two days, Cheng Su happened to pass by and found the place very messy and cramped. She couldnât imagine how the family lived there.
"I took the chance to help out and took a look inside. They have two beds in the room, leaving no space for a cabinet. They have a lot of people and a lot of stuff, with things piled up in the living roomâitâs quite a mess," Chunhua told Cheng Su one night while visiting to watch TV in her home.
Cheng Su had visited their apartment before. Although it has one bedroom and one living room, the space is quite small. How could they fit two beds in the room? With the kids so grown, itâs unimaginable for the whole family to squeeze into one room.
"How can they have two beds in there? If I were them, I would set up a separate space for the two boys in the living room. Itâs not just that; the kids are so big now. If the couple happens to be doing something, and the kids see it, how do you explain that?" Chunhua clicked her tongue.
Cheng Su was sipping birds nest sugar water and almost spat it out at Chunhuaâs words.
Seeing her choke, Chunhua grinned sheepishly, "I wasnât wrong, was I?"
Cheng Su wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and said, "Maybe they didnât think of it. They just moved in, and everything is still chaotic."
"Thatâs true."
"Setting up a space in the living room for a bed would be good. Their apartment has fewer rooms, but the living room is quite big," Cheng Su added.
"Thatâs how I feel too, but since theyâre new and weâre not that familiar, Iâm hesitant to bring it up. We donât know them well. If they claim Iâm meddling in their affairs, Iâd be wasting my goodwill," Chunhua replied.
"Thatâs true. Letâs observe for a while," Cheng Su agreed.
A personâs character often reveals itself in small matters, and itâs usually evident. But Cheng Su didnât want to be petty, getting to know someone takes time.
As for neighbors, itâs better to be friendly with good ones, but if theyâre not, just maintaining appearances is enough; if it really falls apart, just donât interact.
And about someoneâs personalityâmaybe they can act for a while, but can they keep it up?
So, only over time and through interactions can you judge whether this family will be close friends or just acquaintances.