Lin Chuxia grew impatient with her babbling and was about to make an excuse to send her away when she heard Sister-in-law Feng shift the topic.
"Itās not for me to say, but you city folks just donāt know how to live frugally. No matter the time, one must always budget carefully. Look around our residential compound; in their courtyards, every family has a patch of vegetables growing, even in Jiang Hongās tiny yard, there are two beds of greens. With such a big yard of yours going to waste without some planting, itās truly a shame. But I know, as a city girl, you probably canāt do farming. Thatās not a problem; I can plant for you. After all, we have such a deep relationship. With me around, I guarantee your yard will be well looked after, saving you a decent amount on vegetables all year round."
Only then did Lin Chuxia realize why she kept praising her yardāit turned out she had her sights set on it.
"Thereās no need for you to worry about that. Besides, I believe Iāve told you at our first meeting, Iām not some city person. When it comes to farming and gardening, Iām no worse than you. After all, my family are bona fide vegetable farmers. We know exactly what to plant in each of the four seasons, perhaps even better than you."
Sister-in-law Feng didnāt take her words seriously at all, "Oh come on, donāt be polite with me. Who would believe that? With your delicate, untouched hands, you saying you can garden? Itās settled then. Iāll bring a hoe tomorrow. The ground needs to be turned over and the soil loosened before anything can be planted..."
Lin Chuxia had encountered many people in her two lifetimes, but she had never met anyone quite like Sister-in-law Feng.
While most people would leave some room for pride, she insisted on acting obtusely.
"Xu San Ni, do you truly not understand, or are you just pretending to be confused?"
Xu San Ni was Sister-in-law Fengās real name. Considering that Feng Dajun and Qin Yang were colleagues, Lin Chuxia didnāt want to fall out with her.
But she couldnāt hold back any longer.
"My home, my yardāthereās no need for others to point fingers and tell me what to do."
"Qin Yangās wife, look at you getting all worked up. Iām only doing this out of kindness," Sister-in-law Feng said with a face full of sorrow, as if she had good intentions but wasnāt understood.
"Your kindness?" Lin Chuxia scoffed, "Qin Yang and the others are about to finish work. Should I call Feng Dajun over to see your ākindnessā?"
The mention of bringing the men into it visibly made Sister-in-law Feng blink in guilt, "Itās just a small matter. The men already have it tough enough working and earning money; no need to bother them with this. If you really donāt want it, then donāt. Itās not like Iām desperately forcing myself to work for your family, how could you possibly complain to someone about it?"
Despite what she said, Sister-in-law Feng didnāt dare delay any further; she was afraid that once Qin Yang and Feng Dajun returned from work, Lin Chuxia would indeed drag her husband into the complaint.
Lin Chuxia could clearly see what she was thinking, and now that Sister-in-law Feng wanted to leave, Lin Chuxia wasnāt about to let her.
"Look at how youāre talking. What do you mean by complaining? Youāre so kindhearted, wanting to rush over to help us with our vegetable garden. Shouldnāt I praise you in front of Engineer Feng? Not only do I want to praise you in front of Engineer Feng, but I also want to write two letters of commendation. One to be posted on our residential compoundās bulletin board, and another to be sent to our unitās leaders, so everyone can learn from your helpful, selfless spirit."
Hearing that it might get escalated to the leaders, Sister-in-law Feng grabbed Feng Jingjing and ran out.
If this petty issue really reached the leaders, wouldnāt Feng Dajun send her back to her hometown?
As Sister-in-law Feng fled in panic, Lin Chuxia called out from behind, "Sister-in-law, donāt go! Iām about to write the letter of praise and Iāll read it to you."
The moment she finished speaking, Sister-in-law Feng stumbled nearly falling flat on her face.
Behind her, Lin Chuxiaās laughter rang out like tinkling bells.
Sister-in-law Feng clenched her hand and saw Feng Jingjing gripping it tightly with a worried face, which infuriated her even more.
"Do you see? They look down on us deep in their hearts. No matter how much we pour out our hearts to others, we canāt buy their appreciation."
"Remember this in the future; however nice people are to you, itās all fake. Who knows how much they may despise you inside? You come from the countryside; why on earth should they be nice to you? They might even be harboring ill intentions, scheming against you. The only ones who truly care for you in this world are your father and mother."
......
When Qin Yang got home, he saw that Lin Chuxia had already returned and seemed to be in a good mood.
"Did you get everything taken care of?"
"Yes, the school has been arranged. We can bring Jianjun over after a while. Thereās a staff dormitory at the Bun Shop, and Iāve spoken to Jia Liang about it; he can stay in the dorm for now. If heās willing to work while studying, I can offer him a salary as well."
Classes are mostly in the evening; there are no classes during the day.
If she directly provided him with a salary, Lin Chuxia could afford it, but she has always understood the need for moderation in such matters.
To earn more money, one must rely on their own abilities, and Qin Jianjun is not yet 20 years oldāan ideal time for him to be tempered.
If he starts expecting to reap without sowing, believing that he can rise through the ranks solely based on family connections, thereās no telling when he might make a massive blunder that could be unrecoverable.
"Alright."
Qin Yang was very supportive of this arrangement.
He had been wondering, what if his wife really decided to bring her nephew to live with them?
Although they had room in their home, having just tasted the sweetness of their life as a couple, he didnāt want an extra wheel around.
It turned out that his wife was thinking the same.
Lin Chuxia then told Qin Yang about her encounter with Qin Juan, and upon the mention of his elder sister, Qin Yang nodded, "My elder sister is gentle and protective. She took care of me the most when we were kids. Back then, our grandparents were busy working in the fields to earn work points, and I was always with my elder sisterāit was almost like she raised me."
However, after he began schooling and working, he was busy with his job and seldom contacted his family; his relationship with his elder sister became distant.
"Now itās better, we live closer, and weāll visit each other more often."
Lin Chuxia noticed his melancholy and comforted him.
"Speaking of which, Sister-in-law Feng came to our house again today."
Mentioning Sister-in-law Feng, Lin Chuxia was no longer angry but instead started smiling.
She recounted how Sister-in-law Feng brazenly wanted to turn their yard into her vegetable garden.
"I really donāt understand what goes on in her mind. No wonder when we were in the Northwest, Sister-in-law Song and the others had complaints about her. Sister-in-law Song is usually a peaceful person."
Someone who could keep even Sister-in-law Song at a distance is truly a rare breed.
Qin Yang looked displeased, "Iāll have a word with Feng Dajun later, and when we go back to fetch Jianjun, weāll bring Yuan Bao along."
Lin Chuxia agreed, although after seeing Sister-in-law Fengās behavior today, she might not come to their house again.
But who knows the thought process of an odd person? Having Yuan Bao at home could also serve as a deterrent.
If not, just close the door and let the dog out.
In the blink of an eye, the weekend arrived, and Qin Yang and Lin Chuxia went back to their old home in An City.
Knowing that everything at home was fine and the factory and Bun Shop were running smoothly, Lin Chuxia did not inquire further.
As a leader, she knew when it was time to let go.
Wasnāt she cultivating Su Wensong and her elder brotherās leadership abilities precisely so that she could completely let go one day?
Now she would be able to live a peaceful life in the city.
They had lunch at home with Mr. Qin and Mrs. Qin. In the afternoon, they visited Qin Liangās family.
Hearing that they were planning to take Qin Jianjun to the city for school, and it was to attend university, Qian Chuncao was incredibly excited.
"I knew it, being around accomplished people would lead to the children becoming successful too. Younger sister-in-law, I am at ease leaving Jianjun with you. Treat him as your own son; if he does anything wrong, donāt hesitate to discipline him. I wonāt have any complaints, sister-in-law."