Chapter 330: Gossip and Chit-Chat

Chapter 330 Idle Chatter

"Ah... *cough cough cough*..."

Chu Shuyu nearly choked on her own saliva. Covering her mouth in shock, she pointed outside, "Is that... your partner?"

Zuo Zuying nodded firmly, "My partner!"

"How much for the clothes? Can I get a discount?"

Chu Shuyu hesitated before replying, "The shirt is 45.1 yuan, the jeans are 40. With the discount, it’s 85 total."

When Ren Shan returned to the shop, Su An had just come back from tutoring class. Liu Guojuan, with Hui Hui strapped to her back, was filling out an order for a customer, while He Manxia warmly saw off a regular customer.

He Manxia had previously worked at the same unit as her ex-husband, so most of her colleagues and friends were from the same circle.

After her divorce from Cao Jinhua, the workplace was buzzing with cruel gossip. Some even tried setting her up with a fifty-year-old single man. When He Manxia refused, they rolled their eyes and scoffed, "Oh, Manxia, you’re divorced at your age and without children too. Old Zhang may be fifty, but he’s strong and healthy—he has sons and grandsons! He’d take care of you. You need to face reality. You’re not a spring chicken anymore."

"A woman needs a family. If there wasn’t something wrong with you, Comrade Cao wouldn’t have divorced you, right? I’m saying this as a fellow woman, for your own good. Otherwise, [trails off]"

Unhappy at work and hearing that Su An was hiring, He Manxia jumped at the chance when the state-owned enterprise labor reform policy was announced. She called in a favor and sold her position.

At the time, everyone was scrambling for jobs, and thanks to the trend, she managed to sell her position at a good price.

Liu Guojuan, on the other hand, was recommended by Wang Xiaocui. She had been working at Wang Xiaocui’s stall, which worked fine—except when she had to carry Hui Hui on her back. Good weather was manageable, but on windy, rainy, or scorching days, Hui Hui would cry nonstop, leaving Liu Guojuan stressed out and Wang Xiaocui distressed.

When Wang Xiaocui heard Su An was hiring, she asked Su An’s permission before recommending Liu Guojuan.

Though shy by nature, Liu Guojuan was eager to seize this rare chance. She worked diligently and meticulously.

He Manxia and Liu Guojuan shared similar pasts, so they got along well. He Manxia even mentored her. Despite a rocky start during the trial period, Liu Guojuan managed to adapt, and Su An decided to keep her.

Nowadays, Su An only dropped by the shop occasionally to check the books and deposit earnings. Ren Shan, however, couldn’t sit still and often dropped by.

"An’an-jie, you’re back! Shuyu-jie mentioned she hasn’t seen you in ages and hopes you’ll visit when you’re free."

Su An picked up a teacup from the table and poured one for Ren Shan, "Hot? Did you get the clothes? How’s Shuyu-jie?"

Ren Shan gulped down the tea in one go, "So brutal! The sun’s blazing. Got the clothes—Shuyu-jie gave me five pieces and refused payment, said they were a gift. Oh, and her shop’s understaffed right now—she’s running it alone. She asked me to tell you to recommend someone reliable if you know anyone. She hasn’t even had time to go to school lately."

Su An frowned slightly. From the sound of it, Chu Shuyu’s previous employee must have been unreliable. Last time they had tea, Chu Shuyu mentioned it was some cousin her sister-in-law pushed on her.

Just then, a man carrying a briefcase walked in. He Manxia elbowed Liu Guojuan playfully, "Guojuan, you’re off early today. How sweet of Tang to come pick you up!"

Hui Hui, sitting on the floor playing with her fingers, reached for him, babbling, "Ah-ba ah-ba~"

Liu Guojuan glanced awkwardly at Tang Wenhao, "Why are you here?"

Tang Wenhao, cool as a cucumber, greeted everyone politely before turning to Liu Guojuan warmly, "Just got off work and happened to pass by. Remembered you finish early today. Didn’t Hui Hui say she wanted to see kites the other day? Thought I’d take her to the sports square."

With that, he bent down gently and picked Hui Hui up, "Hui Hui, did you miss Uncle?"

Hui Hui clapped her hands excitedly, "Dang!!!"

*(Childish babbling)* "Gan gan gan gan, gan hui ji, ma ma e ya~"

He Manxia gave Liu Guojuan a little push. "Go ahead, it's quitting time. Take Hui Hui for a stroll."

Liu Guojuan shyly said to Su An, "An An, I'm heading out then."

Su An nodded and teased, "Alright, go ahead. After a long day, it's nice to take the kid out for a walk."

Liu Guojuan lowered her head bashfully and followed Tang Wenhao out.

Tang Wenhao walked ahead, carrying Hui Hui in his arms, his face and eyes brimming with joy.

He Manxia watched their retreating figures with envy and turned to Su An, gossiping, "Juanzi's finally getting her happy ending after all she's been through. I heard Comrade Tang is a technician transferred from another province. He'll be here for two years before going back."

Su An grew curious. "Which factory is he from? He doesn't look young—why hasn't he married yet? How did he and Sister Juanzi get together?"

He Manxia chuckled. "The textile factory, I think. Juanzi mentioned it once—they met when she was running her stall. He's 31, was too busy with work before, and his parents' illnesses delayed things. He only finished mourning them the year before last, so he just recently finished mourning. Hardworking and filial—what a good man! At first, Juanzi refused, saying she'd just raise Hui Hui alone and not remarry."

"I think Comrade Tang is wonderful. He cares about Hui Hui, and older men know how to treat a woman right. If they get along well, she could move with him when his transfer ends, getting out of this dump."

Thinking of her own struggles, He Manxia sighed. "The world's unfair. No matter the reason for divorce, people always blame the woman. Even if you know the truth, hearing that trash talk cuts deep."

Su An glanced at He Manxia, recalling how Aunt Li Er and the others had been lurking around lately. It clicked for her. "Has Brother Cao's aunt been spreading nasty rumors about you again?"

He Manxia’s expression darkened. "Those gossipy old biddies—what good could they say about me? When my ex-in-laws heard I got 6,000 yuan in the split, they caused a scene at my job. That's why I had to sell my job in the end."

"This morning, that old hag saw me seeing off a customer and started hinting I was cheating. Hmph! She's just trying to provoke me. Her youngest son's getting married next month—I'll show her not to mess with me!"