Chapter 202: Payday – Daily Melon Eating at the Sickly Aunt’s Courtyard

Chapter 202: Payday - The Daily Gossip of the Frail Young Woman in the Compound

"Look, Wang Qiaomei and Su Shengnan are at it again! Hey? Where's that sidekick of Su Shengnan?" Fu Huihui said.

Wang Jiaojiao didn't understand. "What sidekick are you talking about?"

"You mean Lin Shu?" Lin Qing immediately knew who she was referring to.

"Mm." Fu Huihui nodded in agreement.

"Probably still in bed!" Lin Qing said casually.

Although Lin Qing's tone was casual, seasoned gossipers Fu Huihui and Wang Jiaojiao immediately detected a hint of something different in her calm voice. It seemed there was more drama to be had!

"Tell us, tell us! What happened?" Wang Jiaojiao asked.

Lin Qing polished off the last bite of her lunch and then recounted the events of the previous day to Fu Huihui and Wang Jiaojiao.

"Ahhh?" They racked their brains but couldn't figure out what Lin Shu and Mother Gu were thinking.

How could a single candy cause such a fuss?

Not just them, even Lin Qing, who had witnessed the whole thing, couldn't figure it out either.

...

After finishing up his busy period, Cen Xi now had time to accompany Lin Qing to and from work these days.

"Brother Nan! Let's roll!"

"Let's roll!" Lin Qing wanted to fool around, so Cen Xi shed his usual aloof facade and joined in the fun.

Outsiders would never have guessed that Cen Xi could be so lively and youthful. If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they wouldn't have believed that Cen Xi had such a relatable side!

Cen Xi was high up in the research department and was young. If he didn't keep a straight face, others would think he lacked authority. So, from the start of his career, Cen Xi had always kept a serious expression to build his authority.

Moreover, keeping a straight face had another advantage: no one dared to casually tease him!

For so long, no one had dared to tease him. Even Xiao Yifan, who seemed to have a good relationship with Cen Xi, could only manage to joke with him a couple of times by braving Cen Xi's icy stare. He wouldn't dare push his luck by teasing Cen Xi.

Lin Qing got off the car at the compound entrance, and Cen Xi also got out. They pushed their bikes and walked into the compound.

Since yesterday, the Jiang and Gu families in the compound were at each other's throats!

Previously, it was only Mother Jiang and Mother Gu who were competing. Now that Mother Gu was bedridden, Mother Jiang was unmatched. Gu Hang couldn't take Mother Jiang's snide comments anymore and fired back!

Jiang Yang glared at Gu Hang, feeling annoyed. Why did this man have a higher salary grade than him?

After Jiang Yang pulled Mother Jiang away, he jumped into the fray.

When Lin Qing and Cen Xi returned, the two of them were going at it!

"Ah, this once peaceful compound has turned into a warzone! So, should we go in or not?"

"Go in. Let them argue, and we'll mind our own business." Cen Xi had no intention of backing down.

In his view, both Gu Hang and Jiang Yang were too proud. Arguing was one thing, but expecting them to throw punches was a stretch!

Lin Qing brushed past the two men who were arguing and walked right between them with Cen Xi.

Jiang Yang and Gu Hang suddenly stopped when they saw Cen Xi pushing a bike with one hand and leading Lin Qing with the other, walking forward.

Why were they arguing in the first place? What was the point?

They had overlooked someone in the compound—Cen Xi. He was a few years younger than them, yet he held the highest position and salary among them. What were they even thinking?

The anger that fueled Jiang Yang and Gu Hang's argument vanished instantly!

After returning home, Lin Qing turned around and asked, "Hey, Brother Nan, why did they stop arguing?"

"I don't know, and I don't care," Cen Xi replied indifferently.

"True," Lin Qing said, then put them out of her mind.

...

A few days later, both Lin Shu and Mother Gu had healed from their injuries. Although Lin Shu worked every day, she still acted hostile whenever she saw Mother Gu.

After recovering, Mother Gu often provoked Mother Jiang, trying to sow discord between her and Lin Shu. Since their last conflict, she had vowed not to let Lin Shu off the hook.

Jiang Da Sao had witnessed everything and was delighted. She hoped Mother Gu would drive a wedge between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, pushing Lin Shu to demand a separation. Jiang Da Sao was overjoyed!

The monthly payday came!

Lin Qing had just finished verifying the previous month's wages for the workers. She cross-checked with two other groups, and the entire process went smoothly without errors, which was a huge relief.

This was her first time handling such an important task. If she hadn't done well, what future could she expect?

Both the Director and Sister Tang were very satisfied with Lin Qing. This young girl had shown remarkable talent from the beginning. Even though she couldn't use an abacus, her calculation skills were better than most. After learning to use the abacus, she improved rapidly. This time, she competed against four others and finished faster and more accurately!

The Director felt like he had found a gem!

"Wow! Qing Qing, you're incredible!"

"Not bad, you can do it too!"

"No, I can't do it yet!" Wang Jiaojiao shook her head vigorously, aware of her limitations.

"You need to believe in yourself! I believe that someone who scored second in the recruitment exam isn't far behind. You need to have confidence!"

"Really? Can I do it?"

"Come on, Jiaojiao, you’re doubting yourself? Look at how well you handle the abacus—so efficient. You need to be more confident!" Liu Guiyun chimed in to encourage her.

"Sister Liu, can I do it?"

"Of course, trust me!"

"Okay." Wang Jiaojiao straightened her back. The lingering thought that she wasn't good enough seemed to have vanished!

So she wasn't that far behind after all. She could do it too!

"You need to believe in yourself!" Lin Qing noticed her friend seemed a bit down and, after probing, realized she was lacking confidence.

"Yes, you need to believe in yourself. Next month, I’m going to assign you an important task!"

"Okay! I will, I’ll do it well! Sister Liu!"

"Good! That’s the spirit!"

This time, Wang Jiaojiao was assigned to handle the payroll, a particularly tedious process!

Since the factory had so many employees, their department divided the workers by workshop for payroll. For example, someone would be responsible for certain workshops, and the workers from those workshops would go to them to collect their wages.

Lin Qing and her colleagues received their wages directly from the Director, an honor not extended to others. Even the factory manager’s wages were distributed by a subordinate of the Director.