Chapter 261: Staying for a Few Days – Daily Gossip in the Courtyard of the Sickly Young Aunt

Chapter 261: Staying for a Few Days—The Sickly Young Aunt’s Daily Drama in the Compound

Compared to Auntie Zhou’s frustration, Lin Qing was having a much happier time.

After returning to the Lin family home, she finished her meal and began telling her parents all sorts of gossip from the compound.

"Your compound really is lively!" Father Lin couldn’t help but exclaim.

"Yeah, totally." Lin Qing wholeheartedly agreed—wasn’t it just?

"It’s one thing after another. Truly, no place is livelier than your compound," Mother Lin said with some excitement.

"Anyway, it doesn’t involve me, so I just treat it as entertainment!" Lin Qing was quite optimistic about it.

They were clearly cut from the same cloth.

"Nuan'nuan, how about I go see the action firsthand by staying with you for a few days?" Mother Lin suddenly wanted to get closer to the drama.

Although their own neighborhood often had its share of neighborly drama, it just didn’t feel as lively as Lin Qing’s compound.

"Sounds good!" Lin Qing was quite pleased.

"Ah, no, no—if you two leave, what am I supposed to do here all alone?" Father Lin said pitifully.

"Oh, you, I’m just going to stay with our daughter for a few days—it’s not like I won’t come back," Mother Lin said enthusiastically.

"That won’t do. If you leave, what will I do?" Father Lin didn’t want to stay home alone.

"It’s no big deal! You can grab breakfast from the street vendors, eat lunch at the canteen, and if you’re willing, you can come join us for dinner," Mother Lin laid out her plan, thinking it was quite well arranged.

"Alright, fine, it’s settled then. Tomorrow afternoon, I’ll go home with Nuan'nuan," Mother Lin put her foot down.

Father Lin still wanted to argue, but seeing his wife so lively and spirited, he gave in.

"Alright, fine, go stay with her for a few days. I’ll come find you for dinner in the evenings and then come back afterward," Father Lin said, sulking.

"Nuan'nuan, tell me more about the people in your compound," Mother Lin said, her focus entirely off her husband.

Lin Qing, sandwiched between them, smiled and then began describing each person’s personality. "First up, there’s Mother Li, our neighborhood manager..."

"I know her, she seemed nice. The first time I met her, she left a good impression."

"Yeah, Mother Li is quite nice. Mother Sui, who’s often with her, is also good—a total busybody, always showing up wherever there’s excitement."

Mother Lin’s eyes lit up. "Now she sounds like my kind of person!" She figured they’d hit it off.

"As for the other aunties, oh, those ones—yeah, I remember."

"Right, right. They’re a piece of work. One acts all innocent, and the other two are cheap as hell and always mooching."

"Uh-huh."

"And then there’s the newest one, Mother Zhou, who just moved into the compound as a bride next door to me."

"Mother Zhou?"

"Yeah, she just married into the compound a few days ago, to that Uncle Zhou from our courtyard—oh, now we call him Eldest Master Zhou."

"Why did he suddenly go from Uncle Zhou to Eldest Master Zhou?" Father Lin, eavesdropping, piped up.

"I don’t know either, seems like it was just out of habit!" Lin Qing was just as clueless.

"So why the change now?"

"My guess? Mother Li figured Auntie Zhou was their age, and it wasn’t right for just them to be called 'auntie,' so she told me to treat them equally.

I thought she made a good point, so I started calling her Auntie Zhou, and then Eldest Master Zhou got the same treatment."

Mom and Dad Lin’s faces twitched.

"How old is this Auntie Zhou you mentioned?"

"Over thirty, I think?" Lin Qing seemed unsure.

Mom and Dad Lin’s faces twisted even more.

"What kind of old man gets remarried right after his son’s wedding?"

"Didn’t I mention this earlier?"

Mom and Dad Lin shook their heads. Lin Qing had indeed told them about an old man in the courtyard getting married, but she hadn’t explained why.

"Well, my guess? I heard Zhou Qin scream at his dad once during an argument next door, saying something like, 'If you’re so desperate for a grandkid, go make one yourself!'

Mom and Dad Lin’s jaws hit the floor. "So he just... got married?"

"Jiaojiao and Huihui spotted Eldest Master Zhou at a singles mixer."

Mom and Dad Lin’s faces contorted even further. Who ever heard of an old dude crashing a singles mixer? Truly, the world is full of all kinds of people!

And the craziest part? He actually scored—what else could they even say?

"Hey Nuan'nuan, mind if I crash at your place for a bit?" Dad Lin was quite intrigued by this fascinating old man.

Lin Qing just stared.

But after a moment’s thought, Lin Qing realized her father’s idea wasn’t entirely impossible.

"Dad, if you can find some long wooden planks and a few benches, you’ll have a place to sleep."

Dad Lin actually followed his daughter’s train of thought—it wasn’t a bad idea. Her place was maybe 200 square feet, divided into inner and outer sections. His wife and kid could take the bedroom, and he’d throw together a bed in the living area. Not bad at all!

"Alright, just wait. I’ll get everything tomorrow, and then the three of us can head over to the courtyard."

Mom Lin was stunned. "Seriously, you’re actually doing this?"

"Why not? Your kid and I’ve got it covered—you can’t stop me now."

"Who said I was stopping you?" Mom Lin genuinely had no intention of stopping him. In fact, she was quite pleased.

Otherwise, she’d be stuck worrying about him the whole time. This way was better.

The three of them moved fast. The next day, Dad Lin went out to gather what he needed.

They didn’t even need planks—the broken-down double bed in Lin Qing’s room had boards that would work. Just a couple of long benches—three tops—and those were easy to find.

Dad Lin had them by lunch.

After eating, they got ready to head out. All they had was Dad’s bike, but thankfully, the boards were only about three feet wide—otherwise, hauling them would’ve been a nightmare!

Lin Qing's father hauled the bed plank and a few stools on his bike by himself. Since Lin Qing didn’t bring her bike, she and her mother took the bus back.

After getting off the bus, the two of them waited for her dad at the corner.

"Dad! Dad!" Lin Qing waved and called out loudly as she spotted his approaching figure.

Soon, he stopped right in front of them. Since they had reached the entrance of the alley, they decided to push the bicycle in instead of riding it.

"Dad, let me help you!"

"Nah, it’s fine—just go ahead. I've tied everything securely—it won't fall off."

"Oh! Alright!" Lin Qing glanced a few more times to make sure nothing would slip before heading off, reassured.

Her mom also stepped forward to walk alongside Lin Qing, who hooked her arm through her mom’s as they walked. He carefully steered clear of people as he followed behind them.