Chapter 555: A Brief Encounter – Daily Life of the Delicate Aunt in the Courtyard

Chapter 555 A Fleeting Encounter—The Frail Young Aunt's Everyday Gossip in the Compound

"Huihui, here you go!" Lin Qing handed her lunchbox back.

"Thank you, Qing Qing!"

"You're welcome!"

Drawn in by the delicious smell of the dishes, the two of them couldn't hold back any longer and quickly picked up their chopsticks to start eating.

Only after they had almost done eating did they casually start chatting.

"Qing Qing, do you remember what you asked me about before?"

"What was it?" Lin Qing couldn’t recall immediately.

"It’s about that comrade who traded places with Zheng Ruoyun—she’s already started work."

"Man or woman?"

"Woman."

"Oh! But why would a woman suddenly decide to come here?" The capital was way more developed than their place, a place many people dreamed of and were curious about. Why would anyone willingly leave?

Fu Huihui shrugged, just as puzzled. "She already finished the paperwork this morning and started working at the Women’s Federation today!"

"What did she do before? Is she only taking over Zheng Ruoyun’s work now?"

"She used to work in publicity at her previous factory, but our PR department is already fully staffed, so she had no choice but to take Zheng Ruoyun’s position."

"Hmm..."

...

Neither of them expected that right after gossiping about her, they would run into her on their way out after lunch.

Fu Huihui leaned closer to Lin Qing and whispered, "Qing Qing, look, that’s Comrade Liu Qingqing over there."

Lin Qing looked over and—well, at that moment, she suddenly didn’t know what to say for a moment.

She had seen this woman once before. They had a brief run-in.

She wasn’t sure if the other woman remembered her, but she had a rather strong impression of her.

This...

"Qing Qing, what’s wrong?"

"N-nothing. Just a bit too full. Let’s walk slower."

"Sure!" Fu Huihui, weighed down by her pregnancy, didn’t refuse the suggestion.

Liu Qingqing also noticed Lin Qing—it was hard not to, given how strikingly beautiful Lin Qing was, her porcelain skin practically glowing. She stood out instantly.

Her?

What a coincidence!

However, Liu Qingqing didn’t pushily go over. Besides, she wasn’t planning to anyway for now.

When she made up her mind to come here, she had already decided to play the long game.

Time was on her side.

...

In the afternoon, when it was time to get off work, Lin Qing didn’t wait for Cen Xi, knowing he would have to work overtime again today. Without waiting for him, she headed home alone.

She didn’t expect to witness a wildly coincidental run-in on the way—the same man and woman she had seen just the day before met at the corner of an alley ahead.

From Lin Qing’s perspective, Jin Jianbing rushed out from the other side and happened to bump into Zhang Mengting, who was walking ahead of her, at the corner.

“Sorry, sorry! Did I hurt you?” Jin Jianbing kept apologizing, then looked up as if suddenly recognizing her and exclaimed in surprise, “Comrade Zhang, no way! Fancy meeting you here!”

The woman was in a hurry to leave and couldn’t be bothered to engage with him, but the man wouldn’t let her pass.

“What do you want?”

Jin Jianbing put on a bashful act and said, “Heh! Comrade Zhang, I just wanted to get to know you!”

The woman rolled her eyes and bluntly replied, “Get over yourself! I don’t want to know you. Move aside!”

The man didn’t expect Zhang Mengting to be so dismissive and stood there, stunned. Seizing the opportunity, Zhang Mengting walked around him and left.

After she was gone, his expression turned thunderous.

Lin Qing paused for a moment but then continued walking at the same pace, without so much as a glance.

Once she finally passed Jin Jianbing, she let out a sigh of relief. She had been worried that a man with such a sudden change in mood might lash out at passersby.

When Lin Qing returned to the courtyard, she noticed it seemed unusually buzzing today.

After exchanging nods with the others in the yard, she went inside.

“Mom, why is it so lively in the courtyard? What are they talking about?”

“Huh? Oh, them? Probably discussing Zhang Mengyun’s pregnancy!”

“What? She’s pregnant? Jin Jianhua’s?”

“If not his, then whose? I heard it’s already a month along!”

“Well, he’s quite lucky.” Lin Qing hadn’t expected Jin Jianhua, who was facing heirlessness, to suddenly receive such a miracle.

“Very lucky indeed. Compared to him, Zhou Qin got the short end of the stick!” Mother Lin sighed, shaking her head as she thought of Zhou Qin, who had also got busted the same way.

“Mom, didn’t the doctor say Zhou Qin still has a chance of having children?”

“That’s just a possibility! Before it happens, it’s only a possibility. Only when it actually happens can people truly feel at ease!”

“...” Lin Qing nodded—fair point.

She glanced outside and saw Qin Xianglian returning, quietly sneaking a peek. Tsk, typical, she went to the Zhou family again.

By now, the gossip mill about Zhou Qin and Qin Xianglian had long been churning.

But Qin Xianglian claimed she was worried Zhou Qin might snap and was only there to comfort and talk him off the ledge.

Even though she said so, who was she fooling?

"Mom! Do you think Qin Xianglian and Zhou Qin will get together?"

Lin's mother replied with a hint of complexity, "Zhou Qin probably really wants to, but Qin Xianglian likely doesn’t have that intention."

"Oh! She only wants Zhou Qin’s money and benefits, not the man himself."

Lin’s mother was right. Zhou Qin indeed wanted to be with Qin Xianglian. He had brought it up the minute his divorce was final.

However, Qin Xianglian would never agree to marry a eunuch. Even if the doctor said he might still work, she wasn’t willing to take that risk.

Today, Zhou Qin brought it up yet again.

Qin Xianglian gently refused, "Qin, please don’t mention this again. I know you’re only saying such foolish talk because Wang Qiaomei hurt you. I understand."

"Sister Lian!"

Qin Xianglian looked at him with feigned tenderness, "Don’t say anymore! I’m not worthy of you! You’re so wonderful—you deserve someone far better than me!"

"Hehe!" Zhou Qin, flattered by her words, took them to heart. "Sister Lian, you truly are my confidante. Alright, I understand your decision. I’ll abide by it."

Qin Xianglian lowered her eyes and subtly rolled her eyes: I just dished out a few compliments, and you actually believed them?

Any self-awareness at all?

As it turned out, he really didn't have any.

After staying away for over a month, in March, both Zhou Qin and Jin Jianhua returned to work at the factory.

The day they went back to work, they once again became the center of attention.

Originally, Zhou Qin should have returned to work much earlier than Jin Jianhua. But Zhou Qin didn’t want to be gawked at, so he waited until Jin Jianhua also went back before returning himself.

Of course, the two didn’t go together. With their bad blood, how could they coexist peacefully?

They went to the factory separately.