Chapter 134 Grinding an Iron Rod into a Needle

Chapter 134: Constant Effort Yields Results

Song Xilan said casually, "What's there to be embarrassed about? If I don't get married in a few years, you'll be the ones worrying."

Song Baili replied, "If you never get married, I'll take care of you for the rest of your life!"

Tan Aizhi slapped him lightly, "Don't say such things." How could he utter such words? Even though they both thought that way, they shouldn't say it in front of their daughter!

Luckily, Xiao Jiang was a gentleman and didn't take advantage. "Alright, invite Xiao Jiang over for dinner tonight. We still have the lamb you bought earlier today!"

"Oh, right, remember to give him the money too."

"Do I still have to give it? I thought I already returned the favor?" She wasn't being cheap; she just felt that Jiang Chengxiao would be upset, and she didn't want to face an unhappy Jiang Chengxiao.

Even though he wouldn't lose his temper with her, she still felt guilty.

"What's a photo worth? How can you say you've returned the favor?"

Song Xilan suddenly remembered, "I also gave him a bicycle coupon!"

"Where did you get a bicycle coupon?"

Song Xilan finally pulled out the stack of tickets, "I won it in a raffle."

Song Baili and Tan Aizhi were also surprised by their daughter's good luck, but that didn't mean she could skip giving Jiang Chengxiao the money. "That's just right. Give him the money, and he can buy a new bicycle."

Song Xilan said reluctantly, "Fine!"

The TV coupon was of no use to the family, so Tan Aizhi spread the word, and it was quickly sold for a good price.

TV coupons were in high demand at the time.

The money from the sale was used to improve the family's daily life.

That evening, Jiang Chengxiao happily joined the Song family for dinner, enjoying stir-fried lamb with scallions and braised lamb tail.

The stir-fried lamb was made following a recipe Song Xilan had learned from a cookbook, where the lamb was sliced, coated, and then stir-fried to lock in the nutrients and moisture, resulting in a tender and smooth texture.

The lamb tail, with its chewy meat and crispy bones, was rich in fat. After braising, each bite was rich and savory.

After dinner, he even insisted on helping with the dishes, washing them alongside Song Xilan in the kitchen.

He felt like he was slowly integrating into the family. It was like the saying, "Constant dripping wears away the stone," or "Constant effort yields results."

Because of his family background, Uncle Song still couldn't fully accept him, but as long as he kept working at it, one day he would truly become a part of this family.

But soon, his smile disappeared.

Song Xilan handed him an envelope full of cash, "My mom told me to give this to you. It's the money for the things you bought me."

Jiang Chengxiao felt his heart sink. All the joy he had felt earlier vanished in an instant. Forget about becoming part of the family—they still saw him as an outsider!

Song Xilan watched his expression carefully, "Don't be upset. They're not singling you out. No matter who it was, they wouldn't let me accept such expensive gifts without reason. I really do like those things, though."

Jiang Chengxiao tried to suppress his emotions and forced a smile, "It's fine, I understand. If I had a daughter in the future, I wouldn't let her accept gifts from just any guy either."

The battle wasn't over; he still had work to do.

For the next two days, Jiang Chengxiao was still on break, but Song Xilan had to work. He didn't go to see her during the day, staying in his dorm to rest, clean up, and organize his things.

Suddenly, there was a cry of surprise from next door, followed by a crisp shattering sound, as if something made of glass or ceramic had broken.

As a former soldier, his body moved faster than his mind could process. Before he could even think, he had already rushed out and ran to the door of the next room: "What happened?"

He saw a young woman standing on a stepladder in the middle of the room, with a broken light bulb on the floor and shards of glass scattered everywhere.

The woman seemed a little embarrassed and said, "The bulb here blew out, and I wanted to replace it. I just unscrewed the old bulb but accidentally dropped it, shattering it on the floor."

Jiang Chengxiao noticed that she was probably in her own dormitory, wearing only slippers, so he said, "Stay still, watch out for the broken glass."

He went back to his own dormitory next door, grabbed a broom and dustpan, and carefully swept up the broken glass on the floor: "The glass shards might not all be picked up, so you should be careful in the next few days. If you have any leftover soap, you can use it to wipe the floor; it’ll pick up the tiny glass bits."

The woman looked grateful and said, "Thank you so much! Are you the new neighbor next door?"

"Yes, my name is Jiang Chengxiao. I just moved in but haven’t had the chance to introduce myself yet. I went on a business trip right after."

"My name is Zhang Wenshan. I heard about you—the new neighbor is an exceptionally talented young man who speaks English very well. Our leader specifically brought you over from another unit. You just joined and were immediately assigned to work with experienced experts on an important overseas project. That’s amazing! Meeting you today, I see you’re not just great at work but also really kind. Thank you so much."

"No problem. We’re neighbors, after all."

Jiang Chengxiao finished sweeping up the glass shards and placed the broom and dustpan by the door: "You’re good to come down now. Where's the new bulb? Let me help you install it."

Zhang Wenshan said gratefully, "It's here. Thank you."

Jiang Chengxiao quickly climbed up and screwed in the bulb, then asked her to pull the cord to check if it worked. After confirming there were no issues, he jumped down from the ladder: "All set. In the future, for things like this, just ask one of the guys for help."

"I hate to bother others."

"It’s no trouble at all. I’m sure the guys in our unit would be happy to help."

Zhang Wenshan smiled and said, "Since you say so, I won’t be polite. Could you help me return the ladder? I borrowed it from the security office."

"No problem." Jiang Chengxiao picked up the ladder and walked off. The wooden ladder was indeed a bit heavy for a woman, but for him, it was nothing—he didn’t even furrow his brow when lifting it.

Zhang Wenshan watched his tall frame and smiled, a look of determination on her face.

She had lied when she said it was her first time seeing Jiang Chengxiao.

In fact, she had seen him a month ago when he first moved in. At first sight, she was struck by his handsomeness—such a good-looking young man.

Just one glance at him made her blush and her heart race.