About an hour later, Shen Qingqiu finally finished all the paperwork.
"Is everything taken care of?"
Shen Qingqiu nodded. "He said it would take one to two business days. I hope it gets done quickly."
"There’s no rush anyway. Just relax."
"But I’m afraid you’ll have to put up with some hardship tonight."
"What hardship?"
"You’ve seen what this town is like. There are no decent hotels. The best place is a small inn, and even its conditions are pretty average."
Shen Qingqiu looked at Lin Jiang apologetically. "If it’s really too much, we can go back to the city. Heyang is just over 50 kilometers from here, and the accommodations there are pretty good."
"I already told you, I’m not the pampered type. If I really cared about that stuff, I wouldn’t have come with you."
"But I still feel like I’m putting you out."
Her face was filled with apology, but she didn’t know how to express it, making her seem all twisted up inside.
"What’s there to feel bad about? Don’t worry about it," Lin Jiang said. "Do you have any other plans? Since you’re back, shouldn’t you go visit your aunt?"
"Yeah, my aunt just called me," Shen Qingqiu said. "Wait for me for a bit. I’ll just go in and spend some time with them, then I’ll be right out."
"Alright, no rush."
At Shen Qingqiu’s direction, Lin Jiang drove to her aunt’s house, a one-story home in town.
It was similar to his own home—a large brick house with a yard...
From the outside, it looked very clean and tidy. You could tell that while her aunt’s family wasn’t wealthy, they were comfortably well-off.
"Drive a little further ahead."
"What for?"
"There’s a small market up ahead that sells fruit. I want to buy them something."
"I already bought some for you. It’s in the trunk. You can just take it over."
"You already bought some?"
Shen Qingqiu stared at Lin Jiang in surprise, her expression a little cute.
"I figured you’d want to visit your aunt. While you were taking care of the paperwork, I had nothing to do, so I bought some things for you."
[You have gained favorability with NPC Shen Qingqiu. Affinity +10]
[Affinity: 70]
[Reward: 1,000,000 in dedicated NPC development funds. It has been deposited into your account.]
In some ways, Shen Qingqiu and Chen Jingxian were quite similar.
Spending money on them didn’t increase Affinity. Instead, you had to put in effort in other areas to build it up.
Shen Qingqiu looked at Lin Jiang, her big, watery eyes welling up with glistening tears.
"Don’t say anything. Get out and help me with the gifts."
Not giving Shen Qingqiu a chance to speak, Lin Jiang got out of the car first and opened the trunk.
"Come on, help me with the gifts. What are you spacing out for?"
Lin Jiang took the items out, then glanced back at Shen Qingqiu, only to find her secretly wiping away tears.
"You’re a grown woman, what are you crying for? Anyone who didn’t know better would think I was terminally ill."
"Don’t say such unlucky things."
"Then help me with the gifts. If your aunt sees this, she’ll think I’m bullying you."
She quietly wiped her tears. Luckily, she wasn’t wearing heavy makeup, or it would have been ruined.
Shen Qingqiu carried the tea, liquor, and cigarettes, while Lin Jiang carried the fruit. But they didn’t bring them inside, instead placing them by the main gate.
If her family saw him, they would definitely insist he come inside.
Lin Jiang didn’t want to get involved. He was an outsider, and his presence would make them feel reserved. He put the things by the gate and prepared to leave.
"Lele."
Just then, a voice called out from the yard.
Lin Jiang saw a middle-aged couple walk out of the house. Their faces were wreathed in smiles as they trotted over.
Lin Jiang had a faint impression of the middle-aged woman. It was Shen Qingqiu’s aunt.
When Shen Qingqiu’s mother was hospitalized, her aunt was the one who took care of her because Qingqiu was busy with work. That was no small debt of gratitude.
Seeing Shen Qingqiu, her aunt grabbed her hands, her own eyes glistening with tears.
It seemed she was thinking of her older sister, and also pitying Shen Qingqiu’s fate.
But because Lin Jiang was there, the couple didn’t say too much to Shen Qingqiu.
"Look at you, bringing your boyfriend home! Come, come, quickly, inside."
Evidently, Shen Qingqiu’s aunt had forgotten that she had met Lin Jiang once before.
"Aunt, Uncle, please don’t misunderstand. He’s my friend. He just gave me a ride here today," Shen Qingqiu explained.
"That’s no way to talk. He drove you all the way here, and you still say he’s just a friend."
Shen Qingqiu’s aunt was very enthusiastic. "Friend or boyfriend, it doesn’t matter. Now that you’re here, there’s no reason to leave. Hurry inside and have a seat. Dinner’s almost ready."
Lin Jiang glanced at Shen Qingqiu, who said tentatively, "Then... maybe we can go in for a little while?"
Lin Jiang nodded. Since Shen Qingqiu had said so, it would be rude not to comply.
The two of them carried the gifts inside. Shen Qingqiu’s uncle said:
"You’re already home, why buy all these things?"
"He’s the one who bought them," Shen Qingqiu said.
"And you still say he’s not your boyfriend? You’re old enough now, it’s normal to have one."
Shen Qingqiu didn’t say anything more. ’If that’s what they want to think, no explanation will work anyway.’
Because it was a self-built house, it was quite spacious. The layout mimicked that of a multi-story building, with a total of three rooms.
One of the bedrooms had a small, heated kang bed, with a lazy cat lying on it. The other two rooms had regular beds, a very common feature in the north.
It was very warm inside the house. After coming in, Lin Jiang and Shen Qingqiu took off their coats.
Shen Qingqiu’s aunt was very thoughtful, taking both of their coats and hanging them on a rack.
There was fruit laid out on the coffee table in the living room, clearly prepared for Shen Qingqiu.
"Xiaojiang, have a seat for a moment. The food is ready, I’ll bring it out now so we can eat," Shen Qingqiu’s aunt said.
The couple went to the kitchen. They had made over a dozen dishes in total, which they brought out one after another.
Although the presentation wasn’t the best, every single one was what you’d call a "hard dish"—substantial and hearty.
Shen Qingqiu’s uncle took out a bottle of local baijiu.
"Xiaojiang, can you drink?"
"Uncle, he has to drive later."
"Drive? It’s already so late. You two are still planning to go out later?"
"We still need to find a place to stay, so he shouldn’t drink."
"You’re already home, why would you go stay somewhere else?" her aunt chimed in. "You and Xiaojiang can stay here tonight. Your uncle and I will stay next door."
When they were coming in, Lin Jiang had noticed a small, earthen-brick house next door. It looked quite old.
Lin Jiang had more or less grown up in the countryside. In situations like this, it was usually a house left behind by the older generation.
Their children grew up and built new houses, and after the elders passed away, the old house was left vacant.
"Is that house still livable?" Shen Qingqiu asked.
"Of course it is! It’s a little rundown, but once you get the fire going, it’s even more comfortable than this place."
"That’s too much trouble for you. I shouldn’t stay here," Lin Jiang said politely.
"We’re all family, what trouble could it be?" Shen Qingqiu’s aunt said. "You’re both from the city, so you probably aren’t used to a house like this. But the few inns in town aren’t very good, and they get terribly cold in the winter. It’s not as comfortable as sleeping at home. Just stay here tonight."
Shen Qingqiu’s aunt and uncle were so insistent that it was hard to refuse, so Lin Jiang didn’t say anything more.
’If I keep refusing, they might think I look down on their home, and that wouldn’t be good.’
"Come on, let’s eat first."
Shen Qingqiu’s uncle opened the baijiu. Seeing that Lin Jiang didn’t object, he guessed the young man could probably hold his liquor.
During the meal, Lin Jiang learned that Shen Qingqiu’s aunt also had a son who, after graduating with a master’s degree, had passed the civil service exam and was working in the provincial capital. The family didn’t have any major worries.
When they were nearly finished eating, Shen Qingqiu and her aunt left the table to go chat on the sofa.
As they talked, they started wiping away tears. ’They must be talking about her mother.’
"Xiaojiang, you two keep eating. We’re going next door to light the kang."
"Do you need any help?" Lin Jiang asked politely.
"No, no, you two just eat. Make yourselves at home here, don’t be so formal."
Lin Jiang smiled and nodded as Shen Qingqiu left with her aunt.
"Uncle, Shen Ziquan hasn’t come by recently, has he?"

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