With Shen Qingqiu gone, Lin Jiang took the opportunity to ask about something that concerned him.
"He doesn’t dare come to my place. If he did, I definitely wouldn’t put up with his nonsense."
Shen Qingqiu’s uncle sighed. "What I’m worried about now is him finding his way to Zhonghai. If he goes and causes a scene at Lele’s workplace, she’ll lose her job for sure."
"He came by twice, but I sent him packing both times. He hasn’t been back since. I don’t think he dares to."
"You’re not bad, kid."
Shen Qingqiu’s uncle smiled and raised his glass. "Have a drink."
Lin Jiang lowered the rim of his glass to clink with his.
"Is he still gambling?"
Lin Jiang knew the nature of gambling addicts. Getting them to quit wasn’t an easy task.
"I hear he’s still at it, but I don’t know the specifics. Lele is going to be living in Zhonghai from now on, so we’ve cut ties with him. I don’t really care about his business anymore."
The alcohol had made the uncle more emotional. The moment Shen Ziquan was mentioned, his face filled with impatience and disgust.
"Pardon my language, but if he dropped dead right now, we wouldn’t even spare him a glance. What a shame. My older sister was such a good person, completely wasted on him."
The uncle sighed and shook his head. "If she’d just stayed healthy and lived a few more years, she could have gone to Zhonghai with Lele to enjoy a comfortable life."
"Life is unpredictable. At least Qingqiu has moved on from it."
"True, that’s a good thing. We’re happy for her too," the uncle said.
"In all these years, forget bringing a boy home, we’ve never even seen her get this close to any guy."
Having had a few drinks, Shen Qingqiu’s uncle was starting to feel it.
"We’ve been chatting for a while now, from dinner until now. I get the feeling you’re a good young man. You have to treat our Lele well in the future. Her mother is gone, so we’re the only family she has on her mom’s side. If anything comes up, you just tell us."
"We’re doing great. You don’t have to worry, Uncle."
"Lele’s had a rough life. You absolutely have to be good to her."
"Yes, I know..."
The first half of the drinking session was full of idle chatter about anything and everything, but the second half revolved almost entirely around Shen Qingqiu.
Shen Qingqiu’s uncle wasn’t a blood relative, but he kept reminding Lin Jiang to be good to her, repeating himself no less than ten times. It was clear that both he and his wife hoped for Shen Qingqiu to have a good future.
The couple treated Shen Qingqiu so well because when they first got married, they were desperately poor. It was only with the help of Shen Qingqiu’s mother that their lives gradually improved.
But Shen Ziquan’s gambling spiraled out of control, his bets getting bigger and his behavior wilder. Their lives went from bad to worse, leading to the situation they were in today.
Around nine in the evening, Shen Qingqiu and her aunt returned, looking as though they’d had a long, heart-to-heart talk.
"Xiaojiang, did you eat well?"
"It was great. The stewed chicken and fish were delicious."
"If you liked it, I’ll make it for you again tomorrow," Shen Qingqiu’s aunt said.
"Just leave everything here, don’t worry about it. Lele, take Xiaojiang to get some rest."
"Okay."
Shen Qingqiu’s aunt and uncle went to the adjacent house, giving the two of them some space.
"You’ve probably never slept on a heated kang bed, have you? Want to try it out tonight?"
"The room with the kang bed must be the master bedroom, right? It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to sleep there. You should take it."
"It’s fine. My aunt’s family isn’t that formal. You can sleep wherever you want," Shen Qingqiu said.
"Still, we should be considerate."
"Alright, then. I’ll take you to go wash up."
Shen Qingqiu opened her suitcase and took out the toiletries she had prepared for Lin Jiang.
"You go wash up. I’ll make the bed for you."
"Okay."
In recent years, with the country’s economic development and better policies, even single-story houses like this one had indoor toilets installed for free by the town, which made things much more convenient.
After he finished washing up, the bed was already made.
"You’ve been drinking, so you should lie down for a bit. You’ll feel more comfortable," Shen Qingqiu said considerately.
"Okay."
With that word of advice, Shen Qingqiu left.
Lin Jiang lay on the bed for a moment before slipping under the covers. The faint, fresh scent of laundry detergent instantly made him feel at home.
Just then, footsteps approached. Shen Qingqiu appeared at the door, peeking her head in first. Only after seeing that Lin Jiang was already in bed did she dare to walk inside.
She had changed out of her dressier clothes and was now wearing a loose-fitting slip dress, giving off a comfortable, at-home vibe.
"You were drinking. Are you feeling unwell?"
"I’m fine. This much alcohol is nothing to me."
"Is it cold under the covers? I can add some more coal for you."
"No, don’t. The temperature is perfect. The winters in the south are practically unlivable by comparison."
"That’s true. When I was in college in Zhonghai, it took me a long time to get used to it."
Walking to the side of the bed, Shen Qingqiu knelt and tucked the blankets in for Lin Jiang.
"I actually really wanted you to sleep on the kang bed. I wanted you to experience it, since it’s a northern specialty."
"If you’re sincerely inviting me, I wouldn’t mind sleeping on the kang bed with you for a night."
"Get out of here." Shen Qingqiu was flustered by his words.
"I meant you sleep on the kang bed, and I’ll sleep on the regular bed. It’s especially good for people with bad backs. You feel great the next day."
"It sounds like you’re subtly implying my back is bad. You can’t just insult people like that," Lin Jiang teased.
"I didn’t! That’s not what I meant at all."
’It’s always fun to tease Shen Qingqiu.’
"From the looks of it, I probably won’t be able to leave tomorrow either. I could sleep in the earthen house next door and get the full experience."
"No way. My aunt and uncle would never let you sleep there. That would be rude," Shen Qingqiu said.
"You drank today, so get to sleep early. I’ll take you out for a walk tomorrow."

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