Reborn in the 1980s: Recapture My Devoted Husband-Chapter 536 - 522: Face

Zhang Dan didn’t know them, but Liang Weixiang did. Back before she got married, Liang Weixiang used to play quite well with Qiu Hualan for a while. Ever since Qiu Hualan’s incident, Liang Weixiang seldom interacted with her, and both eventually married. When she occasionally visited her mother’s home, they would greet each other.

"Ah Xiang?"

"Lan Hua?"

Meeting here was an unexpected encounter for both Qiu Hualan and Liang Weixiang.

In Liang Weixiang’s understanding, Qiu Hualan probably wouldn’t travel far in her life, all because of her frequently drunk husband.

Over here, Qiu Hualan hadn’t expected to see Liang Weixiang either, especially as a neighbor. Wasn’t she supposed to be near Liang Hongmei?

Qiu Hualan panicked for a moment; if Liang Weixiang discovered her daughter’s unwed pregnancy and having a child outside, it surely couldn’t be hidden once back.

Qiu Hualan fretted briefly, then recalled what her daughter had told her, quickly putting on a smile.

"Ah Xiang, is this your daughter? What brings you here?"

"Oh, didn’t Hongmei just strike it rich? I brought my kid here to do some odd jobs for her family, hoping to earn some money to take back. But who’d have thought? People change with money."

"What’s happened?"

"Oh, don’t mention it, family scandals shouldn’t be broadcasted."

During New Year, the mother-daughter duo spoke quite a bit about Liang Hongmei, despite Qiu Hualan enduring quietly over the years, she rarely inquired into others’ matters.

"Lan Hua, who is this child?" Liang Weixiang was most curious why Qiu Hualan came to S City.

"My nephew, Ah Qing’s son." "Ah Qing’s?" Liang Weixiang felt as if she’d swallowed a time bomb; everyone in the village knew Ye Qing got into college, surely should be studying now, how did she have such a big child?

Qiu Hualan expected their reaction, awkwardly smiled and said, "Ah Qing got involved with someone capable here, helped arrange a job, and they married last year."

"How come such a big thing wasn’t heard of, isn’t Ah Qing that kid supposed to be in school?"

"The child feared we’d disagree, so didn’t tell the family. Isn’t it only now, with the child, she told us. They’re both busy, couldn’t help but let me come over. Ah Qing, isn’t about to graduate soon, this year... what was it... half studying, half working. I don’t quite understand the university matters."

Upon hearing Ye Qing married someone capable, a smile immediately spread on Liang Weixiang’s face, stepping forward to warmly grab Qiu Hualan, teasing the child saying, "This child is really chubby and blessed, Ah Qing is a filial one, having you here is great, saves you from home troubles."

"Indeed," Qiu Hualan felt slightly uneasy talking about home.

"Rare for us sisters to meet here, now living as neighbors, how about having dinner together tonight, I’ll cook some at home."

"Alright," rare to meet a fellow countrywoman, Qiu Hualan was delighted.

"Sure, it’s settled then, my son is taking Dan Dan out to run errands, he’ll return soon and find you."

"Alright, you go ahead."

They exchanged pleasantries, about to part, a fat woman approached Zhang Dan insisting, "Comrade, it’s time for your rent. Since we meet today, pay me directly."

Zhang Dan was stunned by the fat woman’s words, momentarily failing to grasp it was directed at her. She looked around, pointing at herself, "Are you talking to me?"

"Yes, who else but you?"

"Auntie, you must be mistaken, this house was rented by my cousin who said she paid for a year."

"Who are you calling auntie? I’m just twenty-seven." The fat woman detested being called ’auntie,’ her chest was large, and before marriage, neighbors jokingly nicknamed her ’big auntie.’

"Your cousin paid for a year, hasn’t a year passed, when you moved in last year, she found me, now the house is for you to live in, you handle the rent, a total of 15 yuan."

"I had no idea, she never told me, but isn’t your charge too high, fifteen, why don’t you go rob!" Zhang Dan was astonished to find her cousin secretly undermining her.

"This house is near the city center, comes with a small yard, already a low price. I don’t get involved in your matters with your cousin; she told me rent was up, asking me to collect from you, hurry up, I’ve things to do." The fat woman spoke abruptly, feeling guilty. Previously, she charged Lin Wan 12 a month for rent with water free, and electricity fees 7 cents per kilowatt, yet not a single kilowatt was used during billing. She found this uneconomical, thus included in the rent this time, directly adding three yuan, including electricity fees.

The maximum they used was only a few kilowatts each month anyway.

For a moment, making Liang Weixiang and the daughter lose face in front of Qiu Hualan.

Liang Weixiang was quite prestigious back home, and usually outdid Qiu Hualan in face value, she certainly couldn’t lose face today.

"Ha... Here, take it, it’s just fifteen yuan, what’s a bit of money to you." Liang Weixiang said as he pulled a wad of forty yuan from his pocket, intentionally showing off.

With a ’pop,’ she spat lightly on her fingers, counting out twelve yuan, handed to the fat woman.

The fat woman received the money, spat lightly on her fingers again and recounted it, confirmed it was right, pulled out a receipt from her pocket and gave it to Zhang Dan. After the fat woman left, Liang Weixiang merrily explained, elaborating how tough they were, strangers in a strange land without support, not forgetting to criticize Liang Hongmei’s ruthless treatment of them.

Only after Qiu Hualan believed it did they stop. The mother and daughter rode their bicycle to the department store.

The mother and daughter wandered around, inquired about fabric prices, didn’t find them cost-effective, realizing a dress’s cost would be four or five yuan. Besides buying fabric here required tickets.

After a great loop, the mother and daughter struck luck at a private shop, buying ten yards of fabric with a grey dark floral pattern, costing 23 yuan.

Liang Weixiang calculated and found they could make five or six dresses. Once they’re done, selling each for five yuan, they could profit seven or eight yuan.

Cheerful, ready to work, the mother and daughter returned home, busy cutting in the room.

Next door, Qiu Hualan bought a chicken from the market, since Liang Weixiang suggested dinner together, it couldn’t be too modest.

Now, quickly while the child napped, Qiu Hualan swifted to kill the chicken.

Ye Qing felt pretty good today, merely because Lin Yinghui was absent, rumored to have taken leave.

Ye Qing wished he’d take leave every day, better if he never returned. "Mom, are we having chicken soup today? Where’s Hua Hua?"

"Quiet, Hua Hua just fell asleep, guess whom I met today?" 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Rarely seeing a smile on her mom’s face, Ye Qing squatted by Qiu Hualan curiously asking.

"A girl from the Liang family, Liang Weixiang, you should call her aunt, she’s Lin Wan’s cousin."

Ye Qing was quite surprised, "Such coincidence, wasn’t she supposed to be with Lin Wan, where did you meet her? Did you remember my talking points?"

"Didn’t forget, introduced them as you instructed. Liang Weixiang and her daughter aren’t at Liang Hongmei’s side, based on what she told me, seems like they fell out, Liang Hongmei kicked them out."

"Fell out?" Ye Qing hadn’t expected that, "Seems that way, the whole time Liang Weixiang hinted negatively about Hongmei’s family, plus they were questioned about rent by the landlord today."

"Met here? Does she live near us?" Ye Qing got startled.

"Yes, right next door, visible from us. That’s the house." Qiu Hualan pointed forward, beyond the short yard wall where Mei Langchi used to dwell, revealing a tall yard wall.

"That house?" Ye Qing was even more surprised, "Wasn’t there a girl living there?"

"You should be talking about Liang Weixiang’s daughter."

Ye Qing realized, no wonder talking with that girl always carried a hint of familiarity in their accent.

Turns out she was Lin Wan’s cousin, lived there since last year, she wasn’t even aware, even had some unpleasant incident.

"Ah Xiang said, rare to meet here, considered fate, mentioned visiting us later, dine together to get acquainted, you haven’t met her daughter, have you? Her daughter is named Zhang Dan, two years younger than you." "Humph, with her daughter, it’s more than just meeting," Ye Qing said, then shared the story of Zhang Dan’s coal borrowing when she first moved in last year, and subsequently causing flu from cold with her child, told it all to Qiu Hualan.

"Mom, I know Liang Weixiang, her daughter is trouble, steer clear of them, you can’t outplay them, avoid them in the future, understood?"

"I know exactly what kind of people they are, since you’re unwilling to interact, after tonight’s dinner, I’ll limit our contact."