These words struck Lin Qiao’er like a slap to the face, instantly making her feel deeply humiliated. Her face flushed red.
Lin Qiao’er clenched the hem of her clothes, her head lowered as she stared at the man’s polished leather shoes and the crisply ironed linen trouser legs.
Then she glanced at her own cloth shoes, with two toes peeking out.
Besides embarrassment, a thick sense of inferiority welled up inside her. Her eyelashes fluttered.
From Zhao Moting’s attire, manner of speech, and the fact that he had a private car to pick him up, it was clear his family background was exceptionally privileged.
She and Chu Feng were merely ordinary friends who had met a few times.
They were far from discussing marriage.
Yet, this wasn’t the reason she was pursuing him.
She simply felt that Chu Feng was honest, warm-hearted, and straightforward—a friend worth having.
As for whether anything could develop between them, that would depend on fate.
Nothing had even started yet, and here his older brother was already trying to break them apart.
Suisui: “Mommy, don’t be sad. Suisui is super awesome and will definitely make Mommy super, super rich.”
Suisui put her hands on her hips. “Daddy is so mean, hmph! Let’s ignore him.”
Hearing this, Lin Qiao’er felt much better.
She still had Suisui. Once Suisui was born, she would have a blood-related family member.
For now, the most important thing was to establish herself in Shanghai and ensure Suisui wouldn’t go hungry after birth.
Her gaze fell on Zhao Moting.
What a hypocritical scoundrel.
So what if he came from a scholarly family? He was still the one who had sullied her reputation and done that beastly thing to her.
The more Lin Qiao’er thought about it, the angrier she became. Only one thought kept circling in her mind: she should have charged him with hooliganism back then.
Who cared if he was an engineer or the son of a high-ranking official?
Let him rot in jail.
That would save him from standing on his moral high ground now, accusing her of seducing him and trying to lure his brother away.
Lin Qiao’er raised her head and fearlessly met Zhao Moting’s eyes, her tone tinged with defiance. “Chu Feng’s legs are his own. Who he chooses to see is his business. Even as his family, you can’t control him, let alone an outsider like me.”
Zhao Moting stared into those clear, bright eyes, feeling a slight stir in his heart. He seemed to have seen a similar look somewhere before.
Zhao Moting fell silent for a moment. “As an outsider, it won’t be easy for you to settle down in Shanghai. If you agree to stay away from Chu Feng, I can arrange a job for you.”
In these times, women with jobs were highly sought after.
Lin Qiao’er felt deeply insulted. She clenched her fists. “I can support myself on my own.”
Zhao Moting raised an eyebrow. “If you change your mind, you can come find me.”
Just then, a voice interrupted their conversation. “Brother, Qiao’er, what are you two doing together?”
Both turned toward the sound and saw two police officers walking into the guesthouse entrance alongside Zhao Chufeng.
Zhao Moting stood up. “I was working overtime today. The unit discovered a spy, and after checking his registration records, I found he was staying here, so I came to investigate. On the way, I heard Comrade Lin calling for help and assisted in catching the thief.”
He looked at Zhao Chufeng. “But you, what are you doing wandering outside so late at night?”
Zhao Chufeng scratched his head and grinned foolishly. “I was drinking with some old classmates. When I heard you reported it to the police, I came along.”
The police took statements from Zhao Moting and Lin Qiao’er.
Lin Qiao’er shared her thoughts with the officers.
Officer Fang Wei nodded. “That is indeed a possibility. We have already filed this case and will work to apprehend the thief as soon as possible.”
Lin Qiao’er nodded, unable to suppress a yawn.
After the commotion that lasted most of the night, she was utterly exhausted.
Zhao Chufeng asked with concern, “Qiao’er, are you tired? Go back and get some sleep quickly. I’ll stand guard at the door for you.”
Zhao Moting said coldly, “Why don’t I ever see you care about me like that?”
Zhao Chufeng chuckled, “Brother, you’re a grown man. Are you really jealous of Qiao’er? You’re tall and strong—ordinary troublemakers can’t get near you. But Qiao’er is different.”
Zhao Moting was speechless. This younger brother of his was truly a hopeless romantic.
Nothing was even settled yet, and he was already rushing headlong into it.
Zhao Moting shot him a cold glance. “Come back early. On your way home, remember to buy some calcium milk biscuits for Mom.”
Zhao Chufeng agreed, “Alright, alright. Brother, you should head back now. Don’t get in the way of my business.”
Zhao Moting couldn’t bear to watch any longer and turned to leave.
Lin Qiao’er looked at Chu Feng. “You should go back too. The thief has already run off and probably won’t return.”
Zhao Chufeng grinned foolishly. “It’s fine. The guesthouse is crowded and full of prying eyes. I’ll stand guard at the door so you can sleep peacefully.”
“That’s too much trouble for you.”
Zhao Chufeng paused. “Alright then. I’ll watch you go back to your room before I feel reassured enough to leave.”
Lin Qiao’er nodded, and the two chatted idly for a while.
After bidding Chu Feng farewell, Lin Qiao’er couldn’t hold on any longer. She collapsed onto the bed and drifted into a hazy sleep.
Once Lin Qiao’er had slept enough to feel refreshed, she decided to go out and look for a place to rent.
As soon as she opened the door, she saw Zhao Chufeng leaning against the wall nearby, fast asleep, with a stubble of dark beard growing on his chin.
“Chu Feng, why haven’t you left yet?” Lin Qiao’er asked in surprise.
Zhao Chufeng ruffled his hair. “I wasn’t sure if the thief might come back. I wanted to wait until Wei Zi and the others caught him before I could feel at ease.”
Lin Qiao’er was deeply moved. “Chu Feng, thank you.”
Zhao Chufeng grinned, showing his teeth. “I should head back now. My mom is waiting for the biscuits.”
The two parted ways on the street.
The streets of Shanghai in the morning were already bustling with life.
Many people carried shoulder poles and bamboo baskets, setting up stalls to sell goods. Vegetable stalls and breakfast stands lined the streets one after another.
Vendors shouted at the top of their lungs, while buyers squatted in front of baskets, picking and choosing, creating a lively atmosphere.
Lin Qiao’er noticed an elderly woman selling tea eggs in a corner of the alley.
The old woman had graying hair and wore a blue cloth jacket. She sat quietly on a small stool, with an aluminum pot placed in front of her. The lid was half-open, and steam bubbled up steadily.
She didn’t call out or hawk her wares, yet customers came one after another.
Across from her, a middle-aged woman carried a bamboo basket and shouted at the top of her voice, “Tea eggs! Delicious tea eggs! Twenty cents each!”
But few people stopped to buy from her.
Lin Qiao’er walked up to the old woman and bent down to look at the tea eggs in the pot. The eggshells were cracked and stained a deep brown from the tea broth, emitting a faint aroma of tea.
“Granny, how much for one tea egg?”
The old woman looked up, her smile kind, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes crinkling. “Thirty cents each.”
Lin Qiao’er did a quick mental calculation and gasped inwardly.
Thirty cents.
Back in her hometown, ordinary eggs sold for just ten cents each.
The cost of living in Shanghai was truly outrageously high.
As she hesitated, the middle-aged woman approached, her face wearing an ingratiating smile, her eyes gleaming with shrewdness. “Young lady, my tea eggs are only twenty cents each. Don’t let anyone trick you. They’re the same eggs—why waste extra money?”
The old woman wasn’t upset about losing a customer. She glanced at the eggs in the middle-aged woman’s bamboo basket, smiled, and said nothing.
Lin Qiao’er also took a look.
The tea eggs in the bamboo basket had pale shells, and some were already cold, looking far from fresh.
She smiled and shook her head. “No, thank you.”
She took out thirty cents and handed it to the old woman. “Granny, I’ll take one.”
The old woman accepted the money, wrapped a tea egg in kraft paper, and handed it to her. As she wrapped it, she said, “I use good tea leaves to boil the eggs, and the eggs are fresh too, so they’re a bit more expensive.”
Lin Qiao’er took the tea egg, peeled the shell, and took a bite.
The tea fragrance was rich, the saltiness just right, the egg white tender and smooth, and the yolk flavorful.
It was truly delicious.
As she ate, she casually asked, “Granny, do you know if there are any places for rent around here?”
The old woman looked up and gave her a once-over. “Young lady, you’re looking to rent?”
“Yes,” Lin Qiao’er nodded. “I want to rent a place and start a small business.”
She was skilled in cooking. Having worked in the commune canteen for so many years and even taken charge of banquets for weddings and funerals, she figured selling some snacks should be enough to support herself and the child in her belly.
The wrinkles at the corners of the old woman’s eyes deepened with a smile. “Then you’ve asked the right person. I have a relative who’s been sent abroad for work. He has a small apartment sitting empty and has been worried about no one looking after it. Shall I take you to see it now?”
Lin Qiao’er felt a surge of joy and quickly nodded. “Yes, thank you, Granny.”
The old woman packed up her stall, covered the aluminum pot, picked up her small stool, and led Lin Qiao’er through two alleys.
Ahead stood a five-story building with gray cement walls. Someone leaned out from a balcony to brush their teeth, foam dripping down.
As they walked, the old woman explained, “This is a unit-assigned apartment for my relative. He’s done well and was sent abroad for work, so the place is just sitting empty.
It has a kitchen and a shower, but the toilet is at the end of the hallway and shared. It’s ten yuan a month, and you have to pay half a year’s rent upfront.”
Ten yuan a month.
Lin Qiao’er quickly did the math in her head. A single room at the guesthouse cost seven yuan and fifty cents a month, but that was just a bed with nothing else.
This place, at least, was a proper living space with a kitchen, making it convenient for her business.
The old woman led her up to the third floor, took out a key, and opened the door.
The apartment wasn’t large, about twenty square meters, but it was fully furnished.
There was a wooden bed, a table, two chairs, a wardrobe in the corner, and a simple stove set up by the window. Water flowed as soon as the tap was turned.
Small as a sparrow, it had all the essentials.
Lin Qiao’er stood by the window and looked down. The street was bustling with people, and in the distance, she could see the chimneys of several factories.
The location was good too. With many factories nearby, workers would likely be willing to buy some warm snacks after their shifts.
Just as she was about to say she’d take it, a child’s crying suddenly came from next door, followed by a woman’s scream and the sound of something crashing to the floor.
The old woman sighed, glanced at the neighboring door, and lowered her voice. “That family has a nasty mother-in-law. She resents her daughter-in-law for giving birth to three girls and beats or scolds her every day. That child is pitiful too.”
Lin Qiao’er frowned, hesitating.
If the child cried at night too, would she even be able to sleep?
The adorable voice of the baby in her belly chimed in again, “Mom, rent this place. Save up more money and buy the house. It’ll be worth a lot in the future.”
Lin Qiao’er was immediately convinced.
She needed to work hard and earn money to buy a house.
Lin Qiao’er nodded. “Grandma, I’ll rent this house.”
Granny Sun found a neighbor as a witness, and both parties signed the rental agreement.
Lin Qiao’er counted out fifty yuan from her inner pocket and handed it to the old woman.
The old woman counted it, tucked it into her pocket, and handed her the keys.
Lin Qiao’er looked around the slightly worn but decent house, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction and security.
She finally had a place to call home.
Suisui: “That’s great, Mom has a new home.”
Lin Qiao’er patted her belly. “Mom will definitely work hard and earn money so Suisui can settle down in Shanghai too.”
Returning to the guesthouse, she had just reached the entrance of the alley when she saw a police car parked at the door.
Two uniformed police officers stepped out of the car, guns holstered at their waists, their expressions stern.