Chapter 34 The Thirty-Fourth Day of Not Running Away The Thirty-Fourth Day of Not Running Away...

Chapter 34 The Thirty-Fourth Day of Not Running Away The Thirty-Fourth Day of Not Running Away...

Jiang Zihan's arrival was like a thunderclap, shaking the entire alleyway.

She grew up in this tiny shantytown, so she knew all too well how gossipy the neighbors were. They could talk about something as trivial as someone losing eggs for four or five days straight, let alone Jiang Zihan, who had returned in triumph.

"Drink some water." Jiang's mother poured a cup of water from the thermos for Jiang Zihan.

Jiang Zihan picked up the cup, took a sip, and found it somewhat bitter. Upon closer inspection, she noticed some white, frosty-like substance floating in the plain water, resembling limescale.

She subtly put down her cup. "Mom, why isn't Dad back yet?"

"It's still early. You have no idea how busy your dad is these days, running around repairing appliances for people." Jiang's mother said, a hint of pride on her face.

Mr. Jiang was an electrician at the factory. In the past, this job was a guaranteed income, with a fixed salary at the end of the year. But things have changed in recent years. With more and more people using home appliances, there are more times when they need to be repaired. Sending them back to the appliance factory to be repaired would take forever, not to mention the possibility of parts being secretly removed. Mr. Jiang has a bit of a business sense, so he actively seeks out this kind of work. Over time, he has built up a good reputation.

"Zihan, you don't know, your dad earns a lot of money now. Your family's TV was earned by your dad."

My neighbor, Aunt Zhang, was holding sunflower seeds in her hand, standing on the threshold, cracking them open as she talked.

Jiang's mother smiled and said, "How can we compare to your family? Your son, Xiao Li, got into university and is now working. That's true happiness."

"Oh dear, my family is nothing special. College graduates are worthless these days." Aunt Zhang said this, but her face was already beaming with joy.

As she spoke, she sized up Jiang Zihan with her eyes wide open. "Zihan, I heard you went to Beijing. What, did you make a fortune? You bought so many things, and they don't look cheap at all."

Jiang Zihan knew about the neighbors' gossip, especially since she hadn't been back for many years and had brought so many good things with her. If she didn't give an explanation, rumors would probably be flying everywhere tomorrow.

"I made some money selling clothes in Beijing. Now I work as a secretary for a female boss. She's generous, but I wouldn't dare say I've made a fortune. I'm just barely making ends meet."

"Sigh, we're barely making ends meet. You're such a troublemaker," said Aunt Zhang from downstairs at the window. "Look at your coat. There's a similar one at the Friendship Store, and it costs at least five or six hundred."

"Five or six hundred? This girl has really struck it rich."

“The Jiang family girl is a good person. I’ve always said she’s beautiful and will definitely amount to something in the future.”

When Mr. Jiang and his eldest son, Jiang Zixiao, returned home, they saw that their doorway was crowded with people. When they went over, they saw Jiang Zihan sitting in the living room.

"Dad, eldest brother, sister-in-law," Jiang Zihan said, standing up to greet them, a little nervous.

The older sister-in-law looked her up and down, almost unable to recognize her.

Father Jiang hummed in agreement. He instructed Jiang Zixiao to take the tools back to the factory, then dismissed everyone before going inside to sit down.

People still gave Mr. Jiang some face, after all, he would help fix any water or electricity problems in the alley without asking for money.

"Dad—" Jiang Zihan wasn't afraid of anyone at home, but she was most afraid of her own father.

She stood up, her hand resting on the table, somewhat uneasy.

Father Jiang sat down, picked up the enamel mug, and gulped down a cup of water without saying a word.

Seeing the atmosphere become tense, the sister-in-law smiled and tried to smooth things over, pointing to the items on the cabinet next to her, "These are things my younger sister brought back. Are they specialties from Beijing?"

Jiang Zihan hurriedly took out the items, gesturing to each one, "I bought a sweater for Mom, sister-in-law, and second sister. It comes in red, white, and gray. You can choose whichever you like. These crayons and toys are for the children. I also bought a watch—"

"Is this a quartz watch?" the sister-in-law exclaimed in surprise. Jiang Zihan had bought many watches; she had bought one for everyone in the family except for the children.

Seeing her eldest daughter-in-law's surprise, Jiang's mother asked with concern, "What kind of watch is this? Is it expensive?"

The eldest sister-in-law said, "Mom, this is not cheap. A watch like this costs more than 500 here. Our workshop foreman has one, and he treasures it so much that he won't let anyone touch it."

"Oh dear, these are so expensive, Zihan, how much did you spend on all this?" Jiang's mother said with heartache. "You're just coming home, why bring so much stuff? We're not strangers."

The eldest sister-in-law muttered to herself that her mother-in-law still favored her younger sister-in-law as always. If she came back from her parents' home empty-handed, her mother-in-law would not be happy. This younger sister-in-law had been gone for more than two years, causing the family to live in fear. Now that she was back, if she did not bring something, would she even be considered a human being?

"Return all of these!" Mr. Jiang said sternly, looking at the gifts with a grim expression. "How much money can you possibly make? You're just trying to put on a show. I told you before, our family is poor, we should be honest and hardworking, and not be overly ambitious. And you certainly shouldn't do anything shameful for money!"

Although Jiang's father tried his best to lower his voice, Jiang Zihan could hear him clearly.

After she understood what Mr. Jiang had said, her face turned bright red, and she stomped her foot angrily, "When have I ever done anything shameful? These things came from an honest source. If you don't believe me, I'll take you to see my boss!"

"Oh dear, stop arguing, or people will laugh at us." Jiang's mother was concerned about her reputation and also felt sorry for her daughter, so she quickly tried to smooth things over.

"Oh my, what's going on? My husband and I are late, and it's already so lively?" Second Sister Jiang Ziling returned with her husband Zhang Chunpeng.

The couple opened the door and immediately smelled a strong gunpowder odor in the air.

When Jiang Zihan saw her second sister, she sniffed and called out, "Second sister, second brother-in-law."

Half an hour later.

Jiang Zihan then explained to her family what she had experienced after leaving home and her current situation.

When the sister-in-law heard that Jiang Zihan earned a thousand a month, her eyes practically lit up.

It's difficult for state-owned enterprises to raise wages, especially since my sister-in-law is working as a temporary worker and only earns fifty or sixty yuan a month so far.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have gone to work as her father-in-law's assistant, helping him earn money.

"So, your boss is quite something?" Jiang Ziling asked with concern. "What kind of business does he run?"

Jiang Zihan said, "I don't know either, it seems to be related to stock trading."

“Staying at the Jinjiang Hotel and investing in stocks, that’s no ordinary person.” Zhang Chunpeng sighed and looked his sister-in-law up and down. When Jiang Zihan ran away from home, Zhang Chunpeng thought his sister-in-law must have lost her mind.

In those times, even a grown man wouldn't dare to go out casually. This little girl was so beautiful and pretty; if she went anywhere, it would be like a child carrying gold in the marketplace.

Unexpectedly, I had such good luck.

"Your boss treats you so well, you'd better do your best," Jiang's mother said with concern. "How about we treat him to a meal?"

After she finished speaking, she looked at Jiang's father, eldest son, daughter-in-law, and others.

But to her surprise, Mr. Jiang remained silent.

The daughter-in-law and second daughter both said in unison, "Absolutely not."

"Why not?" Jiang's mother asked, puzzled. "We're inviting the boss over for dinner, so we can show off our skills and show our friendship."

The elder sister-in-law remained silent.

Jiang Ziling glanced at her sister-in-law, then stroked the quartz watch on her wrist. "Mom, look at our family's situation. This place is so small, how could we possibly invite a big boss over? Wouldn't that be embarrassing for our sister?"

“How is it shameful? We don’t believe that big boss is so condescending.” Mr. Jiang was somewhat embarrassed and annoyed. “Do you think it’s easy to have a place like this in Shanghai?”

"Dad, what era are we living in? Do you still think this is old news, that the poorer you are, the more desirable you are?" Jiang Ziling said, somewhat speechless.

Her dad is good in every way, except that he's sometimes too proud and concerned about his image. Being poor is being poor, there's no point in hiding it.

Do you think people wouldn't know about their family situation just because they live in a remote area?

“Here’s what we’re going to do,” Jiang Ziling said. “Now that you’re back, we have to go out for dinner tonight no matter what. I’ll pay, and we’ll book a table. You can call your boss and ask if he’d be willing to come and have a casual meal with us.”

In the Jiang family, the most quick-witted one is clearly the second sister, Jiang Ziling.

Even Jiang's father didn't refute what she said.

When Wen Chan received the call, she had just finished a spa treatment with Zhao Dan and was shopping at the shops downstairs from the Jinjiang Hotel.

She picked out a few outfits. Shanghai truly lived up to its reputation as the Paris of the East; the fashion here was completely different from that in Shenzhen.

Zhao Dan watched Wen Chan change outfits one after another, feeling very envious, and said enviously, "Girl, if I had a figure like yours, I could walk sideways wherever I go."

As Zhao Dan said this, she pinched the flesh in her belly, "But my mouth is so uncooperative, I can't control myself, I just have to eat."

The waiter was very attentive and eloquent. “Mrs. Zhao, why don’t you take a look at the cheongsam? Your temperament is elegant and graceful, and a cheongsam might suit you better.”

"Do you also have cheongsams here? What kind?" Zhao Dan asked, intrigued.

The store was clearly quite large, divided into different areas: a men's clothing area, a women's clothing area, and an area for cheongsams and furs. The waiter called Zhao Dan over. Wen Chan was tired, so she sat down on the sofa to rest. While waiting for the waiter to pack up the clothes, the phone rang.

"Hello?"

Upon hearing Jiang Zihan's purpose, Wen Chan smiled and agreed, adding that there was no need to spend money, and that she would book a banquet at the hotel herself.

"How is it?" The Jiang family didn't have a phone, so they had to run downstairs to borrow one from Aunt Zhang.

Jiang Ziling stood to the side, not daring to utter a sound.

Only after Jiang Zihan answered "okay, okay" and hung up the phone did she ask her question.

Jiang Zihan turned to her and said, "My boss agreed, but she said she'd treat us to dinner at the Jinjiang Hotel."

"Oh my, Jinjiang Hotel, that place is so grand! Your boss really has an air about him." Aunt Zhang listened openly from the side, saying with a mixture of envy and a hint of sourness.

Jiang Ziling said a few flattering words to Aunt Zhang, then took Jiang Zihan upstairs.

The family was both nervous and excited when they heard they were going to the Jinjiang Hotel.

The older sister-in-law quickly asked, "Are you taking the two children with you?"

No sooner had she finished speaking than her two children, who had just come home from school and were playing with their toys, protested, "Mom, the boss said he'd invite the whole family to go. We're part of the family too!"

“That’s right.” The youngest sister, Jiang Si, is seven years old and in elementary school, but she already knows what a grand affair is and what the Jinjiang Hotel is. “Wang Jiaxuan in our class had her relatives go back to China and treated the whole family to a meal at the Jinjiang Hotel. After that, she became the envy of everyone in our class. Mom, Dad, we want to go too.”

Children in Shanghai may be precocious by nature.

The bustling red square was a vibrant place, especially for people of Jiang Si's generation. During the wave of people going abroad, they heard all the time that someone's overseas Chinese relatives had returned, someone had gone abroad, someone had gone to Hong Kong for tourism, and someone had gotten their house back after the policy was implemented.

How could one not be naturally sensitive to these things?