Aunt Xu grew furious just recalling the incident. "The Lin family’s son had just finished his bath and was getting dressed. Shen Zhongguo’s wife didn’t know anyone was in her washroom. She was carrying her clothes and a bucket of water, ready to take a bath, but the moment she opened the door... Ugh, it’s just so shameless!
"Since he had his clothes on, it shouldn’t have been a big deal. The main issue was that Shen Zhongguo was right behind her, watching the whole thing unfold. Yet the very next day, rumors were spreading outside that Shen Zhongguo’s wife had been peeping at the Lin family’s son while he bathed. I mean, what kind of nonsense is that?
"Hmph, look what happened now. They made such a fuss that the couple doesn’t even dare to live there anymore. They haven’t been back since that incident—it’s been over half a year," Aunt Xu said, cursing the Lin family as she spoke.
Bai Jiu finally witnessed the destructive power of a local ruffian. However, if it were her, she would have made sure the Lin family paid a heavy price. Shen Zhongguo was young and capable; what was that Lin family son in comparison? Nobody with eyes would ever fancy an old man like him.
"So that courtyard is just sitting empty?" Bai Jiu felt it was a pity. The courtyards here were really nice, somewhat resembling the standalone villas of future generations, where every household had their own private yard. Even if it was small, it wasn’t overly cramped. There were three rooms there, whereas she only had four here.
"Exactly. Lin Po wanted to swap courtyards with them, but unfortunately for her, Shen Zhongguo has the rank to keep it, so he’s holding onto it even if he doesn’t live there." On this point, Aunt Xu was very supportive of Shen Zhongguo. "But I heard from my husband that Shen Zhongguo’s wife is pregnant, and her mother-in-law is coming over to take care of her. It’s only a matter of time before they come back. After all, they can’t commute for an hour round trip every day."
Aunt Xu had heard that Shen Zhongguo’s mother used to work for the neighborhood committee. A woman like her had seen all kinds of people and situations; she certainly wouldn’t be afraid to handle Lin Po. Someone like Lin Po wouldn’t even warrant a second glance from her. It was only because the new wife was thin-skinned and too polite; otherwise, they could have dealt with Lin Po easily.
Bai Jiu had no idea Aunt Xu held such high hopes for the mother-in-law. As for Lin Po, Bai Jiu had already raised her guard to a seven out of ten. If it was a three before, she had definitely added another four now. She had to admit, a person without shame was truly invincible. It wasn’t that such people couldn’t be dealt with, but they were incredibly nauseating to deal with. It was like a fly buzzing in your ear—harmless, but incredibly aggravating.
"In the future, if Lin Po comes knocking to borrow your washroom, you better keep your wits about you," Aunt Xu warned, assuming that as a newcomer, Bai Jiu would be too embarrassed to refuse.
Truthfully, her worries were completely unfounded. If Bai Jiu were that easily bullied, the incident with Old Mrs. Song would never have happened. It was just that her fierce reputation hadn’t spread here yet. Otherwise, these people wouldn’t even dare to step foot on her doorstep.
"Don’t worry, Aunt Xu. I know what I’m doing." If anyone dared to throw a tantrum at her, she’d break their legs.
"You should tell your husband about this too, just so he’s mentally prepared," Aunt Xu added, looking slightly worried as she felt Bai Jiu wasn’t taking her words seriously.
Bai Jiu smiled, realizing the older woman was genuinely concerned for her. "Alright, I’ll listen to you. I’ll let him know as soon as he gets back."
However, there was one thing she didn’t understand. "Logically speaking, anyone who can live in our compound should have a decent status and upbringing, so why..." She really wanted to say that the family didn’t deserve to live here.
Aunt Xu hadn’t expected her to ask that.
"You really dare to say anything, child. Even though I don’t think much of Lin Po and her son either, her husband is indeed a capable man. I heard he contributed a lot to the country in the past."
Why "in the past"? Because he had long since retired from the front lines. Aunt Xu wasn’t clear on the specifics of his current job arrangements, as the work of the people employed here was strictly confidential.
"Oh, I see," Bai Jiu replied. It was the classic case of a rising tide lifting all boats. Of course, this was also the country’s way of rewarding its meritorious contributors.
"It’s good that you understand. Old Man Lin isn’t a bad person. He works over at the Materials Institute now, and our husbands’ work relies heavily on them. That’s also why everyone just puts up with his family as much as possible." They simply had to bite their tongues out of respect for the old man’s contributions, after all.
"I understand," Bai Jiu said, though she didn’t actually care. If someone crossed the line with her, she would undoubtedly hit back. If they wanted to take revenge, she didn’t believe there would be nowhere for her to reason it out.
Unaware of Bai Jiu’s inner thoughts, Aunt Xu dropped the subject seeing that she understood. "Do you still have vegetables in your garden? Are you going to provide meals for the workers when they come over?" she asked, shifting the topic to the construction workers.
"Ah, do I have to provide meals?" Bai Jiu genuinely didn’t know this. She had assumed that paying them was the end of it.
Aunt Xu was stunned for a moment before letting out a wry laugh.
"Of course! They’re from the logistics team. They don’t personally make any money coming over to fix your washroom; all those funds have to be reported and handed in," Aunt Xu explained, once again educating Bai Jiu on some basic common sense.
After listening to her explanation, Bai Jiu was incredibly grateful.
"Don’t worry too much. For the four of them, you just need to make two dishes—one meat dish and one soup. Times are tight for every household nowadays, so even when providing meals, the food shouldn’t be overly lavish," Aunt Xu advised, unaware of the high standard of the Bai family’s usual meals. "For the staple food, steamed buns made of mixed flour will do."
Bai Jiu made a mental note of it, though she felt a bit embarrassed about only serving two dishes. She figured she had to add at least one more.
Thanks to Aunt Xu’s guidance, Bai Jiu managed to get along quite well with the four workers.
When Gao Zhijun returned home, he listened to his wife recount the gossip from the compound. She never felt that these trivial matters were irrelevant to men. Keeping her husband in the loop would only benefit his work.
"Let’s interact with them less in the future. Listen to Aunt Xu and don’t lend them the washroom," Gao Zhijun said, feeling a strong distaste for the Lin family after hearing about Shen Zhongguo’s situation. He absolutely refused to let his wife suffer such grievances. He would rather give up his job than see her wronged. "They’re our own belongings. Lending them is a favor; not lending them is our right. We don’t owe her anything."
Gao Zhijun’s response left Bai Jiu feeling highly satisfied.
"I’ll listen to you," she replied. Sometimes, it was good to show a man a little appreciation.
"Also, regarding the meals, you should listen to Aunt Xu too." Gao Zhijun felt a warm sense of comfort at her response. She rarely listened to him, yet this time she had agreed so readily.
"Why?" Bai Jiu was a little confused this time.
His wife was wonderful in every way, but sometimes she lacked a sense of proportion. It would be one thing if every household ate as well as they did, but meat was precious and expensive nowadays, let alone the fact that their family had it every single day. They never lacked eggs either; the children had steamed egg custard every morning. What other family enjoyed such a luxury?
"I’m afraid people will get jealous," he explained. He was rarely home during the day, and he worried that some petty individuals might do something to hurt her out of envy.
Bai Jiu smiled. "Mm, I understand. But when the work is finished, we have to treat them to a meat dish, no matter what." Treating them to one decent meat dish was perfectly fine.
"Alright, whatever you say."
The young couple’s life was gradually resembling that of a true married pair. Bai Jiu probably hadn’t even noticed it herself, but she was becoming increasingly in sync with Gao Zhijun.
"By the way, it’s been a few days since we moved in. I’d like to invite my teacher over for a meal. What do you think?" His teacher still hadn’t visited their home yet.
Naturally, Bai Jiu had no objections. "Why don’t we wait until the washroom is finished?" That would also give her time to prepare. After all, Gao Zhijun highly respected his teacher, and she didn’t want to make any missteps that would cause him to lose face in front of the older man.
"It won’t take more than a few days anyway." Gao Zhijun, of course, didn’t mind the wait. He had brought it up mainly to hear her thoughts and arrangements.
"Alright, we’ll do as you say."
Just as Aunt Xu had guessed, Lin Po had indeed set her sights on Bai Jiu’s washroom.
Perhaps easily bullying Shen Zhongguo and his wife had made her a bit too smug. She assumed Bai Jiu would be just as easy to manipulate. How could a young woman possibly be as thick-skinned as an old lady like herself?
Sure enough, as soon as her son returned, she brought up the matter.
"Finally, someone reasonable has moved in, unlike those two shameless people next door." After saying this, Lin Po even offered some rare praise for Bai Jiu.
"Mother, let me know when it’s finished. These newly built washrooms are much cleaner and don’t have that awful stench," Lin Po’s son, Lin Hongxing, mumbled as he shoveled rice into his mouth.
Meanwhile, his wife’s face flushed a deep shade of red.
Old Man Lin was also displeased with the behavior of his old wife and son. However, since his wife had always been the one calling the shots in the family, he didn’t know how to speak up for a moment.
Eventually, he said weakly, "Don’t go too far. We’re all neighbors in the same compound, seeing each other day in and day out." Old Man Lin had received a favor from Lin Po’s family in the past, or else he never would have married such a vulgar woman.
But after so many years, he had long given up hope of her changing. Fortunately, his grandson had turned out well.