Chapter 28: Neigbors

The first thing Chen Jin did after finishing her internship was to drive her Santana to beautiful Community to collect rent.

So far, collecting rent from her 20 properties had gone smoothly, and none of the tenants had caused her any trouble.

Bai Xinping made a decent amount of money just by introducing tenants to her and a few of her uncles, enough to cover half a year’s rent for himself. Bai Xinping felt this money came easily, but unfortunately, the small landlords and her uncles’ properties were all rented out, so he couldn’t help bring in more tenants.

Chen Jin said, “Later on, I should be able to collect rent from the resettlement houses in splendid Community this year. I’ll contact you then and ask for your help again.”

Bai Xinping’s eyes lit up. “Sounds good! I’ll definitely introduce colleagues and friends then.”

According to their earlier agreement, if the tenants he introduced stayed for half a year, Chen Jin would waive one month’s rent for him. So, she didn’t collect rent from him for this month. She went from door to door with a notebook, collecting money and asking tenants to sign. She also inquired whether they would return home for the New Year, reminding them to check their gas, turn off the power, and lock the doors and windows if they went home.

Things were different now than when she was in Qiaodong Village. Back then, tenants lived nearby, and she could be informed of any issues in a timely manner. Now, with the distance, it relied on the tenants to be self-disciplined.

One tenant returned home for the New Year ahead of time and asked a friend staying next door to help pass along the rent. This was one of the benefits of having them refer acquaintances to rent; they could reach each other in case of any issues.

After collecting the rent, Chen Jin went downstairs to meet her third uncle and then drove to check on the renovation situation of the shops outside the community.

“Everything is finished, but there’s still a bit of a smell. The breakfast shop needs to be careful. We should ventilate it first; after the Lantern Festival, everyone living here should be back to work, and we can open then.”

Standing outside, Chen Jin looked up and noticed the three shops on the left side of the community entrance had signs up: “Yongfei Supermarket,” “Yongan Breakfast Shop,” and “Xiangxiang Fruit.”

The shop names were simple and straightforward, easy to remember and catchy.

Chen Jin was delighted as she thought about what to name her shop in Jinxiu Community. Should she call it “Chen Jin Supermarket”? Or “Today’s Supermarket”?

As she pondered, she couldn’t help but laugh.

Her third uncle glanced back at her, feeling helpless: This silly girl always finds something to laugh about.

The day after collecting rent, Chen Jin finally found time and called the most free person in the family besides herself—Chen Jia—and they went to the barber shop run by her sister, recommended by Aunt Kexin.

Chen Jin had brought magazines, wanting to show the desired hairstyle.

After discussing with the stylist for a long time—mainly because Chen Jin was worried the hairstyle wouldn’t turn out the way she wanted, making it hard for her to go out to meet people—Aunt Kexin’s sister assured her that if it didn’t work out, she would straighten it back for her. With that, Chen Jin closed her eyes and bit the bullet, saying she’d give it a try.

Chen Jia was eager to get a makeover too, but Chen Jin didn’t encourage her. As she saw Chen Jin already covered and starting to get her hair permed, Chen Jia still couldn’t make up her mind.

Chen Jin sat in the barber shop and slept for two hours. Chen Jia, feeling bored, wandered around the nearby streets for another two hours and brought her back a cup of bubble tea.

“There’s a new bubble tea shop on Chang’an Road, and there’s also a little accessory store nearby that looks quite nice.” Chen Jia showed off her haul—two keychains, giving one to Chen Jin, which was just right for her to put her house keys on.

They spent the entire morning in the salon. After Chen Jin washed her hair, she didn’t notice any changes until the stylist dried her hair, revealing the curls’ shape.

Just halfway through the drying process, Chen Jia regretted not getting a perm herself!

“Third sister, you look great!” Chen Jia circled around her excitedly, saying, “You really look like a celebrity from a magazine! I want to get a perm too!”

She was reluctant to part with her long hair that she had kept for so long, hesitating for a while without making a decision, but after seeing Chen Jin’s new hairstyle, she couldn’t hold back anymore.

Chen Jin looked at herself in the mirror and felt somewhat unfamiliar. However, the perm looked fantastic, just as she had envisioned!

As the stylist and Chen Jia showered her with compliments, Chen Jin gradually got lost in the moment:

Oh my God, who is that beautiful woman in the mirror?

Oh, it’s her, the rich lady Jin!

“Our barber shop’s stylists all trained in the special economic zone. We can do all kinds of styles like those of Hong Kong film stars. Miss Chen, if you’re satisfied, you can recommend us to your family and friends.” The stylist took the opportunity to promote, “We’ve also launched a membership program. You can get a membership card here—recharge a thousand, and we’ll add a hundred. You’ll get an 20% discount on hair services, and you can wash your hair for free twice a month…”

Chen Jia: “…” She couldn’t afford to recharge a thousand.

Chen Jin didn’t hesitate, directly getting two membership cards and recharging a thousand on each, giving one to Chen Jia. “We agreed to go shopping in the afternoon. If you come tomorrow, I’ll accompany you. Otherwise, you can bring other friends along.”

Unlike Chen Jin, who had few close friends, Chen Jia grew up in the meteorological bureau’s residential area, attended school nearby, and interacted with many kids of her second uncle and aunt’s colleagues, so she had quite a few good friends.

Chen Jia hesitated to accept it, even though she knew her third sister was now a little rich, she didn’t want to keep spending her money. After thinking, she said, “Third sister, I’ll borrow your card first. I’ll pay for whatever I spend.”

Then she added with a grin, “Thanks, third sister!”

“That’s fine.” Chen Jin didn’t dwell on it. When her family was in a tight spot, her second uncle and aunt often brought her gifts, so now returning the favor to Chen Jia was only right. However, as someone who had experienced these things, she knew that sometimes, even with very close relatives, accepting too much goodwill from others could lead to a psychological burden.

What seems trivial to adults can feel awkward for young people.

With her new hairstyle, Chen Jin felt her aura was different as she walked.

For lunch, she and Chen Jia found a restaurant for some stir-fry, then went to a nearby café, ordering two cups of coffee and sitting in a little nook of the café, watching the artistic youth chatting with books in hand, while Li Keqin’s song “Looking Back” played in the background.

Sometimes, Chen Jin felt a bit dazed about her current life. If it weren’t for the relocation, she might not have much connection with the salon she visited that morning or the café she was in now; perhaps she would just hurriedly pass by.

After leaving the café and standing in the sun watching the pedestrians, she suddenly felt like she was unnecessarily worrying.

No matter what, her life had already changed, and there was no need to think about what it would have been like if the relocation hadn’t happened.

It was true; she was just too idle, or else she wouldn’t be pondering these meaningless things.

That evening, Chen Jin returned to her little villa. Just as she parked her car, her neighbor from next door drove back as well. She went around to the trunk to grab something and made eye contact with him as he got out of the car.

Dressed in a suit and a black coat, with a neatly parted hairstyle reminiscent of dawn, a tall nose adorned with a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, his sharp gaze slightly narrowed when he looked at her, but he quickly turned away, striding a few steps to his front gate.

He took out his keys, opened the door, stepped inside, and closed the door behind him.

Chen Jin raised an eyebrow and muttered quietly, “Not bad-looking.”

Then she dismissed the thought, reminding herself she needed to wash her new clothes.

The professor Song’s house next door was quiet. She had heard that Dean Xi and Professor Song’s son were coming over to celebrate the New Year, but she hadn’t really noticed if they had arrived since she had been coming and going early and late these past few days.

Her third uncle had called her to return to Hanlin Garden for the New Year, so they would all be close together. Chen Yongan mentioned he would come to stay with her for a couple of days after his one-on-one tutoring ended in a few days, and Chen Jia might also come over. The guest room upstairs hadn’t been tidied up much, but it was all ready; they could just make the bed and find the blankets when they arrived.

The next day, Chen Jin sorted her newly bought clothes by color and fabric, washing them in batches in the washing machine, then taking them out to hang up.

Rarely with nothing to do at home, she first turned on the TV—even if she didn’t watch, she needed some noise in the house—then she began cleaning.

At noon, she went out and had a warm bowl of noodles at a nearby old shop on Wutong Road that was still open. Then she bought two big bags of snacks and fruits from a nearby supermarket.

After a nap, she snuggled into the semicircular sofa in the small living room on the second floor to bask in the sun. The sunny days in winter were the most comfortable; the sunlight streamed down, warming her bones lazily.

Thinking about going to the study to play on the computer and check some references for her thesis was just a thought; her body had already succumbed to the sofa and couldn’t move.

By evening, standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows in the small living room, she watched the winter sunset sink down, feeling her stomach protest, before slowly making her way downstairs to prepare a simple meal.

This is why wealth can solve most problems.

Looking at the “high-tech” kitchen, the rice cooker and pressure cooker were common, but they even had a dishwasher installed. After dinner, there was no need to worry about washing the dishes since there was a dishwasher!

Teacher Song had also asked her if she wanted to hire someone to come and clean the house and cook, but Chen Jin refused without hesitation. She didn’t create much mess living alone, and she could take care of herself. She still enjoyed her solitude, and when she no longer wanted to do housework in the future, she could reconsider.

The living room floor was covered with a carpet. Chen Jin sat cross-legged on the floor, with her meals mixed together on the coffee table as she ate while watching TV, occasionally sipping a drink.

She sighed comfortably, “Ah!”

Chen Jin didn’t know how she had fallen asleep in the downstairs living room. If she hadn’t woken up cold in the middle of the night, she wouldn’t have realized it. She quickly turned off the TV, brushed her teeth, washed her face, and fell into bed.

However, the next morning, she started to feel congested, a sign of a cold. After drinking some porridge and taking medicine, she thought she had nothing to do and decided to go back upstairs to sleep.

The doorbell rang.

Still wearing her pajamas and cotton slippers, she threw on a black down jacket and went to answer the door. Outside stood Professor Song, a couple in their forties, and a young man around twenty.

Chen Jin looked closely at the young man in front of her and found it amazing how genes worked. He looked very much like Dean Xi, reminding her of the younger Dean Xi, with an elegant demeanor and a face that seemed to suggest he was well-read.

It seemed that Professor Song’s family had returned with Dean Xi’s son.

“I saw your car and knew you were home. This is my son Xi Jin, my daughter-in-law Mei Ying, and my grandson Xi Qinghe,” Professor Song introduced. “This is my neighbor Xiao You, Chen Jin, whom I’ve mentioned to you before.”

Professor Song’s use of the term “Xiao You” made her feel flattered. However, she and Professor Song were indeed TV partners, so one could say they had an age-diverse friendship.

Chen Jin greeted, “Uncle Xi, Aunt Mei,” and exchanged pleasantries with Xi Qinghe. Noticing they were all dressed neatly, she suddenly felt embarrassed about still wearing pajamas.

She hurriedly opened the door and invited them inside.

Xi Jin and Mei Ying had heard the name “Chen Jin” mentioned a few months ago in phone conversations. Initially, their mother had casually mentioned that a girl was moving into the small western-style house next door. By October, their mother’s mentions of “Chen Jin” had become more frequent.

For example, the girl had sent over some small trinkets and toys.

By November and December, their father had started mentioning her too, saying that their mother would promptly go next door every evening after dinner and take a shower to watch dramas on the couch with the girl. Their father even said he wanted to buy a camera to take pictures of the scene and send them to them.

Although he bought the camera, their father had tried taking many pictures, none of which turned out well, so he felt embarrassed to show them to the girl next door. He thought it would be too shameful to take unflattering pictures of the girl.

They thought it was a good thing that the girl next door allowed their elderly parents to interact with their neighbors. Before returning home, they bought some gifts in Beijing. They had just arrived home yesterday, and since the girl happened to be home today, they decided to visit her.

Xi Jin and Mei Ying were quietly observing Chen Jin. The girl had a lovely smile, her eyes were clear, and her voice was crisp when she spoke. No wonder their parents praised her so often.

Mei Ying said, “My parents often mention you on the phone. We were eager to see what this wonderful girl looks like when we returned. Thanks to you visiting often, my parents like you very much.”

Who wouldn’t like such a cheerful and optimistic girl?

“Not at all! I should be thanking Professor Song and Dean Xi. I’ve often gone over to mooch meals,” Chen Jin replied with an awkward smile, feeling like she had really gotten a good deal.

“Uncle and Aunt, please make yourselves comfortable. I’ll get you some water.”

“Oh, no need to be polite,” Professor Song said, pulling her to sit down and directing his grandson Xi Qinghe to go to the dining room to fetch cups. “The red checkered cup is mine, the black and white checkered cup is Xiao Jin’s, and the others are for you to use freely.”

Professor Song had been to Chen Jin’s house so many times that he had his own designated cup.

Xi Jin and Mei Ying were both amused, gaining a deeper understanding of their father’s comment, “Your mother is just one step away from moving in.”

“I don’t know what you like, but I picked out a small gift for you. I hope you like it.” As soon as Mei Ying sat down, she handed over a bag.

They even prepared a gift for her?! It was a small ceramic panda figurine that looked adorable, truly resonating with Chen Jin’s heart.

Chen Jin was both happy and embarrassed: Professor Song’s son and daughter-in-law were too considerate!

Professor Song’s son and daughter-in-law both worked at research institutes in Beijing. Xi Qinghe, who was one year younger than her, was now pursuing a doctoral degree…

She felt a bit envious of their family’s smart genes.

Chen Jin, a person who didn’t enjoy studying, actually liked those who did. If it weren’t for Li Xing’s good grades, she would never have paid much attention to him. But who could have known that academic performance could only measure a person’s ability to study from textbooks and not their inner qualities?

“You are all about the same age. Xiao Jin, you should invite Qinghe to join you when you go out with friends. This kid has inherited the quiet nature of his grandfather and father. How can anyone study every day? Going out to socialize and experience life makes your mind sharper,” Professor Song said.

Chen Jin and Xi Qinghe exchanged glances, both silent.

Chen Jin thought: The next time I go out, it will probably be to learn makeup techniques. Should I really bring a guy along for that? Ugh, that would be too strange; I don’t even want to think about it.

As they chatted, Chen Jin sneezed a few times. It was only then that Professor Song noticed her nasal voice and asked if she had a cold.

“It might be from catching a chill; I just took some medicine this morning.”

Professor Song advised her to drink more hot water and rest, not wanting to prolong the small talk. He told his family it was time for them to leave, saying, “I’ll come by to see you again later.”

“No, no, my uncle’s younger siblings are coming over this afternoon; they’ll be here.” Chen Jin felt it would be rude to delay Professor Song from spending time with his family. Besides, Chen Yongan’s one-on-one tutoring would end today, and he wouldn’t be able to sit still all night without coming to find her.

“Well, take a good rest then. If you need anything, just call us; we’re right next door.”

After sending him off, Chen Jin sneezed several times in a row. When she looked up, she caught a glimpse of her neighbor standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. The wind blew, making her shiver, and she hurried back home, leaving no room to notice if her neighbor was handsome.

In the evening, Chen Yongan and Chen Jia indeed showed up with their luggage.

“Are you only staying for two days? Why bring a suitcase?”

Chen Yongan sighed and boldly sat on the sofa, looking around. It didn’t resemble the small house they had seen last July at all.

“If I don’t come out to breathe, I’ll be buried under those practice problems.”

Chen Yongan said, “When I was preparing for my middle school exams, I thought it might be better to attend a vocational school. If I had, I would almost be graduating and working by now, rather than grinding away at my studies.”

At that time, he genuinely thought so, especially since he had managed to perform well on his middle school exams, and attending vocational school would still allow him to meet the cutoff score. But then his second uncle, Chen Jia’s dad, said that in the future, having a college degree would be increasingly important. Those graduating from vocational schools would need to pursue further studies to advance, so it was better to go straight to high school and take the college entrance exam.

Not just him; when Chen Jin graduated from junior high and faced the decision of whether to attend high school or a teacher training college, her second uncle insisted that in the city, children from good families inevitably chose high school and university. After all, they wouldn’t just make random choices. So, her mother was persuaded to support her through high school and then college.

Now, with college graduates no longer guaranteed jobs, it indicated that the number of graduates was rising. With more people holding higher degrees, the hiring standards for companies would gradually increase. Thus, Chen Jin felt her second uncle truly had foresight by insisting they attend high school and aim for college.

“Only by enduring hardships can one become a better person.”

“Third Sister, stop mimicking my dad,” Chen Jia said.

She had heard enough of that at home and didn’t want to hear it again.

Having two more people at home made a difference; even eating egg noodles felt delicious.

They left the downstairs guest room for Chen Yongan and set up the upstairs guest room for Chen Jia.

After a night’s sleep, her cold was gone.

Chen Yongfei asked her to drive them out to have fun. With nothing else to do, Chen Jin readily agreed and changed her clothes to take them out.

Just as they exited the community gate, she received a call from Aunt Kexin, asking if she was at the small house near NTU, wanting to invite her out for afternoon tea and hoping she could give Chen Yue some guidance.

“Aunt Kexin, perfect timing! Chen Yongan and Chen Jia are with me; we’ll go together.”

“Third Sister, who is that?”

“Aunt Kexin. She wants to treat us to afternoon tea and suggested we chat with Chen Yue. By the way, you go to the same school, right? You talk to each other sometimes, don’t you?”

“It’s not easy to run into each other at the same school; Chen Yue is in the liberal arts class while I’m in the science class,” Chen Yongan replied. “But I’ve noticed her grades haven’t suffered; she still ranks first in exams, always on the honor roll at school.”

“Oh, well, let’s just chat casually later and not bring up anything else.” Like when they saw Chen Wensong and his current wife at Sovereign Hotel.

Aunt Kexin had reserved a table at a cake shop in the old town, known for its variety of desserts, including coffee and milk tea, offering a wide selection.

When they arrived, Aunt Kexin had already ordered seven or eight desserts. Just as they sat down, the waiter brought them out.

“Aren’t you supposed to be learning makeup skills? How come you haven’t gone yet?”

The makeup shop Aunt Kexin recommended was run by her elder sister, who also owned a hair salon and a wedding dress shop. The makeup shop was technically part of the wedding dress shop but operated as a separate entity.

After Chen Jin went to get her hair done last time, she called Aunt Kexin to find out about it.

So, Chen Jin signed up for the makeup training course organized by Sister Jiang. She missed the training before the New Year, so she registered for the next one after the holiday.

Chen Jin explained this.

Aunt Kexin didn’t stay long, saying, “I’ve already settled the bill. You young people have fun together. Call me when you’re done; I’ll come to pick up Chen Yue.”

With an adult around, the young ones felt hesitant to chat openly, so when Aunt Kexin left after some small talk, Chen Jia and Chen Yongan relaxed their postures and began to enjoy the desserts.

Chen Yue had been friends with them for over a decade. As they ate, the conversation flowed, and their connection deepened.

“Chen Wushu’s daughter, Xinran, opened a photography studio. Their family also moved to Rose Garden.”

“Really?” Chen Jin looked up. “Did your family buy a house in Rose Garden too?”

Chen Yue nodded. “Yeah, my mom and my aunt went to look at houses. They said Rose Garden has the best price-performance ratio, so they bought a place over there.”

Chen Yongan and Chen Jin exchanged awkward smiles. “So, do you know about your dad…”

Chen Yue scoffed lightly. “I know; they also live in Rose Garden. Just because they live there doesn’t mean my mom and I can’t! Rose Garden isn’t their private development; they’ll have to put up with it!”

“I really want to see how long they can be smug about it.”

Indeed, she was Aunt Kexin’s daughter; her future fighting spirit wouldn’t be weak.

Chen Jin couldn’t help but marvel at how exceptional the women of their generation in Qiaodong Village were; they were all resilient and capable. In contrast, the older generation had many who were unclear about their priorities.

“By the way, our family lives right across from Chen Sangong’s house. They’ve been singing opera every day lately.”

Chen Jin, Chen Yongan, and Chen Jia stopped to eat dessert. “What kind of singing is that?”

“Wenxing Uncle and his wife have been married for years without any children. Chen Sanpo has been at home complaining, saying they eat and live off them, yet they don’t work after coming home from work every day. You don’t know, Chen Sanpo encouraged Wenxing Uncle to get a divorce, but he didn’t agree. Then Chen Sanpo urged him to go find someone else to have a son and bring back, saying that as long as there’s a son, it’s fine.”

Chen Yue said with schadenfreude, “Chen Sanpo’s daughter-in-law isn’t a pushover either. She said that if Chen Sanpo dares to cause trouble again, she’ll kick both of them out.”

“Can Chen Sangong and Chen Sanpo agree to that? Didn’t they buy that house with their own money?”

“But the house is under Wenxing Uncle’s name. My mom said Wenxing Uncle is quite shrewd.”

“Tsk, tsk!”

“Tsk, tsk!”

“Tsk, tsk!”

Hearing this, the three felt a sense of “there’s indeed retribution.”

Jiang Kexin came to pick up her daughter after receiving a call. Seeing her smiling as she waved goodbye to Chen Jin and the others, she felt much more at ease and smiled, “You young people can chat together; you can invite them out to play more often in the future.”

Chen Yue stifled a laugh, realizing they indeed could chat together, discussing gossip, which lifted their spirits.