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Jiang Cheng?
They were here for Jiang Cheng?
Lin Chengyuan’s superior had brought gifts… for Jiang Cheng?
The neighbors in the courtyard house stopped in their tracks. They had been pretending to busy themselves with chores, but now they turned fully toward the scene, their curiosity piqued.
Some even mused internally: There’s always drama every year, but this year has been especially eventful!
At the mention of Jiang Cheng’s name, Lin Chengyuan’s face turned darker than if he had just swallowed poison.
Lin’s mother froze, her hands awkwardly suspended in the air—neither advancing nor retreating.
“Jiang Cheng calls me ‘Grandmother.’ We’re all family.”
The old white lotus herself—Granny Lin—made her entrance, leaning on her cane.
“You shameless old hag! Still claiming she calls you ‘Grandmother’? Who do you think you are? You sniff out benefits like a dog tracking meat!”
“You’re full of crap, and I hope the wind blows your lying teeth right out of your mouth!”
And with that, Li Chunxiang’s mother made her grand reappearance.
Granny Lin always carried herself like the elder of the courtyard, acting as if she commanded authority.
But now, being cursed at so viciously, she slammed her cane against the ground in anger.
“Old Li, this is a matter between our Lin family and Jiang Cheng. It’s none of your business!”
Li Chunxiang’s mother scoffed, crossing her arms. “You and I are both old women, but let’s get one thing straight: I might be an outsider, but you don’t even count as one! And even an outsider like me finds your Lin family disgusting—always clinging to whoever benefits you!”
Then, her tone softened as she turned to the young woman standing at the Shen family’s doorway, smiling warmly.
“Jiang Cheng, let me tell you—families like the Lins? If you weren’t useful to them, they wouldn’t be crawling after you like this.”
“You’re young, don’t let them fool you!”
Jiang Cheng had been thoroughly enjoying Li Chunxiang’s mother’s verbal takedown.
Honestly? Hearing someone else curse out the Lin family was quite satisfying.
Who would’ve thought that just a simple job recruitment exam could result in such a spectacular event? Not bad at all—definitely worth it.
“Aunt Li is absolutely right. I have nothing to do with the Lin family. This old lady should stop falsely claiming relations.”
Granny Lin immediately wiped at her eyes, putting on a sorrowful act.
“Jiang Cheng, how could you say something so hurtful? I’ve always considered you family…”
Jiang Cheng couldn’t be bothered to argue back and forth with them. She turned directly to Director Chen.
“Hello, I’m Jiang Cheng.”
“This old lady, and the entire Lin family, have absolutely no relation to me. If anything, the only connection we have is that I despise them. If they ever try to use my name to ask for favors from you, I hope you won’t hesitate to chase them out with a broom.”
Jiang Cheng’s words stunned Granny Lin so much that she forgot to keep pretending to cry.
How could she say that?
Wasn’t she afraid of ruining her reputation in front of such an important leader?
Wouldn’t the director think she was petty and unworthy of association?
But Director Chen simply nodded without hesitation.
“I understand, Comrade Jiang.”
“This is my wife, and this is my mother. We’re here today to thank you for saving my younger sister—for preventing a terrible tragedy.”
As soon as Director Chen finished speaking, his elderly mother, unable to hold back any longer, took several steps forward and grasped Jiang Cheng’s hands.
Jiang Cheng could feel the rough texture of the old woman’s trembling hands. Her eyes were brimming with tears.
“Thank you, thank you so much! If the police hadn’t told us to wait until the case was closed, I would’ve come sooner!”
“You saved our entire family!”
The old lady was overcome with emotion.
Jiang Cheng patted the back of her hands gently. “It’s okay. It’s all over now. Everything is fine.”
The gratitude was genuine, but the neighbors were utterly confused.
What exactly had Jiang Cheng done?
Before they could figure it out, more visitors arrived.
“Does Jiang Cheng live here?”
It was Jian Yue’e’s parents.
“Comrade Jiang Cheng! We’ve finally come to thank you properly!”
Jian Yue’e’s mother was just as emotional. She grabbed Jiang Cheng’s hand, pushing aside the old lady from earlier in her eagerness.
“If the police hadn’t told us not to interfere with the investigation, we would’ve come sooner!”
“I—I don’t even know what to say!”
“We didn’t bring much, but please keep these! If you ever need fabric in the future, just come to me! I’ll make all your clothes for you!”
The courtyard residents were dumbfounded.
Clothes? A lifetime supply of clothes?
“And our family too! If you ever need a part fixed or something breaks, just send us a message! My son can repair anything!”
Chen’s elderly mother squeezed back into the conversation, eager to express her own gratitude again.
“Is Comrade Jiang Cheng home?”
Another visitor had arrived!
The third wave of people had come, this time from the food factory.
Now things had escalated. Three women surrounded Jiang Cheng—one offering to make her clothes, another to fix her belongings, and another to supply her with delicious food.
For a moment, the onlookers felt like they were witnessing the imperial concubines fighting for favor in an ancient palace drama.
But it wasn’t over.
Then came the fourth wave.
The fifth wave.
By this point, everyone in the courtyard had finally pieced together the truth.
More and more people gathered around Jiang Cheng. Forget stepping inside her house—there wasn’t even room left to stand in the courtyard.
Some people had even climbed onto the walls just to get a better view.
The Lin family, meanwhile, had been pushed back into their house, forced to watch as Jiang Cheng was showered with gratitude. Every single gift was valuable, and yet, none of it had anything to do with them.
Watching this unfold, Lin’s mother, Lin’s father, Granny Lin, and even Lin Jiaojiao started regretting ever letting Jiang Cheng go.
If she had stayed in their household, wouldn’t all these things have been theirs?
And the connections!
The sheer number of influential people Jiang Cheng had gathered…
The more they thought about it, the more they itched with regret.
Lin’s mother, Lin’s father, and Granny Lin, shameless as they were, began fantasizing: Maybe if we just lower our heads and coax Jiang Cheng, we can return to how things used to be?
Lin Chengyuan, too, felt a twinge of regret deep inside. But his fragile pride wouldn’t allow him to bow his head to Jiang Cheng.
As for He Dan, she had been standing with her head lowered, her palms covered in crescent-shaped indentations from her fingernails.
Seeing Jiang Cheng’s success was even harder to accept than her own failure on the entrance exam.
Each member of the Lin family had their own thoughts, but none of them affected Jiang Cheng’s socializing.
By the end, eight waves of people had come to express their gratitude.
The competitive nature of their appreciation dragged on for an hour.
Finally, after bidding farewell to the last group, Jiang Cheng met eyes with Grandma Shen.
Both of them looked at the pile of gifts on the ground.
So much stuff!
It was mostly food, but in an era of scarce supplies, this was conspicuous wealth.
Wealth that could easily attract thieves.
They were either too old or too young to defend against that.
“Grandma Shen, I’m heading to night school. If it weren’t for them organizing everything, none of these people would’ve come to thank me. Let’s donate it to the school.”
Grandma Shen had been thinking the same thing. Upon hearing Jiang Cheng’s suggestion, she nodded immediately.
“Good idea. Go quickly! I’ll keep watch!”
Jiang Cheng ignored the way the other courtyard residents looked at her like she was an idiot. She hopped on her bicycle and headed toward the night school.
This way, the donation would be legitimate—and it would save her from unnecessary trouble.
Forty minutes later, she returned with the principal and two teachers to help pack up the goods.
But just as they were halfway through loading everything, several men stormed into the courtyard, their presence aggressive.
“There she is! She has foreign books!”
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Dreamy Land[Translator]
Hey everyone! I hope you're enjoying what I'm translating. As an unemployed adult with way too much time on my hands and a borderline unhealthy obsession with novels, I’m here to share one of my all-time favorites. So, sit back, relax, and let's dive into this story together—because I’ve got nothing better to do!