Chapter 23

Xie Zhitang stopped and looked at her in confusion. “Why do you suddenly want to raise the prices again?”

“What you said isn’t unreasonable. Pricing below market standards makes labor cheap.”

Xin Geling explained gently, “Actually, I’m quite satisfied with this profit and return. If Ms. Lin hadn’t fainted yesterday, if she didn’t have this bronchitis problem, I might have kept this price and profit for a very long time.”

She looked at Xie Zhitang. “But my family’s health requires me to have enough confidence and security to protect it.”

Hearing this, Xie Zhitang did not know whether she should be happy that Sister had agreed to raise the prices, or upset that Sister agreed only because she wanted to protect her family’s health, not because of the calculations Xie Zhitang had done for her.

In other words, Sister must have already thought about raising the prices before she brought it up.

It made her calculations from just now seem even more laughable.

Xin Geling said, “But after you calculated everything carefully for me today, I realized that after deducting normal labor costs, this profit is very low in the barbecue business. You made me even more determined to raise the prices.”

Xie Zhitang’s mood suddenly lifted again because of those words. “Really?”

Xin Geling said, “Really.”

Xie Zhitang’s mood improved a little. “I’ll help you push it back.”

This time, Xin Geling’s attitude was firmer. She resolutely refused to let her help. “No need. It’s very late. You need to go back. By the time you get home, it’ll probably be past ten, and you still have work tomorrow.”

Xie Zhitang could only agree. She took the claw clip from her hair and saw that Xin Geling was putting the stool into the storage compartment. Her thoughts stirred slightly. When Xin Geling turned around, she pulled the hem of her clothes and clipped the claw clip onto it.

Xin Geling naturally felt the tug on her hem, as well as the weight of the claw clip hanging from it. As soon as she lowered her eyes, she caught Xie Zhitang in the act.

She froze for a couple of seconds, then suddenly realized that Director Xie, who had always seemed gentle and intellectual, was giving her the feeling of a little girl from next door. She had a cute side too.

“Why are you giving it back to me?”

Xie Zhitang fixed her hair and returned to her gentle expression. “I’m returning it to you. I’m afraid I’ll forget to bring it when I come tomorrow. I’m going back, Sister.”

After saying that, she picked up her bag and left, walking toward her car. Under Xin Geling’s gaze, she got in, stepped on the accelerator, and drove away.

Xin Geling lowered her head and stared at the claw clip for a moment before smiling helplessly. Did she mean she would come again tomorrow?

How was she so free?

Xin Geling could not figure it out. Seeing that it was already late, she hurriedly packed up, pushing the stall cart toward the old residential complex.

At eleven-thirty that night, Xin Geling finally finished handling everything and prepared to sleep.

Before getting into bed, she wanted to go check on the tiny kitten.

Wearing a tank top, she came to the corner of the living room. read the original at bailiantales.comThe bowls had already been filled with clean water and food, and the clumps in the litter box had been cleaned out completely.

Perhaps because Lin Huailan had only just recovered from her illness, she had gone to sleep early.

Xin Geling looked at the tiny kitten locked in the cage. Because she was too small and there were many things at home, Xin Geling was afraid something might happen to her, so she had gotten a cat cage and locked her inside at night.

Seeing her lying safely and steadily on a piece of fabric Ms. Lin had pulled out for her, Xin Geling could not help taking out her phone and recording a short video, then sending it to Xie Zhitang.

Xin Geling: Your cat. She’s asleep.

Xie Zhitang had also just finished showering not long ago. Seeing the video, she burst out laughing.

Tangtang: Is Auntie’s health okay?

Xin Geling: She’s fine. She went to sleep very early tonight.

The other side was quiet for a while, then sent a message: Sister, can we video call? I want to see Tangtang.

Xin Geling thought for a moment: Okay.

With that, she took the initiative to send a video call invitation.

The other side answered in the next second. After her shower, Xie Zhitang looked refreshed and graceful. Without makeup, she was almost no different from when she had it on, still gentle as water.

“Sister, good evening.”

“Good evening.”

While Xin Geling sized her up, Xie Zhitang was also quietly observing her. When Sister slept at night, she wore a sleeveless tank top. Most of her shoulders were covered, leaving only her two arms exposed. The instant the call connected, she pulled off her earphones.

It looked like she had been listening to music again just now.

“Tangtang is awake.” Xin Geling caught sight of the tiny kitten in the cage from the corner of her eye and reminded her. At the same time, she flipped the camera toward the cat cage.

Xie Zhitang saw the tiny kitten, a dark little ball. Although her eyes were black, they were very bright. “She looks like she’s grown quite a bit.”

Xin Geling said, “It does seem so. That piece of cloth underneath was padded there by Ms. Lin. I don’t know where she pulled it from.”

Xie Zhitang said, “Auntie is very thoughtful. I feel at ease leaving Tangtang in her care.”

The more Xin Geling looked at that piece of fabric, the more familiar it seemed. “Wait. This cloth seems to be from one of my old clothes.”

Xie Zhitang said, “Ah?”

Xin Geling opened the cage and reached in to flip it over. “It’s from my middle school clothes. Ms. Lin cut a piece off.”

Xie Zhitang laughed softly. “Then what should we do?”

Xin Geling closed the cat cage, her expression complicated. “Forget it. Let her ​bailiantales.com​lie on it. I can’t wear it anymore anyway.”

Xie Zhitang covered her mouth. “Then I’ll thank Sister on Tangtang’s behalf.”

Xin Geling asked, “Why do I feel like you’re quite happy?”

Xie Zhitang lowered her hand. “I feel deeply sorry about Sister’s clothes.”

Xin Geling could not help lifting the corners of her mouth. “You don’t look sorry at all.”

“I’m getting ready to sleep.” Xin Geling glanced at the alarm clock. It was almost midnight. “Rest early.”

Xie Zhitang said, “Okay. Sister, remember to rest early too.”

After hanging up, Xin Geling watched the kitten for a while, then stood up, turned off the living room light, went back to her room, and lay down. She took out her earphones and continued listening to music, planning to listen to a few songs before sleeping.

On the other side, after the call ended, Xie Zhitang also returned to bed to sleep.

She slightly arranged her long hair in front of her chest, pulled the quilt over herself, then turned off the light. For a moment, the room was dark as ink.

But her mind kept recalling everything that had happened tonight.

Selling barbecue with Sister, drinking from the same bottle of water, being given a claw clip, having her suggestion affirmed by Sister.

And having her foot rubbed…

As well as the pleasant conversation over video just now.

Xie Zhitang suddenly felt as if her ankle were burning like fire, yet while her thoughts wandered, that heat quietly faded away.

Suddenly, she felt a sense of loss.

The next morning, Xie Zhitang went to work.

In the pantry, she heard Lucy discussing, “Lin Yibing is moving?”

Lin Yibing said, “I’m changing to a more comfortable and spacious place, and it’ll be a little closer to the company. During this period, I’ve been keeping an eye on whether any apartments near the company became available. As it happened, one opened up a few days ago, so I immediately signed for it.”

Lucy clicked her tongue. “Apartments near the company are all very expensive.”

Lin Yibing said, “No choice. If it’s expensive, then it’s expensive. People still need to live a little more comfortably.”

Xie Zhitang walked past them with her coffee, thoughtful.

Moving?

Not a bad idea. Her home did happen to be “under renovation.”

Around eleven at noon, Xin Geling finished processing all the ingredients she had bought from the farmers’ market and waited stolen content for them to marinate for two hours.

Usually, she would only begin skewering the meat around one or two in the afternoon.

During this period, she could briefly rest or take a nap.

But today, she did not have time to nap. Instead, she reset the prices and went to the print shop to print out the new price list.

Before she even returned to the residential complex, she received a message from Xie Zhitang.

“Sister, I think I got scammed.”

As soon as she saw this message, she immediately called her. “What happened? What’s going on?”

Xie Zhitang sat inside the newly rented apartment, holding her phone with a worried frown. “Because my home is being renovated, I temporarily had nowhere to stay. I thought I’d rent another place to live for a short while and move back once the renovation is done. Who knew I’d get tricked by an agent? The pictures didn’t match the actual place. After paying the rent and deposit, I realized I’d rented a very bad apartment.”

Xin Geling asked, “Don’t panic. Where are you now?”

Xie Zhitang said, “Fifth floor, No. 6 Pingkou South Street.”

As soon as Xin Geling heard it, she asked, “Is that the Pingkou South Street near me?”

Xie Zhitang said, “Yes.”

Xin Geling did not think too deeply about why Read on BaiLianTalesit was so close to her. All her attention was on the fact that Xie Zhitang had been scammed by an agent. “Wait there. I’ll come find you.”

Xie Zhitang said, “Okay.”

Xin Geling was still holding the printed price signs. She did not have time to go back, so she turned and headed straight to the fifth floor of No. 6 Pingkou South Street.

About ten minutes later, she reached the fifth floor and found Xie Zhitang’s newly rented apartment according to the specific unit number.

Once she entered, she saw that it was actually quite spacious, and the sunlight was also bright and clear.

She felt a little dazed.

“I’m here, Xie Zhitang.” She saw Xie Zhitang standing in front of the refrigerator, looking worried.

Xie Zhitang said, “Sister, you came at just the right time. The fridge is broken. The agent told me all the appliances were fine. I asked him to come fix it, but he said I broke it myself.”

Xie Zhitang looked a little angry.

Xin Geling asked, “Aside from the fridge, is anything else broken?”

Xie Zhitang brought her to a floor tile behind the sofa. “Look, this floor tile is loose too. How can there be something this ridiculous?”

She regretfully rubbed her forehead, probably speechless at how absurd this was.

Xin Geling comforted her. “Don’t be angry. I’ll go with you to argue with the agent and get you Read on BaiLianTales switched to another place.”

Xie Zhitang said, “But he refuses to meet. After taking the money, he stopped responding.”

Xin Geling said, “Give me his number. I’ll argue with him.”

Xie Zhitang gave her the number. Xin Geling called several times, but the other person did not pick up. He was only willing to send messages, saying: The apartment is like this. Live there or don’t.

Looking at that tone, Xin Geling’s brows locked tightly, and her face darkened. “If he were standing in front of me, I would definitely beat him up.”

Xie Zhitang sighed. “Forget it, Sister. I’ll just treat it as bad luck. The money’s already been paid, so I can only stay here.”

Xin Geling helped her inspect every corner of the apartment. Fortunately, only the fridge was broken and one floor tile was loose. “I’ll fix them for you. Where’s your luggage?”

Xie Zhitang said, “It’s still on the way. I already had the moving driver bring it over.”

Xin Geling said, “All right. I’ll go back and get my tools.”

Xie Zhitang said, “Okay.”

Before long, Xin Geling came over from home with a bag of tools and some cement.

First, she poured the cement onto the floor, then poured out a small bag of sand she had found from somewhere. She added water and mixed it into concrete.

Xie Zhitang watched from beside her, curious. “Sister, how do you know how to do these things?”

Xin Geling said, “My dad used to be an architectural designer. When I was little, I went with him to construction sites and saw how the workers mixed concrete. I picked up a little by watching and listening.”

Sometimes, when the floor in the old residential complex was damaged and a piece sank in, she would use this method to help Ms. Lin patch it, saving the money they would have spent hiring a worker. After all, some workers would size people up and take advantage of them. Seeing that the mother and daughter did not understand, they would name outrageous prices.

Repairing a single floor tile could cost Ms. Lin half a month’s wages.

Xie Zhitang understood. “So that’s how it is. Sister, you know so much.”

“It’s all right. I only know a little.”

Xin Geling pried the tile out intact, then used a masonry trowel to spread the concrete onto the back of the floor tile before placing it back on the floor. She tapped the four corners and the center, pressing the concrete inside so it would bond with the rough base beneath.

“Once it dries, it’ll be fine.”