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Teacher Zhuang nodded slightly and said, "Oh," as his gaze shifted to Song Ying. He then asked, "So, what do you usually do for a living in Guangzhou?"
Song Ying brushed her hair back with her hand and replied with a bright smile, "Teacher Zhuang, I run a small business in Guangzhou selling breakfast. I have to get up before dawn every day to prepare the ingredients, steam buns, cook porridge, and fry crispy dough sticks. I'm always busy hoping to attract more regular customers and make a better living. As soon as I heard about our family’s situation, I quickly closed the shop and rushed over here."
As her words settled in, the room fell silent for several seconds. An awkward atmosphere hung in the air like an unshakeable fog. Teacher Zhuang cleared his throat twice, feeling uneasy. He quickly stood up and forced a somewhat strained smile, saying, "Alright then, you all keep chatting. I'll go prepare some food in the kitchen. It’s the New Year; we should at least have a warm meal." With that, he turned to Huang Ling and nodded slightly, indicating her to keep talking.
Huang Ling responded with a smile, but once Teacher Zhuang entered the kitchen, leaving Song Ying and Huang Ling alone, they exchanged glances. The previous awkwardness hadn’t dissipated; it felt more like a blockage in their throats as they struggled to find trivial things to discuss.
After finishing their meal and setting down their bowls and chopsticks, Song Ying sat up straight, her expression earnest and sincere. She fixed her gaze on Teacher Zhuang and Huang Ling, raised her hand to pat her chest, and assured them in a serious tone: "Teacher Zhuang, Sister Ling, Xiao Ting is such a clever and well-behaved girl! The moment I met her, I took a liking to her. You two can rest assured that if Lin Dongzhe ever treats Xiao Ting poorly, I will be the first to object. I will treat Xiao Ting like my own daughter—caring for her and protecting her without hesitation!"
Teacher Zhuang and Huang Ling exchanged glances; their previously tense expressions softened slightly as they both nodded gently.
Just then, the sound of firecrackers erupted outside, marking the lively atmosphere of the New Year celebrations. Seeing this, everyone stood up in unison, adjusted their clothes, and stepped out of the house into the bustling crowd filled with laughter and festive greetings.
A few days ago, as Xiao Jun's high school entrance exams approached, Wu Shanshan had heard that Xiao Jun's family was constantly disturbed by noise from around them, making it hard for him to focus on studying. She began to devise a plan in her mind. She thought that if she could arrange for Xiao Jun to stay at Song Ying's house temporarily, it might lead to something beneficial for herself in the future. With this thought in mind, she approached Song Ying with a beaming smile and said sweetly: "Auntie, you see how crucial these exams are for Xiao Jun; it's a matter of his future! His home is always noisy; he can't concentrate at all. You're always so kind-hearted; your house is bright and quiet. If Xiao Jun could stay with you for a while, he would surely be able to study without distractions and improve his grades significantly!"
Song Ying was an honest and warm-hearted person who didn’t think much about Wu Shanshan's ulterior motives behind her suggestion. She felt that neighbors should help each other out and readily agreed.
After Xiao Jun moved into Song Ying's house, life was peaceful for a few days. However, Wu Shanshan's restless heart soon began to stir again. She calculated that since Xiao Jun was already living there, if she could manage to rent that house herself, she would have a stable and affordable place to live. The more she thought about it, the more brilliant she found this idea; she felt delighted as if the house were already hers.
So she approached Song Ying again with a big smile on her face but with urgency and greed in her eyes. She said: "Auntie, it seems quite nice for Xiao Jun to stay here. Recently I've been worried about my living situation too. Your house is empty; why not rent it to me? I promise I'll take care of it as if it were my own."
Having dealt with neighborhood dynamics for many years, Song Ying could easily see through Wu Shanshan's intentions. Her heart sank as she thought: This girl has some crooked ideas; she's probably trying to take advantage of Xiao Jun's situation to claim this house for herself. But she maintained a cheerful demeanor and replied casually: "Shan Shan, we’re neighbors after all; you’re younger than me too. I genuinely hoped Xiao Jun would perform well when I agreed for him to come here. But about renting the house—please don’t think about it anymore. If you really have difficulties sometimes you can come here to stay temporarily; let’s not complicate things further."
Just then, Huang Ling returned from Suzhou with others. As soon as she stepped through the door, she noticed Wu Shanshan’s anxious yet scheming expression combined with Song Ying's words. Instantly understanding Wu Shanshan’s intentions made her blood boil inside as she thought: This ill-mannered younger generation has such thick skin! All they think about is taking advantage of others without any shame!
Song Ying was also unwilling to linger on this matter any longer; after tidying up quickly with just a few movements, she exchanged glances with everyone and said: "Let’s not stay here causing trouble." With that said, they all headed out directly while leaving Wu Shanshan standing there alone—her face filled with unwillingness and embarrassment as she lamented internally over this opportunity slipping away from her grasp.
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