CHAPTER 209: 209 BAGUA

"Is it really that scary?"

"Jiang Xinyu, please remove the ’ma’. My mom says I should become a teacher in the future, but even if I were a frontline worker, I wouldn’t become a teacher," Qiao Jingyi said exaggeratedly.

Watching her animated expression, Jiang Xinyu burst out laughing.

"Are we just going to lie in bed all day? Isn’t that too boring?"

"What else can we do? Isn’t vacation all about eating and sleeping?"

"Alright, alright, I’ll stay with you the whole time."

Three girls together always means gossip.

Two of them are still students, but the gossip isn’t limited to school—their conversations go beyond that.

"Jiang Xinyu, the person we saw at the school gate last time was Shen Xueqi, right?"

"Yeah, do you know him?"

"I saw him from afar once before. Now, he’s quite popular; many haven’t met him, but when it comes to Shen Xueqi, everyone knows of him," Zhou Qingying said with a smile.

"Is it because of his family’s situation?"

"Yes, it’s because of that. Everyone sympathizes with him, but there’s definitely some gossip about him too.

Jiang Xinyu, how do you know him? Aren’t you in different systems?"

"We went to Russia together this year."

"Ah! Now I remember why the name Jiang Xinyu sounded so familiar. You’re that model worker?" Qiao Jingyi looked at Jiang Xinyu with admiration.

"Am I famous too?"

"Of course, I never thought I’d have such a classmate—a model worker!"

Qiao Jingyi leaned closer to Jiang Xinyu, "How’s Russia?"

"How should I answer that? I didn’t have time to look around, but I learned to make bread. When you decide when to go back, I’ll make some in advance for you to take home and taste."

"Great, great, we’re going back on Sunday afternoon."

"Alright, I’ll start the dough in the afternoon."

Jiang Xinyu isn’t just a nice person; mainly, because they bought her three meals the day she had her exams, she had no canteen meal tickets. They were enthusiastic, so Jiang Xinyu was willing to invite them over.

They had dumplings with a three-fresh stuffing for lunch, once again eating too much.

"Jiang Xinyu, I’ve decided. I want to work in a textile factory in the future, so I can visit your place occasionally for a meal."

"I usually eat at the canteen. If it weren’t for you visiting, I wouldn’t have time, nor the desire, to cook." She didn’t want to hold anyone back, couldn’t really let Qiao Jingyi this girl come over as a worker, right? Although a worker’s status is high, her family has expectations for her.

"How can you discourage me? Hey, Jiang Xinyu, why don’t you marry my brother and be my sister-in-law, then I can eat your food every day," Qiao Jingyi said without hesitation, with an expression like it was the obvious choice.

Jiang Xinyu stared at Qiao Jingyi, "Are you out of your mind? Don’t talk nonsense, I have someone I like."

"Really?" Qiao Jingyi looked faintly at Jiang Xinyu.

"Is there any doubt?"

"My poor brother, it’s over before it even began."

Zhou Qingying laughed on the side. "Xiao Jing, Brother Qiao would definitely give you a hard time if he knew."

Qiao Jingyi rolled her eyes, "Him? He’s already twenty-four and still no one wants him. Even though my family eats two meals a day, my mom worries about him three times a day, would he dare hit me? My mom would definitely scold him."

"Xiao Jing, remember Xinyu is two years younger than us."

"That doesn’t matter, don’t men all like younger ones?"

Her logic startled Jiang Xinyu. This girl is remarkable.

"Jiang Xinyu, seriously, won’t you consider my brother? He’s quite outstanding, 1.8 meters tall, works at the public security bureau."

Jiang Xinyu shook her head, "I have someone I like."

"That’s regrettable."

"Didn’t we just talk about Shen Xueqi?" Amitabha, better him than me, Shen Xueqi faces the storm.

"My brother is in his team, I pressed for a long time, and my brother finally told me Shen Xueqi’s expression was like an evil ghost when he found out."

"Cough! Anyone couldn’t accept such betrayal, right? I really sympathize with him," Zhou Qingying sighed.

"Honestly, I think he couldn’t have not known about it before. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be sleeping at work all the time."

Jiang Xinyu nodded; he’s in the public security, he can’t lack investigative skills. This only shows he’s been enduring it. Wei Kaiyun mentioned this issue to her too.

"Xiao Jing, do you know anything about his child?"

Qiao Jingyi shook her head, "I don’t know, my brother hates it when I do this. If I ask too much, he won’t come back." She shrugged helplessly.

"Jiang Xinyu, do you know?"

"How could I know? How can I ask about that?"

"But I’ve heard my mom say someone like Shen Xueqi wouldn’t have trouble finding someone, surely many people would introduce him."

"Would he really dare to marry again?" Zhou Qingying asked, surprised.

"Why wouldn’t he dare? Would he stay single forever?"

Jiang Xinyu decided to ignore the two of them, "I’m going to knead dough, we’ll have cold noodles tonight, who wants to roll the dough?"

"I also want braised pork, it’d be a shame to waste it."

"Alright, so rice with braised pork and potatoes?"

"Yes, yes."

On Sunday morning, Jiang Xinyu steamed two baskets of bread, and for lunch, they made dumplings again. These two were really greedy. No choice.

They took the last bus back in the afternoon.

Qiao Jingyi ran home excitedly, the family was having dinner.

"So, are you happy now?"

"Yes, I had the best time these two days, ate braised pork, hotpot, rice, dumplings. It was truly bliss. Try this bread.

Mom, my classmate is Jiang Xinyu, the one who went to Russia for grain, I never thought, she’s two years younger than me."

"I thought you already knew that, or I wouldn’t have let you go out," Mrs. Qiao looked at her daughter disdainfully.

Qiao Jingyi giggled, pulled out the bread, and gave one each to her parents and brother. "Try it, it’s delicious, she learned it in Russia."

Mrs. Qiao broke off a piece and put it in her mouth, nodding while eating, "Delicious, it’s all good stuff."

"Brother, I tried introducing you to Jiang Xinyu, but she refused, she has someone she likes. Too bad, it’d be great if she could marry into our family, I really like her."

Qiao Dongshan gave his sister a glance, no filter.

"It’s a pity, Xiao Jing. Is Jiang Xinyu pretty?"

"Quite pretty, but really thin, she said it’s because she got sick on the train in Russia, that’s why."

"Next time she comes for exams, invite her home for a meal, you’ve eaten so much of her good stuff."

"Yeah, I know. She might not come. Last time Shen Xueqi invited her to dinner, but she refused. I think she doesn’t like socializing. She’s probably a cool person?"