Early the next morning, Director Liu knocked on the door of Lin Qingqing and the others.
"You have something to say?" Lin Qingqing leaned against the doorframe, narrowing her eyes slightly. She had no intention of letting them in.
Looking at the large group of people standing at the door, it was still the same bunch as yesterday, not a single one missing. Led by Director Liu and Aunt Liu, they all stared at her with their eyes shining, looking like hungry wolves eyeing meat.
Behind her, Lei Min and Wen Ling were also whispering curiously. After a night of chatting, the two of them had quickly become familiar with each other.
Seeing that the other party had no intention of letting them in at all, a flash of displeasure crossed Aunt Liu's eyes, and her initially warm mood instantly cooled down a lot.
However, she endured it and changed to a kind voice, saying, "Oh, you're already up. You young girls get up so early. That's great, so diligent!"
Aunt Liu had a big smile on her face, and flattering words came out easily. "You haven't had breakfast yet, have you? I just cooked some millet congee at home. It's the best to drink in the morning. Come and have some quickly."
"Yeah, yeah. The congee your Aunt Liu makes is the most delicious. You must have more," Director Liu added on the side.
Why did they need so many people to invite them for breakfast? Lin Qingqing smiled playfully.
"Then thank you all first. We'll come over after we get dressed," she said, then turned around and closed the door.
Back in the room, Lin Qingqing said to Lei Min and Wen Ling, "Aunt Liu invited us to have breakfast. Are we going?"
"This is probably a鸿门宴 (a feast with a hidden agenda)!" Lei Min curled her lips.
"Sure it is. But we don't know what they want to talk to us about," Lin Qingqing said casually, crossing her arms.
"Then it seems we have to go? By the way, are they still outside?" Lei Min turned to ask Wen Ling.
"They're all there, not a single one left!" Wen Ling replied.
"Are they afraid we'll run away?" Lei Min snorted disdainfully. She really disliked these people.
"No matter what, we can't avoid this. If we decline this time, there will be a next time. We have to see what they really want."
Lin Qingqing had long seen clearly that these were people who wouldn't give up until they achieved their goals, and they were all selfish and calculating. With such a big show today, they must be planning to get something from her and Lei Min.
"Since we can't avoid it, let's go together. I want to see what they're up to," said Lei Min, who was not one to back down. Wen Ling looked at them worriedly. "What if they don't let us leave?"
"Don't worry. There will be a way," Lei Min comforted her. "Then get ready and let's go. Wen Ling, you come with us too," Lin Qingqing said as she went back to the room to wash up and get dressed.
A few minutes later, the door opened again. As expected, those people were still waiting outside, not a single one missing.
Facing the anxious expressions of those people, the three of them pretended not to notice. They greeted them with smiles and then followed them to Aunt Liu's house.Aunt Liu lived in another unit. The apartments in this unit were all large - sized ones of over a hundred square meters. As soon as everyone entered the house, they were眼前一亮 (impressed).
Facing them was a hollowed - out screen engraved with the pattern of "Flowers Blooming in Wealth and Honor". The house was filled with solid - wood furniture, and all the decorations were in an antique style, full of charm.
However, the taste of the room didn't match Aunt Liu herself. One could tell from the few discordant red - and - green sofa cushions on the sofa that this house wasn't her original residence.
Aunt Liu didn't live in this big house alone. She also had a husband, a meek and skinny old man. Seeing so many people come in, he didn't greet them. Instead, he quickly brought out a pot of millet congee, a plate of mixed - flour steamed buns, and three small plates of pickles, then turned around and hid in the kitchen.
Aunt Liu cast a disdainful glance at her husband, then casually sat down in the main seat and greeted everyone familiarly, "Everyone, don't be polite. Just help yourselves..."
Unexpectedly, before she could finish speaking, everyone couldn't wait to step forward and start filling bowls one by one.
Since the end of the world, such warm congee had become a luxury, with fewer opportunities to enjoy it. Eating biscuits and instant noodles every day had really tortured these old people.
Watching the congee in the pot getting less and less until it was gone, while her own bowl was still empty, Aunt Liu's face turned as black as the bottom of the congee pot.
"These old fools. I thought they were here to back me up, but they all came to freeload!" Aunt Liu angrily squeezed her chopsticks, wishing she could smash the bowl in her hand onto their heads.
At this time, someone noticed that she wasn't moving and kindly advised, "Huifen, why don't you eat? The congee won't taste good when it gets cold." After saying that, the person continued to eat and drink without even looking up.
Seeing this, she was so angry that she felt full already. What was there to eat? But these people were all called by her. They weren't her husband, so she couldn't yell at them or scold them. All she could do was stare at them fiercely to show her dissatisfaction.
But the others were enjoying their meal so much that they were in a rush to get every bite. Who had the time to care about her emotions?
Lin Qingqing watched as these people ate with relish. She also picked up a bowl of hot congee and handed it to Wen Ling, while she and Lei Min didn't move. They just stood aside, arms crossed, coldly watching these people squabbling among themselves.
After a series of clinks of dishes and bowls, the food on the table was devoured. Only then did everyone gradually put down their chopsticks and bowls, still looking a bit reluctant, patting their bellies.
Feeling that the time was about right, Lin Qingqing spoke first, "You didn't invite us here just for breakfast, did you? Come on, tell us what else you want."
Seeing that the bowls in front of Lin Qingqing and Lei Min were as clean as before, everyone suddenly came to their senses. Thinking about their behavior just now, they felt a bit embarrassed to speak for a moment.Aunt Liu snorted coldly, slammed the bowl heavily on the table, and then stared at Director Liu without saying a word.
For a moment, the atmosphere was awkwardly strange. Everyone lowered their heads, except Wen Ling, who was holding the bowl and drinking congee as if no one else was around.
Seeing that he could no longer pretend, Director Liu had to clear his throat and state his purpose.
"Ahem. Well, actually, the situation is like this. I see that you two young girls are out there struggling, with no fixed place to live. It's not easy for you. So I discussed it with everyone, and with everyone's consent, we decided to let you stay here. You can consider this as having a home."
"From now on, we can take care of each other. Us old folks can also help you with logistics, do some cooking and mending. Although things are difficult now, as long as we all work together, I believe that life will get better and better in the future!"
"Pa - pa - pa - pa～"
After Director Liu finished speaking, someone subconsciously started clapping.
The awkward applause broke the quiet atmosphere. Director Liu habitually raised his hand and motioned for everyone to stop, then looked at Lin Qingqing and the others with a kind expression, as if saying, "It's your turn to respond, comrade!"
These high - sounding words almost made Lin Qingqing burst out laughing. They really came up with every possible excuse. If she didn't agree, would she be considered ungrateful?
Looking at this group of people, mostly over fifty years old, she suddenly thought of a question.
"The two who died before, Dazhuang and Chuanzi, were probably morally kidnapped by you like this. So we're going to be the next Dazhuang and Chuanzi, right?"
These two people, whom everyone most wanted to forget, were deliberately mentioned by Lin Qingqing at this moment. It was like a slap in the face of Director Liu and the others, leaving everyone speechless.
This incident was a moral stain on their faces that they couldn't wipe away no matter what.
"Well, about that matter, after our discussion, we all think it was just an accident. I guarantee that this kind of thing will never happen again. You can rest assured!" Director Liu quickly replied, trying to gloss over this matter.
However, Lin Qingqing wasn't buying it. "I can't believe that. You want us to stay. So what's in it for us?"