A charming widow in her 70s married a factory manager and raised his children.

Chapter 52 Old Warehouse Becomes a Home

Zhuang Qingxiang took out three yuan and stuffed it into Sun Yongxian's hand, saying apologetically, "Yongxian, you've helped me so much, here's three yuan for you. Don't think it's too little, it's just that the ingredients for the food were all from Director Lu, and I have to repay him..."

Sun Yongxian generously pulled out a dollar: "This is enough for me. I just ran errands, I didn't do anything."

Zhuang Qingxiang naturally disagreed. In fact, Sun Yongxian should have taken the lion's share, or at least split it in half for it to be fair.

After all, going to the black market is risky. Sun Yongxian clearly has a job with a fixed monthly salary and doesn't need to take that risk. She's doing this all to help her...

Zhuang Qingxiang said seriously, "You have to take it, otherwise I'll be too embarrassed to ask you again."

After a long back-and-forth, Sun Yongxian finally agreed to accept two yuan, otherwise she would get angry and refuse to help next time.

Zhuang Qingxiang was "threatened" and had no choice but to agree.

Zhuang Qingxiang put away the six yuan and told Sun Yongxian about her plan to move to the old warehouse.

Sun Yongxian fully supported her decision.

"Sister Zhuang, can I come to your house for meals every day from now on? Don't worry, Pei Ran and I will pay for the meals!"

"Of course! You can tell me what you like to eat or what you don't like to eat." Zhuang Qingxiang said with a smile.

Zhuang Qingxiang was full of expectations for the future. After Sun Yongxian left, she took out five yuan, which she planned to return to Lu Congyue.

She earned one yuan this way, and with her salary and previous savings, she had a full ten yuan in her hand.

Zhuang Qingxiang found it unbelievable.

When Lu Congyue returned, she gave him five yuan.

Lu Congyue's face immediately darkened: "Didn't I say you don't need to pay for those things!"

"No..." Zhuang Qingxiang hurriedly explained, "It's because I used some ingredients to make candy, and Yongxian helped me sell it... If it were just for my own consumption, that would be fine, but since I made money, I feel I should return the money to you."

Lu Congyue frowned deeply: "She went to the black market?"

Zhuang Qingxiang: "..." Oh no, I said the wrong thing.

Lu Congyue took the five yuan directly, frowning as he said, "You're not allowed to go to places like that anymore. She can't go, and neither can you!"

The black market is a place where things get tense and relaxed at times; if you happen to run into trouble one day, you'll be arrested and sent for "education."

"Oh..." Zhuang Qingxiang quickly agreed.

However, she will definitely go. She will go by herself when the child is older and she can get away, so as not to burden others.

After dinner, Lu Congyue went out.

Zhuang Qingxiang had originally hoped that he could stay home and look after the children while she went to check on the old warehouse. However, she had no choice but to leave Xiao Qianyue to watch over the warehouse, promising to be back quickly. She then locked the door and ran straight to the old warehouse.

To her utter surprise, there were several figures near the old warehouse, and she recognized Lu Congyue at a glance.

He was taller and stronger than the others, making him easy to spot.

She also heard him say that he was sorry to trouble everyone and that he would work overtime tonight to try to finish the project as soon as possible.

Zhuang Qingxiang felt a warmth in her heart and her eyes welled up with tears. She said, "Director Lu is a wonderful person, the best person I've ever met."

Zhuang Qingxiang didn't go over, but quickly went home to make some sweet soup so that Lu Congyue could have a big bowl of it when he got back from his busy schedule.

Afraid that she would fall asleep when Lu Congyue came back, she wrote a note and put it on the table. After thinking about it, she put it on his pillow and told him to make sure he ate it.

When Lu Congyue returned after finishing his work, it was already past midnight. Zhuang Qingxiang and the children were already asleep.

He tiptoed into the room, raised an eyebrow when he saw the note on the pillow, picked it up and glanced at it, then his gaze fell on the table.

It's made from sweet potatoes, and it tastes pretty good.

He ate while glancing at the note beside him.

She can actually read, and she writes quite well, very neatly.

After finishing his meal, he intended to throw away the note, but somehow he slipped it into his book.

Lu Congyue took a shower, changed into clean clothes, and went straight to sleep.

At Lu Congyue's command, many people came to help, and the old warehouse was cleaned up in three days. They even built a wall around it to create a small courtyard.

It's too small to grow vegetables, but it's fine for raising a chicken or drying clothes.

The doors and windows were all installed, and the house layout was the same as Lu Congyue's house, with one room converted into two areas.

Because the warehouse roof was high and no walls were built, two planks were used to separate it, with a door cut out of the planks and a curtain hung on them.

There was no kang (heated brick bed) in the inner room, so Lu Congyue had a large canopy bed made so that Zhuang Qingxiang and the three children could all sleep together.

A shed was set up outside, which was the cooking area, and an earthen stove was built there.

Lu Congyue brought her the small clay stove from his home so that one stove wouldn't be enough.

The only inconvenience is going to the toilet; you have to go to the factory's toilet, which is a bit far, but Zhuang Qingxiang thinks that's a minor issue.

She loves this home.

Lu Congyue, however, became increasingly dissatisfied with the sight of it.

Actually, he thought it was pretty good when it was first set up, but after looking at Zhuang Qingxiang's house inside and out, he felt that the place was too simple and not suitable for a woman to live in with three children.

"Or maybe we should just forget about it and I'll get someone to tidy it up again." He frowned, feeling that they still needed to build a kang (heated brick bed), otherwise what would they do in the winter?

It gets cold early and for a long time here. Without a heated brick bed, wouldn't the whole family get sick from the cold?

Zhuang Qingxiang was naturally unwilling; she had already decided to move today.

"Director Lu, I'll move in today. You and Teacher Sun and his wife can come over tonight, and I'll treat you to dinner," she said with a smile.

Lu Congyue had never seen her smile so relaxed before.

I remember when she lived under the same roof as me, she always looked nervous with her head down.

Oh well, let her be.

Lu Congyue helped her move directly. She didn't have much stuff, and it was all done in two trips.

Lu Congyue frowned as he looked at her luggage: "Is this all you have?"

He couldn't remember how much stuff Zhuang Qingxiang brought with her, but he was certain that these clothes wouldn't last through the winter.

"Hmm..." Zhuang Qingxiang didn't think it was a big deal. She could earn five yuan a month now, and if she had the chance to go to the black market, she could earn more. She could gradually buy things.

"Director Lu, will my moving here cause you any trouble?" she asked softly.

Lu Congyue said no, but some people did have objections, saying that what he did was an abuse of power for personal gain. So he rented the place for three yuan a month, so that no one could say anything.

However, there's no need to tell her about this.

After placing the two babies on the tidy bed, Lu Congyue took out his house key and put it aside. This was for Zhuang Qingxiang, so it would be convenient for her to go over and take care of the vegetable garden every day.

Lu Congyue also brought rice, flour, cooking oil, and other groceries from his home.

This was his insistence: as long as Zhuang Qingxiang took care of Donghua, he would be responsible for her food and drink; this was the rule.

Having finished her work, Zhuang Qingxiang was thinking about what to cook for the guests that evening when she heard Niu Jianzhong's anxious shouts from outside.

"Director Lu! Director Lu!"

"What's wrong?" Lu Congyue went out to greet him and asked in a deep voice.