The Reborn Sidekick Rejected The Male Lead-Chapter 439: Lesson 422: Small Indeed Happiness

Today, Xiao Cheng said that the teacher taught them how to hold a pen.

Lu Jingqiu and Jiang Nanzhou spent the evening learning to write with the child, teaching him how to hold the pen.

The family of three was incredibly warm and cozy.

On Sundays, they slept in, then took the child downstairs to play.

They went to the nearby hills to dig up wild vegetables.

With Jiang Nanzhou’s involvement, their little life could be happy anywhere.

Before they knew it, it was October, and the weather had started to cool down.

Lu Jingqiu now filled her clothes with wind when riding her motorcycle in the mornings.

So she had switched to taking the bus, and sometimes even a coach.

Second cousin had also given her a call, saying he had gotten a sofa set for her.

He had sent it directly by train.

It would arrive in a few days, and Zhuang Yan got out once a month as well.

He had even gone to Wei Jincheng’s factory to get some winter army coats when coming.

He brought back many and was selling them in the county town; knowing she was here, he specifically set up shop outside their factory.

He also brought her some things.

Fruits, braised meat, and clothes, for Xiao Cheng, for her.

"These were all prepared by Comrade Shen, Comrade Xue, and Comrade Luo, and here’s a letter from Comrade Luo to you."

"Thanks, Zhuang Yan. Are you going to be running to West City often from now on?"

"Yes, thanks to you, I got to know Director Wei. I get clothes from him, and their sales department allows me to go directly to the warehouse to pick them out at a cheaper price. Comrade Lu, I really owe you for not letting me go down a bad path."

"It’s good that you could turn things around. Keep it up. How much are you selling the army coats for here?"

"Twenty per piece."

"Our factory also issues them, so you definitely won’t sell well here."

"They issue them, yes, but some people buy them for their families. I sold two this morning. There are shoes too. I’ll pick out a pair for Brother Jiang, my treat."

"No need, business is tough for you too. Just let me know when you’re going to West City. I want to ask you to take some of our local specialties to some friends."

"Okay, no problem."

After Lu Jingqiu got home, she read the letter from Luo Xinyue. It was from an author.

The title was "The Moon Doesn’t Sleep." She was asked to illustrate it.

"Jingqiu, no need to review the manuscript. Our society trusts your ability; just draw it well and mail it back. It’d be best if you could submit the work before the New Year.

Ah, you’ve moved so far away, work has become inconvenient. What used to take a month now takes half the month just in travel.

How are you doing over there? I heard it’s very cold."

Lu Jingqiu, touched by Luo Xinyue’s concern, actually wanted to give her a call.

But she decided against it.

Manman also bought several pieces of clothing for Xiao Cheng, including for her as well.

All were thick and warm —until Xiao Cheng started school, she even bought him a backpack and a pencil case.

At this time in Northern Province, everyone was busy with the harvest.

The people in their factory didn’t have crops to harvest, but there were plenty of wild vegetables and mushrooms in the mountains.

Everyone formed groups to forage for mountain goods.

Lu Jingqiu had Jiang Nanzhou take Xiao Cheng to play in the community while she followed several sisters-in-law into the hills.

Each carried a bag.

The mountains here were rich in resources, with plenty of mushrooms, especially hazel mushrooms. Lu Jingqiu picked quite a few, and they even found a date tree in the mountains.

That day, the sofa arrived, and Jiang Nanzhou got a truck from the team to go to the train station’s storage point to pick it up.

They asked a few neighbors upstairs to help carry it up.

Second cousin knew her taste well: a three-seater sofa in dark red velvet.

"It looks really nice, and clearly not cheap."

Since everyone came over to help, their family had also moved here quite some time ago.

It was a good opportunity to treat everyone to a meal.

Jingqiu got up early in the morning to buy tofu, cabbage, a fish, and ribs.

She cooked a fish, two green vegetable dishes, a rib soup, and peanuts. Four dishes and a soup—not many, but prepared in large quantities.

For those who couldn’t fit at the table, they just sat in the living room eating on the ground, and nobody minded.

Everyone was quite happy with what Jingqiu had prepared.

But when it was time to go up the mountain together on Sunday, Sister-in-law Yao started lecturing her on the side.

"Jingqiu, you can’t be so reckless with money. Moving house could empty out your entire home. Even though our factory here has good benefits, you can’t spend like this.

You’re doing this, and Group Leader Jiang might not say it, but it definitely doesn’t sit well with him. No money smells better than the money in your own pocket."

Jingqiu furrowed her brows and replied without hesitation, "Sister-in-law Yao, is my family’s spending bothering you or affecting you in some way?"

Sister-in-law Yao’s expression stalled, "No, no, I was just, you know, seeing that you’re young, trying to give you some friendly advice."

"No need, sister, I earn money to spend it. Don’t worry, we still have a little savings at home, enough for me to splurge."

"Hey, you... I’m doing this for your own good, and here I am, getting it wrong apparently."

Sister-in-law Cao said with a laugh, "Sister-in-law Yao, why don’t you go and try advising Zhang Er’s house instead?"

Jingqiu didn’t know about Zhang Er’s family, but Sister-in-law Yao did. Zhang Er’s wife spent all day playing mahjong and shopping for clothes. She lost quite a bit of money at mahjong, and her husband Zhang Er’s salary was squandered away by her—it really didn’t last at all.

Sister-in-law Yao had tried to advise them before, but ended up being scolded by Zhang Er’s wife for poking her nose into other people’s business. The argument in the courtyard was quite fierce.

Sister-in-law Yao thought Jingqiu was not much different from Zhang Er’s wife, good intentions taken for granted.

She didn’t stay around and went up ahead instead.

After she left, Sister-in-law Zhang whispered, "Sister-in-law Yao just loves to meddle in other people’s business. You don’t have to mind her—she gets upset seeing other people buying meat or clothes."

Sister-in-law Cao snickered, "What’s there to be upset about? She just doesn’t like it when others live better than her. Worker Zhang is well-known in our community for being tightfisted. Sister-in-law Lu, you’ll understand in time."

Whether she’d come to understand in the future was uncertain, but this was the first time she had been advised to spend less money.

However, Sister-in-law Cao was right, someone was resentful of her spending freely.

When she talked about it with Jiang Nanzhou that evening, he laughed, "Why are you getting upset over this? I didn’t complain about your spending."

"It’s just annoying that I, spending my own money, have to be criticized by others. It’s simply nonsensical."

"You’ll get used to it. The people around here are pretty pragmatic. There really isn’t anyone else who doesn’t look at price tags before buying something."

"What, are you saying I’m splurging unnecessarily?"

Jiang Nanzhou just wanted to say how his wife’s spending habits were different from others’, not on the same level, and here she was taking it the wrong way.

He quickly embraced her, "No, I meant, they don’t realize how good my wife is at earning money. They think we’re just getting by on my salary."

"Hmph."

"Okay, okay, don’t be mad. Tomorrow, hubby will take you shopping for clothes, to show them how much I love spending money on my wife."

"Mm."

Jingqiu didn’t intend to show off to anyone; it was just that the house really needed thick quilts and warm clothes, especially for Xiao Cheng.

She went to a tailor’s shop in the county and had three sets of cotton pants and two cotton jackets made for Xiao Cheng, all filled with fresh cotton.

She also made a pair of cotton pants and a jacket for herself.

She made a slightly thinner one for Jiang Nanzhou, as he had heating in his lab.

The cotton quilts were to be made at home.

So when the family of three returned, Jiang Nanzhou had four quilt cores slung on his shoulder.

All had six jin of solid cupping.

Jingqiu couldn’t make cotton clothes, but quilts—those were taught to her by her mother before she passed away.

Suddenly, she remembered her mother and realized she couldn’t visit her grave this year.

Mom, do you see your daughter’s happy family?