Chapter 99: Registration

All the way there, the two children chatted and laughed, while Shen Qingyi and Wang Chunlian spoke only in turns, with Wang Chunlian asking and Shen Qingyi answering.

“How long will your man be gone this time?” Wang Chunlian asked.

“About a little over two months.”

Wang Chunlian comforted her with knowing sympathy. “That’s almost over. Two months can be endured if you grit your teeth. I heard that when this batch comes back, their pay is going up again. Your man Lu Yan already earns so much that, if they raise it again, you’ll probably not know what to do with all the money.”

It was only then that Shen Qingyi learned from Wang Chunlian that pay was being raised. She smiled but said nothing else.

She took An An to the kindergarten. When they arrived at the classroom for registration, she found it quite crowded. Everyone was lining up in an orderly fashion, waiting to register and complete the formalities.

The teacher in charge of reception saw An An’s household registration booklet, and with smiling eyes bent down in front of him. “Oh my, how lovely you are. Just one look and I can tell you’re a good child. Teacher will help you finish your enrollment today. How about coming to school the day after tomorrow?”

An An smiled shyly. “Thank you, Teacher.”

“What a good child!” The teacher looked up at Shen Qingyi and praised him.

“Thank you, Teacher.” Shen Qingyi replied politely.

After Shen Qingyi had finished her thanks, the teacher took An An’s documents straight to the front and handed them to the registration teacher. “He’s Engineer Lu’s family.”

“Then let her bring the child forward.”

Shen Qingyi and Wang Chunlian were still standing in line at the back when the teacher who had just collected the documents waved at her. “Come over. I’ll handle yours first.”

Shen Qingyi hesitated and declined. “It’s all right. We can wait our turn slowly.”

The teacher came closer. “Go on. The institute gives special consideration to Engineer Lu. We don’t even know how long this line will be.”

Shen Qingyi glanced at Wang Chunlian behind her. The teacher understood at once and took Wang Chunlian’s documents as well. “Come along together.”

Wang Chunlian hurried forward, holding Doudou’s hand. An An tugged at Shen Qingyi’s sleeve and said, “Mom, I want to finish quickly. I still want to play with Doudou later. Otherwise, when Doudou’s father gets off work, I won’t have anyone to play with.”

Only then did Shen Qingyi take An An’s hand and follow the teacher to the registration desk. Before long, the enrollment procedures were all completed.

When they came out, Shen Qingyi still felt dazed. She thought of a few months ago, when she had gone to the staff kindergarten and been driven out amid veiled sarcasm.

If she did not divorce, An An could enjoy many privileges and much respect because of Lu Yan’s status.

Whether it was Wang Chunlian or the neighbors around them, each of them treated her with special consideration because of Lu Yan’s position.

This world was, after all, so very realistic.

An An staying with him was probably the best choice. His way of caring for a child was rough in some respects, but he was patient beyond measure, and he responded to everything An An said.

Their son would be in excellent hands with him.

Yet the thought of being separated from her son made Shen Qingyi’s heart ache at once.

Wang Chunlian, however, was all smiles. “Qingyi, if you have time, go visit the old house more often. Since you moved here, that girl from the Cheng family has been coming around less often, hasn’t she?”

Shen Qingyi had been very busy lately and indeed had not seen Cheng Youqing for a long time. She did not know how the girl had been doing these days.

“I’ll go take a look in a few days,” Shen Qingyi said.

After they got home, An An quickly became inseparable from Doudou, even taking out his tape recorder and robot.

As for Shen Qingyi, she truly had little to talk about with Wang Chunlian. Seeing Lu Caiqing come over to strike up a conversation, she simply returned to her room.

It had to be said that Lu Caiqing was truly a gifted conversationalist. In less than ten minutes, she had figured Wang Chunlian out completely.

“For a dual-income family like yours, with only one child to raise, life must be quite comfortable, right?”

Flattered, Wang Chunlian was in high spirits. “It’s not bad!”

“If you ask me, families like yours ought to dress a little more fashionably,” Lu Caiqing said with a smile curving her lips.

“I bought this outfit from the second-floor counter at the department store. It cost more than fifty,” Wang Chunlian said proudly.

“It does look nice, and it suits you very well,” Lu Caiqing agreed with a nod. Then she changed the subject. “But it could use a little something extra. You see the bag my second sister-in-law carries when she goes out? Pretty, isn’t it?”

“It really is stylish. Where did she buy it?”

Lu Caiqing smiled. “From me. I have several styles. Would you like to take a look?”

Wang Chunlian looked a little hesitant. The bag did not look cheap at all.

But since it had come this far, and because she was curious, she nodded. “All right, let me see.”

Then she added, “I didn’t know you did business too!”

Lu Caiqing quickly went into another room and brought out three wallets and three handbags.

Wang Chunlian took the bag from Lu Caiqing and turned it over in her hands. “The style is pretty good, but the quality looks much worse than the one your sister-in-law is carrying.”

Lu Caiqing had not expected Wang Chunlian to be so knowledgeable and smiled. “The one my sister-in-law carries costs more than fifty. It’s too expensive, so I didn’t dare bring in much stock. The one in your hand is eighteen.”

Sure enough, after such a comparison, Wang Chunlian instantly accepted the few styles Lu Caiqing had brought.

“How is it? It’s not expensive. These bags sell like hotcakes when I take them to the vegetable market. You won’t find a deal like this anywhere else,” Lu Caiqing said.

An eighteen-yuan bag could hardly be called expensive compared with the one Shen Qingyi was carrying, but if even the ladies at the vegetable market were fighting to buy them, then if Wang Chunlian hesitated, would she not seem even stingier than they were?

Wang Chunlian picked up a small black bag similar to the one on Shen Qingyi’s back. “I’ll take this one. Can you give me a discount?”

Lu Caiqing picked up a wallet and came forward. “Buy two items and you can get a fifty-cent discount. This wallet is five yuan. If you want it, that’ll be twenty-two fifty.”

“Why not pick out a men’s wallet for your husband as well?”

Wang Chunlian thought that sounded like a good idea. If both of them bought something, he probably would not say anything. “Then choose a men’s wallet for me.”

Lu Caiqing went back into the room and brought out three men’s wallets for Wang Chunlian to choose from. She picked one.

After paying, Lu Caiqing poured her a glass of water. “When you go back, if anyone asks where you bought the bag, say you got it at the west gate exit of the vegetable market. I’ll be there again tomorrow.”

Wang Chunlian took a sip of tea and smiled. “All right!”

The two chatted about this and that for a while longer. When Wang Chunlian estimated that the time was about right, she took Doudou to wait for Wang Qingshan to get off work.

As soon as they were gone, Lu Caiqing went to knock on Shen Qingyi’s door. After going in, she happily handed over the money she had earned to Shen Qingyi. “Your neighbor is quite easy to deal with. She bought a bag and a wallet.”

Shen Qingyi was somewhat surprised. “My neighbor is usually very frugal. I didn’t expect you to persuade her. You really are impressive.”

“I learned from you. That time, after you helped sell cloth at our boss’s stall for an entire morning, I realized you can’t just sell things directly. You have to guide people according to the situation.”

Shen Qingyi praised her. “You’re clever at business, eager to learn, and willing to endure hardship. Before long, you may just make a fortune.”

“Really? Then I owe it all to Second Sister-in-law’s blessing.”

The next morning, as usual, Lu Caiqing finished breakfast and went out early. Today she carried thirty items, quite a bit heavier than yesterday. Most of them were bags; she had only brought ten on her back.

If only I had a bicycle, she thought.

When she finally huffed and puffed her way to yesterday’s stall, she discovered that someone had already taken the spot.