But Zhou Yingchen avoided her hand. “It just came out of the pot and is still hot. I’ll handle it. Sister-in-law, could you grab two bowls?”
“Oh, okay,” Cheng Fangqiu quickly turned to the kitchen to get the bowls. Once out of Zhou Yingchen’s sight, the reluctantly maintained smile on her face collapsed. But before she could feel awkward for more than two seconds, she heard his voice from behind.
“My brother said he’ll be very busy during this period, so he’s left the household chores and meals to me. Sister-in-law, do you have any dietary restrictions?”
“Huh?” Cheng Fangqiu’s mouth opened in surprise, and the bowls she had just picked up almost fell to the ground. It took her a while to find her voice again: “This… this isn’t appropriate, is it?”
How could Zhou Yinghuai so naturally order his own younger brother to serve his sister-in-law like this?
“It’s not inappropriate at all,” Zhou Yingchen didn’t see any issue with it. As if to reassure her, he added, “Sister-in-law, don’t worry. I do these things often at home.”
Then, somewhat embarrassed, he scratched the corner of his forehead. “It’s just that I might not be very good at cooking South (Nanfang) dishes. You might have to put up with North (Beifang) dishes for a few days.”
“No problem, no problem,” Cheng Fangqiu instinctively waved her hand, but then added, “I… I can cook. How can we let a guest do these things?”
“It’s fine, I can handle it alone,” Zhou Yingchen quickly interrupted Cheng Fangqiu. At the same time, he couldn’t help but recall Zhou Yinghuai’s expression when he exhorted him earlier that morning—it was as if he would devour him alive if he dared to let his sister-in-law lift a finger.
Thinking of Zhou Yinghuai’s methods, Zhou Yingchen couldn’t help but shudder.
“Sister-in-law, come over and eat. It’s settled. Don’t feel embarassed. We’re all family.”
Since Zhou Yingchen had already said so, Cheng Fangqiu felt it would be inappropriate to keep arguing with him. She silently decided to make sure the house was kept clean so that Zhou Yingchen wouldn’t have to do too much.
However, as soon as they finished eating, before she could even offer to wash the dishes, Zhou Yingchen quickly grabbed the bowls and headed into the kitchen.
She then thought about sweeping the floor, but Zhou Yingchen seemed to have eyes everywhere. The moment she picked up the broom, he rushed over, snatched it from her hands, and said with a smile, “Sister-in-law, I’ll handle it. You just sit and relax.”
When she tried to wipe the table, Zhou Yingchen took the cloth from her.
When she went to water the plants, Zhou Yingchen took the watering can from her.
“…” Cheng Fangqiu belatedly realized that Zhou Yinghuai must have said something to Zhou Yingchen. Feeling helpless, she gave up on trying to do any housework and sat on the sofa to read a book.
In the afternoon, they called Zhou Zhihong’s office to let him know they were safe. Cheng Fangqiu also expressed her appreciation for the things Zhou Zhihong and Liu Suhe had prepared.
Zhou Zhihong was very busy and ended the call after just a few words.
After the call, Zhou Yingchen went home to cook, again not letting her lift a finger. This went on for two days, and Cheng Fangqiu gradually got used to it. Moreover, her period started the next day. Although she didn’t have cramps, her lower back and body felt sore, and she didn’t feel like moving much.
After two days of being taken care of by Zhou Yingchen during the day and Zhou Yinghuai at night, Cheng Fangqiu found herself living a blissful life. Before she knew it, the day had come for her to start work at the photo studio.
Since she didn’t have an alarm clock, Cheng Fangqiu asked Zhou Yinghuai to wake her up when he left for work, which worked out perfectly.
She took her time getting ready and then went downstairs.
Among the rows of dull, old bicycles, the brand-new bicycle she had bought just the day before stood out strikingly. She had picked it out with Xu Qiqi, and to make it easily recognizable, she had cut an old piece of clothing into strips and tied a beautiful bow on the handlebars.
The entire bicycle, just like her, was bold and vibrant.
Cheng Fangqiu first rode her bike to a state-run restaurant to have a bowl of noodles, then followed the road to the Hongmeng Photo Studio.
The weather was nice today, and her mood was equally good—not just because it was her first day at work, but also because the Ma family situation had been resolved. Ma Changjun and Yang Liqun, along with a few others from the logistics department, had been confirmed as involved in criminal activities, and after two days of stubborn denials, they finally admitted to it.
However, Ma Changjun refused to admit to the destruction of the technical department.
If it wasn’t him, then who? The trail had gone cold.
Although Ma Changjun was a prime suspect, it was also possible that someone else had taken advantage of the chaos to cause trouble.
The factory had already reported the incident to the authorities, and they wouldn’t give up on investigating. Sooner or later, there would be a resolution.
On top of that, Cheng Fangqiu had received a handwritten apology letter from the Ma family. Although the handwriting was messy and clearly written with reluctance, it finally brought closure to the whole matter.
The morning sun wasn’t too harsh, and the rows of camphor trees lining the road filtered the sunlight, illuminating her path.
From a distance, Cheng Fangqiu noticed someone standing at the entrance of the Hongmeng Photo Studio, craning their neck as if waiting for someone. She didn’t think much of it until she got closer and realized it was Li Taoyuan.
“Master Li, good morning! Who are you waiting for so early in the day?” Cheng Fangqiu stopped her bicycle and greeted Li Taoyuan with a smile.
Her bright and cheerful voice startled Li Taoyuan. He turned around and met Cheng Fangqiu’s smiling eyes, which made him smile too. He scratched his head sheepishly and said, “Good morning, Comrade Cheng. Don’t laugh at me, but I was worried you wouldn’t come, so I’ve been waiting here.”
Hearing this, Cheng Fangqiu was stunned for a moment, then laughed even more heartily. “Master Li, don’t worry. If I ever promise something, I’ll definitely follow through. If there’s ever a day I don’t want to come, I’ll let you know in advance.”
“Oh dear, don’t say that now! You’ve just arrived, and you’re already talking about leaving. My heart can’t take it,” Li Taoyuan clutched his chest, pretending to be on the verge of fainting, which made Cheng Fangqiu burst into laughter.
After locking her bicycle, Cheng Fangqiu entered the photo studio with Li Taoyuan. At this hour, there weren’t many customers in the shop, only the staff, making the place feel a bit quiet.
“Yanzi, go upstairs and call Master Xiong down. Let Comrade Cheng meet everyone,” Li Taoyuan instructed.
Sun Hongyan, with a smile, quickly ran upstairs and soon returned with a man in his thirties. The man had fair skin and slightly long hair, giving him an artistic vibe.
Through Li Taoyuan’s introduction, Cheng Fangqiu learned that the man was named Xiong Fang, the darkroom technician at the photo studio. His main responsibility was processing and developing film in the darkroom, including steps like fixing and developing, to produce the final photographs.
“Hello everyone, my name is Cheng Fangqiu. You can call me Qiuqiu. I’m new here, so I’ll need everyone’s guidance and support,” Cheng Fangqiu shook hands with everyone warmly and then took out several small bags of wedding candies and invitations from her bag to hand out.
“I’m getting married at the end of the month. If you all have time, feel free to come and join the celebration.”
Her words naturally brought everyone closer, and each person smiled and agreed to attend.
Seeing that they were still chatting, Li Taoyuan grew anxious and seized the opportunity to remind her, “Cheng—uh, Qiuqiu, since there are no customers right now, why don’t we go take a look at the camera?”
Cheng Fangqiu smiled helplessly, “Sure, that works.”
Both Li Taoyuan and Li Zhiliang’s eyes lit up, and they followed Cheng Fangqiu into the shooting area. However, before they could discuss much, a customer arrived. As the saying goes, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Even though the Hongmeng Photo Studio’s reputation had declined in recent years, it still had its loyal customers.
Strictly speaking, this was Cheng Fangqiu’s first customer at the Hongmeng Photo Studio, and she felt a bit nervous.
“Did your studio change photographers?” The customer stopped in his tracks upon entering the shooting area and seeing a young girl behind the camera, his brows furrowing slightly.
His expression clearly showed doubt about whether Cheng Fangqiu was up to the task.
Li Taoyuan quickly reassured him, “This is our new photographer. Her skills are even better than mine. You can rest assured.”
“Really?” Hearing Li Taoyuan’s high praise for Cheng Fangqiu, the customer moved hesitantly in front of the backdrop. “If the photos don’t turn out well, I’ll demand a refund!”
“Of course. If you’re not satisfied, we’ll refund you,” Li Taoyuan confidently patted his chest.
Only after hearing this did the customer finally relax.
Cheng Fangqiu didn’t take the customer’s skepticism to heart. In situations like this, words were meaningless—the best way to prove herself was through her skills.
Throughout the day, every customer who came in expressed similar doubts. Fortunately, with Li Taoyuan there to explain, it wasn’t too bothersome.
“I feel like helping out on the side teaches me more than just listening to explanations,” Li Taoyuan remarked, feeling that he had learned a lot that day.
Cheng Fangqiu didn’t comment. Learning any skill required a process, and both theory and practice were indispensable.
After a full day of work, Cheng Fangqiu had expected to feel completely drained, but in reality, she wasn’t very tired. Instead, she felt fulfilled doing something she was passionate about and skilled at. It was certainly better than staying at home with nothing to do.
So, when she remembered that she wasn’t scheduled to work the next day, she felt a sense of loss.
“See you on Wednesday, Qiuqiu.”
“See you on Wednesday.”
After saying goodbye to everyone, Cheng Fangqiu rode her bike home. On the way, she passed by the supply and marketing cooperative and noticed they were selling watermelons today. She bought two large ones—one for her family and one to give to Xu Qiqi’s family.
So, after entering the factory area, she didn’t rush home but went to find Xu Qiqi instead.
When she arrived, Xu Qiqi was on the phone, and even through the glass window, Cheng Fangqiu could sense her good mood.
“Qiuqiu, you came at just the right time!” Xu Qiqi’s smile widened as she opened the door, making Cheng Fangqiu smile too. “Who were you talking to? You seem so happy.”
“Hehe, it’s my former middle school classmate. She wants us to design a dress for her!” Xu Qiqi jumped with joy, almost beside herself with excitement.
Cheng Fangqiu was also delighted, her eyes sparkling. “When is it?”
“Can we do it tomorrow? Aren’t you off work tomorrow?” Xu Qiqi said, then suddenly remembered that Cheng Fangqiu had just gotten off work. Seeing her holding a big watermelon, Xu Qiqi scolded herself for being so careless. “Work must have been exhausting, right? Come in and sit down.”