Chapter 1276: Chapter 1277: The Little Widow of the Siheyuan 4

After sending Zhao Lei to school, Zhang Yu rode her bike with Xiao Hong to her workplace.

Old Man Wang, leisurely lying on a deck chair and sipping tea, was surprised to see Zhang Yu, “Why are you here?”

Perhaps realizing how his words might be misinterpreted, he added, “I mean, you don’t have to rush to work.”

“Everything’s been handled. We’re just waiting for the machinery factory to come up with a solution.”

“I have nothing to do at home. Looking at the familiar surroundings makes me think of Zhao Jun.”

“The looks from the neighbors make me think of Zhao Jun,” Zhang Yu said weakly after parking her bike.

Old Man Wang knew staying at home wasn’t a solution for Zhang Yu either, “Going to work might be good for a change of mood.”

Old Man Wang remembered what Zhang Yu had mentioned before, “You said the machinery factory still hasn’t come up with a solution?”

Zhang Yu nodded, “Yeah, I asked a neighbor today, who is also a relative of Zhao Jun’s family, Auntie Zhao. Her husband, Old Master Zhao, works at the plant department.”

“She said they haven’t come up with a solution yet.” Zhang Yu sighed softly.

“But it’s also good, once the solution is out, Zhao Jun will have truly moved on.”

“Old Man Wang, I’ll go inside to see if there are any…” Usually, Zhang Yu was the one tidying up things.

“I’ve already put the comic books in the small room. Let Xiao Hong read them,” Old Man Wang said, knowing Zhang Yu often brought back comic books for the kids, so he had already set them aside.

“Thank you, Old Man Wang.” Zhang Yu asked Zhao Hong to take the comic books to the doorway to read, and she changed into her work clothes, ready to tidy up the recycling station.

If she hadn’t come from this era, she would really look forward to the recycling station trips, pondering if she could strike it rich.

But now, Zhang Yu wasn’t looking forward to it at all; if there were really good things, they’d have been picked up long ago.

Even if something did end up at the recycling station, it’s usually broken or beyond repair. Aspiring to get rich through the recycling station is just wishful thinking.

She worked until ten o’clock, then hurried out to the small kitchen to prepare lunch.

Zhao Hong had already started playing with other kids near the recycling station and seemed to be having a lot of fun.

Zhang Yu had initially been worried, concerned that Zhao Hong would feel lonely here. But now, with three or four other kids playing along with her and the comic books, she felt more assured.

Old Man Wang motioned to Zhang Yu to focus on her work, “I’ll keep an eye on things.”

After thanking Old Man Wang, Zhang Yu went inside to cook. By the time she finished cooking, Zhao Lei came back, chatting with classmates along the way, with his backpack slung over his shoulder.

From a distance, he saw Zhao Hong playing with the kids and was delighted.

A classmate noticed him staring at a little child, “What are you looking at?”

“That’s my sister,” Zhao Lei said happily.

The classmate hadn’t expected that the particularly cute girl was Zhao Lei’s sister.

“Your sister is really cute,” the classmate suddenly remembered something, “Isn’t that why you want your sister to go to our school?”

Zhao Lei nodded, “My dad passed away, and my mom wants my sister to attend the same school as me.”

“That way, I can take care of her during lunchtime,” Zhao Lei whispered, “I’m not sure if the school will agree.”

The classmate pondered for a moment, “Classes can be boring, will your sister cry and make a fuss?”

They were no longer first-grade kids, yet every September, they would hear about first-year newcomers crying and causing a scene.

“My sister won’t fuss; I also tutor her, and she’s really attentive,” Zhao Lei knew his classmate had relatives in the school leadership.

Although he didn’t want to take advantage of his classmate, he saw no other option; he had to try for his sister to start school early.

The classmate thought for a moment, “I’ll help you put in a word, but I can’t guarantee it’ll work.”

“Thanks, thanks,” Zhao Lei quickly expressed his gratitude. Regardless of whether it helped, the fact that the other person offered was enough to be thankful for.

Zhao Hong spotted Zhao Lei from afar and ran over joyfully, “Brother, you’re back from school.”

Zhao Lei caught his sister excitedly, “This is brother too.”

“Hello, brother,” Zhao Hong greeted the other warmly, then happily recounted her morning activities.

Zhao Lei was surprised to find that Zhao Hong had already made a few friends here and was having a great time, which lifted his spirits.

Having friends to play with made his sister more willing to come here, “You’re amazing, sister, making new friends already.”

“Yes, I’m super amazing, even mom says so,” Zhao Hong straightened up proudly and said joyfully.

Zhao Lei’s classmate noticed Zhao Hong’s clear and expressive speech and thought that although she was young, attending school shouldn’t be an issue.

However, whether it’s feasible still depended on the circumstances.

Zhang Yu spent a day working in the recycling station, just barely managing to tidy it up a bit.

After Zhao Lei returned from school, they quickly cleaned up and prepared to leave work.

Earlier, she noticed there were still briquettes at the recycling station; initially thinking it was their share, but later realizing it was a workplace benefit, meant for heating during winter.

They had been quite frugal before, so now they could use briquettes for cooking too.

Zhang Yu thought from then on, they could settle three meals a day there, at least saving a good number of briquettes.

Mainly, when winter comes, she wouldn’t have to worry about staying warm.

Back home with the kids, Zhang Yu promptly started preparing dinner. This was also a peak time for water use, and a commotion ensued to get water early.

Watching the lively scene, Zhang Yu involuntarily took a step back, considering that it might be better to eat at the workplace tomorrow.

Moreover, cooking good meals there wouldn’t draw any attention, unlike home where even cooking meat led to all sorts of scrutiny and gossip.

Xue Li, upon seeing Zhao Hong, dashed over, “Xiao Hong, where did you go?”

Zhao Hong cheerily ran over; although she had made new friends, she still remembered the old ones.

“I went to mom’s workplace and read lots of comic books,” Zhao Hong happily shared her day’s adventure.

Xue Li, seeing Zhao Hong’s smiling face, found it somewhat bothersome, “You said you read, why didn’t you bring them back?”

Zhao Hong couldn’t quite recall what Zhang Yu said in the morning, “Mom said it was inconvenient to bring them back.”

Xue Li looked confusedly at Zhang Yu, not understanding why it was inconvenient.

Seeing the crowd, it was the perfect time to explain, “From now on, I won’t bring back comic books.”

Xue Li was puzzled, “Why can’t you bring them back?”

By the water faucet, everyone who had been vying for water ceased their actions, as all their children had enjoyed the books Zhang Yu had previously brought home. They didn’t understand why it wasn’t possible now.

“Exactly, before it was okay, why now it’s not?” Everyone expressed their dissatisfaction.

Seeing the disgruntled neighbors, Zhang Yu sneered inside; look, everyone assumed it was something she ought to do.