After Divorce: Why My Aloof Ex Starts Chasing Me?
Chapter 155: Teasing

Chapter 155: Chapter 155: Teasing

Shen Qingqing had a lot of belongings, but once you excluded things like the coal stove, there wasn’t actually much left.

Brother Zhixun drove, and everything could be moved in one trip.

Looking at the things left behind, Madam Jiang asked Shen Qingqing, "What should we do with these? Keep them for later use, or give them to someone else?"

Shen Qingqing, while sentimental, felt certain items were better dealt with directly.

Otherwise, piling them up at home not only took up space but would be a hassle to clean later.

She asked Madam Jiang, "Which families might need these? I’ll call them over to pick and choose, and whatever no one wants, we can send directly to the recycling station."

The coal stove and storage rack were bound to be claimed by someone.

But pots, bowls, and pans were less certain—families in this area usually didn’t lack those kinds of items.

Shen Qingqing usually ate at the cafeteria and just used her lunchbox.

She kept two basins.

The rest all needed to go.

Madam Jiang had already done an initial round of sorting, keeping only what the house might need.

As for the items they wouldn’t use, she thought it’d be better to dispose of them; otherwise, the house would pile up with clutter and turn into a storeroom.

After giving it some thought, Madam Jiang said, "The people in the courtyard see each other all the time, and everyone gets along quite well. It doesn’t really matter whom we give these to... How about we chat with the school’s guards later? See if any of them need these items. Giving them away directly could also earn you some goodwill, and they’d be more attentive when you need help in the future."

Shen Qingqing felt a little embarrassed, "These are all used items."

"What’s there to be embarrassed about?"

Madam Jiang thought young people were just too thin-skinned. "Things may be better now, but buying these items is still a hassle. People who truly need them will appreciate your kindness."

Shen Qingqing agreed, "I’ll go along with what you say."

Brother Zhixun first made a trip to the school and then came back to pick up Shen Qingqing.

Seeing that his mother also wanted to go, he said, "You can just stay home."

Madam Jiang laughed twice and, through gritted teeth, squeezed out a sentence, "If I don’t go, do you think Qingqing would even go eat with you?"

She’d likely be sent back before the work was even finished.

Brother Zhixun picked up the belongings that needed to go and, without a word, headed out the courtyard gate.

Madam Jiang wore a triumphant look.

Experience wins out over youth; the young ones still have much to learn!

She motioned for Shen Qingqing to sit in the passenger seat. "Help Zhixun navigate; he’s clumsy and might take the wrong road."

Shen Qingqing: "..."

Not to mention she hadn’t returned to China for four years—Beijing had changed drastically, and some routes were already fading from her memory.

But given Brother Zhixun’s professional skills, there was no way he wouldn’t remember the way.

Brother Zhixun gripped the steering wheel with one hand, leaned over, and pushed open the passenger door.

"Aren’t you getting in?"

Madam Jiang was already sitting in the back seat, putting a bag of items on the other side of the seat.

Shen Qingqing didn’t want to waste time and had no choice but to bite the bullet and sit in the passenger seat.

After all, with an elder present, he wouldn’t dare pull anything.

Brother Zhixun didn’t just fly planes well—he drove cars excellently too.

The speed was steady, free of sharp braking.

Madam Jiang, who easily got carsick, felt fine when riding his car.

She praised, "When you retire, being Qingqing’s driver wouldn’t be a bad gig."

Brother Zhixun followed up, "Then why don’t you ask her for me? How much would she pay me?"

Shen Qingqing said to Madam Jiang, "With Brother Zhixun’s skills, there’s no way I could afford it."

Madam Jiang’s gaze lingered on her son.

Brother Zhixun responded, "Then please ask her again—is it because she can’t afford it, or simply doesn’t want to hire me?"

Madam Jiang turned her gaze back to Shen Qingqing.

Shen Qingqing replied, "Doesn’t want to hire."

Brother Zhixun’s face darkened. He gripped the steering wheel tightly and suddenly stepped hard on the accelerator, causing the car to speed up abruptly.

Shen Qingqing quickly grabbed the handle, avoiding an awkward situation.

Madam Jiang was startled enough to feel her carsickness acting up.

She gave the seat in front of her an annoyed smack. "What’s gotten into you, boy?"

Brother Zhixun slowed down, muttering coolly, "Hit the wrong pedal. My apologies."

Madam Jiang scolded him, "I’m still here! You’re trying to frighten Qingqing? When you two were together, were you always bullying her like this?"

Oddly, Brother Zhixun recalled their days in the Northwest.

For a moment, he lacked confidence.

He retorted stubbornly, "Why would I bully her?"

Madam Jiang asked, "I’d like to ask you the same—why do you always make life difficult for Qingqing?"

Brother Zhixun had no answer.

Being with Shen Qingqing, he wanted to treat her well, but he also couldn’t resist teasing her.

Yet when he was with others, he wasn’t just calm—he had no inclination to talk much at all.

Taking a sideways glance at Shen Qingqing, he noticed she looked composed, entirely unfazed, unlike her reactions in the Northwest.

Brother Zhixun’s eyes narrowed in confusion.

Had Shen Qingqing become braver?

Observing her tightly gripping the handle, Brother Zhixun coughed lightly. "Alright, I won’t scare you anymore."

Shen Qingqing’s gaze cooled slightly.

So he had, in fact, done it on purpose?

Through gritted teeth, she fake-smiled and said, "Should I be thanking you?"

Brother Zhixun smirked faintly. "Thank me for what? For being candid, or for not scaring you?"

Madam Jiang smacked his shoulder. "Quit while you’re ahead!"

With an elder present, Brother Zhixun couldn’t push it further and dropped the topic.

The car smoothly drove into the school gates and parked in a spot nearby.

Madam Jiang got out and struck up a conversation with the security guard.

"My kid just got hired as a teacher at the foreign languages department this year. The dorm is small, and there’s no room for things like the coal stove. If you need it, feel free to take it home."

The coal stove was a great find—the security guard obviously wanted it, though he still hesitated over accepting.

Only when he realized they truly didn’t want the items anymore, and would otherwise just send them to the recycling station, did he take it.

"Teacher Shen, if anything comes up in the future, just let us know."

Shen Qingqing thanked him and chatted a bit, learning about some recent happenings at the school.

There were still a few miscellaneous items no one wanted, so Madam Jiang sent Brother Zhixun off to the recycling station to drop them off.

She and Shen Qingqing went to the dormitory to organize things.

Compared with home, the dorm’s conditions were barebones, with no separate bathroom.

While tidying up, Madam Jiang kept muttering.

"For a girl, using a communal bathroom is such an inconvenience. How about coming home every couple of days to shower and then returning to school?"

That would be far too much trouble, Shen Qingqing said, "Actually, the conditions are quite alright. I’ll work hard for the next two years and see if the organization can allocate me a house."

Compared to those nerve-wracking times, Shen Qingqing genuinely felt things were great now.

Madam Jiang believed wholeheartedly in Shen Qingqing’s abilities. After all, she’d managed to secure a teaching position at Beijing University; getting assigned housing was only a matter of time.

She sighed, "You’re really taking up your parents’ mantle now. Work hard—you’ll be a role model for us women in no time."

Shen Qingqing couldn’t help but smile. "I hope I won’t disappoint you."

"Of course not. You’re already so impressive. When I told people in the courtyard you got hired as a foreign language teacher, they all said you were remarkable."

Madam Jiang’s eyes radiated admiration for Shen Qingqing.

Her ability to speak several foreign languages seemed, in her eyes, like an extraordinary accomplishment.

Such straightforward praise was something Shen Qingqing hadn’t experienced in a long time.

Her lost confidence slowly returned bit by bit.

Shen Qingqing said, "I’ll keep working hard."