"But I know the old woman; if she goes to the Jianglin Hotel, maybe soon she won’t have enough money to pay for the room and meals."
She had also heard others mention the Jianglin Hotel and knew that the environment there was better than at the base.
Many people who went to the Jianglin Hotel stayed there and didn’t return to the base.
But it’s been said that recently there are no extra rooms at the Jianglin Hotel, and even those who went with the base team have had to come back.
Even so, many people still want to follow the base’s team to the Jianglin Hotel.
No other reason than the weather at the Jianglin Hotel not being affected by extreme heat.
"No worries, the room fees and expenses at Jianglin Hotel won’t affect me; I’m not good at cooking, and I’m thinking of hiring someone to help me with meals lately.
I’m quite picky, and after all this time, you’re the only one who’s caught my eye.
I believe you won’t let me down, right?"
Chu Jiangyue knew that directly inviting her wouldn’t work, but if she needed help, perhaps, although she wouldn’t agree immediately, she might consider it.
Sure enough, the previously resolute old woman’s attitude softened when she heard Chu Jiangyue’s words, no longer as steadfast.
"If you agree, we’ll have an employment relationship, and I’ll pay you monthly, so you won’t have to worry about not having money to live at the Jianglin Hotel."
The old woman fell into thought, and Chu Jiangyue patiently sat with Shen Zhigui on benches inside her house, waiting for her to think it through.
"You haven’t eaten yet, have you? I have freshly cooked corn here, have some."
Seeing them just sitting in the house, the old woman proactively offered the corn she had just cooked for herself.
"No need, you keep it for yourself; I still have plenty."
This was the corn Chu Jiangyue had exchanged for seeds yesterday, couldn’t let her eat it again the next day.
Even Zhou Bapi wouldn’t do that.
"We’ve already eaten, don’t worry about us."
Shen Zhigui also didn’t take what the old woman offered.
They had arms and legs; they shouldn’t compete with the elderly for food.
Seeing they didn’t want it, the old woman didn’t insist, taking one and starting to munch on it herself.
Chu Jiangyue and Shen Zhigui could only sit facing each other, staring.
After finishing her breakfast, the old woman began tidying the house.
She was the kind of person who couldn’t sit idle, known as someone whose eyes couldn’t rest if there was work to be done.
Chu Jiangyue felt embarrassed to just watch and got up to help.
"You sit down, I’ll just sweep a bit, it’ll be quick."
The old woman had only one set of cleaning tools in her house and swiftly tidied up without letting Chu Jiangyue lift a finger.
"Grandma, have you decided if you want to go back to the Jianglin Hotel with me?"
Seeing she had finished sweeping, Chu Jiangyue extended the invitation again.
Shen Zhigui, although unsure why Chu Jiangyue was so adamant about bringing the old woman back to the Jianglin Hotel, looked at her seriously.
Seeing Chu Jiangyue so persistent, the old woman sighed and said, "Alright, I accept your employment, and will go to the Jianglin Hotel with you."
After all, she was alone; it didn’t matter where she lived, and she wouldn’t have to suffer from the extreme heat at the Jianglin Hotel.
Hearing the old woman speak, Chu Jiangyue immediately beamed.
"That’s great, then my three meals a day will be in your care! Pack your things, we’re leaving right away!"
Chu Jiangyue was afraid that if they delayed a bit, the old woman might regret it.
Living alone, the old woman didn’t have much to pack.
In the end, she took a slightly old black backpack and packed up everything.
Seeing the little luggage she had, Chu Jiangyue felt a tinge of sadness.
"Let’s go, you’re coming with us to the villa now, and then we’ll leave with the base team."
This time, Song Chengjun was leading the team, and Chu Jiangyue didn’t mind going with them.
Having promised Chu Jiangyue already, the old woman didn’t hesitate further, locking the door and following behind Chu Jiangyue and Shen Zhigui.
Chu Jiangyue and Shen Zhigui seemed out of place among the people from the outer base, drawing a lot of attention once they stepped outside.
However, upon seeing the old woman behind them, people were puzzled.
They knew the old woman, but didn’t know since when she was acquainted with these young folks.
Even if they hadn’t seen them in action, often people’s instincts about danger are quite accurate.
Ultimately, Chu Jiangyue, Shen Zhigui, and the old woman, under the watchful eyes of others, made their way through the market to the inner base area.
It was the old woman’s first time inside the inner area, where the streets were much cleaner compared to the outer area.
"Our villa is at the very end, and there are a few friends living with us; just call them by their names when you meet them."
Fearing the old woman might be uneasy seeing so many new faces, Chu Jiangyue laid out the villa’s situation beforehand.
The old woman nodded, indicating her understanding.
The group in the villa, including Jiang He, saw Chu Jiangyue and Shen Zhigui returning together and looked at Shen Zhigui.
They asked Shen Zhigui with their eyes: What’s going on? Is there progress?
Without minding their wild guesses, Shen Zhigui walked straight into the villa, revealing the old woman behind them.
"Who is she..."
Seeing the old woman, Xie Silin was the first to ask.
Did Boss Shen and Boss Chu find a family member?
The two didn’t look like the kind to extend kindness at random.
"This is the grandma I’ve hired to cook for us; she’ll be going with us to the Jianglin Hotel today."
Upon hearing Chu Jiangyue’s words, the others nodded, understanding.
"So, when are we leaving?"
Song Chengjun was gathering people for the journey, but they weren’t sure when they would leave the base exactly.
"Let’s wait for Captain Song’s notification."
Their group’s strength was top-tier within the base.
Chu Jiangyue didn’t think Song Chengjun would pass up the opportunity for them to act as free bodyguards.
The crew, including Shen Zhigui, had no objections.
"I checked just now, Captain Song is still organizing people, so it won’t be that soon; let’s eat first!"
On the dining table were various dishes Jiang He had brought out from storage.
The old woman glanced at Chu Jiangyue and Shen Zhigui, hadn’t they already said they’d eaten breakfast?
Chu Jiangyue averted her gaze, focusing her eyes and mind internally.
Shen Zhigui awkwardly coughed: "We have plenty prepared, why don’t you sit and have some too?"
Shen Zhigui directed the old woman’s attention towards himself.
The old woman shook her head, saying she was full from the corn she had earlier and couldn’t eat more.
"Come on, join us for a little; it’d be embarrassing for us to eat while you just watch."
Chu Jiangyue issued another invitation to the old woman.
The old woman couldn’t resist Chu Jiangyue and sat at the table, but she looked somewhat restrained throughout.
Chu Jiangyue knew she might feel uneasy at first, so during the meal, she did her best to take care of the old woman to help her relax.