Upon arriving at the housing administration office, they found that the staff were indeed preparing to close for the day.
Although there was still half an hour before closing time, if they didn't want to work, any excuse would suffice.
Su Xiaotian busied herself, taking a pack of cigarettes from her bag and gently pushing it across the desk.
Upon seeing Su Xiaotian's thoughtful gesture of offering a pack of cigarettes, the other party's expression improved slightly.
When he clearly saw that the pack of cigarettes cost five yuan, his face broke into a smile.
"Why didn't you come earlier? It's already this late. Look, your colleagues are all getting ready to go home."
The staff member was a young man in his twenties. He casually pocketed the cigarettes but stopped tidying his desk.
"We were delayed by some matters. Please, could you help us!"
"Who told me to be so easygoing? Fine, I'll just delay my departure for a bit and process this for you, so you don't have to make a special trip again."
Su Xiaotian listened to the young man's words and inwardly grumbled.
He was already preparing to leave before closing time, yet he had so many considerate words to say.
His thick skin was truly comparable to a city wall.
However, despite her thoughts, she couldn't voice them.
Su Xiaotian plastered a smile on her face and said, "Thank you so much! We're lucky today to have met such a considerate comrade who is willing to process our paperwork. Otherwise, we would definitely have to make another trip."
Nice words cost nothing, and Su Xiaotian let out a string of them.
After Su Xiaotian's flattery, the other party's smile became even more sincere.
"This young lady knows how to speak well."
As he spoke, he handed them two forms and asked them to fill them out.
The forms were actually very simple, and they were completed in just a few minutes.
Then came the process of signing and stamping.
In any case, everything proceeded very smoothly. After more than ten minutes, a new property deed was in Su Xiaotian's hand.
The young male staff member still found it hard to believe.
Whose parent was this, being so extravagant? A perfectly good house was being put under the name of a little girl.
It was also a wonder that this little girl's brother had no hint of jealousy.
Immediately, the young staff member began to sigh. His own family's conditions were average, and they were still crammed together.
This pair of siblings might be children from a wealthy family.
Although there was some suppression in previous years, a lot of things were returned later.
Those wealthy families from before were still wealthy now.
Sometimes he truly envied why his ancestors hadn't left them a large fortune for their descendants.
Su Xiaotian was naturally unaware of the young staff member's thoughts.
Even if she knew, she wouldn't have paid it any mind.
Compared to decades later, this era was not yet an era of nepotism. As long as one was willing to work hard, they would always reap some rewards.
Therefore, everything still depended on oneself.
After the group left, Tao Dehua smiled and said, "It's a good thing you bought a pack of cigarettes when we arrived, otherwise, we wouldn't have gotten this paperwork done today."
He, a grown man, was truly less foresightful than a child.
Su Xiaotian smiled and said, "Uncle Tao, this is how society works with connections. Spending a little money to get important things done is enough."
After some polite exchanges, they parted ways.
It got dark early in Beijing. By this time, the sun was already setting in the west.
The crimson sun hung on the horizon, casting the setting sun's afterglow upon the two figures walking against the light…
When the two returned to school, it was almost dark.
"Xiaotian, shall we eat at the cafeteria tonight?" Chi Yiyuan asked for Su Xiaotian's opinion.
"It's getting late. Let's just get a meal from the cafeteria!"
Even though they weren't short of money, they couldn't order individual dishes for every meal.
It was a waste of money, and besides, it was too ostentatious.
Chi Yiyuan actually meant the same thing. They were both students, and it was better to be low-key in many situations.
However, in the end, the two of them did order dishes.
The reason was simple: neither of them had brought their lunchboxes when they returned from outside.
Going back to the dormitory to get a lunchbox would have been too time-consuming.
The two ordered one meat dish, one vegetable dish, and a soup, along with two bowls of white rice. Their scene of sitting opposite each other and eating was precisely what Ai Yu saw.
Ai Yu, seeing the two of them sitting together intimately and eating, couldn't help but spit in their direction and walked away with her own lunchbox.
She was going to persuade Ru Yun!
Meanwhile, Qi Xiaofang, who was eating with a very large lunchbox not far away, looked at Su Xiaotian and Chi Yiyuan with envy.
She wondered if Su Xiaotian was rich herself or if she was clinging to someone rich.
But regardless of the situation, she truly envied that she could eat well every meal.
Qi Xiaofang had ordered the cheapest stir-fried cabbage again today.
A small portion of vegetables, paired with plenty of rice.
After eating three meals in the cafeteria, the aunties serving food there already recognized Qi Xiaofang.
When Qi Xiaofang got her food, they no longer gave her less, but rather filled her lunchbox generously.
Of course, this was out of pity for the girl Qi Xiaofang's poor living conditions.
They had worked in the cafeteria for several years and were certainly familiar with these students.
Even those from less fortunate families would spend money on one or two meat dishes at the beginning of the semester and when subsidies were distributed each month.
But this girl, who could eat so much, only ordered the cheapest dish for every meal.
Even when the several aunties serving food in the cafeteria talked amongst themselves, they said they didn't know how Qi Xiaofang's family supported her ability to eat so much.
They also worried whether such a girl who could eat so much would be able to get married in the future.
They even had reason to suspect that if they didn't have to order dishes to eat white rice, this girl would have directly asked for plain rice.
In fact, Qi Xiaofang truly thought that way.
Her family's conditions were not good. Although she envied others who could eat well, she could only envy them.
She was very satisfied and content with being able to eat her fill, and with eating plain rice.
Having just arrived in the city and being subtly influenced by Yin Ruyun, Qi Xiaofang had actually experienced some disappointment.
She even felt that since others had better conditions, it was not wrong for her to benefit a little.
However, after Yin Ruyun's actual treat yesterday, and the disdainful glances she received, she finally understood that trying to take advantage would lead to being looked down upon.
She hadn't eaten a single bite of the braised pork yesterday, yet Ai Yu kept taunting her with her words.
After a night of serious contemplation, she suppressed that restless feeling.
What others had was theirs, and it had nothing to do with Qi Xiaofang.