Shen Zhixian had searched online all night. In Beijing, where every inch of land is worth its weight in gold, finding a temporary apartment involved considerations of location, price, and security, not to mention whether the surroundings were secluded.
By 3 a.m., she had narrowed it down to two places. After work, she went to see the apartments but was dissatisfied with both. To make matters worse, she was caught in the rush hour traffic which delayed her from picking up her child.
When she hurriedly arrived at the kindergarten, the gate was already locked. Just as she was about to call the teacher, her phone vibrated.
The caller ID displayed: "Jiang Jinsang."
"Hello, Fifth Master?"
"Sister-in-law speaks to me with such formality," Jiang Jinsang's voice always carried a hint of laughter, seemingly approachable, but actually difficult to get along with.
"Did you pick up Taotao?"
"We're in the restaurant across from the kindergarten."
