Big Beard's lecture finally came to an end, and the circle of elderly women and housewives around him immediately launched into a serious discussion. One of the women even held up a little notebook and asked, "Master, I arrived late yesterday when you were talking about the cycle of all things. Could you..."
Big Beard had already spotted Hao Ren standing outside the circle and hurriedly waved his hands. "We'll talk about it tomorrow, tomorrow. This sort of thing depends on fate—just listen to whichever part you happen to catch. Oh, Landlord, you're here?"
At least sixty percent of the elderly women and housewives in the circle knew Hao Ren. In a small place like the South Suburbs, all the neighbors had been familiar with one another for decades. How could anyone not know anyone else? Someone immediately came over to greet him warmly, and Hao Ren could only smile awkwardly and respond to each person in turn. Old Mrs. Zhao, who had always been familiar with Hao Ren, even came over and grabbed his hand. "Little Hao, you've gone another ten-odd days without showing your face, haven't you? Gone out again?"
Elderly women loved keeping track of these trivial matters.
Hao Ren gave a dry laugh. "Work, work... The job I found last year requires frequent business trips, you know."
"Mm, having a steady job is indeed a good thing," the old woman said with an air of solemn authority, nodding. But she soon grew even more serious. "Still, you're never home these days... Don't forget that you're renting out rooms too. Can you really keep up with all that?"
Hao Ren hurriedly brushed her off with a few excuses and quickly slipped away, arriving in front of Big Beard. "How did you end up teaching classes?"
"I didn't