Chapter 26 Is Qiao Xingyue the Fatty?

"Mom, Fatty has disappeared. I'm worried that Fatty's husband won't lend me money."

"Don't worry, Mom has plenty of ways."

Looking at Qiao Xingyue who had stopped, An'an tilted her head and asked, "Mommy, why aren't you walking anymore?"

Xingyue, holding An'an and Ningning's hands, walked directly towards Zeng Xiuzhu and Liu Dazhu, just about to speak.

When Zeng Xiuzhu saw her, she took a bite of her big meat bun, then glared at her irritably, "What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen a country bumpkin come to the city before?"

Qiao Xingyue was stunned for a moment.

Is this... that you didn't recognize her?

Qiao Xingyue then realized that it was normal that Fatty's mother, Zeng Xiuzhu, did not recognize her.

After all, Fatty has always been chubby since she was a child. Even if she ate sweet potatoes every meal and didn't eat meat for half a year, Fatty never lost weight.

As she grew up, Fatty weighed over 200 pounds.

She weighs less than 100 pounds now, and her slimmer appearance is probably unrecognizable even to her mother.

Zeng Xiuzhu was a notorious cunning and wicked person in the village. Anyone who looked at her for too long would be cursed with a bunch of nasty words by her for no reason.

If she were to inquire about Fatty's man so rashly, Zeng Xiuzhu would not only refuse to tell her, but she would also refuse to do so.

He might even misunderstand her and try to seduce the money-making son-in-law she's painstakingly acquired.

She was the one who slept with that unfortunate platoon leader, that's for sure.

But the person who secretly put the veterinary drug for breeding pigs into that row of sweet potato porridge was Zeng Xiuzhu.

Having finally secured this money-making son-in-law, Zeng Xiuzhu was unwilling to let other women inquire about him.

Qiao Xingyue pondered for a moment.

Since Fatty's man is not dead, she must find out his name from Zeng Xiuzhu.

Since Fatty's man has been in the Jincheng Military Region, she might have already met him since she was transferred there, but they just don't recognize each other.

Qiao Xingyue wondered: How can I get information out of Zeng Xiuzhu?

Yes.

"An'an and Ningning, come on, Mom will buy you big meat buns."

"Mom, didn't we already have breakfast?" An'an asked as they walked.

As Qiao Xingyue walked, she said, "Mom is worried that you haven't eaten enough."

If Fatty's man is still alive, then she definitely has to find him.

She had mistakenly thought the man was dead, and she had been raising An'an and Ningning alone.

Now that An'an and Ningning's father is still alive, they can't continue to be without a father. Having a father to share the burden will make An'an and Ningning's lives a little easier.

Besides, Ningning will need to spend money on medical treatment in the future.

Once we find this man, things will be much easier.

Qiao Xingyue, who usually wouldn't buy big meat buns, bought five in one go, giving two of them to An An and Ning Ning.

Then he wrapped the remaining three in kraft paper and sat down in front of Zeng Xiuzhu's Liu Dazhu.

Liu Dazhu glared at her. "Aren't there any tables over there? You sit here and block the way."

Zeng Xiuzhu glared at her, "What are you doing? Can't you see someone's sitting here?"

It's as if this square table is their private property, and no one else can sit on it.

Zeng Xiuzhu and Liu Dazhu haven't changed at all; they're still cunning, fierce, and difficult to get along with.

"Auntie, the steamed buns at this shop are especially delicious. There are more here if you want." Qiao Xingyue noticed that the mother and son still didn't recognize her.

She handed over the three large meat buns wrapped in brown paper, saying, "The auntie looks a bit like a distant relative of mine. My relative is from Chadian Village in Kuncheng."

When Zeng Xiuzhu saw that a large meat bun had been delivered to her door, she thought it would be a waste not to eat it.

There was no advantage that Zeng Xiuzhu wouldn't want to take, and it was all offered to her for free.

As if afraid that Qiao Xingyue would take the buns back, she quickly took one and stuffed the remaining two into her son Liu Dazhu's hands.

Qiao Xingyue snorted inwardly: Ha! Still so devoted to Liu Dazhu, giving him all the good food.

After taking the steamed buns, Zeng Xiuzhu responded to Qiao Xingyue, "What a coincidence, we're also from Chadian Village in Kuncheng."

“That’s quite a coincidence,” Qiao Xingyue replied.

Zeng Xiuzhu glanced at the two girls beside Qiao Xingyue and asked, "Comrade, are these your sisters?"

When Qiao Xingyue takes the two children out, people who don't know them often mistake them for her younger sister.

She smiled and said, "No, these are my two daughters."

Zeng Xiuzhu looked An An and Ning Ning up and down, then nudged Liu Dazhu, "Dazhu, look, don't these two kids look like Fatty when she was little?"

Liu Dazhu munched on a large meat bun and nodded, "It really does look a bit like it."

Qiao Xingyue thought to herself, "It really does look like it!"

Because she is Fatty.

Those two people are so stupid. She only lost weight from over 200 pounds to over 90 pounds, and she didn't have any plastic surgery. How could they not recognize her?

She then asked, "Auntie, you've come all the way from Kunming, what brings you here? We're all from the same hometown, so if there's anything I can help you with, I'd be happy to."

"Oh, we've come to see my brother-in-law." Liu Dazhu took a sip of porridge.

Qiao Xingyue continued to probe, "What does your brother-in-law do?"

Speaking of her son-in-law, Zeng Xiuzhu said with pride, "My son-in-law is a platoon leader, he's really something. His monthly allowance has increased from forty-eight yuan to more than one hundred yuan."

With such a stipend, the man who was ridden by the fat girl must have already been promoted from platoon leader to regimental commander?

Qiao Xingyue then asked, "Auntie, what's your son-in-law's name? I also work in the Jincheng Military Region. Maybe I know him and can show you the way."

“My son-in-law’s name is…” Zeng Xiuzhu was about to answer.

She stopped biting into the large meat bun and stared warily at Qiao Xingyue.

The way she sized up Qiao Xingyue was like sizing up an enemy: This woman is as beautiful as a vixen, could she be trying to find out about her son-in-law and seduce him? No way! Even if Fatty is missing, Xie Zhongming will always be Zeng Xiuzhu's son-in-law, her lifelong cash cow. She can't let this pretty vixen seduce him.

"What are you doing?" Zeng Xiuzhu said irritably, "You're jealous of my son-in-law's monthly allowance of over a hundred yuan, and you want to seduce him?"

Qiao Xingyue gave an awkward smile, "Auntie, what are you talking about? I'm already a mother of two, why would I seduce other men?"

Zeng Xiuzhu said irritably, "Who knows if you're a widow who lost her husband? Get away from me, don't try to get close to me. I knew you wouldn't give me those three big meat buns for free. So you're trying to make a move on my son-in-law."

Before Qiao Xingyue could say anything more, Liu Dazhu grabbed her arm and pushed her toward another table. "You ill-intentioned woman, move aside and sit over there. Don't sit with us."

Qiao Xingyue was pushed so hard she almost fell.

"Don't push my mom."

"Mom, are you alright?" An'an asked with concern as she helped her up. She shook her head and said she was fine.

Seeing Zeng Xiuzhu and Liu Dazhu glaring at her with fierce looks, as if she would be beaten if she got any closer, she was surprised to see them staring at her.

She understood the mother and son.

Once the mother and son develop hostility towards others, they can beat people up for no reason.

After beating someone, they would lie on the ground, act pitiful and shrug, and then accuse the perpetrator of wrongdoing before extorting money from the victim.

In this situation, it was impossible for her to find out the fat girl's man's name from the mother and son.

I had no choice but to stand at a distance.

...

The Xie family.

The family had just finished breakfast.

The security guard knocked on the door.

The person who opened the door was Huang Guilan. Upon seeing the gatekeeper, she gave him a gentle smile. "Xiao Zhang, what brings you here so early in the morning?"

"Aunt Lan, a relative of yours has come to visit and is having breakfast at the steamed bun shop outside the service center. But I think he's a bit difficult to deal with. Should I bring him directly to our house, or take him to the guesthouse?"

There are often military relatives in the family compound who, under the guise of visiting relatives, come to borrow money or freeload.

Therefore, many family members and leaders living in the family compound are unwilling to entertain relatives directly in the family compound.

They were all taken to guesthouses outside.

Upon hearing that this was a difficult relative, Huang Guilan quickly asked, "What kind of relative?"

"They are Commander Xie's mother-in-law and Commander Xie's brother-in-law," the gatekeeper, Xiao Zhang, said truthfully.

Upon hearing this, Huang Guilan had a bad feeling. "What good could these two possibly want from coming to Jincheng to see Zhongming?"

Xie Zhongming, who was sitting at the square table, quickly stood up when he heard that Zeng Xiuzhu and Liu Dazhu had arrived. He walked to the door of the main room and asked, "Are you calling Zeng Xiuzhu and Liu Dazhu?"

The gatekeeper stood ramrod straight. "Yes, Commander Xie."

Xie Zhongming then asked, "Are there only Zeng Xiuzhu and Liu Dazhu? Aren't there any chubby women in their twenties?"

Could it be that Zeng Xiuzhu and Liu Dazhu have already found Fatty?

They sent Fatty to the military region to live with him again?

The security guard shook his head. "No, it was just the mother and son, carrying a large basket of sweet potatoes."

Huang Guilan looked at Xie Zhongming and said, "Zhongming, you can't bring your troublesome mother-in-law home. All these years, all she's done is ask you for money. If she doesn't get it, she'll just throw a tantrum on the ground, acting pitiful, crying and making a scene. She's not easy to deal with."

Huang Guilan added, "At that time, the neighbors will think that we are bullying your mother-in-law. If she really wants to borrow money, it will be our fault if we don't lend it to her."

Over the years, Fatty has been missing. How could Zeng Xiuzhu have been deceiving Lao Si into sending back less money?

If it weren't for Lao Si's trip to Chadian Village, he would have been tricked again into giving away the 800 yuan that he had lied about Pang Ya stealing last time.

Xie Jiang, who was at the square table, also came over. "Fourth brother, your mother is right. Your mother-in-law is not easy to deal with. You should take her to the guesthouse to avoid affecting your reputation later."

Xie Zhongming thought of Fatty's family; none of them were easy to deal with, and they were all people with problematic ideas.

Otherwise, Fatty wouldn't have been able to sleep with him under those circumstances back then.

Another surge of anger welled up in my chest.

He nodded with a tense expression, "Okay."

Then, he said to the gatekeeper, "Xiao Zhang, take the person to the guard's duty room first."

There are few people there.

Tell my mother-in-law I'll be there right away.

Xiao Zhang nodded. "Okay."

When Xiao Zhang returned to Zeng Xiuzhu and Liu Dazhu, the mother and son had just finished breakfast. "Auntie, brother, let's go. Your son-in-law asked me to take you to the duty room first."

"Why go to the duty room instead of his house?" Zeng Xiuzhu's face fell. What kind of bad idea is Xie Zhongming up to?

"I'm not quite sure either, ma'am, come on, follow me."

Xingyue was standing just a few meters away.

The gatekeeper was about to take Zeng Xiuzhu and Liu Dazhu to see the man that Fatty had ridden, and she followed closely behind.

She wanted to see who the man the fat girl had ridden was, since he was from the same military region as her.

They might have met before, but like Zeng Xiuzhu and her son, the man didn't recognize her because she had lost over 100 pounds.

She held An'an and Ningning's hands and followed closely behind, saying, "An'an, Ningning, come on, I'll take you to see your father."

"Dad, what dad?" An'an and Ningning were still unaware of the situation; it was the lively An'an who spoke.

Qiao Xingyue kept her eyes fixed on Zeng Xiuzhu, Liu Dazhu, and the gatekeeper ahead, afraid of losing them. Her heart jumped into her throat. "He's your biological father. He's not dead yet. I'll take you to him now."