Chapter 93 An An and Ning Ning Become the Xie Family's Darlings

Qiao Xingyue and Huang Guilan walked out of the main room together.

It was dark outside, and it was hard to see clearly, but several figures could be seen walking together toward the entrance of the main room.

The night was like spilled ink, turning the front of the courtyard into a deep black. The cicadas' chirping in the treetops echoed the croaking of frogs in the corner, creating a harmonious accompaniment.

Huang Guilan, holding onto the doorframe, asked, "Who is this?"

"mom!"

"Mom, Mom! Mom!"

A few familiar shouts pierced the night, hoarse from the journey, yet clear as a bell tolling in the heart.

Huang Guilan was overjoyed and quickly took Qiao Xingyue's hand, saying happily, "Xingyue, it's your eldest brother and sister-in-law, and your second brother and sister-in-law who are back."

Four boys followed behind: Xie Mingyuan, the eldest son's youngest son, and Xie Zhiyuan, the eldest son.

There are also the eldest son Xie Chengyuan and the youngest son Xie Boyuan from the second son's family.

The four boys walked to the threshold of the main room, stood in a row under the dim light, and shouted in unison, "Grandma!"

Upon seeing her four grandsons, Huang Guilan's anxious heart was somewhat soothed, and she responded gently.

These four grandsons are all older than An An and Ning Ning.

The eldest son's eldest son, Zhiyuan, is ten years old this year, and Mingyuan is nine years old. The second son's eldest son, Chengyuan, is nine years old, and Boyuan is seven years old. They are all taller than An'an and Ningning.

Back when the four children were still in the wombs of the eldest and second daughters-in-law, Huang Guilan hoped to have a girl. But after all that hoping, they were all born boys.

Huang Guilan likes boys just as much, but she also desperately hopes to have a girl.

Now it's all clear: Xingyue's twin daughters are actually Huang Guilan's granddaughters.

Yesterday, she was so happy that she couldn't sleep because Xingyue was actually Pangya and An'an and Ningning were her own granddaughters.

I won't be able to sleep again tonight because of the fact that Zhongming and Xingyue were taken away by the security department.

Huang Guilan hurriedly introduced the four children, "Zhiyuan, Mingyuan, Chengyuan, Boyuan, quickly greet your fourth aunt. This is your fourth uncle's wife, greet her!"

The four boys looked at Qiao Xingyue and called out in unison, "Fourth Aunt."

At this moment, the eldest son's wife, Shen Liping, came up and excitedly grabbed Qiao Xingyue's hand, "Xingyue, we really are like family. You and the fourth son have a deep connection."

Back then, Qiao Xingyue was sick in a dilapidated temple, holding her infant sons An'an and Ningning in her arms. She was assaulted by Jiang Yongqiang, Jiang Chunyan's nephew, and almost succeeded in his plan. Fortunately, Shen Liping and her husband happened to be taking shelter from the rain in the temple and rescued her and her two children.

Otherwise, given her critical condition at the time, she might have been violated by that lecherous Jiang Yongqiang, or even silenced by him.

Yesterday, Huang Guilan made a phone call, asking her eldest and second sons to bring the children back to see their fourth aunt while the kids are about to start their summer vacation.

Huang Guilan told her eldest, second, third, and fifth sons that Xingyue was actually Pangya and An'an and Ningning were the Xie family's granddaughters.

Sure enough, the eldest and second sons' families returned immediately upon hearing of the fourth son's joyous occasion.

As soon as they arrived at the military compound, a passing neighbor told them that Lao Si had been detained in the security department.

After Huang Guilan and Qiao Xingyue finished their introductions and exchanged a few pleasantries, Shen Liping hurriedly asked, "Mom, why is Zhongming still being detained in the security office? What happened? Is it serious?"

"Sister-in-law, come inside with your elder brother, second brother, and second sister-in-law. Don't stand outside." Qiao Xingyue welcomed them in and quickly took out several enamel cups from the cabinet, pouring them some water.

Huang Guilan briefly recounted Xie Zhongming's situation to her eldest and second eldest sons.

Upon hearing this, the eldest and second sons' families all looked worried.

The words "Security Department" were like a block of ice, placed in the center of the room, making one's heart tighten with cold.

No one dared to mention words like "disciplinary action" or "investigation," yet they couldn't avoid them. They could only let this heaviness permeate the air, wrapped in the dew of a summer night, making it hard to breathe.

The people sitting at the eight-immortal table were all seated neatly, but no one spoke.

All that could be heard outside the main room were the chirping of cicadas and croaking of frogs, which made one's heart race with unease.

Qiao Xingyue knew that in this era, if an enemy agent appeared in a large family, the entire family would be affected.

Qiao Xingyue glanced at her eldest brother and sister-in-law, as well as her second brother and sister-in-law, and saw that they all had heavy expressions and their brows were clouded with worry.

At this point, they probably didn't want her to be Xie Zhongming's long-lost wife, Pang Ya.

The presence of enemy agents or suspected spies in our home is all because of her.

Everyone here will be affected by suspected enemy agents.

No wonder everyone had gloomy faces and remained silent.

Qiao Xingyue suddenly felt that she was not very popular.

They probably don't want someone with such a questionable identity to appear in the Xie family.

The eldest son of the Xie family is named Xie Zhongyi. He looks three or four parts like Xie Zhongming, but his skin is darker than Xie Zhongming's, and he has a very obvious scar on his forehead.

Qiao Xingyue, a professional doctor, glanced at the long scar on her older brother Xie Zhongyi's forehead and instinctively analyzed it in her mind.

Her professional instincts gave her an almost instinctive sensitivity to the traces left by the healing scar on her older brother's forehead.

The scar ran diagonally below the brow bone, extending to the frontal bone, and was about four or five centimeters long. It was a dark red hypertrophic scar with slightly raised edges, forming a clear boundary with the surrounding skin. The suture marks in the middle of the scar were faintly visible, arranged in a uniform dot pattern.

Clinical suturing usually requires layered treatment. The dermis and subcutaneous tissue need to be sutured separately, plus interrupted suturing of the epidermis. The number of sutures on the elder brother's forehead is at least thirty.

What kind of injury requires more than thirty stitches?

My older brother must have been seriously injured at the time.

Four years ago, Qiao Xingyue was unexpectedly rescued by her elder brother and sister-in-law in a dilapidated temple. At that time, there was no sign of the injury on her elder brother's forehead, and she did not know what kind of injury he had suffered.

Xie Zhongyi frowned and remained silent.

He frowned, his face grim, and the prominent scar on his forehead added to the oppressive atmosphere.

Qiao Xingyue heard that her elder brother, Xie Zhongyi, had been transferred to Kyoto more than half a year ago to take a position in the central government.

Is it possible that my elder brother is afraid of being implicated by her and affecting his career?

Little did Qiao Xingyue know, this was a misunderstanding.

Xie Zhongyi was frowning as he pondered a problem. The Central Inspection Team would arrive at Jincheng Military Region tomorrow to begin its inspection work.

But this is a secret, and he can't tell even his own family.

Even if Zhao Guangliang wanted to settle personal scores under the guise of being a suspected special agent, he wouldn't dare to be too arrogant.

Seeing Huang Guilan and Qiao Xingyue, the two mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, looking worried, Xie Zhongyi wanted to comfort them, but he swallowed his words back.

"I originally planned to take Xingyue to the department store to look at furniture so that the young couple could move into their own little courtyard with An'an and Ningning and live their own life. Sigh, I wonder when Lao Si will be cleared of suspicion and released."

In this day and age, once you're suspected of being an enemy agent, how easy is it to get away with it?

Huang Guilan sat at the head of the octagonal table and sighed deeply.

The dim yellow light from the overhead pull-cord lamp illuminated the sorrow in her eyes.

Qiao Xingyue felt a pang of heartache. "Mom, it's all my fault. I've dragged Zhongming into this."

“Sister-in-law, how can this be your fault?” Xie Zhongyi, who had a deep scar on his forehead and was sitting next to Huang Guilan, spoke up.

Then he added, "Sister-in-law, don't feel guilty. Zhongming is a tough man; he can handle any hardship he suffers in there. Relax. All these years you've raised two children through hardship and displacement, and it's all because our Xie family didn't think things through and didn't bring you to the military compound sooner. From now on, Zhongming will make it up to you. You two should live a good life together."

Xie Zhongyi practically said that Xie Zhongming would be released by the security department safely tomorrow.

Xie Zhongyi glanced at his wife, Shen Liping, and said, "Liping, isn't Mom planning to buy some furniture for Lao Si and his wife so they can move into their own little courtyard? Could you help them with that tomorrow?"

“That’s exactly what I meant.” Shen Liping glanced at Huang Guilan and Qiao Xingyue and comforted them, “Mom, Xingyue, don’t worry. Fourth Brother is innocent. What can the security department find out if they investigate? Maybe he’ll be back tomorrow. Let’s hurry up and buy some new furniture. We should at least throw a few tables of food for Fourth Brother and Xingyue to make up for it and have a lively celebration.”

"Mom, Xingyue, I'll go help out tomorrow too. Xingyue and Lao Si's little courtyard will need a lot of repairs and cleaning."

The one speaking was Sun Xiuxiu, Huang Guilan's second daughter-in-law.

Shen Liping and Sun Xiuxiu, the two sisters-in-law, both looked at Qiao Xingyue and offered her a few words of comfort.

Finally, Shen Liping's gaze fell upon Huang Guilan, filled with respect and reverence:

“Mom, our family should make it up to Xingyue. When Xiuxiu and I married into the family, we were both very well-off, with lots of big items and a grand wedding banquet. Only Xingyue has suffered so much injustice.”

Shen Liping sat to Qiao Xingyue's right.

At this moment, as if he were showing affection for his own younger sister, he took Qiao Xingyue's hand and gently patted it:

"Xingyue, don't worry, maybe Lao Si will really be released tomorrow. Lao Si neglected you before, making you and An'an and Ningning suffer. Your sister-in-law will criticize him later."

Seeing how close Shen Liping and Qiao Xingyue were, Sun Xiuxiu jokingly said, "Sister-in-law, you have to treat them equally. Don't stop being close to me just because your new sister-in-law is pretty."

Normally, Sun Xiuxiu and Shen Liping, the two sisters-in-law, don't engage in any of that scheming and backstabbing.

When the two women first married into the family, their relationship wasn't particularly close, but after spending some time together, it grew stronger. Whenever anything happened in the eldest and second son's family, the two sisters-in-law would always lend a hand.

Moreover, Huang Guilan has always been fair and impartial.

When the eldest son's wife married into the family, the dowry was two thousand yuan, along with three watches, one radio, and eight tables of banquet food.

The second son's wife looked exactly the same when she married into the family.

Moreover, the eldest brother Xie Zhongyi and the second brother Xie Zhongjie are both upright people with good character and the spirit of soldiers. The women they choose would not have any ulterior motives.

In short, with Huang Guilan and Xie Jiang in charge, the Xie family as a whole is not in chaos and lives in harmony.

At this moment, Xie Zhongjie, the second brother sitting next to Sun Xiuxiu, interjected, "Sister-in-law, don't worry, the fourth brother will be fine. Even if Zhao Guangliang has ulterior motives, at most he'll just make the fourth brother stand in the bright light and put him through the wringer."

"What does 'training the eagle' mean?" Qiao Xingyue asked, somewhat puzzled.

Only then did she realize that her second brother, Xie Zhongjie, was missing half an ear.

The eldest brother has a scar on his forehead, and the second brother is missing half an ear, but these two brothers still stand tall like pine trees, exuding iron-blooded heroism, with thick, black eyebrows and a dignified righteousness.

The men of the Xie family are all good men who have weathered many storms.

Xie Zhongjie smiled and said, "Living with the eagle means interrogating people all night, shining bright lights on them, and not letting them sleep."

Just thinking about it is enough to torment Qiao Xingyue.

It's unclear what Xie Zhongming is going through at this very moment.

That night, the Xie family's house was not enough for everyone to sleep in, so they laid out a straw mat in the main room, where the eldest son, the second son, and the four children slept.

Shen Liping and Sun Xiuxiu slept in Xie Zhongming's room.

Qiao Xingyue and An Anning still slept in their original room.

The next morning, Shen Liping and Sun Xiuxiu got up early to prepare breakfast.

When An Anning and Qiao Xingyue came downstairs, they saw a large family sitting in the main room.

The four boys of the Xie family were sitting at a square table, each in a corner, writing their homework by themselves.

As the two younger sisters came downstairs, four pairs of eyes turned to look at them, each with a smile in their eyes, gazing with great admiration at the two beautiful sisters who looked exactly alike.

This is their fourth uncle's daughter, their own sister.

The adorable little baby has big eyes and pigtails; she's incredibly cute.

Mingyuan and Zhiyuan had met An'an and Ningning before, so they weren't that unfamiliar with each other.

Zhiyuan, the eldest child in the family, stood up from the octagonal table and clapped his hands toward An'an and Ningning, saying, "An'an and Ningning, come here, let your big brother give you a hug."

Last time I saw them, I felt especially close to the two younger sisters.

It turns out that she really was their sister.

Seeing that Ningning was a little timid, Zhiyuan picked up An'an first and asked, "An'an, did your big brother mistake you for someone else?"

An'an laughed, her voice crisp and clear, "Big brother didn't mistake me, I am An'an."

"I want to hold her too." Chengyuan, the second son, insisted on picking up Ningning. How could there be such a delicate and adorable little baby?

“Little sister, I’m your second brother, Xie Chengyuan.” Chengyuan hugged Ningning tightly, doting on her. “If anyone in this compound dares to bully you, just tell your brother, and I’ll be the first to not let them off the hook.”

Qiao Xingyue noticed how much An An Ning Ning was loved by the Xie family.

The four older brothers fought over who would hold An An and Ning Ning, and the eldest and second uncles also fought over who would hold her.

Aunts Shen Liping and Sun Xiuxiu, who brought out noodles from the kitchen, also vied to hold them.

The Xie family was already bustling with activity when the eldest and second sons' families hadn't returned yet. Now, with eight more people suddenly in the main room, the Xie family felt even warmer and more lively.

The family sat around the eight-immortal table eating noodles. Two more chairs were added in front of the table, making it a bit crowded, but the atmosphere was lively and cheerful.

Xie Zhiyuan, Xie Mingyuan, Xie Chengyuan, and Xie Boyuan, the four older brothers, all eagerly picked out the poached eggs from their bowls and gave them to An An and Ning Ning.

Right now, each of An An Ning Ning's noodle bowls has three perfectly fried sunny-side-up eggs piled up inside.

An An and Ning Ning declined for a while, then put the fried egg back into their bowls for their brothers, who then put it back in their bowls.

For a moment, An Anning couldn't refuse, so she looked to Qiao Xingyue for help.

Qiao Xingyue felt a warm glow in her heart because An'an and Ningning suddenly had four older brothers who doted on them. She stroked the two children's heads and asked gently, "An'an and Ningning can't eat so many fried eggs, can they?"

"It's alright," said the eldest brother, Xie Zhiyuan. "Big sister, second sister, you eat first. If you can finish it, finish it last. If you can't finish it, leave it in your bowl and I'll eat the rest."

Xie Zhiyuan, who is almost eleven years old, has grown taller by half a head since the last time he visited the Xie family.

He's almost 1.6 meters tall now.

He's clearly a little adult.

He put poached eggs on his younger sisters' plates and added vegetables to An'an and Ningning's bowls, afraid that they would go hungry.

An'an looked at her bowl, which was piled up like a small mountain, and pouted, looking just like a cute little squirrel. "But what I've eaten is dirty."

Xie Zhiyuan laughed and said, "It's alright, I won't mind. Eldest sister and second sister, eat first, and we'll talk about it later if you can't finish."

Xie Zhiyuan's voice was so gentle it could melt a ball of ice water.

Despite looking just like the eldest brother Xie Zhongyi, with a very masculine air, Xie Zhiyuan has one or two small tiger teeth, making him look exceptionally gentle when he smiles.

Seeing that An An and Ning Ning hadn't started eating, Xie Zhiyuan, who was sitting closest, ruffled their hair. "Eat up, the noodles are all soggy. It's okay if you can't finish them, your brother will eat the rest, so we won't waste any."

This was the first time An An Ning Ning had felt the love from her older brothers.

That kind of blood ties warms your heart.

The two little girls then picked up their chopsticks, buried them in the bowl of noodles, picked up the fried eggs their brothers had given them, puffed out their cheeks, and began to bite into them one by one.

When the two kids were eating, their cheeks puffed out and moved so softly that the four older brothers forgot to eat their noodles and just kept looking at their two little sisters.

Xie Boyuan, the second son's son, was the youngest of the four older brothers, but he was still a head taller than An An and Ning Ning. He stared at his two younger sisters for a long time and said, "Grandma, do I really have two soft and cuddly little sisters now?"