Chapter 115

It is July now. Even if Chu Shao is ready to go, he cannot leave today. He bought a ticket for mid-month and will not leave the capital for more than a week.

The adults were too busy to leave their posts for such an extended period. Grandma Han had some free time, but she was old, and no one at home could rest assured that she and her child would travel to Luoyang, a place they knew no one. Therefore, Chu Jiujiu could only rely on Han Shengyi. After all, she was only fifteen, small and conspicuous. Human traffickers were rampant these days, and it was common to see children being kidnapped and women being sold at the train station. Even if she had a lot of cunning, the adults would never agree to let her go to Luoyang alone.

No matter what she said, Han Shengyi remained unmoved. Finally, seeing that she was so persistent, he could only sigh and explain to her: "When I first joined the secretariat, the colleagues who worked with me thought I was a useless relative because I was my grandfather's grandson. It takes two days to get to Luoyang. The secretariat's work piles up every day. Let alone a day, even if I leave for half a day without reason, it will be remembered."

Han Shengyi would never speak like this in front of others. It was unknown when it started, but as long as there were other people around, Han Shengyi's attitude towards Chu Jiujiu was no longer as intimate as before. It wasn't that they weren't close, but rather that he seemed to be deliberately separating himself from Chu Jiujiu in certain areas, avoiding suspicion. Chu Jiujiu initially thought he disliked her, but after observing her for a while, she realized that Han Shengyi wouldn't act this way if they were alone.

Chu Jiujiu couldn't figure it out, so she asked her advisor, Qi Baozhu. Qi Baozhu thought for a moment and guessed, "He probably thinks you two are not young anymore and can't play around like you used to."

Chu Jiujiu: "Is that the reason? But, there's only a one-year age difference between me last year and this year. Is fourteen and fifteen such a big difference?"

Qi Baozhu: "This..."

Chu Jiujiu had a blind trust in Qi Baozhu, whom she always considered to be very mature. Therefore, she would always seek help from Qi Baozhu on such matters. However, no matter how mature Qi Baozhu was, she couldn't understand everyone's thoughts and feelings. She was just crossing the river by feeling the stones.

After a moment of silence, Qi Baozhu speculated again: "It has nothing to do with age. Things like this are only gradually realized. Didn't you say that he is still very close to you in private? Then there is no problem."

"Besides, Han Shengyi has graduated. He's no longer a student. He's fundamentally different from you. It won't do you any harm to be apart from him for a while."

Chu Jiujiu frowned. She couldn't understand why there were so many rules after graduation. Chu Shao also graduated, but his attitude towards her didn't change at all. He would pat her on the head when he was happy, and hit her on the head when he was unhappy.

Sometimes she hoped that Chu Shao could have Han Shengyi's self-awareness and stop treating her head as a toy.

…

Han Shengyi was busy, and so were the others. Chu Jiujiu realized that she was the only one left at home with nothing to do. In fact, if she calculated the time, Wen Xiuwei should be back in two or three months, so she didn't need to rush.

As her mood gradually calmed down, Chu Jiujiu stopped trying to be a third wheel. Director Ma had asked her if she wanted to come to the institute to help out long before summer vacation began, but Chu Jiujiu had been afraid she would be busy, so she hadn't agreed. Now was the perfect time for her to go and earn some pocket money.

The environment has a huge impact on a person. If everyone around you is studying hard, then even those who are not very good at studying can be motivated to do a few exams. If everyone around you is busy opening a shop to make money, even if you know nothing about business, you will try to start a small business. Chu Jiujiu is like this. She is not a very hardworking person. She finally got a vacation and wanted to have fun. But everyone's hard work and busyness affected her. Playing around no longer seemed fun. It was more interesting to do something serious.

This summer is still hot, but there is one good thing: it rains frequently, and unlike in Qingzhu Village, where it only rains at night, the rain here is particularly considerate. It always rains at noon and in the afternoon when the sun is the hottest. This has saved Chu Jiujiu, who has only been able to use an electric fan to cool down. She likes rainy days the most. Wearing a red pullover raincoat and royal blue rubber rain boots, stepping on the water with a splash is her greatest pleasure in summer.

Grandma Han had seen it several times, and every time, when she stood in the house and looked out the window at Chu Jiujiu stepping in the water and laughing foolishly, she would think of a little Pekingese raised by her poker friend.

...I was almost so happy that I just went in and rolled around.

There was a lot of rain, and I heard that the water level of the Yongding River had risen a lot. The water level of the Hulong River next to the Forbidden City had also risen visibly. Chu Jiujiu saw it, but didn't think much of it. She and Han Shengyi went to the train station to see Chu Shao off. Chu Jiujiu held up a box of homemade traditional snacks and worriedly warned Chu Shao, "There are only three pieces in total. Don't eat them all on the train."

Chu Shao: “…”

Is he such a greedy person?

Han Shengyi also held a paper bag containing the meal that Grandma Han had prepared. "The meat patties in the aluminum lunch box are for you to eat in the evening, and the noodles with soybean paste in the iron lunch box are for you to eat at noon. There are two washed pears in there too. Be careful when you carry them with you so that they don't get crushed."

When Chu Jiujiu heard this, she couldn't help but take a look into the bag, "Why did you bring the noodles with soybean paste? They're not clumped together, are they?"

"So you have to eat it quickly," Han Shengyi told her. "Grandma bought too many noodles yesterday. If you can't eat them now, you should throw them away."

Chu Shao: “…”

The more he listened, the worse he felt. Chu Shao was carrying a military backpack that was bulging with stuff. There was nowhere to put it, so he simply snatched it away and stuffed Chu Jiujiu's small bag into Han Shengyi's bag. Then, he hung the bag on his wrist and said, "Okay, I get it. You two can go back. I'll be in the car in half an hour."

Chu Jiujiu: “No reply.”

Han Shengyi: "We'll leave after you get in the car."

Chu Jiujiu: "The world is not peaceful, boys should also pay attention to protect themselves."

Han Shengyi: "Be careful. If you encounter a pickpocket and can't beat him, then hand over the noodles."

Chu Jiujiu: "Put it on his head. Grandma Han's fried sauce is stickier than asphalt. Cover his eyes with it and give you some time to escape."

Chu Shao: "...Do you think that train attendants are just there to eat and do nothing?"

Chu Shao felt tired. Chu Jiujiu was fine, but now Han Shengyi was also addicted to alcohol. In the past few years, he was mean and mean, but now his meanness was exposed, which made people angry to death, but also made people unable to find a reason to beat him.

Is it damaged or not?

Chu Shao shook his head, and finally boarded the train heading south under the gaze of the two of them.

Joking aside, Chu Jiujiu was actually a little worried about Chu Shao, because this was the first time in his life that he had taken a train, and no one was accompanying him. In Chu Jiujiu's imagination, Chu Shao must be like Granny Liu who entered the Grand View Garden, where everything he saw was new to him. What if he encountered something he didn't understand, got cheated, or something unexpected happened?

Chu Jiujiu was completely overthinking it. Chu Shao had indeed never been on a train, but he was old enough to have all the common sense and vigilance he should have.

On the way home with Han Shengyi, Chu Jiujiu learned that Chu Shao had brought a full 500 yuan with him on his trip to Luoyang, 300 of which were given by Chu Liqiang and the remaining 200 by Grandpa Han. Compared to this, the 15 kilograms of national food coupons that Chu Jiujiu secretly contributed was really not enough...

Chu Jiujiu was silent, "Why give him so much money? He's only going to be there for half a month and he won't live there permanently."

Han Shengyi: "Poor family, rich road, giving him money is also because I am afraid that he will encounter any difficulties over there. Besides, Sister Xiuwei is also there. Given Chu Shao's character, he should leave all the money to Sister Xiuwei."

Hearing this, Chu Jiujiu nodded proudly, "That's right, not keeping any private money is a traditional virtue of the men in our Chu family."

This was the first time Han Shengyi had heard such a statement. In this era, there was still a gap in the status of men and women. Many women chose to quit their jobs as soon as they got married and concentrate on raising children at home. Even if they had money, they could not spend it indiscriminately. The financial power of the family still belonged to the male head of the household.

But if you think about it carefully, Grandpa Han and Grandma Han, it is Grandma Han who holds the power in the family, and all the money is with Grandma Han. Grandpa Han only has a few hundred yuan in his hand all year round, which he uses to pay the bills for meals with others. Now these few hundred yuan have been given to Chu Shao, and Grandpa Han has suddenly become poorer than Chu Jiujiu.

Han Shengyi chuckled, then turned around and asked Chu Jiujiu beside him, "The traditional virtue of the men in the Chu family is not to save private money. What about the traditional virtues of women?"

Chu Jiujiu answered quickly: "To make sure they don't keep any private money!"

Han Shengyi: “…”

There was a second of silence, then he lowered his head and chuckled softly several times. Chu Jiujiu was puzzled by his laughter and looked at him blankly for a long time before looking away.

Wen Xiuwei had been gone for over half a year, and now Chu Shao was gone too. Chu Liqiang had been busy with his job transfer recently. I heard he had a chance to take on another position on the Military Commission, so he was busy trying to get involved. Chu Jiujiu was the only one left in the Chu family. Grandma Han wanted her to move in, but the rooms on the second floor were completely empty, and the utility room on the third floor had become even more of a mess after a year. Chu Jiujiu was older and no longer wanted to live with Grandpa and Grandma Han, nor could she live with Han Shengyi.

When Grandma Han didn't know what to do, she heard about the situation here. Two families became interested. One of them was the Nie family. Liu Yuzhen heard that Chu Jiujiu was living alone now, so she immediately called and asked Nie Bai to drive to the Chu family to pick up Chu Jiujiu. Although there were no spare rooms in their house, Chu Jiujiu could live with Erbao, who had always lived alone.

After hearing this, Nie Bai left after the meeting. However, he was a step too late and Chief Qi intercepted him.

…

It was really not easy. After a year, Chief Qi finally got the chance to lure Chu Jiujiu into his home. The guest rooms are ready. After Chu Jiujiu stayed here last time, Qi Baozhu's mother did not take all the things back. The family now employs two aunts who clean on time every day, and Chu Jiujiu can come and stay at any time.

Compared to Erbao, Chu Jiujiu really wanted to live closer to Qi Baozhu, so after hearing the invitation from Qi Baozhu's mother, Chu Jiujiu happily agreed and even packed her own luggage.

When Chu Liqiang learned about this, she was already taking a nap on the bed in Qi's house. Chu Liqiang pinched his brows with a headache and called her to tell her that she could only stay there for four days and had to go home on the weekend.

Four days would be fine. Chu Jiujiu had to go to the research institute to help out during the day. Lately, things hadn't been so busy at the institute, and everyone's pace had slowed down. So, Chu Jiujiu brought Qi Baozhu with her. However, she still wasn't used to being around so many strangers, especially since those people, seeing she was brought by Chu Jiujiu, all came over and asked her her name and where she lived.

Chu Jiujiu found Director Ma and talked about Qi Baozhu's personality problems. Director Ma didn't know who Qi Baozhu's grandfather was, but seeing that the little girl looked very nervous, he drove away all the researchers and even cleared out the information room for the two of them to look at the information together.

Everyone likes to show their treasures to others, especially when that person is a good friend. It was raining outside. Chu Jiujiu stood on tiptoe and found several books on the bookshelf that she found particularly interesting. However, Qi Baozhu looked at the dense and obscure text and was silent for a long time.

Human joys and sorrows are not shared, nor are hobbies.

…

Chu Jiujiu liked these things, but Qi Baozhu didn't. However, she didn't want to refuse Chu Jiujiu's kindness, so she watched it with gritted teeth. After Chu Jiujiu's excitement passed and they changed the topic, Qi Baozhu felt relieved.

"Chu Shao has been gone for several days. There's no phone over there. Every time Weiwei wants to call us, she has to queue up at the post office. She can wait a whole day just to get a ten-minute call. It's like being in jail."

Qi Baozhu found this strange. How could a prisoner make a phone call? Besides, it seemed like there were no prison cells now.

Chu Jiujiu was thinking of a police and gangster TV series she'd watched, where the prisoners wanted to call their families, but only within a limited time. Chu Jiujiu just mentioned it casually, not wanting to discuss it in depth. She continued, "We were so busy during filming. Weiwei was the second female lead. Besides acting, she also had to help make props and sometimes even cook. My Weiwei must have been exhausted and thin."

Qi Baozhu: "That's not necessarily true. Sister Xiuwei doesn't do much physical activity at home. Once she gets there, she'll be working more and her appetite will definitely increase. She might even gain a little weight."

Chu Jiujiu propped up her head and thought for a moment, "That's possible."

"I hope Chu Shao can take her out to eat more delicious food and take good care of Weiwei."

When at home, Chu Jiujiu, like everyone else, kept silent about the relationship between Chu Shao and Wen Xiuwei, but outside, she didn't have so many taboos. Several months ago, Chu Jiujiu couldn't help but told Qi Baozhu. Fortunately, Qi Baozhu was a very tight-lipped person and promised Chu Jiujiu not to tell anyone else, so she really didn't tell anyone.

But she never quite understood.

Chu Shao and Wen Xiuwei, aren’t they brother and sister? They became lovers, and their whole family accepted it. Don’t you think it’s strange?

Qi Baozhu is conservative, so naturally, her thinking is a bit backward. This is not a big disadvantage. Although she is conservative, she will not point fingers at anyone, nor does she think they are doing anything wrong. She is just curious in her heart and doesn't understand why they do this.

Qi Baozhu never talked about these things before, but now several months have passed and Qi Baozhu can't hold it in anymore.

She put down the book in her hand and asked Chu Jiujiu: "Chu Shao is your brother, and Wen Xiuwei is your sister. What was your reaction when you first found out they were together?"

Chu Jiujiu recalled, "I was shocked and very happy. We had Xihu scrambled eggs and Kung Pao chicken that night, and Grandma Han put too much sugar in it. It made me choke. I kept thinking about this while I was drinking water, and I accidentally drank three jars of water. I woke up several times that night."

Qi Baozhu: “…”

It's amazing to have a good memory. Even after such a long time, she still remembers what she had eaten in the evening.

Qi Baozhu shook her head and said softly, "Your family is quite open-minded. If this happened in our family, my grandfather would break Baoguo's legs."

Chu Jiujiu opened her eyes wide, looking puzzled: "Why?"

Qi Baozhu: "...Because, they are siblings, just like Baoguo and I. I know they are not related by blood, but they have always lived together and get along like a sister and brother. The older generation can't accept this kind of thing."

"But," Chu Jiujiu asked her, "when Weiwei first came to live with us, she was an educated youth from the village. She came to live with us because the educated youth camp was full. We would call her sister to others, but inside, we were more like friends. Sometimes I would even treat Weiwei as an elder, but Chu Shao never did that. He actually hated it when people called him Weiwei's younger brother because he felt like he was a generation younger."

Chu Jiujiu had said all this before. After Qi Baozhu heard it, she didn't speak immediately, but thought about it. After a while, she looked at her again and said, "That's right, the example I just gave was inappropriate. Baoguo and I are siblings. If I really wanted to give an example, I should use you and Han Shengyi's actions."

Chu Jiujiu was stunned for a moment, "What do you mean?"

"Look, Chu Shao and Wen Xiuwei are not related by blood, but they are like brother and sister. You and Han Shengyi are not related by blood either, but you are like brother and sister. You two are actually very similar. So, do you have any thoughts of being together with Han Shengyi in the future?"

There was no one in the room except the two of them. They were also fifteen or sixteen-year-old girls, and they would chat about many girlish things in private. Qi Baozhu had asked similar questions before, such as what kind of person Chu Jiujiu wanted to marry in the future, and whether she had a crush on a handsome boy in school. Therefore, Qi Baozhu really didn't mean anything by it. She just asked casually, and the conversation went on and on. But she didn't know that Chu Jiujiu would react so strongly.

She looked at Qi Baozhu with horror, and those who didn't know would think that Qi Baozhu had said something earth-shattering and heartbreaking.

"Baozhu! What nonsense are you talking about? Brother Shengyi is... but Brother Shengyi," she couldn't help but tremble her shoulders, as if she had recalled some terrible scene. Looking at Qi Baozhu again, Chu Jiujiu said very sincerely: "Baozhu, you are really perverted."

Qi Baozhu: “…”

Isn't it the same? How come you can accept Chu Shao and Wen Xiuwei, but when it happens to you, you become a pervert?

This is called double standards, right?