"Who are you going to contact?" Cao Jing asked curiously as she came in from the door. She had only heard Ru Mei's last sentence and hadn't heard the rest.

Ru Mei then told Cao Jing the whole story again.

After listening, Cao Jing immediately gave advice, "If you like him, then take the initiative. Otherwise, you'll regret it if someone else snatches him away. But you can't let the guy think that you're the one taking the initiative."

Ru Mei was filled with questions. "What should I do?"

Cao Jing thought for a moment and said, "Didn't he save your leg again? Now that you've recovered, you should thank him, right? Hmm... let's go visit him at his house under the guise of thanking our benefactor."

"Bring plenty of gifts when you go, and make sure you look respectable. Don't be shy, or he'll realize you have ulterior motives."

"When you leave, leave some of your personal belongings behind. Don't leave cheap things like hair ties; leave something a little more expensive, like the box of face cream you always carry in your pocket."

"If he finds out later, he'll send it to you, and then you can treat him to a meal under the guise of thanking him. Before long, your interactions will naturally increase."

Ru Mei listened and thought for a long time, then suddenly realized and said, "You mean, every time we meet, I leave a hook to pave the way for the next meeting!"

Cao Jing smiled and nodded, "That's right, you're quite perceptive. The most important thing is to keep seeing him. If he's interested in you over time, he'll definitely take action."

Ru Mei clapped her hands and laughed, "That's a good idea."

Qin Hanshu seemed to be deep in thought. Wasn't Ru Mei meeting with Huo Zhenduo all the time? Sometimes it might be a coincidence, but... was it always a coincidence?

Qin Hanshu then looked at Cao Jing.

Cao Jing appears quiet and reserved, but it turns out she's quite capable.

She suddenly remembered that Qin Feiyang had said in a letter that when he first met Cao Jing, he didn't actually have any intention of developing the relationship further because Cao Jing seemed too weak and delicate, and probably not suitable to be a soldier's wife.

It was only after getting to know Cao Jing better that I gradually came to like her.

If you didn't have any feelings for each other after the first meeting, why would you meet again?

Could it be that Cao Jing used the same method she taught Ru Mei to win Qin Feiyang's heart?

Unexpectedly, Cao Jing also looked over at Qin Hanshu, and the two made eye contact.

Cao Jing seemed to have guessed what Qin Hanshu was thinking, and smiled and winked at her.

That seems to be true.

Qin Hanshu also chuckled.

Qin Feiyang has always claimed that he went to great lengths to make Cao Jing his girlfriend.

That's still his opinion to this day.

Ru Mei talked for a long time about relationship issues with Qin Hanshu and Cao Jing, and then teased Zhou Chi before saying goodbye and leaving.

She was walking to town to catch a ride, and halfway there she couldn't help but glance in the direction of the black market.

She had met Huo Zhenduo on the black market; she wondered if it would happen again.

But then she remembered that the black market wasn't open every day.

Ru Mei was just laughing at her own absurd idea when she heard Huo Zhenduo's voice calling her.

She initially thought it was a hallucination, until she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to see that it really was Huo Zhenduo.

Ru Mei was so surprised that her mouth dropped open.

"You, you... what are you doing here?"

Huo Zhenduo was riding a tricycle, carrying two old cabinets.

Huo Zhenduo didn't answer, but only asked her, "Shall we take a car back to the city?"

Ru Mei nodded.

Huo Zhenduo gestured with his chin toward the back of the car, "Get in, I'll give you a ride."

Ru Mei was overjoyed, and it showed on her face, but then she suddenly remembered Cao Jing's instructions: no matter what, she should always appear confident and not let the other person see her true feelings.

She quickly composed herself and politely asked, "Wouldn't that be too much trouble?"

Huo Zhenduo took in the little girl's changing expressions, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

"No trouble at all, come on up."

"Okay!" Ru Mei quickly got into the car, as if Huo Zhenduo would leave if she was a second late.

Huo Zhenduo pushed off with his foot, and the tricycle slowly moved forward.

He saw Ru Mei as soon as she got out of the car.

She waited for four hours before she finally came out of the military family compound.

Fate in this world is 30% determined by heaven and 70% by human effort.

It always takes the efforts of those with ulterior motives for a preordained destiny to blossom beautifully.

***

A telegram arrived from her hometown in the Northwest, informing her that Zhou Ruilan had encountered an accident and was hospitalized.

The telegram didn't specify what the matter was, or whether Zhou Ruilan's pregnancy was alright.

He just told Zhao Chunmiao to go back quickly.

When Zhao Chunmiao learned that Qin Hanshu's maternity leave was over and she would be going back to work, she began to plan to stay there for a long time.

There's no other way; there's no one to take care of my grandson. He's only a month old; how can he be left alone?

She had already planned to stay here until her grandson was one year old and old enough to go to daycare, and then go back home.

As for Zhou Ruilan's postpartum confinement, if all else fails, she'll have to be taken care of by her husband's family.

Upon receiving this telegram, Zhao Chunmiao could no longer sit still.

She was so anxious she could hardly sit still. "What happened? Lan Hua was perfectly fine when I left, how did she end up in the hospital? It's still a long time before she gives birth."

Qin Hanshu guessed that Zhou Ruilan's health had always been very good, so there must be something wrong with her stomach.

I don't know if it's due to my own condition or external factors.

Qin Hanshu comforted her, "Mom, don't worry. Weiguang has already booked your train ticket for tomorrow morning, so you can go back tomorrow."

Zhao Chunmiao frowned deeply. "Then what about my little grandson? You two both have to work, how are you going to manage such a young child?"

Qin Hanshu recounted the agreement she had made with Liu Ercui.

"As you know, Sister Er Cui is a very good person. You can entrust A Chi to her with peace of mind."

Zhou Weiguang also said, "I live nearby, so I can get back in time if anything happens."

Zhao Chunmiao was really worried about her daughter's situation, but she had no other choice but to abandon her grandson.

“You can’t let Er Cui suffer any losses. I know she has a good heart and doesn’t want anything in return, but you still have to compensate her as she should.”

Qin Hanshu nodded and said, "We know that."

Zhao Chunmiao sighed and nodded; she hadn't slept well all night.

Because Zhao Chunmiao left in time, Qin Hanshu didn't have time to prepare anything.

They only packed out some of the things that were easy to carry and store at home, and gave them to Zhao Chunmiao to take back.

The next morning, Zhou Weiguang took Zhao Chunmiao to the train station.