Chapter 41

Looking at the clothes covered with red bean paste dots, Jian Xinyi had no choice but to go to the woman's house reluctantly.

The woman was very cheerful and took Jian Xinyi's hand. "It just so happens that my family members, both big and small, are not home yet, so it's just a matter of changing clothes."

The two walked westward and came to the street corner, where they saw a few low thatched houses scattered along the street.

Jian Xinyi is a little scared now.

Will there be another case?

Fortunately, the two walked all the way to the bend without encountering anything strange.

The house at the door was different from the low bungalow outside. It had three bedrooms and two living rooms. Jian Xinyi was a little surprised.

As soon as you walk in, you will see that the yard is not big, but there are many Christmas cacti planted.

The woman took Jian Xinyi straight through the front yard and into the inner room.

A little girl was embroidering at home. When she saw a stranger coming to her house, she was stunned at first, stood up and didn't know what to say.

"This is my second daughter. She doesn't usually see outsiders."

The woman smiled awkwardly and quickly searched through the wardrobe. "My second daughter's clothes might be suitable for you. Try them on first."

Seeing that she had nothing to do, the second girl lowered her head and started embroidering again.

Jian Xinyi went over curiously and found that the little girl had not been able to embroider a single pattern for a long time and was just sitting there doing nothing.

"Girl, would you like to try it?"

The woman brought a set of clean clothes and took her to the back to change. She then folded her old clothes and said, "I'll wrap up these old ones. You take good care of them."

Jian Xinyi thanked him repeatedly, "You're so polite."

The two of them kept fighting until they got outside, where they saw a man holding a child walking towards them from the street corner.

"Brother Rong."

The woman ran to pick up the little boy and spoke to the man, "Why did you come back so early today? And you can pick up Rong'er?"

The man looked at the child in his wife's arms and smiled helplessly, "There's not much to do today."

Jian Xinyi stared at the scene in a daze, and the man's face gradually appeared in front of her.

It was none other than Zhuo Yun, who was also currently serving in the Jinwu Guards.

Coincidentally, Zhuo Yun also saw her thoughtful look at this moment, and was stunned for a moment, "Miss Lin?"

The woman now had some evidence and quickly put the child down in her arms, "Do you know each other?"

Jian Xinyi was so frightened by this sudden ghost fate that she fell silent and dared not say a word.

Zhuo Yun smiled softly and turned to the lady, "Well, Miss Lin and I met before when we were working on a case."

"What a coincidence! Today, Miss Lin helped me catch a thief who stole purses on the road. I didn't expect you two knew each other." The woman took Rong Ge'er's hand and said happily, "Then Miss Lin, please stay for dinner today and don't leave."

The lady looked at her earnestly.

Jian Xinyi glanced at Zhuo Yun lightly, only to see him leaning over to play with Rong Ge'er, so engrossed in playing that he didn't notice her call for help.

She didn't seem to have any other choice, "Well... that's fine."

"That's great. I'll ask Aunt Song to buy some more vegetables."

After saying that, the lady ran back to the kitchen, leaving the two people and the child looking at each other in bewilderment.

Zhuo Yun took Rong Ge's hand and walked to the left compartment, saying as he walked, "My mother has this kind of personality, please be more understanding."

"It's okay, I think it's a coincidence too."

Jian Xinyi said something that even she herself felt sounded a little artificial.

He nodded, "Indeed."

They were silent for a long time until they reached the study door. Rong Ge'er finally shook Zhuo Yun's arm and begged, "Brother, we have guests coming today. The class can be delayed..."

"no."

This was the first time Zhuo Yun was so tough, even Jian Xinyi was shocked.

Rong Ge'er was also frightened, tears falling like beads, "You are still mean to me in front of outsiders."

The three people who were already at a loss became even more panicked, the younger one was crying and the older one was angry.

"Why don't I go to the bedroom for a while."

Just as Jian Xinyi was about to leave, Zhuo Yun stopped her, "I'll go with you. I have something to ask my second sister."

After entering the inner room, the second sister saw her brother coming in, and her eyes lit up instantly, "Big brother."

"Give it to me."

Zhuo Yun took the blank embroidery frame from her second sister and walked back to the study without saying a word.

How many jobs does he have to work every day?

Jian Xinyi stared at Zhuo Yun's back in a daze, and couldn't help but ask, "Is your brother like this every day?"

The second sister shook her head and said, "No, I do when I'm free."

After a long while, she seemed to realize something and asked, "Do you know my brother?"

Jian Xinyi answered vaguely: "Well, we have met before."

"My brother is a very good person. Ever since my eldest sister got married, my mother always criticized my embroidery skills. My eldest brother took it to heart and quietly learned embroidery to help me."

The second sister sighed, her eyes drooping. "We can't afford a private tutor, so my younger brother has to take classes with the kids on the street. Dad's away on business and never comes home, and Mom can't read. My eldest brother studies during the day and has to look after my younger brother's homework at night."

Jian Xinyi listened silently, and before she could say anything, a woman's shouting came from the kitchen in the distance.

"It's time to eat, Rong'er, Yun'er."

Jian Xinyi followed her second sister out and happened to see the lady coming out with a large basin of soup. "Miss Lin, you are the guest today, please sit in the middle."

Jian Xinyi blushed with shame and just wanted to hide away, but she heard her second sister chime in at the table, "Sister Lin helped mother catch the thief who stole her purse. She's a good person."

The woman smiled even more happily, pushed Jian Xinyi to the main seat, and left the seat next to her for Zhuo Yun.

Zhuo Yun didn't refuse and sat down directly.

The woman first poured a bowl of pork rib soup and handed it to Jian Xinyi. She smiled and said, "Thank you Miss Lin for this time. Sometimes, even if a child is a Jinwu Guard, he or she is easily targeted by thieves."

Jian Xinyi took it respectfully and just took a sip when she heard the lady ask again, "Miss Lin should also be from the capital, right? Where do you live?"

"In the alley of North Street."

Zhuo Yun took over the conversation without changing his expression and continued eating.

The woman's smile instantly became even happier. Looking at Jian Xinyi's face, she felt that she was like a fairy. "That's a good location. Most people can't afford it."

The younger generations ate in silence without saying anything.

"Even our family owns this Hongyuan Lane, which was bought with Yun'er's monthly allowance."

The woman sighed deeply and handed a chicken wing to Zhuo Yun. "Eat more. You've become too thin."

"It's a pity that Hongyuan Lane is good in every way, except that the people next door only stay in the capital for a short time and are very busy."

The woman curled her lips and picked up another chicken leg for Brother Rong.

"The family next door?"

Jian Xinyi was busy eating other people's food, but she also remembered to respond to what they said.

"Yeah, the one next to it." The woman pointed with her chopsticks at the slightly taller building next to her. "They say they're from Yanzhou. They talk in a roundabout way, which is hilarious."

After saying that, he didn't forget to compliment Jian Xinyi, "Miss Lin sounds like a native of Beijing."

She chirped silently in her heart.

She is not local, she is a modern person.

Jian Xinyi complained inwardly, but she still had to eat the food. Just as she was about to pick up the braised dishes in the distance, the shredded pork was already in her bowl.

"My mother's specialty is stir-fried shredded pork. Eat more."

Zhuo Yun chuckled, but his eyes were full of indifference as he looked vaguely into the distance.

She was puzzled and turned around, only to see the woman's face stiffen. But in an instant, she returned to her original expression and said, "Brother Yun is always considerate."

Brother Rong was indignant, "But he never picked up any food for me."

After that, the whole table fell into deathly silence.

The woman, in particular, finished the meal in silence without saying a word.

Jian Xinyi felt strange about this, but she didn't dare to ask anything.

It was not until they were about to leave and walked to the front yard that Jian Xinyi dared to sneak over and asked, "What's wrong with your mother? She's so depressed?"

Zhuo Yun looked at the bright moon in the sky and told Jian Xinyi everything, "She has always been like this. When she found out I was admitted to the Jinwu Guard, the first thing she told me was to quickly find a daughter of an official family to marry. Only then would our family be saved."

"No wonder, we met on the street today. No wonder she acted like this."

After all, which official’s daughter would eat red bean paste on the street?

Jian Xinyi shook her head and walked out of this troubled place.

But he didn't catch a glimpse of the forbearing look on Zhuo Yun's face.

The two had just taken a few steps when they saw a man squatting and brushing mud at the door of the house next to them.

Jian Xinyi just felt that it looked familiar and looked at it a few more times.

The man slowly turned his head. He had a white cloth tied to cover his nose, making it difficult to see his face clearly.

But it was obvious that he knew the woman in front of him.

"Miss Lin."

He took off the white cloth and looked at the two people who came out together in front of him. He was very shocked and said, "So you know each other."

"So you guys know each other too."

Zhuo Yun crossed his arms and turned his head to look at Jian Xinyi.

Jian Xinyi is about to crash.

Why didn't anyone tell her that Sun Liqing and Zhuo Yun were neighbors?

"Yeah, what a coincidence."

She laughed dryly twice and introduced the two people, "Do you know each other?"

Sun Liqing laughed and put the white cloth on his shoulder, "I know him. My family just moved here not long ago, and Brother Zhuo even helped us carry wood."

"Well, I knew Li Qing was from the Dali Temple before, but I didn't expect you two knew each other."

Before Zhuo Yun finished speaking, Sun Liqing spoke up to add to his words.

"Colleagues."

Zhuo Yun nodded gently, "Oh, colleague."

The two were speechless for a while.

Jian Xinyi looked left and right, and always felt that there was a strange aura flowing at this moment.

If she was just a naive person, she might think that the two of them were close friends who understood and appreciated each other.

But she is the manager of an otome game studio.

His specialty is writing about Shura scenes.

Now she was the only one who felt like she was in Shura hell.

God, she is willing to write 1v1 for the rest of her life, please let her leave this terrible place as soon as possible.

"Well, let me say something."

Both of them looked at her.

"I'll go back first, you guys should go back early too."

Jian Xinyi quickly trotted to the street corner and waved to the two of them.

But she never expected that Sun Liqing would shout at her.

"See you tomorrow."

Zhuo Yun said lightly with a cold face, "She doesn't like you."

Sun Liqing was not to be outdone and replied, "Why, does she like you?"

After saying that, he tied a white cloth strip and continued to paint the wall.

"Don't waste your energy. I'm not your opponent."