The seven or eight girls were startled by her posture and turned around timidly, their faces showing a mix of confusion and fear.
Upon seeing this, Jiang Xiangyang quickly jumped out to explain:
"Aunt Qiqi! No! They didn't bully Zhouzhou! They...they just wanted to bring Zhouzhou snacks and play with her!"
At this moment, Zhouzhou ran up to Zhou Qiqi in a few steps, shaking her head anxiously while chewing vigorously.
Zhou Qiqi then noticed that her cheeks were bulging, with a large piece of pork jerky stuffed inside. No wonder her expression was so strange earlier; she was having too much trouble chewing it.
Upon closer inspection, the little girls were indeed holding candies, cookies, and other snacks in their hands, their eyes timid yet sincere.
Zhou Qiqi immediately understood and blushed deeply.
It's likely that the adults in the residential compound read the newspaper, which specifically mentioned Zhouzhou's contribution. These parents, unaware of the situation before and believing the rumors, mostly kept their children from playing with Zhouzhou.
Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, we want the children to come and get to know each other better.
She quickly hid the spatula behind her back, her face burning slightly.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, Auntie misunderstood. You want to play with Zhouzhou? Come on, come inside first."
She looked down at Zhouzhou and said softly, "Zhouzhou, how about taking the kids out to play? Or... how about we draw together for a while?"
The girls' eyes lit up when they heard they could go to Zhouzhou's house to draw.
A lively little girl with pigtails spoke first in a clear, crisp voice:
"Great idea! My mom read in the newspaper that Zhouzhou is amazing at drawing! I love drawing, but I'm not very good at it! Zhouzhou, let's draw together!"
As she spoke, she casually took Zhouzhou's arm.
Zhouzhou usually hangs out with Jiang Xiangyang and his gang of mischievous boys, so she's never experienced such intimacy with her best friend before.
Her body stiffened instantly, and she was pulled home by the little girl with a stiff posture, turning back to look at Zhou Qiqi as if pleading for help.
Zhou Qiqi gave her an encouraging look, and the little one slowly relaxed and led her new friends into the house.
However, the little girl was still too nervous, and she walked with her arms and legs moving in unison.
Zhou Qiqi, watching from behind, found it both funny and touching.
Jiang Xiangyang wanted to join in, but she grabbed his ear without hesitation and told him to go play somewhere else.
These are all girls, what's the point of adding a little boy like him?!
Xiangyang pouted, still hoping Zhouzhou would call him in, but to his surprise, Zhouzhou didn't even turn around, as if she had completely forgotten about him. The boy angrily ran away.
Zhou Qiqi was so happy she almost bent over laughing.
After laughing, I glanced at the time and saw it was only 5:30. There was still a while before Shen Huaichuan would come home from get off work for dinner.
Zhou Qiqi felt relieved. Seeing the lively atmosphere of the room filled with little girls for the first time, she thought she should prepare some snacks to treat them.
She remembered that the wild hawthorns Zhao Damei had given her were still stored in the cellar. They were small, but bright red and very sour. She had kept them carefully, and they were still fresh.
She quickly boiled water and cooked sugar.
The glistening white sugar simmered in the pot, turning into an amber-colored syrup. Then, the washed and drained wild hawthorns were poured in and stirred quickly.
Before long, the hawthorns coated with snow-white sugar frosting were ready. They were crystal clear, sweet and sour, and filled a large enamel plate. These were the hawthorns that Zhouzhou also loved to eat.
As I carried the plate into the room, I saw that Zhouzhou's small desk was completely surrounded by several little girls.
Drawing paper and colored pencils were spread out on the table. Zhouzhou was holding a pencil and drawing something seriously. The little girls next to her were chattering and pointing at the drawing, creating a relaxed and lively atmosphere.
On Zhouzhou's little face was a soft, relaxed look that Zhou Qiqi rarely saw when she played with the boys.
Zhou Qiqi felt a warm glow in her heart as she looked at the scene.
I never expected that the newspaper article, besides recruiting workers, would bring such an unexpected surprise. It was worth it!
"Come on, try the hawthorn fruit that Auntie made!"
Zhou Qiqi smiled and placed the plate on the table.
The little girls cheered and, without Zhou Qiqi's prompting, spontaneously went to wash their hands. Then, they gathered around the plate, eating one piece after another, their little mouths bright red and their eyes crinkling with delight.
After eating for a while, the girls were preparing to continue drawing.
Just then, the courtyard gate creaked open, and Shen Huaichuan returned.
As soon as he entered the room, he was taken aback by the laughter of the girls and Zhouzhou's relaxed and carefree demeanor, and raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
When the children saw the adults return, they knew it was time for dinner, and they all said goodbye, not forgetting to make a promise with Zhouzhou:
"Zhouzhou, let's finish the drawing tomorrow!"
Zhouzhou stood at the door, nodding vigorously, her eyes shining even brighter.
After seeing off the chattering sparrows, Zhouzhou sidled up to Zhou Qiqi, her little mouth agape, and asked Auntie if she could eat now.
Zhou Qiqi smiled at her as she tied her apron:
"Wait a little longer. Sweet and sour pork needs to be cooked fresh to be crispy. The vegetables also need to be stir-fried in the pan. I estimate it will take another ten minutes or so."
Zhouzhou nodded, but her eyes couldn't help but glance at the plate of unfinished, glistening red snow berries on the table. She unconsciously bit her lower lip, looking like she wanted to say something but couldn't.
How could Zhou Qiqi not see through her little scheme? She had already prepared it.
She pulled Zhouzhou to the stove, took a small package that had been carefully wrapped in oil paper from the cupboard, stuffed it into Zhouzhou's hand, and gestured towards the outside:
"Here, take some to Xiangyang. Hurry back, he's waiting for you to start your meal!"
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