The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law looked at each other, both seeing deep understanding and unspeakable pain in each other's tearful eyes.
Unable to hold back any longer, the two hugged each other tightly and burst into tears, as if they wanted to release all the emotions that had been building up in their hearts all this time.
Shen Zhenbang looked at his wife and daughter-in-law, who were crying in each other's arms, and felt anxious and heartbroken. He wanted to say something to comfort them, but he was afraid that if he said something too harsh, it would upset them even more.
As he hesitated, Shen Huaichuan gently tugged at him, shook his head, and lowered his voice to say:
"Dad, let them cry."
Yes, these two women have been carrying a heavy burden on their hearts lately.
Qin Peilan suffered a series of blows and had no outlet for her emotions.
Zhou Qiqi manages everything inside and outside the home, shouldering the burden of the family, and the pressure is greater than anyone else's.
The father and son said no more and simply stood silently by their side.
She would reach out to check on Zhouzhou from time to time, touching the child's forehead, conveying support in this silent way.
I don't know how much time passed before the crying inside the house gradually turned into low sobs, and finally slowly subsided.
Qin Peilan and Zhou Qiqi are not the type to dwell on things. This cathartic crying seemed to wash away most of the silt that had been building up in their hearts.
Although her eyes were red and swollen and her voice was hoarse, her eyes regained their clarity and determination.
They looked at each other and saw relief and understanding in each other's eyes.
What's past cannot be changed; endless self-blame will only bring pain to loved ones and joy to enemies.
Right now, looking forward and working together is the right thing to do.
Qin Peilan vigorously wiped her face and said firmly:
"We'll leave He Wanrou's matter to the police to handle according to the law! We'll cooperate fully in whatever way they need us to! Zhouzhou suffered so much today, and the root of the problem lies with her. We absolutely cannot let her off lightly!"
"Mom is right!"
Zhou Qiqi nodded heavily, and Shen Huaichuan and Shen Zhenbang also nodded in agreement. The family had reached a high degree of consensus on this matter.
Zhou Qiqi took her mother-in-law's arm and whispered:
"Mom, now that we've talked things out, let's stop thinking about these upsetting things. Right now, the most important thing is Zhouzhou."
However, from the afternoon until now, the family has been gathered around Zhouzhou's bedside, talking on and off for almost four hours.
It seems like we've said everything that needed to be said and could be said, and for a moment I really don't know where to start next.
At this moment, Shen Zhenbang had a sudden inspiration and suggested:
“Talking all the time is tiring. How about we take out all the drawings Zhouzhou usually makes and look at them together? Looking at the child’s drawings together will make things clearer.”
Qin Peilan's eyes lit up: "That's a great idea!"
What they had seen before were mostly drawings that Zhouzhou had recently created and given to them. In the child's special drawer, there were many more that Zhou Qiqi had carefully kept in a sketchbook, which they hadn't had a chance to look at properly yet.
The two women, who had just been crying, got up. Shen Huaichuan silently went to the kitchen to prepare warm water for them to wash their faces. Shen Zhenbang then got up to retrieve the precious picture books.
Zhou Qiqi prepared several thick picture albums for Zhouzhou, with the paintings arranged chronologically and neatly pasted up one by one.
She turned the pages for the elderly couple, explaining the details behind each painting as if recounting a treasured story.
The elderly couple watched as their granddaughter's lines evolved from clumsy to fluent, and her world gradually came to life with color. They felt both gratified and proud, and the atmosphere in the room softened considerably.
As I flipped through the pages, I came across portraits that Zhouzhou had drawn for each member of the family.
Besides drawing several pictures for my grandparents these past two days, the one I drew the most was actually Shen Huaichuan.
Zhou Qiqi watched from the side, a smile unconsciously appearing on her lips, and explained:
"The first complete portrait that Zhouzhou painted was when Huaichuan went to help with disaster relief."
Looking back now, it feels like a lifetime ago. Back then, Zhouzhou didn't quite know how to express her dependence on her family.
This last painting is also the last page of the album.
Qin Peilan, still engrossed in the book, gently closed it and looked at Zhou Qiqi with some confusion, unable to resist asking:
"Qiqi, that's it? Zhouzhou...didn't he really draw one for you, his aunt? You're the closest child to him, this shouldn't be happening! This is a bit strange."
She knows her granddaughter's personality well; she knows exactly who treats her well and is definitely not an ungrateful child.
Seeing how many paintings Zhouzhou had drawn for her grandparents and even Huaichuan, and how much effort she had put into them, it would be a lie to say that she felt no disappointment at all.
But she still forced a relaxed smile and comforted herself:
"Mom, it's okay. Kids' thoughts come in waves. Maybe...maybe he just hasn't figured out how to draw me yet..."
She tried to sound relaxed, but everyone present could hear the disappointment in her words.
They looked at each other, wanting to offer comfort but unsure where to begin. After all, they all held Zhouzhou's heavy sentiments in their hands, and saying anything at this moment would seem like speaking from a position of privilege.
Just then, Shen Zhenbang suddenly smiled mysteriously, and as if by magic, produced another picture book from behind his back, handed it to Zhou Qiqi, and said with a smile:
"Qiqi, who said there isn't? Look... what's this?"
Zhou Qiqi was stunned for a moment, her gaze falling on her father-in-law's hands.
It was a picture book with a dark red plastic cover that was worn at the edges. It had a golden sunflower pattern printed on it, which reflected light slightly under the lamp.
She remembered it all too clearly; it was the last book left on the shelf when she first took Zhouzhou to the department store to buy art supplies.
At that time, Zhouzhou touched the sunflower on the cover with her little hands, her eyes sparkling, and she bought it without saying a word.
Strangely, after she bought the picture book, she never saw it again, as if it had vanished into thin air.
She always thought it was because the child was careless and didn't know where he had lost it, or that he didn't like it and just left it aside and forgot about it.
Fearing that asking too many questions would upset the child, she stopped bringing it up later.
Unexpectedly, I saw it again in my father-in-law's hands today.
Looking at the picture book, Zhou Qiqi felt a strange mix of emotions welling up inside her, unsure whether it was anticipation or something else.
Under Shen Zhenbang's encouraging gaze, she reached out and carefully took it.
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