"Little girl, over here!"
Outside the small gate on the west side of the family compound, Zhao Damei, in her thirties, sat on a donkey cart, her eyes crinkling as she called out.
Seeing Zhou Qiqi carrying her things and walking unsteadily, she quickly put the half-eaten dry steamed bun on the cart shaft, jumped off the cart, and hurried to meet her.
Zhou Qiqi was slightly taken aback, then spoke up, "Big sister, were you getting impatient?"
Zhao Damei waved her hands repeatedly, "No, no, I just arrived too!"
The donkey cart rattled along the dirt road, swaying towards the city.
Zhao Damei introduced herself as the daughter-in-law of the old man who had previously given her a free ride home to her family's district.
That day, when she arrived at the entrance of the military dependents' area, Zhou Qiqi thought it would be inconvenient to take the shopping vehicle back and forth.
She asked the old man if he could hire his car to take her to and from the city.
The old man said that his home was in the next village, and his son ran this business, traveling to and from the city every day to earn some hard-earned money. He said that if his son needed a car, he just needed to call the village committee in advance to let them know.
"Didn't Grandpa say it was his son coming? How come..."
Zhou Qiqi looked at Zhao Damei, who was driving the carriage, with a puzzled expression.
Zhao Damei paused, her hand holding the reins, and spoke calmly.
“My husband used to do this job, but he suddenly passed away last year, so I took over. Since then, my father-in-law has become confused and often forgets things.”
No wonder the old man's house was in the next village, but when we met for the first time, he didn't know where the military dependents' area was.
The morning light outlined Zhao Damei's sharply defined profile.
Zhou Qiqi gently stroked the soft cushion beneath her, her eyes sparkling, and asked in a crisp voice.
"Sister Zhao, do you know where Daxing Village is?"
————
About half an hour later, the donkey cart came to a steady stop at an intersection in the city.
Zhao Damei helped unload the snakeskin bag, and Zhou Qiqi took out two cents from her bag and handed it to her.
"Sister Zhao, here's your fare for today's round trip. Please take it."
Zhao Damei hurriedly took half a step back and shook her hands repeatedly.
"No way! You already paid ten yuan for the monthly subscription, how can I ask for more money?"
"That ten yuan is for this month's goat milk delivery fee, it's two separate things!"
Zhou Qiqi forcefully stuffed the money into her pocket, pretending to threaten her.
"Take it! If you don't accept it, I won't take the bus this afternoon, I'll walk back myself, and see what you do then!"
The little girl in front of me had a fierce tone, but she also had a charming and innocent air about her, just like the tabby cat at the village entrance.
The tears that had just welled up in Zhao Damei's eyes vanished instantly at these words, and she asked with a smile.
"Will I pick you up at four o'clock this afternoon?"
Zhou Qiqi estimated the time and nodded in agreement.
Donkey carts are not allowed in the city center, so she carried her snakeskin bag and walked half a street back to the familiar intersection where she used to set up her stall.
It's very lively here today, with stalls packed tightly together. Even the previously empty crossroads are now bustling with people setting up stalls.
Fortunately, there was still a small open space left, which was enough for her.
Zhou Qiqi was busy setting up her stall when she saw three or four uniformed police officers striding towards her from afar. They all looked serious and exuded an imposing aura.
Her heart tightened, and she quickly asked the older woman next door who sold socks.
"Sister, why are there so many police officers here? Has something happened?"
The older woman was wearing a clean white shirt and had a kind face. She smiled and comforted me.
"Don't be afraid, little sister. They're just patrolling around in crowded areas to keep things safe."
Qiqi was taken aback. "Patrol? Why didn't I see them last time?"
"It was just established a few days ago, and it's been divided into several small teams."
That would be great!
Now Ran Hongxia has no way to cause trouble!
Zhou Qiqi smiled slightly and subconsciously looked for Ran Hongxia's stall, only to find a strange man standing there.
Everyone who sets up a stall in this area knows Ran Hongxia. The older woman next door was also bullied by Ran Hongxia before, and she only came back to set up a stall in this area again these past two days.
Seeing Qiqi looking in that direction, he assumed she had also been tricked by Ran Hongxia, and comforted her with a smile.
"Little sister, you don't know yet, do you? A few days ago, Ran Hongxia offended a pretty girl named Qiqi and got a real beating. I heard that girl's father is the police chief. Sure enough, the patrol team came the next day, and Ran Hongxia didn't dare to cause trouble again. She hasn't even dared to set up her stall these past two days!"
Qiqi was both amused and exasperated.
"Big sister, who told you all this?"
There weren't many customers at the moment, and even the plump auntie selling men's clothing at the next stall came over to gossip.
"She's just making all that up!"
"Who said I was just guessing? That's what everyone else is saying!"
The lady next door was still arguing, but when she saw Qiqi setting up her stall and hanging up the banner, she came over and stared at her as she read:
"Seven-Seven-Fashion Stall?"
The older sister's eyes widened instantly: "Qiqi? You're that Qiqi?"
Qiqi smiled slyly.
"My name is Qiqi, but my dad isn't some police chief. I only just found out about this patrol team..."
If she were the daughter of the police chief, how could she possibly be out setting up a stall to earn money?
I'd definitely choose to lie down!
I don't know how this rumor started, but it turned out to be a good thing by accident.
It must have been tough on the police officers on patrol.
The older sister blushed deeply, but quickly recovered and changed the subject.
"Hey, you've come at the right time! I set up this stall here precisely to catch you!"
A couple of days ago, her next-door neighbor wore a batwing shirt, and she fell in love with it at first sight. She found out where she bought it and has been waiting for it for two days.
Qiqi readily agreed, "Sure, big sister, pick whatever you like. You're the first order today, so I'll give you a 12% discount!"
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