"And then,"
Zhou Qiqi's tone became lighter, "Zhouzhou has a new 'little bodyguard' by her side, it's that kid from the Jiang family next door, Xiangyang."
She told Shen Zhenbang how Jiang Xiangyang approached Zhouzhou, how he clashed with other children to protect Zhouzhou, and how the two children became friends.
"This kid is a bit mischievous, but he's kind-hearted and really good to Zhouzhou."
Zhou Qiqi said with a smile,
"With him around, Zhouzhou has gradually become more willing to stay in the yard longer. Although she still doesn't play with the other children, at least she's willing to play with them. With Xiangyang accompanying her to and from school, she feels much more at ease."
Shen Zhenbang listened intently, a slight smile appearing on his face:
"I've seen that mischievous boy a few times. His fearless attitude is exactly like Huaichuan's when he was a kid. Huaichuan was the same way back then. He loved chasing after kids older than him. Even if they ignored him, he would keep pestering them and would drag his older brothers along with him. He was the little tyrant of our area."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Qiqi couldn't help but chuckle: "Really? Huaichuan... he had this side to him when he was little?"
She found it hard to reconcile the image of the calm, composed, and serious Regiment Commander Shen with that of the "little tyrant of the family compound."
Shen Zhenbang nodded, but as he spoke, a faint sadness crept into his tone, and his voice lowered as he sighed:
"Yes, it's a pity. Children always grow up much faster than we imagine. In the blink of an eye, that mischievous little boy has become what he is now—less talkative and more thoughtful..."
Looking at her father-in-law's expression, Zhou Qiqi understood.
The gap between Shen Huaichuan and his parents is too deep; they both harbor too much unspoken concern and guilt.
She made a silent vow to find a suitable opportunity to help them speak their minds.
The elderly couple is getting on in years; it would be such a shame to let this bond of kinship remain separated by an invisible wall.
But now is clearly not the time to talk about that.
She quickly steered the conversation back on track, saying:
“Dad, speaking of which, Jiang Xiangyang has really helped Zhouzhou a lot, as has Zhu Yingying next door. Huaichuan and I are usually busy with factory and military matters, and we are very grateful to Yingying for often helping to take care of Zhouzhou. I was thinking that when we have some free time, the three of us families should sit down together for a meal and thank them properly.”
Shen Zhenbang nodded repeatedly, his tone very solemn, and agreed:
"Of course! Absolutely! They've been so good to our Zhouzhou, the Shen family must remember this kindness! And the foreign language materials that Grandpa Zhai sent this time were also thanks to Yingying's help in translating them. That child is capable and kind-hearted!"
As the two were talking, Qin Peilan and Zhu Yingying's laughter and chatter came from outside the courtyard gate, and they could be vaguely heard discussing what dishes to cook for dinner.
They were then surprised to find that the sky outside the window had darkened and it was almost five o'clock in the afternoon!
This long conversation lasted for more than two hours before we knew it.
It seems that Zhu Yingying deliberately delayed things, preventing Qin Peilan from returning too early.
The two exchanged a glance, and without saying a word, quickly got to work, gathering up the spread-out documents and pretending to be engrossed in organizing them.
Fortunately, the topic had just shifted to something lighter, and both of them calmed down considerably, with no obvious abnormalities visible on their faces.
Just as they finished tidying up, Qin Peilan and Zhu Yingying pushed open the door and came in, chatting and laughing.
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