Although the unexpected marriage proposal on New Year's Eve made Zhou Qiqi feel as sweet as honey, the freezing cold of the first month of the lunar calendar in the north was clearly not a good time for a wedding.
The family discussed that they would hold a grand and lively wedding ceremony after spring, when the weather warmed up.
The current plan remains unchanged. Early the next morning, the whole family packed their bags as planned and prepared to drive to the Military Hospital in City B to spend the New Year with my second brother and sister-in-law.
I heard that the family is leaving tomorrow and will be gone for at least a week. Neighbors Deng Cuixiang and Zhu Yingying are quite reluctant to see them go and have a lot of private conversations with Zhou Qiqi.
The one who was most unhappy was Jiang Xiangyang.
Zhouzhou had been going to art class for the past few days. He had been looking forward to the holiday and was hoping to spend every day with Zhouzhou. But now that he had to leave again, his little face was very long.
The next day, just as dawn broke, the Shen family courtyard was bustling with activity.
The New Year's goods were in large and small bags, and several large mesh bags were filled with changes of clothes.
Shen Huaichuan opened the trunk of the Jeep, preparing to put something in, but was startled.
Jiang Xiangyang, that kid, somehow sneaked in at some point, curled up in a corner, covered himself with a big cotton-padded coat, and planned to sneak in and go with them!
Shen Huaichuan was both annoyed and amused, and he pulled the little rascal out of the car.
Jiang Xiangyang was still unconvinced. After struggling to land, he looked pitifully at Chen Duzhou and pleaded with a tearful voice:
"Zhouzhou! Can't you just play with me all day long? Please don't go anymore, okay? Please..."
Recently, the boys in the compound have been playing a game called "Conquering the City and Seizing the Land," where they draw cities and dig trenches on the sand with sticks, use pebbles as soldiers, and pay attention to arranging their troops.
Jiang Xiangyang has always been the leader of the kids, but he hasn't been playing this game very well lately. His position as the leader of the kids is in jeopardy, so he's counting on Zhouzhou to help him figure things out and practice so he can regain his former glory.
Shen Huaichuan found the boy's words increasingly awkward and gently pushed his forehead.
"Hey! You little rascal, what are you dreaming about! Zhouzhou is going to see her parents! Go away, go away, stay out of the way and don't cause trouble!"
Jiang Xiangyang looked longingly at Zhouzhou in the car, but Zhouzhou just looked at him quietly through the car window without any expression, appearing cold and indifferent.
Zhouzhou has always been like this towards him.
Jiang Xiangyang was completely deflated. Watching the jeep slowly start and drive out of the courtyard, he stomped his feet in anger and shouted in a tearful voice:
"Shen Duzhou! You wait! I, Jiang Xiangyang, will never ask you for anything again!"
After a long and arduous journey, we arrived at the Military Hospital in City B in the early evening.
This was the first time Zhou Qiqi had ever seen her second brother, Shen Huaiyue, and her second sister-in-law, Weiwei, in person.
The two lay side by side on the hospital bed. Although they had been in a coma for many years and their faces were pale and thin, the resolute spirit of the police officers was still faintly visible between their brows, which inspired both respect and a deep sense of sorrow.
The elderly couple walked to the bedside, and their son and daughter-in-law introduced the new member of the family, but the two of them naturally did not react.
Next, it's Zhouzhou's turn.
This is the first time he has brought Shen Duzhou back to meet his parents since she was taken back to the Shen family's old house three years ago.
The adults used to avoid it, afraid of upsetting Zhouzhou.
But now they know that Zhouzhou is much more resilient than her peers, and it's time for her to face reality.
Zhouzhou silently walked to the bedside, reached out her little hand, gently took Lin Wei's hand, lowered her head, and remained silent for a long time.
The adults held their breath and didn't disturb her, knowing that the child needed time.
Zhou Qiqi told Shen Huaichuan to stay at the hospital with his family, while she went to a nearby state-run restaurant to pack some food so that everyone could have a hot meal.
She quickly ordered the dishes and was waiting for the chef to pack them up when she suddenly saw a stylish and capable middle-aged woman walk towards her.
"Excuse me, are you Zhou Qiqi, the designer of the 'Qi' brand?"
The woman spoke with a distinct Hong Kong accent, but her Mandarin was fairly fluent.
Zhou Qiqi was somewhat surprised and didn't answer, but instead asked, "You are...?"
The woman replied with a smile:
"My name is Wen, and I run a garment import and export business in Hong Kong. I've read reports about you and watched the Spring Festival Gala. The dress Zhang Xiaoqing wore was absolutely stunning! I'm very interested in the 'Seven' brand. I wonder if there's a chance for us to collaborate?"
Zhou Qiqi took the business card, her heart stirred, but now was definitely not the time to discuss business.
She responded politely:
"Awen, it's nice to meet you, but I have some things to take care of at home right now, and it's Chinese New Year. How about this, after the New Year, around the seventh or eighth day of the lunar new year, we can get in touch and discuss it in more detail? Would it be convenient for you to leave your contact information?"
Awen expressed her understanding: "Okay, no problem."
She turned and gestured to a man standing quietly not far away, whose back was to them.
Awen walked over and whispered a few words. The man took out a business card from his suit pocket and handed it to her.
Awen handed it to Zhou Qiqi: "This is my business card. It has our Guangzhou office's phone number on it."
Zhou Qiqi thanked him and accepted the gift. Her gaze inadvertently swept over the man's profile, and a sudden "thud" ran through her as a strange sense of familiarity welled up inside her.
"Wait! Sir!"
She called out, but the man didn't react, as if he hadn't heard her.
Awen, who was standing nearby, quickly explained:
"Oh, that's my husband. I'm sorry, he has hearing problems; it's a lingering effect from his time on the battlefield years ago, so he can't hear clearly."
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