Just as Zhou Qiqi felt a warm feeling rising in her heart, a loud shout came from next door, penetrating the courtyard wall.
"Meat buns! We're making meat buns at home now! I want three!"
Without even asking, you know that the voice belongs to Zhao Yaozu.
This time, however, it wasn't a wailing or howling, but an excited shout.
Zhou Qiqi paused slightly as she picked up the steamed bun with her chopsticks.
Qiu Chunfang from next door raised her voice high, with a smugness she'd never seen before, clearly meant for them to hear.
"Eat! Yaozu, be good. I'll make as many as you want! Things are different now, Mom can earn money!"
The loud voice didn't bother Zhou Qiqi, but it woke Zhao Yi up.
He sniffed the aroma, and his eyes lit up.
Why did you suddenly decide to make meat buns?
He knew Qiu Chunfang's personality best; she was usually incredibly stingy, saving all the family's money for Zhao Yaozu.
Normally we eat potatoes or cabbage, but today, out of the blue, they're making meat buns!
"You made money, huh?"
A hint of smugness flashed in Qiu Chunfang's eyes, and she quickly explained the matter of selling flowers and plants.
Zhao Yi had just taken a big bite of a steamed bun and was still chewing when he heard Qiu Chunfang's words. He immediately lost his appetite, slammed the bun down on the table, and said coldly.
"Zhao Damei is Zhou Qiqi's friend. She's doing just fine, why are you interfering? Granny Wang is old, stop meddling behind her back! And that Li Hongjuan, don't you know what kind of person she is? What kind of children has she raised Xiao Lei and Xiao Feng to be? What good can come of associating with her?!"
Qiu Chunfang seemed to have been hit where it hurt; her neck stiffened, and her voice suddenly became shrill.
"Zhao Yi! What do you mean by that! How did I cause any trouble? It was Granny Wang who trusted us and that's why we were brought here! We work from dawn till dusk to earn some money to improve the children's meals and make you proud, and you're yelling at me?"
As she spoke, her eyes darted around twice, and she muttered something.
"I know! Did that vixen next door say something to you?"
Ever since Zhou Qiqi warned her at the clinic that day, she has been afraid that Zhou Qiqi would expose this matter, and she has been feeling guilty.
"you!"
Zhao Yi's voice carried an barely suppressed anger.
“I’ve been home since I got back last night. What can anyone say to me? It’s one thing for you to be unruly, but you’re also constantly ruining relationships with your neighbors! You have no conscience at all!”
"Zhao Yi! Who are you calling heartless? I've done so much for this family..."
Qiu Chunfang's voice was choked with sobs, and it had a hint of hysteria.
"Enough! Isn't this annoying enough?! Can't you just have one more day of peace?!"
Zhao Yi shouted, pushed the stool aside, and strode out of the house, slamming the gate shut behind him.
The courtyard fell silent. Zhao Yaozu was so frightened that he didn't dare to put the steamed bun in his mouth.
Er Meng, on the other hand, was completely unaffected. She had just finished eating a meat bun, and her hands were still greasy. She grabbed several more and gave them to Yi Meng, San Meng, and Si Meng, while taking two for herself.
She only steamed one basket of buns, and after she took them all, only two were left in front of Zhao Yaozu.
Qiu Chunfang stopped crying and rushed over to grab it.
Er Meng opened her mouth and took a big bite of each of the two steamed buns in her hand, which made Qiu Chunfang so angry that she started cursing loudly.
"Eat what?! Are you a reincarnated starving ghost?! What's the use of you girls eating meat?"
Next door, Zhou Qiqi had just told Shen Huaichuan what Qiu Chunfang had done, including how the spider plant had gone from seven cents to one dollar.
Hearing the foul language coming from next door, Shen Huaichuan went over and closed the door.
"These things can't be kept secret; the truth will eventually come out."
Once the door was closed, the sounds from next door were barely audible. Zhou Qiqi nodded as she ate her steamed bun.
"Yes, I know, so I didn't tell Sister-in-law Wang. After all, it's someone else's business. But I guess Qiu Chunfang's family will make a fuss again."
Shen Huaichuan paused, holding the spoon, and looked up at her.
"If you think they're too noisy, I'll figure something out."
"What method?"
Zhou Qiqi suddenly looked up, her eyes wide open.
"You're not going to kick that family out, are you? Isn't that a bad idea?"
Shen Huaichuan shook his head, a hint of reminiscence in his eyes.
"Actually, based on Zhao Yi's qualifications, he wasn't qualified to live in the small courtyard; he could only live in the tenement building. Back then, he begged me for help, and I only helped him because his brother was a martyr who sacrificed his life on the battlefield, so I spoke to the old commander on his behalf."
The implication was that whether Zhao Yi's family could continue living in the courtyard was entirely up to him.
Zhou Qiqi paused for a moment, then shook her head.
"Forget it, Qiu Chunfang and Zhao Yaozu are the only troublesome ones, the others are actually not wrong."
When she tended the vegetable garden in the morning, she often heard Yi Meng reciting her lessons in the backyard. This little girl, Er Meng, was quite interesting, and she liked her personality very much.
Zhao Yi didn't do anything wrong, and his family can be considered as relatives of martyrs.
She had seen the tenement buildings in the military dependents' area from afar; they were only about 30 or 40 square meters. With so many people in their family, there was no way they could all live there. She figured that Yi Meng and Er Meng would be the ones who would suffer.
She said, pursing her lips.
"Anyway, Qiu Chunfang can't do anything to me. She can't argue with me, so she can only be beaten half to death by me."
"Okay, whatever you say."
Shen Huaichuan chuckled softly and placed a steamed bun in her bowl. "Eat your food first."
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