Chapter 40 The Orphan Child
Faced with the pretty aunt's pleading, Zhizhi slowly reached out her little hand and placed it on the back of her hand.
"Zhizhi doesn't blame you for anything. I just hope that you can take better care of handsome brothers in the future, Auntie."
"I will. You've come to see Xiao Hui, so please come in and sit down." Wen Qingqian's nose tingled with tears. After wiping away the remaining tears from the corners of her eyes, she quickly turned to him and said, "Old Yuan, take Xiao Hui inside."
When Sang Zhizhi was led into the house by the pretty aunt, she smelled a faint fragrance on the aunt, which smelled wonderful.
Once inside, she was stunned.
The three rooms were decorated in a large and beautiful style, with all sorts of pretty coffee cups, Moutai liquor, and a piano in the corner.
Yuan Hui was placed on the sofa in the living room. Yuan Tengzhen was afraid that he would have another accident like before, so he repeatedly ordered him not to move.
Feeling guilty, Wen Qingqian took the initiative to bring out a large bag of snacks from the bedroom.
"Hey Zhenwei, Zhizhi, you two sit with your brother in the living room. If you're bored, have some snacks. These aren't available locally. Here, there's also a White Rabbit milk candy with red bean flavor."
Her gesture of goodwill at this moment was very sincere, even bordering on obsequious.
Sang Zhizhi felt a little uncomfortable. She touched her little braids, her expression conflicted. "Auntie, you don't have to be so polite."
"Yes, yes, I'll take it." Wen Qing's smile became slightly awkward as she explained in a low voice, "Auntie just threw away your fruit, so I really want to make it up to you. If you can't finish it, take it all home and eat it slowly. Anyway, Yuan Hui..."
She glanced at her son cautiously, her tone tinged with bitterness, "Maybe it's because I bought them... he doesn't like them either."
Yuan Hui slowly raised his eyes, his amber eyes now filled with a complex mix of emotions.
He pursed his lips. "Zhizhi, take it. Don't you love milk candy the most? There's your favorite chocolate inside."
When Sang Zhizhi smiled, her dimples appeared and disappeared. She nodded cheerfully, "Okay, then Zhizhi will bring you fruit again tomorrow, brother. Oh! And eye medicine too. I hope handsome brother's eyes will get better soon so he can go to school with Zhizhi!"
Going to school... ...?
This was something Yuan Hui would never have dared to imagine before; she never thought that this word would be so close to her now.
Yuan Hui also began to feel a little excited. He wanted to go to school, learn the knowledge in the textbooks, and also... see his little sister Zhizhi every day.
"Okay, let's go together then."
Yuan Tengzhen rubbed his face, marveling at how much Xiao Hui had changed.
He was originally taciturn, like a mute.
But Zhizhi chattered around him like a cute little megaphone. Faced with such a kind and lovable little darling, even someone as talkative as Yuan Hui became more talkative.
Finally, he's starting to look like a child his age...
"Old Yuan, look... Xiao Hui is willing to go to school now, he is..."
Wen Qingqian instinctively threw herself into her husband's arms, her lips trembling as if she was about to shed tears again.
Looking at his wife in his arms, Yuan Tengzhen realized that she hadn't relied on him like this in a long time, and that they hadn't been this close in a long time either.
He rarely showed a smile, "Weren't we just arguing? Now you're... making up?"
Wenqing playfully punched him twice.
The two looked at each other and smiled. Because of Zhizhi's appearance, the atmosphere in the Yuan family home began to become lively and cheerful.
The children sat in the living room, seemingly playing, but actually secretly observing the interaction between the pretty aunt and the serious political commissar uncle.
Especially Sang Zhizhi, who was lying on the sofa, blinking her big black grape-like eyes and chattering away, "Pretty brother, your mom punched your dad twice, and your dad laughed... ...Auntie hid in his arms, what was he laughing at?"
Zhenwei, standing to the side, seemed excited, saying, "You don't understand. This is called marital intimacy. Uncle Li told me that when Dad got drunk and tried to be affectionate with Aunt Deng, it meant the same thing."
Xiao Zhizhi stopped eating her melon and turned to look at the young man.
"Young man, where did you get all this knowledge from?"
Zhenwei made a face.
Looking at her parents, Yuan Hui suddenly blurted out, "If only things could always be like this..."
Zhizhi glanced at her handsome older brother, reached out her little hand and patted his shoulder to comfort him, "Yes, yes, brother, remember to take your medicine on time, and you'll be able to see clearly again soon."
Yuan Hui smiled and nodded.
At this moment, Zhenwei, quite the spoilsport, leaned over and asked, "Little sister, your medicine is so amazing, can I have a couple of sips?"
Zhizhi: "... ...If you're not going to treat my brain, just give up, bro."
"Hey! What do you mean?!"
"It means exactly what you understand it to be!"
Zhizhi and her brother played around for a while at the Yuan family's house before their father called them to bed. The children made a promise to go to the Jiang family's house to play early the next morning.
This time, Wen Qingqian did not object, but instead strongly agreed.
*
next day
[Ding~ Little Master, we've detected an increase in your happiness level. Your space has been upgraded to include pig feeding. Please go harvest some ripe fruits and vegetables!]
Huh?
Raising pigs? Then Mom can make sausages, cured meat, and dried ham for Chinese New Year!
As Zhizhi entered the space, she found it to be very warm, with the scent of osmanthus carried on the breeze.
The cub remembered that there was an osmanthus tree next to the spiritual spring, which was growing very lushly. She picked some and put them in the warehouse, where the space could be used to make essential oils and perfumes.
I can give it to my mom then! ^_^
Xiao Zhizhi checked today's harvest. The refrigerator was piled high with tomatoes, potatoes, winter melon, bok choy, and daikon radish—things that couldn't be kept for long but were too much to eat.
Hmm... ...I might as well take a little more today and give it to Aunt Cuiping.
She even gave me a handkerchief embroidered with a little white rabbit last time.
Sang Zhizhi grabbed the small basket and filled it to the brim. Before leaving, she even remembered to bring out a large bottle of spiritual spring water.
"—Zhizhi, Brother Yuanhui has come to find you."
Zhenwei called her from outside, and Zhizhi quickly jumped out of bed and went out.
The older brother silently brought over hot water, with a small pink towel draped over his arm.
Seeing his older brother's attitude, Zhenwei muttered under his breath, "He just told me to use cold water at the public sink to wash up, but he gave Zhizhi hot water and even used her little towel... Brother, isn't your favoritism a bit too obvious?"
Jiang Gansu was embarrassed and raised his foot to kick him.
"If you were as obedient as her, I would treat you the same way, but unfortunately you're stupid."
Zhizhi smiled sweetly, "Thank you, big brother."
Then he gave the guy an innocent wink.
Zhenwei's face immediately turned red with anger. "I'm very smart..."
'Knock knock—!' Yuan Hui knocked on the courtyard gate and politely asked, 'Zhi Zhi, may I come in?'
"Mmm! Come in!"
She was brushing her teeth, her speech was unclear, but she still waved to Yuan Hui.
Yuan Hui smiled, and as soon as he entered the house, Zhenwei immediately showed off to his older brother, "Big brother, look! These are snacks that Yuan Hui gave me. They even have fillings inside, they're so sweet! Hehe, you don't have any, do you?"
Gan Su pretended to be angry, put his hands on his hips, and rarely showed his childlike side.
"Then why didn't you leave any for me?"
"Hehehe! Who told you to call me stupid!"
As soon as Zhenwei finished speaking, he jumped off the stool and ran outside. Before he had run a few steps, he bumped into a figure.
Immediately afterwards, the familiar swearing voice rang out, "Hey you little bastard, you've run me over!"
"Aunt Qin?!"
When Zhenwei saw it was her, he stood awkwardly to the side.
Aunt Qin patted her clothes with a look of disgust and glanced sideways at the group of children in the room.
"Yuan Hui, I was a little late today and didn't keep an eye on you, and you ran off again. Why aren't you home yet? Or I'll tell your mother!"
As he spoke, his gaze slowly fell on Zhenwei's hand.
Her eyes suddenly sharpened, and her tone became exaggeratedly high.
"What are you doing? How dare you two motherless orphans steal? These are all expensive snacks from the former political commissar's family. I wouldn't even eat them myself. You're stealing! I'm calling the police!"
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