Chapter 7 Shopping

◎Zhao Chenyang, what are you looking at?◎

What is the relationship between Zhao Xiangwan and me, Zhao Xiangwan?

Twin sisters?

No, in fact, Zhao Xiangwan has no blood relationship with her.

A friend who grew up together?

Not really a partner.

Although they lived under the same roof, they were treated completely differently and rarely played together. Zhao Xiangwan began to stand on a stool at the stove when he was six years old, feeding chickens and pigs, cutting pig grass, and picking rice ears. But Zhao Chenyang sat elegantly and comfortably in the house, holding an embroidery band and occasionally poking a few needles.

Enemy?

Maybe.

To be precise, Zhao Chenyang is a thief who stole the life that should have belonged to Zhao Xiangwan.

Zhao Xiangwan's thoughts were once again drawn back to the scene when he was accidentally struck by lightning at the age of ten, and when he woke up he discovered that he had acquired the ability to read minds.

Zhao Chenyang hugged her arms and cried sincerely, but in his heart he was cursing: Even thunder can't kill you? You are such a loser!

Zhao Chenyang started learning embroidery at the age of six, and she said coquettishly that she couldn't let her fingers become rough or they would scratch the hair. Zhao Xiangwan felt sorry for her sister, so she washed her clothes, sharpened her pencils, combed her hair, and did all the dirty and tiring work, such as cutting pig grass, feeding pigs and chickens, cleaning the chicken coop, and sweeping the ground.

However, her beloved sister was secretly wishing her death.

Mother sat on the bed and sighed, explaining that the family was poor, but her heart was full of indifference: I don't give you money even if I have it! Zhao Qingyun, that bastard, only gave me ten yuan a month for four years, which is not enough for you to eat and wear.

The honest father had a gentle face and said that he loved me the most, but in his heart he was sighing: I can't raise you well because you are not my biological child.

Zhao Xiangwan felt like his world suddenly collapsed.

Not a biological child!

All the grievances flooded into Zhao Xiangwan's heart, and he suddenly understood. No wonder his parents always favored Zhao Chenyang. So that's why.

Why did she run outside during a thunderstorm and get struck by lightning? Because her mother said that the family had no money and could not afford to send two children to primary school, so she wanted Zhao Xiangwan to drop out of school and come back to help with the family. This was the first time Zhao Xiangwan had an argument with her family and was determined not to give up studying.

Zhao Xiangwan has always been the one who was suppressed and belittled at home since she was young. No matter how diligent she was, she never received any praise. Only studying could give her positive feedback. As long as she studied hard, she could get good grades, be praised by teachers, and be envied by classmates. Zhao Xiangwan was willing to give in to other things, but studying was her greatest insistence.

Therefore, when her mother wanted Zhao Xiangwan to drop out of school and go home, she no longer endured and argued with her mother. Qian Shufen was furious and slapped her twice and drove her out of the house. Unexpectedly, a thunderbolt struck her and she acquired the ability to read minds.

Zhao Xiangwan lay in bed in a daze for three days. When he finally woke up, Zhao Chenyang had disappeared from home.

Zhao Xiangwan listened silently to the voices of her adoptive parents, and only then did she realize that she was the illegitimate daughter of Zhao Qingyun and Wei Meihua, two educated youth who went to the countryside. They gave her away in order to return home.

After graduating from university, Zhao Qingyun had a successful career, his family had a house and money, and he and Wei Meihua had just given birth to a son. Perhaps because the birth of their son aroused the parental nature of Zhao Qingyun and Wei Meihua, the two finally remembered that they had a daughter who was left in the countryside for adoption, so they came to look for her.

Zhao Qingyun was dressed elegantly and generous. As soon as he saw Qian Shufen, he paid off the alimony that he had owed for many years in one lump sum, and repeatedly assured that this time he would take good care of his daughter and train her to become a talented person.

Zhao Chenyang was jealous. How could he be willing to give such a good thing to Zhao Xiangwan? He urged his parents to switch their identities. Zhao Xiangwan was sleeping in bed and was unconscious. Qian Shufen and Zhao Erfu had never revealed her background. After the three of them got together, Zhao Chenyang walked up to Zhao Qingyun and called out, "Dad."

Zhao Chenyang went to the city to live with Zhao Qingyun and Wei Meihua instead of Zhao Xiangwan, and there was no news of him since then. Zhao Xiangwan, the real daughter, stayed in the countryside, doing farm work while studying hard until she was admitted to Hunan Public Security University.

Looking back on that difficult time, Zhao Xiangwan has very complicated emotions.

She hated her adoptive parents for using someone else's body to make their daughter live a rich life, and despised them for suppressing and beating her. She hated Zhao Chenyang, the little sister she had loved for ten years, for taking advantage of her coma to enter the city without any guilt.

However, there is sometimes a ray of warm light in life.

On her birthday, her eldest aunt gave her a gift that she had carefully prepared. Her eldest brother Zhao Bowen would go to the No. 1 Middle School in the county town and secretly give her a few dollars when he was free in the countryside. During the winter vacation, her second brother Zhao Shuwu would ride a bicycle to pick her up and take her home, sweating profusely as he rode in the cold wind.

Because of these warm lights, Zhao Xiangwan was able to persevere and come to this day. These lights weakened the harm caused to Zhao Xiangwan by her adoptive parents, and prevented the hatred and contempt in her heart from swallowing up her kindness.

Thinking of this, Zhao Xiangwan raised his eyes and looked at Zhou Qiaoxiu: "Zhao Chenyang and I grew up together, but after she was ten years old, she followed her parents to the provincial capital, and I haven't seen her since then."

Perhaps it was because she had seen too many falsehoods through her mind-reading skills, Zhao Xiangwan found it difficult to completely trust others and did not tell the truth.

Zhou Qiaoxiu smiled and said, "So you are childhood friends. You both have the surname Zhao, so you must be relatives, right?"

Zhao Xiangwan's answer was evasive: "I grew up in Zhaojiagou, and most people in the village have the surname Zhao."

Zhou Qiaoxiu glanced at Xu Songling and gave an order: "Old Xu, Xiang Wan is an honest child. It's rare for her to speak up. She treats us as her own family. You have to keep this in mind."

Xu Songling saluted and said, "Yes! I promise to complete the task."

The baby beside him also saluted and said in a tender voice: "I promise to complete the task."

Everyone laughed when they saw the child repeating the adults' words like an echo-worm, looking so funny and cute.

Amidst joyful laughter, Zhao Xiangwan shared and ate cake for the first time in her life. The soft, fragrant and sweet taste made her feel that the world was a beautiful place.

After dinner, Baobao held Zhao Xiangwan and wouldn't let her leave.

Children are most sensitive to the good and evil of others, and the baby is very attached to Zhao Xiangwan.

When the baby was with Meimei before, she was very willful, snatching toys and throwing things, which made Zhou Qiaoxiu often scold her. But now with Zhao Xiangwan, the baby is well-behaved and willing to share her favorite toys.

Zhou Qiaoxiu saw this and couldn't help but reflect on whether she had made any mistakes in handling the relationship between the sisters. In the past, she saw Meimei always being humble and never fighting back when her sister beat and scolded her. She would feel sorry for Meimei and teach her a lesson, but now she wondered if Meimei did it on purpose?

Zhou Qiaoxiu shuddered at the thought of Meimei's schemes, and looked at Zhao Xiangwan with a more loving look. Fortunately, fortunately, no big mistake was made, and everything was still in time. If Meimei succeeded, she would live in regret for the rest of her life.

Zhou Qiaoxiu made a suggestion: "Xiang Wan, can you accompany me and the baby to go shopping at Friendship Mall? It's a rare weekend today. I'm also full after dinner and cake. It's a good time to walk around and help digest the food."

Zhao Xiangwan shook his head and refused: "I don't want to go shopping. I have to go back to the dormitory to read."

Zhou Qiaoxiu looked at her in a reproachful manner: "Isn't it because the baby can't bear to see you go? Just stay with the baby."

The baby grabbed Zhao Xiangwan's clothes and said coquettishly, "Sister, I won't leave."

At the same time, a soft and tender child's voice echoed in my mind

[Sister, I won’t leave.]

The baby's clear eyes, innocent words, and true feelings softened Zhao Xiangwan's heart. Although she rejected physical contact with people, innocent children were an exception. She bent down, picked up the baby, and said softly, "Okay, sister won't leave."

The night was slightly cool, and the scent of osmanthus flowers floated in the air.

Zhao Xiangwan followed Zhou Qiaoxiu out of the school gate. The Public Security University is located in the south of Xing City, about a quarter of an hour's walk from Youyi Shopping Mall.

Friendship Mall was newly opened in the 1980s and is the busiest commercial center in the south of the city. Around 7pm is when the crowds are the most crowded. There are many roadside stalls selling grilled wings, socks, clothes, toys, etc.

The baby's eyes were suddenly attracted by a small stall in front of him. He pointed at it and shouted, "Baby, baby!"

A dozen painted plaster dolls were placed on a piece of plastic cloth. There were piglets, rabbits, cats, and dolls with blond hair and blue eyes. Their colors were pink and their shapes were full of childlike fun. Even Zhao Xiangwan saw such beautiful and fun things for the first time, so he stopped and took a few more glances.

A small rechargeable lamp shines brightly, making the plaster dolls on the stall particularly eye-catching. The stall owner smiles and beckons customers: "Don't miss it if you pass by. These plaster dolls are designed by students from the Academy of Fine Arts. They are only two yuan each, cheap and beautiful~"

Two yuan a piece is still cheap? Zhao Xiangwan was stunned for a moment. The school issued thirty-two yuan of meal coupons a month, and two yuan was enough for her to eat for two or three days.

Zhou Qiaoxiu glanced at Zhao Xiangwan, chuckled, bent down and picked two: "Xiangwan is an ox and the baby is a rabbit. I'll buy a calf and a rabbit."

Zhou Qiaoxiu paid quickly and stood up from the stall carrying two plaster dolls in a transparent plastic bag.

Zhao Xiangwan couldn't stop holding the baby, so he pursed his lips and said to Zhou Qiaoxiu very seriously: "If you buy me something again, I will go back to school now."

Zhou Qiaoxiu smiled and nodded: "Okay, okay, I'll only buy one, as your birthday present."

The stall owner saw their interaction and said enviously, "Sister, your daughter is sensible and can even help you take care of the kids."

Zhou Qiaoxiu burst into laughter when she heard this, and simply stretched out her left hand to hold Zhao Xiangwan's shoulder: "That's right, I'm a big girl who can read and is sensible."

Zhao Xiangwan was hugged by her and couldn't dodge in time. The warm breath brushed past his ears and his back suddenly became stiff.

Feeling Zhao Xiangwan's body rejecting her, Zhou Qiaoxiu felt even more distressed. She let go of her hand and said softly, "I really wish you were my daughter, Zhao Xiangwan."

[If I had a child right after I got married, it would be about the same age as Zhao Xiangwan. Unfortunately, I don’t have such a good fortune.]

Hearing Zhou Qiaoxiu's inner sadness, Zhao Xiangwan said softly: "You are my teacher, it's the same."

The previous regret was smoothed over by these words. Zhou Qiaoxiu smiled and nodded without saying anything else.

Zhao Xiangwan kept a fist's distance from Zhou Qiaoxiu and walked slowly forward along with the crowd, unaware that there was an extremely hot pair of eyes staring at her in the distance, as if to burn her back.

The owner of this fiery gaze is a girl of seventeen or eighteen years old.

The girl has a high ponytail, an oval face, and big eyes. Although she is not tall, she knows how to dress herself up. She wears a goose-yellow knitted sweater, a light brown plaid overalls skirt, white socks with lace, brown wide-mouthed leather shoes, and a small cross-body wicker bag, making her look fashionable and lively, pretty and cute.

The girl was surrounded by three girls of similar age while strolling in the night market. Suddenly, she saw Zhao Xiangwan in the crowd. She was stunned and stared blankly at Zhao Xiangwan's tall and slender back without saying a word for a long time.

A girl shook her arm: "Zhao Chenyang, what are you looking at?"

Zhao Chenyang came back to his senses, but his heart was like a thousand wild horses galloping: Zhao Xiangwan! Why did she come to Xing City? Before she left, didn't she repeatedly tell her parents to let her stay in the countryside and not go anywhere, and never let her have any future?