Tong Xiaohuai ate dinner at home.
Uncle Ming, who had said he wouldn't be coming over for dinner because of other commitments, rushed over when she was halfway through her meal.
"Xiao Huai, why did you take sleeping pills?"
Qin Ming rushed into the dining room looking panicked, completely forgetting about his usual tactful approach to getting information out of people.
Tong Xiaohuai sighed, rubbing his forehead.
Brother Du really broke his promise. Didn't we agree not to tell Uncle Ming or Uncle Guan?
Tong Xiaohuai put down her chopsticks and bowl, and gave Uncle Ming a faint smile.
"Uncle Ming, why are you so nervous? I'm fine, aren't I?"
As she spoke, she reached out and pulled Qin Ming over, pressing his arm down so that he would sit down next to her.
"No..." Qin Ming was very nervous, his hands were even trembling a little, "Xiao Huai, if you're unhappy about anything or feel too much pressure, you can talk to Uncle Ming about it, don't do anything foolish!"
Tong Xiaohuai closed her eyes briefly, then took a deep breath.
"Uncle Ming, what are you thinking? I just haven't been sleeping well these past few days, so I asked Brother Du to prescribe me some sleeping pills. I'm not unhappy at all, and I don't feel stressed at all!"
Although Tong Xiaohuai was telling the truth, Qin Ming clearly did not believe her.
Looking at Tong Xiaohuai with a worried expression, he asked, "Xiaohuai, tell Uncle Ming, did Li Lin or Fei Gang threaten you in private?"
Tong Xiaohuai was both amused and helpless. "Uncle Ming, it's really not! I've just been inexplicably irritable lately and haven't been sleeping well! As for Brother Li and the others' matter, if it really can't be resolved, I will definitely talk to you or Uncle Yuan. I won't try to tough it out, don't worry!"
Qin Ming stared at her with a mixture of belief and doubt, and after a long while, he let out a long sigh.
"Alright, if you won't tell me, there's nothing I can do. Anyway, don't think that just because your dad has dropped the burden, he's done with everything. That's not how it is!"
Several trusted confidants knew about their sister-in-law's trip to seek medical treatment, but Xiao Huai was kept in the dark the whole time.
In Qin Ming's view, this matter should not have been kept secret.
If he were Xiao Huai, he would rather stay by his mother's side during her time of crisis.
But the eldest brother made all the decisions for Xiao Huai without her consent.
This is actually quite a cruel thing for Xiao Huai.
Tong Xiaohuai nodded to show that she understood. "Uncle Ming, I'm not stupid. Do you think I don't know what kind of person my dad is? I won't blame my dad for this. I was born into the Tong family, and this is my fate."
Tong Xiaohuai was speechless. She couldn't bring herself to tell Qin Ming that her frustration was caused by other people or things, and had nothing to do with the Tong family.
Qin Ming saw that Tong Xiaohuai insisted that nothing was wrong, and even though he knew that something was on her mind, he didn't know how to comfort her.
If she were a grown man, he could get drunk with her, or even go out and find some jerks to beat up to relieve his frustration.
But she's a young woman, and he's a grown man; he really doesn't know what to do to help her relax and relieve her worries.
Uncle Yuan personally brought in a bowl, chopsticks, and soup for Qin Ming. After Tong Xiaohuai finished speaking, he gestured for Qin Ming to drink the soup quickly.
Qin Ming couldn't find the right words to comfort her, so he simply picked up the bowl and started drinking the soup in silence.
Tong Xiaohuai also picked up her chopsticks again and started eating.
"Uncle Ming, Brother Du only gave me ten pills. Even if I take them all at once, there will be no danger. At most, I'll just sleep a little longer."
Qin Ming was drinking soup when he heard her words. He coughed and choked badly, glaring at her with a ferocious expression as he coughed.
Tong Xiaohuai quickly put down her bowl and reached out to pat his back to help him catch his breath.
"Uncle Ming, please listen to me. I won't take those ten pills unless absolutely necessary. And I will only take half a pill as Brother Du instructed. I won't do anything reckless!"
Qin Ming finally calmed down a bit, "If you dare to eat it... I dare to chop that kid Du Xing up!"
The "eating" Qin Ming refers to is not eating in a safe amount, but rather eating in a self-destructive amount.
Tong Xiaohuai smiled and winked at him, "Uncle Ming, how could I bear to? My parents are waiting for me to give them little monkeys to play with!"
Qin Ming remained skeptical, tilting his head to scrutinize her for a while before speaking.
"Okay, let me see your medicine bottle."
Tong Xiaohuai knew he was just worried about her, so to put his mind at ease, she instructed the maid to bring her bag that she had left outside. After rummaging around for a while, she took out a small bottle and handed it to Qin Ming.
Qin Ming carefully read the name of the medicine and the instructions for use, unscrewed the cap, and poured out the pills one by one, counting them.
"Here are ten pills. I will count them every day from now on."
Tong Xiaohuai was speechless at his stubbornness, but under his worried gaze, she couldn't shake her head no matter what.
Uncle Ming breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her nod solemnly in agreement to his supervision. He then had dinner with her. The two had originally planned to go out together to run errands, but Uncle Ming insisted that she stay home and rest.
Tong Xiaohuai didn't want to stay at home; the more idle she was, the more she would overthink things.
Uncle Ming was determined not to let her go out, and he also told Uncle Yuan that she was forbidden from going out. Helpless, Tong Xiaohuai had no choice but to stay at home and watch TV with nothing to do.
"Xiao Huai, are you hungry? How about I get you some late-night snack? Or, I can cook you some sweet soup or dessert?"
Uncle Guan could also see that she was absent-minded. Her eyes seemed to be watching the TV without blinking, but her gaze was blank and empty. He wondered what she was thinking.
Uncle Guan was similar to Uncle Ming; although he cared about her, he had no experience or way of comforting people. All he knew was how to cook, so even though he knew she had just finished eating, he still asked her solicitously if she wanted anything to eat.
"Uncle Guan, no need, I'm not hungry!"
Tong Xiaohuai curled up on the sofa, hugging a cushion, staring at the lively scene of singing and dancing on TV, her mind wandering off somewhere else.
"Xiao Huai, is there a boy you like at school? Tell Mom about it..."
Other parents worry about their children dating too early and oppose it, but I seem to recall that my mother asked me the same question when I was in the third year of junior high school.
"Mom! The school is full of immature kids, so childish!"
Tong Xiaohuai wasn't lying. In her eyes, boys her age were incredibly immature. Compared to her, a girl, they knew how to be charming and knew how to dress. Those kinds of boys were like pretty boys, and she wouldn't like them at all.
Mom laughed immediately, "Oh? So, our little Huai likes Dad's type?"
Although Tong Yunxiang is big and burly, his eyebrows and eyes are heroic and strong, making him a real man. Standing there, he is like a mountain, giving people a great sense of security.
At that time, Tong Xiaohuai was very vague about what it meant to like someone, but when her mother asked her that question, she shook her head intuitively.
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