Xing Zhaozhao returned to the cellar. Seeing that it was getting late, she hurriedly prepared to go back. She was still thinking about how to explain things to Fu Lan. The two little ones were fine, but the main problem was Fu Lan. However, she was not careful and almost tripped over a basin of water.
Who brought the water basin into the cellar and didn't take it away?
Xing Zhaozhao frowned, casually carried the basin of water out, locked the cellar door, and went straight into the front room.
“Which of you put the water basin in the cellar? You didn’t even bring it back. I almost tripped over it just now…” Xing Zhaozhao said as she entered the main room, but unexpectedly met the eyes of four pairs of people, two adults and two children. Before she could finish speaking, she stopped abruptly, her face showing undisguised surprise, and said, “You…what are you all doing here? Godmother? Why did you come here so early in the morning again?”
No sooner had she finished speaking than Fu Lan suddenly rushed over with red eyes and hugged her tightly: "Sister Xing, you're finally back! Last night I followed you to the cellar and saw you suddenly disappear in the cellar. I was so scared, you know?"
Xing Zhaozhao was still holding the basin of water when Fu Lan suddenly hugged her. She was at a loss for what to do when she heard Fu Lan's words. Her mind went blank for a moment: "You, you, you saw it?"
Fu Lan released Xing Zhaozhao, looked at her awkwardly, and said, "I'm sorry, Sister Xing. I was worried when you suddenly went out alone in the middle of the night, so I followed you. I didn't expect you to disappear into the cellar. I thought something had happened to you..."
Xing Zhaozhao: "..." She didn't expect to be discovered after all. She thought she had been careful enough.
Seeing that Xing Zhaozhao remained silent, Fu Lan became even more uneasy. She raised her hand and swore, "Don't worry, Sister Xing, I will never tell anyone about this. Not even my sister, my grandparents, or Qingshan. If anyone leaks this information from me, may my whole family die and I die a horrible death."
Xing Zhaozhao didn't even have time to cover her mouth. She casually put the basin aside, looked at Fu Lan, smiled helplessly, and said, "You don't need to make such a vicious oath. I still trust your character, otherwise I wouldn't have let you stay at my house."
Hearing Xing Zhaozhao say that she trusted her so much, Fu Lan couldn't stop smiling.
Xing Zhaozhao briefly told Fu Lan about the future world on the other side of the family business.
Fu Lan was so shocked she couldn't close her mouth: "So, Sister Xing sent all those clothes I made over there to sell?"
Xing Zhaozhao nodded: "People over there are rich and willing to spend money."
Fu Lan was naturally happy to be able to make money, but thinking about that door, she couldn't help but worry and asked, "Will that door always be there? What if it disappears one day?"
Xing Zhaozhao smiled and said nonchalantly, "If it's gone, it's gone. We're not greedy. Let's just consider it a gift from God. We'll make money while it's still around. So, we should try to earn as much as we can while it's still here."
Fu Lan was thrilled and nodded vigorously: "Yes, I will try my best to save up more money while it's still around."
Grandma Qin knew that Xing Zhaozhao had a miraculous encounter, but she was hearing about it for the first time. Compared to the optimism of the two young people, she was more worried: "What if that door disappears one day and you don't come back? Will you never be able to come back?"
The surroundings fell into a deathly silence.
Hongyu and Hongfei turned pale with fright, clinging tightly to Xing Zhaozhao's arms on either side, refusing to let go.
Fu Lan looked at Xing Zhaozhao with concern: "Sister Xing, maybe you shouldn't go anymore?"
Xing Zhaozhao patted the two little ones' heads reassuringly, looked at Grandma Qin, and said, "I usually go and come back on the same day, and try not to stay there for too long."
“But Mom went there a long time ago,” Hongfei said, looking up at Xing Zhaozhao nervously.
Xing Zhaozhao choked for a moment, then promised, "It will never happen again."
Grandma Qin understood that such a great temptation was not something that just anyone could resist, so she could only tell Xing Zhaozhao, "Remember to be very careful next time you go there."
Xing Zhaozhao nodded seriously: "I understand, godmother."
As she spoke, Xing Zhaozhao looked at Old Madam Qin and asked curiously, "Why did Godmother come so early again this morning?"
Grandma Qin's expression hardened, and she gripped Xing Zhaozhao's hand tightly: "When I got back yesterday, the more I thought about it, the more something seemed off. Could it be that Chen Dachuan...?"
Xing Zhaozhao and Fu Lan, among others, kept their faces tense and remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.
“Yesterday, Officer Zhang and Chen Hao looked you over inside and out for a long time. I was really afraid they would discover something and have you arrested,” said Old Mrs. Qin worriedly.
Xing Zhaozhao smiled and comforted Grandma Qin: "It should be alright, godmother. If they had really found out something, they would have sent people to arrest me long ago. How could I be sitting here peacefully?"
Grandma Qin shook her head: "We can't let our guard down. Who knows what they're up to?"
"However, if anything really happens, you don't need to worry. Your godfather has friends in Beijing. He can ask them for favors and protect you," Grandma Qin continued.
The two elderly people had been living in Lanyuan Town for so long and had never thought of asking for favors. Xing Zhaozhao was touched that they were now planning to ask her for help. She held the old lady's hand tightly and said, "Godmother, don't worry, it shouldn't be that bad."
Although she still didn't know the situation with Zhang Gong'an, after talking to Xing Zhaozhao, Grandma Qin felt a little more at ease. She sat for a while and then went home, since there was only an old woman and a child at home, and the old woman's legs were not very strong.
This time, Xing Zhaozhao once again personally escorted her back, and conveniently mailed the letter that Gao Mingcheng had given her along the way.
When she arrived at the village at the foot of the mountain, she made a special trip to Aunt Hao's house to look for Uncle Hao.
Someone had just died in the room she used to live in, and she didn't plan to continue sleeping on that kang (a heated brick bed). She was going to smash it up and sleep on a new bed. Fortunately, Uncle Hao used to be a carpenter, so she didn't need to trouble him with two jobs at once. She entrusted him with the task of dismantling the kang and building a new bed.
Uncle Hao was happy to earn some extra money in his spare time and readily agreed.
Two days passed in a flash, and there was still no movement from Zhang Gong'an. It was unclear whether this was the calm before the storm or whether things would finally settle down. Xing Zhaozhao packed up the clothes Fu Lan had made, preparing to deliver them to Xiao Xu the peddler tomorrow, otherwise she was afraid she would miss the deadline.
Hongyu suddenly ran in: "Mom, someone's here outside."
"Who is it?" Xing Zhaozhao asked.
“He said he was the uncle who came three days ago,” Hongyu said.
"The uncle who came three days ago?" Xing Zhaozhao's heart sank. Zhang Gong'an? He really came?
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