There was another knock on Fu Lan's door.
This time, it was Grandma Fu who opened the door.
Grandma Fu was somewhat surprised to see Old Mrs. Qin standing outside and asked, "Sister Qin? What brings you here? Is something the matter?"
Grandma Qin smiled and took Grandma Fu's hand, saying, "We just had some guests and haven't eaten yet. You know how bad our cooking is; it's just the kind that won't kill you. We're really not good enough to serve. So I was thinking of borrowing your Xiaolan to help cook a couple of dishes."
After all, they were old neighbors who had known each other for a long time, so Grandma Fu didn't doubt it and readily agreed: "Is that all? No problem."
After saying that, he turned around and called to Fu Lan: "Xiao Lan..."
Fu Lan came out of the house: "What is it, Grandma?"
"Your Grandma Qin has guests over. Go over and help her cook a couple of dishes," Grandma Fu said.
Fu Lan looked at Old Madam Qin.
Grandma Qin had a beaming smile.
Fu Lan's eyes flickered, and she nodded: "Okay."
Fu Lan walked up to Grandma Qin. Grandma Qin looked at her haggard face, felt sorry for her, took her hand, patted it comfortingly, and then smiled at Grandma Fu, saying, "I'll bring her back to you when I'm done with my work."
Grandma Fu waved her hand dismissively: "It's alright. Anyway, there's not much to do at home right now, so it's fine to let her stay and work at your place for a while longer."
Grandma Qin didn't hesitate to pull the person back.
When Fu Lan arrived at the old principal's house, she saw Xing Zhaozhao, and her nose tingled with emotion, tears welling up in her eyes. The house was just a wall away, so she dared not make a sound, and sobbed, "Sister Xing..."
Xing Zhaozhao felt sorry for her, so she went over and gently hugged her, comforting her, "It's okay, Sister Xing is here. Tell me if there's anything."
Little Hongling was still being held in Xing Zhaozhao's arms. Squeezed between the two of them, she shifted uncomfortably, her chubby face accidentally brushing against Fu Lan's face, getting covered in tears. She touched her wet face in confusion, then looked at Fu Lan's face. The chubby girl kindly reached out her hand and wiped away Fu Lan's tears, making a "ee-ya" sound as if to say, "Don't cry."
Fu Lan smiled through her tears and leaned over to kiss Xiao Hongling's little face.
Xing Zhaozhao pulled Fu Lan inside and asked, "What exactly happened? I only found out today that you and Qingshan started dating. I was so happy, but I didn't expect it to turn out like this. Qingshan has cut off all contact with you because of you, and he can't eat or sleep. Judging from your expression, you probably don't want to either. What went wrong? Qingshan wants you to give him a straight answer. No matter what the outcome, he will respect your opinion."
When Fu Lan heard Xing Zhaozhao mention Gao Qingshan, the tears she had just stopped falling started again.
"It's all Lin Wan's fault," she said through gritted teeth.
Xing Zhaozhao's heart sank. Aunt Hao had really been right.
“Ever since I started dating Qingshan, I’ve been going to your village from time to time,” Fu Lan began. “But one time, by sheer bad luck, Lin Wan saw me there, and she told my grandma when she got back.”
"Have you mentioned your relationship with Qingshan to your family?" Xing Zhaozhao asked.
“Of course I mentioned it,” Fu Lan said earnestly. “A great man once said that any relationship not aimed at marriage is just playing around. I’m not a scoundrel, so I definitely had to tell my family about something this important.”
"Did your grandmother not object at the time?" Xing Zhaozhao asked.
Fu Lan shook her head: "No. Although Grandma didn't really want me to marry into the countryside, she heard that Grandpa Qingshan was the village head, so she didn't object. Besides, it's close by, and it's just a short walk away."
"Then why not..." Xing Zhaozhao didn't understand.
“It’s all because of Lin Wan.” Fu Lan’s face turned red with anger. “She told Grandma that it would be a waste for me to marry a countryman when I’m so beautiful. She said she has connections and can introduce me to a guy from the city.”
Grandma Qin was sitting next to him, mending clothes for little Qin Shi, when she heard Fu Lan's words and couldn't help but chuckle: "Don't listen to her nonsense. If she really had connections, she could easily introduce people to potential partners. Why would she and her Chen Dachuan be stuck here making a living by collecting scraps? Why don't they think about making plans for themselves?"
As she spoke, Grandma Qin looked at Fu Lan with puzzlement and asked, "Your grandmother believed such a flawed story? You have to be careful of these swindlers; they might be up to something. Although things are stricter now, there are always bad people out there, and they might pop up at any time."
Upon hearing Old Madam Qin's words, Fu Lan felt a chill run down her spine.
"Is she really lying?" she asked, looking at Old Mrs. Qin with some uncertainty. "She said that they have a distant relative who is a high-ranking official in the capital. She even showed my grandmother a letter from a military base in the capital, and it didn't seem fake."
Xing Zhaozhao was taken aback. A distant relative who held a high-ranking position in the capital? She seemed to know who it was.
"Is she a distant relative of the Lin family?" Old Mrs. Qin asked, then looked at Xing Zhaozhao, "If the Lin family really has a distant relative who is a high-ranking official in the capital, Xiao Xing must know, right? After all, you are relatives."
Xing Zhaozhao: "..." A distant relative of the Lin family? Among the Lin family's relatives, the only one who holds a high-ranking official position right now is probably her brother.
“It’s not from the Lin family, it’s from the Chen family,” Fu Lan said.
Xing Zhaozhao: "..." Just as expected.
"Don't believe it. I'll say it again: if the Chen family really had such a distant relative, Chen Dachuan would have been promoted long ago. Why would he need to collect scrap here?" Old Mrs. Qin said.
"What should we do? I think my grandmother has been completely bewitched by Lin Wan," Fu Lan said anxiously.
Grandma Qin thought for a moment and said, "Don't rush. Your grandmother can still listen to me to some extent. I'll find some time to talk to her slowly and try to change her mind."
Fu Lan looked at Grandma Qin with gratitude: "Then I'll have to trouble you, Grandma Qin."
Grandma Qin said dismissively, "It's nothing. Do you really want to just stand by and watch such a beautiful girl like you suffer?"
"Oh, right, Sister Xing." Fu Lan suddenly remembered something, looked at Xing Zhaozhao, and said, "Lin Wan seems to be pregnant."
Xing Zhaozhao: "!!"
"Whose?" Xing Zhaozhao blurted out instinctively.
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