Chapter 97
Classmates at school always felt that Qi Baozhu was particularly aloof in class. In fact, she was like this everywhere. Even at home, she seldom spoke. She would answer whatever others asked her, and she would say as few words as possible. She truly valued words.
There are five people in the family. The only one who can make Qi Baozhu speak more is her younger brother Qi Baoguo. Now, the other four members of the Qi family are all staring at Qi Baozhu. When the latter straightened her back and did not avoid their sight, they were even more surprised.
Qi Baozhu's parents looked at each other, not daring to say anything, for fear of scaring their daughter and making her shrink back again. Qi Baoguo sat beside her, quietly observing her expression.
Chief Qi never expected that a few casual words from him could actually attract Qi Baozhu's attention. Remembering what she had asked just now, Chief Qi lowered his voice and answered kindly: "Him, his name is Chu Liqiang. Why, Baozhu, do you know him?"
Qi Baozhu quickly shook her head and subconsciously wanted to lower her head again, but she didn't know what she remembered. She opened her mouth and stammered, "I've heard that their family has had a hard time."
Wow.
This is definitely more than just hearing about it. Qi Baozhu watches TV at home every day and has heard at least a thousand of these things. But when they mentioned other things, she didn't react at all. Today she reacted so strongly, so there must be something wrong.
Qi Baozhu's mother put down her chopsticks and asked her daughter softly, "Where did you hear that?"
Her father also wanted to know this question. On the other side, Qi Baoguo suddenly remembered something, "This person's surname is Chu. Did Chu Yue tell you?"
When mentioning Chu Yue, Qi Baozhu frowned slightly, and after a while, she shook her head again.
Their daughter finally showed interest in something, and Qi Baozhu's parents were so curious that they asked several times. Finally, Qi Baozhu answered, "My deskmate, Chu Liqiang is her father."
Hearing this, everyone at the dinner table looked at each other again.
Qi Baozhu's situation was unique. She was supposed to be in junior high school at her age, but she hated going to school. It took much persuasion and coaxing from her family before she agreed to give school a try. They weren't interested in learning anything; they just wanted her to get a high school diploma as soon as possible.
Qi Baozhu's mother works in the Education Bureau. It was she who put Qi Baozhu into her current class. Others had to take exams to get admitted, but Qi Baozhu did not take them. So what those people in the class said was right. She was able to get into this school through the back door.
Last semester, Qi Baozhu's family went to the school almost every few days to check on her and make sure nothing happened to her. Because everything was fine last semester, they became lax this semester, so they only found out now that Qi Baozhu had a new deskmate.
The Qi family knew Qi Baozhu and knew that she didn't like to be close to anyone, so when the school started, they told the head teacher not to arrange a deskmate for Qi Baozhu. However, the head teacher of the previous semester was pregnant and on maternity leave, and the head teacher of this semester was temporary. The Qi family didn't say hello, and the head teacher didn't understand the situation, so by mistake, Chu Jiujiu was arranged to sit next to Qi Baozhu.
Even though she has a deskmate, Qi Baozhu still goes to school on time every day. Does this mean that Qi Baozhu has begun to adapt to school life?
Qi's parents' hearts were pounding with joy, and everyone's face was filled with excitement, but they didn't dare to say it out loud. They could only keep it in silently. After the meal, when Qi Baozhu returned to her room, they would celebrate properly.
Some people were excited, while others were wary because of Qi Baozhu's personality. She had never met many people in her life and was timid and silent. This was her shortcoming, but it also protected her for many years. Otherwise, with her simple personality, she would have been deceived countless times.
The three adults of the Qi family sat together and discussed with each other. They decided to send out their spies to find out who that classmate was and what his true character was.
Qi·Spy·Baoguo: "..."
The Qi family also lived near the school, three alleys away from the Chu family. Normally, the Qi siblings were the first to get up, eat, and head to school. They'd arrive just before the school opened, rarely running into anyone on the way. After dropping his sister off at her class, Qi Baoguo would return to his own junior high school.
Today, Qi Baoguo was slow to start washing up and even knocked over the plate while eating. Their mother criticized him harshly and asked them to sit still while she went to fry another dish.
Qi Baozhu sat obediently in her chair. After a while, she saw her mother coming out of the kitchen. "Wait a minute, I'll go to your grandma's house to borrow some garlic."
Grandma's house is three miles away from where they live.
Is it necessary to make such a fuss just for breakfast?
…
The Qi family thinks Qi Baozhu is simple, but that's because they don't understand Qi Baozhu at all. She just doesn't like to talk, which doesn't mean she is stupid. It's not the first time that her mother and brother have been playing a double act, but no one knows what they want to do this time.
Looking silently at Qi Baoguo who was foolishly turning a boiled egg across from her, Qi Baozhu pursed her lips and still said nothing.
Qi Baozhu was naturally late for school because of all their trouble. Chu Jiujiu came early today, just to get to school early so she could pass a note to Qi Baozhu. But when she arrived, Qi Baozhu didn't. Chu Jiujiu couldn't help but start to worry, wondering if she was sick.
Holding the torn note, Chu Jiujiu knocked on the table anxiously. She didn't know what time it was, but the classroom was almost full, so it wouldn't be long before class started.
Feeling that she would not be able to see Qi Baozhu today, Chu Jiujiu stared at the note, wondering whether to fold it into a paper airplane or a little frog. At this time, another person walked in from the classroom door.
Chu Jiujiu looked up and saw Qi Baozhu walk in. She immediately smiled and raised her hand in front of her, shaking it slightly as a greeting. Then, she picked up the pen and wrote furiously with her head down. When she finished, Qi Baozhu happened to walk over to her seat. She raised her arm and forcefully handed the note to Qi Baozhu. Seeing that she didn't take it, she shook it twice.
Qi Baozhu put down her bag and saw the words "Why are you so late?" written on it. She was silent for a moment, took out her pencil case from her bag, found her most commonly used pen, and replied on the note, "My brother spilled his breakfast."
Chu Jiujiu took a look and nodded in understanding, then wrote on the note, "Your brother is so stupid."
…
Qi Baoguo didn't consider himself stupid; he was a top student in junior high. To be cautious, he waited outside the classroom for nearly four or five minutes, observing until class was almost about to start, when he finally ran back. He had the answer, but he kept it to himself. It wasn't until he got home that night and had dinner that he quietly went to his parents' room. Coincidentally, Chief Qi was there, talking to his son and daughter-in-law.
Seeing Qi Baoguo come in, he asked, "What's the matter?"
Qi Baoguo's mother waved her hand quickly, "Dad, have you forgotten? Didn't you ask Baoguo to find out who that deskmate is yesterday? Baoguo, did you see something?"
Qi Baoguo nodded and said, "I see."
Qi Baoguo's father also asked curiously: "Is that person a man or a woman?"
"Female."
Chief Qi asked, "Judging from his appearance, does he look like someone who's easy to get along with?"
Qi Baoguo: "She should be. When she saw her sister come in, she smiled very happily."
Chief Qi was puzzled. Being overly enthusiastic was not a good thing. Could it be that she deliberately approached Baozhu because she knew that Baozhu had a grandfather like her?
Qi Baoguo's mother asked again: "Then did you notice why your sister can play with her?"
Finally getting to the point, Qi Baoguo took a step forward and glared at the other three people, "I know, because that woman is a mute!!"
The three adults of the Qi family: What???
…
Chu Jiujiu didn't know that she had been rendered mute. She was watching Chu Shao tinkering with the TV at Han's house.
The second batch of returned assets arrived, including a black-and-white television bought by Han Shengyi's father. The Han family was one of the first families in the country to own a television. However, the TV was very old. No one knew who had taken it for personal use before, and the paint on the back cover had peeled off in several places. When it was plugged in, the screen was covered in snow and looked unusable.
The person who sent the assets also knew this situation, so he also brought a TV ticket. If the Han family's TV could not be repaired, they were willing to pay to help buy another one.
Grandma Han kept the ticket and sent everyone away. She planned to take Han Shengyi to the department store this weekend to buy a better color TV when he was on vacation.
In the 1950s, there were already dedicated TV production lines in China, but TVs were too expensive to be popularized in every household. It was like a modern Lamborghini: everyone knew about it, but only a few people could actually own one.
Color TVs had only been available in recent years. While playing cards, Grandma Han heard an older woman tell her family she had one. She raved about color TVs, as if life was meaningless without one. After hearing this, Grandma Han immediately decided to buy one for her family.
Her grandchildren should naturally have what others have. Money doesn't matter and there is not much use in keeping it. Improving the quality of life is the most important thing.
A black and white TV is now 900 yuan, and the price of a color TV has doubled to around 2,000 yuan. Even being able to afford something like this shows that the Han family is indeed different now.
He had to buy a color TV, but he couldn't give up on the black and white one either. After all, he had spent a lot of money to buy it. Chu Shao replugged the lines, opened the back cover, and cleaned the dust, but it was no use. He still couldn't see the picture.
Even Grandma Han wouldn't dare let him dismantle such a valuable item. The electric fan was a bloody lesson. After Chu Shao reassembled the fan, there were still three screws and two nuts on the ground. He had no idea where they were removed from. The fan died gloriously, but the TV couldn't follow the same path.
At ten o'clock in the evening, Chu Jiujiu, Chu Shao, and Wen Xiuwei went home together. Walking under the street lights, Chu Jiujiu enviously said, "I also want to buy a TV."
Chu Shao: “…” Who isn’t?
"It's useless to have money but no tickets."
Wen Xiuwei asked: "How can I get a TV ticket?"
Chu Shao: "The company gives it to you, or you can exchange it for overseas remittance coupons."
It's the overseas remittance voucher again.
Chu Jiujiu sighed. There were no overseas Chinese in their family, so forget about this path. She could only hope that the military commanders would suddenly be kind enough to give Chu Liqiang a ticket to a TV show.
——
The next day was Saturday. Early in the morning, a jeep parked in front of the Chu family. Chu Jiujiu opened the door and saw that the driver was not Xiao Li, but an unfamiliar soldier. It seemed that Chu Liqiang was still very busy, so Xiao Li beside him could not come to pick her up.
On school days, they can get up at seven o'clock. Even if they want to run, getting up at six o'clock is enough. However, on days when they go to the military area, they have to get up at five o'clock and then wait for the car to pick them up at home.
The time of the bus's arrival was not very regular. Sometimes it arrived at around five o'clock, and sometimes it arrived at around seven o'clock. As soon as she got on the bus, Chu Jiujiu went to sleep so that she would be refreshed after getting off.
Chu Shao was not like her. He couldn't fall asleep in the car and could only look at the scenery outside the window.
After passing through layers of checkpoints, Chu Jiujiu knew they were almost there when she noticed the deceleration becoming more frequent. She opened her eyes and looked out the window with great interest. When she met the soldiers on guard, she would wave her hand slightly to say hello to them.
Although, no one ever paid any attention to her.
Hearing what she said, Erbao explained to her: "Sister Jiujiu, you can't laugh or play when you're on guard. If they talk to you, they'll be breaking the rules."
Chu Jiujiu: "Is that so... Then I feel relieved. I'm glad they don't hate me."
After she finished speaking, she smiled at Erbao, who pouted when he heard it, "Who would hate you? You are so beautiful and everyone loves you, unlike me."
Noticing that she was feeling a little down, Chu Jiujiu asked, "Why, does someone hate you?"
Erbao nodded dejectedly, "There was a boy in my class who pulled my braids and put a little bird in my schoolbag. The bird was pulling something on my notebook. When I opened my schoolbag, the bird suddenly flew out and almost scared me to death."
Chu Jiujiu was shocked, "So bad!"
This was outrageous. She immediately rolled up her sleeves and said, "No, what's that boy's name? He's also a military family member, right? Take me to find him!"
Chu Jiujiu hadn't felt this kind of anger in years, and now that it suddenly hit her, she kind of missed the days when she was full of fighting spirit. She immediately did what she said. Erbao saw she was serious and quickly stopped her, "No, no, no, my dad and my eldest brother went to look for him. My eldest brother gave him a good beating, and my dad went to his dad, and when his dad heard about it, he beat him up with a belt."
At this point, she paused, then quietly made the number four to Chu Jiujiu in front of her, "You haven't been to school for so many days. I heard you can't get out of bed."
Chu Jiujiu: “…”
It's so miserable.
Forget it, she should not make things worse.
The family compound is very quiet because it is a military area and not many people make loud noises. The horn sounds every once in a while, and the people living in the family compound use it as a wake-up call, a meal call, and a homework call.
When Chu Liqiang was busy, Chu Jiujiu and Chu Shao would go to the Nie family to eat together. Liu Yuzhen cooked for two more children, but she didn't feel tired. She welcomed the two Chu children the most. Every time Chu Jiujiu came over, the second child would be happy for days. Chu Shao was a good student, so when he came, he could also help the eldest child with his homework. This child was good in every way except his IQ. He inherited his uneducated father's intelligence and got a headache when he saw a book.
On Saturday, Chu Jiujiu didn't see Chu Liqiang. The same thing happened on Sunday morning. Chu Jiujiu was prepared not to see Chu Liqiang for the whole week. But who knew that when she was playing at Nie's house in the afternoon, Xiao Li suddenly ran in.
"Jiujiu, where's Chu Shao? Go call him! The political commissar asked me to take you two out for dinner."
It’s two o’clock in the afternoon. What kind of meal is this? Chu Jiujiu was stunned for a moment, then quickly ran into the house.
"Chu Shao! Come out quickly, let's go eat!!!"
Chu Shao, who was teaching Dabao in the room: "..."
Can you please stop shouting my name so loudly? It's embarrassing.
After getting in the car and asking Xiao Li for more, Chu Jiujiu learned that they had to go back to the city for dinner, and that this meal was not invited by Chu Liqiang for the two of them, but by an old leader that Chu Liqiang was in contact with, who wanted to invite their entire family for dinner.
Chu Jiujiu, who was sitting in the back, asked Xiao Li in the front row, "Since we're back in the city, can we call Weiwei over as well?"
Xiao Li: "I don't think so. This is a family dinner, and only your family is invited."
Chu Jiujiu thought for a moment and said, "Okay, after we finish eating, we'll bring some back for Weiwei."
Xiao Li nodded, "Okay, I'll do it."
Life is great with a secretary. Xiao Li is a security guard, or to be more precise, he is their family's secretary. He is capable and meticulous, and he helps with many things that Chu Liqiang can't even think of.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, Chu Jiujiu arrived in the city. They came to the same big restaurant where Grandpa Han had hosted a dinner last time. Chu Jiujiu remembered that the food here was particularly delicious, and the high-end decoration of the restaurant made her feel like she was back in her childhood.
Sitting in the lobby on the first floor, Chu Shao was waiting at the door, while Chu Jiujiu was looking at the goldfish raised in the restaurant. Finally, Chu Liqiang arrived. From a distance, he saw Chu Shao standing at the door and waved to him, "Chu Shao, come here."
When Chu Shao came over, he introduced the people around him to him, "This is Chief Qi, you can just call him Grandpa Qi."
After hearing this, Chu Shao turned around and called out, "Grandpa Qi."
Chu Liqiang pointed behind him and said, "This is Chief Qi's son. You can call him Uncle Qi, and this is Aunt Qi."
Chu Shao looked at them calmly, then nodded, "Hello, uncle and aunt."
Qi Baozhu's parents smiled at Chu Shao. Everyone likes young and handsome boys, especially Chu Shao who is so elegant. When they met him, they liked him even more. Then, without waiting for Chu Liqiang to continue the introduction, Qi Baozhu's mother pulled her son and daughter over.
"This is our daughter Baozhu, and this is our son Baoguo. They are both younger than you, so they should call you brother."
Qi Baoguo readily called out "brother", but Qi Baozhu moved his lips for a long time without saying anything. Before the atmosphere was about to become awkward, Chu Shao pretended that he had heard the word "brother" twice and curled his lips at them, "Hello."
Seeing this, Qi Baozhu's mother breathed a sigh of relief. Then, she began to look around, "Political Commissar Chu, don't you have another daughter? Why didn't she come?"
When mentioning her daughter, Qi Baozhu twisted her hands into knots. She lowered her head deeply. If there was a crack in the ground, she would have crawled into it long ago and never planned to come out in her life.
Like Chu Jiujiu and Chu Shao, she was also pulled here temporarily for today's dinner. After seeing Chu Liqiang and her grandfather standing together, she knew that this meal was definitely not the relationship-building dinner between the two adults as her mother said, but a Hongmen Banquet set up by them. They wanted to take the opportunity to find out the situation of the Chu family and Chu Jiujiu's personality.
It's always like this. Whenever there's someone around her who appears too often, her parents will try every possible way to find out what kind of person they are. In the past few years when the family was in bad shape, this behavior was relatively low-key. Now that Grandpa has made a comeback, they have become even more aggressive.
In the past, Qi Baozhu felt annoyed, but she didn't have any other emotions. After all, she didn't like people who suddenly appeared around her. But this time, in addition to being annoyed, she also felt deeply ashamed.
And the powerlessness and sadness of being so timid.
I really wish Chu Jiujiu hadn’t come, otherwise she would definitely have noticed.
Unfortunately, Chu Liqiang's answer took away her last hope.
"Inside. This child is lazy and likes to sit wherever she goes. Unlike her brother, he won't sit if he can stand."
Chu Liqiang was very gentle when he said this, and it was obvious that he was a father who loved his children. With such a father around, I believe his children would grow up well even without a mother.
After seeing Chu Liqiang and Chu Shao, even though they hadn't seen Chu Jiujiu yet, most of the Qi family's doubts about her were gone, and all that remained was an unexpressible sigh.
How pitiful! His mother is gone and he can’t even speak. He is even more pitiful than Baozhu in their family.
Chu Liqiang said that Chu Jiujiu was lazy, but the Qi family thought that he was making excuses for Chu Jiujiu. Children who cannot speak must be more inferior, so they are unwilling to stand in public. The Qi family has extremely rich experience in dealing with introverted children. They looked at each other and agreed in their eyes that no one should mention the fact that Chu Jiujiu cannot speak, and just ignore it.
Following Chu Liqiang, everyone walked into the restaurant. Chu Jiujiu was lying on the armrest of the sofa. Chu Shao called her and she turned around reflexively. When she saw Chu Liqiang, her eyes lit up and she stood up quickly.
She quickly ran to Allen Chu's face and said sweetly, "Dad, you're here!"
Qi family: "..."
There was a collective silence for a second, and then they looked at Qi Baoguo, who was so shocked that he could fit two eggs in his mouth.
Qi Baoguo defended himself in a very low voice, "I, I saw them last time just passing notes without talking, who knew——"
The sound of running water in the restaurant was so loud that the Chu family couldn't hear what they were saying. Only Qi Baozhu could hear what they were saying. She silently glanced at her brother. Over there, Chu Shao rushed over to introduce Chu Jiujiu before Chu Liqiang could, "Grandpa Qi, Uncle Qi, Aunt Qi, Brother Qi, Sister Qi, go and say hello."
Chu Liqiang: "..."
Brat, don't think I couldn't hear you. You just thought my introduction was too long-winded.
…
Only then did Chu Jiujiu see the Qi family members behind Chu Liqiang. Even if Qi Baozhu lowered her head even deeper, Chu Jiujiu still saw her at a glance. She was stunned for a moment, and slowly, Chu Jiujiu's expression became natural. She greeted everyone with a smile and did not mention that she knew Qi Baozhu.
Since she didn't bring it up, it was naturally difficult for others to bring it up. It wasn't until they were in the private room and after ordering that Chief Qi finally brought it up. He asked Chu Jiujiu if she and Qi Baozhu were in the same class. Chu Jiujiu smiled and nodded, but didn't want to say anything more. It was then that Qi Baozhu's parents realized that Chu Liqiang and Chu Shao were truly unaware of the situation. Chu Liqiang, in particular, pulled her aside when he learned that Chu Jiujiu actually knew Qi Baozhu, and whispered to her what was going on.
Chu Jiujiu finished explaining to Chu Liqiang, then straightened up.
There were only a few people at the dinner table, and if they wanted to talk, everyone could join in. After chatting for a while, the Qi family discovered that Chu Jiujiu was probably the most talkative person in the entire Chu family. She could chat with people of all ages, and she could say a few words about any topic. She was a natural social expert, and compared with Qi Baozhu in his family, she was at two extremes.
The Qi family became even more curious. They originally thought that it was introversion and inferiority that brought the two children together, but Chu Jiujiu had nothing to do with these two words. So how did their relationship get better?
Someone always brings the topic here, but as soon as Qi Baozhu is mentioned, if Chu Jiujiu is not asked, she will not respond. If she is asked, she will quickly change the subject. At first, the Qi family thought she didn't want to mention Qi Baozhu, but later they found out that she didn't want to embarrass Qi Baozhu.
She knew Qi Baozhu's social difficulties, so she didn't force her, and even protected her, letting her sit comfortably and quietly. After she finished eating and the adults were focused on the topic, she came to Qi Baozhu and secretly took out a piece of paper and a pen from her bag.
She looked like a thief. After taking it out, she looked at Qi Baozhu with bright eyes. The two looked at each other. Chu Jiujiu was the first to laugh, as if she found it quite funny. After two seconds, Qi Baozhu also smiled, and then she took the pen from Chu Jiujiu.
Chief Qi and Chu Liqiang were chatting all the time, but Qi Baozhu's mother was always looking at her daughter. After a series of misunderstandings, she thought she finally understood why Qi Baozhu treated Chu Jiujiu differently.
It was not that they shared the same suffering, nor was there any scheming or cunning involved. It was just that Chu Jiujiu gave Qi Baozhu enough understanding, patience and respect.
It is better to loosen than to block. Forcing things to grow will only lead to the opposite effect. Perhaps it is time for their family to reflect on their own problems.
The adults were chatting happily and the girls seemed very close. Only Qi Baoguo and Chu Shao actually came to eat. They ate half of the dishes today.
At night, the two families said goodbye to each other. Chu Jiujiu put away the notes they had written all night, and then happily left with Chu Liqiang. Qi Baozhu looked at her and had something to say, but she didn't know how to start. Chu Jiujiu didn't notice and walked away quickly. Qi Baozhu had no choice but to go home with her parents.
Before going to bed, Qi Baozhu's mother was washing clothes. The door behind her was opened. She turned around and found that it was Qi Baozhu who walked in.
Seeing her flushed face, it was unknown how long she had been brewing this thought outside. Mustering up her courage, Qi Baozhu came in. She didn't look at her mother, but only at the ground, and said what she wanted to say as quickly as possible.
"Don't do this again."
"Use treats to be a way to investigate others."
"I don't like it."
Her mother was stunned for a moment, then she suddenly laughed and said, "Well, you're right. Your father and I were overly worried. I'm sorry. We won't do that again in the future."
Qi Baozhu was surprised by the unexpected smooth sailing. She raised her head and happened to see her mother looking at her with satisfaction. "Baozhu, I'm so happy that you can reject me and lose your temper with me."
"Mom sometimes makes mistakes, but as long as you tell me, I will change. I'm not afraid of being told my mistakes, but I'm afraid that you will never be able to express your thoughts in your life."
Qi Baozhu looked at her. After a while, she looked away as if avoiding him, but her eyes turned a little red.
She also knew how troublesome her cowardly appearance was, and she wanted to change, but she just couldn't do it. She was too afraid. Every time she spoke to someone, she felt so scared. Why? Her family loved her so much, and no one had ever hurt her. Why was she like this since she was born? Why... was she the only one like this?
Joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, these emotions were not seen in Qi Baozhu. When her mother found out that Qi Baozhu was crying, she almost jumped up and set off fireworks. Fortunately, she still remembered to comfort her daughter before setting off the fireworks.
Holding Qi Baozhu in her arms, she comforted her in a low voice, just like she did when she was a child. The words she said were almost the same, which was nothing more than, Baozhu, it's fine this way, it doesn't matter if you stay like this for the rest of your life, your parents raised you, so don't say anything if you don't want to, who says you have to speak while you're alive.
That's what she said at the beginning, but later on, her tone changed again. She used the most gentle tone and patiently reasoned with Qi Baozhu, hoping that she would try to take that step. These were words that Qi Baozhu had heard countless times, but today, there was a little difference.
There is an extra sentence in it: take your time, one by one.
——
On this side, Qi Baozhu snuggled in her mother's arms, and on the other side, Chu Jiujiu stood beside Chu Liqiang, firing like a machine gun, telling him everything that had happened since she met Qi Baozhu.
She spoke for at least half an hour. During this time, Chu Liqiang listened silently. Seeing that her mouth was dry, he handed her a glass of water.
By the end, Chu Jiujiu drank the entire teapot in one gulp. Then, she put down the teacup and asked curiously, "Qi Baozhu's grandfather always talks to me but rarely talks to Chu Shao. Does he want to find out something from me?"
Chu Jiujiu's intuition has always been sharp, and Chu Liqiang is no worse. He laughed with an ambiguous tone and said, "The drunkard's intention is not to drink. I thought he really changed his mind, but it turns out he was just using me as a raft."
Chu Jiujiu didn't understand: "Isn't Grandpa Qi in the army? How can he make a raft?"
Chu Liqiang: "..."
"What I mean is that he invited us to dinner today because he wanted to take this opportunity to observe you. I've heard before that Commander Qi pays special attention to his granddaughter, and today I finally saw it with my own eyes."
Chu Jiujiu frowned, thought for a moment, and then slowly spoke: "You mean, because Qi Baozhu and I sit at the same table, they're worried, so they invited us to dinner today. They just want to see if I'm a good person at the dinner table."
Chu Liqiang's expression was not very good. After a second of silence, he raised his head and comforted Chu Jiujiu, "It's okay. Since they are so wary, you should stop associating with Qi Baozhu in the future. I will go to your school and talk to the teacher to move your seat with Qi Baozhu."
After a pause, he continued, "What they did was too dishonest. I won't look for Chief Qi again. I do need his help, but I can't let him tease me like this."
More importantly, he couldn't stand the other party treating his child like this.
It's so insulting.
He didn't say this out loud because he didn't want to make Chu Jiujiu sad.
Chu Jiujiu blinked. Seeing Chu Liqiang's angry expression, she felt a little conflicted. However, she only hesitated for a second at most, and then she said quickly, "But I like Qi Baozhu. She's very nice to me. She shares cookies with me, and she helps me with advice when I'm in trouble. Dad, you've seen that she's very timid and hardly speaks. I don't think this has anything to do with her. She wouldn't do this to me."
Chu Liqiang: "But her family..."
Chu Jiujiu interrupted him, "Her family has nothing to do with me. I want to be friends with her, not her family. She is her own person, and her family is her family. They are different."
Chu Liqiang glanced at her and asked, "Are you determined to play with her?"
Chu Jiujiu put her hands behind her back and stood on tiptoe uncomfortably. Then, she nodded to Chu Liqiang and gave him a flattering smile.
Before writing so many notes, Chu Jiujiu had not had this idea. However, as they wrote more and more notes, their relationship became closer and closer. If Chu Jiujiu were asked to give up now, she would definitely not be willing to do so.
Chu Liqiang looked at her silently, and finally waved his hand helplessly, "It's up to you."
After hearing this, Chu Jiujiu jumped up with joy and ran out. Chu Liqiang looked at her back, feeling both angry and amused.
At the dinner table tonight, Commander Qi spent a long time talking to Chu Liqiang, but he was actually talking about the army's development issues the whole time, and he didn't mention Chu Xinghua at all. Chu Liqiang thought he would have to go to him twice more to succeed, but because of this incident, he no longer wanted to take the initiative to go to Commander Qi in his life. Naturally, he gave up on Commander Qi and started looking for other leaders.
A week later, when Chu Liqiang was writing a letter to someone in the office, Nie Bai ran in rashly from outside.
"political commissar!"
Chu Liqiang heard the urgency and panic in his tone, and he immediately stood up, "What, are we going to fight?!"
Nie Bai almost choked back into his throat what he was going to say next.
"...No! It's Commander Chu. Commander Chu has been rehabilitated!"
As he said that, he quickly showed Chu Liqiang the newspaper that had been delivered today. The newspaper contained a series of names printed on it. There were about seven or eight people on the list, all of whom were from this batch of people who had been rehabilitated. The list was only discussed yesterday, and because they didn't want to cause a sensation before the discussion was over, they didn't tell any family members. Chu Xinghua's name was prominently listed on the list.
Holding the newspaper tightly, Chu Liqiang slowly exhaled.
finally.
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