Chapter 92
A few days ago, Chu Yue finally persuaded her parents to come with her to visit the Wang family for the New Year. Gao Meiyin agreed immediately, but Chu Lidi hesitated for a moment. He felt that Wang Chunsheng was an old friend of his father's and would not welcome them, the Chu family members who had severed ties with him.
Also, there are not many people left in the Wang family now. Apart from Wang Chunsheng who is unable to get out of bed, there is only Wang Hongye who is still in school. Chu Lidi has not thought about this situation carefully, but his subconscious mind has been telling him that it is unnecessary. They are already in such a state of poverty, why should they bother to deliver things to their door?
People with good relationships didn't need to bring gifts when visiting for the New Year; simply saying "Happy New Year" was enough. But the Chu Lidi family had never been to their house before, and only their daughter had visited once. To suddenly show up without anything in hand was unacceptable.
So, Chu immediately asked Gao Meiyin to buy some gifts that could be given away, but Gao Meiyin held the money in her hand and did not move. She waited for two days, and soon someone came to give New Year gifts to Old Lady Gao. Gao Meiyin picked out a bag of apples among many snacks and fruits.
The apple was small and shriveled. Gao Meiyin tasted one secretly and found that it was not sweet at all and had little moisture. She curled her lips, resealed the package, and then brought it to Wang's house.
When they were almost at the door, Chu Yue took the apple from her hand. She said she didn't want to tire Gao Meiyin. Gao Meiyin was her mother after all, so she could see that she was playing tricks, wanting the Wang family to see that she was the one who brought the things. Gao Meiyin felt that Chu Yue's little trick was not worth considering, but after thinking about it, they were all family, so it didn't matter who carried it. So, Gao Meiyin said nothing and handed the apple to Chu Yue.
A family of four stood at the door of the Wang family. It had been several seconds since Chu Yue asked that question. Wang Hongye's expression changed several times and looked very complicated.
This is really a case of enemies meeting on a narrow road...
Chu Lidi's attention was not on Wang Hongye. He was looking at this street with nostalgia. He grew up here when he was a child. At the end of this street was the former Chu family.
Wang Hongye stood up from the steps. There was no point in rushing guests out, so he made way for the door and said to them, "Grandpa is inside."
Wang Hongye said this to Chu Lidi's family, not just to Chu Yue. Chu Yue was a little unhappy that he ignored her. Although she was prepared for a protracted war, Wang Hongye was too unromantic. They had met twice, but he didn't even smile.
Although she was unhappy in her heart, she was still very kind on the surface. She smiled at Wang Hongye again, handed the apple in her hand to him, and said sweetly: "Then let's go in first. These are the apples my mother bought. Brother Hongye, they are all for you."
It was clearly something for Wang Chunsheng, but in her mouth it was for Wang Hongye. Wang Hongye was absent-minded. He was thinking about Chu Liqiang's family in the house. He nodded, took it, and then quickly walked towards the main house.
The main room was filled with laughter and chatter. Chu Liqiang sat opposite Grandpa Wang, while Chu Shao stood nearby, clutching a handful of melon seeds. He wasn't eating, just holding them, as he looked at the photos Grandpa Wang had hung on the wall. They were all black and white, some depicting awards, some family portraits, and one of Wang Hongye in crotchless pants. Catch a glimpse of Wang Hongye's glowing buttocks, and Chu Shao let out a rather unkind laugh. But just as he started laughing, he turned his eyes and saw a child standing next to Wang Hongye, also in crotchless pants. Unlike Wang Hongye, who had quickly turned around after being secretly photographed, revealing only his buttocks, this one was showing the front of his face.
Everyone says that Chu Shao looked like a little girl when he was a child. That's right, the little boy in this photo has red lips and white teeth, and is very pretty. If you ignore his legs apart and his little thing, you can really mistake him for a little girl.
Chu Shao never thought that such a dark history of his would remain in the world. He stared at the photo silently, wishing he could smash it to pieces with his eyes.
…
Chu Jiujiu was sitting next to Grandpa Wang and talking to him. As she was used to getting along with Grandpa Han, Chu Jiujiu was good at dealing with old people. What's more, Grandpa Wang's temperament was even more like a child than Grandpa Han's. This way, they got along more stress-free.
Every word Chu Jiujiu said could make Grandpa Wang laugh. Chu Liqiang watched from the side, and the corners of his mouth curled up. He took the enamel pot at hand, drank a sip of water, and then he looked at the watch on his hand.
This watch was issued by the army. It is a military product and is resistant to high and low temperatures, as well as water pressure. Although these functions will no longer be used after the base is no longer under construction, it still has its most original function, which is to tell time.
…
They couldn't stay in the Wang family for too long. There were three or four other families that Chu Liqiang wanted to take them to see. It had nothing to do with connections or future prospects. These were people who had been good friends with them and had not completely forgotten them. Chu Liqiang didn't want their friendship to stop at their generation, and it was time for the next generation to get to know them.
Chu Liqiang thought that they should stay for another quarter of an hour and then leave. At this moment, the footsteps of several people were heard from the outer room.
Chu Yue was the first to open the curtain and walk in. She had a friendly smile on her face. As she stepped into the room, she opened her mouth to call for help. However, the Grandpa Wang in her memory was not lying on the bed.
There was no one on the bed, but there were three people sitting and one standing below.
Not to mention Wang Chunsheng, as for the other three strangers, she looked at them and felt that they looked familiar, but she couldn't remember their names.
The smile on her face froze. When Chu Yue was thinking about who they were, Chu Lidi behind her widened his eyes and said, "Brother."
Big brother?
Big...brother?!
At this moment, the smile on Chu Yue's face completely froze. She looked at the tall and straight Chu Liqiang, and for a moment she found it difficult to connect him with the distant and vague image of her uncle.
Isn't he dead?!
How could he come back? And if he is her uncle, then these two...
Her gaze shifted slowly, landing on Chu Shao's face, which looked exactly like Chu Liqiang's. Chu Yue gasped inwardly. She finally understood why Wang Hongye and Wang Chunsheng had such indescribable expressions the last time she asked that question.
This is Chu Shao! Her cousin!
Oh my god, how could things be so messed up? Chu Liqiang is not dead, Chu Shao is back, then... then who is this girl?!
Chu Yue's mind was filled with question marks. On the other side, Chu Jiujiu looked at the people who had just come in. After hearing Chu Lidi's name, she instantly turned her head and looked at Chu Liqiang.
Chu Liqiang's expression didn't change much, but the corners of his lips slowly lowered. Putting down the enamel pot, Chu Liqiang came out of the relaxed and leisurely state he had just been in. He stood up and said to Chu Jiujiu and Chu Shao, "It's getting late, Jiujiu, Chu Shao, we should go visit the next house."
After saying that, he looked at Wang Chunsheng again and said, "Please have more rest. I will come to see you again when I have time."
Ever since Wang Chunsheng saw Chu Lidi come in, he had cried out in his heart. Of course, he would not stop Chu Liqiang. Hearing this, he nodded repeatedly, "Okay, Hongye! Send your Uncle Chu out!"
He shouted at the top of his lungs, and seeing how energetic he was, Chu Yue was shocked again. Wang Hongye was standing in the outer room. There were too many people going into the inner room, and he couldn't squeeze through. Hearing this, he took two steps forward and wanted to come in, but Gao Meiyin was blocking the door, so he couldn't get in at all.
Chu Liqiang clearly didn't want to pay any attention to Chu Lidi. Chu Jiujiu didn't know them, so she stood up obediently and followed Chu Liqiang.
Not saying anything was actually a kind act. They let each other go their separate ways and just be strangers from now on, without any affection or hatred. However, Chu Lidi was not so clear-headed. When he saw Chu Liqiang trying to leave, he got carried away and grabbed his arm.
"Brother, when did you come back?"
Chu Liqiang immediately pulled his arm out, frowning. Seeing Chu Lidi's insistent look, he patiently replied, "New Year's Eve."
He didn't want to stay even for a minute longer. Chu Liqiang took a step forward and continued to walk forward. Chu Lidi still didn't let him go, "Wait, you're back, what about Dad? Is Dad back too? Is our family going to be rehabilitated?"
Chu Liqiang sneered in his heart. He thought Chu Lidi asked this question simply because he was really concerned about when he would come back. In fact, he just wanted to know whether the wind direction had changed and whether the good days of the Chu family would return again.
Wang Hongye finally squeezed in while everyone wasn't paying attention, but as soon as he came in, he saw such a tense scene. He didn't dare to say a word and stood quietly beside Wang Chunsheng, eating melon in silence with his grandfather.
Chu Liqiang turned his head and looked at Chu Lidi expressionlessly: "Dad is dead."
What? Dead?!
Gao Meiyin was startled. She widened her eyes and grabbed her husband's shoulders. She was about to say something when she found that her husband had a dazed look on his face and looked like he had suffered a great shock.
Is this unacceptable? He hadn't finished speaking yet.
Chu Liqiang spoke each word clearly, as if he wanted Chu Lidi to remember these words deeply.
"You don't need to react, because it was my father who died, not yours. And don't call me big brother anymore. We are no longer a family."
After saying that, Chu Liqiang looked behind him and found that the two children were following him. He did not urge them anymore and just said, "Let's go."
Chu Shao followed silently. Chu Jiujiu's mood did not fluctuate much. She could even be like Grandpa Wang, quietly watching from the side. When she heard Chu Liqiang calling her, she hurriedly trotted to catch up. Before leaving, she turned around and took a look at the so-called third brother's family. When she turned around, she found that Chu Yue and Gao Meiyin's eyes were on her.
Gao Meiyin was simply confused, while Chu Yue stared at her intently, with many emotions surging in her eyes.
Chu Jiujiu was stunned for a moment. At this time, Chu Shao turned back and urged her to look away. Chu Jiujiu didn't look at her again. She hurriedly stepped over the threshold and caught up with the two people in front.
After the three of them left, the room suddenly became dead silent. Grandpa Wang's eyes moved for a long time, looking at this and that. After he finished looking at everything, he covered his chest and began to cough very weakly.
He called out in an old voice, "Hongye... Hongye, help me back to lie down..."
After sending Chu Shao and his family off, Wang Hongye returned again: "..."
Grandpa, your acting skills have improved again.
The man who was full of energy just now, now looked like he had one foot in the coffin. After finally lying back on the bed, Wang Chunsheng was still forcing a smile to Chu Lidi and others: "I'm old and useless. When there are too many people around, my energy and spirit will be scattered. I don't know when I will see your father... ahem, see Old Chu. You guys sit down, sit wherever you want, hehe..."
After hearing what Wang Chunsheng said, who could sit still? Chu Lidi and Gao Meiyin's faces became uglier than each other. Soon, they went back home. Wang Chunsheng tried to keep them for a while, but only after they left did he lift the quilt from his legs.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Wang Chunsheng pulled the kang table over, and then asked Wang Hongye to bring some melon seeds, dried fruits, etc.
The grandfather and grandson sat together, eating melon seeds while waiting for the next wave of people to come and pay New Year's greetings.
Wang Hongye only ate the seeds, leaving them for Grandpa Wang. Grandpa Wang took a sip of tea to calm himself down, then said with a mixture of sarcasm and emotion, "Oh, you're a bunch of ungrateful people. You can share the good times but not the bad times, and you still have the nerve to come to me, an old man, to ask for money."
Wang Hongye just listened quietly. Grandpa Wang glanced at him and suddenly taught him, "Hongye, remember, when you're looking for a wife in the future, you must never choose someone like Chu Laosan's family. Not only can such people not bring you any benefits, they might even kill you at any time."
Wang Hongye: "You're getting off topic again. How old am I? If you want to rush someone, go and urge my cousin. He's two years older than me and should get married."
Grandpa Wang: "Your cousin's marriage will be personally urged by his grandfather. I don't need to worry about him not being able to find a wife even after a hundred years. But you are the one who makes me worry."
Wang Hongye said nothing. He didn't think he had anything to worry about. He would just let things take their course. When he reached a certain age and the time was right, he would naturally get married.
Looking at his grandson's calm expression, Grandpa Wang paused for a moment, then suddenly leaned over and said, "You saw your uncle's daughter Jiujiu today, right? What do you think of her?"
Wang Hongye: "...Why are you talking about this again!"
So what? She's just a child. He's not a beast. How could he have any thoughts about a child?
His face turned red again, and Wang Hongye stopped eating melon seeds for Grandpa Wang, and once again angered his grandson and left. Grandpa Wang touched his nose. There was no "again" at all, it was clearly the first time he mentioned this.
Forget it, forget it, children and grandchildren have their own blessings. In the past, he always felt that his life would not last long, so he wanted to find a suitable wife for Wang Hongye as soon as possible, but now his health is getting better and better, he feels that he is fine again.
…
There is no need to be so anxious. It will be the same if you look for one in a few years. The child is still young anyway. It’s okay to let him play for a few more years.
——
After coming out of the Wang family, Chu Jiujiu and Chu Shao looked at each other. Neither of them dared to speak at this time because Chu Liqiang's expression was quite scary.
Trying her best to reduce her presence, Chu Jiujiu stayed behind Chu Shao until they were about to walk out of the alley, when Chu Liqiang in front of her suddenly stopped again.
Turning around, he looked at the two children who didn't understand what was going on. Seeing their ignorant and immature faces, Chu Liqiang's irritability and hatred suddenly disappeared, and he even felt a little bored.
He didn't understand why he was angry at someone who was not worthy.
With a sigh, he warned Chu Shao and Chu Jiujiu, "That's your Third Uncle. Now that you've met him, if you see him or anyone from his family outside, just pretend you don't know them. Don't worry about saving face. If there's any problem, I'll take care of it. Just ignore them."
Chu Shao: "The capital is so big, we probably won't be able to touch it."
Chu Jiujiu: "Yeah, today is just a coincidence. After today, I don't think they will ever go to see Grandpa Wang again."
Wouldn't that mean there's one less place where we might meet by chance?
Chu Jiujiu laughed. Chu Liqiang looked at her and couldn't help but smile as well. "I hope so."
He took another step. This time, Chu Liqiang didn't have any anger in his heart, so his pace was much slower. The three of them walked side by side. Chu Liqiang said to them, "After the fifteenth, you two should go to school. I plan to find a school for you near the Han family. It's best to have a combined junior high and high school so that you can take care of each other in school."
Chu Jiujiu: "Aren't we going with you?"
Chu Shao didn't say anything, but he also wanted to know the answer to this question.
Chu Liqiang smiled faintly and shook his head. "Military garrisons are generally located in remote areas, and the atmosphere in the military children's schools is quite different from that outside. Chu Shao might be able to adapt, but Jiujiu, you're more suited to schools outside. Going to school here is also good. It's prosperous here, and you can buy anything you want. Besides, Madam Han is always at home. She can cook and take care of people. If you two leave with me, my work will always be very busy. If you have a headache or a fever, I may not be able to rush back in time."
Chu Jiujiu: "But..."
But we still want to go with you.
Chu Jiujiu pursed her lips and didn't say the rest of her words, but Chu Liqiang understood what she meant. He consoled her, "The base isn't far from here. I'll come back when I have time. If I don't come back during your free time, you can go find me at the army. I've applied for a family housing unit, and you can come and stay with me anytime."
That way, they can meet two days a week.
No, it is not a two-day weekend system now. Some schools have two days off, while some schools only have one day off.
Sure enough, she still doesn't like going to school.
Chu Jiujiu hung her head and remained silent. Chu Shao asked again, "Then will we always live in the Han family?"
Over the years, Chu Shao has treated the Han family as his own family. He asked this because he felt that the Han family was too crowded. It was already not enough for just a few of them to live there. When Chu Liqiang came back, he would always bring guards with him. They couldn't all sleep in the same place every time, so they had to spare a few people to stay in a hotel.
Early this morning, Chu Liqiang's guards had already sent all their belongings to the nearest hotel, not a guesthouse, so the conditions were better. Grandma Han originally wanted to clean up the fourth bedroom, but Chu Liqiang insisted, so she didn't do it.
Chu Liqiang: "For the time being, you guys stay at the Han family. I'll go out and see if there are any houses for sale nearby in the next few days."
Private transactions were still prohibited, but they could exchange money for property privately, using the superficial act of gift transfer, so that no one could interfere. Chu Liqiang didn't consider moving too far away. Firstly, the children were close to the Han family, and secondly, this area was convenient. It was in the central city, close to department stores, parks, and important government agencies. Buying a house here would be a good deal for them.
It’s not just no loss, it’s a huge profit!
Chu Jiujiu perked up when she heard this. She pushed Chu Shao aside and said to Chu Liqiang with bright eyes, "We have 4,000 yuan now. How big a house can we buy with this?"
Chu Liqiang was stunned for a moment, "How do you have so much money?"
Chu Shao replied: "I saved it."
Chu Liqiang: "..."
How much can you save!
His first year's salary was just over 80 yuan, the second year it was over 90 yuan, and the third year it was just over 100 yuan. When Chu Liqiang was released from the base, he learned that his salary had not been fully sent to Chu Shao. The army had withheld part of it, and after he was released and came to claim it, they finally gave it all to him. Even if they didn't eat or drink, they only earned a little over 3,000 yuan in those three years. Where did the remaining 1,000 yuan come from?
Noticing Chu Liqiang's expression turn into surprise, Chu Jiujiu added, "At the beginning, we already had 700 to 800 yuan. Later, we received money from the army, but we thought it might be useful in the future, so we didn't touch it much. When we were in the village, we would also do some small business and make a lot of money at a time. Uncle Nie would come to see us once a year, and Aunt Nie would bring us money. Aunt Feng did the same, treating us to delicious meals every now and then. Besides, we lived in the village, so the production team would distribute the food and other things. We had very little to spend money on, so we saved up slowly like this."
Chu Jiujiu said it calmly. This was the fact. Even if they didn't use Chu Liqiang's salary, they could still live well. When talking about this, she and Chu Shao were quite calm. However, when Chu Liqiang heard it, he imagined the pitiful appearance of the two of them struggling to survive in Qingzhu Village, but because they were worried about him, they didn't dare to use the money.
Chu Liqiang's expression was very moving, "You won't have to live a hard life anymore."
Chu Jiujiu and Chu Shao: “……???”
They didn't have a hard life to begin with.
In this day and age, having 4,000 yuan in your hand, what does it mean? It probably means you have to work 20 years less than others. The two children had a huge sum of money, and Chu Liqiang also had a huge sum of money. He originally thought that he had returned home with this money, but who knew that the two children were actually richer than him.
Before the mission was completed, Chu Liqiang had always been at the regimental level. His salary kept increasing over the years, not because he was promoted, but because of the normal increase in seniority. After he left the base, because he did a good job and solved two crises that were catastrophic, he was promoted several levels and became the political commissar of the division, and also served as the chief of staff.
The position of chief of staff is not very high. Among all the leaders of the division, this position should be the lowest in rank, even lower than that of the deputy division commander. Usually, the deputy division commander also holds the position. When it fell into Chu Liqiang's hands, in the eyes of outsiders, he just received an extra salary, but in the eyes of Chu Liqiang, this meant that his superiors finally began to recognize him and were ready to give him real power.
There are many rules in the army, which outsiders are basically not aware of. The political commissar is in charge of political and ideological work and has no control over the actual combat planning. The position of the chief of staff, in more popular terms, is the joint commander of the division headquarters.
His rank had been raised, and anyone with a discerning eye could see that Chu Liqiang had a bright future. Therefore, not only did his salary increase significantly, but his benefits also increased. Before he even reported to the military district, his family compound had already been prepared. He lived alone in a small courtyard with three floors above and a basement below. It was similar in size to the Han family's, but twice as large. The house was fully furnished. To use the words of later generations, it was completely move-in ready.
Chu Liqiang didn't need to worry about money in the first place, and after hearing that the two children still had 4,000 yuan in their hands, he no longer had to worry. After visiting the remaining families, the guards drove a military vehicle to pick him up. He said hello to the Han family and then went out to inquire about the house.
Chu Liqiang has a one-month vacation this time. He will officially take up his post one month later. Time is very tight, and he must use this month to take care of all the affairs at home.
After leaving the base, he headed northwest, finally arriving in the capital at the last minute on New Year's Eve. Even now, he hasn't had a minute's rest. Even when it comes to sleep, he's racing against time to get in. Chu Jiujiu stood by the window, watching the guard drive away. Turning around, she sighed with a stern air.
It’s not easy.
…
There were still many guests at the Han family. It was not until the afternoon, when it was almost time for dinner, that things quieted down for a while. When Grandma Han heard that Chu Liqiang wanted to buy a house, she immediately asked Grandpa Han to ask around, preferably within a hundred meters of their house.
After hearing this, Grandpa Han fell silent.
If you're within a hundred meters, why don't you just say you want to buy your neighbor's house?
In fact, he was reluctant to let Chu Jiujiu and Chu Shao move out, but their father was here, and you couldn't keep the children at home anymore. It was easy to buy a house nearby, but it was difficult to buy a neighbor's house.
Their area is mostly built from the late Qing Dynasty and Republican era buildings. Those who live here are all prominent people, and such families wouldn't sell their houses. If they were to sell their houses, they probably wouldn't be able to find the owners. They'd either be seeking refuge abroad or in the countryside, like they once were, being sent down to the countryside for forced labor.
Don’t be too anxious about buying a house, Grandpa Han advised Grandma Han, and then Grandma Han went back to the kitchen to prepare dinner. In fact, there was no need to prepare it, because last night’s New Year’s Eve dinner was not finished, and there was too much left, which would be a waste if it was thrown away, so Grandma Han prepared to heat it up and let everyone have a meal.
Eating leftovers on New Year's Day was how they had always done in Qingzhu Village, and it was still the same now that they were in the capital. Chu Jiujiu finished her meal, picked up the bowl of feed, and went out to feed the chickens.
It was already dark, and the light at the door was turned on, illuminating the small space under the steps. Since arriving in the capital, Dahuang and Erhuang's quality of life has gradually improved. Now they can occasionally eat rice, but judging by their unenthusiastic appearance, they probably still prefer to eat insects and corn bran.
Corn bran is easy to deal with, but as for the insects, Chu Jiujiu can't do anything about it. The Han family's yard is only this big, unlike Qingzhu Village, where you can peck out one or two insects if you peck a little in the winter. Here, when winter comes, everything is really quiet, the leaves fall off, the insects die, and the whole earth enters a time of rest and recuperation.
Chu Jiujiu touched the warm feathers on Dahuang's body. Suddenly, there was a very slight sound outside. Chu Jiujiu raised her head. In the darkness, there seemed to be a figure outside the door walking away quickly. She was stunned for a moment, put down the bowl, and walked to the door. She didn't open the door, but watched from the side for a while. She tilted her head slightly and opened the lid of the mailbox. Sure enough, there was another envelope here.
Chu Jiujiu took out the envelope and looked in the direction the man left. She was silent for a moment. Instead of taking the envelope back, she opened it directly.
Just like last time, there was no glue. I squeezed the envelope a little and could see what was inside. There was twice as much money as last time, no bills, and then, there was a thin piece of letter paper.
Chu Jiujiu knew it was wrong to open someone else's letter privately, but she just couldn't control herself. She wanted to see what was written inside before giving it to Grandma Han. With the intention of checking enemy intelligence, Chu Jiujiu solemnly unfolded the letter and found that there were only two lines of words written on it, and they were still vertical.
A harmonious family brings a hundred blessings, and peace is worth a thousand gold.
It's a couplet...
This person's writing style is vigorous and has its own style. Even Chu Jiujiu couldn't help but sigh, "It's really beautiful."
There is a saying that goes, the layman sees the excitement, the expert sees the doorway. Chu Jiujiu has practiced calligraphy for so many years, but she has only learned the basics. She is a layman, and she cannot see the deep traces of imitation in the man's handwriting. She can only see that his handwriting is very beautiful.
As usual, there was no signature and no other information. Chu Jiujiu took the letter and after a moment of thought, she understood what the other party meant.
It's still an emotional card. He was raised by Grandpa Han when he was a child. Grandpa Han must have taught him calligraphy. Now he wrote these two couplets, one to suit the occasion, and the other to let Grandpa Han know that he has not forgotten his roots.
Thinking of this, Chu Jiujiu almost spat on the letter paper.
You haven't forgotten your roots yet, you even take the money from the dam!
After putting the letter back, Chu Jiujiu took the envelope and returned to the living room coldly. Grandpa Han was sitting in the living room, drinking the tea that Han Shengyi had made for him. Grandpa Han had his back to Chu Jiujiu and could not see what she was holding in her hand. Han Shengyi put down the teapot, raised his eyes slightly, and then paused.
He had said before that the next time Han Jibin would come to deliver something would be during the Spring Festival. He felt a little strange when he didn't see him yesterday, and now he's here.
Han Shengyi looked at Chu Jiujiu and signaled with his eyes to stop talking nonsense. Chu Jiujiu saw it but pretended not to understand.
She ran over and sat next to Grandpa Han, snuggling up to him like a real granddaughter. It had been a long time since she had been this close to Chu Jiujiu, and Grandpa Han was flattered. He immediately put down his teacup and said to Chu Jiujiu, "If you want anything, tell me and I'll buy it for you right away!"
Chu Jiujiu: “…”
Is she such a snob?
The performance had just begun when it was interrupted by the other party, who did not follow the routine. Chu Jiujiu's expression froze. After a second, she rubbed her face and handed the envelope in her hand to Grandpa Han. "I was just out feeding the chickens and saw someone stuff this into our mailbox. There was no signature. It's so strange."
After hearing this, Grandpa Han hurriedly took it. He didn't even look at the money inside. He directly pulled out the letter paper. Seeing the familiar handwriting on it, Grandpa Han opened his lips slightly and a sigh welled up in his throat.
Before he could let out a sigh, Chu Jiujiu beside him said, "That guy was really weird. He didn't see me at first. After he dropped the letter into the mailbox, he looked at our family with a terrifying expression, as if he had a grudge against us. After I left, he probably saw me and ran away. Grandpa Han, what is this? A threatening letter?"
Grandpa Han, with a breath stuck in his throat, said: "..."
He asked doubtfully, "Did you see him?"
Chu Jiujiu nodded and said, "I saw half of it. It was too dark outside and I couldn't see the whole face."
Grandpa Han: "What did the person you saw look like?"
Chu Jiujiu gave a rough description, "He's quite old, older than my dad, and he's a man."
Han Shengyi: “…”
Very good. He was not sure before, but now after hearing such a vague description, he knew that Chu Jiujiu had not seen Han Jibin at all. She was talking nonsense and taking advantage of the situation.
Grandpa Han believed it. Unlike his son, Han Jibin inherited his mother's looks. He didn't look much like the Han family members, and his looks were not as good as the Han family members. After seeing him, Chu Jiujiu really couldn't describe too many of his characteristics.
Grandpa Han asked again: "What do you mean by a particularly scary expression?"
Chu Jiujiu blinked innocently, "It's just very scary, like they're kidnapping children."
She deliberately spoke like a child's nonsense. You know, children can speak nonsense, but they can also tell the truth. Their intuition is stronger than that of adults, and they can tell at a glance whether the other party is malicious or well-intentioned.
If she explained it too clearly, Grandpa Han would not believe her. After all, the other party was his adopted son. Chu Jiujiu knew that she also had weight in Grandpa Han's heart, but she knew even more clearly that her weight was not enough to overturn the impression of Han Jibin in Grandpa Han's eyes.
She didn't want Grandpa Han to believe it immediately, as long as she could let Grandpa Han know that this person was not what he seemed on the surface.
Leaving Grandpa Han with a frown, Chu Jiujiu stood up. When she was about to go upstairs, she stuck out her tongue at Han Shengyi and ran away quickly.
Wen Xiuwei was downstairs, and Chu Jiujiu was the only one on the second floor. After a while, Han Shengyi also came upstairs and closed the door to the second floor. He said to Chu Jiujiu, who was sitting at the dressing table fiddling with vanishing cream, "You're talking nonsense again."
Chu Jiujiu raised her head and snorted, "I just can't stand the way he always plays the emotional card. He hasn't shown up yet. He's just a coward."
Han Shengyi: "He is not a coward, he is just waiting for the best time."
Chu Jiujiu looked at him doubtfully, "When is the best time?"
Han Shengyi sat on her and Wen Xiuwei's bed, looking at the lace on the sheets. Han Shengyi shook his head and said, "I don't know either. Maybe he is waiting for grandpa to go find him."
Chu Jiujiu frowned after hearing this. She turned her head back and whispered, "I really want to tear his face off and let everyone see what kind of person he is."
Hearing her words, Han Shengyi didn't know what he was thinking about, and he actually laughed, "That must be a particularly shocking face."
Feeling that the adjectives he used were a bit strange, Chu Jiujiu looked at him in confusion, but Han Shengyi did not explain anything. He just told Chu Jiujiu not to talk nonsense in the future, as it was unnecessary.
Everyone had been running around a lot today. Chu Jiujiu took off her clothes, changed into autumn clothes, took a quick shower, and then fell asleep. The others did the same. Only children found the New Year fun; adults found it tiring and wished they could just sleep it all away.
The Han family is like this, the Chu family is like this, and so are other families.
At night, when everyone else was asleep, Chu Yue was still sitting at her desk, with a small, dim yellow light on. The bulb might be faulty, as it would flicker every half hour. When the light flickered, Chu Lidi, who was sleeping next to her, seemed to sense it. His snoring paused for a few seconds, and then the annoying snoring resumed.
Chu Yue was very upset now, extremely upset. Looking at the names she had written down, she couldn't figure out who the problem lay with.
Is it Chu Liqiang, Chu Shao, or the Chu Jiujiu whom she has never met?
Chu Jiujiu is the most likely one, because she has never seen this person in her previous life. Did she appear out of thin air?
It seems not. Chu Liqiang took her to pay New Year's greetings in a swaggering manner, which shows that there is no problem with her identity. It is likely that she already existed in her previous life, but Chu Liqiang died of illness at that time, and Chu Shao stayed in the countryside for a long time. As relatives, they had no communication at all, so she never knew that there was a person named Chu Jiujiu in their family.
Then, could it be Chu Shao?
It doesn't seem like it... His behavior doesn't seem like that of a reborn person.
If it's neither of these two, then the only one left is Chu Liqiang. When he looked at his father, there was hatred in his eyes. Maybe it was him?
After thinking for a long time, Chu Yue still couldn't confirm it. She wanted to ask about Chu Liqiang and others, but found that no one around knew them. Chu Yue was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot. She was afraid that someone could predict the future like her and seize the opportunity. Just as she was getting anxious, Chu Yue suddenly remembered that this wasn't the first time she had felt out of control. Three years ago, in Qingshi Town, she had felt it.
Chu Yue quickly wrote the words Nie Bai on the paper. She had never heard of Nie Bai's name since Qingshi Town. She originally thought that he was reincarnated, but there was no evidence. Now someone's fate has changed again. Could it be related to this person named Nie Bai?
On the other side, on the train.
After spending the New Year with his parents-in-law, Captain Nie took his family on a train to the capital. Along the way, the children were very excited because they were going to settle down in the capital with their parents, but Nie Bai was very sleepy and kept nodding his head.
Nie Bai's nose suddenly felt itchy, he sneezed and woke up immediately.
Huh? Are we there yet? Apparently not. Then he'll sleep a little longer...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
