Chapter 96
Yanbinlou is an old brand with a history of two to three hundred years. It is said that the former owner had some connection with the Qing royal family. While other Eight Banners descendants were busy playing with cats and dogs, this one was obsessed with studying food. Relying on his status, he opened the first Yanbinlou in the capital. Not long after, other branches were opened as well.
After liberation, Yanbinlou was nationalized and had a total of five branches, large and small. It mainly sold beef and mutton, and copper pot hot pot was its biggest feature. In addition, there were mutton skewers, braised beef, and mutton grilled flatbreads, which were considered to be the signature dishes that people are familiar with.
The other things couldn't be wrapped in brown paper, and the braised beef was too cold, so Chu Shao only bought two steaming hot pancakes. After getting on the bus, he and Wen Xiuwei sat side by side, each holding a pancake and gnawing on them silently.
There were no rules against smoking or eating in public places these days, so everyone on the bus smelled the aroma of baked pancakes and waited anxiously for the moment to get off the bus.
Chu Shao ate quickly, and soon, only a piece of discarded kraft paper was left in his hand. His hands were stained with oil, but he couldn't wash them, so he could only leave them there. Wen Xiuwei had only eaten half of the food, and seeing his helpless look, she lowered her head, used her free hand to pull the shoulder bag towards Chu Shao.
She gestured to Chu Shao: "There is a handkerchief and water inside. Take it out, wet it and wipe it."
The two of them were very close together. It was winter, and everyone wore more clothes. Wen Xiuwei's movement caused half of her body to brush against Chu Shao. She was not shy at all. A girl's bag, like a girl's boudoir, was not something that could be easily seen by outsiders. The passengers sitting next to her looked at Chu Shao with some sarcasm. He and Wen Xiuwei looked so different that no one thought they were siblings. Instead, they thought they were a loving couple, or even a married couple.
Chu Shao felt embarrassed to do this in public. "Forget it, I'll do it when I get home."
Wen Xiuwei: "There are still several stops to go. It's greasy. Aren't you uncomfortable? Besides, if you don't wipe it off, I will have to wipe it off later. Take it out quickly. I'm twisting like this and it's very uncomfortable."
Chu Shao had no choice but to reach out his clean hand and open the button on Wen Xiuwei's bag. Her bag was very clean and tidy, with all the things sorted out, just like her, without a trace of clutter.
The pink handkerchief was soft and warm, still stained with her body heat. Chu Shao unscrewed the lid of the thermos, poured a little water on the handkerchief, and then carefully wiped it on his fingers. He was always very serious when doing things. Wen Xiuwei kept watching him and noticed that he only used a corner of the handkerchief. Wen Xiuwei giggled while holding up the baked pancake: "Look how careful you are. Handkerchiefs are meant to be used. What's the difference between getting a little dirty and getting the whole thing dirty? I'll wash it when I get home anyway."
Chu Shao was still wiping the oil off his hands. He didn't look up. "It's different."
Wen Xiuwei: "What's the difference?"
Chu Shao: "If you make it dirty, you won't be able to use it."
Wen Xiuwei uttered an "ah," as if she had just remembered this matter. She chewed the pancake and swallowed it. Wen Xiuwei said again, "It's okay. I can wipe it with your coat."
Hearing this, Chu Shao looked at Wen Xiuwei in disbelief. He didn't say a word, but his eyes reflected a sentence very directly.
You are such a bad woman?
Wen Xiuwei laughed out loud immediately, because she was in the car, she didn't dare to laugh too loudly, so she just covered her face and laughed softly and restrainedly. The beauty was shaking, and instantly attracted the attention of many people. Chu Shao whispered to Wen Xiuwei to stop laughing, but Wen Xiuwei couldn't control herself. Even she herself couldn't understand why her laughter point was so low.
Seeing that he couldn't stop her, Chu Shao simply straightened up. He pulled Wen Xiuwei and let her lean on his back. Behind her was the back of the chair and in front of her was Chu Shao. Her face was blocked and no one could see Wen Xiuwei. Everyone then realized that the man next to her was looking at everyone in the car with an unhappy face. His eyes were not friendly at all. After being glared at by him, everyone embarrassedly withdrew their gaze.
It's just a look, it's no big deal, you stingy guy.
…
Wen Xiuwei had laughed enough, and she put one hand on Chu Shao's shoulder and pressed it hard. With the force, she sat up straight and looked at the passengers around her who were either resting with their eyes closed or concentrating on the passengers outside the car window. Wen Xiuwei pulled the corners of her mouth again, lowered her head, and continued to gnaw on her baked pancake.
It’s good to have Chu Shao around. Not only does he not have to go hungry on the way home, but he also doesn’t have to sit on pins and needles facing everyone’s gaze.
This is what the sisters in the studio said, do you feel like you have someone to rely on?
Just half a month after joining the studio, people in the production company were trying to introduce her to a boyfriend. She always said that she was only nineteen and didn't want to do that, but people also had their own opinions. What's wrong with nineteen? Women can get married at eighteen. This is because there are so many rules in the city. In the countryside, people can get married at sixteen, and those who are nineteen already have several children.
Besides, Comrade Xiao Wen, you don't have any family in the capital, right? Living in someone else's home, even if they truly treat you as family, there's still a layer of distance between them, not quite that level. People, when they're alive, need a companion who understands their feelings. No matter how much you praise your brothers and sisters, they won't be able to be considerate of you. In a few years, they'll get married, and by then, they'll be single-mindedly focused on their own families. Listen to me, find a partner while you're still young. If nothing else, just so that when you go out and come in, people will ask you how your day was, and so that you can have someone to support you in the days ahead.
There were many older women and younger sisters at the studio, and they all had their own reasons. Some saw Wen Xiuwei as pretty and wanted to introduce her to their relatives and friends to save face, while others were genuinely doing it for her own good and didn't want her to be alone. Some of their words went unheeded by Wen Xiuwei, while others took hold of her heart.
Brothers and sisters are indeed nice, but brothers and sisters are always brothers and sisters. Maybe it's really her age, looking at the young men and women walking side by side in the streets, she also feels a little envious of them.
When they returned to the Han family, the others saw Wen Xiuwei and Chu Shao coming in together. Grandma Han quickly called Han Shengyi, who went to the kitchen and brought out the hot food. Chu Jiujiu put down the newspaper, ran over quickly, and asked Wen Xiuwei how the filming was going today and whether it was her turn.
Wen Xiuwei ate a grilled mutton pancake on the way and was actually almost full, but seeing the eager eyes of Grandma Han and Chu Jiujiu, Wen Xiuwei sat down at the dinner table again and told everyone about today's boring filming process, modifying and polishing it, breaking it down into several interesting things.
The cold wind howled outside, and winter was about to pass. The sound of the wind seemed to be its last unwilling words. However, no matter how cold it was outside, it could not affect the family in the house. They sat around a dinner table, and whether they were interested or not, they had to listen. When they talked about something funny, everyone laughed together.
In this small house, laughter can drown out the sound of the wind, and warmth can overcome the cold. It seems that whether spring comes or not is of no importance to them.
…
Not long after Chu Shao and others started school, Chu Liqiang also reported there. From then on, except for Grandma Han, the rest of the people all lived a routine life. Grandma Han felt a little lonely staying at home alone, so Grandpa Han introduced her to the wives of several old friends, so that they could get together to play mahjong and chat.
What can a few old ladies do when they get together? If they were a few decades younger, their conversations would still include their men, but at this age, all they talk about are their own grandchildren and other people's grandchildren.
Whenever this happens, Grandma Han is the sure winner. There's nothing she can do about it. Her grandson is just too outstanding. And the two children of the Chu family were also raised by Grandma Han. They are also outstanding people. Let's not talk about Chu Jiujiu for now. The child is still young. It will take a few more years to see her fully grown up. Let's talk about Chu Shao. He is more handsome than his father. After going to school, he got the first place in the first exam, even surpassing Han Shengyi.
He has good personal conditions and a good family background. Although Commander Chu has not yet been rehabilitated, it seems that it will happen sooner or later. When Chu Shao is released, his father will definitely arrange a very good job for him. If that happens, Chu Shao will be a hot commodity that everyone wants. It is better to take advantage of the situation now and take the initiative.
Someone wanted to introduce a girl to Chu Shao, but Chu Shao was completely unaware of this and was still hanging out with Wang Hongye, Han Shengyi and others at school.
Wang Hongye and Chu Shao were the same age. He was in the third grade and about to graduate. High school was so easy these days that you could get a diploma without much effort. Therefore, Wang Hongye didn't feel the slightest bit of graduating anxiety. He still went to see Chu Shao after class every day to play with him.
In early March, the earth warmed up and the trees on the roadside began to sprout again. There was a street in front of Chu Jiujiu's house, and there was an old apricot tree planted on the roadside. Yesterday, there were only a few small flower buds, but today, the whole tree was full of apricot flowers. Looking at it, Chu Jiujiu suddenly thought of Taohuaao in Qingzhu Village.
The peach blossoms should have bloomed this year, but unfortunately, she couldn't go back to see them.
Standing under the tree, Chu Jiujiu looked up at the branches full of flowers. She tiptoed slightly, raised her arm, and was able to touch the apricot blossoms on the shortest branch.
Unlike Taohuaao, there was only one apricot tree next to his house on the street. Chu Jiujiu didn't dare to touch the branches, so she picked a more beautiful one, plucked it, and then carefully put it in her tin pencil case.
When they arrived at school, only half of the students were sitting sparsely in the class. Qi Baozhu was sleeping on the table. She was like this every day, the first to come and the last to leave, but she didn't talk to anyone. She just lay on the table, covering her face. Chu Jiujiu was not sure whether she was asleep or not.
After spending some time in the class, Chu Jiujiu realized that in the eyes of her classmates, Qi Baozhu was a complete weirdo. No one wanted to play with her, and of course, she didn't want to play with everyone. At that time, there were not many group activities, so Qi Baozhu did her own thing. It didn't have much impact on her, at most she seemed very lonely in the class.
The person who said Qi Baozhu was a weirdo also asked Chu Jiujiu to stop being nice to Qi Baozhu. Chu Jiujiu frowned. She didn't say anything on the spot, but since then, she has never had any contact with that person or his friends again.
Whatever Chu Jiujiu did, it was out of her own heart. She didn't want to please anyone with this behavior, nor did she want to offend anyone because of this behavior, so she didn't tell anyone. But she didn't know that there were eyes in the class, and she was a very eye-catching person. Whatever she did, even if she didn't say it, would be spread by others, and slowly, it naturally reached Qi Baozhu's ears.
Yesterday, the school had already removed the honeycomb coal. Fortunately, the classroom was crowded, so the average temperature was still around 20 degrees Celsius. However, Chu Jiujiu was afraid of the cold, so she kept her coat on even after entering the classroom. Seeing Qi Baozhu slumped over the desk again, she said nothing and simply took out her textbooks and other belongings.
Chu Jiujiu's eyes fell on the pencil case. She wanted to find the pencil she had sharpened yesterday. After rummaging for a while, she found it. She smiled with success and was about to turn around to get her thermos when she was stunned.
There were still ten minutes before the first class, but Qi Baozhu had already sat up. She leaned against the table at the back, her hands clasped together and placed on her legs. She was a small girl with a small frame and small body. Wen Xiuwei's fragility came from her appearance, while Qi Baozhu's fragility came from her inner self. She really looked like a small animal, the kind of small animal that was particularly easy to bully.
Chu Jiujiu was a little at a loss. She didn't know why Qi Baozhu suddenly got up, and she didn't know whether she had to pretend that she saw nothing again.
She also thought Qi Baozhu was weird at first, but later, she gradually discovered that Qi Baozhu might not be weird, but sick. Some people are born not to like communicating with others. This disease is sometimes called autism and sometimes called social phobia. Chu Jiujiu didn't know which category she was, but no matter which category she was, Chu Jiujiu didn't want to irritate her.
Time passed by minute by minute, and Chu Jiujiu was frozen for a long time. Suddenly, she realized that she had been staring at Qi Baozhu for a long time, but Qi Baozhu never hid. Not only did she not hide, she didn't even show any fear. She looked at her fingertips calmly. If you look closely, you will find that her cheeks are red.
It's not fear, it's shyness.
Chu Jiujiu blinked a few times quickly. She had an idea, but she needed to confirm it. So, she turned around again, opened her pencil case, took out the still fresh and juicy apricot blossom, put it on the table, and slowly pushed it to Qi Baozhu.
Qi Baozhu heard the familiar friction sound. She raised her head and looked at the apricot blossom lying quietly on her book. She pursed her lips, then took the apricot blossom down. Her tender fingertips pinched the white and pink apricot blossom, adding a touch of bright color to her.
Chu Jiujiu looked at this peaceful scene and her heart was as excited as a screaming chicken.
It's hard to say what this feeling is. Chu Jiujiu wouldn't have this sense of accomplishment even if she became friends with a hundred ordinary people. But when she got Qi Baozhu to open up and accept herself, Chu Jiujiu suddenly had the illusion that she had saved the galaxy in her previous life. To sum it up, it can be summed up in six words.
How could she be so worthy of such a thing!!!
…
This may be an unexpected result. Chu Jiujiu never thought about making Qi Baozhu accept her. Her silence and understanding these days were just out of courtesy as a classmate. She just didn't want to have a bad relationship with Qi Baozhu and didn't want her own impulsiveness to irritate her fragile nerves. Who knew that there would be an unexpected gain.
No matter how weird Qi Baozhu is, the word "weird" cannot be used to characterize her nature. Weird does not mean bad, but there are always people who confuse these two words.
She didn't even say a word, but some people in the class thought that she was mentally ill and that if they spent too much time with her, they would become mentally ill too. What's more, some even said with certainty that she must be a problem student and that she was able to go to high school because her parents got in through the back door, otherwise she would be a gangster outside.
Chu Jiujiu didn't want to listen to what others told her, she just wanted to see it herself. She tore off another piece of blank paper, quickly wrote a line of words on it, and then pushed it to Qi Baozhu.
On this day, Qi Baozhu pushed the note back and looked at the beautiful handwriting on it, and the fierce woman Chu Jiujiu burst into tears.
It wasn't easy. After a month, she finally received a reply.
…
The two still had no verbal communication. They spoke using notes. At the beginning, Chu Jiujiu only said simple words, such as, "Do you want some biscuits?", "Do you want some milk?", "I lost my eraser, can you lend it to me?"
Later, the scope of their conversation expanded a little. Chu Jiujiu would share her little feelings of the day, for example, Chu Shao suddenly went crazy and went for a run in the morning, and he insisted on dragging her along, making her tired and sleepy, and no one spoke up for her.
Qi Baozhu already knew that Chu Shao was her brother. Sometimes after school, Chu Shao and Han Shengyi would come to the door of their class to wait for her. Qi Baozhu had seen this once or twice.
Pushing the note back, Chu Jiujiu looked down and found that Qi Baozhu had only written five words: You can refuse.
Chu Jiujiu pouted, and when she pouted like that, a pencil could be stuck on her philtrum. Chu Jiujiu was always lively, and her body language was as much as the densely packed words on her note. Qi Baozhu envied her very much, both for her liveliness and her personality of saying whatever she wanted to say.
Burying her head on the desk, Chu Jiujiu wrote quickly. Seeing her rapid writing speed, Qi Baozhu knew that she had a lot to say. After waiting patiently for a while, Chu Jiujiu finally pushed the note over.
Qi Baozhu took a sip of water, then lowered her eyes to look.
I refused!!! But no one listened. Weiwei said exercise is good for health and helps maintain your figure. She's been getting along well with two older sisters who sing Huadan and Daomadan roles lately and is working hard on her body lines. She said if I didn't want to go running with Chu Shao, I had to go stretching with her. It hurt! I only tried it once and found running easier. Weiwei is heartless, and Han Shengyi is even more heartless. He used to help me, but after Weiwei and Chu Shao's combined persuasion, he joined their camp. Three of us against one of me? Damn it!!!
Each of the last three exclamation marks was so strong that it could be seen through the back of the paper. Qi Baozhu looked at it silently, as if she could see Chu Jiujiu's blood and tears in it. Pursing her lips, Qi Baozhu picked up the pen and wrote another sentence.
——Let your father take care of them.
That's how they were. Qi Baozhu only wrote one sentence each time, while Chu Jiujiu had to write a very long paragraph. The classmates who passed by were confused when they saw them happily chatting with each other.
This is not class time, just chat, why pass notes?
Chu Jiujiu didn't know what others were thinking. When she saw what Qi Baozhu had written, she turned the note over and found that that side was already filled with writing.
After a while, Qi Baozhu looked at the note that Chu Jiujiu had written.
—Haha, if my dad heard, he'd change my one lap around the street to five. He's a soldier, and he's the toughest when it comes to scolding people. I don't dare tell him this. Besides, he's been very busy lately, and I don't want to bother him. Didn't I tell you before? My grandfather passed away last year, and my dad has been trying to find someone to rehabilitate him, but so far, there's been no success.
Qi Baozhu was helpless in this matter, and she was not good at comforting people. Seeing Chu Jiujiu's mood getting lower and lower, Qi Baozhu was silent, wrote a line of words, and tried to change the subject.
—Doggie biscuits?
Chu Jiujiu sighed. This time she didn't write a note, but nodded to Qi Baozhu.
No matter what, it cannot affect Chu Jiujiu's appetite.
…
After spring, Chu Jiujiu shed her heavy clothes and felt lighter and lighter each day. It was getting dark later now, and Grandma Han no longer insisted they return home immediately after school. If she wanted, she could wander into the park and enjoy the scenery, watching the elderly men playing chess and writing calligraphy. She could even walk a little further to Wangfujing for some good food.
Ever since he picked up Wen Xiuwei that day, Chu Shao went to the nearby bus stop to wait for the bus after school. When he arrived at the studio, the old man in the message room knew him and asked him to sit with him in the message room. Chu Shao usually used this time to do his homework, and by the time Wen Xiuwei came out, his homework was almost finished.
The entire studio only made a few movies a year, and every time they did, they put all their efforts into it, so filming was pretty fast. Wen Xiuwei would come out at six in the morning, and at night, it might be eight or nine. Because Chu Shao was there, no one worried about them; they just kept the food ready.
Today was an unexpected day. The leading actor performed exceptionally well today and passed all the requirements in one go. It was just past five o'clock and we were able to finish work. The weather was also warm. Wen Xiuwei was wearing long-sleeved clothes and standing at the door of the studio, waiting for Chu Shao to come.
As soon as she took off her heavy clothes, Wen Xiuwei's graceful figure became even more obvious. She was not a materialistic person. Even though she was working now and earned more than the average employee, she still wore the most ordinary cotton fabrics. Other actresses liked to wear skirts and add patterns to their hairbands, but she did not do any of those. However, because of this, the men in the factory looked at her differently.
To put it nicely, they think Wen Xiuwei is down-to-earth; to put it bluntly, they think Wen Xiuwei is easy to support.
She stood at the studio entrance as her colleagues walked out one after another. Many offered to take her there on their bicycles, even though they lived in opposite directions. Those without bicycles wanted to take her to the bus stop, but the older woman next to them dragged them away.
"Comrade Xiao Wen is waiting for his brother. What does it have to do with you?"
Wen Xiuwei lowered her head and didn't say anything. When others came up to her, she just agreed with "hmm, hmm, yes". After a while, the other party saw through her perfunctory attitude and left.
Gradually, there were fewer people in the studio. Wen Xiuwei was a little tired of standing, so she walked forward a few steps.
She lowered her head and measured the bricks below with her feet. She counted one step at a time. When she counted to over a hundred, there was a sudden squeak beside her. The sharp sound of tires rubbing against each other made Wen Xiuwei frown. At the same time, she felt that the sound was a little familiar.
Wen Xiuwei raised her head and found that the other person was Guan Jinqiao's brother, Guan Yuelong, whom she had met once.
Just like last time, he sat on his bicycle with a scoundrel look on his face. Looking at Wen Xiuwei, he said, "Comrade Wen, why are you alone? Are you off work?"
Wen Xiuwei nodded and said, "Just got off work, waiting for someone."
Guan Yuelong looked at his watch. "It's so late. Who are you waiting for?"
Wen Xiuwei was quiet for a second, then replied, "My brother."
Hearing this answer, Guan Yuelong raised an eyebrow and said, "From the looks of you, you must have been waiting for quite a while. If you wait any longer, it will be dark. It's not safe for you to be alone. Come up, I'll take you home."
He didn't ask, but ordered, which made Wen Xiuwei frown unconsciously. At the same time, she took a step back and said, "No, I'll wait for him to come over."
"Then when will you go? Don't worry, when your brother comes and doesn't see you, he will know that you went home on your own."
Wen Xiuwei wanted to refuse again, but Guan Yuelong brought up another matter. "My sister didn't get selected when she applied for the position. She works in a garment factory now. She told me about you a few days ago. If you have time, you two can talk. It will stop her from constantly thinking about you."
Wen Xiuwei was startled, then she thought of Guan Jinqiao and nodded, "Okay, when I have a day off, I'll go find her at the garment factory."
Seeing that she agreed so readily, Guan Yuelong smiled and said, "Thank you."
Guan Yuelong looks good, but his temperament is too dangerous, so many people have a preconceived notion that he is a particularly fierce person. After seeing him smile, Wen Xiuwei felt that she had judged him by his appearance and felt a little shy.
When Chu Shao walked over from the other side of the road, he happened to see Wen Xiuwei lowering her head in embarrassment, and in front of her, there was a man who was smiling and saying something to her.
Chu Shao was stunned for a second, then he walked over quickly. It was ten past six, and the sunset glow dotted the sky, dyeing most of the sky orange and pink. The evening breeze was cool, and Chu Shao seemed to be carrying the wind with him as he walked. The two winds gathered together, and the temperature around him became much colder.
Chu Shao stood between Wen Xiuwei and Guan Yuelong, took a look at Guan Yuelong's appearance, and his eyes stayed on Guan Yuelong's scar for a moment. Then, he turned his head and asked Wen Xiuwei: "Who is this?"
Wen Xiuwei had just opened her mouth when Guan Yuelong on the other side answered for her: "My name is Guan Yuelong, and I'm a friend of Comrade Wen Xiuwei. You are her brother, right? Why are you so late today? You made your sister wait here for a long time."
Chu Shao turned his head to look at him. He pursed his lips, turned his head back, and explained to Wen Xiuwei alone, "There was an accident on the road, and it was blocked for a while."
Wen Xiuwei quickly said, "It's not your fault. We finished work early today. Okay, enough talking, let's go home quickly. I finally got out a day early, so don't waste time here."
After she finished speaking, she walked out from behind Chu Shao and smiled at Guan Yuelong, "Thank you, Comrade Guan. My brother is here, so we'll leave first."
Guan Yuelong nodded. Wen Xiuwei pulled Chu Shao's sleeve and asked him to leave with her. Wen Xiuwei didn't even turn his head back. But that "brother" turned his head back once. He frowned and looked at her, with an indistinguishable emotion in his eyes.
Looking at their backs, Guan Yuelong snorted, not knowing what he was thinking about, got on his bicycle and headed towards home.
When they arrived at the bus stop, the bus hadn't come yet, so they stood under the simple bus stop sign and talked.
No matter what Chu Shao said, it was all related to Guan Yuelong.
"What did he just say to you?"
Wen Xiuwei: "What can I say? Just ask me why I am standing here alone."
"Nothing else?"
Wen Xiuwei blinked, "Well... and he wanted to take me home."
Chu Shao asked: "Where does he live?"
Wen Xiuwei: "How would I know? I only know that he works in a machinery factory and his sister works in a garment factory. They should live not far from these places."
Chu Shao recalled the locations of the two factories. One was two or three kilometers away from the studio, and the other was three or four kilometers away from the studio. In short, they were both near the studio.
Chu Shao's expression darkened a little, and he asked again, "Does he know where you live?"
Wen Xiuwei: "You probably don't know. I never told you."
very good.
Another one who is trying to please others.
Chu Shao fell silent. Wen Xiuwei saw that he looked unhappy. She patted Chu Shao's shoulder and smiled at him, "Come on, don't worry. Guan Yuelong is... okay in my opinion. He's different from other men."
Chu Shao looked at her and said, "We've only met him twice, how do you know if he's capable?"
Pointing to her head, Wen Xiuwei answered him with Chu Jiujiu's words: "I have radar."
"Your radar tells you that Guan Yuelong is a good guy?"
Wen Xiuwei thought for a moment and said, "I didn't say he was a good person. I just felt that he was not a bad person."
At this point, she winked at Chu Shao and said, "Did you notice that he's quite good-looking?"
She was used to talking to Chu Jiujiu, so she didn't change her personality when talking to Chu Shao. In front of Chu Jiujiu, she would occasionally discuss with her who was good-looking. Chu Jiujiu was also a girl, so she naturally liked this kind of topic. The problem was, Chu Shao was not like that.
It was also because they went home together recently and their relationship was better than before, so Wen Xiuwei forgot the taboo between them. After she finished speaking, Wen Xiuwei immediately regretted it. However, words spoken are like water spilled. Wen Xiuwei was about to make excuses for herself, and then she heard Chu Shao asking her.
"You said you wanted to find someone, and he was the one you wanted to find?"
Wen Xiuwei was shocked. She quickly looked around and saw that there was only a middle-aged woman waiting for the bus. She didn't know if she had heard it.
She quickly pulled Chu Shao aside and said angrily, "When did I say that?"
Chu Shao: "On the day of moving, at eight o'clock in the evening."
Wen Xiuwei: “…”
You brothers and sisters both have good memories.
No need to ask, it must have been Chu Jiujiu who said that. Wen Xiuwei wanted to beat her up now. She closed her eyes in collapse. After two seconds, she opened them again, "I never said I wanted to find a partner. What I told Jiujiu at that time was, later, later!"
He said it twice with gritted teeth, but Chu Shao listened without much reaction: "You have never said such words before. Even if you said the word 'later', it means that you have taken this matter to heart."
Wen Xiuwei wanted to refute, but found that Chu Shao was right. She stood there stiffly, not understanding why she should discuss this with someone who was still in school. After a long silence, she spoke again: "Okay, even if you are right."
Chu Shao: "What I said was right."
Wen Xiuwei: “…”
Want to hit someone.
Showing an unnatural smile, Wen Xiuwei said, "What I mean is, I don't want to look for him right away, and I certainly don't want to look for Guan Yuelong. He, he's just passing by, you know? I haven't considered this kind of thing."
Chu Shao understood, but there was still one thing that bothered him.
"Why did you tell Guan Yuelong that I was your brother?"
Wen Xiuwei was stunned for a moment. She felt that Chu Shao's question was a bit strange. "Haven't you always been my younger brother?"
yes.
In the past four years, Chu Shao has always been Wen Xiuwei's younger brother. They always said this when introducing him to others. At that time, Chu Shao had no objection, but after hearing the words "brother, sister" from Guan Yuelong's mouth, he felt uncomfortable all over.
It was as if I was being provoked.
Chu Shao fell silent. Wen Xiuwei called him several times, but he didn't hear her. Finally, he heard her at last. He raised his head and asked, "What's wrong?"
Wen Xiuwei: "...The car is here, we should leave."
——
That evening, Wen Xiuwei returned earlier than Chu Jiujiu and the others. Chu Jiujiu and Han Shengyi had spent the entire evening in the park. She wasn't a good chess player, but Han Shengyi was unbeatable. She pressed Han Shengyi's shoulders and made him sit across from the old men, accepting their challenges. Every time Han Shengyi won, Chu Jiujiu would smile as if she'd found money, feeling particularly proud.
No one noticed Chu Shao's abnormality, after all, he didn't talk much. Chu Jiujiu did notice it, but when she asked, Chu Shao said nothing. She had no choice but to let Chu Shao digest it himself.
The weekend is coming soon, and Chu Jiujiu is thinking about going to the military area to play with Erbao. More importantly, she hasn't seen Chu Liqiang for nearly half a month, and hopes to see him this time.
Chu Jiujiu said he was busy, and he was indeed busy. He tried to find ways to meet those people who had connections with his family, or those who had no connections but might be able to be won over. Some were willing to help him, and some were not. Among them was a more important one, Chief Qi, who had more say. He was the first person to be rehabilitated and the first to be reinstated. Now he was highly valued by his superiors.
If he could say a word for himself, it would be much easier.
Unfortunately, Chief Qi is one of those who is unwilling to do so.
At the dinner table at home, Commander Qi also talked about this matter with his son.
"That Xiao Chu, after he came to me, I looked into what happened back then and discovered that his father was different from the others. He was even accused of exploiting a martyr. Maybe things will get better in the future, but right now, I don't want to get involved in this mess."
Chief Qi's son nodded and said, "You are right. Our family has finally found peace. It is most important to take care of yourself."
The Qi family is harmonious and there are no conflicts within it. The only problem is that the Qi family is dwindling. Chief Qi has only one son, and his son has only one son and one daughter. The daughter is quite special. The whole family loves her and puts her first in everything at home. Even when it comes to eating, the family will cook what she likes.
The Qi family had no secrets. At the dinner table, Chief Qi told his family everything. Usually, Chief Qi's grandchildren didn't interrupt, but today, his granddaughter listened for a while, and suddenly, she said very weakly: "Grandpa, what's the name of the little Chu you mentioned?"
When they heard her speak, everyone at the dinner table looked over at her in an instant. Even though they were family members, Qi Baozhu felt a huge pressure. After a moment of silence, she mustered up her courage and straightened her back slightly. Her brother was picking up some food for her, and when he saw her like this, he was so shocked that he almost dropped his chopsticks.
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