Chapter 84 Some secrets will eventually surface.
That afternoon, there weren't many customers in the store.
Wen Xiaoxiao and Sun Mei were checking a batch of newly arrived T-shirts when a dull thud suddenly came from upstairs, followed by Wen Xiaogai's scream and Zhou Lanying's shouts: "Shuhua! Shuhua, what's wrong with you?!"
Wen Xiaoxiao's heart tightened, and she dropped the clothes in her hand and ran upstairs.
Sun Mei quickly followed.
At the corner of the stairs on the second floor, Liu Shuhua was lying on the ground, her face pale, and one leg was twisted in an unnatural position.
Wen Xiaogai was so frightened that she hid to the side, while Zhou Lanying was struggling to help Liu Shuhua up.
"Aunt Liu!" Wen Xiaoxiao rushed over, squatted down, and didn't dare to move. "What happened? Did you fall?"
Liu Shuhua hissed in pain, managing to say, "I...I missed a step...I slipped..."
When Wen Xiaoxiao saw the shape of the leg, her heart sank; it was most likely a fracture.
She made a quick decision: "Sister Sun Mei, could you please watch the shop for me? Auntie, could you keep an eye on Xiao Gai? I'll take Aunt Liu to the hospital!"
She was quite strong, and together with Sun Mei, they carefully carried Liu Shuhua downstairs, hailed a tricycle, and headed straight to the hospital.
In the emergency room, after examination, the doctor confirmed that the patient had a fractured right leg and needed immediate surgery.
While completing the hospitalization procedures, Wen Xiaoxiao called her son and daughter-in-law back in her hometown using the number Liu Shuhua had given her.
Upon hearing this, the son and daughter-in-law became anxious and said they would set off immediately.
Wen Xiaoxiao prepaid the hospital fees and then gave some money to Aunt Liu's son who had rushed over: "Brother, take this first and buy some nutritional supplements for Aunt Liu. If it's not enough, just let me know."
Liu Shuhua's son, unable to refuse, accepted the gift with tears in his eyes, repeatedly expressing his gratitude: "Boss Wen, thank you so much!"
The surgery went smoothly.
Wen Xiaoxiao stayed at the hospital until Liu Shuhua woke up from anesthesia and her condition stabilized, only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.
Liu Shuhua lay on the hospital bed, her face haggard, but she was still thinking about her family: "Xiaoxiao, you should go back quickly. The shop can't be left unattended. Xiao Gai is such a mischievous monkey, how can Sister Zhou keep an eye on him by herself... I have them here." She glanced at her son and daughter-in-law who were guarding the bedside.
"Aunt Liu, just focus on recovering and don't think about anything else." Wen Xiaoxiao tucked the blanket around her. "I'll cover the medical and nutritional expenses. Just stay here and rest. I'll be waiting for you to come back and help me when I'm better."
Liu Shuhua held her hand, tears streaming down her face: "Xiaoxiao, you're a good person... I... I'm afraid my leg will take a long time to heal, I can't hold you back..."
"Don't talk about delays." Wen Xiaoxiao patted her hand. "Without you, I don't know how I would have survived raising three children on my own a few years ago. You can stay here and recover. We'll keep a room for you at home."
However, Liu Shuhua insisted on returning to her hometown to recuperate.
"Hospitals in the city are expensive, and it's not comfortable staying there. I'll go back to my hometown; the expenses will be lower. Once my leg is back to normal, if you still need my help, I'll definitely come back." Her attitude was very firm.
Wen Xiaoxiao couldn't persuade her otherwise, so she and Zhou Lanying went to see her twice.
Liu Shuhua has undergone surgery and has a cast on her arm. She is in better spirits, but still has difficulty moving around.
Zhou Lanying also persuaded her to stay. The two old ladies had been together for several years and had a deep affection for each other, and they were each other's companions.
But Liu Shuhua insisted on going back.
“It’s a promise then,” Wen Xiaoxiao said earnestly, holding Liu Shuhua’s hand before seeing them off to the car. “You’ll definitely come back when your leg is better. This house will always have a place for you.”
Liu Shuhua nodded with tears in her eyes.
As soon as Aunt Liu left, the house fell into chaos.
Wen Xiaogai, this energetic little rascal, was too much for Zhou Lanying, who was too old to handle.
Cooking and housework were already enough to keep Zhou Lanying busy, but with Wen Xiaogai constantly running around and needing to be watched, the old lady was exhausted and panting.
Wen Xiaoxiao thought to herself that she needed to hire another nanny as soon as possible.
But this situation is special, so we can only find a short-term job first, and we have to make it clear that the person will have to leave once Aunt Liu recovers and comes back.
This statement has displeased many who are willing to commit long-term, as they feel it is unstable.
After looking at a few, I found that some were only interested in short-term projects, others were careless and unreliable, and still others were incompatible with Wen Xiaogai. The little guy is currently at an age where he is disliked by everyone and even by strangers, so he is particularly wary of newcomers.
That afternoon, another job applicant came.
She was a woman in her early forties who said her surname was Ma and her name was Ma Chunying. She had a kind face and was dressed neatly and cleanly.
She said she came from a neighboring county, and her husband works on a construction site in the city. She wanted to find a job that included room and board so she could save some money, whether it was short-term or long-term.
Wen Xiaoxiao chatted with her and asked about her experience in cooking while taking care of children.
Ma Chunying spoke frankly and didn't boast. She only mentioned that she had raised her own children in her hometown and had also helped look after children for relatives. She could cook everyday dishes. Wen Xiaoxiao then suggested that she try to get in touch with Wen Xiaogai.
Strangely enough, Wen Xiaogai, who usually ignored strangers, did not make a scene when she saw Ma Chunying, even though she still hid behind her mother. Instead, she secretly observed her.
Wen Xiaoxiao felt that Ma Chunying looked kind and approachable, and seemed like a down-to-earth and honest person.
We urgently needed someone, so we agreed with her: a short-term trial period of one week, with room and board provided, and wages calculated daily. Once Aunt Liu returns, if both parties are satisfied, we can recommend her to another company, or see if the shop needs more staff.
Ma Chunying readily agreed.
They moved in that very day with only a few simple belongings.
She was quick and efficient, and as soon as she arrived, she helped Zhou Lanying clean up the kitchen. The food she cooked was also to her liking.
She wasn't in a hurry to get close to Wen Xiaogai; she just quietly did what she was supposed to do, occasionally handing him a toy and saying a few words softly.
After a few days, although Wen Xiaogai still didn't call her by name, he was no longer so resistant to her.
The house was finally back to basic order. Wen Xiaoxiao breathed a sigh of relief and could focus more intently on the shop.
That evening, Zhao Fei returned home carrying a cardboard box with small holes punched in it.
As soon as I entered, I heard a faint "whooshing" sound coming from inside.
"Xiao Gai, look what Dad brought you back!" Zhao Fei put the cardboard box on the ground.
Wen Xiaogai curiously leaned closer.
Zhao Fei opened the box, and a fluffy, round little dog timidly poked its head out.
The puppy was all white with irregular black spots, and its eyes were bright and shiny, like two black grapes.
"Puppy!" Wen Xiaogai exclaimed in surprise, wanting to reach out and touch it, but also a little scared.
"Do you like it?" Zhao Fei picked up the puppy and put it on the ground. The little guy stood up, wagging its short tail and sniffing Wen Xiaogai's trouser leg.
"I like it!" Wen Xiaogai became bolder, squatted down, and carefully stroked the puppy's head.
The puppy gently licked his fingers.
Wen Xiaogai giggled, looked up at Zhao Fei, and asked, "Dad, what's its name?"
"Give it a name."
Wen Xiaogai tilted her head and thought for a moment, then looked at the black and white stripes on the puppy's body and said loudly, "Let's call it Tiger! It looks like a little tiger!"
"Okay, let's call him Tiger." Zhao Fei smiled and patted his son's head.
Hopefully, having a puppy will distract this little rascal from his attention.
In the still of the night, all the children were asleep, and Tiger was also asleep in the small basket next to Wen Xiaogai's bed.
Wen Xiaoxiao was checking the accounts under the lamp, while Zhao Fei sat beside her, seemingly casually flipping through the newspaper.
After a long while, he put down his newspaper, walked over to Wen Xiaoxiao, and said in a low voice, "Xiaoxiao, are you free tomorrow? Take Yizhen, Yibao, and Xiaogai... to the epidemic prevention station to get them vaccinated. I heard some children have been sick recently."
Wen Xiaoxiao looked up, somewhat puzzled: "Vaccination? Didn't we just get it last month?"
“It’s a different kind, an enhanced one.” Zhao Fei’s tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority. “Listen to me, go. I’ve made the arrangements. Go directly to Doctor Wang when you get there.”
Looking into his deep eyes, Wen Xiaoxiao suddenly understood something.
Her heart skipped a beat, but she nodded: "Okay, I'll take them tomorrow morning."
The next day, Wen Xiaoxiao took her three children to the place Zhao Fei had mentioned.
That wasn't an ordinary epidemic prevention station, but a private clinic in a secluded location.
The "Dr. Wang" who received them was very professional. He simply asked the children's names and ages, and then very efficiently took a small amount of blood from each of the three children's fingertips and gently scraped the inside of their mouths with a cotton swab.
The whole process was quick; it was over before the children even had a chance to react.
Dr. Wang carefully sealed the sample and nodded to Wen Xiaoxiao: "It's fine. Boss Zhao instructed that we will notify him directly when the results are available."
Wen Xiaoxiao led the children out of the clinic. The spring sun was shining brightly, but she felt a chill down her spine.
She knew what Zhao Fei was doing.
A few days later, Zhao Fei went to see "Dr. Wang" alone. The other man handed him a sealed file bag, said nothing, and just gave him a meaningful look.
Zhao Fei handed over an even thicker envelope and whispered, "Thanks, Brother Wang. Only you know about this."
"Don't worry." Dr. Wang took the envelope, weighed it in his hand, and put it in the drawer. "Those of us in this line of work are the most discreet. The results are all inside; take a look for yourself. Contact me again if you need anything later."
Zhao Fei held the file bag, which felt light yet incredibly heavy, without opening it immediately.
He walked to his car, got in, closed the door, and shut out all the sounds from the outside world.
Then, he slowly tore open the seal and pulled out the identification report inside.
His gaze quickly swept over the technical terms and final conclusions.
His face remained unchanged in the dappled light filtering through the car window, but something deep within his eyes had become completely still.
He carefully folded the report and put it back into the file bag.
The month-long agreement is almost up.
Zhao Fei started the car and drove into traffic.
The street scene outside the window rushed past, and his profile looked particularly cold in the flickering light.
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