Chapter 106 Foster Parents Visit 5 Xiaoman is willing to let you meet her foster father...
Turning on speakerphone was tantamount to publicly executing Shen Qinghuai.
The conversation between the two sides was gentle and heartfelt, with the daughter expressing her longing and reluctance to part with her parents on one side, and the parents expressing their yearning and worry for their daughter on the other.
Though not biologically related, they are better than biological children.
Although the conversation lasted only seven or eight minutes, it sounded like seven or eight years.
Every minute, every second was torture for Shen Qinghuai. Every word of concern and greeting, every seemingly ordinary and mundane chatter, was so real, so intimate, a warmth he could only long for but never reach.
Before hanging up the phone, his biological daughter reminded her adoptive parents: "I'm not around, so Mr. Shen will have to look after you in everything. Please be polite to him; he's a big boss and he cares about his reputation."
Listen to this, his own father is called "someone else," oh, "someone else."
Shen Qinghuai sighed silently, awkwardly maintaining a polite fake smile until the execution was over. Only then did he feel relieved and hurriedly arranged for the waiters to serve the dishes.
Chen Baihui, standing to the side, was not as flustered as he was. Instead, she seemed indifferent and didn't glance at Qiu Yinghe even once.
Even when the two sides were talking on the phone, calling each other "mother" and "daughter," she remained unmoved.
At that moment, Zheng Linmao, sitting beside her, saw the woman's true nature with perfect clarity—an extremely selfish woman who would turn her heart away and let go of anyone who interfered with her life.
This applies to Qiu Xiaoman as well as Cao Tiecheng.
In fact, before becoming a mother, a woman's first priority should be herself, and there's nothing wrong with pursuing a good life. However, being selfish to the extent that Chen Baihui did is astonishing to Zheng Linmao.
Could she have shown even the slightest bit of remorse? Could she have shown even a little more concern for that daughter?
She refused.
Perhaps she was afraid that her third husband would become suspicious, or perhaps it was just her nature.
Well, he never wanted her true feelings, and she certainly didn't want his soul. One of them was after male beauty, and the other was after money. Neither of them should look down on the other. They're both worthless, and it's a perfect match to stew them in the same pot.
One by one, the food was served, and during the meal, Shen Qinghuai inquired about Qiu Yinghe's children.
Qiu Yinghe replied politely, "They're all studying at home. Thanks to Xiaoman's thoughtfulness, she sent me 50,000 yuan. I left some money for the neighbors' hard work and for the children's meals, so it won't cause any problems."
Shen Qinghuai asked curiously, "Are you talking about Aunt Qin's family?"
"No, Aunt Qin's daughter is very successful. She took the old couple to the city to live a better life, so the house is now empty. Her brother-in-law's family lives there now," Qiu Yinghe explained briefly.
Shen Qinghuai also recognized Aunt Qin's relatives and couldn't help but gasp: "Aren't the two families supposed to be estranged? Why would they give the house to them?"
“They have too many children, so there’s no room for them. Aunt Qin is enjoying her retirement now, and she’s more easygoing, so she doesn’t bother with the past anymore.” Qiu Yinghe glanced at Chen Baihui meaningfully as she said this. “It’s all because Aunt Qin gave birth to such a good daughter. That girl got a job in a government agency, and her boyfriend is also in a government agency. They’re living a very prestigious life. I often tell Xiaoman, ‘Child, study hard. Our family is a bit poor now, but as long as you finish your studies, you can be like Aunt Qin’s daughter and return home in glory.’ It’s a pity… I’m the one who has let Xiaoman down.”
These words were really hurtful. Shen Qinghuai's face burned with embarrassment. He could only try to salvage the situation by saying, "I heard Xiaoman's supervisor mention that Xiaoman has performed exceptionally well and could be recommended to study at the Public Security University in a couple of years."
"Let's talk about it in two years. Who knows? Besides, the two years that have been wasted are irreversible." Qiu Yinghe picked up her chopsticks and served food to her husband.
Shen Qinghuai felt increasingly ashamed after her sarcastic remarks, and could only force a smile and say, "It's all my fault."
Qiu Yinghe gave a forced smile: "President Chen is too modest. It's my father and I who are incompetent and unable to support her through high school."
Shen Qinghuai was now completely uneasy. Just as he was about to say something to make amends, Zheng Linmao spoke up: "President Shen, verbal apologies are meaningless. Show some real action. With your large and powerful business, just give Xiaoman a bigger share of the company and assets. That way, it won't be like the child has come to you for nothing."
Shen Qinghuai rolled his eyes: "You don't need to tell me."
Zheng Linmao smiled and picked up her chopsticks: "That's right, after all, I'm an outsider."
Outsider? Qiu Yinghe looked over and found the pretty boy disgusting, as if he didn't know the woman next to him was Xiaoman's biological mother.
When satirizing Shen Qinghuai, one should also consider whether Chen Baihui has fulfilled her responsibilities.
If we're really going to compare apples and oranges, at least Shen Qinghuai took the initiative to pick her up at the station, while Chen Baihui, judging from her unwilling appearance, was probably forced to come by Shen Qinghuai.
Qiu Yinghe was no pushover. She immediately laughed and said, "That's strange. Since you're an outsider, why are you interfering in other people's business? Don't worry, my Xiaoman has a job and won't compete with you for a pittance."
Zheng Linmao ate his food with a shameless smile: "Sister Qiu is right, I'm a half-baked amateur, much worse than Xiaoman."
Seeing the two of them openly and subtly insulting each other, Shen Qinghuai had no choice but to smooth things over: "Eat your food, eat your food. It's cold, don't eat anything cold."
Qiu Yinghe didn't stand on ceremony. She wasn't a coy person. She ate her food generously and served food to her husband. Although she was dressed plainly, she was neither humble nor arrogant in her every move and did not embarrass her daughter.
When it was time to pay the bill, Qiu Yinghe didn't insist on paying like those hypocritical people. Instead, while Shen Qinghuai was paying, she had the waiter pack up the leftovers to take with her.
The waiter was clearly surprised, and his expression turned somewhat unpleasant. Zheng Linmao couldn't help but say sarcastically, "Sister Qiu is quite frugal; she won't even waste this little bit of leftover food."
Qiu Yinghe rolled her eyes at her: "Of course I know how to manage my life, unlike some people who just want a long-term meal ticket and be set for life."
When Shen Qinghuai returned, he overheard this and quickly smoothed things over: "Sister Qiu, are you planning to take some food back for the dog? It's cold, and it'll be cold by the time you get back. Remember to heat it up."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Qiu Yinghe carried the packed food and helped her limping man walk slowly.
After the meal, she already knew what was going on. Chen Baihui would never care about Xiaoman, so there was no point in thinking about any compensation. Besides, Chen Baihui had a stingy man named Zheng Linmao by her side. The whole family was so stingy that it was good enough if they didn't ask Xiaoman for money.
Shen Qinghuai, however, still had some humanity and kept trying to smooth things over and say nice things.
As long as Shen Qinghuai is sincere in his treatment of Xiaoman, she will not stop the father and daughter from getting close.
On the way back, they rode in Shen Qinghuai's car, just like when they came. After getting out of the car, Shen Qinghuai handed them a business card: "This is the chief physician of Xiehe Hospital. I have already made an appointment. He will pick you up at the gate at seven o'clock tomorrow morning to go to the hospital."
Qiu Yinghe took the business card, said thank you, and after hesitating for a moment, said frankly, "Xiao Shen, I can tell that Baihui doesn't plan to acknowledge Xiaoman. In the future, you can handle things yourself and don't ask her to help, so as not to make things unpleasant for everyone."
Shen Qinghuai sighed silently: "Alright. Sister Qiu, don't take it to heart. Baihui hasn't had an easy time these past few years. After all, she got divorced again, and public opinion hasn't been very kind to her. She has her temper too, so I hope you can understand."
"Don't give me that." Qiu Yinghe picked up the key and opened the door. "All I know is that a mother's love for her child is instinctive. She doesn't have that instinct, which only shows that she doesn't deserve to be Xiaoman's mother. Don't invite her over anymore; it's better for everyone."
"I understand, Sister Qiu. Get some rest." Shen Qinghuai couldn't bring himself to mediate any further. Actually, he had only invited Chen Baihui to show his respect for Qiu Yinghe and her husband, but it had backfired.
Well, Qiu Yinghe would find out Chen Baihui's attitude sooner or later, so today it's settled once and for all.
After leaving, he called Qiu Xiaoman again: "Xiaoman, your mother Qiu and...and the Chen family aren't getting along very well."
Qiu Xiaoman had just finished washing up and was about to rest. She wasn't surprised, but simply said, "Since that's the case, you don't need to force yourself in the future. How are my parents' complexions?"
"That's good. Your dad is a little down, but it's okay. I've made an appointment with a specialist for them. Once he's better, his complexion will improve too."
"Yes, thank you for your hard work, Mr. Shen. No matter what disagreements we have, you helped my parents, and I will remember your kindness. I won't thank you enough. I'll treat you to dinner when we get back."
These words made Shen Qinghuai even more upset. After hanging up the phone, he couldn't help but want to drink some alcohol to drown his sorrows.
Manager Zhao rushed over and stopped him: "President Shen, look on the bright side. At least Xiaoman is willing to let you contact her adoptive parents, which is a good sign. Otherwise, you wouldn't even have a chance to mend the relationship between father and daughter, would you?"
Shen Qinghuai held his wine glass, his eyes red-rimmed: "I know, I know everything, I'm just heartbroken. Do you know, the reason your own daughter thanked me was because I helped her take care of her other parents..."
Manager Zhao sighed silently. Whose fault was it?
He snatched Shen Qinghuai's wine glass: "Then you need to be even more alert. She's still out there catching criminals. You need to take good care of things back home so she won't be worried. If you drink yourself into a stomach ulcer, wouldn't that just be adding to her troubles?"
"..." Sigh, Shen Qinghuai was persuaded by Manager Zhao, resignedly put down his wine glass, paid the bill, and went back to rest.
In the dead of night, he couldn't resist and made an overseas call.
In the United States, although Shen Wanming had completed the lithotripsy surgery, he had not yet expelled all the stones and was in excruciating pain. After listening to Shen Qinghuai's complaints for a short while, he immediately launched into a tirade against Shen Qinghuai.
Shen Qinghuai didn't know if he was a masochist or what, but after being scolded by his uncle, he felt much better. He hung up the phone and slept soundly until dawn.
*
At five o'clock in the morning, Qiu Xiaoman was already up.
She went to bed early and was well-rested, but couldn't sleep now, so she simply washed up, ate some biscuits, and then left the guesthouse arranged by the local police.
On a dark, overcast early spring morning, the north wind still carried the chill of winter, and the mountains behind me were hidden in the dim light, concealing countless secrets.
Perhaps it was intuition, or perhaps it was boredom, but in any case, Qiu Xiaoman wanted to go up the mountain to take a look.
She estimated the distance; it was 5:15, and the police were to assemble at 8:00, so she had enough time.
But should she bring the dog up the mountain? The dog is now officially registered; she can't just call it away. Otherwise, it would be considered disobeying orders and acting on her own.
After thinking it over, she decided to wander around the streets to see if she could find any pitiful little guys like Mango and temporarily form a team.
As I was walking, a figure approached from the opposite direction. Judging from its height, it was at least 1.8 meters tall, but it was thin and didn't seem threatening.
However, Qiu Xiaoman remained on high alert, just in case. Two minutes later, the person got closer and closer, and his features became clearer in the morning mist.
Qiu Xiaoman breathed a sigh of relief: "It's you, up so early?"
Wu Shirong was a little surprised. Looking at this energetic woman, he couldn't help but smile: "You're quite diligent too. Preparing to go into the mountains?"
Qiu Xiaoman looked him over curiously: "How did you know I was going into the mountains? Well, you came from the other side of the mountain path, so you've already been there?"
"I didn't know what twists and turns were in the mountains, so I got up early to take a look around and draw a detailed topographical map for you. But I didn't expect to find that my flashlight was out of power halfway there." Wu Shirong shook the flashlight in his hand.
Qiu Xiaoman laughed: "I thought you were a meticulous person, but I didn't expect you to not even bring a spare battery. Don't go back, I have one."
Wu Shirong smiled sheepishly: "I was in a hurry and didn't notice."
"Are you alone? Aren't you afraid of running into those robbers?" Qiu Xiaoman opened her canvas bag and handed over a pair of size D batteries.
Wu Shirong scratched the back of his head and said truthfully, "No, there's someone else."
As they were talking, Liu Xuezheng, who had lagged behind, stepped forward and said with a smile, "And me too." He explained helplessly, "I didn't want to come out at first, but Comrade Wu Shirong kept pestering me. Thinking about it, he's right. You're all from out of town, and you'll only know what's going on in this mountain after experiencing it firsthand. We just searched the mountain yesterday afternoon, so this area should be considered a safe zone, which is why I dared to bring you here. Once we're on the mountain path, don't wander off; stay close to me."
Qiu Xiaoman breathed a sigh of relief. She knew it! How could Wu Shirong, a weak scholar, dare to go up the mountain by himself? It turned out he had asked Liu Xuezheng, a native of the area, to be his guide.
Let's do it together. Three cobblers can outwit Zhuge Liang.
So the three of them walked up the mountain together. When they passed through a small alley, Qiu Xiaoman saw several stray dogs. She told the two men to wait for her, and then went up to the dogs alone and started communicating with them in dog language.
Liu Xue was looking at her excitedly, just like he had the night before on the bus.
Wu Shirong couldn't help but ask curiously, "Why do you always look at her like that?"
Liu Xuezheng smiled without saying a word, while Wu Shirong squinted suspiciously, but quickly figured it out: "Oh, I see, you wouldn't be thinking of recommending her to train military dogs, would you?"
Liu Xuezheng stopped laughing and rolled his eyes in disdain: "You think you're so smart? Don't leak the news, I want to give her a surprise."
Wu Shirong was both amused and exasperated: "I promise I won't leak a single word."
Liu Xuezheng then gave him a slightly more friendly look: "The army is short of some military dogs that are highly vigilant, obedient, and can cooperate with training. I still need to observe her further and may not recommend her. You must not let this slip out. If things don't work out, the young lady will suspect that I broke my promise and made empty promises."
Wu Shirong understood, nodded, and remained silent.
Soon, Qiu Xiaoman led the three stray dogs back to the two men. She assigned one dog to each of them and said with a smile, "Come on. These three are all experts in the mountains. If they behave well, I can take them back for some training and then hand them over to the police force in Yangquan County as official police dogs to assist in operations."
The three dogs wagged their tails excitedly, their eyes sparkling with longing for the braided... no, the meaty bones.
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