Chapter 150 After He Zhao said those words, even though Grandma liked He Zhao very much, she couldn't help but feel...
After He Zhao said that, even though the old woman liked He Zhao very much, she couldn't help but fall into a common trap for people her age—she tried to educate He Zhao. She earnestly advised, "Boss, you're a good girl, and times have changed. It would be good for you to raise a child; it would give you a companion..."
He Zhao waved her hand: "Grandma, please don't try to persuade me. I will never get married or have children in my life." She took Qiao Yanyu's hand. Qiao Yanyu realized what she was going to do, but she did not stop her and let her hold her hand.
“Look, my partner is also a woman, and we can’t have children. Besides, what kind of companion is a child? Only your partner is a true companion. Even if I were heterosexual and found a man, I would only choose to be childless. Having children is impossible, absolutely impossible in this lifetime. Not to mention how difficult, painful, and arduous the process of pregnancy and childbirth is, I simply cannot bear the responsibility of having a child. I can only support my sister Qiao and me through life; let’s forget about everything else.”
"...Oh..." The old woman glanced at the two of them, momentarily at a loss for words. For her, two women together was still too much of a challenge. With the internet so developed these days, she knew about homosexuality in her past life, but she had never witnessed it firsthand and thought it was relatively rare.
Now that it's actually in front of it, it's actually a little hard to accept.
He Zhao wouldn't indulge her just because she was an old woman. It was one thing for the old woman not to lecture her, but now she was being lectured? He Zhao couldn't remain silent. She wasn't that kind of person.
"Besides, Grandma, what you said isn't convincing at all. If you didn't have children, you could enjoy your old age. Now that you've described your situation like this, no one will want to have children anymore."
He Zhao is absolutely right.
The old woman was silent for a while before asking, "So what exactly do you want to ask? You can't possibly be trying to rub salt in the wound, can you?"
He Zhao then remembered that he did have something important to do. He even put down Qiao Yanyu's hand and asked the old woman directly, "Grandma, before you became a ghost, were there any voices talking to you, saying strange things?"
"No."
The old woman answered decisively, so decisively that He Zhao even felt that she hadn't thought it through properly and was still arguing because he had just hurt her feelings. Although the old woman was mostly a kind-faced old lady, she could be quite stubborn at times, especially when she was angry with someone.
"Really nothing? Grandma, think about it again. It's something like 'I hate it so much, why me?'" He Zhao recited these two sentences with great feeling, even his voice became faint. This time, Grandma thought about it seriously for a while, and the answer she gave He Zhao was still: "No, nothing at all."
"After I died, I felt like I became a ghost not long after, and I was always in a daze, unable to remember anything. That day, while I was wandering around my house, I smelled a fragrance, and I followed that fragrance and kept walking until I found your stall and sat down here. I took one bite and I knew it was the taste of braised pork from the state-run canteen in my hometown. It always tasted the same. Later, I don't know how long I searched, but I could never find that same taste again."
"As for the voice you mentioned, there definitely wasn't one. This old woman remembers everything now, and remembers it very clearly. Hate is hate, but there's no need to keep repeating it. Just remembering it yourself is enough. Tell yourself that, and even if you don't hate, you'll feel hate. Otherwise, you'll just be making yourself miserable."
The old woman's words made perfect sense, but this proved that the Mud Ghost and the Child Ghost were indeed problematic. He Zhao noted down what the old woman said and decided to ask a few more guests the next day.
Qiao Yanyu couldn't wait until tomorrow night. After the old lady left, no other customers came. When it was time to pack up and go home, Qiao Yanyu stopped at the door and didn't go in. Instead, she told He Zhao to go to sleep first: "I'll come back to sleep for a while during the day. You rest first."
He Zhao knew he couldn't keep Qiao Yanyu, who was particularly excited at this moment, so he just nodded and said, "Then be careful on the road, and remember to call me if anything happens. Although I can't help much, I'm still of some use. If those ghosts don't want to tell you the truth, call me over, and they won't be able to resist my big bowl of white rice!"
"good."
He Zhao was still somewhat reluctant to part. The two of them stood at the door, and He Zhao leaned in. This time, she didn't even bother with her cheeks, but instead placed her lips directly on Qiao Yanyu's lips. Their lips and teeth were intertwined, their voices mingling. When they finally separated, He Zhao's voice was a little heavier.
"Come back soon, I'm waiting for you."
Qiao Yanyu agreed, then closed the door and walked straight out of the residential area.
The information Qiao Yanyu had just received from the old woman made her take it seriously. However, the claim of one ghost was not very convincing. Only by asking more people and having more samples could she prove how rare the mud ghost and the child ghost were, and how strange their existence was.
As she walked outside, she called Wang Yu, who was squatting in the countermeasures bureau, trying to persuade Xiao Hei.
"Xiao Hei, listen to my advice. You're not being abandoned; you're going to enjoy life. You have no idea how good the girl who's always with Senior Qiao is at cooking. If you go there, all the extra dishes your family makes—rib soup, braised pork, braised pork knuckle, roast chicken, beer duck…won't they all end up in your stomach?"
As Wang Yu spoke, she herself became tempted, and her mouth almost watered. At that moment, she even wondered why she wasn't Xiao Hei.
For an average dog, these things are definitely not safe to eat. Some are too salty, some contain chili peppers, and some even require beer in their beer-braised duck. But who is Xiao Hei? He has the blood of the Celestial Hound! Even ghosts can't kill this kind of dog, how could he be killed by these meat dishes?
Just as Wang Yu said, Xiao Hei used to enjoy a life of pure bliss.
At first, Xiao Hei scoffed, squatting in front of its doghouse, lying on the ground with its two front paws crossed, and snorting a few times from its nose, clearly looking down on what Wang Yu said. But Wang Yu was too sincere, and coupled with her greedy look, Xiao Hei also became greedy.
Actually, the food at the countermeasures bureau was pretty good, and the old lady at the security booth took care of it, often giving it treats. But compared to what Wang Yu had described, it was far inferior. Xiao Hei began to hesitate, thinking about whether it should go and stay for a few days.
Just then, Wang Yu received a call from Qiao Yanyu. Hearing what Qiao Yanyu said, she immediately agreed. After hanging up, Wang Yu grabbed Xiao Hei and headed out of the Countermeasures Bureau. Xiao Hei panicked and bit Wang Yu's hand a few times.
However, it was currently in the form of a puppy, and given Wang Yu's thick skin, its bite on her hand was no different than a tickle. Wang Yu ruffled the little black dog's head: "Stop fooling around, I'll take you to live a good life."
After Qiao Yanyu met Wang Yu, she saw Xiao Hei, whom Wang Yu had brought, and realized that she had forgotten to tell He Zhao about it. She thought for a moment and asked Wang Yu to take Xiao Hei back to her own home first, and then have Wang Yu bring Xiao Hei over after discussing it with He Zhao.
While the two women were engrossed in their work, He Zhao was fast asleep at home. When she woke up the next day, Qiao Yanyu still hadn't arrived home. He Zhao was a little annoyed; she scratched her head, hoping this matter would pass quickly. But the next moment, she received a text message from Qiao Yanyu.
Can we have another member in our family temporarily?
He Zhao was a little confused. She was trying to figure out who this member was, and Jiu Qing's image inexplicably popped into her mind. Could it be that he was the leader of an investigation team sent down from above, and because he had nowhere else to go, he was staying at their house temporarily? But He Zhao quickly dismissed the idea.
The Countermeasures Bureau is so wealthy; there's no way they wouldn't have the funds to book hotels for the investigation team members. Even if they're worried about intelligence leaks, renting a hotel directly would be more reliable than coming to their homes. Besides, Qiao Yanyu knows He Zhao doesn't like Jiu Qing, so there's even less reason for her to bring her along.
After ruling out Jiuqing, He Zhao wondered if it was Wang Yu. It wasn't impossible, for example, that Wang Yu's house might suddenly be flooded by her upstairs neighbor's. But thinking too much was pointless; it was better to ask Qiao Yanyu directly. So He Zhao replied to Qiao Yanyu: 【Who is this member?】
A while later, Qiao Yanyu sent a photo.
—It's Xiao Hei.
Little Black nestled in Wang Yu's arms, grinning foolishly at the camera. He Zhao knew Wang Yu too well; even without her face in the photo, he could recognize her by her clothes—the one holding Little Black was Wang Yu. However, the fact that Wang Yu's face wasn't shown proved that Qiao Yanyu was planning to take Little Black home, not Wang Yu herself.
He Zhao was somewhat surprised: "Why did you bring Xiao Hei back?"
Qiao Yanyu didn't hide anything from her and told her the truth: "I've been quite busy lately, and I might not be able to go out often at night. Also, someone is secretly following you, and I'm a little worried. Xiao Hei is very capable and more reliable than Wang Yu; it can protect you temporarily in our place. And whether you're out setting up your stall or at home, it can stay by your side."
Actually, seeing Xiao Hei's photo still made He Zhao a little scared. Xiao Hei wasn't an ordinary puppy; He Zhao had seen its real form—a huge dog, the kind that could swallow him whole. Having a dog like that at home made He Zhao a little uneasy.
However, Qiao Yanyu brought Xiao Hei home because she was worried about herself. Moreover, as the Countermeasures Bureau's guard dog, Xiao Hei's status is different from ordinary dogs; the Bureau definitely treats it like a treasure. Qiao Yanyu must have put in a lot of effort to bring Xiao Hei home.
If He Zhao rejects Qiao Yanyu's feelings at this time, he will feel sorry for Qiao Yanyu.
Besides, it's just a dog. As long as it doesn't turn into its real form, there's nothing to be afraid of. After thinking it through, He Zhao replied to Qiao Yanyu: "Okay, then bring Xiao Hei back. I'll go buy some groceries to appease Xiao Hei. Can it eat salt and stuff? I read online that many puppies can't eat heavy oil and salt."
It can eat it, it likes it, and it doesn't seem to bother it. It actually dislikes dog food, finding it tasteless.
Seeing this reply, He Zhao felt relieved and realized he didn't need to buy dog food separately.
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