The five-year-old child was rescued a few days ago and is still hospitalized with his family. The two people specially bought fruit to visit Sun Qi, who acted bravely, at the hospital today.
Gratitude was evident on both of their faces, tears streaming down their faces. The man in the gray down jacket, his lips twitching, stared at Jiang Shuya with tears still flowing, and said earnestly, "Thank you for your generosity, kindness, and selfless help. We are deeply grateful and will never forget your kindness. Words cannot express our gratitude. It is thanks to you that night that my son escaped the clutches of those people and returned to his family. You are my son's lucky charm, his angel. To express our gratitude, please don't think the promised reward money we previously announced is too little."
After saying that, he unzipped his clothes and took out a wad of cash from his inner pocket. The person next to him followed suit, and the two of them handed over the money.
Jiang Shuya panicked upon seeing this and retreated repeatedly, waving her hands and saying, "If I were doing this for money, I wouldn't have done it. As long as the children are alright, that's all that matters. I won't accept this money. You can keep it. It's your responsibility to take good care of the children and raise them with care. I also have children myself and know how difficult and expensive it is to raise them. A gentleman loves money, but he earns it in a proper way. Although I am a woman, I understand this principle well."
Officer Luo, who was standing nearby, nodded approvingly.
Seeing that she wouldn't accept the money, the two men were at a loss and both turned their gazes to Officer Luo.
Officer Luo said, "Ms. Jiang, this is their private thank-you gift to express their gratitude for your generosity. You can accept it; it's neither against the rules nor illegal."
Jiang Shuya said calmly, "Thank you for their kindness and gratitude. I appreciate it. They are all ordinary families, and life is not easy for anyone. Their child encountered criminals and went through a brush with death. Now that the ordeal is over, they should cherish life even more. Let's cherish every moment!"
After saying that, Jiang Shuya stopped talking to them and ran across the street without looking back.
I got home very late at night and was surprised not to hear the old man snoring. I glanced into the main room and saw that the blankets on the bed were empty. He was indeed not there. He must have gone to the mahjong parlor again.
It was freezing cold outside, and the wind was biting. Jiang Shuya closed and locked both the front and back doors, checked them carefully, and then went upstairs to rest.
She slept terribly that night, plagued by nightmares. In her dreams, she was haunted by demons, seeking to kill her, choking her and threatening to suffocate her. Suddenly, she awoke with a start. She could faintly hear knocking on the door and shouting. Listening closely, she realized it was the old man knocking. Jiang Shuya glanced at her phone—two in the morning. A strange resentment welled up inside her, yet she tossed and turned, unable to get up. She buried her head in the covers and murmured: "Knock! Knock! Knock as hard as you can! Let you experience the chilling feeling that cuts to the bone."
The knocking outside grew louder, perhaps because the old man had turned over and entered the yard. However, the door to the main house was locked from the inside. No matter how much he shouted and pounded on the door, Jiang Shuya ignored him and actually fell asleep to the rhythm of the knocking.
She woke up to find it was already bright outside, and the sky was clear and sunny. She felt exceptionally cheerful. She stretched her neck, twisted her waist, put on her clothes, and went downstairs. The front and back doors of her apartment downstairs were locked from the inside, and the room was dark. She pulled the lock, and the door opened. A biting cold wind rushed in, making her shiver.
At this moment, the old man rushed out of the storeroom in the backyard, shivering as if he had been hit by frost. His face was red from the cold, and he said angrily, "I knocked on the door for so long last night, didn't you hear me? Why did you lock the door when you came back? Who told you to close and lock the door?"
Seeing the old man's pained expression, Jiang Shuya instantly understood. It turned out he had spent the entire night in the storeroom. A strange smile crept across her face, and she deliberately said, "Really? Dad, you spent the whole night in the woodshed in the backyard yesterday? When I came back yesterday and you weren't there, I thought no one was home, and I, a young woman, was a little scared, so I locked all the doors. Don't you usually play mahjong all night? Why are you back in the middle of the night? That's not like you!"
The old man coughed several times, his lips twitching. He pointed at Jiang Shuya, his anger blazing: "You couldn't hear me when I was knocking so loudly? You didn't answer my calls. Are you doing this on purpose? You're making a huge fuss! Didn't your parents teach you to respect the elderly and care for the young? Is this how you treat your elders? Do you even have any respect for me as an elder?"
Jiang Shuya said indignantly, "My phone was on silent, so I didn't hear it. As for your knocking, I really didn't expect you to come back in the middle of the night. And you keep saying you're my elder, do you think you still act like an elder? Have you ever thought about whether I have the ability to fight a thief if I don't lock the door and a thief breaks into the house? I was just protecting myself."
The old man was speechless, as if his legs were frozen stiff. He subconsciously bared his teeth and pulled his mouth shut, his eyes glaring with hatred: "You're talking nonsense. How could there be a thief in the house? You're just making up an excuse."
Jiang Shuya couldn't help but find it laughable. This family was truly naive and despicable. Not only were they simple-minded, but they also made excuses for their lack of ambition. They were simply wasting food by living like this.
Seeing that his legs looked frozen, she said in a low voice, "Next time you're coming back in the middle of the night, let me know in advance. Who knows what time you'll be back? And I just don't understand, aren't you tired after working all day? Do you just have to go to the mahjong parlor?"
The old man seemed to be pulled back to his senses, and said angrily, "I just like this, what's it to you? You're really going too far, interfering in my business."
Jiang Shuya snorted coldly and said loudly, "Did I care about you? Why are you so agitated? You'd rather not eat, sending your entire monthly salary there, neglecting to even eat at home. You eat at home often, don't you? Why don't you give my mother any living expenses? Are you planning to wipe out all the debts we have?"
Upon hearing this, the old man glared angrily and rebuked, "I ate your food, I depended on you for support! Didn't I go to the mahjong parlor for the sake of this family? To win back what I lost before. Coming back in the middle of the night yesterday was an accident. I had no money on me. I wanted to win back my losses, but the mahjong parlor owner refused to lend me any money. What was I doing there if I had no money on me!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shuya's brows furrowed, her heart trembling with anger. She gave a cold laugh, thought for a moment, and said in a trembling voice, "You are utterly hopeless. Talking to you is a waste of my time."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com