Qiao Zhen then put the hamster down, saying, "You're smart to know what's good for you."
"Who is Zhenzhen talking to?" A rough-looking old man pushed open the door and walked in, craning his neck to see who Qiao Zhen was talking to.
Qiao Zhen saw the three characters "Commander Qiao" above the man's head and knew that this man was her adoptive father. "Dad! I was just talking to Chu Chu."
"Chu Chu? Who is Chu Chu?" Commander Qiao made a move to draw the gun from his waist.
Qiao Zhen remained completely unmoved, even wanting to laugh a little. "Dad, Chu Chu is my pet hamster." She held the hamster in her hands, proudly presenting it to Qiao Dashuai, "Isn't it cute?"
Qiao Dashuai said casually, "Hmm, yes, very cute." He looked at Qiao Zhen with a vacant gaze, hesitated several times, and rubbed his hands, not knowing what to say.
Qiao Zhen looked at the triumphant Qiao Dashuai outside, now lewdly fawning over her, and found the scene utterly disgusting. She withdrew her hand from in front of Qiao Dashuai's eyes, saying, "Dad, just say what you want to say."
"Zhenzhen," Commander Qiao said, carefully choosing his words, afraid of touching on Qiao Zhen's sensitive feelings. "Aunt Yun is just someone who serves Father; you don't need to make things difficult for her."
Qiao Zhen placed the hamster on the leather sofa, her previous playful expression vanishing completely. "Dad, you said yourself that Aunt Yun is just someone who serves you. So why are you going to all this trouble to speak up for her in front of me? Do you know what the servants are saying? Even Biya, who serves me, has started asking me, 'Aren't you afraid of falling out of favor one day because you go to Aunt Yun's place every day?'"
"Ask yourselves honestly, one is a concubine brought back from outside, and the other is the legitimate daughter who has been wielding power in the Marshal's mansion for eighteen years. Is it that they can't distinguish who is the master and who is the servant? Or has Father's heart already turned away?"
General Qiao was filled with unbearable shame. Qiao Zhen was the bloodline of his wife, who had given her life for him, and yet he was the one who had wronged her without even realizing it. He twisted his hands, stroking his dark green military trousers. "Zhenzhen... it's all Daddy's fault. Please forgive Daddy, okay?"
“Father, Mother has been gone for a long time. You only mingled with women from brothels for my sake, wasn’t it just so you wouldn’t take a wife and would be afraid they wouldn’t treat me well? But you’ve seen it yourself, as long as your heart still dotes on me, it doesn’t matter who you marry. The most important thing is that you like her.” Qiao Zhen said very understandingly.
Her words brought tears to the eyes of this grown man, Commander Qiao.
"Zhenzhen has grown up, she's really grown up." Commander Qiao was both moved and gratified. He had been both father and mother to Qiao Zhen, raising her from infancy, and this was the first time Qiao Zhen had been so understanding of his hardships. "Zhenzhen, what you just said wasn't just to make Daddy happy, was it?"
“Yes.” Qiao Zhen’s eyes scanned Qiao Dashuai like a machine gun. “I never knew that my father had suffered so much to raise me.”
General Qiao felt like a fool; all his previous emotions had been wasted.
"Dad, you should go back first, lest rumors spread that General Qiao and his only daughter have fallen out." After saying that, Qiao Zhen took his book and the little hamster to the outer room to eat.
Even though Qiao Zhen was being so willful, Qiao Dashuai still grabbed a fluffy shawl and followed behind her, saying, "Zhenzhen, it's okay to be angry, but don't hurt yourself."
"Hmph ╯^╰" Qiao Zhen let out a haughty laugh, causing Qiao Dashuai to abandon all his principles.
"If you don't like Aunt Yun, your father can just send her away. She's not worth all this trouble," Commander Qiao coaxed cautiously.
Qiao Zhen didn't really intend to send Aunt Yun away, since the mission target hadn't been sent over yet. Her expression softened, "Father, you don't need to send Aunt Yun away for my sake. If you're going to send her away, it should be in three years. If Father sends Aunt Yun away, and I have to go to Y Country in half a month, wouldn't Father be very lonely?"
"No matter how lonely I am, I can't let Zhenzhen suffer," Commander Qiao said firmly. He had pampered his daughter for over a decade; how could he allow her to be criticized by others because of a concubine? "I will discipline the servants in the house, especially that maidservant of yours. What's her name again? 'Biyang'?"
"squeak."
[A bizarre, cheap father.]
"..." Sorry, although the character setting doesn't allow it, she really wants to laugh, what should she do? "Her name is Biya."
The maid brought over the congee with preserved egg and lean pork. Qiao Zhen picked up a spoon and scooped up the congee. She blew on it a few times before stuffing it into her mouth, which made her pant as it was too hot.
"Zhenzhen, let it cool down a bit before you eat!" Commander Qiao watched as the porridge, still steaming hot, went into Qiao Zhen's mouth, and his heart leaped into his throat.
Qiao Zhen disagreed. She gave a thumbs up and praised, "Dad, you don't know, I was so sick of eating bread in Y country, there was no rice there."
General Qiao felt extremely distressed. He was a grown man with little education; he had only risen to power through banditry. But he couldn't bear to see Qiao Zhen being talked about behind his back because of him, so he could only send Qiao Zhen abroad to study.
He didn't expect Qiao Zhen to learn anything; his only goal was to give her the title of "returning from studying abroad." He didn't want his daughter to be looked down upon by others and blame him in the future, so he had to harden his heart and send her abroad.
But at this moment, General Qiao regretted it. Even though he was seriously injured on the battlefield because of a wrong decision, General Qiao, who had learned his lesson in time, was now filled with regret.
“Zhenzhen, why don’t we not go? Even if you stay at home, no one will dare to say anything. Besides, your father got his place in the military because of his gun and his courage. You shouldn’t have to suffer because of others.” General Qiao said in a very handsome and domineering manner. It would have been even better if he hadn’t been so fat and his voice wasn’t so rough.
Qiao Zhen put down her spoon, hugged her adoptive father's arm, and said coquettishly, "Daddy~ I heard that Aunt Yun has another son. Can I take him with me to Y Country?"
General Qiao then changed his cautious demeanor and said seriously, "Zhenzhen, although we are rough men, we don't lay a hand on children."
"Dad, what are you thinking! I just want Aunt Yun to experience the pain of being separated from her own flesh and blood. Why can she take my father away, but I can't take her son away?" Qiao Zhen said with a unhappy expression, as if she was really angry because she couldn't stay by Qiao Dashuai's side, while Aunt Yun could.
Although the original owner was spoiled and arrogant, she had her own bottom line and principles. She could nitpick at Aunt Yun, but she never made things difficult for children. It wasn't because her remaining kindness prevented her from abusing children, but because she disdained dealing with them.
Regardless of what kind of person the original owner was, and regardless of what Commander Qiao thought of the original owner's personality, as long as it benefits Qiao Zhen now, that's fine. Commander Qiao hesitated for a long time without agreeing.
Qiao Zhen persisted, "At worst, you can give me more money, and I'll hire someone to take good care of him, okay? I promise to take him to Y country unharmed and bring him back unharmed, isn't that enough?" But no matter what she said, Qiao Dashuai remained silent and refused to give in. "Dad~ you used to indulge me in everything, have you stopped spoiling me? I feel so wronged~"
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