Surprisingly, Zhou Yueren, who seems dull-witted, is quite clever when it comes to food. There are many talented people in the army, and she knows how to make good use of them.
This young soldier from Sichuan had only so-so skills, just a superficial understanding, but the whole table of people still ate until they were sweating profusely.
"Not bad." Commander Zhou pushed the bowl away and picked up a white towel to wipe his sweat.
"It's nowhere near as good as Qi Si's!" Zhou Yue pouted and complained as the young soldier left.
"You child, people are here to help, and you're still finding fault!" It has to be said that although the Zhou family dotes on Zhou Yue, Zhou Xing's mother is very rule-abiding in her upbringing and cannot cross the line. It is because of this that Qin Xiaoyu felt at ease entrusting the two children to her.
"To be honest, Qi Si's store is definitely better," Zhou Yue muttered to herself.
"What kind of person is Qi Si? You should stay away from him!" Zhou Xing's mother was furious. But then she realized it was inappropriate. She had also heard some things about the relationship between Qin Xiaoyu and Qi Si. She smiled awkwardly and turned to take care of her younger sister.
Qin Xiaoyu didn't take it to heart. Although the Zhou family was somewhat arrogant, they were genuinely kind to the two children. She wasn't the kind of person who was petty or nitpicky.
My little sister's piano lesson wasn't finished yet, but the melodious sound of piano music drifted down from upstairs, with Zhou Xing's mother keeping her company. I must say, my little sister is very talented; she's already playing quite well.
Hanhan is learning English upstairs; Commander Zhou found him a tutor. Zhou Yue is preparing fruit for dinner in the kitchen.
In a daze, Qin Xiaoyu suddenly felt that this place had become home. She went up to the balcony and could see the two-story building of the hairdressing school.
As dusk approached, the lights in the small building came on.
A premonition flashed through her mind: she might be leaving soon. This thought startled her. Could it be that she had found a new investment opportunity? Her life had been a chaotic mess lately, and she had lost her sense of direction. It was time to calm down and regroup.
"That's just how my mom talks, don't overthink it." Zhou Xing saw Qin Xiaoyu standing alone on the balcony in a daze and couldn't stay calm, so he came over to explain.
"Why are you still acting all scorpionish? They've been so good to me, like family." Qin Xiaoyu blinked after saying that, then added, "Poor relatives from the countryside."
Zhou Xing had just taken a sip of water when he spat it all out. He coughed for a long time before finally staring at Qin Xiaoyu and saying, "You know what? I've always been curious about you. Who exactly are you? Why are you different from other people?"
“Because I am not a person of this world.” Qin Xiaoyu blurted out, intending to tell the truth.
"Come in and have some fruit," Zhou Yue called out loudly from the living room toward the balcony.
She has been doing everything in her power to break up Zhou Xing and Qin Xiaoyu, never giving them time alone.
Qin Xiaoyu walked over cooperatively, while Zhou Xing, still unsatisfied, glared fiercely at Zhou Yue.
"Stay here tonight," Zhou Yue said, forking a slice of watermelon and handing it to Qin Xiaoyu.
“That’s right, don’t go back. Your little sister misses you too. Let’s sleep together tonight.” Zhou Xing’s mother led her little sister downstairs.
The little girl was wearing a white dress with pink flowers. Her hair had grown out and was tied into two small braids, each with a bow the same color as her dress. She broke free from Zhou Xing's mother's hand and rushed to Qin Xiaoyu's side, clinging to her, but she didn't say a word.
"You're so heavy! What treats did Grandma give you?" Qin Xiaoyu asked, feigning surprise. Zhou Xing's mother, as expected, fell for it and immediately gave him a kind, motherly smile.
"Mom! I'll recite a passage for you!" Hanhan had grown quite a bit taller and was wearing a navy blue shirt. Qin Xiaoyu knew that this was the most fashionable children's style at the moment, and the Zhou family really did their best for their two children.
Hanhan's pronunciation was standard, and he recited the poem fluently, earning applause from the whole family. He blushed with pride and buried his face in Qin Xiaoyu's arms, refusing to look up.
"A real man should stand at attention!" Commander Zhou suddenly blurted out.
With a conditioned reflex, Hanhan snapped to attention, turned around, and saluted in one smooth motion.
"This child has developed a refined demeanor from being with her uncle." Qin Xiaoyu looked at Hanhan with genuine affection, and even though she was her own child, she couldn't help but praise her.
Commander Zhou smiled smugly, as if he were praising his grandson, not Qin Xiaoyu's son.
That night, Qin Xiaoyu slept in the upstairs guest room. The two children came out after taking a bath and jumped around on the bed, very excited.
"Stop fooling around, come lie down, or you won't be able to sleep." Qin Xiaoyu turned off the light and pressed the two naughty children down.
"Mom, Grandpa Zhou said I can go back to school in September." Hanhan carefully observed Qin Xiaoyu's complexion by the moonlight streaming through the window.
"That's what Mom was planning too, it's a good thing." Qin Xiaoyu smiled slightly. She had just seen her younger sister's expression, and she didn't seem to have any reaction to the impending separation from her brother, which truly made her feel relieved.
Zhou Xing's mother was a great help; she replaced Hanhan and became another person that Xiaomei could trust.
The more things are like this, the less you should break them. Qin Xiaoyu silently reminded herself.
The two children have a fulfilling day and fall asleep quickly. Qin Xiaoyu, however, is wide awake; she's been preoccupied with worries lately.
Knock knock. There was a light knock on the door. Qin Xiaoyu's heart pounded; she knew who it was.
She didn't want to answer the door, but Zhou Xing was persistent, knocking incessantly. The whole building was quiet at night, and each knock seemed to pound on Qin Xiaoyu's heart.
Hanhan turned over, murmured a few words, and fell into a deep sleep again. Qin Xiaoyu dared not wait any longer, so she rolled out of bed and tiptoed to the door.
"The children are asleep, stop knocking!"
"Come out here for a moment, I have something to say." Zhou Xing was very stubborn.
"I'm not going out! What would it look like if people saw us?" Qin Xiaoyu was no less shrewd, and the two of them started arguing.
"I have something very important to tell you. If you don't come out, I'll keep knocking."
Qin Xiaoyu still lost; she had too many weaknesses.
Zhou Xing led her through the corridor and out through a small door. Suddenly, a sky full of stars appeared before their eyes. It turned out that a platform had been built on the left wing of the building, instead of a pointed roof.
Qin Xiaoyu took a deep breath; the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers. She loved the starry sky, a luxury in the 21st century, something she could enjoy to her heart's content in the 1980s. But now was not the time. Alarm bells rang in her mind, and her expression turned serious.
"Don't give me that look, I'm not looking." Zhou Xing was wearing a white shirt, the hem tucked into his baggy military trousers.
It has to be said that he has a powerful presence; even Staff Officer Zheng couldn't pull off these baggy, shapeless pants. But Zhou Xing wore them and still walked the runway in Paris.
"Speak quickly, the children will come to me when they wake up!" Qin Xiaoyu knew that Zhou Xing cared a lot about the two children, so this was the best shield.
“You are very smart.” Zhou Xing shifted his gaze from the starry sky to Qin Xiaoyu.
Qin Xiaoyu was initially calm and composed, but after he looked at her, she immediately felt uneasy. She couldn't explain why, but she felt waves of heat, her lips were dry, and her heart was pounding like a drum.
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