This was a two-bedroom apartment, which was quite a remarkable house at the time. It had two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a north-facing balcony. Although it was only 60 or 70 square meters, you have to understand that in those days, ten or more people would be crammed into a single-story house of just over ten square meters. So this was considered a high-class residence.
It was clearly a bachelor's dwelling; things were scattered haphazardly, and it hadn't been lived in for a long time. Touching it would send up a cloud of dust that made people cough.
Qin Xiaoyu glanced at the messy blankets on the bed and could imagine the panic of their owner when they left. She felt a pang of sadness. If she had implicated Qi Si, would he have suffered the same fate?
There's no time to fuss over things right now; the more you think about it, the heavier your heart becomes, and you won't be able to get anything done. Qin Xiaoyu glanced at the two bundles Qi Si had just pulled out.
One bag contained her clothes, and the other contained the children's clothes; there was nothing else.
She had no choice but to take the quilt to the balcony, pat it for a while, and then come back to put it on the bed so her younger sister could lie down. Then she started cleaning.
The water pipes had rusted from being unused for a long time, and after running for a while, the water was yellowish before finally clear water came out.
The rag was readily available, but the bed sheet was so worn out that a strip could be torn off easily. After mopping the floor several times, the original red paint was finally visible.
Hanhan ran around helping, and the two of them worked for several hours until the house was clean enough to walk on, by which time it was already broad daylight.
She piled the homeowner's belongings on the balcony, saying that the person might not be able to come back, but what if they do? She couldn't just destroy their home.
The trash they needed to throw away was piled up at the door, but they were completely exhausted. The two of them were so tired that they lay sprawled on the bed, unable to get up.
"Son, are you hungry?" Qin Xiaoyu discovered something incredible in the house: a refrigerator.
In those days, very few households owned refrigerators. She opened the refrigerator door, and the contents started falling out, but upon closer inspection, they were all expired, except for a tin can of five-serving meat.
The best thing about this kitchen is that it has a brand-new set of tableware, all made of fine bone china from Jingdezhen. It seems that it's just for show, and the owner has never actually cooked for the family.
After washing three sets of dishes and chopsticks, Qin Xiaoyu tore open the edge of the tin can, cut it into several pieces with a knife, and called Hanhan and her younger sister over. She gave each of them two pieces.
"Mom?" Hanhan, who always eats very politely, didn't know how to start eating.
"Silly, eat up! You're starving, eat! If it's a little salty, just drink more water. Don't be so fussy."
Qi Si said it was safe here, so she would hide here for now. She needed to find a chance to go back and talk to her cousin's family, otherwise her cousin's wife would be worried sick.
She is currently unable to go out, so she has to ask her cousin-in-law to do the shopping and store large quantities of food.
Honestly, this shelter is much better than a barbershop. The building has running water and sewage, so you can stay indoors. If we could get a gas cylinder, it would be perfect.
"Mom, I'm not hungry. I'm afraid my little sister will be hungry." Hanhan hadn't had a sip of water all day, and her lips were dry, but she still insisted that she wasn't hungry.
"Mom, eat more." Hanhan sensibly divided half of the meat in her bowl.
"Mom's full too." Qin Xiaoyu put the food back in her bowl.
Ding ding ding.
Someone knocked on the door. A flicker of fear crossed Qin Xiaoyu's eyes.
Qi Si wouldn't knock on the door so politely. If others don't know her whereabouts, who is she?
The two children nervously put down their chopsticks, their eyes wide, holding their breath and remaining motionless.
She mustered her courage and walked to the door. The dilapidated door didn't even have a peephole. She pressed her ear against the door, listening intently to any sounds outside.
"Little Fish, it's me."
It was my cousin's voice.
Qin Xiaoyu hurriedly opened the door, and her cousin walked in carrying large and small bags.
"Brother, how did you know about this place?" Qin Xiaoyu finally saw a man from her family, and tears welled up in her eyes again.
“Qi Si came to our house, left an address, and left. We felt something was wrong, so we ran to the barbershop and found out that something bad had happened last night. It was so close! We were terrified.” My cousin said as he laid out the things.
Qin Xiaoyu glanced at it and thought, "This is too complete!" Rice, flour, oil, salt, vinegar, soy sauce, Sichuan peppercorn powder, MSG, sugar, and even fresh vegetables and fruits filled the refrigerator to the brim, meaning she could cook without leaving the house.
"These are noodles. If you don't feel like cooking, just boil some. There aren't many eggs, but I'll bring you more tomorrow. These are some dumplings your sister-in-law just made. She was in a hurry, so they only have vegetarian filling. She said you probably haven't eaten yet, so you and the kids should have a bite first. I'm getting rid of this garbage."
My cousin has a keen eye for things; he can tell from the pile of things by the door that they're going to be thrown away, so he carries them downstairs without a word.
“This luggage isn’t very thick, so please make do for now. Your sister-in-law said she’ll make a new one tonight and send it over tomorrow.” After finishing his work, my cousin was still worried, so he checked the plumbing, heating, windows, and doors again.
"Brothers, it's so good to have you guys. I feel relieved now," Qin Xiaoyu said, her eyes red.
"What are you saying? We've already said it, you're our own sister. If we don't care, who will?" The cousin was not used to socializing, and he blushed as he spoke, not daring to raise his head, but his words were true.
After seeing her cousin off, Qin Xiaoyu locked the door, then lay down with her two children in her arms.
The day was like a rollercoaster ride; she felt completely exhausted, but couldn't fall asleep no matter what she did in bed.
She heard strange noises as soon as she closed her eyes, which was due to her extreme nervousness. She tried her best to reassure herself, but her temples still throbbed with pain.
This is just the beginning; it's not over yet.
How could Bai Weiwei let her go so easily? She was only temporarily safe here; who knew when she would be found?
Qi Si is right, perhaps she should take the child and head south.
But what about Zhou Xing? Zhou Xing will come back. What if he comes back but can't find her?
And then there's Qi Si. If he gets involved with her, it could be fatal. He hasn't done anything wrong lately, but what about before? Who knows if he has a criminal record?
And yesterday he brought a hunting rifle, isn't that a contraband?
Qin Xiaoyu tossed and turned for a long time, unable to fall asleep at all.
The rain outside the window intensified. She reached out and touched her little sister's forehead; the fever had completely subsided. The head nurse said that it's best for children to have fewer IV drips; once the initial high fever subsides, they'll be fine and can be treated with medication at home.
That means she can stay home for now and think about her next steps.
The next morning, my cousin's wife came to visit. Judging from her panda-like dark circles under her eyes, she hadn't slept all night.
She was carrying a large bundle, and when she opened it, the contents inside had expanded a bit more.
There were two new quilts.
"You three can use this first. I'll make another one for my younger sister, but I'm too pressed for time to finish it," my cousin-in-law said apologetically.
"Sister-in-law, what can I say? You've already worked so hard, don't rush anymore!" Qin Xiaoyu said, taking her hand with concern.
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