Qin Xiaoyu thanked Captain Chen and walked out looking dejected.
It was drizzling again outside, quickly wetting her hair and face. Everything else was fine; her biggest worry was Qi Si.
When Qi Si got into trouble last time, his henchmen immediately started causing trouble. This time, the matter is so big that they'll probably all step aside. Qi Si has so many enemies; how can he protect himself in there?
Qin Xiaoyu was willing to spend money to help him, but she was afraid no one would dare to accept the money. He used to have a lot of friends, but now that the tree has fallen, the monkeys have scattered, and they have long since cut ties with him.
By the way, last time we asked Aunt Wang to help deliver the things. It's good to send something in this time too.
Qin Xiaoyu turned into the nearby grocery store and bought a bunch of good cigarettes and alcohol.
Her attire was already quite eye-catching, and she spent money so lavishly that she was quickly recognized by the female sales clerks. The young woman in front of them was none other than the currently popular figure, Widow Tang.
They deliberately dragged their feet, refusing to issue a receipt, and brazenly eyeing Qin Xiaoyu, making vulgar jokes as if she were a prostitute who could be teased at will without any regard for her self-esteem.
Qin Xiaoyu suppressed her anger. Now that she was in a subordinate position, she had to bow her head and not cause any more trouble, she repeatedly told herself.
She was finally released, and as she went out, she vaguely heard the word "red bellyband," but she had no idea what it meant.
The things were heavy, and she was a little out of breath after carrying them upstairs. When she opened the door, she was taken aback to see Tang Wenwen and Wang Lei playing with Hanhan and her brother.
"Why are you here?"
"My niece is sick, can't I even come to see her? I bought a can of peaches so that my niece could escape this ordeal." Tang Wenwen picked up a small bowl from the table, scooped out a piece of yellow peach, and brought it to Qin Xiaoyu's lips. She didn't say anything, but her eyes reddened.
"I don't like eating this." Qin Xiaoyu dodged away.
"You have to eat it whether you want to or not!" Tang Wenwen shoved the spoon forward domineeringly, and Qin Xiaoyu had no choice but to obediently eat the peach.
Tang Wenwen has always been a boisterous and carefree person, not one to fuss over details. Today, she came to do this superstitious thing and even seriously fed it to her mouth. Qin Xiaoyu knew that this girl was really scared.
"You're home?" Needless to say, this was Tang Wenwen's main source of information.
"I heard it from my sister-in-law, and it scared me to death. You have no idea how crazy those old widows can be. If you fell into their hands, they would really tear you apart," Tang Wenwen said with lingering fear.
"Second Prince, why are you here too? Your presence here will affect your mother, won't it?" Qin Xiaoyu deliberately called him Second Prince, so that Zhou Xing would stand between them, preventing him from acting rashly.
"What impact would it have? If I announced that we were dating now, I'm afraid Zhou Xing's mother would calm down immediately, it's just that you're not willing." Wang Lei gave a wry smile.
"What a terrible idea!" Qin Xiaoyu said, amused and exasperated.
"What a terrible idea! I just don't understand, am I that much worse off? You wouldn't even bother using me if I could help you get through this," Wang Lei said defiantly.
“That’s not what my sister-in-law meant. She’s a principled person and wouldn’t take advantage of anyone.” Tang Wenwen understood Qin Xiaoyu best.
"How's school?" This was Qin Xiaoyu's biggest concern. It felt like she was sending her own child away to be fostered, but she couldn't even see him.
“The school is probably okay, but my mom comes home very late every day, and she’s in a bad mood when she gets home. My dad is very careful around her; he doesn’t even dare to watch TV. As soon as my mom comes into the house, my dad starts cleaning, washing dishes, and mopping the floor,” Wang Lei said with a worried look on his face.
Qin Xiaoyu and Tang Wenwen both laughed, not entirely without feeling right, after imagining what was going on.
"Stop laughing, it's true, our house is a minefield. There's a minefield at every turn. The other day when I heard that Qin Xiaoyu had been arrested by the neighborhood committee, my mom was furious and wanted to go pick you up right away. If my dad hadn't stopped her and called to confirm, I'm afraid my mom would have stormed into your neighborhood committee to demand her return."
"Aunt Wang has such a strong temper." Qin Xiaoyu's eyes welled up with tears. So many people wanted to protect her. Her life had been worthwhile.
“You have no idea how awful the rumors are. They say your clothes were stripped off and you were still wearing red…” Wang Lei slammed on the brakes, and Tang Wenwen kept giving him meaningful glances before he finally noticed.
"Red what? Tell me!" Qin Xiaoyu asked, recalling what she had just heard at the grocery store.
"Say it, you're so talkative, but now you won't say it!" Tang Wenwen rolled her eyes at Wang Lei.
"You were wearing a red silk bodice with fish playing among lotus flowers embroidered on it..." Wang Lei blushed.
"Holy crap!" Qin Xiaoyu was dumbfounded. This rumor was terrifying. Were they going to film "The Plum in the Golden Vase" or "The Jade Futon"? And a red bellyband too? The imagination of the people is truly boundless.
"What the hell do you mean?" Wang Lei's focus had wandered off.
"It's nothing, just an interjection to express surprise." Qin Xiaoyu couldn't corrupt teenagers, so she had to cover it up.
"Sister-in-law, you should hide here for now. It'll probably take some time to find you. We'll also come less often to keep it a secret. You should also stay home as much as possible. Wang Lei drove here. We'll go out to buy some more supplies for you later." Tang Wenwen began to plan. She then beckoned Hanhan over and pointed to the door, saying, "Hanhan, don't open the door to strangers, remember?"
"I've got it!" Hanhan nodded solemnly.
"You're a man, you have to protect your mother and sister."
"Yes." Hanhan stood up and gave a military salute, but quickly lowered her hand, her eyes dimming.
Qin Xiaoyu felt a pang of pain in her heart. The child was missing Grandpa Zhou. Sigh.
After seeing Tang Wenwen and the others off, Qin Xiaoyu reorganized the things she had bought and packed them into a large cloth bag.
The younger sister had been following her around the whole time, and she assumed she was just trying to get some food, so she didn't think much of it. It wasn't until she finished packing her things that the younger sister nudged her arm and handed her a small note.
The note had two words written crookedly: "Grandma".
Qin Xiaoyu sighed and hugged her younger sister. How could she explain? Her sister was too old to listen to explanations; she just wanted to see her grandmother. Where was her grandmother, who loved her the most?
It was a consensus between Qin Xiaoyu and Zhou Xing's mother not to let their younger sister learn to write. If they allowed her to learn to communicate in writing, it would further hinder her ability to speak.
Therefore, Hanhan and her younger sister were always educated separately in the Zhou family. Hanhan had a private tutor upstairs who taught her to write, learn English, and study astronomy, geography, military science, mathematics, and physics. Commander Zhou wanted Hanhan to learn everything he could think of. Hanhan accepted everything without hesitation and learned everything she was taught.
My younger sister doesn't learn anything except music and sheet music.
Now, my younger sister has somehow managed to write the words "Grandma." You can only imagine the immense willpower that took. But what can Qin Xiaoyu do?
When her request was rejected, the younger sister began to cry silently again.
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