When it was time for dinner, everyone returned, and Building 4 was bustling with activity. Today was Zhou Xing's mother's suggestion to give the chef a day off and have everyone cook for themselves.
The women in the family, apart from Qin Xiaoyu and Zhou Yue, are all skilled at housework and efficient, and they quickly prepared a large table of dishes.
"Hurry up and drink the persimmon wine. It's been open for so many days, it'll spoil if you don't drink it soon." Zhou Xing's mother wasn't worried about the wine, but she was afraid that her daughter wouldn't get to drink any because Qin Xiaoyu could drink some.
Old Ge, carrying a wine jar, filled each bottle to the brim, even giving some to the children. Just as things were getting lively, the door opened, and Grandma Hanhan, covered in dust and dirt, walked in.
Everyone fell silent. Sister-in-law Ge had been here for a few days and had also seen this old woman who seemed out of place among the others. She guessed that something was wrong, but she didn't know what it was.
Grandpa Hanhan got anxious and got up to chase after them.
"These pickled vegetables are Xiaoyu's favorite. I haven't sent any over lately, afraid you'd run out." Grandma Hanhan placed a bowl of ginger-flavored vegetables on the table with trembling hands. This was indeed Qin Xiaoyu's favorite; it was quite a surprise that she'd seized such an opportunity to strike up a conversation.
Everyone remained silent, waiting for her to leave on her own. But this time, Grandma Hanhan had come prepared; she showed no intention of leaving.
She pulled a dirty handkerchief pouch from her pocket, opened it, and inside was a pair of small socks.
"This is for Xiao Zichen. Xiao Yu, please send it to Shanghai for me and tell them it's from Grandma."
This was a ruthless move, and Qin Xiaoyu couldn't hold back anymore. She and Tang Wenwen had a deep bond, and the thought of how heartbroken Tang Wenwen would be if she came home one day and saw her mother unable to sit at the table made her unable to bear it.
"Sit down and eat," she said with a sigh.
Grandma Hanhan felt like she had been granted a pardon. She didn't dare go back to her original spot and ran to the end of the table to sit down. There were no bowls and chopsticks, so she hurriedly got up and fetched a set, afraid of being chased away. Her smile was stiff.
"Come on, let's eat." Commander Zhou quickly woke everyone up, and everyone raised their glasses.
"It's Zichen's birthday, and Zhengxin's birthday is coming up soon too, right?" Zhou Xing's mother smiled broadly as she looked at the baby in her fourth sister-in-law's arms. The baby was chubby and fair-skinned, and absolutely adorable.
"Mom, that's right, my lunar birthday is coming up soon," Qi Si said with a smile.
"Let's have a first birthday party. It's a big deal for a child's first birthday."
“Okay, please invite everyone over then. We’ll set up a few tables at the hotel,” Qi Si said readily.
"I'll find you two longevity locks later; I still have some pure silver ones," the wife said generously.
"We don't need the locks anymore, we already have several. Madam, how about a silver bracelet? The one with the gemstones from last time is the best." Fourth Sister-in-law didn't stand on ceremony at all.
"Okay, I'll have Xiaoyu deliver it to you later." The lady didn't give Xiao Si's sister-in-law any face.
"Are you asking for this for yourself or for the child?" Qi Si couldn't stand it anymore.
"I want them all! Just give them to my daughter-in-law later." Sister-in-law Xiao Si stuck out her tongue, making everyone laugh.
"I'm not going to make it in time for Xiao Zhengxin to get married," the wife sighed.
"Madam, please take good care of yourself. You might need to help Xiao Zhengxin take care of her child in the future," Qin Xiaoyu quickly tried to cheer her up.
"My wife has been walking much more steadily lately, and sometimes she doesn't even need a cane," Tang Hu's mother said proudly, also for Hanhan's grandmother to hear.
"You still need to use a walking stick, it's always good to be careful," Zhou Xing's mother said hurriedly.
The family was chatting happily, and Qin Xiaoyu had drunk some persimmon wine and felt a little tipsy, but for some reason she felt that A Lei was unusually silent.
Knock, knock, knock. Someone is knocking on the door.
It's quite unusual for guests to come at this time. Everyone is here, even Grandma Hanhan is in the house. Who is it?
Qi Si walked to the door, looked out the window, opened the door, and asked, "Who are you looking for?"
"Looking for my brother." The person who came was a girl, with a crisp voice.
Qin Xiaoyu glanced at him and immediately noticed that Wang Jian's expression was off.
She walked to the door, and Qi Si had already stepped aside, allowing a slender girl to enter.
The weather wasn't warm yet, but she had already changed into a light shirt—a nylon jacket that was tattered and dirty, with lots of tiny fuzzy fibers. Her trousers were the same material, very baggy, but the hems were rolled up, revealing a section of pink lined pant legs.
The Warrior sneakers looked to be at least size 40, and were so dirty that the original color was no longer visible.
"Meimei, what brings you here?" Wang Jian mustered his courage and walked over.
Qin Xiaoyu recognized her as Wang Jian's sister. This girl had betrayed information when they went to his house to look for someone last time.
"Brother, they beat me up and I have nowhere to go," Wang Meimei said pitifully.
"What have you done now?" Wang Jian said coldly.
"I really didn't do anything, it's just that the house was too crowded, they hated me, so they kicked me out." Wang Meimei lowered her head.
Everyone knew a little about Wang Jian's family situation; they knew he was very poor, had many children, and his parents didn't take good care of him. Since Wang Jian moved in, he's been very sensible and polite, and everyone likes him very much.
Zhou Xing's mother couldn't sit still any longer and called out, "Come and eat first."
"No need, come out with me." Wang Jian said, pulling Wang Meimei up forcefully and rushing out the door.
Qi Si and Qin Xiaoyu could only return to the table, exchange a glance, and both felt uneasy.
During the Spring Festival, Qi Si asked Wang Jian to bring a bunch of nutritional supplements home to visit his parents. He didn't mention that Wang Jian had been adopted as a godson, but only talked about the money he earned by working part-time and studying, because he was afraid that Wang Jian would forget his roots.
If a person forgets their roots, they are no different from livestock.
But seeing Wang Jian like this is a bit worrying.
After a while, Wang Jian finally returned, his face gloomy. He didn't say anything, but sat down and ate his meal in large mouthfuls. Qin Xiaoyu, with her sharp eyes, noticed a scratch on his hand. Could it be that the two brothers had gotten into a fight outside?
"You eat your food." Xiao Jin, who was sitting diagonally opposite Wang Jian, suddenly put a piece of meat on his plate, clearly in support of him. Wang Jian sighed.
"Did your sister go home?" Qi Si asked.
"She's back. It's alright, godfather. She won't dare come again." After saying this, Wang Jian noticed Qi Si's expression and shut his mouth.
Wang Jian used to watch TV for a while after dinner every day, but today he went straight home.
Qin Xiaoyu originally wanted to go upstairs and talk to A Lei as soon as possible, but seeing that Qi Si's expression was not good, she gave him a look and went out with him.
"I'm going to talk to him tomorrow. What I hate most is ingratitude. No matter what, she's his sister. He eats well and dresses well, but his sister can't even go back to her home. How dare he kick her out!" Qi Si said, holding his breath.
"His girlfriend is no pushover either; she asked us for a kickback last time. I guess he was just looking out for us." Qin Xiaoyu recounted what had happened last time, and Qi Si's expression softened.
"Then let's ask. Anyway, I can't tolerate heartless people." Qi Si escorted Qin Xiaoyu to Building No. 1 before turning back.
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