"What illness? Have you been discharged from the hospital yet?" Qin Xiaoyu panicked as soon as she heard this.
“I had a history of pneumonia, and I caught a cold in the winter, which flared up again. I’m discharged from the hospital now and I’m waiting for you at home.”
The courtyard was covered in a blanket of white snow, and Qin Xiaoyu felt as if she had traveled through time, from the bustling city of Guangzhou to the Northeast. She couldn't help but admire the vastness of China.
Her family was waiting for them in Building 4. As soon as she entered the house, Hanhan and her younger sister hugged her. Holding the two children, Qin Xiaoyu's heart was full.
Because Commander Zhou had been hospitalized, Zhou Xing's mother looked much more haggard, and her hair had turned even whiter. Qin Xiaoyu hugged her tenderly; their relationship had become entirely that of mother and daughter.
"Why isn't your belly showing any signs of pregnancy? Let your brother-in-law take your pulse." Zhou Yue was concerned about something else.
“Let’s not rush into having a baby. Xiaoyu was sick recently and is too weak. She needs to recuperate for a while. Also, her work intensity is too high, and it would be very difficult for her to get pregnant.” A Lei took over the conversation directly. It was better for him to say it than for Qin Xiaoyu to say it herself.
If Qin Xiaoyu dared to say she didn't want children yet, she would be attacked by everyone.
Commander Zhou was afraid of catching a cold, so he didn't go downstairs. When Qin Xiaoyu entered his room, he was leaning against the headboard, drowsy again.
Three years have passed since Qin Xiaoyu first visited the Zhou family and gave him a haircut. He has aged considerably, and his once gray hair is now snow-white.
Life was not kind to this old man.
"Little Fish, you're back." Commander Zhou remained vigilant; his years as a soldier had kept him on his toes.
"Big Brother, you've lost so much weight." Qin Xiaoyu's eyes reddened as she pulled Zhou Commander's thin arm over.
"It's nothing, just a minor illness. I'll recover in a few days. You're not leaving, are you?" Commander Zhou asked, still worried.
"I'm not leaving for now." Qin Xiaoyu didn't dare to tell the truth; she wasn't sure what to do next.
"New Year's Day is just around the corner, and after that comes the Spring Festival. Can you leave after the New Year?" Commander Zhou said earnestly.
"Okay." Qin Xiaoyu could only tell a white lie for now. She briefly told Commander Zhou about the situation in Guangzhou, only reporting the good news and not the bad. Seeing that Commander Zhou was getting more and more tired, she tucked him in and got up to leave.
"Don't listen to your grandma, you can arrange things however you want. You don't need to stay here. This whole family can take care of us without you having to worry about them." Zhou Xing's mother was very considerate, afraid of being a burden to Qin Xiaoyu.
"Mom, don't worry, I'll take you with me wherever I go." Qin Xiaoyu saw Zhou Yue peek out from the room and wave, so she quickly went over.
The three chubby boys slept in three cribs, and they had all grown quite a bit.
"Sis, I brought you imported formula. If you don't have enough milk, just feed her. Don't just focus on increasing your milk supply. You're not a dairy cow. Are you really going to throw away your figure?" Qin Xiaoyu looked at Zhou Yue's potbelly and worried.
"Look at you, your brother-in-law doesn't mind me, but you're criticizing me!" Zhou Yue pinched her angrily.
"Sister, the situation over there is not good. The shop is losing money every day now." Qin Xiaoyu was able to tell her the truth.
"What's going on? Aren't you selling anything?" Zhou Yue was a little flustered.
“Our brand is stuck in the market; we have to change. Master Liang is staying in Guangzhou to learn. I wish you could go too,” Qin Xiaoyu sighed.
"How can I leave? This whole family is in trouble." Zhou Yue was also in a dilemma. It's a completely different story for women to pursue their careers compared to men; there are many obstacles.
Qin Xiaoyu went around and returned to A Lei's room, where Hanhan and her younger sister were unwrapping gifts with A Lei.
A Lei really put in the effort, buying them over a dozen gifts, all of which were carefully selected.
"Next time I'll take you to Guangzhou, we can go to Oriental Paradise, there are lots of water attractions." A Lei was making a wish.
“Alex, I’ve been taking care of Laifu while you’re not home,” the younger sister said proudly.
"Thank you." Are patted her head.
"Alex, the game console is broken. Lisheng broke it, so now neither of the two grandpas can play it," Hanhan complained.
"How did it break?" Are asked curiously.
"Brother Lisheng rented out the game console to his classmates. They hid in the yard, and when they realized the two grandpas weren't there, they immediately ran into the house, charging five cents per minute." The little sister eagerly recounted what had happened.
"Oh my god, Sister Xiaoyue is going to be furious again." Qin Xiaoyu said, both amused and exasperated.
"When Grandpa found them, he chased after them and slipped and fell on the grape trellis. Godmother was so angry that she cried, and Uncle beat Lisheng," Hanhan said seriously.
Qin Xiaoyu felt that Lisheng was Zhou Yue's tribulation. Perhaps Heaven felt that she had received too much and wanted to arrange some hardships for her.
“If Lisheng enters the business world in the future, he’ll be an extraordinary figure. I think you can show him how your shop can make a profit.” A Lei said half-jokingly, and Qin Xiaoyu swung a cushion and hit him.
"We have class tomorrow, so we're going back to sleep. Goodnight, Mom. Goodnight, Alex." Hanhan pulled her little sister up and said goodbye to them.
"Goodnight, sweethearts. I'll deliver your gifts tomorrow." Qin Xiaoyu kissed each of them and saw them to the door.
Laifu and the cake actually followed the little sister away.
“They’ve all become sensible,” Are said, speechless.
"What do you mean?"
"Not suitable for children." A Lei hugged Qin Xiaoyu. From boarding the plane to getting home, they hadn't been alone for more than twenty hours. It felt like they had been apart for a very long time.
"This is where I feel safe, like home." After saying that, Qin Xiaoyu ran over and checked the door again.
"Where is your sense of security?" Are chuckled.
"Am I afraid the children will barge in?" Qin Xiaoyu sniffed, deftly stepped past A Lei, entered the bathroom, and locked the door behind her.
"Let me in."
"No!" Qin Xiaoyu deliberately provoked him.
"You're about to shout..."
"Go ahead and shout!" Qin Xiaoyu retorted defiantly, but she was guilty. Just as she quietly turned the lock, A Lei burst in.
The small space was filled with a surge of adrenaline.
"I have an idea." It was late at night when A Lei and Qin Xiaoyu lay down on the comfortable bed.
"Speak quickly before I fall asleep."
“I think the education system in Northeast China is too backward. Hanhan is a very smart child. It would be unfair to keep him here and would limit his development. Should we send him to study abroad?”
"Actually, I've thought about it too, but ever since Zhou Xing's accident, Hanhan has been Da Da's everything. If we send him away, my younger sister and I might not have too much of a problem, but Da Da wouldn't be able to handle it. Let's talk about this slowly."
“You always overthink things. Adults are easy to deal with, but children only have a few years to grow up. You should think it over carefully,” A Lei said with dissatisfaction.
Qin Xiaoyu hugged him tightly; this stepfather was quite qualified.
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