"Alright, alright, you're our hero!" Hearing that the stationery store was doing well, Chen Niannian was temporarily relieved.
"Let's go to the store and take a look!" Li Mengmeng said happily.
"Mengmeng, Mengmeng." The three of them were just about to go to the store when they heard the voice of Li Mengmeng's mother, Zhou Yan.
Looking in the direction of the sound, one could see Li Mengmeng's father, Li Guoping, and mother, Zhou Yan, waving excitedly as they approached.
"Dad, Mom!" Li Mengmeng hadn't seen her parents for a long time, and her eyes immediately welled up with tears when she saw them.
"Mengmeng has lost weight and gotten darker, my darling, you've suffered so much." Zhou Yan hugged her daughter tightly and said with heartache, then glanced at Chen Niannian, "Niannian too, you two have really suffered."
"This is a good experience. Although it's tough, both children seem to be in good spirits. It's a good opportunity for them to grow," Li Guoping said with a smile, comforting Zhou Yan.
"Come on, Niannian, Wenjing, let's go to Auntie's house for lunch. Auntie has prepared lots of delicious food," Zhou Yan warmly invited.
She prepared a lot of good ingredients two days in advance, filling the refrigerator to the brim, just waiting to give Li Mengmeng a good nourishing meal today.
“Auntie, Niannian and I aren’t going. My mom is waiting for us at the shop. Today… Niannian has to go back to her house,” Chen Wenjing stammered.
"Oh, I see. Okay, you guys go ahead with your work. We're taking Mengmeng home." Li Qiugui and Li Mengmeng had already told Li Guoping and his wife about Chen Niannian's background and why she was living in their house, so when Zhou Yan heard Chen Wenjing's words, she knew something was up, so she didn't press the matter further.
"I want to go to the store before I leave." Li Mengmeng didn't want to go home just like that.
"I'll tell you about it tomorrow." Chen Niannian's good mood vanished instantly when she heard that her aunt was going to send her back to the Chen family. She was also a little confused, so she sent Li Mengmeng away first.
"Okay then, remember to tell me about it tomorrow." Li Mengmeng reluctantly left with her parents.
On the way to the stationery store, Chen Niannian spoke first: "Cousin, you'll be starting school soon too!"
"Yes, school starts the day after tomorrow, but I have plenty of time. I'll come to the shop often and check on you two while I'm at it," Chen Wenjing said earnestly, looking at her.
"Big cousin, why did Auntie send me home?" After thinking it over, Chen Niannian decided to try to find out from Chen Wenjing first.
Chen Wenjing had already received instructions from Li Qiugui, so she told the truth, "As soon as you arrived at my house, my mother called my uncle and said that you were staying at my house and wouldn't go back home yet. She would stay at my house to discipline you, and my uncle agreed."
“My mom wanted to wait until you and your uncle calmed down before sending you back. But it’s been almost a month now, and it’s not good for you to stay at my house for so long, after all, you still have your father…”
As she spoke, Chen Wenjing couldn't continue. What difference did it make whether that father existed or not?
As they were talking, they arrived at the shop entrance. It was early in the morning and there weren't many people around. Aunt Liu and Li Qiugui were sitting inside the shop when they saw Chen Niannian and Chen Wenjing coming from afar.
Compared to Aunt Liu's beaming face, Li Qiugui's expression was more indifferent.
"Aunt, I don't want to go back." Chen Niannian got straight to the point.
"Oh no, why are you sending Niannian back? There's no place for her there. She'll just get beaten up again!" Aunt Liu immediately became anxious when she heard Chen Niannian say that.
“Don’t worry, Niannian. Your aunt doesn’t want to send you back either, but you’re still so young. There are many things I can’t do for you. After all, he’s your father. Let’s go back and apologize today. From now on, you can live at school. If you don’t want to go back, you don’t have to. We’ll wait until you get into university…”
Li Qiugui was conflicted. On one hand, she genuinely liked Chen Niannian and wanted her to be happy. On the other hand, she had come to understand over the years how difficult it was for a child without parental protection to survive outside. She still wanted to try to repair the relationship between the father and daughter.
Chen Niannian was quick-witted, and as soon as Li Qiugui said that, she seemed to understand immediately. So she looked into Li Qiugui's eyes and nodded obediently.
Li Qiugui sighed softly, as if Chen Niannian had read her mind.
As they returned to the Chen family home with her aunt, Li Qiugui asked gently as they got out of the car, "Did you remember what your aunt said?"
"I've got it."
They knocked on the door. "Who are you looking for?" A strange woman opened the door and came out.
Chen Niannian looked at the young woman wearing a floral shirt, blue cloth pants, and a thick braid.
The young woman was about twenty years old, with a long face and narrow eyes, but her youth gave her a unique charm.
I don't know him/her...
She turned to look at her aunt again, who shook her head. Chen Niannian then looked at the front door, confirming that she hadn't gone to the wrong door.
"Who are you looking for?" The young woman asked impatiently, looking at the two unremarkable-looking people outside the door. She wondered if they were just like the country girl who came looking for Chen Niannian a few days ago, here to freeload.
"I am Chen Niannian, and who are you?"
"I don't know any of these Chen Niannian or Cao people. Why are these strange people coming to me lately?" The young woman suddenly felt that the name "Chen Niannian" sounded familiar.
"Cao Yujiao came here?" Chen Niannian keenly heard the word "Cao" and remembered that Cao Yujiao must have discovered something, which was why she came to find her. So she grabbed the young woman's arm and asked excitedly, "Are you talking about Cao Yujiao? When did she come here?"
"Ouch, you're hurting me! Let go! Where did this crazy girl come from? I'm going to call for help!" The young woman struggled fiercely.
"What's going on? Lotus, who are you talking to at the door?" Zhang Xinyue's familiar voice came from behind the door.
"Aunt Yue, I don't know these two people. They're holding onto me and won't let go. Please come and save me!" the young woman cried out as soon as she heard someone approaching.
"Xinyue, it's me, Qiugui. I've brought Niannian back." Li Qiugui called out quickly upon hearing Zhang Xinyue's voice.
"Oh, it's you, sister-in-law! This is Li Hehua, just call her Hehua. She hasn't been here long and doesn't know anyone yet, so don't be angry. Come in quickly." Zhang Xinyue walked over quickly, her face full of smiles, and hurriedly let Li Qiugui into the house, without even glancing at Chen Niannian.
Chen Niannian was too lazy to talk to her and continued to hold Li Hehua's arm. "My father is Chen Bangrui, the male owner of this place. I don't care who you are. If you don't answer me, believe me, I'll hit you."
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