Jiang Qiao was stunned when she saw what the little girl was holding. She took the earring from Huang Ying's hand and examined it carefully. If she remembered correctly, Song Shutian had also taken an earring like this before, saying that he was looking for his sister. Could it be that this little girl was related to Song Shutian?
She looked up at the little girl and said, "Sister, if you trust me, come with me. I'll give you food, and we'll leave quickly."
Before Huang Ying could even react, Jiang Qiao grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the black market.
Once they reached a secluded spot, Jiang Qiao inquired about the origin of the earring.
Huang Ying didn't hide anything from Jiang Qiao, "This thing belongs to my mother. She said it was a keepsake left to her by her mother, but for so many years, we still don't know where Grandma and the others are."
But my mother is sick, and not only do we have no money for treatment, we also have no food at home—”
"And what about your father? Who else is in your family?"
Huang Ying shook her head. "I have a younger brother at home, my mother is in poor health, and my father is in the army."
Upon hearing that he was a soldier, Jiang Qiao instinctively showed respect. "Come on, come home with me first. I'll bring some things with me. My grandfather and I know how to treat illnesses, so we can take a look at your mother—"
Jiang Qiao didn't say anything else. Huang Ying originally wanted to go back, but for some reason, Jiang Qiao led her back.
"Grandpa Qiao, I'm back—"
Upon hearing that his granddaughter had returned, the old man quickly poked his head out of the kitchen.
The old man was puzzled when he saw Jiang Qiao bring back a little girl.
"Qiao'er, who is she?"
Jiang Qiao sighed, "Grandpa, get some food over here. We'll go help out in a bit, and I'll let you know later."
Seeing the food the old man brought out, Huang Ying couldn't help but swallow her saliva. Putting aside the multigrain steamed buns, the dishes alone were so fragrant that they made her want to bite her tongue.
Actually, Qiao Jie didn't make any big meat dishes. The old man knew about health preservation and used the mushrooms that Jiang Qiao brought back to stir-fry the dishes, but he added more oil. Speaking of which, it was because the mushrooms tasted good. As for the chicken mushrooms, although he had never eaten them, he had heard of them. Ma Liu told him that this guy used to eat well in the palace, and even after he came out, he didn't skimp on himself.
Huang Ying was too embarrassed to just open her mouth and eat like that. Although she was very hungry, she still had basic manners.
"Sister, please eat. Eat as much as you like. Our family is doing well. Only when you are full can we take you to get treatment for your mother."
Qiao Jie had made a lot of food, so he figured Ma Liu wouldn't be able to come back. But just as they were about to eat, Ma Liu returned looking excited.
Seeing Huang Ying, Jiang Qiao paused for a moment, but then explained, "Oh, then you guys go ahead. Girl, I need to use those things in the kitchen. I want to replace those old things. Do we have enough?"
Jiang Qiao nodded. "Yes, we have as much as you want. We left it all outside and didn't bring it back. You can take everything from the kitchen. There are also quite a few under the bed in my room. Do as you see fit. We're going to treat someone in a bit, so hurry up and eat."
Before leaving, Qiao Jie packed several steamed buns made from two portions of dough, intending to give them to Huang Ying's mother.
On the way, Jiang Qiao inquired about Huang Ying's mother, her maternal family, and her grandmother's family.
The situation with her maternal family matches up, so this person is probably not bad. As for her paternal grandmother's family, Jiang Qiao could only sigh; every family has its own troubles.
Although Huang Ying's father was in the army, the wages he sent back were all in his parents' hands. There were many brothers and sisters in the family, and Huang Ying's mother was in poor health, so she was naturally not favored by her mother-in-law. As a result, the three of them did not receive any good treatment. In those times, their situation was predictable.
Fortunately, Huang Ying's family lived not too far away, just on the outskirts of the city, but still in the countryside. Fortunately, they had their own two rooms, so although they ate together, they did not live together.
Seeing Huang Ying's mother, Jiang Qiao couldn't help but want to cry. The woman was swollen all over and had a very big belly. Taking her pulse, it was clear that she was not pregnant, but the food she had eaten could not be excreted at all.
"Girl, let's get the acupuncture done—"
The woman was already in a daze and couldn't speak at all. While Jiang Qiao was giving her acupuncture as instructed by the old man, he also made sure to give her some medicine to aid digestion.
The old man handed the steamed buns he had brought to the little child who had been staying by his mother's side.
The little guy is so thin that all that's left are his big eyes and big head.
The little boy was somewhat flattered and unsure whether to accept the gift or not. "Sister—"
She looked at Huang Ying pitifully and said, "Take this and eat it. Grandpa gave it to me. My sister ate at Grandpa's house."
The old man took a packet of brown sugar out of the basket, added some water, and made a bowl for the little boy.
"Child, drink this—"
Sometimes, Qiao Jie felt that his granddaughter was a fairy sent from heaven. You know, as long as they needed something, this child could find a way to get it for them. There was a lack of everything outside, but their family had nothing.
The woman woke up quickly, but she seemed very anxious. Jiang Qiao told Huang Ying to quickly help her mother to the outhouse.
When the mother and daughter returned, both smelling terrible, Jiang Qiao gave the woman some sugar water and a few steamed buns.
"Auntie, don't rush to eat right away. Have Sister Huang Ying cook some porridge for you tonight. You really need to take good care of your health from now on. You can't keep doing this. Grandpa, come and take my pulse. I need to talk to Auntie about something."
"Thank you, thank you so much, you saved our lives!"
Although Song Chunyu was weak and powerless, her gratitude was genuine. If these two people hadn't arrived in time, she probably would have died within two days. If she had died, what would have happened to her two children?
Her husband was far away in the Northwest. She didn't want to cause trouble for him, so she always endured it herself. But in the end, both her husband's family and her own family thought she was a weak and easily bullied person.
Jiang Qiao sighed, "Auntie, you should know the saying 'a mother's strength is boundless.' If you were gone, it would be hard to say whether your son would survive. Not to mention Sister Huang Ying, there are already many people starving to death outside. If you were to die, it would be of no use to those people. They might even be able to find another wife for their son in the future."
Okay, let's get back to the main topic. Auntie, can I ask your biological parents what they know? Just tell me whatever you know.
Although Song Chunyu looked puzzled, since Jiang Qiao had asked, she told her everything she knew.
"I don't know my father's name, but I know his surname is Song. People used to call him Battalion Commander Song. I heard my adoptive parents mention my mother; her name is Fang Yun. As for where they are, I don't know. Back then, my family was fleeing and kept moving. We eventually settled here. I guess even if my parents wanted to find me, they wouldn't be able to."
"Girl, why are you asking me these things?"
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