The elderly couple, Deng Mei and her husband, had some concerns before, fearing that Jiang Qiao wouldn't be close to Gu Zhengfeng and his wife after she returned, and even more worried that the child wouldn't be easy to take care of. But after getting to know her, they were relieved. As the saying goes, dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and a rat's son knows how to dig a hole.
Gu Zhengfeng and his wife are impeccable people. This child has taken after her parents and is a rare good child. She really didn't expect that this child, who grew up in someone else's home, would be so considerate and understanding.
Jiang Qiao finished chatting with Deng Mei and quickly got up to go greet the old man.
When Ma Liu and Qiao Jie woke up and didn't see Jiang Qiao, they weren't worried. The two old brothers brewed a pot of tea and waited for her while they drank it.
As soon as Jiang Qiao returned, she immediately had the two of them pack their bags and move.
"Oh, there are houses here?"
Jiang Qiao nodded. "This place is nice. Let's go home and stay here."
Qiao Jie and Ma Liu happily packed their things, while Jiang Qiao and Ma Liu carried them on their backs, and they strolled back home.
"It's really not far. If we had known this, we would have come directly here."
Jiang Qiao sighed and told the two people what she had been worried about. After learning the identities of the two comrades living in the house, Qiao Jie nodded.
"Yes, your father is a good man. Let's go and meet Mr. and Mrs. Li."
Qiao Jie was dumbfounded when he saw Jiang Qiao's villa, but he quickly figured it out. Gu Hanting was a landlord and businessman, after all. How could he have no wealth at all? Perhaps this was left to Jiang Qiao by the old man.
Ma Liu pushed open the courtyard gate with delight, exclaiming as he walked, "This place is great, and this house is great too. It's much more comfortable than a hotel."
Hearing voices outside, Deng Mei pushed open the door and came out. When she saw Qiao Jie, the old lady was stunned.
Although Jiang Qiao noticed that the old lady's mood was a bit off, since everyone was already there, she had to introduce them. "Grandpa Qiao, this is my Grandma Deng Mei, Grandma Deng, this is my Grandpa Qiao Jie, and this is Ma Liu, Grandpa Liu—"
Deng Mei could hardly believe her ears. The other person looked familiar, but she couldn't believe it. Now that she heard the name, there was nothing she didn't understand.
"Big brother, are you really my big brother?"
Jiang Qiao was stunned. Not only him, but even Ma Liu looked at Deng Mei in surprise. Then, as if he had thought of something, he excitedly pointed at Deng Mei, "You, you are Big Brother's little cousin?"
Qiao Jie couldn't believe it at first, but after looking Deng Mei over, he immediately became excited, "Girl, it really is you, you're not dead?"
As Deng Mei wiped away her tears, she said, "I'm all alone now. Everyone else in my family is gone."
Jiang Qiao quickly said from the side, "Grandpa Qiao, Grandma Deng, let's not cry. It's a good thing for relatives to see each other. Let's go inside and talk."
Qiao Jie rubbed his eyes. "Yes, the child is right. Sister, let's go inside and talk. I haven't seen you in so many years. Tell me all about it later—"
After everyone was seated, Jiang Qiao learned what had happened. Deng Mei's family had fled to Nanjing, and she had later married and moved to the countryside. The rest of the family had stayed in the city, and none of them had escaped the disaster except for her.
Qiao Jie sighed, "It's good that we're alive. Let's all try to live longer and make the most of their lives."
"The child is gone, that's it. Me too. That's why I adopted Qiao'er as my granddaughter halfway through life. Who would have thought that my brother and I would be so destined to meet again because of Zhengfeng and his daughter? It's not easy. I thought everyone in my family was gone. Fortunately, the two of us are still alive."
Ma Liu pressed on, "Girl, can you remember who I am?"
Deng Mei looked Ma Liu up and down, especially at his voice, which reminded her of something her cousin had told her.
"You, you're that Xiao Liu from back then? Didn't you go to the palace?"
Ma Liu gave a wry smile. "I say, auntie, that was a long time ago. Even the emperor is gone. How could I still stay in the palace? I would have left long ago."
"Not bad, not bad, you still recognize me. All those years playing with you guys when we were kids weren't wasted."
When talking about what happened back then, the three elderly people sighed and lamented for a long time.
"Grandpa Qiao, you all chat here. I'll go out and see if I can get some other dishes. It's rare for everyone to get together, and we all know each other, so we should definitely celebrate properly."
Deng Mei smiled and waved her hand, "Qiao'er, you won't be able to buy anything if you go out. At this time, the counter is probably empty. It's a waste of time to go there."
Qiao Jie disagreed, saying, "It's not right to just let the child sit there. Girl, go out for a walk. If you see anything nice, buy it. It's a good thing to broaden your horizons since you're here."
Jiang Qiao responded and went out with the basket on her back. She was familiar with this place and was sure she wouldn't lose anything.
And there are so many delicious things to eat. Just thinking about it makes her mouth water. Now that she has space, she'll buy more so she can keep some for herself. Who comes here every day for no reason?
Once she went out, there was no going back. Only Deng Mei was worried at home. The other two were already used to it. They had been missing for almost five months. How could they get lost in this place? The two brothers trusted Jiang Qiao more than anyone else.
"It's alright, the girl won't get lost. She's got plenty of energy, but she just doesn't gain weight. Sigh, she finally gains a little weight but then loses it all again."
Ma Liu sighed, "It's not easy for that girl. She's been running around taking care of us two old folks. Ever since she met Jiang Qiao, she hasn't suffered any hardship. No wonder she's not gaining weight."
Hey little sister, do you need my help?
Qiao Jie looked at Ma Liu in surprise, "You can cook?"
Ma Liu laughed, "Brother, what do you mean? If I, an adult, can't cook, I'll starve to death. How am I supposed to raise the children? I'm actually quite good at cooking. I even want to pass it on to our Qiao'er. After all, I've been in the palace for so many years, so I've learned a thing or two."
Qiao Jie slapped him irritably. "You brat, you can cook, so why do you still make me cook for you? If I had known this would happen, I would have brought you here. You go and help in the kitchen. Girl, you take a break and let this guy take charge of the cooking."
Jiang Qiao returned quite late; it was almost dark. She carried a basket of things on her back and her hands were busy as she walked in.
Upon seeing this, Qiao Jie and Li Youcai quickly stepped forward to help, "Girl, this is your Grandpa Li, he just got back from work—"
Jiang Qiao greeted him with a smile, "Hello, Grandpa Li. You're in for a treat today! I came across a small boat and bought all the things it carried. Come and see what good stuff I got."
Upon seeing what was inside, Ma Liuyi immediately became excited: "I've been waiting for this to be used as a main dish. Everyone wait, I'll make it."
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