The person Jiang Qiao saw was none other than Shen Ruifang, a friend from her past life whom she had met in the city. She knew Shen Ruifang well; her family was all gone. Logically, there was no reason for her to run to this place.
Besides, why did the couple separate? What is this guy doing here?
Gu Zhixuan didn't know Jiang Qiao's background, so he presumptuously explained, "Maybe she's just visiting relatives. After all, it's almost Chinese New Year, there's nothing strange about it."
Jiang Qiao was even more curious because it was almost Chinese New Year. She didn't see Zhou Yu with Shen Ruifang. Why were the couple out and about instead of staying at home for the holiday? Especially considering their current identities, Jiang Qiao was worried.
However, she couldn't bring herself to say it, so she could only wait until she got back and find some time to visit the two of them.
By the time they returned home with their bags and packages, it was already afternoon.
The key issue was that they didn't know whether Gu Hanting and his group had returned to their hometown or were still in the county town. Since there were no cars available at this time, Jiang Qiao and the others headed straight for their home in the county town.
They hadn't even gotten home yet when they ran into acquaintances on the way. Everyone who knew Jiang Qiao greeted them warmly.
It seems like the treatment wasn't this high before; even Qiao Jie and the others could feel everyone's enthusiasm.
Those who were familiar with them even grabbed Jiang Qiao and the others' hands and said thank you directly.
“We didn’t know before, but now we do. Without you, our county would have been lost. Jiang Qiao, you saved our lives. If you ever need anything, just let us know.”
Jiang Qiao was a little unaccustomed to this enthusiasm, and it was only after a long time that she returned to their tenement.
When Li Meilan saw Jiang Qiao return, she jumped high and ran towards the backyard, not forgetting to announce as she ran, "Jiang Qiao is back, Uncle Qiao and the others are back."
In the courtyard, all the people who weren't at work suddenly appeared, and Qiao Jie looked at them with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
"I said, neighbors, there's no need to be so enthusiastic. We're all neighbors."
Li Meilan and the others quickly helped the old man and his family carry their luggage. "Oh, Uncle Qiao, you can't say that. We didn't know before, but now we do. It turns out that your Jiang Qiao has been doing them such a big favor."
They did more than just help; they practically saved the entire county.
Tell me, how could we not be grateful? The county and the street have both issued documents saying that we should learn from Jiang Qiao. It's just that you weren't home and didn't know about this.
You have no idea how proud we are to be your neighbors.
Zhu Lin chuckled and chimed in, "That's right. I really didn't know before. My goodness, our little Jiang Qiao has done such a big good deed."
"Girl, I heard you did something great! You're the pride of our compound; even the leaders came over."
Jiang Qiao bowed to everyone shyly, "Gentlemen and ladies, thank you for your praise. I don't think I've done anything extraordinary. I'm still Jiang Qiao, still the girl you all call me. We'll be the same as before, okay? Come on in and sit for a while."
As soon as Gu Hanting reached the courtyard gate, he heard an unusually lively noise coming from the courtyard. He was overjoyed. Without a second thought, he knew that the reason everyone in the courtyard was out chatting so enthusiastically was probably because his granddaughter had returned.
Sure enough, the old man came running in carrying his things. "Jiang Qiao, Brother Qiao, Liu Zi, Zhi Xuan, haha, we've been waiting for you all to come back—"
Jiang Qiao and Gu Zhixuan turned around and rushed towards Gu Hanting, "Grandpa, why didn't you go back?"
Seeing his eldest grandson and granddaughter, Gu Hanting was overjoyed. He patted one's head and pulled the other to look at them.
"Grandpa was worried about you all. He kept writing to say he was coming back, but there was no news. So I came to check on you every few days. Today, since we were collecting rations, Zhihong and I came to help you get your food supplies. I never expected that you would come back just in time."
"Everyone, don't stand in the yard, it's so cold! Come on, come inside and sit down!"
With so many people suddenly arriving, the room with the kang (heated brick bed) was bustling with activity. Jiang Qiao and Gu Zhixuan were busy starting a fire, serving tea and water to everyone, and taking out the fruits and snacks they had brought back to entertain them.
Even though everyone lives in the same courtyard, they don't usually visit each other like this. Even during the New Year, they just come over to say hello, and those who are close will sit for a while.
"Come, come, everyone, have some hot tea. These snacks are ones we brought back. Everyone, please have a taste. Don't be shy. You usually save these for the children, but today, we adults should also have a taste."
Qiao Jie and Ma Liu warmly invited everyone to eat.
Li Meilan held a pastry in her hand, and after taking the first bite, she exclaimed repeatedly, "My goodness, how can it be so delicious? You know, people in big cities really know how to eat! We're so lucky to be able to eat pastries like this today because of Grandpa Qiao and Jiang Qiao. Wow, this tastes amazing!"
Li Meilan's words made everyone burst into laughter. "If you can say it's delicious, it must be really delicious. You have the most discerning palate in our compound."
Li Meilan chuckled dismissively, "So what if it's delicious? It's still in my own stomach, not benefiting anyone else. I'm just a glutton."
Jiang Qiao smiled and brought out dates and peanuts for everyone. "Auntie, I absolutely support your hobby. If you eat well, your health will naturally improve, saving you money on medicine. Life is not easy, so you can't mistreat yourself."
Li Meilan liked to hear this. "That's right. Look, even Jiang Qiao agrees with me. From now on, everyone should learn from me."
Her words drew laughter from everyone. "I think that's a good idea. From now on, let's not treat ourselves badly."
Most people were more curious about how Jiang Qiao had helped the police solve the enemy spy case.
Everyone in the family knows about this, but they can't tell the truth, so Ma Liu has acted as their spokesperson this time.
"Oh dear, it's not easy for the child to have done this. That's why we say our Jiang Qiao is so daring. This girl is young and doesn't know the intricacies of things, but she remembers one thing: she can't let any problems arise among our neighbors."
And so, we helped the police solve the case. Oh dear, because of this, our child almost lost his life.
When this happened, we didn't dare to say anything, for fear that those bad people would continue to seek revenge on our girl.
Anyway, we'll have to rely on everyone to help keep an eye on things from now on. Everyone in our yard and the surrounding area, young and old, please keep a close eye on things. The child did a good deed without expecting anything in return, but we can't let bad people retaliate, can we?
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