Since no one was coming back, Jiang Qiao couldn't just wait for the old man to come back and eat cold food. Helpless, she locked the door and slowly made her way to the backyard. Good heavens, a full-blown fight was taking place there, and the scene was quite chaotic.
The neighbors in the courtyard tried to stop them, some hugging them, some blocking their way, and the older ones tried to persuade them. But even so, the people fighting didn't stop talking. Judging from their clothes, they were obviously poor people.
She didn't know this group of people, but she did know the people they were beating up. They were several young men from the Jiang and Wang families, all hot-blooded and full of vigor. She didn't know what the reason was for them to start fighting.
Seeing Jiang He and the others looking like pigs after being beaten up, Jiang Qiao actually thought that this look suited them quite well.
"Grandpa, don't stop me. These bastards, if we don't teach them a lesson, they'll really think we're helpless. Who knows how many more families they'll ruin in the future—"
Jiang Qiao still doesn't understand what happened. She only saw Wang Dahua, Niu Guihua, and Wang Dazhu and his wife protecting their son. Of course, these people weren't exactly well-behaved either. Niu Guihua and Li Meilan, in particular, used a variety of offensive insults, and even she had to shake her head when she heard them.
"Qiao'er, Qiao'er, come here. Don't go over there, or you'll get hit."
Chunming and Chunxia quickly came over and pulled Jiang Qiao aside.
"What's going on? What are they doing?"
Chunxia gave a bitter smile. "What else can we do but beat them up? They deserve it. They stole someone's pig. Who else should we beat up if not them? But someone has already reported it to the police. They should be here soon."
Jiang Qiao sighed, "They're incorrigible."
Before she could say anything more, the police arrived with their men, and all the assailants and victims were taken away.
Niu Guihua plopped down on the ground. "My God, how are we supposed to live like this? Our child has been arrested! Who's so heartless as to call the police? You're trying to kill my child!"
Jiang Qiao shook her head. This Niu Guihua is more trouble than she's worth.
Li Meilan was at a loss. She knew what it meant for her son to be taken away. If the charge was proven, her son's reputation would be ruined. Even though the three children were just having minor squabbles and nothing serious, what they did today could lead to jail time.
She pushed her husband hard, saying, "Hurry up and go over there. Talk to them properly. If they can compensate us, we will. We can't let the child go to jail, or his life will be ruined."
Coming to his senses, Wang Tiezhu ran out like a whirlwind. Wang Dahua pushed her daughter-in-law, saying, "Hurry up and go over there too. Shut up whatever they're saying. I'm going to find my in-laws."
Jiang Qiao shook her head behind everyone, walked to Qiao Jie's side, and took the old man's hand to walk back.
Qiao Jie sighed, "Tell me, what a mess this is. It's a matter of life and death. Stealing someone's pig, what were they thinking?"
Jiang Qiao then said, "Are you out of your mind? Let's go home for dinner. Where's Grandpa Ning? I don't see him."
Speaking of Ning Zhengtao, Qiao Jie got even angrier. "Don't even mention it. Your Grandpa Ning had his grandson go looking for him. He said the couple had a fight and he doesn't know if they'll be back for dinner. Save some for him, we'll eat first."
The grandfather and grandson were eating when Ning Zhengtao returned looking disheveled. Jiang Qiao suspected that he had gone out to work for someone, as he was covered in dirt and grime.
"What's wrong with you? Did you go to help your son-in-law with chores?"
Qiao Jie directly voiced his doubts, and Ning Zhengtao plopped down in a chair.
Exhausted, she said, "Don't even mention it. Those bastards! My daughter is so devoted to her in-laws, but in the end, she's the one who's to blame. I've been arguing with them for ages."
The old man rolled his eyes at him. "So, has your theory yielded any results?"
Ning Zhengtao gave a bitter laugh. "Do I look like I'm headed for a good outcome? My in-laws are nothing but shrewish women; you can't reason with them at all."
Sigh, this is my own daughter. I don't want to say anything anymore. That brat is driving me crazy.
You know, what's so great about that jerk? He's lazy and good-for-nothing, and she's still so devoted to him. Anyway, I told them I'm not going to care about anyone anymore, and that they shouldn't come here anymore. Do whatever you want.
I'm already struggling enough as a baby, how could I possibly care about their whole family? I'd be asking for trouble. I can barely take care of my own spouse, dreaming about them—"
Jiang Qiao brought water and told the old man to wash up quickly. "Grandpa Ning, have some water first and calm down. I'll get you some rice right away."
Ning Zhengtao was so moved that he didn't know what to say. He hadn't drunk a drop of water all afternoon at his daughter's house. Those bastards, how could they possibly care about an old man like him?
He doesn't want to care anymore, and he can't care anymore either. Now he relies on Qiao Jie and Jiang Qiao for his livelihood. If he cares about them, have they ever cared about the old couple?
Jiang Qiao brought in the food, and Qiao Jie sighed, feeling sorry for his old friend.
"You, from now on, don't go to any place that anyone calls you. They're either after your food or the little money you have. You just sit back and relax. If they have any filial piety, let them come on their own. Hurry up and eat. Qiao'er made vegetable pancakes, they smell delicious."
Ning Zhengtao sighed, "What kind of life do I have? I have a son and a daughter, but I haven't seen a filial daughter-in-law or a good drinker from my daughter. In the end, I still have to rely on that Jiang Qiao."
The old man smiled and said, "Then remember how good Qiao'er is to you. If anything happens to the child in the future, you'll have to help out. Hurry up and eat. You should go see your wife tomorrow."
"Oh, by the way, we're going to the countryside tomorrow. I'll have Qiao'er prepare some food and drinks for you later. You can just heat them up at home, or you can come over and eat there."
Ning Zhengtao waved his hand and said, "I'll take it back when it's ready. Otherwise, if no one is left in your family, why would I come here? Won't those people be staring at me longingly? I can handle heating up the food."
After dinner, Jiang Qiao studied a foreign language with Ning Zhengtao for a while. The old man could only tutor her so much, since he hadn't used it for so many years and had forgotten most of it. However, Jiang Qiao was just using him as an excuse and didn't expect to learn much from the old man.
She packed up the things for the old man and went back to her room to read the letters. The veterans in the compound expressed their longing for her and invited her to visit when she had time. They also thanked her, because thanks to Jiang Qiao's suggestion, those children felt a sense of belonging to a family, and so did they.
Upon opening Ning Hao's letter, the guy felt incredibly envious of others. He said that his roommates had received gifts from their fiancées, while he was the only single one. Seeing others receiving gifts made him feel particularly sad, and his classmates would tease him about it from time to time.
"Qiao'er, when you have some free time, could you make some more pickled vegetables? I feel bad always eating things people send me, but nobody sends me anything. You only sent one and then disappeared. I'm so pitiful now, nobody cares about me, and I can't even go home. My dear sister, please remember me if you have anything good in the future, please, please—"
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