Jiang Qiao didn't care. Accompanied by the street officials and police officers, she went back to Ma Liu's house and waited for the couple to return with the things.
Qiao Jie kept the two comrades company while Jiang Qiao quickly brewed tea and brought it over.
Inside the room, Ma Liu was pouring out his troubles to his two comrades with tears streaming down his face, and he didn't forget to thank Qiao Jie and Jiang Qiao in between.
“Look, my older brother brought his granddaughter all the way from out of town to see me. When they saw how miserable I was, they didn’t look down on me at all. They washed me up and treated my illness. Otherwise, you wouldn’t even be able to get into this house. I even peed and soiled the bed. I was thinking that I could never have my own children, so having an adopted son wouldn’t be so bad. I never expected that this heartless bastard would treat me like this. He’s not even as good as my older brother’s granddaughter…”
The more he talked, the more tears streamed down his face. If it weren't for Qiao Jie and the other man coming, he estimated that he would most likely have died in a latrine.
After hearing Ma Liu's words, both comrades felt uneasy. Becoming a eunuch was not Ma Liu's own choice; he was a victim. His biological parents wanted to find a way for him to survive, but his adoptive parents were unkind. Fortunately, Ma Liu was lucky; an older brother he had helped in his early years had come looking for him and wanted to take care of him in his old age and see him off in his final days. They felt they should lend a helping hand to such a kind and righteous person.
"Alright, Comrade Ma Liu, don't worry, we will definitely handle this matter for you. We will never let these two comrades be implicated because of your unfilial son."
Jiang Qiao sighed and said, "Grandpa Liu, please don't cry. It hurts us to see you cry. Just focus on getting better. We'll be there for you."
As everyone was chatting, Ma Congwen and his wife arrived with their belongings. Upon hearing that his things had been found, Ma Liu insisted on inspecting them himself.
Qiao Jie and the others felt it was unnecessary, but Jiang Qiao helped the old man sit down and showed him each item one by one.
"Grandpa Liu, watch out! If one thing is missing, we'll settle accounts with this bastard. We won't be done until he's in jail for three to five years."
Jiang Qiao knew what Ma Liu was trying to get back; those bottles and jars were all antiques that had come from the palace and were of immeasurable value.
After examining the grain register, Ma Liuyan asked, "Where is the grain?"
Ma Congwen cried and said, "Father, you've eaten all our grain, I'll give you money."
The old man was quite straightforward. He accepted the money at the agreed price and had everyone witness him sign a document severing his father-son relationship with Ma Congwen. From then on, the two of them were completely estranged. Of course, since everything was returned, he no longer pursued Yangzi's theft.
After seeing the two comrades off, Ma Liu looked at the things in front of him and smiled bitterly. "I have such a treasure, yet I'm living like this. Brother Qiao, I want to give these things to Jiang Qiao. Girl, don't refuse. Consider it my retirement expenses, along with this house."
Jiang Qiao had no intention of accepting them. Knowing the value of these things, she was even less willing to take advantage of their vulnerability.
Qiao Jie wouldn't take these inanimate objects seriously. "Girl, keep all these things. We'll talk about the house when we leave. We still need to treat your sixth grandfather's illness for now. These things used to be valuable, but now, I'm not saying they're worth more than a hundred or so pounds of grain. What's the point of keeping these inanimate objects? You keep them. Your sixth grandfather is giving them to you sincerely. Otherwise, he wouldn't feel at ease."
Jiang Qiao squatted down in front of Ma Liu with a complicated expression. "Grandpa Liu, I keep my word. Don't feel guilty. Just don't treat me like I treated my grandma."
Ma Liu held Jiang Qiao's hand and said, "Girl, your Grandpa Qiao told me about your situation. Don't worry, we're all buried up to our necks. We don't have any other thoughts. We just want to live a few more days so that someone can bury us when we die. Don't worry, no matter who tries to harm you, we won't."
Jiang Qiao readily agreed to accept these things. Ma Liu pointed to the space under his bed and said, "Brother Qiao, lift up the bed. There are some more underneath. I didn't put all the good stuff out because I wanted to leave myself a way out. I didn't expect that I would actually guess right."
"Girl, all of those are for you. From now on, Grandpa Liu will be counting on you."
Jiang Qiao was dumbfounded when she saw what was taken out. She couldn't imagine how Ma Liu had obtained these things.
"Sigh, don't even mention it. When the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded, the palace was in chaos. Rather than letting them loot everything, I decided to preserve it. Those were priceless treasures. Once they were gone, they were truly gone. Over time, I amassed quite a collection. Even with all those treasures, I'm still living like this. Anyway, I don't have many years left to live. I might as well give them to someone who knows their value."
Qiao Jie sighed, "You, you, I asked you to live with me all those years ago, but you wouldn't listen. Now look what's happened. If we hadn't come looking for you, you old geezer, you'd probably be dead and nobody would even know."
"Alright, I'll make the decision, girl. Put them all away. Whether you send them away or do whatever you want with them, it's up to you."
The old man didn't care how Jiang Qiao dealt with these things; once they were moved out, he couldn't be bothered with them anymore.
Jiang Qiao used the excuse of mailing it back to her, and took it away on a handcart. However, when she returned, she brought back a lot of food.
The old man didn't care. He would eat as long as there was food, and he wouldn't ask any unnecessary questions. Anyway, he had figured it out. His granddaughter might be young, but she was very capable. Look, even in this unfamiliar place, she was thriving. So he stopped worrying and just focused on taking care of her and living a good life.
In the days that followed, the old man also taught Jiang Qiao how to perform acupuncture and pulse diagnosis. Jiang Qiao hadn't shown off her skills much before, but after the old man examined her, he exclaimed that he had met a genius.
Even Ma Liu was happy for the old man. "Brother Qiao, you don't make a move until you take on a genius disciple. You've only just started, but the needles are already working so well. I can feel it now."
Jiang Qiao looked at Ma Liu with surprise and delight, "Grandpa Liu, you really have a feeling?"
Ma Liu smiled and nodded, "That's right, girl, I'll be relying on you two for good fortune from now on."
After Jiang Qiao finished learning, he said to the old man, "Grandpa Qiao, you stay at home and keep Grandpa Liu company. The food is ready in the kitchen. I'll go up the mountain first. If there's any game, great. If not, I'll gather medicinal herbs."
Qiao Jie didn't stop Jiang Qiao; the temperature here was suitable, and gathering herbs wouldn't be a problem. However, he still handed her a packet of insect repellent, saying, "Go and come back soon—"
She went out and asked around before heading straight to the nearby mountains. She thought she would be all alone, but to her surprise, there were quite a few people on the mountains at this time of year. Some were hunting, others were digging for wild vegetables and bamboo shoots. It seemed like life wasn't easy for them either. Fortunately, the temperature here was good. Compared to the frozen north, the people here were quite fortunate, at least they still had wild vegetables. Back in her hometown, there was absolutely nothing left, and she could only wait for spring.
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