Chapter 180 That was also his grandmother.
Zhang Chunxue added water to the mixture, saying, "Who knows? Maybe Zhong Chengfa and his wife can't even afford to eat themselves!"
As Zhou Mingli dried Zhong Hongqing's hair with a towel, she couldn't help but complain, "What are those two doing! Hongqing is only three years old! How could they let the child starve like this!"
Song Yanshen watched silently from the side.
He thought of himself; he seemed to have been just as thin and small when he was three years old...
The problem is, he's an orphan, but Zhong Hongqing has parents, so how could he be so thin?
Zhang Chunxue quickly prepared the water, picked up Zhong Hongqing, and put him into the basin.
When she hugged him, she realized that Zhong Hongqing was indeed very light, not much heavier than Zhong Yuanyuan, who was only eight months old.
Zhou Mingli was heartbroken: "How are Zhong Chengfa and Li Hongjuan raising their child? Look how thin the child has become!"
The mother and daughter gave Zhong Hongqing a good wash and bath. During the process, Zhou Mingli kept blaming Zhong Chengfa and Li Hongjuan, and constantly felt sorry for Zhong Hongqing.
Zhang Chunxue remained completely unmoved.
After all, she was reborn and had absolutely no good impression of Zhong Hongqing.
This grandson, whom she had doted on in her past life, didn't even want to visit her when she was seriously ill. Zhang Chunxue really didn't want to have any expectations of him anymore.
After drying him off, Zhou Mingli dressed him in Song Yanshen's clothes, which were several sizes too big, and then pulled him to the stove to dry his hair.
"Hongqing, tell me, how did you get here all by yourself?" Zhou Mingli was genuinely curious.
After all, it's pouring rain here, and it's still two kilometers from the village to the town!
It's really hard to imagine how this three-year-old child managed to get through all by himself.
Zhang Chunxue was also curious about this question.
Logically speaking, Zhong Hongqing shouldn't even know where they live.
Zhong Hongqing sat obediently, letting Zhou Mingli dry his hair.
Upon hearing Zhou Mingli's question, he immediately whispered, "I got separated from my mother on the street."
Zhou Mingli became even more curious: "Then how did you end up here? How did you know we were here?"
Zhong Hongqing's voice became even softer: "Once, my mother and I were outside when we saw that Grandpa Song coming home. We secretly followed him... I know about it."
Zhang Chunxue's brows furrowed immediately: "You were also following Song Xingzhi?"
Zhong Hongqing flinched and dared not speak.
Zhou Mingli thought for a moment: "They probably want to find out where we live..."
As she spoke, her brows furrowed: "If Li Hongjuan really comes to our house... just thinking about it is annoying!"
Zhang Chunxue was washing Zhong Hongqing's clothes when she heard this, and simply said, "She wouldn't dare."
After thinking for a moment, she added, "At least, she wouldn't dare come alone, otherwise she knows what would happen."
Zhou Mingli knew how formidable her mother was, so she relaxed a bit, but she still couldn't help muttering, "But Li Hongjuan... she just loves to disgust people..."
Before she divorced Zhong Chengren, she was often bullied by Li Hongjuan at home.
Li Hongjuan, relying on the fact that she had given birth to a son while Zhou Mingli only had a daughter, was incredibly arrogant, considering herself superior and looking down on Zhou Mingli in every way she spoke. Not to mention the bullying she inflicted on her on a daily basis.
Just as Zhang Chunxue finished washing and hanging Zhong Hongqing's clothes to dry, she heard Zhong Yuanyuan humming in Zhou Mingli's room.
Zhang Chunxue immediately went to the other room, picked up Zhong Yuanyuan, and checked her; she had urinated.
She quickly changed Zhong Yuanyuan's diaper and carried her to the kitchen.
"Oh dear, our Yuanyuan peed a lot!" Zhang Chunxue teased Zhong Yuanyuan's exquisitely beautiful face with a smile. "Looks like you had a good lunch! Grandma will make you noodles for dinner!"
Zhong Hongqing looked at Zhang Chunxue holding Zhong Yuanyuan, his eyes filled with longing.
He remembered that his grandmother used to hold him like this, but now... that place no longer belonged to him.
Song Yanshen moved the baby chair that Song Xingzhi had specially commissioned to make for Zhong Yuanyuan from the main room to the kitchen, put Zhong Yuanyuan in the baby chair, gave her a smooth wooden toy, and then the group started to get busy.
Zhong Hongqing sat to one side, staring blankly at Zhang Chunxue.
Zhang Chunxue chatted with Zhou Mingli while washing various ingredients.
It rained too much today, so we didn't set up our stall. We'll definitely need to take more ingredients to the county tomorrow, so we need to prepare in advance.
The temperature has started to drop recently, so I'm not worried about the food spoiling.
However, outside, Li Hongjuan was almost frantic with worry.
She brought Zhong Hongqing to town to buy things, but while she was arguing with someone at the supply and marketing cooperative, Zhong Hongqing, who had been following her, disappeared.
It's pouring rain here, and we have no idea where the child has gone...
Holding an umbrella, she anxiously called out Zhong Hongqing's name throughout the town.
However, there was no response.
At Zhang Chunxue's house, Zhou Mingli also thought about this problem.
"Mom, Hongqing said he got separated from Li Hongjuan. Li Hongjuan should have realized he's missing by now... She must be frantic with worry, right?"
Zhang Chunxue remained calm: "Let her worry!"
"How can a mother not even take care of her own child?"
Zhou Mingli opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.
As a mother, she felt extremely anxious just imagining her child getting lost.
But then I thought, I still have to teach Li Hongjuan a lesson.
After all, this was in town, and the fact that the child was able to find their home on his own is already quite clever.
If a child were to wander off in a village and fall into a river, or be abducted by human traffickers... the consequences would be truly unimaginable.
When Song Xingzhi got off work and went home, he was also taken aback when he saw Zhong Hongqing.
"Why is this child here?" Song Xingzhi looked around curiously. "Where are his parents?"
Given Zhang Chunxue's level of dislike for her three sons, Song Xingzhi felt there was no way she would let them into the house.
Zhang Chunxue saw that he had taken off his raincoat, but there were still wet spots on his body and head. She quickly went over and took a towel to help him wipe the water off.
Song Xingzhi immediately took her hand and gently kissed it.
“No, the child came by himself,” Zhang Chunxue shrugged. “He said he got separated from his mother and came here.”
As she spoke, she couldn't resist teasing Song Xingzhi: "Do you know you're being followed?"
Song Xingzhi: "???"
What the heck? Is he being followed?
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