Chapter 109 The audacious Zhang Xiaohu is home!
"The room's orientation is also fine," said Sister-in-law Guo, glancing at the rooms.
When Niu Cuihua and her husband moved, Guo Dasao and others helped with the move.
“We’ve looked at several apartments, some in tenement buildings and some in single-story houses here. The single-story houses are better,” Niu Cuihua said. “People who want to live in tenement buildings don’t like to buy single-story houses like these, so the price of single-story houses won’t be too expensive, and they’re good value for money.”
Niu Cuihua asked Fan Yani's husband to inquire about the house prices in the area to avoid them wasting money.
“Indeed, it’s better to be cheaper, and more importantly, there are more rooms,” said Sister-in-law Guo.
“Back in our hometown, we all lived in single-story houses, maybe with a second floor at most,” Niu Cuihua said. “The houses here are pretty good; there are enough rooms, which is the most important thing. If there weren’t enough rooms, everyone would have to squeeze in, which would be…”
And it's uncomfortable.
Niu Cuihua didn't dislike living in a tenement building; she would have liked to live in a high-rise. However, given her family's financial situation, she didn't consider those things. As long as the family was together and comfortable, that was the most important thing.
“Dad said he can only come over after the rice harvest is finished this year,” Niu Cuihua said. “Mom can stay here for now. It’s not far from Yani’s place, just a short walk away. It’s convenient for Mom to go to Yani’s place, and it’s also quick to go to Sister-in-law’s place.”
Guo's mother lives alone and can't do many things. Fortunately, Fan Yani and the others' children are all quite old and don't need Guo's mother to watch over them every day. Once the children are a little older, Fan Yani and the others can take care of them themselves.
“Take the blankets and duvet covers from my place; they were originally for Mom,” Fan Yani said. “You can also take some other things.”
“That works too,” Niu Cuihua said. “If it doesn’t work, then we can buy a new one. Mom will have a place to lie down when she comes to your place.”
“It’s easy for Mom to lie down,” Fan Yani said. “The room is still there.”
"No need, I'm all alone, I don't need to sleep in so many rooms," said Guo's mother. "Yani, you can tidy up the rooms, whether you put other things in them or leave them empty, it's fine."
“It’s alright. We’ll tidy it up and put the blankets over there. Since there’s no owner, they can just be covered up and won’t easily get dusty,” Fan Yani said. “Mom, just tell us if you need anything, and we’ll do whatever we can.”
“That’s enough, that’s enough. With so much stuff, how could it not be enough?” said Guo’s mother. “The conditions now are so much better than before. We never had so much stuff before.”
“It’s alright now…” Fan Yani said.
Back in the capital, after Qin Li'an returned home, he felt that the Qin family members were more concerned about the child You Yun had given birth to. Taking advantage of You Yun's inattention, Qin Li'an took the child to the train station, abandoned the child there, thinking that if the child disappeared, his position in the Qin family would remain secure.
Coincidentally, a policeman saw this scene and quickly went to pick up the child. The child was very well-behaved and didn't cry much.
During this period, there was no surveillance, and Qin Li'an was covering his face with a cloth strip, so the police did not know what Qin Li'an looked like and could only take the child to the police station first.
You Yun never expected her child to disappear. She had only gone to do some errands, and in less than ten minutes, the child was gone. You Yun searched everywhere for the child but couldn't find him. When Qin Li'an returned, he saw his family searching for the child, but he acted as if nothing had happened.
"Was it you? Someone said you took the child away!" You Yun's eyes were red. She had been on guard against Qin Li'an, but she hadn't been paying attention for a moment, and this happened. The neighbors said they saw Qin Li'an holding the child.
"Who said that? Let him come out and confront me," Qin Li'an said. "I went to visit some friends, and I've been hanging out with them ever since."
It's evening now, and several hours have passed since Qin Lian took the child away. The capital is a large city, and the people at the train station don't know the child belongs to You Yun; they probably think it belongs to someone else. The child isn't crying or making a fuss, and since they don't know who the child is, they wouldn't just hand the child over to anyone.
Brother Qin had no other choice, so he went to Qin Yizhou and asked him to help find the child as well.
Qin Yizhou would naturally help; this was a big deal. Whether the child had been taken by human traffickers or not, they had to find out.
"Have you looked at the train station and the bus station?" Qin Yizhou asked.
“We went to look for him, but we couldn’t find him,” Brother Qin said anxiously. “We searched several streets, but we couldn’t find him.”
"Did you go to the police station to ask? Could the child have been taken to the police station by someone?" Qin Yizhou asked again.
"There isn't a police station nearby," Brother Qin said.
"Don't worry, I'll have someone help you look right away," Qin Yizhou said. "Do you have a photo of the child? What kind of clothes is the child wearing?"
“The child hasn’t had his picture taken recently; he’s wearing blue clothes,” Brother Qin said. “The shoes are cloth shoes made by his mother, and he’s wearing a silver bracelet on his wrist.”
"Okay." Qin Yizhou nodded.
Qin Yizhou hurriedly went to ask people for help in finding the child. He told Song Fenglan a few words and then rushed out to look for the child.
Brother Qin had assumed he could find his child on his own, so he hadn't sought Qin Yizhou's help. Now, with the child still missing, Brother Qin had no choice but to ask Qin Yizhou for assistance. Brother Qin was initially worried that Qin Yizhou wouldn't help, but to his surprise, Qin Yizhou immediately agreed.
After Song Fenglan learned about this, she went to her second brother Song and asked him to also help find the child.
Song Fenglan had grievances against the Qin family, but the child was still so young, and she couldn't afford for anything to happen to him. Although it wasn't the child Song Fenglan had lost, she still hoped the child would be alright.
Song Erge quickly sent people to look for the child. Before Qin Yizhou's men could find the child, Song Erge's men said that the police station near the train station had found a child.
So Song Fenglan called the Qin family, but no one answered. Song Fenglan then went to the police station near the train station herself. She had seen You Yun's child before and recognized him immediately.
“Your family has multiple children, so you have to treat them all equally. If you don’t, the older child will have to abandon the younger one,” the policeman said.
“This child is not Comrade Song’s child,” said the person protecting Song Fenglan.
"This isn't your child, you..."
“It belongs to my brother-in-law’s family,” Song Fenglan said. “They lost their child and are searching everywhere for him. They haven’t found him yet, and they’re in a real crisis.”
It was already around 11 p.m., and those people still hadn't returned home; they were all out looking for the child. Song Fenglan couldn't get through on the phone, and those people didn't have cell phones. All Song Fenglan could do was come over to check on the child herself and then take the child to the Qin family.
As a mother herself, Song Fenglan could understand You Yun's anxious feelings.
When Song Fenglan came out, Qin Zihang wanted to come with her. Song Fenglan refused, telling Qin Zihang and Zhang Xiaohu to rest and not get involved. She said they were young and shouldn't go out to look for the child; there were adults around. If Qin Zihang and Zhang Xiaohu went out to help look for the child, they would only cause trouble. Fortunately, Qin Zihang was sensible; he told Zhang Xiaohu not to go, and since Zhang Xiaohu didn't know anyone, they should just rest at home.
The people around Song Fenglan produced the relevant department's credentials. After the police officers at the police station saw the credentials, they realized that Song Fenglan and her group were not lying.
The police officers from the local station went to the Qin family's house. Although they trusted Song Fenglan, they still needed to hand the child over to the parents to ensure there were no other problems. When Song Fenglan heard the police officers say they were taking the child to the Qin family's house, she didn't go straight home. Instead, she took a car to the Qin family's door and watched the police officers carry the child inside.
She went to the Qin family's house before returning home.
Mr. Qin wasn't feeling well, and after searching for a long time without finding his child, he went home first. Mrs. Qin was still outside searching for her child; she was panicking, afraid that her grandson was really missing. She hadn't expected this matter to involve Qin Li'an; how could her precious grandson do something like abandoning his younger brother?
"With multiple children in the family, you have to treat them all equally." The police relayed what they had told Song Fenglan to Qin's father. They didn't know the specifics and assumed that these people were favoring the youngest boy, which was why the problem arose.
The police also mentioned that someone saw a teenager carrying a baby to the train station, and that others had also seen it, but they couldn't see the baby's face because half of the baby's face was obscured. The capital is so large, and the police station didn't know who had abandoned the child at the train station, so their investigation wouldn't be quick. Fortunately, the Song family found out the details, which expedited the process.
When Qin's father heard what the policeman said, his hair stood on end. Qin Li'an!
Yes, Qin's father thought of Qin Li'an. The neighbors all said that Qin Li'an took the child out, but Qin Li'an refused to admit it.
And now, even the police are saying that, so who else could it be but Qin Li'an?
Qin Li'an has gone too far this time!
Qin's father didn't tell the police about Qin Li'an's past misdeeds, only saying that his family would discipline their child. Family scandals shouldn't be aired in public; it's best to keep it from others.
"The child's aunt came over and said the child belongs to your family; otherwise, we wouldn't have known," the policeman said. "You people aren't as proactive in looking for the child as the child's aunt."
The police genuinely felt that this family wasn't paying enough attention to their child, and Qin's father could only say, "Yes, yes, yes, we haven't been caring enough about our child."
After the police left, Qin's father looked at his grandson and felt much more at ease.
Song Erge's men went to call Qin Yizhou back and told the others to go back as well. As for Qin Dage's people, that's not something Song Erge needs to worry about.
By the time Qin Yizhou returned home, it was already past 2 a.m. They had been searching everywhere for the child, and it hadn't been easy for Song Erge's men to find them, which was why it had taken so long. When Qin Yizhou arrived home, Song Fenglan was already asleep.
Qin Yizhou didn't dare to make too much noise. He quietly climbed onto the bed and lay down to rest.
The next morning, Qin Yizhou got up early again. While eating breakfast, he said to Song Fenglan, "Thank you."
"No need to thank me, it's good that the child has been found," Song Fenglan said. "Such a young child... How old is he? I remember he was born after your older brother and Tian Keshu divorced, so he's only five or six years old now? The child is at the police station, just standing there blankly. They ask him questions, they ask him his name, but he just won't say. He's not an infant. If he won't say his name, the police will just assume he's terrified. Well, who would have thought his own brother would take him away? And then leave him at the train station. Who knows, his brother might have told him he was playing a game with him and that he couldn't speak."
Song Fenglan felt terrible just thinking about it. She knew that such a young child could easily be frightened and might believe his brother's words. Children like this, once abducted, would quickly forget their childhood and not remember who their parents were.
Just as Song Fenglan suspected, Qin Li'an had scared his younger brother. You Yun had been too nice to Qin Li'an before, and You Yun and others had told the child not to talk to strangers. All these factors combined made the child think that his parents would come looking for him, which caused You Yun's child to stop talking.
“This is not something we need to worry about; it’s something our elder brothers should be concerned about,” Qin Yizhou said. “They didn’t take good care of the child, and that’s how this happened.”
"Mom, cousin, we found him." Qin Zihang asked.
“Found it, found it, don’t worry,” Song Fenglan said. “Your second uncle had it found.”
Qin Yizhou thanked Song Fenglan. He didn't ask the Song family for help; he had just told his wife that he was going out to look for the child, but he didn't expect his wife to ask the Song family for help.
"Don't look at me like that, it's giving me goosebumps." Song Fenglan placed a fried egg on Qin Yizhou's plate. "Eat up. You searched for so long last night. Didn't you even go to the police station to check?"
"My brother said they've searched the train and bus stations, but haven't found anyone," Qin Yizhou said. "They're all wondering if the child has already been taken away on a bus. The hope is slim, but we still have to search everywhere."
The child hadn't been missing for very long, and a neighbor had seen Qin Li'an carrying the child away, so the Qin family was wondering if Qin Li'an had hidden the child. But Qin Li'an insisted that he had gone to play with his friends and hadn't taken his younger brother out, so no one could do anything about it.
After this incident, the Qin family has a deeper understanding of Qin Li'an, and they may not dare to spoil him as much as they used to.
Qin Li'an is more than just useless; he's downright lawless.
"Are you going to work later?" Qin Yizhou asked.
“I have to go, there are still many things to do,” Song Fenglan said. “Last night, I called the Qin family, but no one answered, so I went to the police station. The police will take the child there, it’s good that they took him there.”
Song Fenglan didn't want to see the Qin family, lest they accuse her of stealing the child. Who knew if Qin's mother would say that? Song Fenglan thought Qin's mother was somewhat insane; she would do anything for her precious grandson, Qin Li'an.
"Don't go over there," Qin Yizhou said. "It's a complete mess over there right now."
In the Qin family, You Yun already knows what Qin Li'an has done, and Qin Li'an has also admitted it.
"I was only away from the child for about ten minutes while I was doing other things. How dare you? How dare you?" You Yun didn't return until early in the morning, and she was terrified because she couldn't find her child.
Back home, You Yun saw the child and wondered who had done it. She even considered calling the police. Qin's father stopped her, saying it was Qin Li'an who did it, and that it was a conflict between brothers, not something to be reported to the police.
"How dare you?" You Yun shook Qin Li'an's hands. "That's your own brother."
“He’s not my biological brother, he’s your son,” Qin Li’an said. “You only know how to spoil him, you ignore me, and you even want to kick me out and give all the things in the house to him.”
"Who told you that everything in the house has to be handed over to him? Your grandparents are still alive, your father is still alive." You Yun sneered. "I don't even dare to think about it, and you've already thought about it? Did your biological mother tell you that? Your biological mother is no good either. What kind of good person is someone with a spy in the family? Look at you, you've become such a disgusting person. You think you can do well in the future? Dream on!"
You Yun thought that she had given the Qin family too much face in the past, and she didn't want to offend Qin Li'an, which made Qin Li'an so lawless.
"With your lousy grades, what can you do after junior high?" You Yun said. "Do you want your family to pay for your high school education? Or send you abroad to study? Someone like you, if you go abroad to study, you'll only betray your country!"
Brother Qin had been holding onto You Yun, but he let go when he heard the words "treason." Brother Qin was truly afraid that Qin Li'an would pull such a stunt on him; if that were the case, the entire Qin family would be implicated by Qin Li'an.
They cannot let Qin Li'an study abroad, they absolutely cannot!
Brother Qin can't let Qin Li'an ruin himself. He's extremely tired right now, and he and his wife only got back early in the morning.
"You spoil him and indulge him like this, which will harm him and yourselves!" You Yun pointed at Qin Li'an.
"I did nothing wrong!" Qin Li'an said. "My grandmother said long ago that everything in this family should be mine. It was you, you shameless woman, who married my father and had a child with him, you..."
*Slap!* Brother Qin slapped Qin Li'an hard across the face.
"What are you talking about?" Brother Qin asked.
"She's not my mother!" Qin Li'an glared at You Yun with resentment. "Even if you slap me twice or ten times, it's still a fact that she's not my mother!"
“Yes, I’m not your mother. I never had a son like you,” You Yun said. “Back then, you were afraid of being implicated by your biological mother, so you called me Mom. From now on, you should call me Auntie. Do you think I want to be called Mom by you and your sister? You have a vicious biological mother, so you’re no better than her.”
You Yun felt disgusted just looking at Qin Li'an. She used to give Qin Li'an face, but now she didn't want to give him any face at all. They were no longer family.
And that Tian Keshu is no good either; You Yun still wants to find Tian Keshu.
"Alright, the children have all been found." Qin's mother tried to smooth things over.
"They found him?" You Yun said. "Yes, they found him. It's just that my son is lucky. He wasn't taken away by a stranger; he was taken out of the police station. It was my sister-in-law's family who helped find him. What use are you? The child was right there at the police station near the train station, and you couldn't even find him."
You Yun also blamed herself for not finding the child sooner.
“Mom, you always say your sister-in-law is no good, but I think she’s much better than you,” You Yun said. “You’ve treated her so badly, and she still asked people to help find the child.”
You Yun had long known that Song Fenglan was a good person. After her own child was found by the Song family, she felt even more strongly that there was a reason why the Song family had become wealthy. The Song family had always been able to distinguish right from wrong, and they knew what to do in crucial moments.
Unlike the Qin family, who only know how to cause trouble, none of them know how to teach Qin Li'an a lesson. All they know is that Qin Li'an's biological parents are divorced and that Qin Li'an is pitiful.
Even though You Yun was a stepmother, she didn't bully her stepchildren or let them think she was easy to bully.
“You should continue to pamper Qin Li’an,” You Yun said. “You should thank your ancestors. This is not a feudal dynasty, so there is no need to execute nine generations of relatives. He committed a capital crime, but you don’t have to die with him.”
"Stop talking, stop talking." Qin's mother felt extremely upset. "The child has been found. Let's see the child first. What's the point of saying all this?"
“If I don’t say anything, Qin Li’an might continue doing these things. If he doesn’t succeed this time, he’ll try again next time,” You Yun said. “He’s a bastard.”
"There will be no next time," Qin's father said coldly. He would never allow Qin Li'an to have a next time.
Qin Li'an is so old now. Even if they send him elsewhere, he'll know to come back at night. For now, they can only keep him under their watchful eyes and see if he can change his ways in the future.
You Yun fed the child and then asked her daughter to watch over her son. You Yun took a megaphone to Tian Keshu's house and went to the street on the other side; she wanted everyone to know how Tian Keshu was raising her son.
“Tian Keshu, all you know is how to teach your son to fight for the family property. Qin Li’an’s younger brother is still so young, and he just left him at the train station.”
"You heartless scoundrel, no wonder your family has spies."
"Bad things, filthy things, the whole family is no good."
...
You Yun was truly furious. That was her child, not someone else's. Even if this had happened to someone else, You Yun would still find it hard to accept.
How could Qin Li'an do such a disgusting thing?
You Yun really couldn't understand how those people had raised Qin Li'an to be like this.
Upon hearing what You Yun said, Tian Keshu quickly came out to snatch the megaphone from You Yun's hand, preventing her from continuing.
Last night, Tian Keshu learned that You Yun's child was missing. She even thought that it would be best if You Yun never found her biological child. Tian Keshu thought that since You Yun's child was gone, Qin's father and elder brother wouldn't hold a grudge against Qin Li'an, because he was their only grandson and son.
“My son is back. Aren’t you disappointed?” You Yun pushed Tian Keshu away.
You Yun was originally a widow with a daughter. If she weren't strong enough, others would have torn her apart. You Yun wouldn't be easily fooled by Tian Keshu; she knew Tian Keshu must have said those things to Qin Li'an.
“Tian Keshu, you are truly shameless,” You Yun said. “No wonder your family has a spy. Your son is doomed to be ruined sooner or later. He is still young and hasn’t committed any crimes yet, but who knows what will happen in the future.”
This time, You Yun knew that even if she called the police, it would be useless. At most, the police would criticize Qin Li'an and say that the Qin family had not raised their child well. So after Qin's father and the others persuaded her a few times, You Yun gave up on calling the police, but she was not going to let Tian Keshu get away with it.
“I’ve been letting your son and daughter live too comfortably, and that’s why they’re bullying my son like this.” You Yun gritted her teeth. “Let me tell you, I didn’t originally intend to make my son fight with your son, but now I’m going to make my son fight with your son. The family’s things shouldn’t have been left to your son. Your son is the child of a spy, with the blood of your Tian family flowing in his veins. He’ll never amount to anything in his life, and he shouldn’t waste the Qin family’s assets.”
"You Yun!" Tian Keshu's eyes widened. "Are you crazy?"
"Crazy? If I'm really crazy, it's because you drove me crazy!" You Yun said. "My child, a perfectly healthy child, and your son dared to throw him away. Your son is really bold. If you hadn't taught him to do this, would he have done it?"
“Isn’t he with you? How would I know he would do something like this?” Tian Keshu said.
“If you don’t know, who does?” You Yun said. “Tian Keshu, don’t think everyone is stupid. You’ve been secretly watching them quite a few times, haven’t you? Especially in the last two years, you’ve been spying on them even more often. Do you really think I don’t know? People have heard what you said. Do you think my son has to fight for the Qin family’s assets? Oh, now he has to fight for them.”
“When a child does something wrong, you can just say a few words to him, why go to such lengths?” Tian Keshu said. “I didn’t teach him to do that!”
“You didn’t teach him to do that, but you also said other things in front of him!” You Yun said. “Tian Keshu, you are his biological mother, so you can’t escape responsibility.”
"I……"
“A person like you, your stepson will never be filial to you,” You Yun said. “You’re no good at all!”
"Can you please stop talking?" Tian Keshu said, her head aching at the sight of the megaphone in You Yun's hand.
“I’m going to say it: Tian Keshu is a spy, and her son is a little spy,” You Yun said loudly.
Enraged, Tian Keshu reached out to snatch the megaphone again, but failed. You Yun wasn't about to let Tian Keshu succeed; she wanted to say those things, to let everyone here know what kind of person Tian Keshu was.
Seeing that there was really no other way, Tian Keshu could only stay by You Yun's side and see how long You Yun would talk. Tian Keshu's family background was indeed not good. She thought of Song Fenglan again. At that time, she hated Song Fenglan very much and thought that Song Fenglan was bad. She often talked about Song Fenglan's faults to the neighbors, saying that Song Fenglan was like a rich young lady who needed them to serve her.
This time, You Yun used a megaphone to berate Tian Keshu, and Tian Keshu was completely helpless. Tian Keshu knew that if You Yun dared to cause trouble with a megaphone today, You Yun could really go to the police station to report them tomorrow.
Tian Keshu couldn't make a big fuss, so she could only let You Yun say what she wanted.
By evening, Weng Guoqiang returned home and learned of You Yun's actions. Weng Guoqiang was helpless; Tian Keshu's background was indeed problematic, and it was all Qin Li'an's fault for doing those things.
During the meal, Weng Guoqiang said with a cold face, "You should stay out of your son's business from now on."
“I…I really didn’t tell him to throw away his brother,” Tian Keshu said. “He…”
"You're so old now, and you don't listen to me anymore, I..."
“If he doesn’t listen to you, then talk to him less and don’t say things you shouldn’t,” Weng Guoqiang said. “If someone gets a handle on you, people will keep talking about you.”
"I..." Tian Keshu felt heartbroken.
“Dad, that’s Auntie’s own son. How could she possibly abandon him?”
"What they said isn't wrong; a biological child is a biological child."
"If you can't even manage your own son, how can you expect him to manage us?"
...
Tian Keshu's two stepsons were sarcastic and their attitude towards her had never been good. People kept telling them that Tian Keshu had a bad family background and that she might hide money from them...
Just as Tian Keshu spoke ill of You Yun in front of Qin Li'an, there were also people who spoke ill of Tian Keshu in front of her stepson.
What goes around comes around; no one escapes the wrath of Heaven.
Tian Keshu felt heartbroken, but she could only let her two stepsons talk to her.
“They’re not wrong either,” Weng Guoqiang said. “You, as the biological mother, haven’t done a good job. The stepmother didn’t abuse your child, so what nonsense are you spouting? None of us have said you abused the child, so you should say less.”
"Mmm." Tian Keshu ate her rice.
Because of You Yun's commotion, Qin Li'an's room was moved to a room in a corner.
Qin's father and elder brother were very disappointed in Qin Li'an. Even though Qin's mother still wanted to protect Qin Li'an, Qin's father and elder brother could no longer treat Qin Li'an the same way as before.
Qin Li'an's grades weren't good, but his older brother didn't care anymore. There was no need to hire a teacher to tutor Qin Li'an. If Qin Li'an wanted to go out and play, he could go. Go, go, play, have a blast.
Knowing what Qin Li'an had done, other people wouldn't let their children play with him.
Qin's father was old and had left his hometown many years ago. He didn't have many close relatives there, so it wasn't convenient to send Qin Li'an back. Since he couldn't let Qin Li'an trouble those distant relatives, he had no choice but to let Qin Li'an stay here.
Qin Li'an clearly sensed that his family's attitude towards him had changed drastically, not just a little. His mother was still relatively kind to him, but she was also worried that he might do those things again.
"Li'an, you can no longer take your younger brother out," Qin's mother said.
"I won't bring it anymore," Qin Li'an said. "Grandma, aren't you annoying? You keep saying this. I've already said I'm not doing it anymore, I'm not doing it anymore, don't you guys understand?"
Song Fenglan didn't pay much attention to the Qin family. After hearing Qin Yizhou say that the Qin family had started making trouble, she sighed twice.
"They just made a fuss and that's it?" Song Fenglan asked.
"Since there are no close relatives back in our hometown, Qin Li'an can only continue to stay with his older brother," Qin Yizhou said.
“That’s fine. Don’t go anywhere else, just stay there. Why should others suffer because he’s your older brother’s child?” Song Fenglan said. “He’s so young and already like this, what will he be like in the future? I don’t think he’ll ever learn his lesson. This little punishment, just changing rooms, is nothing.”
“I won’t say anything,” Qin Yizhou said. “They’ll only realize the problem when something really happens. In the current state, our intervention is completely useless.”
Qin Yizhou's plan was that as long as Qin Li'an didn't cause trouble for their family, they wouldn't interfere. Qin Yizhou wasn't interested in meddling in the Qin family's affairs; what mattered was that his own family members were doing well.
Qin Yizhou understood all too well what the people in the Qin family were like. If he interfered too often, people would only think it was his problem; if he interfered too little, people would think it wasn't his problem, but Qin Li'an's problem.
“They probably won’t dare to come in front of us again,” Qin Yizhou said.
"Mm." Song Fenglan nodded.
The day before, You Yun brought some things to thank Song Fenglan, but Song Fenglan did not see You Yun.
You Yun was, after all, Brother Qin's wife, and Song Fenglan didn't want to say those things to her, so she tried to say as few words as possible.
When You Yun returned home, she didn't blame Song Fenglan. She knew why Song Fenglan didn't want to associate with the Qin family, and it wasn't Song Fenglan's fault.
Time quickly came for Zhang Xiaohu to return home, and Song Fenglan went to help him pack his luggage. Zhang Xiaohu also took out some money to give to Song Fenglan, saying it was money his mother had asked him to give her.
“Take it back. Don’t try to throw it away secretly. If you do, we won’t know and we’ll just throw it away as trash,” Song Fenglan said. “Take all the clothes we bought for you back, and some food too. They will take you to the train. Just remember where you put your things. Hide your money on your person, in a pocket inside your clothes, so no one will find it. On the train, don’t go with strangers.”
"I know," Zhang Xiaohu nodded.
“Those two pieces of cloth are for making clothes for your mother, and the other piece is for your brother,” Song Fenglan said. “This watch, you can hide it in your inner pocket. This watch is a bit old, not new, but it can still be used. Give it to your brother. Your brother is going to study at teachers' college and will become a teacher after graduation, so it will be suitable for him.”
Song Fenglan also brought some of her nephew's old clothes for Zhang Xiaohu. The clothes were all quite nice and Zhang Xiaohu could wear them.
"When you get home, remember to call us and let us know you've arrived safely," Song Fenglan said. "You can eat those dry rations if you get hungry on the train, or you can buy food from the train attendants. Don't eat anything that strangers give you."
Keep the important things on your person, and leave the rest aside for now. If you lose those things, you won't feel too bad.
Clothes and such are usually left aside; many people know that those large items are generally not valuable. Valuable items are usually carried close to the body.
At this time, it's hot, but also cool, and the temperature difference between day and night gradually increases.
“There’s someone going back with you. He’s a veteran,” Song Fenglan said. “He’s also from Nancheng. He’ll come over on the day you go and take the train to the train station with you.”
Song Fenglan bought Zhang Xiaohu a sleeper berth, unlike the seated ticket that Fatty Sister bought for him. A seated ticket would take too long and be much more tiring; a sleeper berth would be much better.
Qin Zihang was reluctant to part with Zhang Xiaohu. "Brother Xiaohu, I wish you were from the capital."
“My home is in the south of the city, I have to go back.” Zhang Xiaohu was also reluctant to part with Qin Zihang, but there was nothing he could do, his home wasn’t here. “This time, I’ve been playing for a long time. More than a month, I’ve seen a lot of things, so many things.”
"You can come again in the future," Qin Zihang said.
"I'll come to you after I get into a university in the capital," Zhang Xiaohu said. "Brother Zihang, I will work hard."
"I will try my best." Qin Zihang nodded. "Pack your things carefully and put them away properly. Be careful in the car."
The next day, Zhang Xiaohu went to the train station, and Qin Zihang went with him.
The car at home can fit all these people.
Qin Yizhou went with Qin Zihang, but Song Fenglan did not. In addition, there was a retired soldier whom Qin Yizhou knew, and a driver. The car could fit all of them.
After arriving at the train station, Qin Yizhou bought some more food for Zhang Xiaohu.
"Brother Xiaohu, you must study hard," Qin Zihang said. "If you don't study hard, even if I go to Nancheng to visit you, you won't have the money to take the train back."
"Yes." Zhang Xiaohu nodded vigorously. "I definitely will. I will definitely study hard and I won't slack off. Brother Zihang, believe me, I will definitely do a good job."
"I believe in you," Qin Zihang said. "I'll wait for you to play basketball, badminton, run together... We can play together and study together."
"Okay," Zhang Xiaohu said.
Qin Yizhou and his son went to the platform to see Zhang Xiaohu off. After seeing him off to his carriage, they got off the train themselves.
Qin Zihang stood beside Qin Yizhou as they watched the train start moving, listened to the rumbling sound of the train, and watched Zhang Xiaohu leave. Zhang Xiaohu waved to Qin Zihang from the window, and Qin Zihang waved back.
"Dad, time flies so fast." Qin Zihang looked at the departing train and couldn't help but sigh. "It's gone in the blink of an eye. It feels like Brother Xiaohu just came yesterday, and he's already going back now."
“When you’re having fun, time flies by, isn’t that great?” Qin Yizhou said. “If you feel like time is passing slowly, then you’re suffering.”
"Yes," Qin Zihang said, "Brother Xiaohu is on the train..."
"I'm going back," Qin Yizhou said.
Qin Zihang looked in the direction the train had gone one last time; he was reluctant to part with Zhang Xiaohu.
After Zhang Xiaohu left, Sun Mei tidied up the customer service area and washed the bed sheets. Zhang Xiaohu listened to Song Fenglan and didn't secretly slip the money into a corner. He knew Song Fenglan wasn't just being polite; the little money he took wasn't much anyway. His aunt told him to take it back, so he did. Zhang Xiaohu thought that when he grew up, he would definitely be good to Qin Zihang's parents.
In the evening, Song Fenglan returned home and saw that Qin Zihang looked rather sullen.
"What's wrong? Are you reluctant to part with your little tiger brother?" Song Fenglan asked.
"I'm reluctant to part with him," Qin Zihang said. "I'm very reluctant. I wish he could live here."
“Everyone has their own home,” Song Fenglan said. “Not everyone can transfer their household registration to the capital. Zhang Xiaohu might not be so bad off in the south; we’ll see how he does in the future.”
Song Fenglan knew Qin Zihang didn't want them to bring Zhang Xiaohu's family to the capital, but she still told him the same thing. Too much of a good thing can be bad; if they really brought Zhang Xiaohu's family to the capital, they might not necessarily live better than they did in Nancheng. Moreover, Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou couldn't show favoritism or ask others for favors over this matter. There were too many important figures in the capital; Zhang Chenghai would be much better off in Nancheng.
"Okay," Qin Zihang said.
Qin Li'an knew Zhang Xiaohu was gone, and he didn't dare to cause trouble for Qin Zihang. He knew Qin Zihang wouldn't give him any face, and he would probably continue to be beaten. Even without Zhang Xiaohu, Qin Zihang still had his cousins and other friends.
Because of Qin Li'an's antics, Qin's mother was even more afraid to speak to You Yun. If she wanted to protect Qin Li'an, she had to keep quiet. After her previous outburst, You Yun was now rude to her stepson and stepdaughter, frequently rolling her eyes. No one in the Qin family dared to speak ill of You Yun. At mealtimes, You Yun would place the meat and vegetables in front of her own sons and daughters, and could also place them in front of Qin's father and older brother, but never in front of Qin Li'an.
Time quickly came for Zhang Xiaohu to return to Nancheng. Fatty Sister specially went to the train station to pick him up. When she saw Zhang Xiaohu carrying large and small bags, she couldn't help but wonder if he was going to buy goods.
"Why are there so many things? Did you rob your Aunt Fenglan's house?" the fat woman asked.
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