Chapter 18 Dreams
"Uncle Fu, we...we can't eat inside, or Dad will beat us!"
Qiao Shaohua is nine years old this year, making him the oldest among these children.
He has a thin, small face.
When they saw Fu Lian standing at the door, he gently called them to the main room for dinner.
He immediately stood up and blocked the children's way.
My aunt can cause trouble as much as she wants.
She was the youngest child in the Qiao family, and a girl.
My family is too heartbroken to even lift a finger.
But they were different; they were boys, and their families had very strict rules.
If I really go to the main room for dinner with Uncle Fu, I'll definitely get a beating when I get back!
"Yes, yes, yes, you really will get beaten up!"
The second son's daughter, Qiao Miaomiao, nodded and echoed her agreement.
She was only about seven or eight years old, with a round face, big eyes, and two little braids.
His round eyes were wide open, filled with terror.
She doesn't want to get beaten up!
Qiao Wanyin hadn't expected Fu Li'an to come along on his own initiative.
She had only asked Fu Lian to put in a good word for her, never expecting him to actually do it.
But when I think about what was mentioned in the original story—
The male lead is indeed an upright and kind character.
"Don't be afraid, no one will hit you today!"
She quickly reassured the few timid children.
One's own words naturally carry little weight.
But what if Uncle Fu were to be involved as a guarantor?
"He's a soldier! Soldiers are the best at protecting children!"
She looked up at Fu Lian.
"You agree, right, Comrade Fu Li'an?"
Fu Li'an.
"..."
Upon hearing this, he paused slightly, his expression becoming somewhat subtle.
That sounds a little strange.
However, with so many children in front of him, it wasn't appropriate to ask too many questions, let alone refute them.
I had no choice but to nod and agree.
"Don't worry, nobody will get beaten up today."
As he spoke, Fu Lian reached out his hand to the children, inviting them to follow him.
Qiao Miaomiao blinked and looked up at him innocently.
"Really? Will Uncle Fu really protect us?"
Fu Li'an lowered his head slightly, gazing at the little girl in front of him.
He nodded slightly.
"Yes, it's true."
"Alright then, we believe you!"
Upon hearing this, Qiao Miaomiao's eyebrows lifted, and she smiled, revealing a pair of shallow dimples.
Without hesitation, she reached out and took Fu Lian'an's broad hand.
Holding his hand, Qiao Miaomiao turned to her siblings excitedly and said, "Brothers, sisters, and little brothers, we can eat at the table today! With Uncle Fu here, we don't have to worry about getting beaten up!"
Although Qiao Miaomiao is much younger than the children from the eldest brother's family.
Despite her young age, she is the most daring and decisive among her siblings, and she is also the most opinionated when it comes to matters.
Qiao Shaohua, who had been silently observing from a distance, felt much more at ease after hearing his sister's words.
His heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.
He nodded and said, "Okay, let's go eat together at the table."
Just then, Liu Suqin, who was standing nearby, became anxious and hurriedly waved her hand to stop her.
"Hey, hey, hey! Miaomiao, you...you can't go!"
Actually, it wasn't that she didn't want her daughter to eat at the table.
As a mother, how could she not want her child to sit down and eat with her?
However, the old rules in the village were deeply ingrained—women and children should sit in a corner or at a separate table, and should never sit alongside the men.
If we were to break with the old ways now, we would likely be surrounded by gossip and rumors from the villagers.
It would sound terrible if word got out!
Faced with this unexpected turn of events, Liu Suqin was at a loss for words and could only nervously say, "You... how could you do this?"
However, Qiao Wanyin stood ramrod straight.
She said calmly, "Second sister-in-law, you and the other sisters-in-law also need to sit at the table, otherwise no one will eat this meal. You know me, I mean what I say."
Her voice wasn't loud, but every word she spoke was powerful.
Qiao Shaohua's wife stood there stunned for a moment, not knowing what to do.
At this moment, Chen Xiaoping quietly walked over, gently tugged at her sleeve, and gestured with her eyes for her not to make any rash moves.
But deep down, she longed to sit at the table and eat.
After all, sitting in the main seat was a well-known figure far and wide—Fu Li'an!
"Mother, please come along too."
Qiao Wanyin looked at her mother with sincere eyes.
"Only when you come do the other sisters-in-law dare to come."
After saying that, she ignored her second sister-in-law standing to the side and turned around to gently support her mother's arm.
Zhu Junxia's face was full of worry, her brows furrowed slightly, and she asked in a low voice, "But if your father finds out... he'll be angry."
Qiao Wanyin smiled nonchalantly, took a step forward with her mother, and said, "It's alright, I'll take the blame if anything goes wrong. Don't worry, Mother, this family is all single-minded. Once someone takes the lead, they won't be afraid."
In fact, she knew it all too well.
She knew her father's stubborn temper all too well.
At most, she could go to the back mountain at night to collect some rare herbs, put them in her spatial storage, and exchange them for a pack of cigarettes or a bottle of old wine. That would appease her and the matter would be over.
With the persistence and guidance of Qiao Wanyin and Fu Li'an, the women and children of the Qiao family finally sat down at the big table to eat for the first time with dignity.
This seemingly small act broke the long-standing family tradition of favoring sons over daughters.
At this dinner, apart from Qiao Tianbao, who sat at the head of the table and had a gloomy expression and barely touched his food, everyone else...
The others were all smiling, their bowls of food kept moving, and they chatted about everyday matters.
Laughter and cheers filled the air!
The children sitting in the middle of the table, in particular, kept chattering around Fu Lian, asking one question after another.
His uncle, Qiao Shaohua, who was sitting to his left, blinked.
"Uncle Fu, can you tell me some stories about the army? I heard that your training is really tough, is that true?"
Before Fu Li'an could answer.
Not to be outdone, Qiao Miaomiao stood up, tiptoed, grabbed his sleeve, and swayed sweetly, calling out, "Uncle Fu, I want to be a soldier too! Can I go to the army someday?"
The youngest child in the third child's family, four-and-a-half-year-old Canhua, with his chubby, rosy cheeks, softly uttered a childish voice: "I want to go! I want to join the army!"
Before he finished speaking, he raised his two chubby little fists and waved them.
At first, Qiao Wanyin was a little worried—Fu Li'an was such a tall and strong man.
He doesn't flinch when facing battle and carnage, so he probably won't be used to dealing with these young and energetic children.
However, the reality surprised Qiao Wanyin greatly.
Contrary to her expectations, the scene did not turn out to be chaotic.
On the contrary, it was very harmonious and warm.
He would patiently listen to every question the little guy asked.
Then try to answer in your native local dialect.
The children's eyes lit up.
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