Fang Qiao was very generous, stuffing seven or eight White Rabbit milk candies into the woman's hand.
The older sister immediately beamed with joy. She put the milk candy into her pocket and said to Fang Qiao with great enthusiasm, "Sister, you've come to the right person! My home is around here, and I know more about what's going on than anyone else."
"A group of vagrants broke into a house, but they mistook it for an occupied one and started fighting." The older woman lowered her voice and whispered to Fang Qiao, "They even used knives. One of them slashed his shoulder and it was all bloody."
As she spoke, she pointed to her elbow and gestured to Fang Qiao: "There's just a piece of skin still attached to the flesh here, and you can clearly see the bone inside. When they were carried away, blood dripped all the way. What bad luck, I don't know if this arm can be saved."
"My God! The New Year is almost here, how could something like this happen!" Fang Qiao feigned surprise, guessing in her heart that the unlucky guy was probably Lin Youcai.
The older woman said, "This kind of thing only happened because it was almost Chinese New Year. Most of the people living in this area are employees of the No. 3 State-owned Cotton Mill. The closer it gets to the New Year, the more they push for production. They don't give people holidays and they even have to work overtime. Every house is empty, so it's easy to steal from them. That's why they've become targets for those vagrants who break into homes. In the past few days, almost every household in the neighborhood has been burgled. This isn't the first time."
"I see." Fang Qiao nodded thoughtfully, then grabbed a handful of milk candies and stuffed them into her older sister's hand, saying, "Thank you, older sister. This is the first time I've heard that there are vagrants stealing things during the New Year. You must tell your family to be careful when you get home."
The older sister happily packed up the milk candies and said, "Don't be afraid, little sister. These people have all been taken away by the police in a chain. They should be fine this year."
"Uh-huh."
Fang Qiao responded and pulled Xiao Jing out of the crowd again.
"Xiaojing, did you hear what that lady said?"
Xiao Jing nodded and asked, "Was the one who got slashed by the knife Lin Youcai?"
"I guess so," Fang Qiao said. "Only a double unlucky charm could have this power. Otherwise, who else could be this unlucky besides him?"
Xiao Jing: "That's true. Those vagrants are used to breaking into houses. How could they not tell which house is home and which is not? This mistake is too basic. I don't believe it didn't work with the bad luck charm."
"This is what you call a villain meeting a villain! Lin Youcai deserves it!"
He deserves this karma!
With one thing on her mind, Fang Qiao patted the back seat of the bicycle lightly and said, "Let's go home."
"Okay." Xiao Jing jumped into the car and hugged Fang Qiao's waist. "Let's go."
"Hey? Isn't that our little sister?"
"It seems so."
"Little sister! Little sister!"
"Fang Qiao?"
"Fang Qiao!"
Just as the bicycle was about to turn the corner, Fang Qiao suddenly heard someone call her name from behind.
She immediately gripped the brake lever, and the bicycle quickly came to a stop.
Fang Qiao braced herself on the ground and looked back in the direction of the sound. It was her older brother Fang Hai and sister-in-law Dong Ping, with their son Xiao Long beside them.
Seeing Fang Qiao stop her bicycle, Fang Hai jogged over to her, grinning at her with a set of bright white teeth: "Little sister, are you in the city buying New Year's goods?"
Fang Qiao nodded: "Yes."
"Why did you only buy a few couplets? Heshan is far from the city. You've come all this way to the city, why didn't you buy anything else?"
Fang Qiao casually said, "It's basically ready. I came here to check for any omissions. The only thing missing at home is a few couplets."
Fang Hai said, "Oh, I see."
At this moment, Dong Ping, who was following behind, led Xiao Long to Fang Qiao's side. She smiled and called out "Little Sister," then told Xiao Long to greet her: "Xiao Long, say hello to your aunt."
Xiao Long was fiddling with two marbles in his hand. Hearing this, he raised his eyes and greeted her perfunctorily, "Hello, Auntie."
Xiao Long was impolite, and Fang Qiao was too lazy to argue with a child, as it would make her seem petty as an elder.
She grabbed a few candies and stuffed them into his hand, saying, "Here, have some."
Xiao Long happily accepted it, his voice immediately becoming sincere: "Thank you, Auntie."
Dong Ping smiled and said to Fang Qiao, "Little sister, you're too kind. You don't need to give him so much; one is enough."
Fang Qiao smiled and said, "Kids love candy, one piece isn't enough. It's Chinese New Year, let the kids eat as much as they want."
Since it was her own child who benefited, Dong Ping didn't say anything more.
She waved the pork in her hand and said politely, "Little sister, I just bought a pound of pork. Why don't you come home with us? It's been a long time since we've gotten together. Don't leave tonight, let's have dinner together."
Fang Qiao shook her head: "I'm not going, sister-in-law. There are still several children at home. I'll go back on the second day of the Lunar New Year."
“That’s true.” Dong Ping nodded understandingly. “Anyway, there are only a few days left until the second year of junior high. We can get together then.”
Fang Qiao glanced at Dong Ping's face. Her complexion was somewhat sallow, with dark circles under her eyes and pale, bloodless lips. After a slight hesitation, she suddenly asked, "Sister-in-law, have you been experiencing lower abdominal distension and back pain lately?"
Dong Ping was taken aback for a moment, but quickly recovered. She smiled and said, "Yes, but I've been on my period recently, so it's normal to feel a little uncomfortable. It's nothing."
Fang Qiao shook her head: "Sister-in-law, don't worry, you don't look like you're pregnant."
"What is that?" Dong Ping asked, somewhat flustered.
Fang Qiao said, "Sister-in-law, I studied face reading for a while in the countryside. If you trust me, go to the hospital quickly. Maybe you can save this pregnancy."
Dong Ping's body went limp, but fortunately Fang Hai caught her in time, preventing her from falling to the ground.
She was held weakly in Fang Hai's arms, and her words began to stutter: "Little sister, you, you mean, I'm pregnant? Then, then why have I been bleeding these past few days? It's not my period?"
"No, it's bleeding from a threatened miscarriage."
Upon hearing Fang Qiao's words, Dong Ping's vision went black, and she almost fainted.
She suffered a difficult childbirth and severe bleeding when she gave birth to Xiaolong, which damaged her health. As a result, even though Xiaolong is now six years old, she has not been able to give him a younger brother or sister.
She had been hoping for a second child for many years, but she never expected that the second child would come quietly, and she was about to miscarry, which she carelessly mistook for her period.
Thinking about this, Dong Ping felt a wave of fear.
If I hadn't met the girl today, would she still think this blood is menstrual blood and have been ignoring it?
If you let the blood keep flowing, it will eventually drain the baby out of your belly!
She gripped Fang Hai's arm tightly, her voice trembling as she said, "Quick! Take me to the hospital!"
"I'll go, I'll go right now." Fang Hai's voice trembled.
Not only was Dong Ping afraid, but he was afraid too.
Years later, Fang Hai still remembers the day Dong Ping gave birth to Xiao Long, and the basins of bloody water carried out of the house. He can't bear to think about it; just thinking about it sends chills down his spine.
The fear of losing his wife and children, after many years, once again enveloped him.
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