Chapter 33: The Watch

Some things are better left forgotten, but once remembered, they keep gnawing at you.

Lin Qiao always thought Ji Duo was a workaholic, a career-driven person. After all, Xu Li said he often got so busy that he wouldn’t come home for ten days to half a month. In the book, he lived at the company for years, leaving the original owner alone in an empty house. But except for that one mission, he came back every day, not treating the unit as his home or his work as his wife.

So, he shouldn’t have time to prepare for business, right?
No, wasn’t this man marrying her for this reason?
Why isn’t he in a hurry now?
Is it because something temporarily delayed the progress, or is he hiding it so well that she hasn’t noticed?

Lin Qiao regretted not paying enough attention back then. If she had read the original book, would she be this clueless? She had to guess everything.

So, when Ji Duo came in that evening, he saw Lin Qiao sitting on the sofa, deep in thought.

Seeing him return, she turned her head and scrutinized him from head to toe, her eyes filled with curiosity and confusion.

He paused but still hung his military cap on the coat rack by the door as usual. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Lin Qiao smiled, but her gaze remained on him. “Don’t you have something to tell me?”

Who could stand this? Any man would start thinking about what he had done.

Being a man, Ji Duo thought for a moment and could come up with one or two things.

First, the matter of changing the arranged marriage partner. But if Lin Qiao knew, she wouldn’t react so calmly. So, it must be about the photos.

In the morning, when she was sending things to Xiao Ze, he left a bit later and slipped the photos into the newspaper she used to wrap things, along with a note telling Xiao Ze to keep them safe and not let her see. After all, it had been over a month, and she hadn’t touched the photo album since putting the photos away.

Why did she suddenly check the photo album right after he took the photos?

Did she discover something, or did she simply think the engagement photos were missing and it might be related to him?

Ji Duo sat on the sofa, calmly taking a sip of water. He was always very composed, showing no signs of anything on his face. Because of this, Lin Qiao decided to hint directly, hoping to get some information out of him.

Although they were in a cooperative relationship, they had already taken their cooperation to the bedroom. He should give her a hint if he had any plans that concerned both of them, right?

So, when the man didn’t speak, she didn’t rush to speak either. She just looked at him with her phoenix eyes.

This behavior further confirmed Ji Duo’s suspicion that she had definitely discovered something. But she probably didn’t know much yet. The man quickly thought of an excuse, “You were busy at noon, so I forgot to tell you.”

There really is something? Lin Qiao even sat up straight.

Ji Duo didn’t like others to have the upper hand. Without waiting for her to ask, he continued, “I took the photos to the office.”

It wouldn’t make sense to say they were lost at home, especially since no one came to their house, particularly upstairs. Lin Qiao would definitely drag him to search the whole place. The office was different, with many people coming and going. Missing photos weren’t a big deal.

Lin Qiao was stunned for a moment, “What photos?”

Seeing her expression of “just this,” Ji Duo was also stunned. Then, suddenly, he realized that what she was talking about and what he was talking about were completely different things.

So Lin Qiao hadn’t discovered anything yet, and he had confessed on his own?

Moreover, judging by her reaction, she didn’t seem to care much about the photos and immediately asked which one he had taken…

Ji Duo had never encountered such a situation before, but he didn’t show anything on his face and quickly regained control. “It’s not about the photos. What are you asking?”

Lin Qiao was momentarily stumped. She couldn’t exactly say, “I figured out you’re planning to go into business.”

Her transmigration was her biggest secret, something she couldn’t explain. But she wasn’t going to be easily cornered by a single question. Without missing a beat, she had a counter, “I wanted to ask about the small box Sister Yan sent us. I was tidying up and couldn’t find it.”

This time, it was Ji Duo who was at a loss. He paused as he put down his water cup.

Lin Qiao guessed he had torn up the note, and his expression wasn’t good. There was definitely something going on. Unfortunately, the item wasn’t with her, and she hadn’t fully understood it when she glanced at it before.

She feigned nonchalance, “What was inside? It looked like a medicine box.” Could this man have some hidden ailment?

It didn’t seem like it. She had tested his physical condition herself and had every right to speak on it.

His lips were sealed like a clam, and she probably wouldn’t get anything out of him. Lin Qiao successfully regained some ground and decided to let it go for now. “Let’s eat. If we go late, there won’t be any food left.”

If he really wasn’t planning to stay in the military, he would have to tell her sooner or later. Instead of guessing, she might as well think about whether to make another batch of liquid soap. The female teachers in the first grade bought it in the morning, but fewer people came to order in the afternoon. She wasn’t sure how well it would sell in the future.

As she stood up, she heard the man beside her say, “Do you really want to know?”

Ji Duo put his cup back on the coffee table and looked at her, his expression calm but somehow oppressive.

Lin Qiao suddenly remembered last night at the old house when he pressed her against the writing desk. He was calm but dangerous, and his attitude changed smoothly. “No, I don’t.”

However, that night, after the lights were out, Ji Duo still pulled her to relive last night’s scene. His breath was hot, his large hands holding her waist the entire time. For some reason, he even squeezed her ankle midway. His palms were too hot, and the calluses from holding a gun rubbed against her skin. When he held her tense toes, a few strokes made her lose all strength.

Afterward, he carried her back to bed, fetched water to clean her, and leaned against the writing desk, still wet with water stains, flicking ash into the ashtray. “Do you still want to know?”

She had said she didn’t, but he still pulled her into a big meal.

Lin Qiao was about to say, “What if I do?” when she noticed his gaze flicking to the drawer under the wardrobe where she kept her underwear.

She paused. How had she not noticed this man’s pettiness before?

And do all old cadres play like this? Unlocking the writing desk as if he had secretly read something behind her back…

Lin Qiao threw the towel into the basin and closed her eyes. “Sleep. I have to get up and make liquid soap tomorrow.”

The man stood briefly before extinguishing his cigarette and coming over to wash up. His expression didn’t reveal whether he had any regrets.

Since they had just returned on Friday, Xu Li didn’t make the young couple go back and forth. Sunday was a whole day of free time for Lin Qiao.

On Monday, she took the liquid soap that others had ordered to school. There were only two pounds in total, and two people bought one pound together, clearly unsure if the item was good.

This is understandable. When any new product appears on the market, consumers are cautious. That’s why businesses are willing to offer trials and significant discounts, even if it means not making a profit, to capture their target audience and potentially gain repeat customers.

Lin Qiao didn’t plan to offer discounts because her materials were limited, and she wasn’t ready to scale up. The school’s staff wasn’t enough to expand her business.

Unexpectedly, before the morning ended, more people came to place orders. Several who had inquired last week but didn’t buy also ordered a pound. Those who asked but didn’t buy usually thought it wasn’t worth it or necessary. A sudden change of mind must have a reason.

Lin Qiao found out that on Sunday, someone had used her liquid soap to wash their hair. Women with long hair have to lather for a long time, and laundry paste isn’t very effective. Using Lin Qiao’s liquid soap, however, saved at least a third of the time because it contained oils and didn’t leave the hair as dry as laundry paste. Once something has a unique feature that other products can’t replace, more people naturally want to buy it. Before noon, Lin Qiao had already sold another seven pounds.

It seemed she was right to make a new batch yesterday. Liquid soap needs two weeks to saponify, so by the time the previous batch is sold out, the new batch will be ready.

“Your soap doesn’t cost much to make, does it?” The person who tried to bargain with her the other day came back. “I heard chemical products are quite profitable.”

Although male, this Teacher Bi was more gossipy and nagging than many women, earning him the nickname “Nanny.”

Once, Lin Qiao went to the store to buy fruit and saw him bargaining with the seller. He insisted on rounding down the price for two eggplants and even wanted a cucumber thrown in. The salesperson, probably annoyed by him, ignored him, and after a long back-and-forth, he left with just the eggplants.

You can’t let people like him think they have any leverage. Lin Qiao packed up her things and prepared to leave. “How would I know? My friend wouldn’t tell me that.” Meaning that she was just helping a friend sell the soap, and even her friend didn’t tell her the cost. So why was he prying?

The head teacher of Class Three understood and couldn’t help but laugh.

Teacher Bi, feeling slighted, looked visibly upset and was about to say something when someone came in. “Teacher Lin, your students are fighting.”

Students in those days had a troublesome habit of fighting. Even a small issue could lead to calling friends and fighting for two or three days. It was mainly because they had too much free time. At around ten years old, they were full of energy but didn’t study much, so they had no outlet for their energy and easily became impulsive. Before Lin Qiao’s transmigration, students were so busy with their studies that they were too exhausted to think about fighting.

Lin Qiao couldn’t bother with Teacher Bi anymore and rushed out after putting down her things.

The hallway was indeed in chaos. A crowd gathered between the front and back doors of Class Four and Class Five, and shouting could be heard from within.

Lin Qiao quickly walked over. “Stop! Everyone, stop!” She pushed through the crowd and saw Junzi fighting with a boy from another class.

Hearing Lin Qiao’s voice, Junzi seemed to regain some sense, but the other boy took the opportunity to punch him in the face.

Junzi, who had grown up being chased and beaten by Commander Liang, wasn’t one to take this lying down. He immediately grabbed the boy by the collar and slammed him hard against the wall, making a loud noise.

Seeing that telling them to stop was useless, Lin Qiao looked around at the onlookers. “Why aren’t you pulling them apart?”

She naturally had some authority as a teacher, and her striking looks added to her commanding presence. With her sharp gaze, someone immediately stepped in to break up the fight.

The two boys were pulled apart, but they still glared at each other angrily, clearly still heated. Lin Qiao directly addressed the class monitor of Class Four. “What’s going on?”

It turned out that the boy from Class Five had finished his physical education class and found his electronic watch, which he had placed on his desk to avoid damaging it, was missing. The whole class had searched but couldn’t find it. Since he sat near the back door, he suspected students from other classes. Just as school was letting out, he saw Li Xiaoqiu drop a watch on the ground that looked exactly like his missing one. She quickly picked it up, seemingly afraid of being seen, so he naturally assumed she had taken it.

As for Junzi, he had come to return a notebook to Li Xiaoqiu and happened to walk in on the boy accusing her of theft, leading to the fight.

Lin Qiao then noticed Li Xiaoqiu standing nearby, her face flushed and eyes red.

Seeing Lin Qiao look over, the girl urgently shook her head. “No, I didn’t!”

“Then where did this watch come from?” The boy still held the watch, spitting on the ground. “Everyone knows your mom ran away, and your dad only makes so much a month.”

Since the day she saw Qi Huaiwen and Li Xiaoqiu, possibly in an early romance, Lin Qiao has investigated the girl’s situation.

To be honest, it was somewhat similar to Qi Huaiwen’s. Both were children of teachers, both without mothers, living alone with their fathers. However, Qi Huaiwen’s mother had passed away, while Li Xiaoqiu’s parents had divorced during a particularly tumultuous time, leaving her and her father. In the following years, teachers’ conditions remained poor, and salaries were low. Her father never remarried, and the divorce became a scar.

The boy had hit a sore spot, and Li Xiaoqiu, who had only been teary-eyed, now started to cry in earnest.

Lin Qiao’s voice turned colder. “Our salaries as teachers may not be high, but educating people is an honorable way to earn money.”

The boy then remembered she was still there, and his expression froze.

“Moreover, even the police need evidence to solve a case. Isn’t it too early to jump to conclusions?”

Just then, the head teacher of Class Five, Teacher Bi, also known as “Nanny,” arrived and, having understood the situation, said, “The matter hasn’t been investigated yet, so let’s not get too excited.” He didn’t immediately side with his own student and help question Li Xiaoqiu.

This significantly improved Lin Qiao’s opinion of him. She called out to the class monitor of Class Four, “Take your classmates back to self-study. We’ll dismiss a bit later today.”

Teacher Bi quickly arranged for his class to return as well. Just as he was about to take the students back to the office for a detailed inquiry, he noticed Qi Huaiwen standing still.

The boy, looking calm, said to Lin Qiao, “I can testify that the watch belongs to Li Xiaoqiu. I saw her wearing it last Saturday.”

When he mentioned last Saturday, Lin Qiao remembered seeing the two talking by the wall. But she didn’t notice if Li Xiaoqiu was wearing a watch, as her hands were in her pockets.

The boy from Class Five clearly didn’t believe it. “Just because you say so? You’re in the same class. Of course, you’d side with her.” He directly asked Li Xiaoqiu, “Where did you get this watch? An electronic watch costs over a hundred yuan. Did your dad buy it for you, or did you get it yourself?”

At this point, Teacher Bi also hesitated and asked Li Xiaoqiu, “Did your dad buy you the watch?”

Just as Li Xiaoqiu was about to speak, a loud, crisp slap landed on her face. Her tear-streaked face instantly showed a five-finger mark. The person who slapped her was about to hit her again when Lin Qiao stepped forward to shield her. “If there’s an issue, let’s talk it out. Why hit a child?”

The last time Qi Huaiwen was caught copying notes in class, Vice Principal Qi was furious but didn’t hit him in public. However, Li Xiaoqiu’s father hit her without asking any questions. When Lin Qiao stopped him, he pointed at his daughter behind Lin Qiao and said, “What’s wrong with me hitting her? I’m hitting her because she’s shameless!”

The middle-aged man, still fuming, looked like his eyes were about to pop out. “Have I ever deprived you of food or clothing? And you steal from me? If I had known you were like this, I wouldn’t have kept you. I should have let you and your mother get lost, so you wouldn’t embarrass me at school!”

From his reaction, it was clear that he didn’t buy Li Xiaoqiu’s watch.

This put Teacher Bi in a difficult position. Since the item was stolen from his class, it would seem unfair if he didn’t demand strict handling. But if he did, it would mean accusing Li Xiaoqiu of theft.

Lin Qiao frowned and was about to ask more questions when the girl behind her suddenly sobbed, “My mom bought it for me.” She kept her head down and didn’t look at her father while saying this.

Teacher Li clearly didn’t believe her. “Your mom? Does she even remember she has a daughter?”

Li Xiaoqiu fell silent again.

The father and daughter were both hot-tempered. One wouldn’t listen to explanations, and the other wouldn’t speak up when yelled at, making communication impossible. Feeling a headache coming on, Lin Qiao patiently asked the girl, “Can you contact your mom and ask her to come and testify for you?”

This was the best solution at the moment. Without surveillance in those days, it was hard to find out where the item had gone.

Li Xiaoqiu hesitated and then shook her head. “She left after seeing me. I don’t know where she is now…”

“Still saying you didn’t lie!” Teacher Li, enraged, tried to bypass Lin Qiao to hit his daughter again.

Lin Qiao stopped him once more. “Let’s search again. Maybe it fell somewhere and wasn’t noticed before. Also, try to contact Li Xiaoqiu’s mom. If there’s a chance to reach her, we shouldn’t jump to conclusions and wrong the child.”

After being stopped several times, Teacher Li got angry. “If you can handle it, then handle it!” He turned and left the crowd.

Seeing Lin Qiao’s insistence, Teacher Bi had no better solution. “I’ll take people back to search again. We’ll check the desks and trash cans.”

The boy was clearly not convinced and glared at Li Xiaoqiu as he followed the Teacher back to the classroom.

Li Xiaoqiu pressed her lips together but didn’t avoid his gaze. She gave Lin Qiao a grateful look and, ignoring the boy’s glare, followed them to Class Five to continue searching.

They searched for most of the noon break.

In the summer, with fewer clothes, hiding something as big as an electronic watch was impossible. After questioning the students from both classes, they all went home for lunch. Teacher Bi searched for a while longer but couldn’t find anything and left, saying, “You should give an explanation soon. Feng Gang is stubborn and might call the police.”

This made Li Xiaoqiu’s face turn pale. “I’m sorry, Teacher Lin, for causing you trouble.”

“Now is not the time to say that.” The more urgent the situation, the calmer Lin Qiao became. “Can you contact your mom at all?”

Li Xiaoqiu thought carefully. “I remember where my grandmother lives. I don’t know if they know where my mom is.” She lowered her head, looking bitter. “I heard she remarried and isn’t doing well. This year, she followed someone doing business back in her hometown.”

“Give me your grandmother’s address, and I’ll try sending a telegram.” Lin Qiao was about to go to the office to get a pen when she saw a familiar tall figure standing not far away.

She instinctively checked her watch. “Why are you here?”

In the summer heat, Ji Duo’s shirt buttons were meticulously fastened, as if unbuttoning one would make him look unprofessional. He lifted the lunchbox in his hand. “You haven’t eaten.”

“I was too busy and forgot.”

This is the downside of not having a mobile phone. Otherwise, a phone call would have sufficed, and he wouldn’t have had to come to the school.

Lin Qiao quickly took the lunchbox and glanced at the uneasy Li Xiaoqiu beside her. “It’s already this late. Come and eat with us.”

Li Xiaoqiu hesitated and quickly shook her head. “I-I don’t need to…”

“Come and eat. I have some biscuits in my office, enough for all of us.” Lin Qiao didn’t give her a chance to refuse again and walked quickly to the office, asking Ji Duo as she went, “Have you eaten?”

“I have.” It was Ji Duo’s first time in Lin Qiao’s office, and he immediately spotted her desk.

Her desk wasn’t very tidy, but when she had nothing to do or wanted to relax, she liked to fold things out of paper. Sometimes it was lilies, sometimes roses. The pens on her desk were kept in small canning jars, which also contained paper flowers, making it clear which desk was hers.

Sure enough, Lin Qiao pulled out the chair in front of her desk. “Are you going back right away, or will you sit for a while?”

Ji Duo walked directly to the window and looked out. “You eat, and I’ll take the lunchbox back later.”

Thinking that if he left now, he would have to wait at home since Xiao Fang was scheduled to pick him up at the door, Lin Qiao didn’t say anything and opened the lunchbox on the desk.

It was Li Xiaoqiu’s first time eating with her teacher, and she ate in silence. As she ate, a tear fell onto her hand. She quickly turned her head to avoid it, but a light blue checkered handkerchief appeared in her view.

Lin Qiao didn’t say anything, didn’t ask, and didn’t comfort her, just letting the girl vent her emotions.

Li Xiaoqiu took the handkerchief and wiped her tears, then instinctively said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cry. I just wanted to thank you, Teacher.” Introverted children often struggle to express themselves, and she is a bit incoherent. “You’ve been very kind to me, believed in me, and… and… you’re like my mom.”

Lin Qiao paused, realizing she was only a couple of years older than Li Xiaoqiu and couldn’t possibly have a daughter this age. She noticed the man by the window turning his head to look at her.

Li Xiaoqiu didn’t seem to notice and continued, “Actually, my mom was very good to me when I was little. She made me delicious food and sang lullabies to put me to sleep. She had no choice back then. My grandmother always blamed her for not having a son, and my dad was in a bad situation and had a terrible temper…”

At this point, she paused. “Of course, my dad isn’t bad either. He’s had a hard time, and it’s been tough for him over the years.”

Both her parents had their reasons, so what about her? There are many reasons for a couple to divorce. Besides obvious faults like infidelity or domestic violence, it’s often hard to say who’s at fault. Each side believes they are right and feels wronged by the other. Everyone who feels wronged finds it hard not to share this with their children, hoping the children will take their side.

Li Xiaoqiu had found reasons to justify everyone, leaving her to bear the remaining grievances alone. No wonder she was usually so quiet and introverted.

“A man in a tough situation can take it out on his family?” Ji Duo’s deep voice suddenly broke the silence.

Lin Qiao had almost forgotten he was there and immediately glared at him, signaling him not to upset the child.

Compared to the self-consuming Li Xiaoqiu, her glare was vibrant and lively, much more pleasing to Ji Duo. He pretended not to notice. “If there’s no other way, she should have taken the child.” At least if it were Lin Qiao, she wouldn’t let herself and her child live like this.

After two sharp comments, Lin Qiao didn’t dare let him stay in the office any longer. She directly pulled him up and pushed him out. “You should go back first.”

Her soft hand pressed against his back. Ji Duo frowned slightly but didn’t resist, letting her push him out.

Just as they reached the hallway and closed the door, Lin Qiao suddenly lowered her voice. “A watch like this isn’t common on the market, is it?”