Chapter 37

“Oh, really? Thank you so much, sister-in-law.”

It was the first time that Qiao Baozhu met Chen Jinhua, and she didn’t know anything about him, so she didn’t know much to say.

“Aren’t you angry? Don’t you want to go over and take a look?”

Chen Jinhua looked at Qiao Baozhu in confusion, not understanding why she was so calm.

“Why should I be angry? Shen Xiao told me that Bai Hongmei is a martyr’s family member and her husband died to save Shen Xiao. We are helping her, and that is what we should do.”

Qiao Baozhu’s sincere words left Chen Jinhua at a loss for words.

“Captain Shen really found a virtuous wife. She is good-looking, has a large dowry, and is also very conscious.”

There was a hint of sarcasm in Chen Jinhua’s tone. She didn’t believe that Qiao Baozhu wasn’t angry. It was obvious that the new bride just didn’t dare to make a fuss.

As the two were talking, a thin figure ran in.

Qiao Baozhu looked over and found that the child was Bai Hongmei’s eldest daughter.

The little girl was also stunned when she saw Qiao Baozhu, “Fuck, why is it you?”

“Wei Fang, how can you be so rude! What do you mean by you and me? You should call her aunt.”

Chen Jinhua was very annoyed when he saw Wei Fang barging into someone else’s house without any reason and swearing every time she opened her mouth.

Wei Fang glanced at Chen Jinhua from side to side, and said with disdain: “I’m not talking to you, why are you screaming?”

“I know you. Your husband is from the first battalion, and we are from the third battalion. Can you, the first battalion, interfere in our own affairs?”

Chen Jinhua’s face flushed, and he gritted his teeth: “If the army leaders hadn’t called on us to help the family members, who would have been so idle as to care about you ungrateful bastards?”

Wei Fang sighed and curled her lips in disdain: “Your man is just a small company commander. How can he help us? You can only say nice things. If you can give me five dollars, that would be considered helping us.”

Chen Jinhua was so angry that he was shaking all over. He pointed at Wei Fang and said to Qiao Baozhu, “Have you ever seen such an uneducated family? I have lived for more than 20 years and have never seen such a bastard child.”

Wei Fang raised her neck, shook her legs and said, “That’s because you don’t have enough experience.”

Qiao Baozhu: …

She finally understood why Bai Hongmei was despised everywhere in the place where people could sympathize with the martyrs’ families the most.

It’s bad enough that Bai Hongmei herself is not a good person, but the child she raised is so uneducated. Without anyone telling her, Qiao Baozhu had already guessed how many people’s sympathy these two women had lost in the past two months.

“Little girl, what brings you to my house?”

After seeing how powerful the little girl was, Qiao Baozhu became more cautious when speaking to her.

“My mother asked me to tell you that Uncle Shen is staying at my house for dinner today and he won’t be back.”

After Wei Fang finished speaking, she made a face at Chen Jinhua, turned around and ran away.

Chen Jinhua was so angry that he fell backwards. He pointed at Wei Fang’s back while panting and growled, “Look, this is the good kid that Bai Hongmei taught. None of these women are good. It’s a waste of a good man like Captain Wei.”

Qiao Baozhu patted Chen Jinhua on the back, comforting her with a smile, “We are adults, and she is a child. If we really get mad at her, people will just say that we adults are ignorant.”

“If you hadn’t been here to help me, you wouldn’t have endured all this in vain. Sister-in-law, I’m sorry for you.”

Chen Jinhua had a way out and his expression looked better.

“It has nothing to do with you. She was like this before you came. I don’t know how Bai Hongmei taught her, but her children are notoriously snobbish in our compound.”

“As long as the officer is higher than his father, they will call him uncle. If they meet ordinary soldiers, they will order them around and treat them as if they are human beings.”

Qiao Baozhu was dumbfounded. She had never heard Qiao Xifeng mention these things. On second thought, Wei Fang’s tone just now was indeed quite contemptuous.

“Sister-in-law, thank you for your help today. We’ll visit again when Shen Xiao comes back.”

“I’m going to go take a look at Bai Hongmei, so I won’t keep you here.”

When Chen Jinhua heard Qiao Baozhu’s order to expel the guests, his eyes lit up. The excitement on her face could not be concealed: “You want to go to her place to find Chen Xiao?”

“Let’s go together. If anything happens, I can help you.”

Chen Jinhua’s words hit the mark exactly what Qiao Baozhu wanted. At this time, she really needed a few witnesses.

“I’m so glad that you didn’t mind the trouble, sister-in-law. The child ran away in a flash, and I didn’t even know where her home was. With sister-in-law leading the way, I feel relieved.”

Qiao Baozhu turned around and went into the house, taking out a bag of milk powder and a pound of noodles from the cupboard. Put these two things in the net bag, walk out of the house and lock the door.

“Oh my god, you’re going to see her with such a good thing?”

Chen Jinhua saw clearly that Qiao Baozhu was putting nutritional supplements into her pocket and screamed in disbelief.

Qiao Baozhu smiled innocently, “The child is sick, right? Milk powder is nutritious, and noodles are fine grains. It’s only right to nourish the child.”

Chen Jinhua rolled his eyes in anger and had a lot to say. Unfortunately, it was the first time the two met, and Qiao Baozhu was a very naive person. She was afraid that she had said something she shouldn’t have said, and Qiao Baozhu would recite it to Shen Xiao, which would offend others.

She took a deep breath and thought, never mind, she would repay the favor this time and would not meddle in other people’s business again.

Qiao Baozhu followed Chen Jinhua to Yard No. 13. From Yard No. 28 to Yard No. 13, they met many family members along the way.

A few middle-aged women who were sitting together sewing shoe soles saw Chen Jinhua with the pretty girl and couldn’t help but ask.

When she heard that it was Shen Xiao’s wife, she looked up and down in surprise: “The family of Captain Shen, the one who brought six carriages of dowry yesterday?”

“Tsk tsk tsk, this young wife is so pretty, dignified and generous. Captain Shen is so lucky.”

“Hey, where are you two going?”

Qiao Baozhu was just waiting for the aunties in the family compound to ask about it, otherwise all the good shows along the way would be in vain.

“I’m going to Bai Hongmei’s house. I heard her child is sick. I’m going to take some nutritional supplements to check on him.”

Qiao Baozhu shook the net bag in her hand so that everyone could see clearly the milk powder and noodles she brought.

“Oh my god, a bag of milk powder costs three yuan, and noodles cost more than one yuan per pound. You gave away five yuan in one go. Bai Hongmei is so proud.”

Qiao Baozhu smiled and said, “The first time I came here, my child was sick. I was afraid my sister-in-law would dislike my shabby appearance.”

“She dislikes it? What is there for her to dislike…”

When the aunt heard this, her voice rose several degrees. Before I could continue speaking, the person next to me pulled my sleeve.

Qiao Baozhu pretended not to notice the aunties’ little actions, smiled and pulled Chen Jinhua to continue walking forward.

Seeing that there was something exciting to watch, several middle-aged women put down their work and followed Qiao Baozhu to Yard No. 13 where Bai Hongmei lived.

Next to the pigpen in Yard No. 13, there was a pile of firewood three or four meters high, much taller than the fence.

Qiao Baozhu and her group came over, but Bai Hongmei, who was standing in the yard, didn’t notice anything at all.

Before anyone saw the figure in the yard, they heard Bai Hongmei’s sweet voice.

“Brother Shen, I know there are some things I shouldn’t say. But I think we are not outsiders, you have been helping us, I can’t just watch you fall into despair and do nothing.”

In desperate situation?

When Qiao Baozhu heard this, she stopped instantly. Bai Hongmei’s words also attracted the attention of several other people.

Everyone pricked up their ears in tacit understanding, wanting to know what kind of desperate situation Shen Xiao was in.