After a moment, she timidly raised her big eyes and called out to Ji Meng: “Aunt.”

Those few simple words made the adults present feel a pang in their hearts.

They all knew how difficult it was for this child, who had suffered so much trauma and fear, to say even those few words.

“Okay, then Uncle will put you down.”

The long train journey was exhausting for Ji Qinghe, who was older and couldn’t bear it. For the past few days, Su Cheng had been taking care of Qingyu, gradually treating her like his second daughter. Hearing her, he responded gently and bent down to let the child down.

“Sister, here’s the doll for you!”

As soon as Qingyu’s feet touched the ground, Qiuqiu grabbed her little hand.

Qingyu instinctively pulled her hand back. She had frostbite on her hands, with some areas even broken and looking unsightly. Touching them felt disgusting, and she was afraid it might scare her sister.

Qiuqiu didn’t notice anything wrong, she presented the doll to Qingyu, smiling and encouraging her to take it.

Qingyu looked at her sister’s bright smiling face and hesitantly reached out to take the doll, hugging it to her chest.

At this moment, Qiuqiu finally noticed her sister’s hands.

She was momentarily taken aback, such hands were not unfamiliar to her at all.

In her dreams, her hands in the village always looked like this—swollen and red like a carrot, with shiny swollen spots. If her fingers were accidentally scraped, pus would ooze out, disgusting and itchy, causing pain.

By summer, they would heal, but by winter, it would start all over again.

Sister had endured a lot of suffering, possibly even more than what her mother had said before.

In an instant, this realization flashed through Qiuqiu’s mind.

She felt like crying, but when she glanced at her sister’s anxious eyes, which were similar to those in her dreams, she bit her lip and held back her tears.

Qiuqiu was a child who had grown up slowly through her dreams. She knew that if she cried, her sister would become just like her in the dreams, flustered and not sure of where to place her hands and feet.

She needed to be nicer to her sister.

At this moment, Qiuqiu made up her mind.

So, on the way back with Ji Meng and the others, they saw Qiuqiu buzzing around Qingyu like a cheerful little bee.

Soon, she said, “Sister, I’ve been learning to paint with Mom, but I’m not very good at it. Can you help me learn together? Maybe with you, I can get better.”

Then she continued, “Sister, the steamed buns from Grandma Zhang’s shop on the street are really fragrant and delicious, they’re soft and fluffy with lots of meat! Let’s ask Dad to buy some tomorrow morning, and we can eat together!”

“Sister, how do you feel about riding the train? When I took the train for the first time, it was so tiring, and the bathroom on the train smelled terrible…”

Ji Meng knew that Qiuqiu had become much more cheerful, but she had never realized her daughter could talk so much. Throughout the journey, she never stopped chatting, and her tone changed as if she were telling a story.

People around them on the bus looked at the two of them.

If it weren’t for the smiles in their eyes and their gentle expressions, combined with Qingyu seeming much better thanks to Qiuqiu’s chatter, Ji Meng would have surely intervened and even scolded them.

Amid Qiuqiu’s chattering, the whole family finally returned home.

In order to make Ji Qiao truly feel at home, Ji Qinghe consulted a Feng Shui master and decided to keep Ji Qiao’s urn at home for three days before taking it to the cemetery.

Ji Qinghe had already prepared Ji Qiao’s room in advance. When they welcomed the urn inside, Ji Qinghe couldn’t hold back his tears and choked out, “Son, we’re home.”

This single sentence made Ji Meng’s eyes redden.

“You should go fetch water and help Dad and Qingyu wash up. I’ll cook dinner.”

After lighting incense for Ji Qiao in his room, Ji Meng stepped outside and glanced at Ji Qinghe, who was still inside shedding tears over her son’s memorial tablet. She turned to Su Cheng and spoke.

Su Cheng wanted to help Ji Meng cook, but after spending several days on the train, they really didn’t smell pleasant.

Earlier on the train, he was worried Ji Meng would smell him and didn’t dare get too close or talk to her. After thinking it over, he nodded in agreement:

“Okay, I’ll go get the water, but there’s no rush to cook. You can prepare the vegetables, and I’ll wash up and come help.”

Upon hearing this, Ji Meng looked at Su Cheng, asking, “What’s wrong? Do you think my cooking isn’t good?”

Su Cheng didn’t mean that at all. He had eaten Ji Meng’s cooking before and certainly knew it was just as good, if not better, than his own.

He was just considering that she had worked hard in the morning and then rushed to the train station to pick them up, she must be tired. Plus, every time he saw her hands, he felt she shouldn’t have to do such heavy work, so he instinctively arranged it this way.

“No, your cooking is better than mine, I just thought you’ve been taking care of Qiuqiu these days and might be tired, so I wanted you to rest a bit.” When he saw Ji Meng’s bright eyes that shimmered, Su Cheng felt a lump in his throat as he said.

“Well, it’s not like I can’t handle one more day. I took the day off tonight, so I don’t have to go to class. I can be tired for one more evening, and tomorrow I’ll just take it easy,” Ji Meng said, the corners of her lips curling slightly upward.

Su Cheng didn’t say anything more, he replied, “I’ll go get water,” and took the bucket outside.

While Su Cheng went to fetch water, Qiuqiu had already taken the initiative to pull Qingyu into the house to play.

She had a variety of toys now, including a tin frog, chess, and bamboo dragonflies, so the two children would likely play for quite a while.

Ji Meng washed some of the fruits that Fu Junyan had sent the day before and brought them into the room. Seeing that the children were playing happily, she didn’t bother them anymore and headed to the kitchen with the vegetables and meat she had rushed to buy early that morning.

It had been over a week since the family had eaten together, and since this was Qingyu’s first meal back home, Ji Meng decided to prepare a more sumptuous feast.

That evening, she cooked the kids’ favorite cola chicken wings, along with beer duck and a chicken stew with hazel mushrooms.

The hazel mushrooms were a gift from Su Cheng’s comrade, Jiang Jianbang, who wanted to thank Su Cheng for the suggestions he had offered upon his arrival, which had been a great help. Before Su Cheng left, Jiang Jianbang had specially chased him down to the train station to hand him a large bag of local specialties.

Among them were the black fungus and hazel mushrooms in the largest quantities. After returning, Su Cheng took them straight to the kitchen.

Once the three meat dishes were ready, Ji Meng also stir-fried a tomato and egg dish, prepared a shredded potato stir-fry, and made a vegetable and tofu soup.

The table was filled with food. For the past few days, Qiuqiu and her mother had been eating very simply—mostly noodles, fried rice, or a single bowl of rice with toppings.

Last night, the mother and daughter had eaten out, but because there were only two of them, they only ordered two dishes. Qiuqiu hadn’t seen such a large spread in a long time.

Holding her sister’s hand, she led her to the table, her eyes shining with excitement. When she spotted the cola chicken wings, her bright, dark eyes widened, and her excitement grew even more. She turned to Qingyu and exclaimed:

“Sister, let me tell you, Mom’s chicken wings are super delicious! They’re fried in hot oil, then a whole bottle of cola is poured in—can you believe it? The taste is sweet and a little salty, the meat is so tender that when you take a bite, Qiuqiu can’t help but drool! You must try it!”

This cola chicken wing dish was one that Ji Meng had prepared for Qiuqiu a few days ago as a topping for rice. It was the best meat dish Qiuqiu had eaten in over a week, so she remembered it vividly.

As Qiuqiu described how it tasted, her whole body seemed to dance with excitement, her face glowing with joy. After finishing her description, she even dreamily wiped her mouth with her small hand.

It was Qingyu’s first time hearing about cola chicken wings, and she had never eaten them before.

Hearing Qiuqiu explain how they were fried in hot oil and then cooked with cola made it sound very complicated and sophisticated. As she watched Qiuqiu’s ecstatic expression after taking a bite, she couldn’t help but feel it must be delicious. The aroma wafting from the table made her swallow quietly.

“Okay.” Qingyu replied softly, though she felt a bit anxious.

Earlier, when she ate out with her grandfather and uncle or had meals on the train, she hadn’t felt anything strange, but now that they were gathered around the table, she remembered that she hadn’t had a meal at her grandmother’s house for a long time.

If she were to sit at the table, she would get scolded.

Though she knew her grandfather loved her and wouldn’t hit her, she still felt a bit scared in front of the table.

Unaware of Qingyu’s thoughts, Qiuqiu noticed her sister hadn’t moved and naturally reached out to grab her hand. “Sister, sit down quickly! It’s time to eat!”

Qingyu really liked Qiuqiu. She was a quiet person by nature, and when Ji Qiao was alive, she didn’t have many friends. After Ji Qiao was gone, she became even more reserved. To her, Qiuqiu was like a guiding light, and even though Qiuqiu loved to talk, she adored her.

As Qiuqiu pulled her, Qingyu sat down beside her. Qiuqiu was very attentive, as soon as Qingyu sat down, she got up to arrange the bowls and chopsticks for their father, placing one bowl and one pair of chopsticks at each seat.

Once her grandfather joined them at the table, and after their parents sat down and her grandfather began to eat, Qiuqiu immediately picked up a chicken wing with her chopsticks and placed it into Qingyu’s bowl.

“Sister, you have to try it! It’s really delicious!”

After saying that, Qiuqiu eagerly stared at Qingyu with her clear, bright eyes as if urging her to eat and then tell her how it tasted.

Qingyu couldn’t refuse those eyes that resembled her own yet were filled with eagerness. After hesitating for a moment, she picked up the chopsticks and took a small bite.

In an instant, Qiuqiu’s description of the dish filled Qingyu’s mind. The tender, smooth meat wrapped around her tongue, and she sensed the sweet and savory flavors.

“How is it, Sister? I wasn’t lying, right?” Qiuqiu asked, blinking her eyes at her sister.

“Mm!” Qingyu nodded vigorously, unable to resist taking another small bite.

Seeing this, Ji Qinghe, Ji Meng, and the others all smiled.

The tension that Ji Qinghe had been holding onto, worrying about his granddaughter’s mental state, gradually relaxed.

He had been hesitating about whether he should help Qingyu eat, but now it seemed better to leave that to Qiuqiu.

Earlier on the train, Qingyu had also been obedient, but she hadn’t shown such a reaction. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that when she lowered her head to eat, there was a spark in her eyes.

After dinner, the hot water boiled on the stove was ready. Su Cheng helped carry the hot water to the bathroom, and Ji Meng first gave Qingyu and Qiuqiu a bath together.

During the bath, Qingyu felt a bit uncomfortable. She wanted to wash herself, but Qiuqiu was beside her, happily saying that they could soak their feet together. Qingyu pursed her lips and said nothing.

Once they took off their clothes, Qingyu’s numerous bruises became visible. The bathroom was dimly lit, but Ji Meng and Qiuqiu could see clearly, her thin body was covered in wounds, with hardly a spot that was unmarked.

This time, Qiuqiu couldn’t hold back her tears and cried out.

“Sister, who hit you? You tell me, and I’ll help you get back at them! I’ve made a lot of friends in the Yuhong class, and Zhuangzhuang knows some older brothers too. We’ll definitely help you get revenge!”

“Which big bad guy hit my sister? I’m going to deal with him!”

As Qiuqiu wailed, she wiped her tears while vowing revenge. Qingyu, hearing this, also cried, and soon the two sisters were in a heap of tears together.

Ji Meng felt a bit overwhelmed, this was the first time she didn’t know how to handle crying children, feeling completely at a loss.

Seeing those injuries made her heart ache, and she didn’t expect such a result.

In just over a month, everything the Liu family wanted had been given, yet these people were just beasts.

The bath was quite difficult, and when they finished, an adult and the two children all had red eyes.

Fortunately, the little ones were relatively easy to comfort. After their bath, Su Cheng brought out two cute toothbrushes with duck heads. The sisters each took one, and in an instant, they forgot their tears, becoming curious about the toothbrushes in their hands.

Once they brushed their teeth with the new toothbrushes, the two little ones happily compared whose teeth were whiter, completely forgetting what had just happened.

“Where did you buy these toothbrushes?” Ji Meng asked, glancing at Su Cheng, who was watching the two girls under the dim light of the eaves.

Su Cheng stared at her red eyes and replied after a moment, “I went out this afternoon to get water, passed by a general store, and thought the little girls would like them, so I bought them.”

“Seeing them like this, it’s clear they love it. Fortunately you bought these, otherwise, I really wouldn’t know what to do.”

Ji Meng said this and then looked back at the two little ones.

As they entered April, the weather wasn’t too cold, wearing long sleeves and pants at night was enough. The sisters were dressed in the pink pajamas with floral lace that Ji Meng had bought from the collective a few days ago, which a female worker there had sewn for her.

Now, as the two sisters huddled together, they looked like a pair of flowers, pretty and cute.

Seeing them made Ji Meng feel that life was beautiful, and the days ahead wouldn’t be bad.

At least, in the book, this pair of sisters would no longer have to go through such hardships.

Su Cheng followed her gaze and couldn’t help but ask, “Why didn’t you think of leaving Qiuqiu in the countryside back then?”

‘Who are you? Why do you seem so familiar with Qingyu’s situation?’

“What?”

Ji Meng was taken aback and didn’t immediately respond to Su Cheng’s words.

Her surprise was evident, and Su Cheng eventually looked away, saying lightly, “It’s nothing, I just suddenly thought that when you left Qiuqiu in the countryside with your mom and sent money back every month, it might have been much easier for you.”

“Oh.”

Ji Meng replied and, after a moment of thought, naturally said, “My daughter should definitely be by my side, raised by me.”

“Let Mom take care of Qiuqiu, I know she can do it well, but it’s better for the child to be close to her mother, isn’t it?”

“After you suddenly gone, I saw Mom ^[1]“sending off a black-haired person with white hair” metaphorically refers to a situation where a parent (the black-haired person) has passed away, leaving behind a child (the white-haired … Continue readingsending off a black-haired person with white hair and finally understood that Qiuqiu is my child, I should love her well.”

‘In this way, I shouldn’t ruin my image, and it should clear up Su Cheng’s confusion, right?’

Ji Meng clenched her hands, her heart racing, and glanced at Su Cheng, who had lowered his eyes and softly replied, “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Shall I get you some water for your bath?” After a brief silence, Su Cheng asked.

“Mm, okay,” Ji Meng said, relieved.

These past few days, Ji Meng had been so busy that after classes, she returned late and hastily dealt with Qiuqiu, washing up in a rush.

Today, she planned to take a thorough and comfortable wash.

Ji Meng entered the bathroom, while Ji Qinghe took the new quilt and bed sheets he had prepared for Qingyu earlier and went to the small room to make the bed.

Only at this moment did Qingyu realize she could actually have a separate small room.

She was surprised, and besides the surprise, she couldn’t help but feel curious about her little room. As she walked in, she found it had everything—a small table, a small stool, and a tall single cabinet for clothes…

Qiuqiu knew this was her sister’s room and was also curiously looking around. She even suggested to Grandpa about adding something to the room, chattering away, and then suddenly turned her big eyes to say she wanted to sleep with her sister tonight.

Ji Qinghe had been worried that Qingyu would be scared of sleeping alone and had prepared for Qiuqiu to keep her company, so he happily agreed upon hearing this.

Qiuqiu then looked at Qingyu.

Qingyu naturally had no objections and was quite pleased, a rare sparkle shining in her dark, bright eyes as she nodded vigorously in agreement.

“Great! Then I’ll sleep with my sister tonight. Wait for me, I’m going to tell Dad!”

Qiuqiu was very excited. After she finished speaking, she ran out in a rush, reaching Su Cheng in one breath without even catching her breath, saying, “Dad, I’m sleeping with my sister tonight.”

After saying this, she seemed to think of something, blinking her eyes and looking at Dad, suddenly adding:

“You and Mom haven’t seen each other for a long time, it’s the perfect chance to show each other some love!”