Chapter 11

“Isn’t it just picking someone up? Did it really need to take you more than half the day? The whole family’s waiting to eat! Who hasn’t cooked at this hour? I think you were deliberately wasting time outside, weren’t you? Waiting for me, the old lady, to serve you? To cook for your whole family? Do you want me to bring the food to your mouth and feed you too?”

Qiao Xinyi could feel that even Chen Yubing stopped breathing for two seconds.

“The child has a head injury. I took her to a large hospital for a checkup,” Chen Yubing explained.

But it was obvious from her flat tone and expressionless face that she was just brushing it off.

Qiao Laiwang had already come home from work. Hearing the commotion at the door, he came out of the bedroom with a smile like a peacemaker and said, “Mom, it’s fine. We can eat a little later. If you’re hungry, there are biscuits in the cupboard—have some with tea to hold you over.”

After speaking, Qiao Laiwang’s gaze fell on the unfamiliar young girl at the door. When he saw the shaved head, his expression clearly froze, and he blurted out, “Why is she bald?”

Chen Yubing acted as if she hadn’t heard him. She picked up an apron and put it on, then turned back to Qiao Xinyi and said, “Xinyi, sit down and rest for a bit. Mom will go make dinner.”

Then she turned to the boy standing behind Qiao Laiwang and called, “Yunbai, this is your eldest sister. Her name is Qiao Xinyi. She’s been through a lot, and she’s got a head injury. You and Baihe stay with her and help take care of her.”

“Okay, Mom, I got it,” Qiao Yunbai replied loudly, though his eyes remained curiously fixed on Qiao Xinyi.

It was obvious Yunbai wasn’t the outgoing type either—he just stood there scratching his head awkwardly, not knowing what to say. Luckily, Qiao Baihe, who had come back with Xinyi, pulled her inside.

After washing her hands, Chen Yubing opened the cabinet and searched a bit before asking Qiao Laiwang, “Qiao Laiwang, where’s the meat I told you to buy this morning? I can’t find it in the cupboard.”

Qiao Laiwang quickly replied, “Mom said not to buy it.”

Chen Ju chimed in, “All that for just bringing back a girl? What meat do you need? Do you even know how to manage a household?”

Chen Yubing opened her mouth, wanting to argue, but remembering it was her daughter’s first day home—a happy occasion—she held back. She didn’t want to fight, so she kept quiet and thought about taking the kids to the state-run restaurant for a nice dinner that evening.

The textile factory’s family apartments didn’t have kitchens. Everyone cooked on coal stoves in the hallway.

Tying on her apron, Chen Yubing turned and went out. Seeing her silent, Chen Ju assumed she had won the argument as the mother-in-law and had justice on her side.

Qiao Xinyi looked at Chen Ju, then at Qiao Laiwang—who was still grinning for no apparent reason—and didn’t even bother calling him “Dad” or acknowledging her grandmother.

Qiao Xinyi had been too optimistic—this two-bedroom home of the Qiao family was barely 50 square meters. Two bedrooms and a tiny living room. The kitchen was in the hallway, the toilet was at the end of the hall and shared by the whole floor. On the other side of the living room, there was a small balcony with a sink for washing clothes and a rod for hanging laundry.

There was a bed in the living room, placed beside the dining table, only about one meter wide. The bedding and pillows had been neatly folded and stacked at the head of the bed. When Qiao Baihe pulled her to sit down, it was right at that table—clearly the bed doubled as a bench during the day.

“Who sleeps in the living room?” Qiao Xinyi asked.

Chen Ju’s ears perked up and she immediately snapped, “Of course it’s Qiao Baihe! Who else would it be? You don’t expect me, the grandma, to sleep there, do you? Or do you think your younger brother, a boy, should sleep out here? Who in this family isn’t more precious than that girl Qiao Baihe?”

After Chen Ju finished speaking, she continued, “From now on, this bed is yours to sleep on. Oh right, weren’t all the kids being picked up by their own families today? Why is this girl Qiao Baihe still in our house? What are her real parents thinking? They don’t want her anymore? Are we supposed to keep raising her?”

Chen Ju’s brows furrowed into a deep crease. “Before, we thought she was one of ours, so we had no choice but to take care of her. But now that she’s not even of Qiao family blood, why should we raise her for nothing?”

Her words were incredibly harsh. Qiao Baihe tensed up completely out of fear she’d be kicked out, and quickly explained, “The He family said I should stay here a few more days until they get their place cleaned up, then they’ll come get me.”

“Did the He family give you any money?” Chen Ju stared at Qiao Baihe’s pockets suspiciously. “Don’t tell me you and your mom hid the money they gave you?”

Qiao Baihe hurriedly explained that the He family hadn’t given any money. Chen Ju looked skeptical and kept questioning.

Qiao Xinyi couldn’t be bothered to listen anymore. She got up and walked out, going to stand next to Chen Yubing. Sensing someone approaching, Chen Yubing turned her head slightly. When she saw it was Qiao Xinyi, she gave her a gentle smile.

“It’s hot out. Why aren’t you resting inside? Are you hungry? The food will be ready soon.”

“I’m not hungry. I just don’t like being in there,” Qiao Xinyi said, curling her lips in clear distaste toward Chen Ju and Qiao Laiwang. Then she lowered her voice and asked, “Among the neighbors on this floor, which auntie is the biggest loudmouth, can’t keep a secret?”

Though she didn’t know why Xinyi was asking, Chen Yubing still quietly replied, “Two doors down from us on the right. The one wearing blue, cooking in the hallway right now—that’s Auntie Zhang Hua. She talks a lot.”

“Seems like their house is pretty lively today. I’ll go pay them a visit,” Qiao Xinyi said. She touched her smooth, bald head and started walking toward the neighboring families.

None of the units in this housing complex had private kitchens—everyone cooked in the hallway. It was an unspoken rule among decent families not to visit others while they were cooking, and definitely not to stare into someone’s pot.

Zhang Hua happened to be making braised pork at the time. When Qiao Xinyi approached, she immediately became guarded and quickly grabbed the lid to cover the pot. But curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn’t help but strike up a conversation.

“You’re the girl the Qiao family brought home today, right? What’s your name?”

“Auntie, my name is Qiao Xinyi,” she replied sweetly, with a polite and innocent smile. Then she looked at the steaming pot with an exaggerated expression of craving.

“Auntie, are you cooking pork? It smells so good!”

Before Zhang Hua could respond, Xinyi continued, “Auntie, what does the meat taste like?”

Maybe because Xinyi didn’t reach for the pot and just looked and asked, Zhang Hua began to lower her guard. Especially when she heard that question—what does the meat taste like—she couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“You’re a funny girl. What does meat taste like? It tastes like meat! The way you ask, it’s like you’ve never had meat before. It smells amazing!”

Xinyi let out a little gasp. “Auntie, how did you know I’ve never eaten meat?”

Her innocent tone and the way she scratched her head gave the impression of a simple, honest girl who didn’t know much about the world.

“I’ve grown up without ever eating meat—not even meat broth,” Xinyi said. “Back in the village, the parents who stole me wouldn’t let me eat meat. They said girls have lowly fates and don’t deserve meat—not even soup.”

“My mom picked me up today, and on the way, she told me she gave my dad meat coupons and money, told him to buy a piece of meat and cook it for me for lunch.”