Chapter 21

Qiao Xinyi thought for a moment and said, “If I remember correctly, his name is He Shengli, and he has a daughter named He Rou.” She wasn’t entirely sure if He Shengli was stationed in the same place as Fu Qingshan.

“Captain He and his family moved into the new family housing building last year, Building 2, Unit 305,” Xiao Mao said quickly, offering to take her there.

“I can go by myself,” Qiao Xinyi waved her hand. “You stay here and wait for Fu Qingshan. When he comes back, just tell him to come find me at the He household.”

The main road led directly to the new family housing, so Qiao Xinyi didn’t need directions. She found it easily. As she approached Building 2, she saw a group of middle-aged women gathered at the shaded stairwell entrance, chatting away.

“This morning when Zhou Yun took He Rou out, I overheard He Rou say that the relative who came to stay with them, from Zhou Yun’s side of the family, came empty-handed—didn’t even bring a change of clothes. Zhou Yun took He Rou out early this morning just to buy some clothes for that niece of hers, Qiao Baihe.”

“This poor relative is really planning to mooch off Zhou Yun, huh? What’s the deal with this Qiao Baihe? What kind of relative is she to Zhou Yun? Looks like Captain He and Zhou Yun really intend to keep her around?”

“Of course she’s planning to mooch,” another woman said, clicking her tongue and shaking her head in disapproval. “You don’t know this, but Qiao Baihe actually arrived at the compound yesterday. Thing is, Captain He went on a mission the day before, and He Rou got sick yesterday afternoon, so Zhou Yun spent all afternoon and night with her at the hospital.”

“With no one home at the He’s place, naturally no one was there to receive her. Without that, she couldn’t even get into the compound. A normal person would’ve waited half a day, maybe until seven or eight in the evening at most, and left if no one showed up. But Qiao Baihe? She actually waited until this morning. I heard she spent last night squatting under a tree by the gate. Stayed there all night until Zhou Yun and He Rou came back this morning. Only then did Zhou Yun bring her in.”

Qiao Xinyi had been listening the whole time, utterly confused. For the first time, she thought, *Why is standard Mandarin so hard to understand?*

“Excuse me, aunties,” Qiao Xinyi cut in, stepping into the middle of the group. “Sorry to bother you, but who said Qiao Baihe is a relative from Zhou Yun’s family who came to stay with the He?”

“Oh my! What a bold girl,” one of the women said. “You could’ve just asked a question—why squeeze right into the middle?” She turned and saw that the girl was unfamiliar. The girl wore a stylish sunhat, but looking closely, she appeared to be bald underneath.

“Whose family are you from?” the woman asked curiously. “I haven’t seen you around before.”

Instinctively, Qiao Xinyi replied, “Auntie, I’m from Fu Qingshan’s household.”

“Oh? You’re Captain Fu’s girlfriend?” Several of the women’s expressions immediately lit up in excitement.

Only then did Qiao Xinyi realize what she had just said. She snapped back to attention and quickly corrected herself with a laugh. “Oh no, I misspoke! Auntie, your question threw me off, and my mouth just slipped. I’m a friend of Fu Qingshan’s. I’m here today to see him about something. I’m not his girlfriend.”

She couldn’t have one visit to the family compound ruin Fu Qingshan’s reputation.

“Sorry, aunties, I really answered wrong just now. Please don’t spread rumors. If Captain Fu actually *does* have a girlfriend and hears this, I’ll be in big trouble.”

The women all laughed along. The one who asked the question said, “I’ve heard from the political commissar’s wife that Captain Fu doesn’t have a girlfriend yet. Don’t worry, no one’s going to hold it against you.”

Qiao Xinyi was relieved, and she repeated her earlier question. This time, one of the women answered her.

“It was Captain He’s wife who told us this morning before she went out. She said Qiao Baihe is a relative from her side of the family, and for certain reasons, she came to rely on her.”

As the woman was talking, another suddenly said, “Speak of the devil—Zhou Yun and He Rou are back!”

Everyone turned to look in their direction.

He Rou immediately spotted the familiar sunhat, and her heart skipped a beat. She rushed over, and sure enough—it was the biological daughter of the Qiao family. The girl who, if she remembered correctly, was called Qiao Xinyi, someone she’d met briefly at the police station.

“Qiao Xinyi, what are you doing here?” He Rou asked anxiously. “How did you get in? Did Qiao Baihe bring you in without permission? Who told her she could just bring people home like that?”

Zhou Yun also frowned, clearly displeased. “Are all the people from the Qiao family this rude? Coming to someone’s home without even saying a word of greeting?”

She added with obvious distaste, “Forget it, you’re already here, so let’s go upstairs first. But just this once—don’t do it again. This is a military family compound, not your factory dormitory. It’s not a place anyone can come and go as they please. If something were to happen, who would take responsibility?”

“Qiao family’s rude?” Qiao Xinyi let out a mocking laugh. “And the He family is so polite? The Qiao family helped raise—”

Before Qiao Xinyi could finish, He Rou suddenly let out a sharp scream, cutting her off. “That’s enough! Mom said we’re going upstairs!”

She grabbed Qiao Xinyi’s hand and tried to pull her upstairs. But He Rou, being a pampered girl of the He family, didn’t have much strength. Qiao Xinyi didn’t cooperate at all—He Rou couldn’t move her even if she had help.

“Zhou Yun, what’s going on here? Is this girl your guest?” one of the aunties asked. “But she just said she’s a friend of Captain Fu.”

“Her name is Qiao Xinyi? What’s her relation to Qiao Baihe? Is she also a relative from your side of the family?” Gossip was always popular, and seeing that Qiao Xinyi clearly had no intention of going with the He, the aunties laughed even more gleefully.

They didn’t have a good relationship with Zhou Yun, who always looked down on them like she was breathing through her nose—especially toward them, country wives from rural backgrounds. It was rare to see Zhou Yun caught in a drama, and no one wanted to miss the show.

Qiao Xinyi shook off He Rou’s hand and looked at the clearly flustered mother-daughter pair, her expression half-smile, half-scorn. She really hadn’t expected that coming to see Qiao Baihe would be like going on some spiritual pilgrimage—she had to pass a “great trial” just to get in the door.

She didn’t bother saying anything to Zhou Yun or He Rou. Instead, she took two steps back, cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone, and shouted toward the upper floor:

“Qiao Baihe! Qiao Baihe! If you hear me, come downstairs!”

The He family lived on the third floor. Qiao Xinyi had a strong, clear voice. Qiao Baihe, who was cooking, thought she was hearing things at first. But when she heard it again, she was overjoyed.

Qiao Xinyi had actually come to see her at the family compound!

She didn’t care about anything else. She dropped the spatula on the table and rushed downstairs, shouting as she ran:

“Xinyi! I’m coming down! Don’t shout anymore—you’ll strain your voice!”

Qiao Baihe ran down in one breath. As soon as she saw Qiao Xinyi wearing her sunhat, she rushed over and hugged her tightly.

“Xinyi, what are you doing here?” The bitterness of the past two days melted away the moment she saw Qiao Xinyi. “Did you come alone?”

Qiao Baihe had thought Chen Yubing must have come with her.

“Stop looking around—it’s just me,” Qiao Xinyi said, frustrated. “I came to see Fu Qingshan and figured I’d check in on you while I was here.”

She added with resentment, “If I hadn’t come, I wouldn’t even have known you’d get bullied this badly just coming back to your own home!”