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墨書 Inktalez
"Alright, alright." Aunt He patted Jiang Xue's shoulder, wiping away the tears at the corner of her eyes. When she noticed that Zhang Qiu and Tao Ya were behind Jiang Xue, she asked in surprise, "Are these two your classmates?"
"Mom." Jiang Xue glanced at Zhang Qiu and hesitated, saying, "Actually, there's something I've never told you."
"You don't need to; I already know." Aunt He, being an experienced person, could tell from her daughter's earlier glance. She had heard from Jiang Xue's aunt that Jiang Xue had found a wealthy boyfriend, which made her worried. It wasn't that she was concerned about her daughter dating; on the contrary, Aunt He hoped Jiang Xue would find a boyfriend. She was afraid that her daughter might develop a fear of marriage because of her own experiences.
What truly worried Aunt He was the mention of Jiang Xue's boyfriend being rich. She feared that her daughter might be deceived by some older man due to a lack of care. Now, if Jiang Xue's boyfriend was this boy in front of her, then her worries would be alleviated. However, what was the identity of the other girl standing next to him?
Aunt He's mind raced as she decided to verify things personally. She took Jiang Xue's hand and walked up to Zhang Qiu, scrutinizing him while saying, "You—Auntie—said you found a boyfriend and helped her family solve their housing problem. Is that what you're here for?"
"Yes."
"Then your boyfriend must be this guy?"
Seeing Jiang Xue nod, Aunt He finally felt relieved. But another question lingered: who was the other girl? Aunt He asked, "And this girl? Is she your classmate too?"
"Yes, she's my classmate. She's staying at my house for a few days."
"Staying?" Aunt He nearly jumped up like a cat with its tail stepped on. "You mean she's going to live at home?"
"Yes, I want to live at home."
"Xue'er, it's not that I don't want you to stay; it's just..." Aunt He looked troubled as she glanced at Zhang Qiu and then at Tao Ya, shaking her head and saying, "Xue'er, maybe you shouldn't stay at home."
"Mom, but this is my home!"
"Mom, how could you not know that this is your home? Don't you want me to live here? I know you do. It's just that you understand your stepfather's situation; he's a jerk."
"Mom, you know he's a jerk, yet you're still with him."
"But I didn't know before. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have the money to support your education. You're about to go to college, and that's another big expense. It's my fault; I can't leave him. Please don't blame me for sending you to Second Uncle's house. I know Auntie doesn't treat you well, but I have no choice. If I had any way out, I wouldn't do this." Aunt He became emotional again and started to cry. Jiang Xue also heard her sobbing, and the mother and daughter held each other tightly as Jiang Xue shouted, "Mom!"
"Don't worry, Auntie. I'll cover the tuition for Xue'er!" As the two women cried in each other's arms, Zhang Qiu stepped forward.
Aunt He looked at Zhang Qiu and sighed, "How can I let you pay for her tuition?"
"There's no need to be polite. Xue'er is my girlfriend; it's only right for me to pay her tuition. Besides, Xue'er is earning money herself now. Look, she bought so many things for you this time." Zhang Qiu lifted the gift bag in his hand, and Tao Ya beside him also raised the gifts she was holding.
"This child spends money recklessly." Although it sounded like a complaint, Aunt He felt warm inside. She rubbed her eyes and wiped Jiang Xue's tears away while reflecting on Zhang Qiu's words. She asked, "Xue'er, are you earning money?"
"Yes." Jiang Xue nodded, her eyes pained from crying.
"Aren't you still in school? The high school curriculum is so tight; how do you have time to earn money?"
"Actually, I'm not working; I'm just helping Zhang Qiu with some tasks. He pays me."
"I see." Aunt He glanced at Zhang Qiu and thought he treated her daughter well. But then she reconsidered; he was also a high school student facing similar pressures. What kind of job could a high school student have to earn money? Unable to resist, Aunt He asked, "Zhang Qiu, what kind of work are you doing?"
"I opened a bar." Zhang Qiu didn't reveal everything, fearing it might shock Aunt He.
"Bar," Aunt He mumbled, her smile gradually fading. Jiang Xue did not notice the change in her mother's expression and took her hand, saying, "Mom, it's too sunny in the yard. Let's go inside."
"Oh, okay, let's go inside."
Jiang Xue picked up the gifts and called Zhang Qiu and Tao Ya to come in. Aunt He walked in last, watching Zhang Qiu's back and falling into deep thought. This child opened a bar herself, and bars are not good places. That dead man loved to drink and would get violent after drinking. It's unusual for someone so young to open a bar; Aunt He was determined to keep a close eye on her daughter and not let anyone bully her.
Jiang Xue led Zhang Qiu and Tao Ya into the house. Zhang Qiu looked around the room. Everything was spotless, items were neatly arranged, water had just been sprinkled on the lime floor, and the wall mirror was polished to perfection. Aunt He followed in with a smile, saying, "Please sit down."
Jiang Xue and Tao Ya sat by the kang while Zhang Qiu leaned over to Jiang Xue and whispered, "Is that person not home?"
"Probably at work."
Zhang Qiu nodded and sat down next to Jiang Xue.
"Have something to eat," Aunt He said as she brought in a plate of jujubes and then asked Zhang Qiu, "Do you want tea or boiled water?"
"Auntie, you don't need to trouble yourself. I'll pour myself some water if I'm thirsty."
"How can that be? You're a guest; I'll take care of it and make you some tea. Just so you know, I don't have any good tea at home, so please don't mind."
"Of course not, Auntie. You're too kind."
Aunt He brewed a cup of tea and handed it to Zhang Qiu, who quickly accepted it with both hands, thanking her repeatedly. Aunt He smiled and said, "Here at my place, it's just like home. You all have fun; I'm going to buy some groceries. I'll make you something delicious for lunch."
Zhang Qiu stood up and said, "Aunt, what do you want to eat? We can go buy it. You just relax at home, and we'll make you lunch."
"This child, can I really let you cook for me?"
Jiang Xue smiled as she pressed her mother back down on the bed and said, "Mom, just listen to Zhang Qiu. He cooks really well. Usually, it's you who works hard at home, so take a good rest today. We'll handle lunch."
Aunt He couldn't argue with them and finally agreed, saying, "Alright, alright, I'll enjoy the blessings of my grandchildren for once. You go buy the groceries; I'll steam the rice at home."
"Okay," Jiang Xue replied with a smile.
Zhang Qiu noticed that Jiang Xue was very happy today, and seeing her happy made him happy too. He waved his hand and said, "Let's get going."
In Jiang Xue's yard, there was an electric tricycle parked, but Zhang Qiu, used to riding two wheels, didn't know how to ride it. Jiang Xue also couldn't ride it; otherwise, they wouldn't have needed Liu Xinru to take them to the county hospital that one time. Zhang Qiu asked, "Is the supermarket far from here?"
"Yes, it's about ten miles away."
"Can we catch a ride at the village entrance?"
"Of course not."
Tao Ya looked at Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue with curiosity and pointed at the electric tricycle in the yard, asking, "There's a tricycle here; why don't you ride it?"
Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue replied in unison, "We can't ride."
"I can do it."
Tao Ya discovered a unique skill of her own that could help Zhang Qiu, and she appeared exceptionally excited. Zhang Qiu exchanged a smile with Jiang Xue and said, "It seems that bringing Tao Ya along was a wise decision."
"I agree," Jiang Xue replied with a smile.
"Then let's go, Tao Ya, let's set off!"
Zhang Qiu opened the door, and Tao Ya rode out on the electric tricycle. Zhang Qiu closed the door, helped Jiang Xue onto the electric vehicle, and climbed on himself. Aunt He stood at the doorway and reminded them, "Ride slowly on the way."
"Don't worry, Mom."
"Don't worry, Auntie."
Tao Ya started the electric vehicle, and until it turned onto the main road, Aunt He continued to watch them from the doorway. Zhang Qiu looked at Jiang Xue's flushed face and smiled, "Are you especially happy today?"
"Of course I'm happy, it's just..." Jiang Xue thought of her mother and couldn't help but tear up again.
Zhang Qiu hugged Jiang Xue tightly, wiped away her tears gently, and said softly, "Xue'er, don't cry. Don't worry; everything will be alright. I promise you."
"Mm! Mm!" Jiang Xue nodded vigorously while resting in Zhang Qiu's embrace.
As Tao Ya rode the electric tricycle past the village entrance, the elderly people at the door watched with great interest. When they saw Jiang Xue leaning against Zhang Qiu, one elder laughed and boasted to everyone, "Look, I was right; that guy is indeed the suitor of the Qin Widow's daughter."
"That's definitely a partner, but hugging and cuddling like that on the street is just unacceptable."
"Sigh, the world is going downhill."
...
Tao Ya followed the direction pointed out by Jiang Xue and rode to a nearby chain supermarket. The three of them pushed a shopping cart around the store, quickly filling it up halfway. Zhang Qiu looked at the snacks in the cart and said with a smile, "Can we buy some vegetables and meat? I can't make good dishes with just a bunch of chips."
"Of course we can buy them! After we get the snacks, we'll go get those. Right, Sister Xue?"
"Yes, yes, that's right, Ya'er."
Tao Ya was rarely lively, and Jiang Xue was very happy about it. Zhang Qiu also noticed the change in Tao Ya; she could scold people for Jiang Xue on the bus, and now she was joking around. Perhaps she wasn't always so reserved; as long as you were close enough to her, you could get along very well.
Zhang Qiu pushed the shopping cart through the vegetable section straight to the meat section. Looking at the various raw meats on display, she asked, "What does our mom usually like to eat?"
"Huh?" Jiang Xue was taken aback and didn't respond immediately. Zhang Qiu repeated, "What does our mom usually like to eat?"
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