“Comrade! Have you seen a little boy pass by here?”
Auntie was so anxious she had started crying.
Despite the cold weather, sweat beaded on her forehead from worry.
“No…”
Jiang Ci shook her head.
Auntie released Jiang Ci and hurriedly went to ask other passersby.
One passerby impatiently pushed her away, “Auntie, how many times have you asked already? Aren’t you tired of it?”
Wuwuwu…
The auntie who had been pushed down wiped her tears, sobbing and crying out, “Dabao, Dabao! Don’t scare your grandma! Dabao, my Dabao! Where on earth have you run off to…”
Wuwuwu…
“Auntie, crying won’t help. You should hurry and report it to the public security bureau! What if he’s been taken by child traffickers…”
The consequences would be unthinkable.
“Yes! Auntie, report it to the public security bureau quickly!”
Passersby stepped forward to remind her.
“Wuwuwu I’ve already reported it to the public security bureau, but they can’t find him wuwuwu…”
Auntie’s voice was hoarse from crying.
Jiang Ci stood to the side and learned from the discussions among the passersby that Auntie’s son and his family in Jingdu had brought their child back to visit her. Auntie hadn’t seen her son’s family for a year and was overjoyed, so she took her grandson to the department store to buy toys.
Unexpectedly, there were too many people, and as soon as they stepped out, the grandmother and grandson got separated in the crowd.
The onlookers shook their heads at the despairing auntie and dispersed.
Jiang Ci secretly performed Calculating by Finger.
Direction: South
South is the correct position.
Fortune: Very auspicious, joy
Joy signifies movement.
She walked over and calmly said, “Look to the south. Search the park you most often take your grandson to.”
Huh?
Auntie was stunned, staring blankly at Jiang Ci.
“Hurry up! Delays may bring changes.”
“Oh, okay, I’ll go right away, right away…”
Auntie responded, not bothering to question Jiang Ci’s words, as if she had seen a glimmer of light in the darkness. She stumbled and ran toward the south.
Unable to find a suitable house to open a clinic, Jiang Ci had no choice but to return home first.
She planned to continue her search another day.
Upon arriving home, she had only taken a few steps into the military dependents’ compound when she faintly heard Mother Jiang’s voice.
Walking a few steps further inside,
she saw many neighbors in the military dependents’ compound gathered around Mother Jiang, listening to her complaints.
“Sigh… My daughter and I just have a hard life! It’s all my fault for being too soft-hearted, and our Wanwan is too obedient and well-behaved! When the marriage arrangement was taken by her sister, she could only secretly wipe away her tears.
Xiao Ci is also my daughter. What can I say? Since she likes it, as long as she can live well with Jiran, that’s fine.”
“Oh dear! Xiao Ci seems like a good child too. How could she do something like stealing her sister’s marriage arrangement?”
“Exactly!”
“In my opinion, Wanwan shouldn’t have given it up. She should have made a fuss with her father. Why should her own marriage arrangement be given to her sister?”
Jiang Ci:…
Silently watching Mother Jiang’s pitiful and exaggerated nonsense to the neighbors in the military dependents’ compound, she stood wordlessly behind the crowd.
Quietly listening as Mother Jiang continued to complain, “Forget it, forget it. After all, Xiao Ci isn’t my biological daughter, so I can’t say anything about her at home.
I can’t let her think I’m biased toward Wanwan.
Um, about my Wanwan finding a new match, I’ll still have to trouble you all.”
“Hey! You, from the Jiang family, are just too honest, treating an adopted daughter so well.”
“If it were my family, hmph! I wouldn’t care if she’s adopted or not. An adopted daughter can never compare to a biological daughter.”
“That’s right. You, from the Jiang family, mustn’t be confused about your daughter’s marriage. Be firm when you need to be. Don’t let your Old Jiang make all the decisions.”
Listening to the neighbor’s words, Mother Jiang sighed, “Let’s just accept the loss, we can’t let this disrupt the peace of our home…”
“How would it disrupt the peace? Mom, I know what you mean, don’t worry, I won’t steal Wanwan’s marriage.”
Jiang Ci’s voice suddenly came from behind, startling Mother Jiang so much that she turned around abruptly.
She faced Jiang Ci’s smiling face as Jiang Ci said to the neighbor, “Thank you all for giving my mom advice! I’ll remember your kindness.
Later, I’ll tell my dad that we can’t just let Wanwan, who doesn’t even know whose…”
“Jiang Ci.”
Mother Jiang was shocked, her face drastically changed, and she interrupted Jiang Ci sharply, “Ci, you’re back from work! You must be tired! Come home with me, I’ll make braised pork belly for you.”
Mother Jiang grabbed Jiang Ci’s arm, glared at her fiercely with warning.
The neighbors who had been gossiping were caught, each feeling awkward enough to curl their toes.
But hearing Jiang Ci’s next words, they instantly perked up their ears, “What? What did she say?”
“Ci, what did you just say? Did you say Wanwan is pregnant…”
“Oh! You misunderstood. What pregnancy? Don’t spread rumors. Ci didn’t mean that! Right, Ci?”
Mother Jiang was sweating anxiously on her forehead.
She desperately signaled Jiang Ci with her eyes.
Jiang Ci raised her eyebrows, smiling ambiguously, “Mom, didn’t you just say I stole Wanwan’s marriage? But I clearly didn’t steal it. Dad said Wanwan wasn’t worthy of Commander Pei anymore, so he asked me to replace her in the marriage!
Dear Auntie and Auntie, I really didn’t want to either! But I had no choice, since Wanwan…”
“Ci.”
Mother Jiang again sternly interrupted Jiang Ci, then turned with a smile to the neighbors, “Nothing like that happened, it’s just Old Jiang having too high standards for Wanwan, always thinking our Wanwan isn’t worthy of Commander Pei.”
Hmph.
Mother Jiang tried hard to cover up the lie.
The neighbors weren’t fools, especially Battalion Commander Xue’s wife, who was sharp, “Mrs. Jiang, how did it become a replacement marriage? Didn’t you say Ci stole Wanwan’s marriage?”
The others immediately looked at Mother Jiang differently.
Mother Jiang was so anxious she wanted to cover everyone’s mouths, “Kids don’t understand anything, Old Jiang, he… he just wanted to comfort Ci…”
“Mom, isn’t it because Wanwan…”
“Ci!” Mother Jiang unconsciously raised her voice, scolding Jiang Ci, “Do you have any sense of being a sister? Why do you always want to speak ill of Wanwan?”
“Alright! I’m a bad sister, whatever mother says is right. Auntie and Auntie, I was just talking nonsense.
Wanwan is good, mom is good too, it’s me who doesn’t know gratitude. I shouldn’t have defended myself.”
Jiang Ci could also play the victim.
Jiang Ci lowered her head, silently wiping her eyes, then turned and ran toward home.
This?
The neighbors watched Jiang Ci running away hurt, then looked at Mother Jiang who kept preventing Jiang Ci from speaking.
Each began imagining a drama of an adoptive mother bullying her adoptive daughter.
Mother Jiang couldn’t care about the neighbors’ looks, she turned to chase Jiang Ci, “Jiang Ci, what do you mean? Come back and explain clearly.”
After Mother Jiang walked away, Battalion Commander Xue’s wife spat contemptuously, “What kind of person! So hypocritical.”
“Yeah! Who doesn’t know what kind of life Ci has lived in their family? It’s just because her husband has a high position. Let’s not bother with her.”
“Third Aunt, you always speak the truth, but we should just keep these things to ourselves, no need to offend her.”
“It’s just pitiful Ci being slandered by her!”
“Hey! Why do you think Chief Jiang arranged for Xiao Ci to marry Commander Pei?”
“Who knows!”
Several family members chatted as they walked home.
After they left, a person sitting in a wheelchair slowly appeared at the spot where they had been talking.