Li Qiuyue had done her “mischief” and didn’t dare to linger.
Her thanks to Han Tiancheng were only a flurry of hand waves as she hurriedly turned away.
Qin Huai squinted.
By now, he was extremely sensitive to any unusual behavior from Li Qiuyue.
Meanwhile, Han Tiancheng had no idea and was busily eating the wontons.
The aroma, mixed with the steam, wafted into their noses, warming them even in the winter cold.
“Sister-in-law, your cooking is amazing! Way better than the two-yuan-a-bowl wontons at Wangjiang Tower!” Han Tiancheng’s mouth was full.
He took a sip of the rich wonton broth, then impatiently bit into a bun.
The bun was stuffed with mustard greens and egg, fragrant enough to make one a little dazed.
Even Qin Huai, who usually didn’t care much for food, couldn’t help swallowing.
A gentle bite, and the savory juices spread through his mouth.
“Delicious, right?” Han Tiancheng said, oddly proud.
But when he saw the bun Qin Huai had, he was dumbfounded. “Why do you get the meat bun and I get the vegetable one?”
“Free gift, and you’re picky?” Qin Huai snorted, lips twitching slightly.
Suddenly recalling how sneaky Li Qiuyue had been while serving the food, he realized she had mistaken him again!
The bun meant for him…
The smile he’d been about to form immediately vanished.
After finishing, Qin Huai and Han Tiancheng still had to continue their inspection.
Before leaving, Qin Huai handed Li Qiuyue the money for the buns. “Thanks, Comrade Li Qiuyue. The meat bun was excellent. I’ll come again next time.”
Li Qiuyue waved her hand, then suddenly widened her eyes.
Stunned, she looked first at Qin Huai, then at the man beside him.
Han Tiancheng looked plaintive. “Sister-in-law, I could have bought a meat bun too. Next time, don’t treat us differently, okay?”
“It’s not that I…” Li Qiuyue choked up.
She had no words to express her frustration.
Qin Huai saw her flustered expression and finally felt better.
He strode out with long legs.
Han Tiancheng arranged to come back another day to eat, then ran to catch up with Qin Huai.
Their physiques were similar, same height, similar hairstyle.
Among the bustling market crowd, they stood out.
They didn’t belong here.
Perhaps, while Zhaozhao’s bond with “Daddy” was still shallow, getting Qin Huai to leave sooner was a good thing.
Of course, there was a small additional reason she realized she couldn’t overpower Qin Huai.
Years of experience told her that if she couldn’t control Qin Huai, her and Zhaozhao’s situation could become dangerous.
The biggest obstacle to sending Qin Huai away, however, was her precious son.
…
After closing up the stall and returning home, Zhaozhao was waiting at the door as usual.
But unlike before, when he sat quietly and watched expectantly, today his face was full of excitement.
Holding the toy Qin Huai had bought for him, he eagerly shared with Li Qiuyue, “Mom, Uncle taught me to build a little horse yesterday, and today I did it all by myself!”
Li Qiuyue froze, the words she wanted to say stuck in her throat.
Zhaozhao didn’t notice her dilemma, chattering on, “Uncle said he can teach me to build a little dog today.”
His sparkling eyes were filled with anticipation.
During meals, he insisted on saving the largest piece of meat for Qin Huai, to “help him get stronger.”
While taking medicine, he wanted to tell Uncle how bitter it was.
Even during his nap, he muttered “Uncle” in his dreams.
Upon waking, he sat at the door, waiting for Uncle to return.
Seeing this, Li Qiuyue didn’t even need to ask Zhaozhao how he felt about “Uncle leaving early” she already knew.
In just two or three days, Zhaozhao had grown so attached.
“What if Uncle leaves later? What will Zhaozhao do?”
Li Qiuyue couldn’t help sighing, unconsciously voicing her worry.
“Is Uncle not coming back?” Zhaozhao tilted his little head, face serious.
Li Qiuyue nodded, then realized how harsh her words sounded, and added, “He’s a soldier, protecting the country, doing great things.”
“That’s okay, I can wait for him to come back,” Zhaozhao said innocently.
In his mind, if he got to see Uncle once, next time he could wait again.
Thinking of how much Mom had suffered all these years, he added, “Mom, maybe you can find another Uncle to fill in for now?”
“When I grow up, I’ll be a soldier too, and then I can bring you to see Uncle.”
Li Qiuyue twitched at the corner of her eye, thinking her son truly was remarkable.
Zhaozhao glanced at the time. As darkness fell, Uncle still hadn’t returned.
Just then, a commotion came from the street gate.
“Is that Uncle?” Zhaozhao leaped up and ran out on his short legs.
Even when he saw her earlier, he hadn’t been this excited!
Li Qiuyue felt a pang of sourness.
But after opening the door, the voice she heard was a woman’s.
“Xiao Ye…Zhaozhao, where’s your mom? Isn’t she back yet?” Liu Jinhua called, her voice high and giggling.
Next to Liu Jinhua stood a tall, burly woman with a fierce face.
Zhaozhao stared at the towering figure, frightened.
Yet his tiny hands gripped the door tightly as he forced himself to stay calm. “What are you here for?”
If they came to cause trouble for Mom, he would defend the door with his life.
“We’re here for your adult, you little brat, move or I’ll beat you!” the fat woman growled.
Zhaozhao’s heart raced, but his little body remained frozen.
Just as he wanted to speak, his mother’s voice came from behind.
“Let’s see how you try hitting my son in my house!” Li Qiuyue slammed the shovel to the ground.
The women outside froze at the sound.
Seeing her, Zhaozhao could no longer hold his fear and dashed to her legs.
Li Qiuyue patted his head, scanned him to ensure he wasn’t hurt, and finally relaxed.
The fat woman frowned. “Li Qiuyue, are you so ungrateful? You’re supposed to discipline your child, what’s with this attitude?”
“Who do you think you are, coming here to play mother because you can’t have kids yourself?” Li Qiuyue sneered.
She never showed fear or hesitation when it came to Zhaozhao.
Seeing things weren’t going well, Liu Jinhua quickly tried to smooth things over. “Forget it, forget it, she’s just a younger generation don’t argue with her!”
She subtly winked at Li Xiulian, reminding her not to forget their purpose.
Li Xiulian reluctantly snorted.
Liu Jinhua then said, “Qiuyue, my sister-in-law and I came here because of your situation.”
Li Qiuyue clenched her shovel and stick, said nothing, and watched them warily.
Seeing that Li Qiuyue had no intention of letting them in, Liu Jinhua inwardly grumbled at how unlikeable she was.
But outwardly, she hurriedly said, “Isn’t your man back? You didn’t hold the engagement or wedding properly now you need to make up the return visit!”
“Otherwise, what will people say about our Old Li family?” Realizing she sounded a bit desperate, she tried to soften her tone.
Li Qiuyue, however, clearly understood their intentions.