Xie Yulan chased into the courtyard, but her son had already run off.
Leaning on a bamboo stick, she panted for breath. Mianbao walked over, tugging lightly at her clothes.
“Grandma, don’t hit Uncle anymore. I was the one who secretly followed him out. Don’t blame Uncle.”
Mianbao lowered her head, her soft childish voice full of guilt.
She hadn’t meant to get Uncle beaten.
Uncle already didn’t like her—would he hate her even more now?
Mianbao felt uneasy, afraid that if Uncle disliked her even more, he would send her away.
Xie Yulan realized Mianbao had misunderstood why she hit Qin Yanzhou. She quickly picked her up and comforted her gently.
“Grandma hit Uncle for other reasons, not because of you. Be good, Mianbao. You don’t need to blame yourself.”
Mianbao blinked her watery eyes. “Really? But Uncle was kicked out of the house.”
She pointed toward the door with her little finger.
“It’s fine. He’s thick-skinned. He’ll come sneaking back on his own soon enough.”
Mianbao blinked again, her confused little expression unbearably cute.
During the days she had stayed with the Qin family, Xie Yulan cooked delicious food for her every day. Mianbao’s cheeks had begun to fill out with baby fat, making her look even softer and cuter.
Unable to resist, Xie Yulan gently pinched her soft cheeks.
“So soft, like cotton. My little lucky star is finally putting on some weight.”
Mianbao’s gloomy, guilty mood was instantly healed. She hugged Xie Yulan and planted a loud kiss on her slightly wrinkled cheek.
Xie Yulan froze for a moment—this was the first time Mianbao had主动 kissed her!
Qin Shanhai stepped out.
Xie Yulan grinned from ear to ear, shooting him a proud glance. “Mianbao kissed me.”
“What?!” Qin Shanhai’s eyes widened.
His wife actually got the granddaughter’s kiss before him?!
How could that be allowed!
He scratched his head anxiously and rushed over.
“Good Mianbao, give Grandpa a kiss too.”
Mianbao leaned forward halfway to kiss him, but Xie Yulan gently pulled her back, turned, and dodged Qin Shanhai.
“No kiss, no kiss. Come, Grandma will take you to drink malted milk.”
Director Qin was stunned—how could his wife do this!
He stomped angrily in the courtyard.
…
That night, Xie Yulan left the door unlocked. After the elders had gone to bed, Qin Yanzhou quietly returned home.
But lying in bed, he couldn’t sleep. His mind was filled with the image of his good brother Tao Xiaojun falling off the cliff, his face beyond recognition.
Qin Yanzhou tossed and turned.
The next day, he walked out of his room with dark circles under his eyes.
Xie Yulan glanced at him. “Did you go play ghost last night?”
“Mom, I feel like I’ve let Xiaojun down.”
Xie Yulan paused in wiping the cabinet.
Their family owed the Tao family—a debt they could never repay.
This life-saving favor weighed on Qin Yanzhou like a mountain, making it hard for him to breathe.
“Your father will go to the Li family today to demand an explanation. Xiaohong must not be wronged.”
“Also, I’ll look for a good man for Xiaohong. When she gets married, our family will provide a dowry so she won’t be mistreated in her husband’s home.”
Xie Yulan had already prepared a dowry for Tao Xiaohong. No matter who she married, the Qin family would always be her backing.
Hearing his mother’s words, Qin Yanzhou felt it wasn’t a bad plan. The tension in his heart eased.
He turned his head and saw Mianbao beside him, standing on tiptoe on a stool, stretching her short arms toward a steamed bun on the table.
Qin Yanzhou smirked mischievously and moved the bun farther away just as she was about to reach it.
Mianbao froze for a moment, then stood on tiptoe even harder, continuing her effort.
“Are you stupid? Why don’t you grab it from the other side?”
Mianbao’s lips trembled.
Wuwu… Uncle really did hate her. He even called her stupid.
The next second, Qin Yanzhou received a loving smack on the head from his mother.
“Bullying Mianbao again, are you addicted to it?!”
Qin Yanzhou rubbed his head.
Did he really have no status in this family anymore?!
Wait… something wasn’t right.
Qin Yanzhou calculated the days. This little radish had already been in their home for a week. He had originally agreed to keep her for only three days.
“Mom, hurry up and send this little radish away.”
Xie Yulan raised her hand again.
Qin Yanzhou jumped back to dodge.
“We agreed on three days. It’s already been a few extra days. It’s time to send her away.”
Xie Yulan snapped, “I’d rather send you away than send her!”
“Mom! Having an extra kid in the house for no reason—it’ll ruin my reputation as an unmarried man. How will I ever find a wife in the future?”
Xie Yulan’s mouth twitched. “You have a reputation?”
Qin Yanzhou pouted. “I don’t care. I can only tolerate her for one more month. If you don’t send her away after that, I’ll personally take her away.”
“Get out! You call yourself an unmarried man? More like a lifelong bachelor. Get out of my sight!”
Qin Yanzhou was chased out with a broom.
Mianbao sat on the stool, her little hands clenched together.
O-one month?
Could she make Uncle not hate her within one month? Could she make him not send her away?
She really, really wanted to stay with Grandpa and Grandma.
They let her eat her fill, gave her pretty clothes, and called her their little lucky star.
She didn’t want to go back to the village and be called a jinx again.
Mianbao clenched her tiny fists, determination filling her eyes.
She would work hard to stay!
At that moment, strange images appeared in her mind again—
She saw Uncle drink a cup of water and fall asleep. Tao Xiaohong took off his clothes and moved him onto the bed, then lay down beside him. Then Li Juhua brought a group of people rushing in, pointing and whispering. Uncle was forced to marry Tao Xiaohong…
“Grandma, I want to go play with Brother Xiaohu.”
Xiaohu was a child from the workers’ compound, one year older than Mianbao. They had met when Xie Yulan took her visiting.
Xie Yulan, who was about to do laundry, replied, “Go ahead, just don’t wander off.”
“Got it!”
Xiaohu’s house wasn’t far—just around the corner—so Xie Yulan wasn’t worried.
But after leaving, Mianbao didn’t go to Xiaohu’s house. Instead, following the route in her memory, she walked toward the Tao family, hands behind her back like a little old man, frowning seriously.
She was going to stop Uncle from being framed by the Tao family!
When she arrived, the Tao family’s door was closed. She wandered around and spotted a dog hole, preparing to crawl through it.
From a distance, she saw Qin Yanzhou approaching.
Afraid of being discovered—she had snuck out, after all—Mianbao hurriedly looked around before hiding in a corner, trying her best to make herself invisible, muttering softly:
“Can’t see me, can’t see me…”
A tall figure stopped behind her. Sunlight fell, and Qin Yanzhou’s shadow completely covered her.
“Little radish!”