Zheng Wenhui looked down on Liu Weihong.
Previously, Liu Weihong's family background had been quite good. Her father was the section chief of the personnel department, and she herself was a supervisor at the food factory.
With such a status, she was naturally a worthy match for her brother.
But now, her father's identity as a spy had been exposed and he had been arrested, and her younger brother had also been sent to a labor camp.
As for Liu Weihong herself, she had no job and could only rely on Zheng Wenhui's brother, Zheng Weigong, to survive. At the same time, she still had to occasionally provide financial support to her mother.
Because of this, Zheng Wenhui completely despised Liu Weihong.
She felt that both Liu Weihong and her mother were nothing but burdens. Even though her brother was divorced, he was only in his thirties and was the chief of the supply section. What kind of woman couldn't he get?
Zheng Wenhui looked at Liu Weihong with disdain. Crossing her arms over her chest, she asked, Is my brother back yet?
Liu Weihong couldn't stand her condescending attitude, but since she wasn't married to Zheng Weigong yet and lacked a proper status, she didn't dare to argue with Zheng Wenhui.
She nodded silently. Weigong usually gets back around six-thirty. Do you want to come in and sit for a while?
When Zheng Wenhui came over, she had already guessed that her brother wouldn't be back yet.
However, this child was simply a hot potato.
Although Zheng Wenhui knew some of the situation, her brother was clearer on the specific inside details.
In short, the matter regarding this child had to be dealt with as quickly as possible before the police could investigate it.
But the biggest problem right now was that the military knew about this.
This child had been personally brought to the Women's Federation by Qin Yuanzheng, and had been handed over directly to Zheng Wenhui.
Now, she absolutely could not lose this child while he was in her hands; otherwise, her position as the director of the Women's Federation would be over.
So she still had to find her brother, Zheng Weigong. Her brother was very smart and would definitely know what to do.
Zheng Wenhui said irritably, I won't go in. I still have to take the child home and settle him down. When my brother gets off work, tell him to come over to my house tonight. I have something very important to discuss with him. Did you hear me?
This arrogant tone made Liu Weihong's face darken slightly.
She said with a hint of impatience, I know. I'll tell Weigong when he gets back.
Zheng Wenhui emphasized again, Remember, you absolutely must tell him. This matter is extremely important.
Liu Weihong grew even more impatient. I know, I know. I'll have him go look for you.
Zheng Wenhui rolled her eyes at Liu Weihong. She wanted to throw a few sarcastic remarks at her to make her realize her place. She was living in her brother's house, eating and staying there for free, completely relying on him to support her, yet she actually dared to give her attitude.
However, out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly caught a glimpse of something and jolted in shock.
She whipped her head to the side. Huh? Where was the child?
She looked around frantically, spinning in a circle where she stood, and then glared viciously at Liu Weihong, demanding shrilly, Where is the child? Where did the child I just brought go?
Liu Weihong...
Liu Weihong was also dumbfounded.
She had just been focused on talking to Zheng Wenhui. Finding her annoying, she had been busy cursing Zheng Wenhui in her head.
Where would she have the time to pay attention to a child?
Besides, she hadn't given birth herself, let alone taken care of a child. She wasn't used to paying attention to little kids in the first place.
On the contrary, Zheng Wenhui was a mother of two herself, yet she had brought a child and managed to let him run off.
What right did she have to yell at her?
Liu Weihong said with a face full of bewilderment and surprise, I... I don't know! Wasn't he just here eating cookies?
Zheng Wenhui knew that once children had something to eat and play with, they would settle down and not easily run around.
That was exactly why she had specifically gone to buy cookies to coax Niuwa.
But in the end, it only took the time of saying a few words for the child to run away?
Zheng Wenhui searched around the spot two more times.
This alley was very long, with houses on both sides, full of residents.
She was extremely anxious and yelled at Liu Weihong, What are you standing there for? Hurry up and help find the child!
It was Liu Weihong's first time seeing Zheng Wenhui in such a panic.
At this moment, she didn't dare to bicker with Zheng Wenhui over her attitude or tone.
She quickly ran out of the house. The child... he couldn't have run far, right? Could he have gone to play in the neighbor's house?
In these times, families didn't close their doors during the day.
The elderly would sit on the thresholds cooling off, sorting vegetables, or chatting, while the children would dart in and out of the neighbors' houses.
If Niuwa had run into someone's house, they would have to go inside to look for him.
Not caring about much else at this point, Zheng Wenhui and Liu Weihong hurried to ask from door to door if a three- or four-year-old child had run inside.
Some said no, while others said they didn't know and would have to check inside.
After all this searching, at least half an hour had passed.
Niuwa had run off to who-knows-where; he was nowhere to be found.
Zheng Wenhui was so nervous that her face turned pale. It's over, I let the child run away. What do I do now...
At this moment, Zheng Wenhui couldn't help but feel a bit of regret.
Qin Yuanzheng had said that this child was very prone to running away and told her not to send him to an orphanage.
She should have paid more attention back then.
But Niuwa had been so well-behaved while eating the cookies, not moving an inch. She thought the child wouldn't run away anytime soon.
How did he just run off in the span of a few sentences?
What should she do?
Zheng Wenhui's hands were shaking from anxiety. She said to Liu Weihong, No, we can't let this go on. I'll keep looking for the child here. You go find my brother right now and tell him to come back immediately. This matter is of critical importance. Hurry up and go!
Liu Weihong had been helping her look for the child for a long time and was now panting from exhaustion.
Seeing how much importance Zheng Wenhui attached to this child, she couldn't help but grow suspicious. She looked at Zheng Wenhui and asked, What exactly is this child's background?
Taking a step closer, her eyes red, she said, Tell me the truth, what is this child's relationship to your brother? Is he your brother's illegitimate seed from the outside?
Zheng Wenhui...
Zheng Wenhui was so furious at Liu Weihong she nearly fell over backward.
Unable to hold back, she reached out and slapped Liu Weihong across the face, scolding, You pig-brain! That's all you can ever think about. I can't explain this to you!
With that, she turned around and hurriedly ran off to go find him herself.
This matter couldn't be known by the police, much less the military.
Otherwise, once people from those two systems intervened and started investigating, the situation might blow up out of proportion.
She had to beat the police and the military to it by having her brother quickly find the child and send him away.
However, what she didn't expect was that Liu Weihong didn't see it that way.
She felt that Zheng Wenhui's extreme anger meant she had hit the nail on the head.
This little kid was probably really Zheng Weigong's son!
Liu Weihong's eyes were red with anger as she muttered curses, That Zheng Weigong! He coaxed me into being his nanny but refuses to get a marriage certificate with me. He even said I was his only woman right now, but then he turns around and has a son on the outside!
Liu Weihong sat on the threshold, wiping her tears and crying for a long time.
Finally, she stood up again, thinking viciously that since Zheng Weigong was heartless, he shouldn't blame her for being unjust.
She was going to report Zheng Weigong for having improper relations with women and having a child out of wedlock!
The Zheng family didn't treat her like a human being, so she wouldn't let them have it easy either!
With this thought, Liu Weihong closed the front door of her house and hurried toward Zheng Weigong's workplace.
Halfway there, she realized that Zheng Weigong himself was a section chief. If she went to his workplace to report him, what if the report letter ended up in his hands?
No, she had to go to the Revolutionary Committee to report him.
So, she turned around and ran in the direction of the Revolutionary Committee.
...
After Qin Yuanzheng entrusted the child to the Women's Federation, he immediately went home.
He had gone to the neighboring city to pick up the child over the past two days, and had meetings with Guan Wenjun, Si Zhemao, and others to discuss work. He hadn't been home for two days.
He was eager to return home, thinking of his wife and child.
Also, the small courtyard next door had been aired out, and the vegetables Auntie Shi planted in the yard were almost ready to eat.
He planned to go back and move today.
There weren't many things at home. He called two guards to help, estimating that they could finish moving in two or three hours.
When Qin Yuanzheng returned home, Zhong Mei hadn't come back yet.
Qiao Lanshu was sitting on the sofa holding An'an, feeding him with a bottle. Worried about Zhong Mei, she said to Auntie Shi, "If it's six o'clock in a while and Zhong Mei still hasn't come back, I'll have to go out and look for her."
Auntie Shi was sitting next to Qiao Lanshu, knitting a small vest for An'an.
She glanced out the kitchen window while knitting and replied, "It's still early, just past four. She should be back in a while. When she left this morning, she told me she might not be back so soon."
Qiao Lanshu nodded. "I wonder what she went out to do. Could she be lost?"
Auntie Shi smiled. "That's unlikely. Our military compound is quite easy to find. Besides, if she really got lost, she could just ask anyone on the road and find her way back. It shouldn't be that she can't make it back."
While they were talking, they heard a knock on the door.
Auntie Shi went to open the door and saw Qin Yuanzheng with two guards, as well as Zhao Jiannong and Huang Erling from next door, standing outside.
Qin Yuanzheng came into the house and said to Auntie Shi, "Auntie Shi, we are starting to move now. Please help pack things up."
Hearing that they were moving, Auntie Shi immediately smiled happily. "Good, good, good, I'll go pack right away. I've already packed some things before, so we can move those over first."
Qin Yuanzheng had said before that once Zhong Mei's matter was settled, they could move when he came back.
Taking advantage of his free time now with no missions, he hurried to move.
Auntie Shi had already packed some winter bedding and clothes, tied them tightly with ropes, and put them in snakeskin bags. Now they could be taken out directly for the guards to move over first.
Auntie Shi smiled and said to Qiao Lanshu, "I've cleaned the yard next door. I have to go over to water the vegetable garden every day, and I've wanted to move in for a long time. Today we can finally move."
Qiao Lanshu was also very happy because there was a yard over there, providing more spacious room for activities. In the future, as soon as they stepped out, there would be a vegetable garden, flowers, and trees. Bringing a stool to sit under the tree to enjoy the cool breeze would be incredibly pleasant.
She stood up holding An'an, saw Huang Erling had also come over, and said with a smile, "Why did Sister Ling come over too? Are you going to help me move?"
Huang Erling said with a smile, "Of course! Brigade Commander Qin said that for today's move, he would kill a chicken and a goose to treat the helpers to a meal. I can't miss this feast! I happen to be free and can help you pack and organize things. Just hold the baby and don't worry about anything."
Saying that, Huang Erling came over to look at An'an in her arms, took out a colorful knitted yarn sheep from her pocket, and said with a smile, "An'an, look what this is? This is a little sheep. Is it pretty?"
This little sheep was knitted with yarn of several colors. The colors looked a bit old, but it was washed very clean.
It was knitted by Huang Erling herself using leftover yarn from knitting sweaters for her two daughters to play with.
Children in this era didn't have many toys from a young age.
If parents had time, they would make some for their children themselves. If not, the kids would just go play with mud at the door.
Huang Erling gave the little sheep to An'an. An'an's attention was indeed attracted by the colors. His big grape-like eyes widened, and he reached out his little hands to grab the little sheep.
Huang Erling teased him for a while, then put the little sheep in An'an's hands and smiled at Qiao Lanshu, "An'an looks exactly like you, very handsome."
Auntie Shi also smiled while packing, "When An'an grows up, with facial features like Xiao Qiao and a figure like Commander Qin, I don't know how handsome he'll be. I guess all the girls in the surrounding villages will be fascinated by him."
Hearing them say this, Qiao Lanshu couldn't help but imagine a face like hers on Qin Yuanzheng's body.
Qiao Lanshu couldn't help but laugh.
The picture was too beautiful; she couldn't think about it anymore.
Qin Yuanzheng was moving the sofa out with Zhao Jiannong. Seeing Qiao Lanshu looking at him and laughing, he wondered: What is this little wife laughing at? The look in her eyes is weird.
Qiao Lanshu held An'an, while Huang Erling carried An'an's daily necessities, and they went over first.
Auntie Shi stayed at home to help pack things.
There weren't many things actually. After all, Qin Yuanzheng and Qiao Lanshu didn't have much. An'an's things were a bit trivial, and Auntie Shi had already packed them up.
The bed and cabinets in the house were not to be moved away. They were originally provided with the house and had to be left for the next tenant.
But the sofa, dining table, chairs in the living room, and Qiao Lanshu's wardrobe were bought when they got married and could be moved to the new home.
There weren't many pots and pans in the kitchen either; they could be put in a box and carried away directly.
Both rooms in the new home had heated brick beds and new cabinets. There were also front and back yards, making the space even larger.
After the things were moved over and organized, they all felt that the house was a bit empty.
With the help of Zhao Jiannong and the two guards, all the things were moved over in less than two hours.
Next, it was up to Auntie Shi, Qiao Lanshu, and Huang Erling to organize and arrange everything.
An'an had already fallen asleep holding the colorful little sheep.
Huang Erling walked around the house and said enviously, "Xiao Qiao, your yard is really beautiful. Oh my, the vegetables in the yard are growing so well. If I had known, I would have asked Old Zhao to apply for a yard too."
Huang Erling regretted it a bit. Why didn't she think of applying for a yard before?
Oh, looking at the vegetable garden in the yard, her eyes were filled with envy.
