Chapter 25 : Shen Yi is angry again

Mr. Du knew and felt the weight of his loneliness, but deep down, he always felt connected to his late spouse.

Qin Ju's heart softened. She said gently, "Grandpa Du, my family sells breakfast. I'll bring you some later. My parents' buns are delicious."

"Okay," Mr. Du replied with a smile.

Qin Ju was surprised when Shen Yi offered to help them carry the items, citing their weight as the reason. The load included a box of pastries, a box of White Rabbit milk candies, and two large bunches of grapes. Although Qin Ju could manage these items herself, especially with her younger sister Xiao Shi, she decided to accept his help rather than argue.

She chose to remain silent, not wanting to engage further with Shen Yi.

Shen Yi noticed her aloofness and furrowed his brows, but he said nothing. He silently accompanied the sisters to the cold building they were renting, which lacked an outer wall.

"This is a cold building. It will be very cold in winter," Shen Yi finally remarked.

"I know," Qin Ju replied nonchalantly. "There's not much I can do about it now. I'll move when I have more money."

Seeing Qin Ju's indifferent demeanor, Shen Yi, well aware of her stubbornness, said nothing more. He handed her the items and said, "See you later."

"Yes," Qin Ju responded, taking the things and handing the box of candy to Xiao Shi. Suddenly, she called out, "Shen Yi!"

Shen Yi turned around, a hint of joy in his eyes. But the next moment, Qin Ju said, "Don't worry, I'll return the twenty yuan to you soon."

Shen Yi's expression fell, and he turned away abruptly, kicking a nearby stone with his sneakers.

Qin Ju sighed lightly. As expected, Shen Yi's temper hadn't changed.

She didn't dwell on it. She bought some lunch boxes on the way back and planned to enjoy them with her family. Su Yun and the others were astonished when they saw the children returning with so many items.

Qin Ju explained, "My classmate's grandfather gave these to us. We felt a bit awkward, but he was very kind. Mom, when our buns start selling, I'll make sure to bring him more. Grandpa Du is old, and his grandson isn't much of a cook. They have a tough life."

Su Yun listened intently and was moved by the story. She asked Qin Ju to bring more buns and other items for Grandpa Du in the future.

Su Yun and Qin Zhonghui gave snacks and candies to the children and soaked the grapes in water. The family ate the boxed lunch and continued with their chores.

Since Qin Zhonghui had difficulty using his hands, Qin Ju and Xiao Shi helped him with assembling the bookshelf. Together, they finished the task efficiently.

Su Yun prepared the kang and the beds for her daughters upstairs. "It's manageable to live like this in summer, but come winter, you'll have to sleep on the kang. It will be too cold otherwise."

Qin Ju hoped that by the time the cold weather arrived, they would have saved enough money to buy a house. With twelve years of schooling ahead for Xiao Shi and the anticipated rise in housing prices, buying sooner rather than later would be advantageous.

Qin Ju also considered the possibility of purchasing a property in the provincial capital in the future. With the country's rapid development over the next decade or two, property prices there would likely increase significantly.

The new house, though small and still carrying a faint smell of dust, was warm with the presence of her family. They enjoyed sweet grapes together, and their hearts were full.

Su Yun reflected emotionally, "It's been a long time since our family has been together like this."

In truth, the family had the opportunity to be together every year. Even if they were working, they would usually return home at the end of the year. However, an invisible barrier often separated them during these reunions, with external factors amplifying the distance.

How to describe it? It wasn't as warm as it felt now.

Qin Zhonghui looked at his wife and children, feeling self-reproachful. "It's my fault. I didn't provide you with a good life."

"No, it's not your fault," Su Yun replied with a sigh. "In a way, it's also your fault for being too honest. But if you weren't so honest and trustworthy, I wouldn't have been attracted to you."

Sometimes, it's difficult to determine whether certain qualities in a person are shortcomings or advantages.

Qin Ju popped a grape into her mouth and savored its sweetness. Before bed, she took out some spring water from her space and poured a cup for her parents and Xiao Shi. She hadn't given them any before because they were in the midst of sorting out family matters and needed to appear worse off than they were.

That was no longer necessary.

Qin Ju's biggest wish now was for the health and safety of her family.

The next day, Su Yun and Qin Zhonghui went out to buy a breakfast cart and purchase raw materials. Qin Ju took Xiao Shi along, carrying a large sack.

Xiao Shi didn't ask any questions and followed her sister obediently. At the vegetable market, Qin Ju chose a corner, unpacked the vegetables from the sacks, and arranged them neatly.

Qin Ju was surprised that Xiao Shi didn't question where the vegetables came from. When she asked out of curiosity, Xiao Shi simply said, "I can do magic!"

Qin Ju chuckled softly and reached out to braid Xiao Shi's hair.

After setting up, Qin Ju began to call out to potential customers. It was understandable to feel shy when selling things for the first time, and her initial attempts were quiet and hesitant. But having lived through so much in two lifetimes, Qin Ju didn't care about her own embarrassment.

Soon, a crowd of older men and women buying vegetables gathered around. They were drawn in by the fresh, dewy produce and began to inquire about prices.

"This one is 20 cents a bunch, and this one is 30 cents a bunch."

Although the prices weren't very low, the freshness of the vegetables attracted attention. One woman bought three bunches immediately, asking, "Child, there are no mountains around here. Where did you pick these from?"

"My father and his family picked them early this morning. They're fresh. Please buy some more, big sister."

The woman in her forties was pleased to be called "big sister" by a teenage girl and bought two more bunches.

In less than half an hour, most of the sack was sold out.

Qin Ju packed up her remaining items and took Xiao Shi to a nearby stationery store, where she bought a small red schoolbag, a pencil case, pencils, and an eraser.

She said, "Soon, our little Shi will be a primary school student!"

Xiao Shi blushed and fondly touched her new schoolbag and stationery. "Sister, I haven't even finished preschool yet, and Xiao Tao called me a fool before."

Xiao Tao was already in preschool, but she probably couldn't even write the word "fool."

Qin Ju said gently, "It's okay. Preschool is just about recognizing pinyin and some characters, along with basic addition and subtraction. I'll teach you!"

"Yeah!" Xiao Shi's eyes sparkled with excitement.

When they returned home, Xiao Shi carefully took out her new schoolbag and stationery, examining them with great delight. Qin Ju smiled faintly, then turned around to take out a book and began reading.

The attic was small. Apart from an old wooden bed, the space was clean. Qin Ju spread a mat on the floor and placed a small table in the middle. The two sisters sat together and read, enjoying their peaceful time.

(End of this chapter)