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Chapter 109: The Warmth of Home
Jiang Xue quietly nestled in Zhang Qiu's arms, gently stroking his cheek as she slowly said, "Can I stay here tonight?"
Zhang Qiu looked at Jiang Xue in his embrace and nodded. Jiang Xue smiled and continued to bury her head in his arm. She had already decided to turn herself in at the police station the next day. After today, what awaited her would be a different kind of life. In this last moment of freedom, Jiang Xue hoped that Zhang Qiu would be by her side.
It wasn't until He Mei came to the door calling them for dinner that Zhang Qiu took Jiang Xue downstairs. Zhang Qiu walked ahead, while Jiang Xue blushed, keeping her head down and closely following him, holding onto the hem of his shirt tightly.
This was the first time he was bringing Jiang Xue to meet his parents. Although he had brought her over before, it was always during his parents' working hours. What made this occasion different was that Zhang Qiu was introducing his girlfriend, someone he had chosen himself. Feeling nervous, Zhang Qiu's palms were sweaty, but he gradually relaxed when he saw that his parents did not have any unusual expressions.
"Dad, Mom, this is Jiang Xue, my girlfriend," Zhang Qiu formally introduced her to his parents.
"Hello, Uncle and Auntie," Jiang Xue said with a slight bow.
He Mei was serving rice by the rice cooker when she suddenly heard Zhang Qiu's introduction and froze in place, not knowing how to react. She didn't even notice when the rice scoop fell into the pot.
From the moment Zhang Qiu brought Jiang Xue downstairs, He Mei had been stealing glances at the girl. She was quite pretty, but what stood out most was her fair skin, as white as snow, and her eyes revealed a sense of kindness without any pretentiousness. Just as He Mei was secretly comparing Jiang Xue with Wang Jinghan in her mind, Zhang Qiu's introduction caught her off guard.
Although He Mei had prepared herself for this news, hearing Zhang Qiu say that this girl was his girlfriend—who could potentially be her future daughter-in-law—still surprised her.
"Okay, okay, come sit down," Zhang Zhi Hua was the first to respond, repeating "okay" twice without knowing if he was responding to Jiang Xue's greeting or praising her.
"Yes, come sit down," He Mei also reacted quickly, warmly pulling out a chair for Jiang Xue to sit down. Jiang Xue thanked them with a smile and sat down next to Zhang Qiu but still appeared quite reserved. Zhang Qiu noticed that she sat forward on the chair, only using the front half of it, indicating she was still somewhat shy.
Zhang Qiu leaned in and whispered softly, "Relax; we will all be family from now on."
Jiang Xue shot him a glance of reproach; she felt embarrassed that he would say such things in front of his uncle and aunt.
He Mei walked in slowly from the kitchen, holding a bowl of soup, and placed it on the table with a smile, saying, "It's ready."
Zhang Zhi Hua chuckled and said, "Come on, come on, just in time for the family reunion week. Let's enjoy some good food." Then he turned to Jiang Xue and added, "Xue, feel free to treat this place like your own home. Don't hold back."
He Mei also smiled kindly and said, "Yes, don't hold back at all. Try Auntie's cooking and see if it suits your taste."
"Thank you, Uncle. Thank you, Auntie."
He Mei picked up a piece of enticingly colored braised pork from a white porcelain bowl and placed it into Jiang Xue's bowl, saying, "Xue, eat this braised pork. I just bought fresh meat from the market; this place has good quality meat that isn't watered down."
"Thank you, Auntie." Jiang Xue picked up the meat and took a bite, savoring it carefully. After swallowing the remaining piece, she praised, "Auntie, your braised pork is really delicious."
"Haha, as long as it's good!" He Mei beamed with joy. Who said there were conflicts between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law? This was quite harmonious.
"Since you like it, eat more," He Mei said as she served Jiang Xue another piece. "And this one too—Coca-Cola chicken wings. It's also one of Auntie's specialties. Give it a try; my son Zhang Qiu loves this."
As Jiang Xue chewed the beautifully fragrant braised pork, suddenly two streams of hot tears flowed from her eyes, startling everyone. He Mei quickly asked, "Child, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"
"N-no," Jiang Xue shook her head with a smile, though tears continued to flow. He Mei's warmth made Jiang Xue feel a long-lost sense of comfort. Ever since her father passed away, only Jiang Xue and her mother remained at home. In the beginning, they relied on each other through tough times, which was bearable. But later on, Aunt He remarried.
Before getting married, that man took great care of Jiang Xue and her mother; he would visit them frequently with big bags of goodies. Although Jiang Xue was reluctant to have a stepfather, seeing how hard it was for her mother alone and knowing that the man treated her well made her grit her teeth and not object.
But who would have thought that the man who had been so caring before marriage would change completely afterward? He became fierce at the slightest disagreement and often came home drunk, lashing out at everyone. A few times he even tried to lay hands on Jiang Xue. Aunt He considered divorce but the man refused to agree no matter what; he even knelt down several times promising not to drink again. Yet it never lasted long before he reverted to his old ways.
Left with no choice, Aunt He had to send Jiang Xue to her Second Uncle's house. Second Uncle was very fond of Jiang Xue; they had a daughter who got along well with her, providing companionship for both. However, Aunt He didn't want Jiang Xue living there and always wore a long face about it while Second Uncle was submissive to his wife.
During school, Jiang Xue stayed at home only twice a week. When summer and winter vacations came, she was always careful not to upset Auntie, eagerly taking on chores at Second Uncle's house, even washing clothes with cold water in the middle of winter, just to earn a smile from Auntie.
When Jiang Xue arrived at Zhang Qiu's house, she was touched by the care and attention from Zhang Qiu. He Mei and Zhang Zhi Hua, whom she met for the first time, were also kind to her. For a girl who had long been starved of affection, how could she not be moved? It had been far too long since anyone had treated her so well.
He Mei and Zhang Zhi Hua exchanged glances, unsure why Jiang Xue was crying. Zhang Qiu seemed to have an inkling of what was going on; he understood Jiang Xue's family background.
Zhang Qiu gently stroked Jiang Xue's back and asked with concern, "Are you thinking about something sad?"
Jiang Xue wiped her tears from the corners of her eyes, nodded, and murmured in response.
Zhang Qiu explained to his unaware parents, "Dad, Mom, Jiang Xue is fine. You are being so nice to her that it reminded her of something sad."
He Mei and Zhang Zhi Hua exchanged another glance but said nothing.
After crying for a while and recovering from her sorrow, Jiang Xue wiped her tears and smiled, saying, "Uncle, Auntie, I'm sorry."
"It's okay, it's okay. Let's eat. Make sure to eat more..."
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