When Qi Taiguo returned, Qi Fenglian was still deep in thought. Seeing her younger brother had come back, she greeted him briefly and then slipped back into her reverie.
Qi Taiguo found it strange and quietly asked Cheng Su, "Whatâs going on?"
"You let her in with the key, donât you know whatâs on her mind?" Cheng Su replied with a slightly annoyed expression, "Itâs about Zhang Jisheng. Heâs come to Qing City for work and visits her every day after work, wanting to remarry her. Sheâs quite troubled about it."
Qi Taiguoâs face darkened upon hearing this and he said, "She better not be getting soft-hearted!"
Cheng Su lowered her voice and replied, "I think she might be a little."
Qi Taiguoâs expression became even more displeased. Through gritted teeth, he said, "It hasnât even been long, and sheâs already this weak-willed! He did so much for her to get a divorce, and now itâs been less than half a year, and sheâs thinking of remarrying, what a slap in the face!"
"Women are too soft-hearted!" Cheng Su glared at him and said, "Just leave it be. Everyone has her own choices. Iâve said what I needed to, and how she chooses is up to her. We canât decide!"
Qi Taiguo snorted through his nose, his face looking extremely displeased, but he listened to her and acted as if he didnât know.
During the meal, Cheng Su and Qi Taiguo casually mentioned Little Yu and the store opening, as a way to inform him, which was typical of their usual chatty style.
Isnât it true for married couples, that all sorts of family matters are discussed at the dining table and in bed?
Qi Fenglian had been absent-minded the whole time. When she heard about opening a store, she was taken aback and asked, "What, are you planning to open a store again?"
"No, itâs a war buddyâs widow in Taiguo. Sheâs having a tough time, and weâre thinking of investing some money to open a bun shop with her, as a form of support. That war buddy saved Taiguoâs life!" Cheng Su said.
Qi Fenglian responded with an "Oh": "That must be quite a bit of money, right?"
"Weâre not sure yet. Weâll have to discuss to know the specifics!"
Qi Fenglian didnât say anything more and quietly picked at her rice with chopsticks.
After theyâd finished eating, Cheng Su gathered the dishes and went to the kitchen to wash them, leaving Qi Fenglian to pull Qi Taiguo aside to ask about this investment.
"This investment could be big or small. What if itâs a loss? Is it reliable?"
Qi Taiguo, being straightforward, said, "Calling it an investment just sounds nice. Weâve thought about it. If itâs a loss, we treat it as a subsidy for her. Back then, during the Vietnam War, her husband sacrificed himself to save me. So itâs also about repaying a debt of gratitude."
Qi Fenglian frowned and said, "Even if itâs about repaying, itâs too much. This is a lot of money!" Needless to say, it must be Cheng Suâs idea.
"Big Sister!" Qi Taiguo looked at her and said, "Isnât a human life more important than money? Without him, I wouldnât be here today. If he hadnât sacrificed himself to protect me, who knows, maybe Iâd be dead already. Now itâs just investing in a store, whatâs the big deal?"
His voice rose a bit, and Qi Fenglian was startled and quickly said, "Alright, alright, if you think itâs good, then itâs good, I wonât say anymore."
Seeing her scared expression, Qi Taiguo added, "Big Sister, you must understand the bigger picture. Being soft-hearted is good, but you need to know your people. Donât just soften up when anyone sweet-talks you, or no one will be able to help you!"
Qi Fenglianâs face flushed red, and she lowered her head, not daring to speak.
Seeing her like this only frustrated Qi Taiguo more. He stood up abruptly and said, "Big Sister, you sit here! Iâm going downstairs to run a few laps!"
Out of sight, out of mind; he didnât want to deal with his sisterâs aggrieved expression.
Qi Fenglian watched him leave, pressing her lips together, looking even more wronged!
She is his own sister. And look at him, for the sake of outsiders, saying harsh words to her. Isnât she worried about their money, after all!