Chapter 433 Qi Luquan Returns to Mi Province
Old Fan ignored Old Man Ouyang's nagging. What was the point of regrets at their age?
"Girl, come out and let's discuss the prescription together. Young Ouyang will need to cooperate with acupuncture later."
Ye Shengsong had no intention of participating. She only enjoyed making medicine, not treating illnesses. However, her master had spoken, and as a disciple, she had no right to disobey.
Seeing that everyone had left, Ouyang secretly observed his wife's expression, fearing she would look down on him.
Chen Tangtang was carefree. Hearing that it could be cured, she let go of everything else. What she needed most now was rest. But as soon as she closed her eyes, she felt breath on her face. Opening them, she saw Ouyang's large face.
"What are you doing?"
"Wife, will you look down on me?"
Chen Tangtang pushed his face away, her expression full of disdain.
"I do. I really do."
"What!"
Ouyang was truly hurt. He lowered his head, his face filled with pain.
"Old Fan said it could be cured."
Chen Tangtang, with her usual carelessness, found a comfortable position and closed her eyes again.
"I dislike that pathetic look, whining like a woman. I'm tired. Can you let me sleep? Honestly."
Ouyang's expression gradually recovered. He knew it. How could his wife be so heartless?
"Heh heh, wife, you sleep quickly. I won't say anything else."
"Oh, right, wife, what do you want to eat? I'll go to the village and buy a hen to stew for you?"
"Get lost~~~"
Chen Tangtang could no longer stand it. Why hadn't she noticed how talkative Ouyang was before they got married?
"Alright, I'm rolling now."
Ouyang hummed a tune as he left, but was immediately caught by Old Fan again and had his pulse taken once more.
Old Man Ouyang, however, was busy sketching and writing. He wanted to give his great-grandchild a nice name. Soon, a sheet of paper was filled. He took the paper and went out, intending to ask those around him to vote and help choose, completely disregarding the child's biological father's involvement.
A sheet of paper filled with names involved several families. By the time Old Man Ouyang returned home, the decision was made.
The little fatty now had his own name: Ouyang He. The single character "He" represented Old Man Ouyang's expectations for the little fatty.
Now, Ouyang was another long-term patient of Old Fan and Old Dang. Every day, Ouyang went to the Ye family's house, waiting for Qi Luquan to finish his acupuncture before it was his turn.
Qi Luquan's condition had improved significantly. Although his mouth was still a bit crooked, it no longer hindered his speech much. He could also walk slowly with a crutch on his own.
Throughout this time, Qi Luquan had never asked about Qi Xuan's situation. Only he knew how much he missed Qi Xuan and how worried he was about her life.
In fact, Zi Yisheng had already instructed Li Cheng to discreetly check on Qi Xuan's situation from time to time. However, in Li Cheng's mind, Qi Xuan's situation was not important enough to report to Zi Yisheng, so he would just pass on simple updates.
Was Qi Xuan living well? If one were to say, she was quite well. No need to work, no worries about livelihood. She lived alone in a two-bedroom apartment, and went to the beach to watch the sea when she had nothing else to do.
If one were to say she wasn't well, she wasn't. No family, no friends, and certainly no lover. She knew she was an outcast, just passing her days.
Yet, she still held some hope in her heart, hoping her grandfather would see her, and more so, hoping to forget Shang Shaoyan, who occupied most of her heart.
Li Cheng visited Qi Xuan every Monday evening. He wouldn't go inside or show himself, just observe if there were any suspicious individuals near Qi Xuan's home.
Li Cheng knew the reason Qi Xuan was sent there. For those who worked desperately to make money, Qi Xuan was a spoiled girl. They had placed her at the very bottom of society, forcing her to struggle daily for a meal, to see if she still had the spirit to be foolish.
Qi Xuan had noticed Li Cheng a few times when she stood by the window looking at the scenery. She understood that this was the last bit of security her family had given her, ensuring she wouldn't be bullied.
Even Li Cheng didn't know that Qi Xuan secretly went out to commit crimes one night every week. Now, the Mi Province Police Department had a case: the "Thief of Mondays."
Qi Xuan's first act was to vent her inner frustration. She entered a family of four, but didn't completely ransack their home. She took the readily visible cash, gaining less than eight hundred yuan.
Qi Xuan never touched the stolen money. She kept it all in a box and would open it when she was in a bad mood. If her emotions became uncontrollable, she would strike again.
Slowly, Qi Xuan developed a habit of striking once a week. At most, she would steal tens of thousands of yuan in cash at once, and at least, perhaps only a few dozen yuan. But this would make Qi Xuan feel better for several days.
The news that Qi Luquan had been longing for, the message he yearned for, had finally arrived.
As the saying goes, "If you walk by the river often, you're bound to get your shoes wet." When Qi Xuan struck again, she encountered a tough opponent. The person had some skills. Although Qi Xuan was agile, her combat skills were nonexistent.
The two chased each other, and Qi Xuan, in her panic, ran into the Western-style house where Ye Shengsong had previously lived. Li Cheng was now living there. Hearing the commotion, Li Cheng, who was already asleep, rolled out of bed. Just as he pulled out a firearm for self-defense, a dark figure pounced on him and pushed him onto the bed.
"I am Qi Xuan."
As a thief, her night vision was excellent. She recognized Li Cheng immediately.
Li Cheng, however, threw her off and pointed his gun at her forehead.
"Who gave you the courage to climb into my bed?"
Qi Xuan was amused. She had no interest in Li Cheng, alright?
"Don't misunderstand. I was being chased and accidentally stumbled in here to hide. I just didn't expect you to be living here."
Qi Xuan cautiously walked to the window and looked out. She saw that there was no one outside, and surmised that the pursuer wouldn't dare to trespass.
Li Cheng also came to the window. After observing for a while, he saw no one. He began to doubt Qi Xuan's true intentions, after all, she was a crazy woman who would pounce on men.
"What did you do to make someone chase you in the middle of the night?"
"I robbed his house."
"What? You're still doing your old line of work? Are you short on cash?"
Qi Xuan sat down on the floor. Running for several blocks was indeed tiring.
"Can I have some water?"
"Answer the question first."
"Not short on cash. Just looking for something to do."
Li Cheng felt that these people were always playing with fire, risking their lives, but this woman was a complete lunatic, using theft as a pastime.
"Heh heh, you're truly peculiar."
"Thank you for the compliment. Give me a glass of water, and I'll leave after a short rest."
Li Cheng turned on the room light, and only then did he see Qi Xuan's appearance. Dressed all in black, it was indeed the typical attire for a thief. Her hair was messy and her face was flushed, indicating she had been chased hard.
"Wait here. Leave quickly after you drink your water."
Qi Xuan didn't care about Li Cheng's attitude. If it wasn't someone she cared about, whatever they said or did was irrelevant.
After drinking three cups of water, her strength had recovered considerably. Qi Xuan stood up and left without a word.
"Don't go too far with whatever you do. If something really happens, I won't interfere."
Qi Xuan let out a scoff. Did she still have anyone to care for her? Don't think she didn't know that Li Cheng secretly checked on her because he wanted to see if she was dead. She was already an abandoned person.
"I don't need you to care."
Li Cheng followed Qi Xuan to the living room downstairs. Just as he was about to open the door, he heard police sirens outside. Both of them froze, their eyes meeting.
"What? Didn't you say you didn't need me to care? If you go out now, I'll say you're a trespasser and I caught you and kicked you out."
"You!"
"What 'you'? Weren't you very tough just now? Go on, get out."
As soon as Li Cheng finished speaking, he heard the doorbell ring. He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. He wasn't in a hurry.
Qi Xuan glared at Li Cheng fiercely. She knew that if she went out now, she would definitely be caught and might end up in prison for years.
"Help me this once."
Qi Xuan said, pulling open the bag she was carrying. She took out two thousand yuan and threw it at Li Cheng.
Li Cheng took the money and casually glanced at it, whistling.
"Good business. Two thousand in one night, almost as much as the antique shop makes."
"Stop the nonsense. Help me this once. If the money isn't enough, I'll bring you more tomorrow."
Li Cheng also scoffed and threw the money back at Qi Xuan.
"I find this money dirty. Just this once. If there's a next time, I won't help even if I see you get caught."
With that, Li Cheng opened the door and left without a word. Startled, Qi Xuan quickly hid behind the sofa.
It's unclear what Li Cheng said to the police personnel, but they left after a short while.
Li Cheng returned to the room without closing the door. He gestured for Qi Xuan to leave. Qi Xuan, however, placed two thousand yuan on the table and quickly departed.
Li Cheng closed the door and looked at the money on the table, smiling. The next day, this money and information about Qi Xuan were sent to Zi Yisheng.
Zi Yisheng read it and then showed it to his wife without comment.
Ye Shengsong, after reading it, shook her head helplessly. She couldn't understand why someone would live their life like this. Couldn't she just live a simple, ordinary life?
Ye Shengsong picked up the letter and money in her hand and went next door. Once she decided to no longer concern herself with Qi Xuan, she would resolutely not get involved again. She found her father, Ye Ba, and shoved everything in his hands.
"Dad, you handle this."
Ye Ba was bewildered by his daughter's sudden departure. He didn't seem to have angered her. He opened the letter and read it, his helplessness growing. Fortunately, Qi Xuan wasn't his daughter, otherwise, he would be the next one to collapse.
Ye Ba stood in the yard, looking at Qi Luquan's room, hesitant. He was afraid that seeing the letter would worsen Qi Luquan's condition. But if something truly happened, how devastated would Qi Luquan be?
After much deliberation, Ye Ba still entered Qi Luquan's room. He placed the items on the table and sat aside in silence.
Qi Luquan looked at the items on the table in confusion. His trembling hands slowly opened them. Seeing the money from Mi Province, he quickened his movements, but his hands were not cooperating. The more anxious he became, the harder it was to open.
Ye Ba sighed and reached out to open the letter and spread it flat on the table.
After Qi Luquan finished reading, there was silence for a long time. However, the water droplets falling on the letter made Ye Ba's heart ache as well.
"Old Qi, what are you thinking?"
"Send me back. I'll go and be with Xuanxuan. This child is ruined."
Ye Ba sighed and did not refuse.
"What about your illness?"
"As long as Xuanxuan feels a little better, it doesn't matter if this illness is cured or not."
"Have you thought it through?"
"Yes. Arrange a boat as soon as possible."
Ye Ba suddenly remembered the savings passbook he had. Since the person was leaving, he no longer needed to hide the money.
"I'll exchange the money in your passbook for Mi Province currency. That way, your life won't be difficult."
"No need. I'll give you that money. You've been burdened with it for the past two years. I'm old, and I don't need much money. My granddaughter will support me."
Ye Ba would naturally not accept the money for nothing. Although he understood Qi Luquan's meaning, he had already planned in his heart to send all the money to Mi Province and have his son-in-law's subordinates occasionally give some to support the grandfather and granddaughter.
Zi Yisheng quickly received the task arranged by his father-in-law. He took the passbook and an elderly man who had difficulty walking.
While waiting for the boat, Zi Yisheng placed a box at Qi Luquan's feet.
"Uncle Qi, this is the share of the freight ship's earnings for the past year. Please take good care of it."
Qi Luquan looked at the box. He wanted to refuse, but he also knew that Zi Yisheng was a man of his word.
"Acheng, Uncle Qi has troubled you a lot during this time. I'll accept this money, but this is the last payment. From now on, this ship has nothing to do with me. If it weren't for you, my ship would just be a ship. I don't have the ability to use it to make money, so this is enough."
With that, Qi Luquan took out the contract he had signed from his bag and tore it up in front of Zi Yisheng.
"Good boy, Uncle Qi might never return after this departure. If you have the chance to visit Mi Province, remember to come and see me."
"I will. If Uncle Qi has any trouble, go to the antique shop and find Li Cheng. He will definitely help you."
"Thank you. The most comfortable days of my life were in Bai Rong Village. Remember to send me news from home occasionally, so I know if you are all doing well."
Zi Yisheng watched the ship depart before leaving. He didn't have much emotional attachment to Qi Luquan, so his departure or arrival was of no consequence to him.
Li Cheng personally came to pick up Qi Luquan when he disembarked. Looking at the elder who had difficulty walking, Li Cheng felt contempt for Qi Xuan in his heart.
"Old Qi, I'll take you home."
"Thank you, child. Is Qi Xuan at home?"
"Yes, I've had people watching her these past few days, just in case she does anything foolish."
Qi Luquan leaned tiredly on the car seat, his eyes filled with sorrow.
"Oh, right, Old Qi. Uncle Ye had me exchange all the money in your passbook for Mi Province currency. It was over 1.2 million yuan. I've deposited it back into the bank for you."
Qi Luquan took the bank card and sighed. His old friend was unwilling to take any advantage of him. Over a million yuan was a waste for him to keep.
Oh well, if he died, he could at least leave some money so his granddaughter wouldn't starve.
Qi Xuan heard the knock on the door but didn't react for a long time. She was sitting on the balcony, lost in thought, not wanting to deal with anything outside.
But after a while, Qi Xuan heard the sound of a lock being picked, and it was clearly not with a key. She rushed out.
When she saw the person standing at the door, Qi Xuan pounced like a madwoman, her crying becoming even more hysterical.