Courtyard House: Jia Zhangshi! How dare you hit my sister?

"Sisters, find a seat, I'll go get the food," Qin Huai'an said.

"Shall I go with you?" Qin Huairu said.

"No need, you can sit down." Qin Huai'an waved his hand and walked towards the food serving window with three lunch boxes in his hand.

Qin Huairu and Zhou Xiaomei found a seat by the window and sat down.

"Sister Qin, your brother... is so good to you," Zhou Xiaomei whispered.

"Yes," Qin Huairu said gently, watching her younger brother's retreating figure in line. "Huai'an has always been sensible, and now he's even more so..."

She paused, not continuing, and instead asked:

"Xiaomei, who else is in your family?"

"My parents are both in our hometown, and I have an older brother," Zhou Xiaomei said. "My brother works at the railway bureau, and I work in a factory here, usually staying in the dormitory."

"You're quite independent," Qin Huairu said. "It's not easy being here alone."

"I'm used to it." Zhou Xiaomei smiled. "The factory provides room and board, and the salary is enough. I can even send some money home every month."

As the two were talking, Qin Huai'an returned carrying three lunchboxes.

The lunchbox contained today's meal: steamed buns made from a mixture of wheat and water, stewed cabbage and tofu, and a small spoonful of stir-fried shredded potatoes. It wasn't a lavish meal, but the portion was generous.

"Thank you," Zhou Xiaomei said softly as she took the lunchbox.

"You're welcome." Qin Huai'an sat down opposite his sister, picked up a steamed bun, and took a bite.

The three of them started eating.

While eating, Qin Huai'an asked, "Sister, were you learning from Sister Liu again this afternoon?"

"Yes, Sister Liu said she'll teach me how to adjust the machine this afternoon," Qin Huairu said. "She said I'm skillful and learn quickly."

"That's good." Qin Huai'an nodded. "Learn more, and you'll be more confident in the workshop later."

"I know," Qin Huairu said. "I will definitely study hard."

Zhou Xiaomei ate her meal quietly, but her eyes kept glancing towards Qin Huai'an.

She noticed that Qin Huai'an ate quickly, but not rudely. When he spoke, he would look at the other person with focused eyes. Occasionally, when he said something, the corner of his mouth would twitch slightly, as if he were smiling, but it was not very obvious.

She thought to herself, "This person looks fierce, but he's actually quite considerate. He knows to get food for my sister, and he always speaks with my sister's best interests in mind."

"Xiaomei, why aren't you eating any vegetables?" Qin Huairu asked, noticing that Zhou Xiaomei was only eating steamed buns.

"Huh? I'm eating..." Zhou Xiaomei quickly picked up a piece of cabbage with her chopsticks.

Qin Huai'an glanced at her but said nothing and continued eating with his head down.

Zhou Xiaomei's heart skipped a beat when he looked at her, and her face flushed even more.

"..."

After finishing his meal, Qin Huai'an packed up his lunchbox and said to Qin Huairu:

"Sis, I'm going back to the security office. Study hard this afternoon, and we'll go home together after get off work."

"Okay, you go ahead and get busy," Qin Huairu said.

"Comrade Zhou, thank you for taking care of my sister." Qin Huai'an nodded to Zhou Xiaomei again.

"No...it's nothing, it's nothing," Zhou Xiaomei quickly replied.

Qin Huai'an didn't say anything more and turned to leave.

Watching his departing figure, Zhou Xiaomei breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a little disappointed.

"Let's go back to the workshop." Qin Huairu stood up.

The two walked together toward the workshop.

On the way, Qin Huairu suddenly smiled, looking at Zhou Xiaomei:

"Xiaomei, do you... have a crush on my younger brother?"

"Ah?!" Zhou Xiaomei was startled, her face flushing bright red. "Sister Qin, you...you mustn't be talking nonsense..."

"I'm not making this up," Qin Huairu said with a smile. "I counted how many times you peeked at him while we were eating."

Zhou Xiaomei's face turned even redder, and she lowered her head, her voice barely audible:

"I...I just think...your brother is a really good person..."

"You admit it now?" Qin Huairu smiled. "Our Huai'an is indeed a good man. He's handsome, honest, and caring."

She paused, her tone softening further:

"Xiaomei, you're a good girl, I can tell. If you really have feelings for my brother, I can ask around for you."

Zhou Xiaomei raised her head, her eyes bright, but she was still very shy:

"Sister Qin, please don't...please don't be so direct...I...I just think he's nice, I didn't think too much about it..."

"Young man, what's there to be embarrassed about?" Qin Huairu said. "Free love is encouraged nowadays, and you're about the same age. If it works out, it would be a good thing."

Looking at Zhou Xiaomei's rosy cheeks, she was actually quite happy.

Zhou Xiaomei is a pretty girl with a good personality; she's hardworking and capable. If she could really be with her younger brother, she, as his older sister, would feel at ease.

"Then...then Sister Qin, could you...could you ask her for me?" Zhou Xiaomei finally mustered up her courage and said softly.

"Okay, I'll find a chance to talk to Huai'an about it." Qin Huairu nodded. "But I can't guarantee whether he'll agree or not. Our Huai'an is very opinionated; it's up to him."

"I know..." Zhou Xiaomei lowered her head, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.

Back in the workshop, the afternoon's work hadn't started yet. Several female workers were chatting together, and when they saw Qin Huairu come in, they all greeted her warmly.

"Master Qin, come quick, we were just talking about yesterday!"

"Yes, Master Qin, your brother is really amazing! We've all heard about it!"

Qin Huairu walked over, and Zhou Xiaomei followed behind her.

"It's nothing," Qin Huairu said shyly, "I just happened to be there."

"What do you mean 'caught up'!" said an older female worker. "That's because your brother is capable! Who else would dare to beat Wang Defa like that? And if they did, would they get away with it?"

"Exactly!" another female worker chimed in. "We all saw what happened when the armed forces came yesterday! Wow, what a show of force! Minister Duan came in person!"

"If you ask me, Wang Defa deserved it!" Liu Caifeng said bitterly. "Someone should have taught him a lesson a long time ago!"

The female workers chattered amongst themselves, their words filled with resentment towards Wang Defa and admiration for Qin Huai'an.

As Zhou Xiaomei listened, her feelings of goodwill towards Qin Huai'an grew even stronger.

A man who dared to fight a bully for his sister, a man who was capable of escaping unscathed, a man who could get the Minister of Armed Forces to personally intervene...

Who wouldn't like a man like that?

"Alright, alright, let's get back to work." Director Chen came out of his office, clapped his hands, and said, "We have a lot of work this afternoon, so let's get to it."

The female workers then dispersed and returned to their workstations.

Qin Huairu also followed Liu Caifeng to learn how to adjust the machines. Zhou Xiaomei walked to her workstation, picked up her tools, but couldn't help glancing at the workshop door again.

Although she knew Qin Huai'an had already returned to the security department, she still had some expectations in her heart, wondering if he would come again in the afternoon.

The thought made her blush again, and she quickly shook her head, trying to focus on her work.

Meanwhile, Qin Huai'an had already returned to the security office, completely unaware that his sister was planning to introduce him to a potential partner.

He sat at the table, looking at the newly hung banner on the wall—"Heroic and Righteous, Awe-inspiring"—and a slightly sarcastic smile appeared on his lips.

A banner was awarded for assaulting someone; this world is truly interesting.

But that's good, at least no one will dare to mess with his sister in the factory anymore.

As for the rest...

He's not in the mood to consider it yet.

The most important thing right now is to help my sister settle down completely and live a good life.

We'll talk about the rest later.