The beloved but ungrateful girl is reborn: This time she has truly changed.

Qi Weiwei felt a sense of relief—how could she not have thought of that?

Previously, she thought this would be the biggest problem because it was somewhat dangerous.

She must deposit more money into this child's account!

Ling Heping added, "The baby girl's matter is resolved, and then there's your safety, Weiwei. I'll take responsibility for that."

He pulled a hand-drawn map from his pocket and spread it on the table: "This is a topographical map of the Harvest Brigade, which I drew these past two days."

The map was drawn in great detail, with the location of every road and every household in the village clearly marked.

Ling Heping pointed to the map:

"I can set up some informants in the village in advance."

Anyway, everyone in the village knows that I collected oddly shaped gourds to participate in the exhibition.

I'll find two more assistants to walk around the nearby villages; it won't arouse suspicion.

As he spoke, he took out a delicate little gourd from another pocket and handed it to Qi Weiwei.

This is an oddly shaped gourd, only ten centimeters long, flat, like a squashed pumpkin.

It's clear that it was grown inside a mold, and its shape is very regular. There's a metal knob on the gourd's spout, made of brass, which has been polished to a shine.

Ling Heping unscrewed the gourd's mouth, and inside it glittered with silver light—it turned out that the inner wall was plated with a thin layer of silver.

"Weiwei," he said with a smile, his eyes sparkling, "this thing is a bit rare. I got it for you to play with. It's plated with silver inside, so you can put water or wine in it. Here's a little gift for you. A sip of wine on the road can sometimes save your life."

Qi Weiwei took it; it felt heavy in her hand, the gourd's surface was smooth, with natural wood grain.

She unscrewed the gourd's mouth and looked inside; it gleamed silver and was indeed exquisite.

"Thank you, Brother Heping."

She thanked him sincerely and put the small gourd into her pocket.

The gourd is flat; when laid flat, you can't even tell it exists. It's really interesting.

Grandpa Ling coughed, interrupting Ling Heping: "We're talking about serious matters, what are you doing?"

Ling Heping scratched his head a little embarrassedly and chuckled twice: "Grandpa, I just saw that Weiwei was nervous and wanted to help her relax."

He turned to Qi Weiwei, his expression turning serious: "Weiwei, please continue. You just said the letter is written, the baby girl's problem is solved, and I'll take responsibility for her safety. Is there anything else that needs to be prepared?"

Qi Weiwei composed herself and continued, "I need to put on makeup. Su Cuilan doesn't know me, but it would be troublesome if my daughter looked a lot like me. I need to dress myself up as a middle-aged woman in her forties, preferably looking rustic, like a nanny or relative from the city."

Ling Heping nodded: "That's easy. Sister Chen used to work in the cultural troupe doing makeup, so let her help you."

Qi Weiwei added, "I also need some 'props'—a presentable bundle filled with a few old clothes and some food, to make it seem like I've traveled a long way."

Ling Heping looked at the map again and pointed to a location at the entrance of the village:

"Weiwei, when you get to the village entrance, wait under this big locust tree."

That's the only way to get into the village.

Have someone call Su Cuilan out and tell her you were sent by Tang Tiantian to deliver the child. Have her take you home to talk—be cautious, and she won't suspect anything.

Qi Weiwei nodded and carefully wrote it down.

The group discussed some details—how to deploy Ling Heping's men, how to transmit signals, and how to respond in case of an accident… They discussed until late at night.

Finally, Grandpa Ling made the decision: "It's settled then. Tomorrow, Weiwei will come with me to the Hulu County Nursery to choose a baby girl. Heping, you go and arrange for your people to go to the village ahead of time. Weiwei will set off early the day after tomorrow."

There is a clear division of labor, and everyone performs their duties.

The next morning, Grandpa Ling personally drove Qi Weiwei to the Hulu County Orphanage.

The nursery was located on the outskirts of the county town. It consisted of a row of red brick bungalows. There were slides and swings in the yard, but they were all old and the paint was peeling off.

It was morning, and the children were all inside. You could vaguely hear crying, laughter, and the voices of the caregivers comforting the children.

The dean was a woman in her fifties surnamed Liu. She wore black-rimmed glasses and looked very kind.

Grandpa Ling was obviously very familiar with her. He briefly explained his purpose – that there was a disagreement among relatives, the man wanted to see the child, but the child had been taken back to his hometown, and he was afraid of causing trouble. He asked to borrow a child to take a look at, and he would pay for it and also buy milk powder for the child.

After listening, Dean Liu hesitated, but for the sake of Grandpa Ling, he agreed.

She led Qi Weiwei and Grandpa Ling into the nursery.

The room was warm, with a stove burning.

On both sides were rows of small wooden beds, with children of all ages lying on them.

Some were sleeping, some were crying, and some were staring blankly at the ceiling with their eyes open.

Qi Weiwei's heart clenched as soon as she entered.

So many children...

So many cries...

At least they are still under the care of the government, and they can still eat and dress warmly, and have a roof over their heads to shelter them from the wind and rain.

And what about her daughters?

Where are they?

Are you doing well?

Did they suffer from hunger and cold?

Is anyone bullying them?

Are they alive or dead?

Thinking of this, the hatred in her heart began to surge again, gnawing at her heart like a venomous snake.

But she took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

Now is not the time to vent your emotions.

She wants to find her daughters, bring them back, and make it up to them.

She began to look closely at the children's features.

Dean Liu explained from the side: "Some of these children have lost their parents, some have been abandoned, and some have been sent here because their families can't afford to raise them."

The youngest is only a month old, and the oldest is three years old.

You're looking for infants; these are all two or three months old.

Qi Weiwei's gaze swept across each of the little faces.

She wanted to find a baby girl who looked like Tang Aijun.

Tang Aijun is handsome, with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a high nose.

If the child resembles him, it shouldn't be difficult to recognize him.

Sure enough, she saw one.

A baby girl, about four or five months old, was lying on a small bed by the window.

She has a small, thin face, but delicate features. Her eyebrows are thin, and even though her eyes are closed, you can see that her eyeliner is very long.

Her nose is small, but very straight.

Her lips were thin and pursed.

Like.

so similar.

Like Tang Aijun, but completely different from myself.

Qi Weiwei walked over and gently touched the baby girl's face.

The child woke up and opened his eyes to look at her.

Those were clear eyes, dark and shiny, like two grapes.

The child didn't cry, but just quietly looked at her.

"What's her name?" Qi Weiwei asked, her voice a little hoarse.

Dean Liu glanced at the card on the bedside table: "Number 78, three months old. No name yet, we call her Xiao Qi. She's very well-behaved and never cries or fusses for no reason."

Qi Weiwei felt as if she had been pricked by a needle.

It has no name.

What names will her daughters have?

Or should we just call it "money-losing goods"?

"She's the one," Qi Weiwei said.