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

Qi Weiwei smiled in response: "What else is there right now?"

The female sales clerk glanced at the kitchen: "We still have steamed buns, a few twisted rolls left, but no more steamed buns. As for stir-fries... we can still make some shredded potatoes and cabbage with glass noodles, do you want some?"

"Yes." Qi Weiwei took out her lunchbox, food coupons, and money. "One serving each of shredded potatoes and cabbage with vermicelli, ten steamed buns, and... do you have any steamed dumplings?"

She looked at the steamer basket.

The sales clerk nodded slightly: "I'll give you a few."

Qi Weiwei quickly thanked him. The clerk took the money and ticket, looked at her, and sighed.

Qi Weiwei turned a blind eye; everyone knew that the Qi family's youngest daughter was a scoundrel.

She laughed self-deprecatingly.

The dish was cooked quickly.

The shredded potatoes had very little oil, and you could see a few slices of pork in the cabbage and glass noodles. The steamed buns were made with a mixture of two types of dough, were yellow and white, and were quite large.

Ten buns were divided out.

Qi Weiwei packed the food, thanked them, and then walked back.

When he got home, Ling Heping had already mopped up the water on the floor and was wiping the tables and cabinets.

The room was filled with the aroma of tea and soap, mixed with the warmth of the fireplace, giving it a somewhat homey feel.

The two sat down at the table, and Qi Weiwei set out a dish of food for them to eat with steamed buns.

After finishing their meal, the two continued to wait.

Qi Weiwei washed the dishes, while Ling Heping checked the doors and windows to make sure they were all tightly closed.

Nine o'clock.

Qi Zhuangzhuang has arrived.

He first went to the harvest committee to bring food and water to Qi Chunchun and Qi Maomao before coming over.

Seeing that his parents hadn't returned yet, he sighed and sat down at the table.

"How are Fourth Brother and Fifth Brother doing?" Qi Weiwei poured him a cup of hot tea.

"They were freezing, but full of energy." Qi Zhuangzhuang warmed his hands with his teacup. "The two of them took turns watching, saying they could even see a fly fly out."

"Where are Grandpa and Grandma?"

"I was anxious, I couldn't sit still, and I kept looking towards the door." Qi Zhuangzhuang took a big gulp of tea. "When I arrived, Grandma was still nagging, saying why Weiwei hadn't sent anyone back to report the news yet."

Qi Weiwei felt a pang of sadness: "Soon, Mom and Dad will definitely be back tonight."

Qi Zhuangzhuang sat for about ten minutes, drank two cups of tea, and then left in a hurry.

He had to go back to take care of his grandparents so they wouldn't get anxious or upset.

Qi Weiwei and Ling Heping were left alone in the room again.

ten o'clock.

Eleven o'clock.

Time passed by, each second feeling like it was stretched out.

The coal in the stove was almost burned out, so Qi Weiwei added two more pieces.

The water in the kettle boiled repeatedly, and the steam made a hissing sound as it pushed against the lid.

Qi Weiwei stopped sitting at the table and started pacing back and forth.

She walked lightly from the living room to the bedroom, and then from the bedroom to the kitchen, her steps revealing a sense of urgency.

11:30.

She couldn't sit still any longer.

"I'll go downstairs and wait," she said, her voice trembling slightly.

"I'll go with you." Ling Heping immediately stood up.

The two went downstairs.

The motion-activated lights in the hallway were still not working, so Ling Heping turned on his flashlight.

When she reached the entrance to the first-floor hallway, Qi Weiwei stopped, her eyes fixed on the direction of the intersection.

The temperature dropped below zero at night, and breath turned to frost.

Qi Weiwei wasn't wearing gloves, and her hands were red from the cold, but she didn't feel it.

Ling Heping took a woolen hat out of the car and put it on her, then took off his own scarf and wrapped it around her.

The scarf was military green, very thick, and had the pungent smell of new wool.

"Thank you," Qi Weiwei said softly, her eyes still fixed on the intersection.

Ling Heping didn't say anything, but stood beside her, also looking in that direction.

It was late at night, and the residential area was quiet.

The only sounds were the occasional train whistle in the distance and the whistling of the wind blowing through the power lines.

Time seemed to stand still.

Qi Weiwei felt her heartbeat was frighteningly loud, thumping against her chest.

Countless images flashed through her mind: the scene of her parents being beaten at the land reclaiming committee, the scene of her mother protecting her father, the scene of her father being dragged away...

No, Tang Qu agreed, he agreed...

But can Tang Qu's words be trusted?

What if he changes his mind?

What if he never intended to release them?

just in case……

She dared not think any further.

11:45.

11:50.

11:51.

Two figures appeared at the intersection!

It was slow and difficult; they helped each other move step by step towards this side.

Qi Weiwei's heart skipped a beat.

Then, she recognized him.

It's Dad and Mom.

Qi Chou walked with a hunched back and a limp.

Chen Hongxia supported him, but her own steps were unsteady, and the two of them were practically dragging each other along the ground.

"Dad! Mom!"

Qi Weiwei burst into tears and dashed off like an arrow.

Ling Heping followed closely behind her.

Qi Weiwei rushed to her parents.

In the dim light of the streetlights, she could make out their faces.

Dad had bruises on his face and a cut on the corner of his mouth that had scabbed over.

The sleeve of the cotton-padded jacket was torn, and there were red marks from the rope binding the back of the exposed hand. In some places, the skin was broken and bleeding.

He was hesitant to put weight on his left leg when he walked, clearly indicating an injury.

My mother's hair was messy, and her face was swollen with slap marks.

My right wrist was swollen so badly that it was wrapped in a dirty cloth, with blood seeping through it.

Two buttons were missing from her cotton-padded jacket, and the collar was askew, revealing her faded autumn undershirt underneath.

"Weiwei...you must be worried..." Chen Hongxia saw her daughter and tears streamed down her face. She wanted to raise her hand to touch her daughter's face, but her wrist hurt and she winced in pain as soon as she moved it.

Qi Weiwei hugged her mother tightly, then reached out to support her father, tears streaming down her face: "You're back...it's good that you're back...Let's go home, let's go home..."

Ling Heping quickly stepped forward and supported Qi Chou's other arm: "Uncle Qi, let me help you."

Qi Chou looked at him, and hesitated before asking, "Who are you?"

Ling Heping hurriedly said, "I am Ling Heping, Ling Yuanzhi's grandson. My grandfather asked me to bring Weiwei and the others back."

Qi Chou nodded: "Thank you, child."

Chen Hongxia hurriedly asked, "Weiwei, have you found your two daughters?"

Qi Weiwei nodded, her voice choked with emotion, "Found it, brought it back. Mom and Dad, let's go home first, we'll talk about it when we get there!"

The four of them stumbled and staggered into the building.

Qi Weiwei could feel that her father's body was trembling, not from the cold, but from pain.

Her mother leaned against her, pressing down with almost all her weight, looking so weak that she seemed about to collapse at any moment.

We went up to the second floor and entered room 201.

The warm air from inside the room was refreshing, the fire in the stove was burning brightly, the kettle was bubbling away, and the aroma of tea filled the air.

Qi Weiwei helped her parents sit down on the edge of the bed.

As soon as Chen Hongxia sat down, she collapsed onto the bed, closed her eyes, and turned deathly pale.

Qi Chou forced himself to sit up straight, but his forehead was covered in cold sweat.

"Brother Heping, hot water!" Qi Weiwei called out.

Ling Heping immediately went to pour hot water.

Qi Weiwei then went to get iodine and gauze.

She treated her mother's wrist first.

Unwrapping the dirty cloth revealed a deep gash, as if cut by something, with the skin turned inside out and already festering.