Qi Tongwei at the start: Not relying on Liang Lu, but winning by a single move against Heaven.

Following the route he remembered, Qi Tongwei found Gao Xiaoqin's house.

Upon entering the courtyard, Qi Tongwei couldn't help but frown.

The courtyard is exactly the same as last time.

Plastic sheeting was nailed to the windows, making a whooshing sound as it was blown by the wind.

The broken wooden door couldn't be closed properly, like a person missing a front tooth, letting the wind blow straight in.

Standing in the courtyard, Qi Tongwei couldn't help but feel suspicious.

I spent 1,500 yuan in total. Where did all that money go?

Pushing open the door, Qi Tongwei was stunned again.

It was almost evening, but the house was pitch black and empty.

Why is no one home at this hour?

Qi Tongwei's heart tightened, and a layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on his back.

Perhaps I'm too late?

The Gao sisters have already been taken away by Du Bozhong.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel extremely remorseful.

I should have made arrangements for the Gao sisters before I went to Bianxi.

Just as he was feeling frustrated, a voice called out from behind him.

The voice was timid, yet tinged with anticipation.

"Brother Qi? Is that you?"

Qi Tongwei suddenly turned around.

Behind him, the Gao sisters were standing at the door.

Upon seeing Qi Tongwei, the Gao sisters immediately threw themselves into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Brother Qi, you've finally arrived..."

Gao Xiaofeng cried the hardest, her face covered in tears and snot.

Qi Tongwei quickly offered words of comfort, gently patting their backs.

"Don't cry, don't cry, I'm here... Tell Brother Qi what's wrong..."

The two women's crying gradually subsided, but their shoulders were still trembling.

Qi Tongwei squatted down and looked the two of them up and down.

As the year draws to a close, Jingzhou, although a southern city, is experiencing temperatures close to zero.

However, the two women were still wearing only thin clothes.

Even the shoes he was wearing were the cloth shoes he bought in September.

Qi Tongwei frowned, his voice becoming deep.

"Didn't I send you money? Why are you dressed so scantily?"

Gao Xiaoqin stopped crying, wiped her face with her sleeve, and answered with a sob.

"The initial five hundred yuan you gave me... Dad used it all for drinking and gambling..."

"Later, I used the money you sent to pay my tuition...and buy some stationery..."

Her voice grew softer and softer, and her head bowed lower and lower.

Qi Tongwei was so angry that his teeth were itching and grinding his molars together.

But then he thought about it again and realized that wasn't right.

In 1990, the average wage was less than 200 yuan.

A thousand yuan is enough for these two to live on for a long time, so why are they still so poor?

"What about the rest of the money? Why not buy some winter clothes?"

Gao Xiaofeng burst into tears.

She spoke through tears, gasping for breath.

"Dad... asked... asked my sister for money... no, if he didn't give me money... he hit me..."

Her voice was intermittent and indistinct.

Even from just a few words, Qi Tongwei managed to understand the gist of it.

Gao's father asked Gao Xiaoqin for money, and threatened to beat her if she refused.

Gao Xiaoqin would rather be beaten than give in, so her father turned around and beat Gao Xiaofeng.

Gao Xiaoqin wasn't afraid of being beaten herself, but she couldn't bear to see her younger sister suffer.

Left with no other choice, they had to give the money to Gao's father.

Qi Tongwei was so angry that his lips trembled and his breathing became heavy.

"What a beast! Where is he? Take me to him!"

Seeing that Qi Tongwei was angry, Gao Xiaoqin quickly grabbed his arm.

"Brother Qi...it's no use looking for him."

"He changed for the better in front of you, but as soon as you left, he changed again..."

Qi Tongwei was taken aback, frowned, and nodded.

In his previous life, he was exiled to Yanshan Town, the poorest town in the city, where he had seen many impoverished families.

These kinds of people are all the same; they gamble away any money they have, and once they've squandered it all, they just laze around waiting to die.

Even worse, when they are desperate for money, they start selling their children, wives, and anything else.

This kind of person perfectly illustrates the old saying: "There is always something hateful about a pitiful person."

Thinking of this, Qi Tongwei suppressed his anger and whispered words of comfort to the two women.

"Don't cry, I'm here to take you away this time..."

"Are you willing?"

The Gao sisters exchanged a glance, and their faces immediately lit up with joy.

The two nodded like chicks pecking at rice, answering in unison.

"willing!"

Qi Tongwei nodded and wiped the tears from their faces.

"When your dad comes back, I'll tell him... leave him some more money."

When Gao Xiaoqin heard Qi Tongwei say this, she didn't say anything and pulled her sister straight into the inner room.

After the sounds of rummaging through drawers and cabinets subsided, the two returned to the outer room.

Each of them now carried a cloth bag and a small bundle.

"Brother Qi! Let's go now..."

"You gave him money; he took a thousand yuan in total..."

She paused slightly, her voice lowered, filled with desolation.

"Besides, you won't be able to wait for him. He went to Widow Xia's house in Xiajia Village..."

"He said he didn't want us two as a burden anymore..."

Upon hearing this, Qi Tongwei took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

He truly couldn't understand how there could be such a beastly father in the world!

He remembered that in his previous life, his father had sold the Gao sisters to Du Bozhong, and then he understood.

As long as the Gao sisters stay by their father's side, they will inevitably be raised as "skinny horses" sooner or later.

Thinking of this, he sighed and said to Gao Xiaoqin.

"Alright, let's go now."

"Once we get to Jingzhou, I'll treat you two to something to eat. You two just have to bear with it for now..."

Gao Xiaoqin nodded repeatedly, "Brother Qi, we're not hungry!"

They remained silent on the road.

When Qi Tongwei brought the two men to the Little Red Building, it was almost nine o'clock.

The door opened, and Qi Tongwei turned on the light, filling the room with bright light.

The Gao sisters stood at the door, too afraid to go inside.

When they first saw the building, they were so flustered they didn't know what to do with their hands and feet.

Gao Xiaoqin looked around at the furnishings in the room and timidly opened her mouth.

"Brother Qi, do we need to take our shoes off before going inside? Our shoes are dirty..."

Qi Tongwei pulled the two into the house and spoke with a smile.

"Don't be afraid. From now on, this will be your home."

In the bright light, he carefully examined the two of them.

Her beautiful face was sallow, and her hair was as dry as withered grass in the twelfth lunar month.

Long-term malnutrition left the two of them with very little weight.

He felt a lump in his throat and almost burst into tears.

"You two rest inside, I'm going to buy some food... I'll be right back."

When Qi Tongwei returned, the house had been cleaned spotlessly by the two women.

The dust on the ground had disappeared, and the ground gleamed under the light.

The table was polished to a shine, the dust on the bed was dusted off, and the two wooden beds were made neatly.

Qi Tongwei put down what he was holding and couldn't help but sigh.

Children from poor families learn to be independent early.

Such a good child, how did he end up with such a father...?

After thinking it over, he invited the two women over to eat.

The two women stood in front of the dining table, too afraid to touch their chopsticks.

Qi Tongwei frowned and looked at the food on the table.

Braised beef, salted duck, and a few steamed buns.

"What's wrong? Not to your liking?"

Gao Xiaoqin waved her hands repeatedly, her face turning bright red.

"No, no. At home, Dad always finishes eating before we eat..."

Qi Tongwei felt another wave of irritation and pressed the two of them down into chairs.

"There are no rules in this house! Let's eat!"

After the meal, Gao Xiaoqin insisted on clearing away the dishes.

Gao Xiaofeng then pulled Qi Tongwei aside and asked him how to boil water in the kitchen.

Qi Tongwei assumed she wanted to cook for herself in the future, so he taught her how to use liquefied gas.

Gao Xiaofeng was very quick-witted; she mastered the technique after only two tries.

But Qi Tongwei didn't expect that.

Twenty minutes later, Gao Xiaofeng brought him a basin of water to wash his feet.

"Brother Qi, you're washing your feet..."

Qi Tongwei was both amused and exasperated, and quickly waved his hand.

"No need, no need, I can do it myself..."

He refused repeatedly, and the two women finally gave up the idea of ​​washing his feet.

What surprised Qi Tongwei even more was yet to come.

He had just lay down on the bed when Gao Xiaoqin arrived.

She stood by the bed, her face flushed, clutching the hem of her clothes in both hands, remaining silent.

Qi Tongwei, puzzled, sat up.

"What's wrong? Don't you know how to use the toilet? Or is something the matter?"

Gao Xiaoqin stammered out the reason, her voice barely audible.

"Everyone in the village says that whoever takes a girl away has to serve her..."

Qi Tongwei almost couldn't catch his breath.

He thought to himself, "Silly girl, how old are you?"

I might have the desire to steal, but I don't have the guts.

They quickly ushered her back to her room.

"Go to sleep peacefully. I have questions for you tomorrow!"

After sending Gao Xiaoqin away and lying back in bed, Qi Tongwei calmed down considerably.

Judging from today's situation, the two women are capable of living independently.

With enough money, one can live independently in Gyeongju.

But they are still too young; it would be best if they continued their studies.

He planned to ask them what they thought tomorrow before making any further plans.

From Bianxi to Pengcheng, and then back to Handong, Qi Tongwei spent the entire week on the road.

Even if he were a man of iron, he couldn't hold on any longer.

As he pondered, his eyelids grew heavy, and he gradually drifted off to sleep.

That night, he slept soundly and had a beautiful dream.

In my dream, the Gao sisters had grown up and were smiling sweetly.