Xu Xiuxiu returned to the military base with a mindset prepared for confrontation, only to find that her involvement wasn't necessary. Reflecting that she had previously asked Aunt Lai to handle Zhou Jiaki's case and that someone had already taken care of it, Xu Xiuxiu decided there was no need to trouble Aunt Lai further. Nevertheless, since she had returned, it was only proper to pay a visit to express her thanks, so she brought Song Chengguang and Xu Jingjing to Aunt Lai's house at noon.
During the two days Xu Xiuxiu was not at the Military District, Xu Jingjing had been spending time with Song Chengguang at Aunt Lai's, passing the hours. As a result, upon entering, the two of them naturally ran off to the backyard to play, ostensibly to weed the garden, which spared Xu Xiuxiu the need to come up with excuses to keep them busy.
"Girl, you have a good eye for picking men," Aunt Lai said, seemingly aware of what Xu Xiuxiu planned to say and gently cutting her off. She patted the back of Xu Xiuxiu's hand with her own, which bore the roughness and marks of age, a hint of contentment in her expression.
Hearing mention of having a good eye for picking men, Xu Xiuxiu wondered if Aunt Lai was referring to Song Yuanhuan. With a bewildered look on her face, Xu Xiuxiu replied, "Aunt Lai, I'm not quite sure what you mean. Does Zhou Jiaki's matter have something to do with Song Yuanhuan?" Could it be that Song Yuanhuan was the one who had exposed Zhou Jiaki's deeds? Xu Xiuxiu pondered the possibility with some confusion.
"Didn't you ask me to look after Jingjing and Chengguang the other day? I originally planned to also pass a message to Zhou Jiaki to try to keep her in line, hoping she'd think twice before making a move against you, out of respect for me. But before I could even get the word out, her misdeeds had already become the talk of the entire Military District. At first, I thought you, girl, were the one behind it. Don't be in a rush to deny it; I know that was part of your plan initially." Aunt Lai spoke with a look of having guessed it all along, "Later, I learned that it was your husband who had spread the word, and most of the incriminating evidence came from that Yan girl, Yan Molin. You know her too, right? She endured for many years without revealing the evidence, but then somehow, your husband managed to win her over. Although she also sought revenge against Zhou Jiaki, at the end of the day, she helped you out. You really should properly thank her when you get the chance," Aunt Lai added, her eyes sparkling with satisfaction.
In the aftermath of Zhou Jiaki's incident, Aunt Lai didn't shy away from admitting that she had made her demands clear to the military court, insisting on justice served without favoritism, which accounted for the swift delivery of Zhou Jiaki's sentence. Nevertheless, these were minor details in her eyes; her involvement was purely driven by her disdain for Zhou Jiaki's actions, so she had no intention of revealing to Xu Xiuxiu that she had also played a role.
"Yan Molin? How did she have evidence to accuse Zhou Jiaki?" Xu Xiuxiu expressed her surprise upon hearing Yan Molin's name again. The last housewarming party at her place had been a bustling event, and Yan Molin and her husband had also attended. Xu Xiuxiu had initially thought it was a coincidence, as Yan Molin's engagement with her seemed too deliberate, prompting Xu Xiuxiu to avoid her somewhat. But unexpectedly, Yan Molin had turned out to be instrumental in the Zhou Jiaki case.
"She is the daughter of that woman abandoned by Lu Jianhang!" Aunt Lai had also been moved to sighs when hearing all the talk around the Military District these past days. Zhou Jiaki's downfall was purely her own doing; it seemed truly like a case of karma catching up with her!
"Yan Molin is Lu Jianhang's daughter?" Xu Xiuxiu felt she finally understood why Yan Molin had been so friendly toward her. She had thought it was related to Xu He Ping and Lu Xiangxiang giving them, as a couple, a hard time in private, without realizing the situation involved such a dramatic and undisclosed saga. Indeed, the enemy of one's enemy can become a friend.
"Yes!" Aunt Lai nodded, watching Xu Xiuxiu's rare expression of surprise and couldn't help but chuckle quietly. This girl always seemed so clever, such expressions were indeed not common for her.
"I guess I really should bring some nice gifts to thank her properly." Xu Xiuxiu thought, suddenly feeling relieved and breaking into a laugh.
"It's only right." After hearing about Yan Molin's circumstances, Aunt Lai felt sorry for the girl too. Having lost her mother young and with an indifferent father, and a stepmother who was both cruel and venomous and who drove her own mother to death, she must have suffered a lot as a child. Otherwise, why would she have taken care to preserve evidence for identification, seemingly having long held thoughts of making Zhou Jiaki's life difficult.
While Xu Xiuxiu was chatting with Aunt Lai, Xu Jingjing took Song Chengguang to Aunt Lai's backyard to weed. Unexpectedly, Song Chengguang, for some reason, quickly plucked a beautiful orchid and, like a little cannonball, ran towards the living room. Xu Jingjing couldn't stop calling after him from behind, then stood there flabbergasted, staring at the pot of the supposedly very expensive orchid, thinking, it's over, it's all over now! For a b-e$t.ter r%e@ad^i.ng% ex^per&i$e^n&c&e%,! v^i&s!i^t *)..
"Mommy has a flower for you." Song Chengguang, completely unaware of the good deed he had done, trotted into the living room happily and triumphantly presented the beautiful orchid to Xu Xiuxiu. His cheeks were adorned with a faint smile and exposed a cute little dimple, the kind that could completely enchant someone.
Xu Xiuxiu, with tears welling up in her eyes, was moved as she accepted the orchid the little guy handed over and bent down to kiss Song Chengguang's cheek. "Thank you, baby! This flower is so pretty. But could Chengguang tell me where this flower came from?" Xu Xiuxiu asked worriedly. Orchids are difficult to grow, and if it were a valuable one, what would they do?
"From the pot in the backyard!" Song Chengguang, his cheeks flushed from the kiss, then turned and looked in Xu Xiuxiu's direction, his chubby hand pointing towards Aunt Lai's backyard: "Lots and lots of flowers, Chengguang likes this flower." The little guy exaggeratedly spread his hands as he spoke.
"Oh!" Hearing this, Xu Xiuxiu felt slightly relieved. If there were a lot, then it probably wasn't too valuable.
Just as Xu Xiuxiu let out a sigh of relief, Aunt Lai's voice rang out with laughter: "Well done, lad, you really have an eye for quality! You picked a good flower." Aunt Lai at first simply thought the orchid looked familiar, and seeing Song Chengguang's proudly prancing appearance, she couldn't help but join in the laughter. But as she laughed, she suddenly remembered who the orchid belonged to and burst out laughing heartily, thinking the poor old man would probably be beside himself with rage.
"Come here, Chengguang, come to grandma." Aunt Lai, her eyes crinkling with mirth, patted the sofa next to her and called out: "Why didn't Chengguang pick a flower for grandma? Grandma doesn't have a flower, grandma is sad." Aunt Lai teased, adopting a sad expression on her face as if to playfully trouble the little guy.
Sure enough, Song Chengguang was troubled. He scratched his slightly prickly head and then, without hesitation, turned and ran back to the backyard. In just a short while, the little guy came running back, his short legs moving fast, now holding another orchid—only this one wasn't as pretty as the first he had given to Xu Xiuxiu.