So, she must try her luck with this great opportunity.
Xie Yonghong’s sister arrived quickly; after making contact, she hurriedly took a train to the big city. As a girl new to the metropolis, she was startled and fascinated by everything she saw, yet also frightened. Her face was sallow, and she was thin and malnourished; her hair was yellow and dry. It was pitiable to behold.
Upon seeing her little sister in such a state, Xie Yonghong’s eyes immediately reddened, and she hurried to buy groceries and cook a meal. The girl ate as if she hadn’t eaten in ages, stuffing her mouth even though her stomach was nearly bursting. Even Teacher Wang found the sight quite distressing.
This brother-in-law and sister-in-law of Xie Yonglan seemed to have no regard for Yonglan as a person.
Qin Xiangnuan was embroidering her Qingming River Painting in the system when she heard someone come in.
It must be Teacher Wang; around this time, he usually came for lessons, though it seemed he had arrived a bit early today.
She exited the system, opened the door, and Conghua inside started barking continuously; there must be strangers about. Conghua was now familiar with Teacher Wang. If it wasn’t Teacher Wang, then Teacher Wang must have brought someone else.
As she opened the door, indeed, it was Mr. Ma, accompanied by a young woman. She was quite slim and had a poor complexion, with a faint layer of gray beneath her eyes, clearly from excessive fatigue.
Qin Xiangnuan immediately guessed the identity of the woman. She likely wasn’t Xie Yonghong, the wife of Teacher Wang.
"Xiang Nuan, this is my wife," introduced Teacher Wang, referring to the woman beside him.
"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Teacher," Qin Xiangnuan smiled warmly, as warm as her name implied. In truth, having lived two lifetimes, her heart was somewhat colder than others, but perhaps the coldest extreme turns into warmth as well.
Xie Yonghong was a bit flabbergasted; her feelings toward Teacher Wang’s student were quite complex. Not to mention the fifty yuan for tutoring, she had also taken away nearly half of the profits from selling Spring Festival couplets, and then there were the clothes. Frankly, a mere thank you wouldn’t be nearly enough.
The girl in front of her was cleanly and delicately dressed, slight and frail in appearance, yet displaying an uncommon composure and efficiency in her actions. Even her gestures seemed to carry a comfortable scent of ink.
She probably didn’t smile too often, as her eyes always harbored a hint of indifference. Still, when this child did smile, she was genuinely beautiful. Her face might not be stunning, but she had an allure that caught people off guard.
Qin Xiangnuan patted Conghua on the head, "Go inside the house. If I didn’t grant you permission to come out, then don’t."
With a whimper, Conghua wagged its tail and ran inside.
It was then that Xie Yonghong let out a sigh of relief—this dog looked truly fierce and frightening.
"Don’t be afraid," consoled Teacher Wang to Xie Yonghong, "this is Xiang Nuan’s dog, a military dog. It’s very obedient and smart, and it has been specially trained."
Xie Yonghong was startled again and couldn’t help but wonder what kind of background Qin Xiangnuan had, to even have access to a military dog. And the Siheyuan, it couldn’t be a rental, could it? If it truly were, how could there be no other residents? She buried these thoughts deep in her heart, remembering they were here to discuss business, not to pry into someone’s personal affairs.
Qin Xiangnuan took a ceramic pot and poured a cup of tea for each of them.