An Hao listened to the gossip about Tian Niu and Gu Shuangshuang, wondering how it was that just a few days of absence had given rise to so much idle talk.
"This damn girl! She’s really stirred up a whole lot of trouble. Just wait until I get my hands on her; I’ll make sure to give her a good thrashing," Duan Aihua fumed, steam practically coming out of her seven orifices. She didn’t even wait for Qin Jian to return, but plunged straight into the crowd.
An Hao followed closely behind her, trailing after.
The market was crowded with people from all around; they came selling all sorts of things. It was Gu Shuangshuang’s first time attending the market, and she looked around curiously, finding everything novel.
Her sister-in-law stuck close to her, fearing that someone inattentive might bump into Gu Shuangshuang by accident.
Gu Shuangshuang stopped at a stall selling dried fruits, wanting to buy some pine nuts and walnuts. She was about to weigh two jins when suddenly she heard someone calling her name: "Gu Shuangshuang."
That voice sounded like Qin Jian’s, so she turned her head to look around, and sure enough, he was walking through the crowd towards her. His tall figure and the crisp military uniform he wore made him stand out starkly against the throng.
"Staff Officer Qin! What are you doing here?" Gu Shuangshuang was puzzled.
Tian’s sister-in-law saw a military man heading their way. He was handsome, with a tall and straight posture, looking significantly better than her own brother’s appearance by more than just a little.
Seeing him calling to her sister-in-law, alarm bells went off in her head, "Sister-in-law, who is he?"
"Oh. He’s my good friend’s husband!" After Gu Shuangshuang spoke, she added another sentence, "You might not know this, but he’s your brother’s superior!"
"Ah? Really? Why has he come? It isn’t that my brother has done something wrong, has it?" Tian’s sister-in-law asked worriedly.
"Of course not. It must be something else," Gu Shuangshuang guessed.
Qin Jian came to a stop in front of Gu Shuangshuang, "Shuangshuang, have you been enjoying yourself these past two days here?"
"Enjoying! Very much so!" While Gu Shuangshuang spoke, she looked around, "Where’s An Hao? How come she didn’t come? Did you come here alone? What are you doing here?"
"Once you’ve had your fun, come back with us."
"Yes. Me, An Hao, and your mother," Qin Jian said slowly.
"What? My mom came too?" The moment Gu Shuangshuang heard this, she knew the secret was out; It must have been that her dad and mom had talked over the phone, otherwise, how would her mother have run from Jiangning City to Nancheng City, and from Nancheng to this place?
Just from this incident, Gu Shuangshuang could imagine how intense her mother’s fury must be.
"Staff Officer! I... I’m off then. Just pretend you never saw me, that you couldn’t find me, alright?" Gu Shuangshuang said, grabbing her sister-in-law’s hand and walking off.
If her mother caught her, she couldn’t expect any good days ahead.
Since life was tough anyway, she might as well thoroughly enjoy these few days first.
Gu Shuangshuang hadn’t managed to escape yet when a shrill voice cut through the crowd: "Gu Shuangshuang, you stop right there! If you dare to run, I’ll kill you!"
The moment Gu Shuangshuang heard Duan Aihua’s voice, she bolted in fright.
The path underfoot was uneven, and in her haste, she tripped over a stone and took a nasty fall.
"Sister-in-law! Watch out for the baby in your belly!" Tian’s sister-in-law panicked, dropping her basket to help Gu Shuangshuang up.
Just as she helped Gu Shuangshuang to her feet, Duan Aihua had already arrived in front of them. Seizing Gu Shuangshuang’s wrist with a furious expression, she bellowed, "Gu Shuangshuang, you’re coming with me! Back home with me!"