Chapter 219

The little one stretched out his arm to reach for the wind chime that Li Qingqing had made. Song Zhaodi couldn't stop smiling. This little kid is just the right age to be fun. He won't run around, and you don't have to worry about him being led astray. He'll be all smiles at you as soon as he gets a bite to eat. His skin is so white and tender, like a steamed bun. If you gently pinch his cheeks, an adult's heart will melt.

"Sister Song, look, he's responding to me! He can understand what I'm saying. Such a small child, yet he has so many clever thoughts."

Li Qingqing couldn't hide her even wider smile. Song Zhaodi picked up green yarn, took out a crochet hook, and started knitting leaves again. The bibs that Li Qingqing made were very delicate. Almost every one of them had a small crocheted pendant on it, making them cute and distinctive.

"He's just a little kid, not stupid. How could he not understand what his mother is saying? Right, little Tuantuan? When you grow up, you'll have to take good care of your mother, won't you?"

The child in the stroller let out a burst of cheerful laughter, and the intermittent voices inside the house carried to the door. Duan Huaichuan felt like an outsider, isolated from the world. Seeing the mother and child laughing happily, he felt a pang of unease.

He is the head of this family, but why does it seem like no one welcomes him back?

Li Qingqing's mind wasn't on him, and the children were very shy around him; he seemed like an outsider in the family.

Seeing that Li Qingqing really had no intention of helping him, he could only tidy up the things he brought back from the hospital, put his toiletries in the bathroom, and hang his clothes in his wardrobe. It had rained for two days in a row recently, and the windows in his room were not closed, with some water still on the windowsill. Li Qingqing probably didn't even notice that the whole room was damp because she rarely came to his room.

He closed the window, then brought in incense to fumigate the area, and finally felt a little better.

After finishing everything, he took a deep breath before standing at Li Qingqing's door and knocking.

"I'm going to work to do a work summary first."

The door wasn't closed. Li Qingqing looked up at him and gently waved her hand, "Go ahead."

Duan Huaichuan felt uneasy, his mind filled with thoughts of her cold demeanor.

These days, he has seen many family members who have just arrived at the hospital. They are all beaming with joy. Every couple who has been separated for a long time is more happy than when they are reunited.

Everyone else who came over looked radiant, especially his colleagues. With their wives, children, and warm beds, they seemed much more energetic and had more smiles on their faces.

So, in his case, it's the other way around?

Not only did Li Qingqing ignore him, but she also lacked the enthusiasm she used to have. How could other people's married life be so harmonious? His wife's personality had completely changed from now on, and her eyes were so cold they could kill someone.

Shu Ying was distracted all day. Li Dongfang specially sent someone to bring a message from the hospital that there was no medical record of the child being treated at the hospital, which made Shu Ying even more anxious.

"I'll have to trouble you to keep an eye on things here in the compound. To be honest, I don't think the child is sick. I saw the wounds on his body once; they were from being beaten with a very thin rattan cane. I'm worried."

Shu Ying hesitated, but Li Dongfang understood.

"Don't worry, sister-in-law. Shitou is also our comrade's child. This matter will definitely be investigated thoroughly, and we will also find out where the child is. Just wait for news. I will come and tell you as soon as I have any updates."

Shu Ying saw the person out, then glanced at the time. It was time for the two children to get out of school. She hadn't seen Lü Jie return all day and couldn't get any information out of her. So she simply went to the school to pick up the children first.

Yueyue and Yangyang ran out of the school and hugged her legs at the same time.

"Mom, did you go to Stone's house today? Is he very sick? When can we go over and play with him?"

Yangyang assumed that Shitou was still sick and unable to come out, so she cautiously inquired about his condition through Shuying.

Shu Ying patted his head and said truthfully, "I went to his house today, but no one answered the door. A neighbor saw that his mother went out early this morning. When I went there, no one was home, so his mother doesn't know what's going on with him."

Yueyue felt a little disappointed; this was the first friend they had made since arriving here.

"Mom, when is Stone Brother's mom coming back? Can we go with you to his house to see him? I promise we won't cause any trouble."

The two little ones, as if they had conspired together, pestered Shu Ying relentlessly, and she was really overwhelmed, so she could only nod in agreement.

"Okay, let's go home now. Aunt Wang will come and tell us when Brother Stone's mother comes back, and then I'll take you all to see him, okay?"

Yueyue finally smiled a little more. "Thank you, Mom. You are the best mom in the world."

When she took the child back, Xie Zhiyan had only been home for a short time. Just by looking at the expression on Shu Ying's face, he could guess what was going on.

After instructing the two children to go inside and do their homework, Xie Zhiyan spoke, "Dongfang has already told me that Shitou has not been found yet. Lü Jie also left early this morning. I know you are worried, but the children of the People's Liberation Army comrades will never disappear without a reason. Don't worry, there will be news about Shitou sooner or later."

Shu Ying sighed and took Xie Zhiyan's arm with both hands. "Of course I understand, but that child is naturally introverted. I'm worried that if something really happens to him, it will be too late by the time we get the news."

"Comrade Shuying, I was worried that you went to pick up the child and weren't home. Well, it's all right now. Lü Jie just came back. You asked me to keep an eye out for you this morning. She just walked in the door and I came to tell you. But she only brought her mother-in-law with her and didn't see the child."

Shu Ying glanced in the direction of the Shi family's house. "Her mother-in-law?"

Xie Zhiyan nodded, "Xiao Xueyi's mother comes to stay for a period of time every year."

The autumn harvest season is over, and things aren't very busy in the countryside. Many people will have their parents come and stay for a short period of time so that their families can reunite.

Shu Ying grasped Wang's hand. "Sister-in-law, did you see clearly? There really wasn't a child following her?"

Sister Wang nodded solemnly, "We live right across the street, less than two meters apart. How could I not see a child as big as Shitou? It's just her and her mother-in-law, no one else would do."

The more Shu Ying thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. Fortunately, Song Zhaodi came over from Li Qingqing's place in time. Seeing her come in from outside, Shu Ying felt a little relieved.

"Sister Song, please take care of Yangyang and Yueyue at home. I'll go with you to check on them."