The little drama queen is both capricious and naughty, but her military officer husband insists on s

Jiang Zao said it was okay: "It's alright, Comrade Qiao. The baby just finished feeding and shouldn't be woken up so easily."

Despite Jiang Zao's words, Gu Yan nodded and replied softly, "I won't disturb the baby."

"Mom, I want to see the baby too." Gu Yan raised his arms to Qiao Yuzhi, signaling his mother to pick him up and look at him.

Qiao Yuzhi placed the fruit by Jiang Zao's bedside, then picked up Gu Yan so that he could see the child on the bed.

Qiao Yuzhi only found out that Jiang Zao had given birth to twins when she found out which ward Jiang Zao was in.

Seeing the two adorable babies on the bed, she was genuinely happy for Jiang Zao.

Comrade Jiang is not only a good person, but her child is also so cute, and she had a perfect baby on her first pregnancy.

"Xiao Yan, look! What adorable babies! One is a little brother, and the other is a little sister," Qiao Yuzhi said softly to Gu Yan.

Gu Yan looked at the two children on the bed, who were much, much smaller than him, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"What a tiny little sister!" Gu Yan exclaimed in a childish voice.

Qiao Yuzhi couldn't help but laugh when she heard this, and jokingly asked her son, "Then tell me, Xiao Yan, which one is the little sister?"

Jiang Zao laughed when she heard Gu Yan's words. She thought that Gu Yan thought all the children were little sisters because they looked cute and rosy.

But to everyone's surprise, Gu Yan pointed out his daughter the next second.

“This one,” Gu Yan pointed to one of the children and said earnestly to Qiao Yuzhi, “this is the little sister.”

Qiao Yuzhi initially thought Gu Yan was just saying it casually, but seeing his serious expression, she turned around and glanced at Jiang Zao.

Jiang Zao opened her eyes wide in surprise, finding it unbelievable.

Gu Yan guessed correctly.

"How did Xiao Yan know that was a little girl?" Jiang Zao asked in surprise.

Gu Yan frowned slightly as he pondered, but in the end, he shook his head as if he hadn't come up with anything.

But she still said in a firm tone and a childish voice, "She is the little sister."

"Why?" Jiang Zao asked curiously.

Gu Yan shook his head again, but still insisted, "She is the little sister."

Gu Yan himself didn't know why, but he just felt that she was her.

Qiao Yuzhi asked Jiang Zao with doubt, "Comrade Jiang, is the one Xiao Yan is referring to a girl?"

Jiang Zao nodded: "Yes."

“I used to have a younger sister too,” Gu Yan suddenly said.

Jiang Zao didn't notice Gu Yan's use of the word "before" and blurted out, "Does Comrade Qiao also have two children?"

Qiao Yuzhi was stunned for a moment, and her eyes immediately reddened. She lowered her head to hide it and said vaguely, "I was pregnant with two children before, but I accidentally miscarried."

Jiang Zao said with a heavy heart, "I'm sorry."

"It's nothing, it's all in the past." Qiao Yuzhi smiled bravely and carried Gu Yan to Jiang Zao's bedside.

He then explained the purpose of his visit to find Jiangzao:

"This afternoon, Comrade Lu brought people to help my son and me. I know it must have been Comrade Jiang's idea, so I came here specifically to thank you."

Qiao Yuzhi put Gu Yan down on the ground, put her arm around her son's shoulder, and said awkwardly:

“I know you are a kind-hearted person, Comrade Jiang, and you don’t ask for anything in return. But I would feel bad if I didn’t come to thank you. But I also… I don’t know how to thank you for your kindness to my son and me.”

Jiang Zao declined, saying, "Comrade Qiao, you're too kind. It was just a small favor. You are the families of martyrs, and you are entitled to protection. If anyone else saw a child as young as Xiao Yan being beaten like that, they would have done the same."

Qiao Yuzhi looked at Jiang Zao with tears in her eyes and shook her head: "No one else would do this, only you, only you... Comrade Jiang."

Jiang Zao was puzzled, thinking that Qiao Yuzhi was too timid and wouldn't take the initiative to ask for help.

He gently comforted her, saying, "Comrade Qiao, this shouldn't be the first time something like this has happened. You should have asked for help a long time ago. Even if the people around you don't help you, you can go back to your parents' home and talk to them. They won't be as heartless as your in-laws."

It's unclear what sore spot Jiang Zao touched on in Qiao Yuzhi, but it caused her to burst into tears instantly.

Large tears rolled down Qiao Yuzhi's cheeks like beads from a broken string.

Jiang Zao didn't expect her words to make Qiao Yuzhi cry, so she quickly moved closer to the edge of the bed.

But all I could do was watch helplessly, not knowing what to do.

Helpless, Jiang Zao turned to Lu Yanxun for help.

However, Lu Yanxun was sitting by the child's bed watching the child, not glancing in their direction at all.

Jiang Zao: "..." Suddenly I feel that Lu Yanxun is such a cold man.

"Don't cry, Mom." Gu Yan stood on tiptoe and raised his small hand to wipe away Qiao Yuzhi's tears.

Reminded by Gu Yan, Jiang Zao hurriedly comforted Qiao Yuzhi, "Yes, Comrade Qiao, don't cry. You can tell me what's wrong. Don't cry."

Qiao Yuzhi wiped her tears with her sleeve: "I'm sorry, Comrade Jiang. You may think I'm a weak and incompetent woman. I often feel that way too, but I have to endure many things for Xiao Yan's sake."

Jiang Zao looked at Qiao Yuzhi, not knowing what to say, and could only listen to her continue.

Qiao Yuzhi held Gu Yan's small hand and continued, "You just mentioned that I can go back to my parents' home and talk to them... If I had one, I would like to, but I don't... I've been an orphan since I was a child, and I don't have a family to support me."

"What?" Jiang Zao gasped, her voice filled with surprise.

Hearing Jiang Zao's unusually surprised tone, Lu Yanxun subconsciously turned to look at her.

Jiang Zao, however, kept her eyes fixed on Qiao Yuzhi and didn't notice his gaze directed at her.

"You... are an orphan?" Jiang Zao's voice trembled without her even realizing it.

Lu Yanxun discovered it.

He stared at Jiang Zao with a slightly furrowed brow, wondering why she reacted so strongly to the fact that Qiao Yuzhi was an orphan.

Judging from her expression when facing Qiao Yuzhi, it seemed as if she could completely empathize with her.

Lu Yanxun knew that Jiang Zaosheng came from a happy family, and her parents and family members loved her very much.

Lu Yan thought that perhaps it was because her own family members cared for and loved her that she felt particularly sorry for Qiao Yuzhi.

But Lu Yanxun didn't want Jiang Zao to show that kind of expression that could completely empathize with other people's suffering, as if she had experienced it herself; he didn't like that.

Looking at Jiang Zao's furrowed brows and the space between her eyebrows, Lu Yanxun had the urge to kiss her smooth it out.

His gaze swept down over Jiang Zao's delicate face and her gently bitten lips, and his deep black eyes unconsciously became even more profound.

She bit herself again.

Jiang Zao's attention was entirely focused on Qiao Yuzhi, and she didn't even notice that Lu Yanxun was looking at her.

Qiao Yuzhi nodded while wiping away her tears: "Yes, I was abandoned at the gate of the orphanage when I was born. I was adopted by the Gu family when I was six years old. I was the Gu family's child bride, so the Gu family is not only my husband's family, but also my maternal family."

“Xiao Yan’s father was away from home for many years, and we had no say in many things. After he passed away, life became even harder for Xiao Yan and me. I had no friends or relatives of my own, and I only had Xiao Yan.”

Jiang Zao listened quietly to Qiao Yuzhi's words, her eyes already reddening.

She suddenly realized that the reason she could so casually tell Qiao Yuzhi that she could ask her family for help was because she now had a family.

She forgot that she herself had no family members from her own family before.

Overwhelmed by intense self-blame and heartache, Jiang Zao moved closer to the edge of the bed.

She took Qiao Yuzhi's hand, but was too sad to speak.

She was afraid that if she opened her mouth, she would start crying along with Qiao Yuzhi.

Although Jiang Zao didn't say anything, Qiao Yuzhi could still see the self-blame and heartache in her eyes.

Qiao Yuzhi said gratefully, "Comrade Jiang, I am truly grateful to you, because I never thought anyone would help me..."

“Actually, I don’t want to be submissive. I grew up in the Gu family and married into the Gu family. I gave birth to Xiao Yan. When Xiao Yan’s father was alive, he treated me very well. After he passed away, my mother-in-law thought that I was so young and would definitely remarry. Gradually, she started to have opinions about me.”

“When they were tormenting me, I thought about taking Xiao Yan with me and leaving the Gu family. Xiao Yan is my own son, and I will take him with me no matter how hard it gets. But Xiao Yan's surname is Gu, and they won't let me take him away. We have nowhere to go. They treated Xiao Yan like this when I was here. If I leave…”

At this point, Qiao Yuzhi broke down in tears.

Jiang Zao couldn't help but burst into tears halfway through her story.

She has no family, no friends, nowhere to go, and even her husband's pension has been taken away. She is all alone with her child, where can she go?

Besides, her in-laws wouldn't let her take the child away, and she had no power to fight them for the child.

How desperate and helpless she must have felt, but what could she do?

They can only submit to whatever comes their way for the sake of their children.

As an orphan herself, Jiang Zao could empathize with Qiao Yuzhi's plight if she imagined herself in the same situation.

Jiang Zao held Qiao Yuzhi's hand tightly.

She choked back tears as she spoke, "Sister Yuzhi, may I call you that?"

Qiao Yuzhi was flattered and overwhelmed: "Comrade Jiang, how could I possibly be worthy of your kindness..."

Jiang Zao interrupted her: "Didn't you say you didn't have any friends? I can be your friend. Since we're friends, it's only right that I call you Sister Yuzhi, isn't it? Didn't Xiao Yan already call me Auntie?"

Qiao Yuzhi looked at Jiang Zao, moved her lips, but didn't know what to say.

She knew Jiang Zao meant well, and Qiao Yuzhi would be overjoyed to have such a friend, but how could she possibly be worthy of it?

She was a child bride in the Gu family. In all those years in the Gu family, she didn't know anyone well, and no one ever looked up to her.

She and Xiao Yan had nothing to offer, and not only could they not repay Jiang Zao, they would probably cause her trouble in the future.

Qiao Yuzhi thought for a moment, not daring to trouble Jiang Zao: "Comrade Jiang, I..."

Seeing Qiao Yuzhi hesitate, Jiang Zao interrupted her again:

"Call me Xiaozao, Sister Yuzhi. I really like Xiaoyan and I sincerely want to be your friend. Just let Xiaoyan call me 'Auntie' and be my friend."

After Jiang Zao finished speaking, she turned to Gu Yan and asked, "Xiao Yan, do you think the little girl is cute?"

Gu Yan nodded: "Cute."

"Does Xiao Yan like little sisters?"

Gu Yan thought for a moment, but quickly nodded: "Little Yan likes little girls."

Jiang Zao freed one hand and patted Xiao Yan's head: "Do you want to see your little sister again in the future?"

Gu Yan thought for a moment, and finally nodded: "I want to see you, little sister is beautiful."

Jiang Zao burst into laughter through her tears at Gu Yan's words.

Unable to resist asking another question, "What about the little brother? Does Xiao Yan think the little brother is handsome too?"

Gu Yan was stumped by the question and stood quietly for several seconds without saying a word.

He didn't seem to notice what the little brother looked like.

Qiao Yuzhi was amused by Gu Yan's reaction and smiled. She reminded Gu Yan, "The little brother and little sister are equally beautiful."

Hearing his mother's words, Gu Yan hesitated before answering, "It looks good too."

Looking at Gu Yan's excessively beautiful face, Jiang Zao smiled and said, "It seems that Xiao Yan prefers his little sister."

Gu Yan nodded, somewhat bewildered.

“Sister Yuzhi, look, the children have already recognized their younger brothers and sisters. I think we two are destined to be together. If we take our children and visit each other often, we'll be friends.” Jiang Zao said sincerely to Qiao Yuzhi.

Qiao Yuzhi looked at Jiang Zao, feeling her hands being tightly held by Ling Yi's hands, and nodded gratefully: "Thank you, Comrade Jiang."

Jiang Zao corrected her: "Just call me Xiao Zao, calling me Comrade Jiang is too formal."

"Little Jujube." Qiao Yuzhi smiled and cried.

Seeing Qiao Yuzhi cry, Jiang Zao couldn't help but cry too: "Sister Yuzhi."

Seeing that the two girls were crying, Gu Yan solemnly comforted them, "Mommy, Aunt Jiang, don't cry."

Hearing Gu Yan's words of comfort, the two of them smiled at the same time.

Qiao Yuzhi wiped away her tears, and a smile appeared on her face:

"Xiaozao, I'm so sorry, Xiaoyan and I came to thank you, but we made you cry."

Jiang Zao cleared her throat, put on a smile, and said, "Then when we meet again in the future, neither of us can cry."

Qiao Yuzhi smiled and agreed.

Jiang Zao added, "Sister Yuzhi, if you ever have any difficulties in the future, just come to me. I will definitely help you if I can."

Qiao Yuzhi shook her head and said with relief, "You and Comrade Lu have helped me a lot today. We've also gotten back Xiao Yan's father's pension. With this pension, Xiao Yan and I shouldn't have any more difficulties in the future."

"Xiaozao, I really don't know how to thank you. We are not related, but you have helped my son and me so much. No one has ever been so kind to me. Even in the Gu family, only Xiao Yan's father would protect me. I really don't know how to repay you."

Having rarely received genuine kindness from others throughout her life, Qiao Yuzhi felt both grateful and at a loss.

Jiang Zao was also happy to be able to help Qiao Yuzhi:

"Sister Yuzhi, please don't say that anymore. We are friends now, and it's only right for friends to help each other."

Qiao Yuzhi couldn't help but feel guilty; it seemed there was nothing she could do to help Jiang Zao.

She glanced at Jiang Zao, then looked back at the child on the bed.

"Xiaozao, I don't have any other skills, but I can do some needlework. If you don't mind, I can make some clothes and shoes for your child."

"Of course I don't mind, Sister Yuzhi, you can even make clothes?" Jiang Zao was pleasantly surprised.

"I know a little, but I'm not very good at it," Qiao Yuzhi said modestly.

Jiang Zao felt increasingly compatible with Qiao Yuzhi.

He happily pulled Qiao Yuzhi along, saying, "I know a little bit too, but I'm not very good at it. We can learn from each other when we have time."

Qiao Yuzhi nodded happily, "Okay."

The two chatted amiably, and the blanket that Jiang Zao had been holding under her arm slipped down unintentionally.

Qiao Yuzhi noticed the dampness on Jiang Zao's clothes and asked curiously, "Xiao Zao, didn't you just give birth? How come you're so..."

Before Qiao Yuzhi could finish speaking, Jiang Zao quickly hugged the quilt.

"By the way, Sister Yuzhi, I just wanted to ask you something, it's just that..."

Turning her head casually, Jiang Zao finally noticed that Lu Yanxun was looking at her.

Jiang Zao immediately stopped talking. She pulled the blanket tighter around herself, sat up straight, and spoke in a casual tone:

"Yanxun, take Xiaoyan out for a bit. Yuzhi and I need to talk alone."