"What did you buy again? We aren't lacking anything at home," Wang Yueshu said as she took the bundle from Qin Shuli’s hands.
"Mother, these are just things to nourish your health. It’s still cold out, so you, Shuping, and Shufan need to eat well. Good health means fewer illnesses."
"I can’t win an argument with you!"
Wang Yueshu took the bundle into the room. Qin Shuli pulled two Mickey Mouse candies from his pocket and gave one to each of the twins. He had found them today at a candy shop near Zhengyangmen; he heard they were a new product just released in Shanghai.
The Third Child held the candy—something she had never seen before—in her small hands, drooling as she asked, "Big Bro, what is this?"
Qin Shuli smiled. Every time the Third Child drooled, she couldn't speak clearly. He set the twins down, unwrapped a milk candy, and popped it into the Third Child’s mouth.
"Is it good?"
A rich, milky fragrance filled her mouth. The sweetness was so intense that the Third Child didn’t even have time to answer her big brother. She covered her tiny mouth with both hands, terrified the candy might fall out, her beautiful, large eyes curving into crescents until she couldn't even see out of them from the joy. Finally, she gestured with her head for the Second Child to hurry up and eat his.
Qin Shuli unwrapped a candy for the Second Child. "Shuping, you have a taste, too!"
The Second Child bit into the candy, his tongue giving it a light touch, immediately meeting the creamy, sweet flavor. He hesitated for a moment, then took the candy out and wrapped it back in its paper.
"Big Brother, I want to save it for Mother!"
Qin Shuli patted the Second Child’s head. Qin Shuping wasn't one for many words and rarely stood out in the house, but he was always there—helping take care of his sister, tending the fire while Mother cooked. He was very capable.
"Shuping, I’ve already saved some for Mother. This one is yours, so eat it!"
"Second Bro, eat it! It’s yummy!"
Qin Shuping’s eyes curved into smiles as he unwrapped the paper and put the candy in his mouth.
The Third Child tugged on her second brother's hand. "Good, right?"
"Mm-hmm!"
Qin Shuli brought out another bag and said, "I’ll give these to Mother. From now on, you can each have one every day."
The twins' eyes lit up as if their big brother were holding a priceless treasure.
"Go play in the yard, don't go outside!" After giving his instructions, Qin Shuli went to find Wang Yueshu in her room, setting today's newspaper on the table as he did so. Lately, he had noticed she enjoyed reading the paper, so he always brought a copy back when he went out.
"Mother, Jia Fugui has been taken care of. Things should be a lot quieter for a while now."
Wang Yueshu turned abruptly. "So soon?"
"I had to. That son of a bitch was actually leading the Japanese toward our home. If I hadn't been guarding the road from the Rolling Mill today, something terrible would have happened!" Even thinking about it now, Qin Shuli felt a lingering fear.
The last trace of mercy in Wang Yueshu’s heart vanished at his words. She comforted him, "Didn't you give me a gun? If something really happened, I would have used it."
"Mother, what good would a gun do? If shots were fired here, the police and the Japanese would be here in ten minutes. What would happen to the twins? I’m telling you, you must not be impulsive!"
He still wasn't at ease, especially since he would be out more often in the future. "I’m going to dig a cellar in the very back of the basement and stock it with half a month’s worth of water and supplies. If I’m not home, you take the twins and hide in there. I’ll also open an exit that leads to the back garden."
Behind the Qin family home was the middle section of the West Side Courtyard, which had once been a garden but was now derelict.
Wang Yueshu thought about it and agreed it was necessary. "Do you need my help?"
"No, you just look after the twins!"
Qin Shuli had his Space; he could use it to move things, which was both faster and safer.
Wang Yueshu finished putting away the things he had bought and picked up the newspaper on the table to read. Suddenly, she froze, staring at a missing person ad in the corner of the paper. Memories from eight years ago flooded her mind. Once she regained her composure and finished reading the ad carefully, she immediately sought out Qin Shuli.
"Shuli, I have an urgent matter to attend to. You stay home and watch the twins."
Qin Shuli climbed out of the cellar, confused. "Mother, if you have something to do, just tell me. There’s no need for you to go out yourself. It’s not safe out there right now, and the sandstorm is heavy, too!"
Wang Yueshu hesitated, but ultimately decided to go alone. "Son, this is important. I have to go myself. Take good care of the children."
Seeing her determined expression, Qin Shuli had to concede. "Then be careful, dress warmly, and cover your face."
Wang Yueshu turned back to her room to change and left with quick steps.
Qin Shuli locked the main gate and called the twins over. "Second child, Big Brother has urgent business to attend to. Take the Third Child back inside. There are sponge cakes on the head of the kang in my room and warm water on the table. Mother and I haven't returned yet, so you are not allowed to leave, understand?"
Qin Shuping tightened his small face and said firmly, "Big Brother, don't worry. I will take good care of my sister and wait quietly for you and Mother to return."
"I'll be a good girl too!" the Third Child shouted, holding up both hands.
Qin Shuli patted both children on the head, led them back to the living room, and closed the door.
The wall in front of the Qin house ran parallel to the Siheyuan gate. Qin Shuli watched from the top of the wall as Wang Yueshu got into a rickshaw, then vaulted over the side wall to follow.
There were quite a few people on Nanluoguxiang in the afternoon, and with the ice melting, the road was muddy and treacherous. The rickshaw couldn't run fast, so it was easy for Qin Shuli to keep up. But before long, he noticed something strange. Wang Yueshu kept turning her head, observing the surroundings and the movement behind her.
To avoid being discovered, Qin Shuli had to hang further and further back, until he felt safe at a distance of thirty meters. As he followed, he became increasingly alarmed; although her anti-surveillance skills weren't professional, she certainly had the awareness. His mother was clearly not a simple woman!
Wang Yueshu passed through Fuxiang Alley, followed the base of the city wall, entered Di'anmen Inner Street, and finally walked into a teahouse.
Qin Shuli sighed to himself as he reached the spot. Fortunately, his mother was bundled up tightly; what kind of twenty-something woman goes to a teahouse alone? It looked suspicious. He activated the scanning function of his Space, sweeping up and down. She was in a private room on the second floor, and there was no immediate danger inside.
He quickly circled the teahouse and spotted two men carrying guns. They didn't look like secret agents, but he remained on high alert, slipped inside, and rented a room right next to hers on the second floor.
Wang Yueshu walked into the room with trepidation. It had been eight years since she lost contact with the organization; no one knew what the situation was. But since the organization had sent a contact signal, she had to come.
She pushed open the door. A middle-aged man sat at the table. Seeing a familiar face, tears streamed down her cheeks.
The middle-aged man hadn't expected that sending the contact message in a moment of impulse would actually yield a result. He stood up, checked the doorway for anything unusual, then closed the door and led Wang Yueshu to the table to sit down.