Qin Ge hurried nonstop to the Subdistrict Office, where he immediately ran into Xiao Li.
Xiao Li glared at Qin Ge with annoyance and snorted, "You annoying jerk."
Qin Ge looked puzzled, "How am I annoying?"
"You just are!" Xiao Li huffed angrily, swinging her ponytail as she twisted away and left.
Just then, Director Wang happened to come out of her office. Seeing Qin Ge, she asked, "Little Qin, you're here. What brings you to Auntie Wang?"
"Auntie Wang, is it convenient to talk now?"
Director Wang glanced around and said, "Then come with me into the office." Qin Ge followed Director Wang into the office.
Qin Ge said, "Auntie Wang, here's the situation. This morning, I went to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative and passed by the roadside, where I saw a mother and her three daughters begging at the intersection."
"I chatted with them for a bit, and it turns out she's actually a cousin from my mother's hometown. So..."
"So what? Are you thinking of bringing them to live in the Siheyuan?"
Director Wang interrupted Qin Ge, "Little Qin, not to criticize you, but just from these few words, I can tell you don't actually know this mother and her daughters, right?"
Qin Ge scratched his head and grinned foolishly, "Nothing gets past you, Auntie Wang."
"Tell me, why do you want to help these four? Did you take a liking to one of the girls?"
"No, Auntie Wang. When I took the bus to Sijiucheng, I ran into them on the bus. Later, I saw them again while eating in Nanluoguxiang, and then again when I went to buy things at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative."
"I feel like there's some fate between us. Plus, they look pitiful, and with such heavy snow falling, I'm afraid they might not make it through the night."
"Little Qin, don't you think this is a bit strange? Meeting them on the bus might be a coincidence. Running into them again in Nanluoguxiang, in such a big city like Sijiucheng, could still be a coincidence."
"But going to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative and seeing them three times in one day—coincidence plus coincidence plus coincidence—that's probably not a coincidence anymore. It's inevitable."
"Auntie Wang, don't scare me. You make it sound like a spy thriller."
Director Wang said seriously, "Listen to me first, Little Qin. Did you do something on the bus that made them follow you around?"
Qin Ge tried hard to recall, wondering to himself: Could that really be the case?
"Little Qin, did you think of something? Tell Auntie Wang."
Qin Ge then told her about giving money to the Old Man.
After hearing this, Director Wang analyzed, "If Auntie Wang isn't mistaken, these four might be refugees fleeing famine. On their journey, they've been figuring out how to survive in Sijiucheng."
"They happened to see you generously give money to the Old Man. This mother probably saw you as kind-hearted and easy to fool, so she got an idea. She wanted to observe your situation first before making a decision."
"What decision, Auntie Wang?"
"Auntie Wang isn't sure yet. It could be wanting to marry off a daughter to you or having other plans. In any case, Little Qin, you need to be cautious. If you can send these four away, do it."
Qin Ge looked troubled, "Really, Auntie Wang? I just promised to give them a temporary place to stay. Aren't you asking me to go back on my word?"
Director Wang got a bit angry, "Little Qin, you're kind-hearted and a good person. Auntie Wang is the bad one, okay? If it weren't for your father's sake, I wouldn't bother with you."
"Come with me. I'll go see what these four are really like, then decide whether to give you the proof."
"Okay, Auntie Wang." Human nature cannot be tested.
Qin Ge followed Director Wang back to the Siheyuan. At this time, the four were tidying up, cleaning the small courtyard spotlessly.
"Auntie Wang, this is..." Qin Ge paused, realizing he didn't even know their names, yet he'd brought them to the Siheyuan.
The middle-aged woman stepped forward, "Hello, my surname is Ye. I'm Ye Ningyu."
Qin Ge wondered to himself: This name doesn't really fit the style of this era.
Names in this era are mostly things like 'Hong' or 'Yan.' How could she have such a poetic and artistic name?
Probably this aunt attended a private school, or her father was an educated man. Her ancestors must have been from a scholarly family.
Director Wang said, "Ye Ningyu, right? For convenience, I'll call you Sister Ye. I'm Director Wang from the Subdistrict Office. Qin Ge brought me here to get you some proof. Would you mind talking with me alone?"
"Okay, Director Wang."
Director Wang and Ye Ningyu then went into a room.
Qin Ge turned to the three sisters, "We've met three times now, so we're not strangers anymore."
"I still don't know your names. Would you mind introducing yourselves? My surname is Qin, like Qin Shi Huang, and 'Ge' as in singing. I'm Qin Ge."
One of the quieter twins stepped forward and said, "Hello, Big Brother Qin. My surname is Leng. I'm Leng Ning. This is my sister."
The other girl was a bit shy, "Hello, Big Brother Qin. I'm Leng Meng."
"Leng Ning, Leng Meng." Qin Ge then looked at the exceptionally tall girl and couldn't help but marvel. Without looking closely, he wouldn't have known, but seeing her now was startling. Even hunched over and with her head down, she was taller than him.
He was at least 1.75 meters tall. Could this girl be 1.9 meters or even 2 meters?
Qin Ge looked at this girl. Leng Ning softly said, "Big Brother Qin, this is our eldest sister. She doesn't talk much."
"My eldest sister is Leng Shuang."
"Leng Shuang, Leng Ning, Leng Meng. Such lovely names."
"Thank you, Big Brother Qin."
As they chatted, Director Wang and Ye Ningyu came out of the room.
Director Wang walked toward Qin Ge with a grave expression, "Little Qin, come with me for a moment."
Qin Ge lowered his head and followed Director Wang to a corner, "Auntie Wang, what's wrong?"
"Alright, I've asked about their situation. Let them stay with you for now."
"They're not problematic, right? Not bad people?"
Director Wang said, "They're just pitiful folks. I'll bring the proof over later. Be good to them."
"Auntie Wang, what are you implying? Don't misunderstand."
"Whether there's a misunderstanding or not, these four are too pitiful. You're in a relatively better position now. Help if you can."
Qin Ge asked, "So what exactly is their situation?"
"Their situation isn't something I can tell you. Just know they're pitiful."
"Okay, Auntie Wang. Since you say so, I'll feel at ease taking care of them for a while. But how long do I need to care for them?"
"How long? Since you took this on, you'll care for them indefinitely."
"Really, Auntie Wang? I don't even have a salary, and my conditions aren't that great."
"If your conditions aren't that great, why did you take this on? Don't worry. Your salary, even if you eat modestly, is enough to support all five of you."
Qin Ge said helplessly, "But I only wanted to give them a temporary place to stay. I can't support them forever, can I?"
"Then why did you get involved? You brought this trouble on yourself. Since you took it on, you're responsible to the end."
"Ah, guess I'm unlucky."
Director Wang smiled, "You'll find out later—this has its benefits."
"Take good care of them. Don't get any funny ideas. If you dare have bad intentions, I'll break your legs."
"Auntie Wang, what kind of person do you think I am?"
"You know better. Just a reminder. Alright, I won't bother you anymore. I'm heading back to the Subdistrict Office."
"Hurry up and tidy the place. It doesn't look like anyone lives here. Get some furniture too."
"Okay, Auntie Wang. It's just not fully decorated yet."