“Comrade Qiao, we’re here. It’s still a few minutes until dismissal time, so you can sit in the car and wait for a bit.”
After parking the sedan under a shady tree at the school gate, Xiao Li said softly.
However, Qiao Shu opened the car door and got out.
“It’s only a few minutes. I’ll get out and get some fresh air.”
After getting out of the car, Qiao Shu stretched lazily under the shade of the tree, feeling the gentle breeze brushing against her cheeks, a look of contentment on her face.
Recently, because of the magazine, she had been holed up at home writing her novel and had not gone out at all.
Although she did not like going out much, getting out occasionally still improved her mood.
The area near the school was planted with many jasmine flowers, so the gentle breeze carried a faint, elegant fragrance that was refreshing.
While Qiao Shu admired the jasmine flowers by the roadside, she herself became an extremely beautiful sight in others’ eyes.
Although many of the school’s students formed groups to go home on their own, each compound also arranged for a few nannies to take turns picking up these little radish heads at set times.
The nannies from several Military Compounds who had come to pick up the children today spotted Qiao Shu, this unfamiliar girl, at a glance.
Of course, it was not just because she was unfamiliar, but also because she was just too beautiful!!!
From the moment she stepped out of the black Hongqi sedan, she was like a glowing figure that captured everyone’s gaze firmly!
These nannies were either from the countryside or related to some cadres or family members in the Military District Compound, and they had been there for a while, so they were quite familiar with the various relationships in the compounds.
They gossiped with each other every day, so their information network was very sharp.
Thus, they recognized Qiao Shu’s identity at a glance.
“Oh my gosh! This must be the beautiful granddaughter-in-law from Old Chief Feng’s family! She’s so pretty! So darn pretty, simply the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”
“No kidding, we’ve heard before that the granddaughter-in-law from Old Chief Feng’s family is as pretty as a fairy. I didn’t believe it and thought they were exaggerating. But now… not exaggerating one bit. This girl looks even fresher and more lively than a heavenly fairy!”
“Hey, hey, have you heard? A while ago, it seems the Feng Family even arranged a blind date for this fairy. Why would they push away such a beautiful daughter-in-law and try to set her up with someone else? Could it be that there’s something wrong with her? Otherwise, why force her to go on blind dates?”
“Hmm, now that you mention it, I do recall something. There’s a nanny in our compound whose aunt used to work as a nanny in the Feng Family. She said this girl who looks like a fairy has a really bad temper. She must have some physical defect, like… can’t have children???”
“Really? If she can’t have kids, then no matter how pretty she is, it’s useless!”
“Well, not necessarily. With her looking this beautiful, there might be men who don’t mind.”
“But no matter how pretty, she’ll grow old and fade one day. I think being able to have a child is more practical!”
“True. If this fairy really can’t have children, no wonder the Feng Family wants to push her out for blind dates.”
“And it’s been so long since those blind dates, but we haven’t heard of any guy from another family succeeding with her. Looks like she really has a physical defect and can’t have children…”
…
Qiao Shu had no idea that in the short time it took her to come to the school to pick up the two little ones and get out to enjoy the scenery, a rumor had already spread about her having a ‘physical defect and being unable to have children.’
However, even if she knew, Qiao Shu would not have cared and would have even thought the rumor was pretty good.
At least, in this era, being unable to have children should ward off a bunch of suitors~!
“Ding-a-ling-ling—!”
The dismissal bell rang, and the previously quiet school suddenly filled with noise.
Countless children’s cheers and footsteps grew louder and louder.
Xiao Li, who had been sitting in the driver’s seat, hurried out of the car as soon as he saw students rushing out of the school and stood by Qiao Shu’s side.
There was no helping it; the granddaughter-in-law of Old Chief’s family was just too delicate. He was really worried that her slender frame might get bumped and injured by some rowdy child, so he had to protect her carefully.
However, Xiao Li’s worries were clearly unnecessary.
After all, even a rough guy like him knew to speak softly, move gently, and be cautious around Qiao Shu.
Those children, upon seeing such a beautiful fairy-like big sister like Qiao Shu, forgot about running wildly.
Every child who saw Qiao Shu widened their eyes and unconsciously slowed their steps.
They no longer charged around like little calves but slowed down, carefully gathering around Qiao Shu.
Some bolder children even walked up to Qiao Shu and chatted with her!
Of course, there were very few such bold children, since a ‘fierce-looking’, ‘glaring’ Xiao Li was standing by Qiao Shu’s side watching them.
After answering a few simple questions from the blushing children, Qiao Shu looked up and saw He Anning and Jiang Lekang squeezing out from the crowd.
Seeing her two children, Qiao Shu hurriedly waved at them, a smile brighter than the sun blooming on her face.
“Ningning, Kangkang, over here~”
Actually, there was no need for Qiao Shu to wave at He Anning and Jiang Lekang; the two little ones already knew where their Fairy Little Aunt was.
After all, their little aunt was just too pretty. Even in a crowd, she was the most eye-catching presence, easy to spot at once.
Thus, under the envious and jealous gazes of their little friends, He Anning and Jiang Lekang pushed through everyone and ran all the way to Qiao Shu’s side.
“Fairy Little Aunt~!”
“Little Aunt~!”
Seeing the two little ones running over sweaty-headed, Qiao Shu took out a real silk handkerchief from her pocket, bent down, and gently wiped the sweat from their foreheads.
This sight drew even more envious and jealous gazes to the two little ones, making them the most envied existences in everyone’s hearts.
Five-year-old Jiang Lekang did not quite understand those gazes yet, but ten-year-old He Anning felt the envy around them. With her vanity greatly satisfied, the little girl proudly lifted her chin, her face full of smugness.
And after glancing at a few classmates from her class who had never seen her little aunt and did not believe her when she said she had a Fairy Little Aunt, she became even more cocky and spoke up.
“Hmph! I told you, I have a Fairy Little Aunt at home. Some people said I was bragging without basis and didn’t believe me. Now you’ve all seen it—my little aunt is as pretty as a little fairy, right?”
As soon as He Anning said this, the surrounding students, regardless of age, nodded frantically and unanimously affirmed her words.
“So pretty!”
“It’s really the Fairy Little Aunt!”
“A Fairy Little Aunt even prettier than a fairy!”
…
Hearing everyone chattering praises of her Fairy Little Aunt, He Anning was overjoyed.
However, Qiao Shu, the Fairy Little Aunt in question, was… a bit speechless.
Seeing He Anning’s smug and cocky look, Qiao Shu shook her head helplessly, took the well-behaved Jiang Lekang by the hand who was staying by her side, and got directly into the car.
He Anning, who had been proudly showing off her Fairy Little Aunt to acquaintances and strangers alike, hurried after her when she saw Qiao Shu get in the car.
“Fairy Little Aunt, wait for me~!”
After Qiao Shu and the two little ones got in the car, Xiao Li finally dispersed the students who had been crowding around it.
After shooing the students to a safe area away from the car, Xiao Li got in, started the car, and drove Qiao Shu and the two little ones away from the school.
“He Anning, you little rascal. You specially called me to come pick you up from school and even told me to dress pretty. Turns out it was just to make me your show-off trophy.”
Qiao Shu pretended to be angry as she looked at He Anning, her face showing an ‘I’m unhappy, you made me mad’ expression.
This scared the ten-year-old He Anning, who adored Qiao Shu so much, badly.
“Little Aunt… s-sorry! I didn’t mean to. I just… I just couldn’t stand a few people in class! They always led others to say I was lying, that there’s no such thing as a little fairy in the world. I got too mad…”
Seeing the little girl on the verge of tears from anxiety, Qiao Shu shook her head helplessly and reached out to pat He Anning’s head.
“You, always so sensitive to teasing. You little dummy—others just use a little provocation on you, get you riled up, and you can’t keep any secrets. Like this, how can Little Aunt dare tell you little secrets in the future…”
Hearing Qiao Shu’s words, He Anning suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.
She had originally wanted to defend herself a little, but she quickly remembered that today she had seen a classmate bring Fairy Tale Princess magazine to school and point to Ningning and Kangkang’s Magical Adventure, saying the name seemed like hers. She had almost not held back and boasted to everyone again that the Qiao Xiaoqiao they liked was her family’s Fairy Little Aunt, and that Ningning and Kangkang were her and her little brother.
But in the end, she held back!!!
“Sister can’t, but Kangkang can! In the future, Little Aunt can just tell Kangkang!”
The well-behaved Jiang Lekang, who had been leaning against Qiao Shu, immediately backstabbed his own big sister like a little bootlicker.
“Yes, our Kangkang is the most obedient.”
Qiao Shu was amused by Jiang Lekang and chuckled. She gently pinched the little guy’s chubby cheek.
“…”
He Anning glared fiercely at her little brother. She was already used to her brother suddenly backstabbing her like this!!!
“Little Aunt, I was wrong, but my mouth is actually pretty tight! Like today, when a classmate brought the fairy tale magazine you wrote to school, I held back and didn’t say that Qiao Xiaoqiao is our family’s Fairy Little Aunt!”
As she said this, He Anning felt she was really awesome!
So—
“Little Aunt, for keeping my mouth so shut, take me to the bookstore to buy Fairy Tale Princess! I want to go to the bookstore and buy a copy myself!”