Out of the corner of her eye, Zhu Lulu saw Aunt Zhou leave. Only then did she sit up straight, her face filled with disdain.
Living in someone else's house but still trying to drive the owner out.
People's hearts are truly so treacherous these days.
Xu Qingqing inside the room felt even more embarrassed. Qin Hongying asked her to push aside the stray hairs on her forehead, then dipped her finger in the holy water and drew a symbol on her forehead.
Then she did the same on Lu Chuanbai's and the two children's foreheads.
After cleansing them with the holy water, Qin Hongying bowed in the direction of the stairs, mumbling incomprehensible scriptures.
It wasn't until a full ten minutes had passed that she asked Xu Qingqing and Lu Chuanbai about their current accommodation.
"Are you staying in a hotel now?"
Lu Chuanbai nodded in response. Qin Hongying said, "There's a perfectly good house here, yet you choose to stay in a hotel instead."
"We were afraid of disturbing you," Lu Chuanbai said, trying to smooth things over. Seeing that Xu Qingqing and the two children all looked uncomfortable, he was already thinking about getting them out of there.
Unexpectedly, Qin Hongying said in a domineering tone,
"You don't have to worry about disturbing me. Go get your luggage and move into the villa. I'll cleanse you every day. After seven days of cleansing with the holy water, all the bad luck on you will disappear."
"No, Auntie. You're not in good health. You don't have to go through so much trouble for us," Lu Chuanbai said.
Seeing that things were not going well, Lu Chuanbai stood up and was about to take Xu Qingqing and the others away.
But Qin Hongying didn't give them a chance. She said in an unyielding tone,
"Just do as I say. Let Aunt Zhou go with you to pack your luggage. I must make sure you all get back to good health."
Xu Qingqing felt a sense of helplessness wash over her. She sighed and dragged herself out of the villa with Lu Chuanbai.
Seeing Xu Qingqing's drooping shoulders, Lu Chuanbai felt sorry for her and apologized,
"Qingqing, I'm sorry. My aunt is a bit crazy. Don't take what she said to heart."
Xu Qingqing leaned her head weakly against Lu Chuanbai's chest. She didn't want Lu Chuanbai to worry about her.
"Forget it. The old lady means well. Let's just stay here for a few days," she said.
It would be Chinese New Year soon anyway. They could find an excuse to leave then.
Seeing how understanding Xu Qingqing was, Lu Chuanbai gave her a tight hug. Then he comforted the two children.
Aunt Zhou, who was trimming the rose bushes outside, saw Xu Qingqing and Lu Chuanbai coming out. She thought they were leaving and put on a caring smile.
"Master Chuanbai, are you leaving already? Won't you stay for lunch?"
If they left, her daughter wouldn't have to worry anymore.
Lu Chuanbai waved his hand and relayed what Qin Hongying had just said to Aunt Zhou.
"Aunt Zhou, we're not leaving. Auntie wants us to go to the hotel to pack our luggage and move into the villa."
"Sorry to trouble you. You'll have to cook for four people from now on."
Aunt Zhou didn't expect things to turn out this way. She could hardly maintain her smile, and her cheeks stiffened.
"Really? It's no trouble. You should spend more time with the madam. She gets bored living on this island alone."
Once these four people moved in, Zhou Qianqian would cause another ruckus.
Oh well, she'd just have to comfort Zhou Qianqian more.
"I'll go with you to pack your luggage," Aunt Zhou offered.
Lu Chuanbai shook his head. "No need. What if Auntie needs you and can't find you?"
After saying that, the four of them got into the sightseeing car, looking rather unhappy.
Zhu Lulu, who was driving, heard that they were going to the hotel to get their luggage and move in. Thinking of what Zhou Qianqian had complained to Aunt Zhou about earlier, she wasn't sure if she should tell the truth.
Zhu Lulu wasn't a gossipy person. After thinking it over for a long time, she decided to drive to the hotel.
If those two people really dared to use improper means to drive Xu Qingqing's family away, she would expose the truth.
But if they got along well, there was no need for her to spread such gossip and affect the relationship between the two families.
Zhou Qianqian, who had been eavesdropping on the second-floor landing, heard that Qin Hongying really wanted Lu Chuanbai's family to move in. She felt like her winter vacation had been ruined.
She slumped back into her room and slammed the door shut.
Zhou Qianqian threw herself onto the soft bed and pounded the mattress with her fists, venting her dissatisfaction.
"Why are rich people so stingy? Why don't they just stay in a hotel!"
After trimming the rose bushes, Aunt Zhou helped Qin Hongying, who had just finished breakfast, back to her room to rest. Then she went into Zhou Qianqian's room.
Qin Hongying was very kind to Zhou Qianqian and Aunt Zhou. She had arranged a large room for each of them, both facing the sea with a beautiful view.
As soon as Aunt Zhou entered, she found that her daughter was indeed throwing a tantrum. She gently comforted her,
"Come on, it's already happened. Don't be angry anymore."
"If they move in, my quality of life will decline. Can't I even vent my dissatisfaction?"
Zhou Qianqian, a grown girl, didn't seem to understand her mother's work at all. Instead, she cried until her face was covered in tears.
Aunt Zhou felt sorry for her daughter, who looked so aggrieved. She hugged her daughter and patted her on the back.
As Zhou Qianqian was crying, she noticed that her mother had stopped talking. She began to sow discord.
"Mom, you may think I'm being unreasonable, but I'm doing this for your own good."
"If they don't move in, you only have to take care of one person. But if they do, you'll have to take care of five people all of a sudden."
"And there are two kids. Those rich people will definitely dump the kids on you. Your workload will double!"
Zhou Qianqian's words hit a nerve with Aunt Zhou. She instantly clenched her fists.
Her daughter was right. It had already been quite a hassle for her to take care of Qin Hongying alone every day.
Qin Hongying was a patient. She had to eat a fixed amount of nutritious meals, take walks on time, and go to bed on time. All of these required Aunt Zhou's personal attention.
If there were two more kids...
Aunt Zhou felt a headache coming on just thinking about it. The kind smile on her face disappeared, and her eyebrows furrowed.
Seeing that her mother was convinced, Zhou Qianqian continued to fan the flames.
"Mom, you have to think of a way. You can't let them stay here for long."
Aunt Zhou tightened and then loosened her fists. An idea came to her.
"I know. I'll put just a tiny bit of salt in the food. They definitely won't be able to stand it."
Anyway, because of her health condition, Qin Hongying was used to eating light food with little oil and salt.
But as healthy normal people, Xu Qingqing and Lu Chuanbai definitely wouldn't be able to stand such unappetizing food.
Hearing this, Zhou Qianqian nodded vigorously. A glimmer of hope welled up in her heart.
"Yes, Mom. That's exactly what you should do!"
Lu Chuanbai and the others checked out of the hotel, packed their luggage, and came to Qin Hongying's villa. Qin Hongying was taking a nap.
But it was almost twelve o'clock. After all this running around, Xu Qingqing and the two children were already starving.
Xu Qingqing dragged the suitcase into the living room first. She pushed her hair behind her ears and wiped the fine sweat off her forehead.
"Chuanbai, let's have lunch first and then unpack our luggage."
"Okay," Lu Chuanbai said, nodding.
His eyes searched for Aunt Zhou, hoping she would help cook.