The younger sister mistakenly identified her brother when visiting relatives and was kissed by the c

"There's no rush to tidy up the room. I'll let you know when I have definite news."

Lu Baizhou suddenly stood up, his voice returning to the cold and distant tone he had when they first met, as if the man who had been enjoying his meal just moments before had never existed.

"I have military duties to attend to, so I'll take my leave first."

After saying that, he strode out the door without looking back.

"Sigh..." Qiao Xinxin looked at his back, which exuded a murderous aura, and pouted in confusion.

This man, how could he turn on you so easily!

……

Downstairs in the family compound, under a secluded camphor tree.

Lu Baizhou, his face frosty, stopped and found Xiao Zhao, the orderly who had been waiting for him.

He lowered his voice, his tone revealing the steely resolve and chilling edge of a soldier, and coldly instructed, "Send a few of your best men to keep a close watch on that new woman who moved into the third floor, around the clock!"

Xiao Zhao's expression hardened, and he immediately straightened his back: "Commander, is there a problem with her?"

"It's just suspicion. Remember, don't alert them. Report any unusual behavior or contact with suspicious individuals to me immediately!"

"Yes, sir! Mission accomplished!"

The next morning, a young man appeared discreetly at the alley entrance below the compound, squatting on a stone bench, smoking and secretly observing.

At eight o'clock in the morning, the sun was shining brightly.

Qiao Xinxin, carrying her canvas shoulder bag, hummed a little tune and walked briskly out the door, heading north.

She had heard from her kind neighbor, Sister He Hongying, that the vegetables at the family market to the north were only the freshest and best in the early morning!

In addition to the fixed stalls of government-run grain and oil stores and meat processing plants, there is a specially designated area outside the market where elderly people from nearby villages are allowed to come early in the morning to set up stalls.

For farmers, this is a rare source of cash; for the families of residents in the compound, it's a treasure trove of good finds!

Therefore, going in the morning is the most cost-effective option.

Not only are the prices affordable, but the vegetables are also covered in dew. If you're lucky, you can even buy free-range eggs and plump chickens and ducks from local farms!

Qiao Xinxin was in a great mood, thinking about making braised pork ribs tonight, completely unaware that a figure was following her closely in the crowd a dozen meters behind her.

Upon arriving at the market, a cacophony of voices and noise immediately greeted me.

Qiao Xinxin took out a coarse cloth bag that she had sewn herself from her handbag, turned it over and shook off the dust, and then excitedly squeezed towards the butcher's stall at the very back.

Sister He was absolutely right. Even though the market was packed with people early in the morning, the quality of the produce was truly excellent!

Inside the butcher shop, the owner, wearing a greasy apron, was shirtless, holding a heavy cleaver in his hand.

With a swift stroke, the pork bones on the cutting board were chopped with a crackling sound, and wood chips almost flew out.

When it was Qiao Xinxin's turn, she glanced at the various cuts of pork laid out on the cutting board.

The pig's bright red color and clear marbling indicate that it is definitely a good pig that has not been injected with water!

"Boss, give me two pounds of pork belly!" Qiao Xinxin pointed generously to a large, beautifully presented piece of pork belly, then her eyes shifted to the ribs next to it, "And give me two pounds of spare ribs, the middle section!"

"Alright! You have good taste, young lady!" The boss beamed, his hands deftly slicing the meat and weighing it.

The tall scale is tilted, and the weight is only more than expected.

The boss's chubby hands pulled two old newspapers from under the greasy table, deftly wrapped the meat and ribs tightly, tied them with straw rope, and handed them to Qiao Xinxin.

Carrying the heavy load of meat, Qiao Xinxin wandered around the market for a long time.

Seeing a suburban fruit farmer carrying a shoulder pole to sell fresh peaches, the peaches were large, thin-skinned, and juicy with a pinkish hue. She couldn't resist and bought two more pounds of fresh peaches.

He turned around and picked out a large watermelon weighing over ten kilograms that made a "bang" sound when tapped, along with several bunches of fresh seasonal vegetables, before finally preparing to head home satisfied.

Actually, the peaches looked so fresh and juicy today that she originally planned to buy an extra ten or eight pounds and put them all into her space to keep them fresh and eat them slowly later when no one was around.

Unfortunately……

As Qiao Xinxin passed by a tobacco stall, the reflection in the glass as she bent down to pick out items caught a glimpse of an odd-looking figure out of the corner of her eye.

Someone is following her!

Qiao Xinxin's heart skipped a beat, but she remained outwardly calm.

Thinking that this was in the outskirts of Beijing, just steps away from the military family compound, no one would dare to rob someone openly in broad daylight.

She was also quite bold, so she immediately abandoned the idea of ​​putting the things into her spatial storage, picked up her bags and quickened her pace, walking very fast.

She made her way through many twists and turns until she stepped through the imposing gate of the family compound, at which point her heart finally settled down a little.

She slipped on the ground, took advantage of the blind spot, and suddenly shrank into the dense camphor tree shade on her right, holding her breath before stopping to catch her breath.

Before she could figure out which clueless vagrant would dare to follow a military family member, a series of hurried footsteps approached.

The figure that had been following her swaggered into the family compound!

hiss……

Who is this guy? How dare he be so bold?!

Qiao Xinxin squinted and secretly peeked through the gaps in the leaves.

The man was short and dressed in ordinary blue overalls. When he suddenly couldn't find her on the main road, he stood there anxiously looking around like a headless fly.

When the person turned around and Qiao Xinxin saw his face clearly, she was stunned.

How could it be him?

Oh dear! This is just a case of the flood washing away the Dragon King Temple, causing a huge blunder!

Qiao Xinxin breathed a sigh of relief, strode out from behind the tree, carrying heavy loads of vegetables and fruits in both hands, and called out crisply to the figure who was sweating profusely in a hurry:

"It's you, Comrade Zhao? What are you doing wandering around here?"

When she suddenly called out his name, the person called Comrade Xiao Zhao stiffened abruptly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He turned around abruptly, his eyes darting around frantically, his face filled with embarrassment and helplessness at being caught red-handed.

Qiao Xinxin didn't think of anything else at all.

She has an innate, natural sense of trust in people who wear green military uniforms and serve in the military.

Of course, except for her perverted older brother, Qiao Lijun!

She met Comrade Xiao Zhao a few days ago when she first reported for duty, and knew that he was Lu Baizhou's orderly.

"Oh my goodness, you really startled me!"

Qiao Xinxin stepped forward, let out a long breath, and said with a mix of coquettishness and complaint, "I thought I'd run into some street thugs! I was on edge the whole way, like a thief, my feet were practically smoking!"

Xiao Zhao's lips twitched violently twice, his smile as stiff as could be: "Oh... well, I... I, it's just..."

He stammered, his eyes darting around, not daring to look Qiao Xinxin in the eye.

Suddenly, his gaze fell on Qiao Xinxin's two hands, which were red from being bound tightly. They were covered with meat wrapped in newspaper, watermelon in a net bag, and fresh peaches!

Xiao Zhao's eyes lit up suddenly, as if he had grasped a lifeline. He quickly stepped forward and boldly reached out to take the heavy object from Qiao Xinxin's hand.

"Our Commander Lu said that you just came from your hometown and don't know anyone here, so he asked me to take good care of you! If there's any heavy or tiring work, or anything you don't know, just ask me..."

As Xiao Zhao continued to fabricate his story, he became less and less confident. By the end, his voice was barely audible, even weaker than a mosquito's hum. His eyes darted nervously to the ground, as if he wanted to disappear into a crack in the floor.