The bad value system is measuring values.

Chapter 175 Candied Haws

Qiao Xiao sat at the dining table, her eyes darting around, appearing somewhat timid.

Faced with a sumptuous feast, she hesitated to touch her chopsticks, only taking a small bite each time before putting down her utensils and saying, "I'm full." Then, like a startled rabbit, she hurriedly retreated to her bedroom.

Zhong Huanli looked at his unmoved father and couldn't help but sigh. He knew that Zhong Yan wasn't indifferent to Qiao Xiao, but simply didn't know how to communicate with her.

Zhong Yan has always been a man of few words. To say he has a sharp tongue but a soft heart would be an exaggeration. In fact, he doesn't even have a sharp tongue.

Zhong Huanli suggested to Zhong Yan, "Father, shall I send her some food?"

Zhong Yan looked up at his son, nodded slightly, and replied in a calm tone, "Yes. By the way, there are a few tubes of ointment on the counter that I bought, but it's not convenient for me, a man, to give them to her directly. You're closer to her, so you can teach her how to use them."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Huanli looked troubled and stammered, "But Father, I am also a man..."

Zhong Yan paused for a moment, then said, "...Then let Aunt Shen do it."

Aunt Shen brought the food to Qiao Xiao's door, gently knocked, and softly called out, "Miss, open the door, I've brought you some food."

However, no matter how much Aunt Shen called out, there was no response from inside the house.

Seeing this, Zhong Huanli said, "Let me do it, Father."

Zhong Yan frowned and said in a deep voice, "If you can't do it either, then we'll have to call a private doctor to take a look."

Zhong Huanli quickly stopped her: "No, Father, she's afraid of these things."

Zhong Yan silently looked at his son, who then said, "Qiao Xiao, open the door, it's me." The door then opened.

Zhong Huanli opened the door and found it was pitch black inside; the lights were off.

"Don't you like having the lights on?"

Qiao Xiao huddled in the corner and said cautiously, "Yes, he won't be able to see me when the lights are off."

Zhong Huanli: "But... I can't see you when the lights are off."

Qiao Xiao whispered, "You're different from him."

Zhong Huanli's heart stirred. She slowly approached her and asked softly, "Who is he?"

Qiao Xiao's body trembled slightly, but she kept her lips tightly pressed together and didn't say anything.

Zhong Huanli sighed, put the food aside, and said gently, "How about we eat first? No matter what happened, you're safe here now."

Qiao Xiao hesitated for a long time before slowly reaching out to take the food. In the dim light, Zhong Huanli saw some scars on her arm, and his eyes instantly turned cold.

Just then, Qiao Xiao heard a sudden commotion outside, as if someone had broken into the courtyard. She grabbed Zhong Huanli's sleeve in alarm, "He's here, he's come to see me."

Zhong Huanli patted her hand reassuringly, "Don't be afraid, I'm here." But he really didn't hear anything.

Qiao Xiao huddled in the corner, her eyes nervously fixed on the doorway, instantly filling the room with a tense and oppressive atmosphere.

She suddenly shouted, "I don't want the light! I want to hide so he can't find me!"

Zhong Huanli did not force her. He held Qiao Xiao's trembling hands and carefully applied the ointment to her skin. Then he said, "If you don't want it to be light, then you don't have to be light. I won't force you."

After hearing this, Qiao Xiao said, "I'm sorry, Zhong Huanli, I'm a weirdo. Could you please not tell your father about this? I'm afraid he won't want me anymore."

Zhong Huanli: "No, I will absolutely not let you become a homeless person."

Qiao Xiao buried herself in the ground. "I'm sorry, I really have no appetite. I tend to throw up if I eat too much. I really can't eat anything."

Zhong Huanli: "If you can't eat it, then forget it. By the way, don't you like the clothes Aunt Shen bought?"

Qiao Xiao: "Hmm, the color is too bright, I don't like it."

Zhong Huanli: "How about we go buy something else? I'll take you to buy clothes."

"Okay," she agreed.

Zhong Huanli led Qiao Xiao out of the house and into the mall.

Qiao Xiao kept her head down, afraid of the stares of those around her. She followed closely behind. Every time Zhong Huanli walked into a clothing store, he would tell Qiao Xiao in detail about the types and styles of clothes displayed in the window. Even if she didn't look, she could still choose what she liked. She only had one request: no skirts.

Zhong Huanli: "Why is this shop black?"

Suddenly, Qiao Xiao tugged at his clothes. She looked up sharply, took in his clothes, and blurted out, "I want it!"

She stared intently at the shop window and said, "I want black. I like black."

Zhong Huanli suspected that she chose black because she liked the darkness, and he was somewhat worried. He asked, "Do you really like it?"

"Ok!"

Upon hearing her reply, Zhong Huanli readily agreed without hesitation, saying, "Okay! Let's go in and buy a few items."

Qiao Xiao only wanted one piece, but under Zhong Huanli's "coercion," she bought several more.

They shopped for a long time, and Zhong Huanli asked, "Are you hungry?"

Qiao Xiao said somewhat shyly, "A little."

Zhong Huanli: "If you're hungry, you're hungry. I'm your brother now, you can tell me anything."

Qiao Xiao: "Hmm, but I don't know what to eat?"

Zhong Huanli: "Come on, I'll buy you some desserts. I heard girls like them."

Qiao Xiao nodded obediently: "Okay."

They entered the pastry shop, with Qiao Xiao cautiously following behind Zhong Huanli. Suddenly, she grabbed Zhong Huanli's collar, shook her head violently, and pleaded in a low voice, "Zhong Huanli, let's leave here."

Zhong Huanli asked curiously, "What happened?"

Her face showed panic, her eyes widened, and she whispered in his ear, "The price is too high."

Even the smallest, most unassuming piece of cake is priced at 68 yuan.

Qiao Xiao: "How about we buy something else?"

Zhong Huanli reassured her, "Don't worry, I have enough money."

Qiao Xiao tugged at his clothes: "No, this money wasn't earned by me, it was earned by your father. We can't just spend his money as we please."

Zhong Huanli gazed at her, understanding that she was unwilling to use Zhong Yan's money due to the emotional distance between them, and always tried her best to save money and avoid unnecessary expenses.

Zhong Huanli then said, "This is my scholarship."

Qiao Xiao asked in surprise, "Scholarship?" Her academic performance had always been poor, so she was ineligible for scholarships, and her family background lacked cultural refinement, so she had never been exposed to such awards.

Zhong Huanli: "Don't worry, I'll cover for you." He was glad that the clothing store hadn't revealed the prices, otherwise Qiao Xiao definitely wouldn't have bought them, as almost every piece cost three or four hundred.

Qiao Xiao became anxious and said righteously, "No! I can't spend your money anymore, I have to leave!"

Zhong Huanli sighed, "Forget it, let's buy it somewhere else."

So, he took Qiao Xiao's hand and led her to the snack street.

Zhong Huanli frowned. "There's too much fried food in the snack street; it's unhealthy."

Qiao Xiao was initially drawn in by the enticing aroma, but upon hearing his words, she shook her head, as if trying to erase the allure of the delicious food from her mind.

Qiao Xiao thought to herself, "If he doesn't like it, I don't want to like it either."

Just as hunger made her feel slightly dizzy, an indelible sweet fragrance filled the air.

Zhong Huanli held a string of candied hawthorns in her hand and said softly, "Have this to tide you over first."

Qiao Xiao took the string of candied hawthorns. She saw that each hawthorn was plump and bright red, like a string of crystal beads.

She took a small lick, and the unique flavor of the perfect blend of syrup and fruit blossomed on her taste buds, sweet yet refreshing, tempting but not cloying.

The aroma of candied hawthorn berries also subtly carries the slight tartness of the fruit itself and the unique scent of the syrup carefully simmered over charcoal.

Qiao Xiao exclaimed with satisfaction, "Delicious!" Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Zhong Huanli.

Zhong Huanli gazed at her, deeply attracted by her innocent expression. "If you like, we can come again in the future."

The candied hawthorn seems to have become a vessel for memories, preserving this warm and beautiful moment in its flavor. Whenever Qiao Xiao tastes candied hawthorn again, she can't help but recall that time, that place, and that person.