Before Luo Xudong left, the two families hadn’t split yet, but at that time he already disliked Qin Hongmei intensely, naturally because of Luo Xuhua’s situation. He and the eldest brother, Luo Xuhua, were about the same age and always played together, so he was well aware of his experiences. Qin Hongmei often secretly hit him and scolded him, and even once nearly killed him. Luo Xudong had once reported to Luo Aiguo about Qin Hongmei’s harm towards Luo Xuhua, but he didn’t believe him. Knowing that his father was unreliable, he advised Luo Xuhua to steal money from home and run away. If he didn’t escape, sooner or later, Qin Hongmei would get him killed! He could see that Luo Aiguo favored Qin Hongmei, and even if he found out she was in the wrong, considering Luo Xuqing’s presence, he probably wouldn’t do anything to her. After escaping death, Luo Xuhua didn’t want to stay home anymore, but Qin Hongmei was extremely vigilant towards him. He failed several times to steal money, and the last successful attempt only yielded a little over ten yuan, not enough for travel expenses. In the end, Luo Xuhua still ran away; he had no other choice as he didn’t want to die! Hence, Luo Xudong harbored no positive feelings towards Qin Hongmei, and his feelings towards Luo Aiguo were insipid. Luo Xudong had long known that Qin Hongmei was vicious and ruthless; he just didn’t expect her to dare to reach into his family and make a move on his mother! There was no evidence for that matter. As an active-duty military officer, he couldn’t casually act against civilians, but this matter couldn’t just end there. Moreover, she even plotted against Beisitian, nearly bringing harm to her, and that couldn’t be overlooked either! Qin Hongmei was the first person Luo Xudong wanted to deal with after his return! Luo Xudong made a call to the brigade to have someone investigate the people in the military. Beisitian saw that Luo Xudong was swift and decisive in handling matters, which suited her taste perfectly. She didn’t like people who were hesitant and indecisive. Just as her lips curled up, they froze on her face. Was she paying too much attention to Luo Xudong, even evaluating his actions? Luo Xudong didn’t know why Beisitian suddenly fell silent, but seeing the conflicted and struggling expression on her face, he asked, "What are you thinking?" Beisitian blurted out, "Thinking of you..." and paused before completing her sentence about his pros and cons in handling matters. Realizing it led to a significant misunderstanding, it blatantly suggested she was very attentive to him! She thought it was fine, but didn’t notice that merely saying those two words was more misleading. Luo Xudong’s previously cold and sharp expression softened, and his eyes turned gentle, "I think of you too." Beisitian: "..." That wasn’t what she meant! ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝙣𝙚𝙩 Luo Xudong noticed Beisitian’s pretty face blushing, successfully teasing her once. A smile flashed in his eyes. Of course, he knew that wasn’t her intention, he just seized the opportunity. This time, Beisitian wasn’t annoyed or embarrassed, she simply turned her little face away from him, as it was her careless slip of the tongue, not anyone else’s fault. However, when Luo Xudong uttered those four words, her little heart skipped a beat uncontrollably. The feeling was quite magical. "Let’s go home together and have a look at the new house," Luo Xudong stopped at the right moment, speaking with a gentle smile. "Mm." Beisitian turned around, not looking at him, and quickly bypassed him heading down towards the North Slope. Going home together... hearing such words made Beisitian’s ears feel hot. When Luo Xudong said it, his face was also smiling, as if one day, they would all go home together. The two went to the new house together, where Luo Anguo was moving in and out; seeing them, he quickly called them over to help tidy up. "You two came so late. Your Uncle Liu had people help move all the furniture in a moment ago. You two don’t seem so concerned about your own household affairs," Luo Anguo complained verbally, though his face was smiling. "Moving in today?" Beisitian was slightly stunned, "Wasn’t it supposed to be tomorrow?" Luo Anguo laughed heartily, "I asked to move a day earlier. Your Uncle Liu found someone to help with the work. Everything is done." Moving a day earlier was discussed with Mrs. Qin, all aimed at giving the two some time alone. Beisitian inwardly smiled bitterly; they were indeed so considerate. Luo Xudong slightly turned his head to glance at her, noticing her resistance seemed to diminish, his lips curled up, realizing he was another step closer to success. Although the new house had built side wings, the courtyard didn’t look any smaller than before; visually, it even seemed larger. Both sides had elevated platforms built, aligned with the North side, featuring eight steps in total, with railings constructed on both sides. The platform almost reached the height of someone’s thigh, the first of its kind in Kao Village! The house had already been cleaned inside and out. The interior, following Beisitian’s requirements, had tiled floors, while the traditional kang (a type of heated bed) was built according to Mrs. Qin’s wishes. After a lifetime sleeping on the kang, building a new house naturally still required it. Large pieces of furniture were moved in; besides the old cabinet, a wardrobe and a cabinet-style desk were also made in the eastern room. The top was used for writing and placing things, while the lower part of the cabinet could be used for storage. There were no long benches inside, as they were all replaced with chairs. Beisitian even bought a foldable round table from town, with four sides that could be folded. When folded, the table was square, and when unfolded, it was round. If more people were present, this could be used. Further to the east of the eastern room was a small room containing a stove, designed especially by Beisitian as a small bathing room. Bathing was inconvenient in the countryside, sometimes going a week in winter without bathing, but this way, bathing in winter was possible. The western room was temporarily assigned to be Luo Xuping’s sleeping place, as a six-year-old kid having his room wasn’t a problem. Since there were many rooms, she hoped the child would grow up to be as capable as Luo Xudong and Beisitian. The eastern wing was naturally the new room for Luo Xudong and Beisitian, although no one explicitly said so, the arrangements inside were all designed like a wedding room. Instead of a kang, there was a large bed inside, with a wardrobe larger than the one in the eastern room along the east wall. There was a basin stand on one side, already set with a large, red, peony-themed washbasin, and a thermos placed underneath. Everything was new, usually brought by the bride from her family, but Beisitian didn’t have a family, so Mrs. Qin prepared it all. Seeing these, a slight smile appeared on Beisitian’s lips, and she felt slightly warm inside. "The bed sheets, duvet covers, and quilts are being made according to your mother’s arrangements, I guess we’ll have them returned by tomorrow," Luo Anguo said, smiling. The western wing was temporarily empty, reserved for Luo Xuping’s future marriage room. However, if there were capability by then, it would be best to build another one, as the customs here dictated that anyone capable would have a separate house, leaving only those who couldn’t afford one to live with their parents.