Eating Melons in the Police Station-Chapter 121

Aunt Liang didn’t live with Qiu Sheng. Normally, she would leave after finishing her work for the day—she attended night classes at a TV university in the evenings and took guitar lessons on weekends.

Qiu Sheng had heard Aunt Liang mention before that her husband was an irresponsible man, the type who wouldn’t even lift a finger to pick up a fallen soy sauce bottle at home. After being laid off in middle age, the man never bothered to find another job, relying entirely on Aunt Liang to support him. She worked outside, earning far more than he ever could with odd jobs.

Since she was the breadwinner, she demanded that he at least take care of her deaf and mute mother at home. The elderly woman, though frail, was otherwise self-sufficient. Having someone watch over her was mostly for peace of mind, ensuring nothing would happen if she were left alone.

At first, the man refused, preferring to go out and play cards instead of looking after the old woman. But after a few physical altercations, Aunt Liang beat him into submission.

From then on, the arrangement was simple: Aunt Liang worked and provided for the family, while the man stayed home as a caretaker. This went on for years. After her mother passed away, the lazy man no longer served any purpose in Aunt Liang’s life, so she divorced him.

When recounting this, Aunt Liang sighed and said to Qiu Sheng,

"That’s why women must be extremely careful when choosing to marry. Marriage is easy, but divorce? That’ll strip you to the bone. It took me two years of legal battles to finally get rid of that man."

After the divorce, Aunt Liang didn’t stay in Haishan. Instead, she moved to the big city—Jing City. At the time, she couldn’t quite explain why she left, only that she felt the urge to see more of the world while she still had the energy.

Her first employer in Jing City turned out to be Qiu Sheng.

Qiu Sheng was a kind person, unlike Aunt Liang’s previous employers who had treated her like a servant. She treated Aunt Liang as a friend.

Once, Qiu Sheng even took her to a concert.

After the show, Aunt Liang excitedly told Qiu Sheng that she had learned to play the guitar in her youth and loved music deeply. During the hardest times of her life, she had fallen asleep every night listening to her favorite songs.

Instead of laughing at her, Qiu Sheng bought her a guitar and encouraged her to take lessons, saying, "From now on, live only for what you love."

That guitar, along with Qiu Sheng’s generous pay, opened a new door for Aunt Liang. Outside of work, she began learning the guitar systematically and enrolled in computer courses at the TV university. Her days became busy and fulfilling.

Today, after tidying up the house, Aunt Liang asked Qiu Sheng before leaving, "Do you want me to stay with you tonight?" She was worried Qiu Sheng might struggle with the child, having just brought her home.

Qiu Sheng immediately understood her concern. Glancing at her daughter—who was lying on the floor, chubby little hands tucked under her chin, quietly watching cartoons—she confidently replied,

"No need. I can take care of her. She’s very well-behaved."

The little chubby girl had been sprawled on the carpet, her chin resting on a small pillow. When she saw Aunt Liang about to leave, she lifted her eyelids, pulled her hands out from under her belly, and waved. "Bye-bye, Auntie."

Aunt Liang didn’t insist. With a cheerful smile, she took her leave.

Little Tong tucked her hands back under her and resumed watching cartoons.

Qiu Sheng checked the clock on the wall, then stood up and said, "Sweetheart, no more TV for now. Let’s go take a bath, okay?"

At the mention of a bath, the little chubby girl on the floor immediately squeezed her eyes shut and pretended to be asleep.

Qiu Sheng crouched beside her and asked gently, "Don’t you want to take a bath?"

The little girl waved her hands. "No bath, no bath! I’m very clean!"

The first-time mother, still learning the ropes, tried reasoning with her. "But if you don’t bathe, you’ll turn into a stinky little girl."

"Then I’ll just be a stinky little girl," the child declared, unfazed. She buried her head in her arms like a plump little bear and continued her fake slumber.

Qiu Sheng feigned alarm. "What if little bugs start growing on you?"

The girl kept her eyes closed and drawled lazily, "No bugs will grow."

She dozed for a bit, then peeked one eye open to check if Qiu Sheng was still there. Seeing her mother still crouched beside her, the little girl startled and snapped her eyes shut again.

Qiu Sheng had just boasted about how well-behaved her child was, only to immediately face her first parenting hurdle.

How could she get the kid to willingly take a bath?

She didn’t want to force her. She refused to be the kind of parent who dragged their child into the tub against their will. No, she would win her over with love.

So Qiu Sheng sat cross-legged and launched into a detailed explanation of why baths were necessary and how nice it felt to be clean.

The little troublemaker initially listened with wide eyes, but Qiu Sheng’s voice—soft, soothing, and slightly magnetic—was too hypnotic.

After a while, the child stopped responding altogether. Qiu Sheng pulled her arms apart and, sure enough, she was fast asleep.

Qiu Sheng draped a small blanket over her and sat silently for a moment before standing up. She went to her vanity, took out an eyebrow pencil, and drew tiny black bugs on the child’s hands, neck, and forehead.

As a former jewelry designer, she had a steady hand. Each bug looked startlingly real, some even appearing three-dimensional.

After drawing over a dozen, Qiu Sheng put the pencil away and gently shook Little Tong awake.

The child groggily opened her eyes, rolled them back, and immediately dozed off again.

Qiu Sheng held her chubby little hand and gasped in mock horror. "Sweetheart, I think bugs really are growing on you!"

The girl lazily lifted an eyelid. When she spotted the black bugs on her hand, she wasn’t alarmed at first. She tried picking them off, but when they wouldn’t budge, panic set in.

She flailed her hand wildly. "No, no, no!"

Qiu Sheng pointed at her forehead, her tone sweetly innocent. "Oh no, there are bugs on your forehead too."

The child clapped her hands over her head. "Nooo!"

Qiu Sheng led her into the walk-in closet and stood her in front of the full-length mirror. The reflection showed bugs on her face, neck, and arms.

The horrified little girl clutched Qiu Sheng’s sleeve and looked up pleadingly. "I want a bath now."

"Of course, sweetheart. Let’s go."

As they walked to the bathroom, the chubby little hand in hers squeezed tighter. "If I take a bath, the bugs will go away, right?"

“That’s right, kids who bathe often definitely won’t get little bugs.”

With that reassurance, the child planted a kiss on Qiu Sheng’s arm and declared loudly, “Mommy, I love you. You’re the best mommy.”

Qiu Sheng replied, “I love you too, sweetheart.”

What a heartwarming scene of maternal affection.

After the bath, the child was no longer sleepy. Dressed in pajamas with her hair loose, she sprawled on the carpet watching cartoons, her little feet swinging leisurely back and forth.

When Qiu Sheng called her to bed, the child pretended not to hear, her eyes glued to the TV, her body unmoving.

So Qiu Sheng pulled out her old trick. She took out her tablet, found a random picture of a child online, and used an app to photoshop dark circles under the kid’s eyes. Then she showed it to Little Tong.

“Look, baby. They say this little one stayed up watching cartoons and ended up like this.”

Little Tong’s mouth fell open, her eyes wide with horror as she stared at the image. Whatever unpleasant memory flashed through her little mind, she scrambled up from the floor and dashed into the bedroom on her short legs.

By the time Qiu Sheng walked in, the chubby child had already tucked herself under the blankets and shut her eyes, pretending to sleep.

Qiu Sheng lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to drift off.

Today had been surreal. There hadn’t been time to process it earlier—instinct had driven her to focus on caring for the child first. But now, with everything quiet, her mind spun like a kaleidoscope, unable to settle.

One moment, she fretted over the upheaval in her life; the next, she basked in the joy of becoming a mother overnight. Then her thoughts turned to how she’d explain Little Tong’s sudden appearance to her mother and brother.

On what felt like her hundredth turn, Little Tong suddenly opened her big eyes and stared at Qiu Sheng.

Qiu Sheng blinked. “Sweetheart, you’re not asleep? Want to chat with Mommy?”

“Mommy, go to sleep,” Little Tong said, pressing two tiny index fingers beneath her eyes. “If you don’t, your eyes will turn all black like this.”

Having delivered this flawless logic, the chubby child closed her eyes again.

Qiu Sheng leaned in to check—she really had fallen back asleep. Was this some magical child superpower? Out like a light in seconds. Amazing.

The next day, Qiu Sheng slept until noon.

As a wealthy, work-free singleton, she rarely rose early. She usually woke naturally, sometimes earlier, sometimes later—like today, after last night’s late hours.

The bedroom door stood open, the sound of cartoons drifting in from outside.

Qiu Sheng lay still for a moment, eyes closed against the silk pillowcase, before remembering: as of yesterday, she had a child.

The other side of the bed was empty. The kid must have woken up and wandered out to watch TV.

She grabbed her robe from the bedside, slipped into soft slippers, and padded silently out of the bedroom.

Sure enough, the little chubster was sprawled on the living room carpet.

Dressed in a bear onesie, her glossy black hair fanned out, she lounged against a giant pillow, legs crossed, a plate of peeled pomegranate seeds and assorted snacks within reach.

Eyes fixed on the TV, she casually grabbed a handful of pomegranate, chewed, swallowed the juice, then spat the seeds into a small bowl beside her.

The picture of contentment.

Qiu Sheng frowned. “Baby, how long have you been watching cartoons?”

Still staring at the screen, legs still crossed, the child held up one finger:

“The whole time.”

She sounded downright proud.

Just as Qiu Sheng pondered how to establish some rules, the episode ended. During the opening credits of the next one, Little Tong turned to Qiu Sheng, grinning ear to ear:

“Mommy, this place is the best, right? You sleep all day, I watch cartoons all day, and Aunt Liang cooks for us. We’re so happy.”

Aunt Liang approached with a warm towel, crouched down, and cupped the child’s round head with one hand while vigorously scrubbing her doughy cheeks with the other.

Noticing Qiu Sheng’s worried expression, Aunt Liang said sagely, “If parents can’t lead by example, they can’t expect their children to follow rules either.”

Message received: Qiu Sheng’s carefree heiress lifestyle was officially over.

After lunch at home, to pry the child away from cartoons, Qiu Sheng took her to the café.

Normally, Qiu Sheng would read upstairs, but today the accountant needed to review revenue data, so she headed to the office.

She let Little Tong play outside, assigning a staff member to keep an eye on her—no touching dangerous items, no wandering off alone.

Little Tong immediately bee-lined for the pastry display, pointing at a syrup-drenched sponge cake and telling her assigned babysitter, “Mister, please give me this one. Thank you.”

The young employee hesitated, unsure if he should comply, and went to ask Qiu Sheng for permission.

Once approved, he plated the cake and settled Little Tong at the bar counter to eat.

These desserts usually paired with coffee, but since kids shouldn’t have caffeine, the thoughtful staffer brought her a fresh lemonade instead to cut the sweetness.

Full and satisfied, Little Tong had the young man lift her down from the stool. Hands clasped behind her back, she waddled around the café like a tiny inspector surveying her domain.

At the entrance, she looked up at the blue parrot from yesterday and greeted it cheerfully: “Hello!”

The bird took one look at her and exploded, screeching, “Let me die! Let me die!”

The staffer following her whistled a tune, and the parrot immediately switched to mimicking the melody.

This parrot, named Nuke, was exceptionally clever. It could whistle over a dozen songs and had an extensive vocabulary. Unfortunately, it had also mastered profanity and developed a foul temper, leading to its abandonment.

Qiu Sheng, pitying the creature, had taken it in. Since starting its “employment” at the café, Nuke had mellowed significantly—until now.

As the staffer tried to coax Nuke into whistling, Little Tong attempted to sing along, horribly off-key. Every warble threw the parrot off, derailing each attempted song.

After several false starts, Nuke’s feathers bristled in frustration. It shrieked:

“Let me die! Let me die!”

This time, even the staffer’s whistling couldn’t calm it. Nuke refused to perform further, perching on its stand and unleashing a stream of obscenities.

Little Tong didn’t understand why the parrot, Nuclear Bomb, had suddenly become so aggressive. She couldn’t comprehend the meaning behind its harsh words, but she could tell from its tone that she was being verbally attacked.

The little chubby girl, inexplicably scolded, grew angry too. She crossed her arms and glared at Nuclear Bomb, huffing, "I won’t be friends with you anymore, hmph!"

Nuclear Bomb, like a crazed bird, continued its relentless tirade.

Little Tong raised a tiny finger, racking her brain for a comeback, and finally retorted, "You’re just a little rag!"

Nuclear Bomb fluffed up its feathers and screeched, "Worthless thing, worthless thing!"

Little Tong puffed out her round belly. "Am not!"

Nuclear Bomb squawked, "Congratulations on your wealth!"

Little Tong replied sweetly, "Thank you."

When Qiu Sheng came downstairs, she saw a small crowd gathered in the flower room, where Nuclear Bomb was screeching at the top of its lungs.

At first, Qiu Sheng thought with mild amusement, Who provoked the parrot this time?

But as she stepped closer and peered inside, she realized Nuclear Bomb was berating her precious daughter. The little chubby girl stood there, puffing out her belly, glaring fiercely at the parrot—clearly outmatched in the argument, only able to weakly protest, "Am not!"

To the onlookers, the sight of a child arguing with a parrot might have been amusing. But Qiu Sheng instantly bristled with anger.

No one—not even a bird—was allowed to bully her daughter.

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

Qiu Sheng strode forward, positioning herself between Little Tong and the parrot, and pointed at Nuclear Bomb, shouting, "Shut up!"

The parrot startled momentarily before launching into an even more frenzied verbal assault.

The back-and-forth continued for a while until Qiu Sheng finally threatened Nuclear Bomb: if it didn’t stop, it would be kicked out to fend for itself, and worse—no pistachios for a whole week. Only then did the parrot grudgingly quiet down.

Though Qiu Sheng initially thought Nuclear Bomb had cowed in fear, she later realized the bird had probably just exhausted itself from all the yelling.

That evening at dinner, Qiu Sheng and Little Tong revisited the parrot feud. Qiu Sheng said,

"Sweetheart, next time Nuclear Bomb yells at you, you have to stand up for yourself and yell back."

Little Tong, mashing meatballs into her rice before shoveling big spoonfuls into her mouth, blinked in confusion. "But... how?"

Qiu Sheng thought carefully. "Just call it a bad bird."

Aunt Liang, listening nearby, smirked dismissively. She wagged a finger at the mother-daughter duo, who clearly lacked combat skills.

"Tongtong, next time it insults you, first ask: Do you believe I’ll rip your beak off? If it keeps squawking, pluck its feathers. Same goes for anyone who bullies you. We call this courtesy before force—never hold back."

Little Tong declared loudly, "Okay! I’ll be super fierce! I’ll pluck all its feathers!"

Yet the next day at the café, Little Tong avoided Nuclear Bomb entirely, tiptoeing past the flower room in a hurry.

Qiu Sheng asked, "Why aren’t you getting revenge?"

The child giggled and waved her hand. "Mommy, it’s just a bird. It only says what humans taught it. It doesn’t even understand human words."

Qiu ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‍Sheng marveled at her three-year-old’s wisdom. Still, she looked into a bird-training school, determined to reform Nuclear Bomb’s foul beak.

Little Tong bore no grudge against the parrot but remained obsessed with the dessert cabinet. Her first stop at the café was always the cakes, followed by a request for lemon water.

Worried about too much sugar, Qiu Sheng asked the pastry chef to make mini cakes—thumb-sized, served two or three at a time.

Since Little Tong’s arrival, Qiu Sheng hadn’t returned to the family villa. Normally, skipping a few days wouldn’t matter, but her sister-in-law had just given birth, and her absence was becoming conspicuous. Her mother, Tao Siyuan, had called repeatedly, urging her to visit.

Qiu Sheng figured the child’s existence couldn’t stay hidden forever. So one sunny afternoon, she took Little Tong to the maternity center.

Dressed in designer clothes, Little Tong lounged in her stroller while Qiu Sheng, sunglasses on, pushed her through the entrance. The child wiggled her chubby feet, curiously peering around.

At Room 502, Qiu Sheng knocked. The door opened to reveal Qiu Chen, who, spotting the stroller, assumed it was a gift for the newborn.

"We already have a bassinet," he said, reaching for it. "And isn’t this one a bit too big?"

His hand barely touched the handle when the canopy flipped open, revealing a chubby-cheeked toddler.

The little girl stared at him, fingers clasped.

Qiu Chen recoiled as if burned. "Whose kid is this?!"

Qiu Sheng said, "My daughter, Little Tong. Say hello to your uncle."

Qiu Chen: "......?"

Little Tong, wide-eyed, chirped sweetly from the stroller, "Uncle!"

Qiu Chen was floored. "Wait—you have a kid? Since when?! How did I not know?!"

Qiu Sheng sidestepped. "Had her three years ago. There were... reasons I didn’t tell you."

"What reasons? Who’s the father?"

Little Tong raised a finger solemnly. "Actually, my daddy is a Zhong Jin."

Qiu Chen’s voice shot up. "Zhong Jin?! You divorced ages ago! How is this possible? What’s going on?!"

Ignoring his shock, Little Tong tugged his sleeve. "Carry me out."

Dazed, Qiu Chen lifted her from the stroller. Standing before a living, bouncing three-year-old, he pinched his own cheek. Not a dream.

As they stood talking in the suite’s living area, Du Xin, Qiu Sheng’s sister-in-law, emerged from the bedroom in loose loungewear.

"Qiu Sheng! Come meet the baby," she greeted warmly.

Du Xin, a forensic examiner, had met Qiu Chen during a workplace injury case. Their professional interaction blossomed into romance—a relationship indirectly tied to Qiu Zhengrui’s death.

At that time, Qiu Zhengrui introduced Qiu Chen to the son of a wealthy family. The young man’s father was in the mining business—a nouveau riche with substantial assets. Qiu Zhengrui had hoped Qiu Chen would marry a woman with influential connections, but instead, Qiu Chen chose a forensic doctor with no background whatsoever. Following Qiu Sheng’s marriage, Qiu Chen’s decision dealt another devastating blow to the old Qiu patriarch.

Overwhelmed by rage, Qiu Zhengrui suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage and passed away.

However, his children felt no guilt over his death. It could only be said that Qiu Zhengrui had brought it upon himself—his attempts to exploit his children inevitably led to his own downfall.

Interrupted by Du Xin, Qiu Sheng seized the opportunity to lead Little Tong into the bedroom, temporarily evading Qiu Chen’s relentless questioning.

Inside the bedroom stood a small crib where the newborn lay. The maternity nurse held a bottle, feeding the baby.

Little Tong leaned against the crib’s railing, watching the baby suckle at the nipple. Her lips twitched in mimicry before she looked up at the nurse and said,

“Auntie, let me have a sip.”

The nurse patiently explained, “This is formula for babies. You’re a big girl now—you need children’s milk powder, not this.”

Little Tong then turned to Qiu Sheng and pleaded, “Mommy, please buy me some children’s milk powder.”

The gold-rated maternity nurse took the chance to promote, “The maternity center’s entrance has a baby store that sells formula. Should I call and have them deliver some?”

“Yes, please. And ask them to bring a new bottle too,” Qiu Sheng replied.

The nurse handed the bottle to Du Xin to hold while she stepped aside to make a quiet phone call. Then, turning back to Qiu Sheng, she asked,

“How many cans of children’s milk powder should they bring?”

Without hesitation, Qiu Chen interjected, “Just have them deliver a whole box.”