Mirror Flower · Qingming (Middle II)

Although there was no formal foster care, since Qingming had agreed to this, and Zhao Weimin certainly had some connections, the rest was basically just a matter of procedure.

Qingming then officially reported to the rescue organization and completed the registration procedures.

But Qingming prefers the police station and spends most of his time there.

She needs to understand the behavioral patterns of law enforcement in this world.

From time to time, parties involved in various disputes and suspected lawbreakers come in; some are minor, and the disputes are resolved through mediation.

In serious cases, armed police officers will bring in handcuffed prisoners.

Qingming will pay attention.

In Eden, disrespect for God is the greatest sin, and only matters between living beings exist there.

Furthermore, their jurisdiction is quite broad; they won't allow you to swindle money, nor will they allow you to take it.

For example, some people ride two-wheeled vehicles and snatch bags from passersby.

After several days of investigation and surveillance, the police arrested several motorcycle thieves. During the arrest, a fight broke out, and the criminals were beaten black and blue.

Qingming was extremely surprised.

Does taking something from the weak by force really require such careful consideration?

****

Qingming rapidly learned the rules of this world.

Her long years as a test subject had made her accustomed to quietly observing from a corner.

She was also very interested in all sorts of alchemical tools.

Qingming quickly learned how to use the photocopier, such as tapping it a few times before it dispensed paper, and also how to use the television in the lobby.

She was actually more interested in computers, but everyone wouldn't let her touch them, saying they were office computers.

So Qingming set its sights on becoming a mount in this world.

When everyone saw the little girl sit in the driver's seat and seriously fumble for the key to start the engine, they were almost dumbfounded.

"Don't touch the vehicles again!" Xiong Yupan very angry.

She limped down in the chair.

"You're only eligible to take a driver's test when you're an adult!"

She had run so fast trying to pull Qingming down that her calf was badly bruised.

Qingming had some reservations about this, because she felt that the car only had a few controllable devices and should be quite simple.

Xiong Yupan noticed Qingming's gloomy mood, so she bought her a new dress and replaced her old, makeshift T-shirt and trousers.

Then they styled her hair into a princess hairstyle and added a few flower hair clips, instantly revealing the little girl's charming and adorable appearance.

Seeing this, another colleague also became interested, took out a makeup box from her bag, and prepared to apply some blush to Qingming.

The sponge puff smells wonderful.

Qingming calmly reached out and took it.

"Thanks!"

Then put it in your mouth.

"Ah!"

Xiong Yupan and her colleagues hurriedly snatched the powder puff away.

"You can't eat this!"

Captain Tao of the Anti-Pickpocketing Squad was immediately drawn to the task.

This girl is a bit mischievous, yet she often seems completely innocent and naive.

He stared blankly at Qingming for a moment, then suddenly had an idea.

Captain Tao called over a few team members and brought out the Motorcycles.

"Qing-meimei, want to go for a ride?" He patted the back seat.

Xiong Yupan immediately became alert.

What do you want?

Captain Tao grinned.

"Take Qingming out to the street and buy her ice cream!"

****

Twenty minutes later, Qingming, carrying a pink bunny ear backpack, hopped along the street in the clothing market.

At this time of day, the crowds were quite dense, and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares, loudspeakers blaring, and bargaining mingled together.

Qingming walked up to a cart selling sweet soup and ordered a sweet potato one.

She took out her small wallet from her backpack, paid one yuan and fifty cents, and a few rosy bills were visible in the wallet as she did so.

Captain Tao, who was following not far away, was very satisfied.

Qingming carried a disposable plastic bowl, looking at the shop windows on both sides as he walked.

Soon a target was approaching.

He was a young man in his early twenties, of medium height and with an ordinary appearance.

He first walked past it once, his gaze casually sweeping over Qingming's backpack, then looked around before circling back.

As someone passed by, the young man stepped aside, bumping his shoulder into Qingming.

"Feel sorry!"

Qingming glanced back at him, said nothing, and continued wandering.

The zipper on her backpack was already partially open.

The young man also pretended to look at something, half a step behind Qingming, and covered him with his draped coat.

A slender metal tweezer slipped out from the loose cuff of a sleeve, obscuring the view.

Several people quickly surrounded them.

The young man glanced at it out of the corner of his eye, his expression instantly changed, and he took off running.

"Stop!"

Captain Tao was closest and reached out to grab it.

Suddenly, a man in gray appeared from the side, took a step, and bumped right into Captain Tao.

The man in gray feigned confusion, "What are you doing?"

Captain Tao was furious. Everyone on this street knows each other; otherwise, these anti-pickpocketing officers wouldn't be changing clothes every few days.

Replace the scout.

It's not like we need to trouble Qingming, a complete stranger, today.

Enraged, he grabbed the gray-clad man's arm, forced him to the ground, and handcuffed him.

"None of them will escape!"

The young man who made the move deliberately squeezed through the narrow spaces between the stalls, having already swum through several layers of people like a fish.

Several plainclothes officers were slightly blocked by the crowd, just as the person was about to turn into a narrow alley next to them.

A gust of wind blew past Captain Tao.

It was Qingming; the pink bunny ears on her backpack were pulled straight up behind her.

"Hey!" Captain Tao cried out anxiously, "Little rascal, don't go up there!"

Qingming quickly approached his target, sidestepped and slid in, his toes nimbly hooking behind the young man's outstretched ankle.

The other person instantly lost their balance and fell face-first into the mud.

Qingming stood up, supporting herself with one hand, and dusted off the hem of her skirt.

"Did you say anything just now?" she asked Captain Tao.

Captain Tao:

****

In the days that followed, the Anti-Pickpocketing Squad made several good catches every day.

But the news spread quickly, and soon no thief in the entire area dared to target a thirteen-year-old girl with such delicate features.

Captain Tao had no choice but to find another solution.

The civil affairs department completed the procedures for receiving Qingming, and the public security bureau registered her according to the process, placing her under the collective household registration of the welfare institution.

When entering the name into the system, Xiong Yupan suggested that Qingming adjust it.

"My name has too many strokes, so I'm slower at signing documents than others," she said, distressed.

Signing one or two forms is fine, but in work, there are often many forms, and multiple copies of each.

"Not to mention the time I was punished by having to copy my own name when I was in school," Xiong Yupan her experience. "That's why I suggest you use a name with simple characters."

Qingming was truly convinced.

Despite having a complete understanding of Chinese thanks to her "Comprehend Languages," she encountered a serious obstacle in writing Chinese characters. Her writing was crooked and extremely difficult to decipher, and writing for extended periods also caused her hand great fatigue.

Qingming readily agreed. She browsed through the Hundred Family Surnames and finally chose the surname "Fang," registering it as "Fang Qing."

When the process was completed, Qingming finally entered the "Trial Foster Care Period" and became an unofficial member of Zhao Weimin's family.

During this period, Qingming will undergo two to three assessments by the civil affairs department, mainly to assess her personal wishes and whether her "growth" is progressing well.

Zhao Weimin's wife was named Liu Jingshu, and she took Qingming to her room.

"I have an older brother at home, but he's in college." Liu Jingshu kindly helped her make the bed.

The room was originally a study, but after being cleaned up, it looked quite decent. It had a bed, a desk, and a small wardrobe.

A newly bought desk lamp sits on the table, and the curtains are also newly changed to light blue.

This was chosen by Qingming himself.

Liu Jingshu straightened the corners of the quilt and then took out a thin quilt from the wardrobe.

"Take a look and see if there's anything else you're missing."

Qingming gently shook his head.

She also has her own private room in Eden, or rather, the exclusive observation room for Experiment Subject Fourteen.

Some unpleasant memories began to surface.

Seeing that Qingming didn't move, Liu Jingshu assumed she was shy and handed her a bunch of keys with a smile.

"This is the house key."

Qingming took the key and held it in his palm.

"Um."

****

Qingming quickly learned the rules of his new home.

For example, when you get home, you should change into slippers and put outdoor shoes in the shoe cabinet; dirty clothes should be thrown into the plastic bucket on the balcony; food in the refrigerator can be eaten, but you need to remove the plastic wrap first and heat it in the microwave.

Furthermore, you cannot drink soybean oil or soy sauce from the kitchen!

Then there's the matter of going to school.

This was shortly after the start of the new semester. After Qingming's school registration was finalized, he transferred to the first grade of a nearby junior high school.

Fang Qing's grades were very poor in the first monthly exam.

My Chinese was alright; although my composition was written in a rather old-fashioned style, I still got 95 out of 120.

The teacher's comment was, "Don't delve too much into political content."

Her English score was even higher, 102. Her "Comprehend Languages" spell materials included several English learners, who were learning two languages at the same time, and were also the culprit that caused her mental overload in the first place.

I got 50 points in math, and only a dozen or so in history, geography, and moral education. I guessed all of those points on the multiple-choice questions.

But in reality, the moral education teacher thought she should get zero points, or even have points deducted.

For example, a scenario-based question might present a situation where a conflict or competition arises with a classmate, asking "what should be done" and "why."

Qingming wrote the answer on the test paper, "Kill the opponent until they admit defeat."

Xiong Yupan looked bitter as she and Xing Rui took turns tutoring her.

"You can score over 100 in English, how come your history and geography are blank?"

Qingming replied earnestly, "Because I haven't learned it."

"What about moral character?" Xing Rui asked. "Just fill in a few sentences like 'sincere and enthusiastic' or 'unity and friendship,' and you'll get at least half the points."

What were your thoughts when you wrote about "fighting"?

"I understand next time," Qingming replied.

However, it must be said that although Qingming's foundation was poor, he studied very hard.

She felt absolutely no shame about not being able to do it.

If you don't understand something, learn it; actively ask for help.

Zhao Weimin, who was standing to the side, picked up a pen and wrote down Qingming's recent academic performance in his notebook.

He thought for a moment, then put Qingming's monthly exam paper into the file folder and stored it away.

****

The incident occurred two weeks after enrollment.

Qingming has a rather indifferent personality and appears precocious, but she doesn't refuse to talk to other children.

As campus life continued, Qingming began to get to know everyone.

There was an arts and culture event at school that day, Xiong Yupan styled Qingming's hair into a high ponytail, adorned with a jewel-purple hair flower, making her look both beautiful and dashing.

When class ended, a boy who was usually a bit restless tried to get her attention, but was ignored.

Finally, he couldn't resist grabbing Qingming's hair.

The little girl is drawing a number line on a piece of paper, struggling with the concepts of real numbers and rational numbers.

The sudden sound of movement behind his head almost made Qingming jump!

Ever since Qingming's powerful spatial abilities emerged, coupled with the girl's own remarkable combat talent, she rose to the second position in the Clock Hand Sequence. Even the highest- Divine Priest in the Eden World showed some politeness when facing Qingming.

As for the rest of the people, they had to kowtow to her even when they met her, and dared not show any disrespect!

Qingming's first reaction was that he had been attacked, and his Magic Power instantly surged through his blood vessels, strengthening his entire body.

He leaned back slightly and then jabbed his elbow into the other person's heart.

With his elbow halfway out, his senses had already swept over what was behind him.

Qingming paused slightly. Just an ordinary person?

Classmates?

No murderous intent?

Qingming immediately withdrew his power.

In that case, let's give them a simple lesson.

Qingming made her decision and lightly bumped the boy's chest with her elbow.

Crack! A sound of bone breaking.

The next moment, the boy flew up and crashed backwards, overturning a desk and knocking over two nearby desks and chairs.

The classroom fell silent instantly.

The boy lay on the ground, clutching his chest, his face pale.

Qingming shook her hand, feeling that she had controlled her strength well and had fully calculated the target's weak body without any shield.

She was already extremely magnanimous by only breaking two of the attacker's ribs!

****

Qingming sat in the interrogation room for the first time as a party involved.

Before him stood Zhao Weimin, who was suffering from a terrible headache.

"How could you hit me so hard?"

Qingming was puzzled. "Is it serious?"

Her elbow strike was short and clean; neither fracture was displaced, and there was no damage to the lungs.

Based on her medical knowledge, this wasn't even an injury that warranted a healer's attention. Anyone with battlefield first aid training could simply bandage it up.

The diagnosis results were spread out on the table. Due to the toughness of adolescent bones, the student's ribs were only bent, with only some bone and periosteum ruptured.

This condition is milder and is medically termed a "greenstick fracture."

It takes a few weeks to recover, with almost no aftereffects.

"Two ribs were broken," Zhao Weimin said. "According to forensic standards, that constitutes a minor injury."

He handed me a copy of the "Human Minor Injury Assessment Standards) " (Fa (Ji) Fa [1990] No. 6).

Zhao Weimin discovered that the girl really enjoyed going through systematic rules and trying to understand them comprehensively, rather than just being satisfied with individual explanations.

Qingming indeed picked up the identification criteria and read them, finding the chest injury section and checking the relevant entries.

"I see," she said with some regret. "I should have only broken one."

Zhao Weimin's forehead veins throbbed.

Not even half a piece!

He said angrily, "And we can't fight!"

Qingming quickly picked up the "Public Security Administration Punishments Law," found the relevant clauses, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I am under the age of fourteen, so I will not be held criminally liable."

Zhao Weimin sneered.

"Fang Qing, have you forgotten your current situation?"

Qingming was taken aback.

"If a serious incident occurs during the Trial Foster Care Period, everything must be reassessed."

"If the civil affairs department assesses that you have serious violent tendencies, they will terminate your foster care."

The ease on Qingming's face slowly disappeared.

Zhao Weimin continued.

"They might even send you to a reform school!"

****

Qingming's life finally returned to normal, and she spent each day fully immersed in the "ocean of knowledge" that was almost drowning her.

She was extremely unwilling to change the status quo, and even less willing to move to another place.

Therefore, Qingming, led by Zhao Weimin, came to the hospital.

When the boy saw her, he instinctively shrank back into the bed.

Qingming gave a smile as sweet as she could, then obediently apologized to her classmate and his parents.

Zhao Weimin promised to reimburse all medical expenses and provide an additional 10,000 yuan in compensation.

Although the boy's parents were still very angry, they eventually accepted mediation after being persuaded by the school teachers and social workers from the Civil Affairs Bureau.

Then Qingming wrote a self-criticism, which was read aloud during the flag-raising ceremony.

I deeply realize the seriousness of my actions--

Her voice was flat, and her demeanor appeared exceptionally proper.

The school posted a notice and gave Fang Qing a serious warning.

Zhao Weimin's wife Liu Jingshu, only then heard about this, and she rushed to Zhao's workplace to find him.

"You're not going to let the orphanage actually take the child back, are you?"

Old Zhao shook his head.

"I scared this brat."

As he spoke, he pulled out a bag of fruit and milk.

"This was brought over by the social worker to 'visit' the child."

Liu Jingshu was taken aback.

For children with such "dangerous" qualities, the welfare home is actually eager to continue the foster care relationship that has been gradually established.

Qingming's condition necessitates stable and continuous one-on-one care.

The institution has limited staff, and if they take the injured child back, the child who gets hurt could become one of the other children living with them in the institution.

They're the ones who will have a headache.

Liu Jingshu glared at her husband.

"So you're using reform schools to scare thirteen-year-olds?"

Old Zhao picked up his teacup.

"It works."

"Otherwise, do you think she'd obediently write a self-criticism?"

****

After this incident, Qingming indeed made a significant adjustment to his mindset and resolved to better integrate into the role of "Fang Qing".

She reviewed more legal documents and came to understand that in this society, one must portray oneself as "weak and helpless," and absolutely cannot solve problems by force as in the Eden World.

Otherwise, "Losing means hospitalization, winning means punishment."

This was said by Xing Rui, Qingming thought it made sense.

The "broken bone" incident had a slightly negative impact on Fang Qing's school life; she was somewhat isolated, but at the same time, she gained some peace and quiet.

After news spread that he had broken two of a boy's ribs with an elbow, Qingming became incredibly famous, and no one in the school dared to mess with him.

Qingming was very satisfied with this.

In the second semester of my first year of junior high school, the school sports meet was held.

Qingming easily defeated a group of weaklings without relying on Magic Power enhancement, winning multiple first places.

The PE teacher, holding a stopwatch, started giving her strange looks.

This also greatly increased Fang Qing's popularity at school.

Her classmates, who were initially a little afraid of her, gradually discovered that Fang Qing was actually quite easy to get along with, as long as they didn't touch her body.

Moreover, as long as you feed her what she likes to eat, the girl's normally expressionless face will break into a professional smile.

Qingming was in a good mood that day; she had finally passed her math exam.

This is actually quite difficult. Not only does she need to catch up on the lessons she missed, but she also needs to learn about things like parallel lines and triangles that dazzle her.

Why does this world have to set so many rules for two lines and three angles?

Qingming was filled with resentment.

She was carrying her schoolbag when she ran into Liu Jingshu, who was rushing out of the residential area, as she reached the entrance.

"Your Uncle Zhao was injured on a mission," she said anxiously. "I'm going to the hospital now."

Liu Jingshu glanced at Qingming.

"You still have evening self-study sessions, right? Just grab a bite to eat at the company cafeteria."

Qingming nodded, took a few steps into the residential area, but then felt something was off.

"Is Uncle Zhao's condition very serious?" she asked, turning around.

Liu Jingshu didn't actually know the specifics, but Xiong Yupan sounded very anxious on the phone.

She nodded. "I think so."

"Then I'll go take a look too," Qingming said.

****

The two took a taxi to the hospital.

Several police cars were already parked outside the emergency room.

There were many familiar faces standing in the corridor, and the atmosphere was completely different from what Qingming usually encountered.

Xing Rui was also covered in blood, with gauze on his forehead and a large tear in his right sleeve.

"We were on a mission to track down a group of roving criminals today, and then we suddenly ran into them," he recounted, still shaken. "We were too slow, and Old Zhao got hit on the back of the head with a steel pipe."

Xing Rui could have actually escaped; he was injured while shielding Lao Zhao from several blows.

Nearby reinforcements quickly arrived, and the criminal gang abandoned them and fled the city in panic.

The door to the emergency room suddenly opened.

"Make way! Everyone make way!"

The nurse quickly pushed the hospital bed out.

Zhao Weimin lay there, his eyes closed, his face ashen. His head was wrapped in gauze, an oxygen mask was over his face, and his chest was covered with monitoring electrodes, the monitor beeping urgently.

Several bags of different colored liquids hung on the bed frame, swaying as the hospital bed moved.

Liu Jingshu's face instantly drained of color.

"The patient needs to go for an enhanced CT scan, could you please move him/her?" the nurse said.

Qingming followed.

Liu Jingshu also wanted to go over, but a doctor stopped her, took her to an office, and presented her with a stack of informed consent forms to sign.

"The patient's injury is located in the occipital region."

The doctor hung up the newly released CT scan images.

On the grayish-white cranial image, there is a distinct high-density shadow in the posterior cranial fossa.

"There is acute bleeding here, forming a hematoma. It's located near the cerebellum and brainstem, and is currently causing compression."

He told the truth.

"The patient's condition is critical."

Liu Jingshu was stunned.

She glanced at the form in her hand.

"So, you need to have surgery?"

The doctor said, "The patient's blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory status are also unstable."

"If the condition continues to worsen, surgery must be performed as soon as possible to remove it."

He paused for a moment after saying this.

Please prepare yourself mentally.

Liu Jingshu's hands were shaking so badly that she could barely write her name, but she still read and signed each sheet one by one.

****

After signing the papers, Liu Jingshu returned to the emergency room, only to find the atmosphere there had become somewhat strange.

The doctors in the emergency room weren't as anxious as before; instead, they seemed stunned.

What is your blood pressure?

One hundred and eighteen, seventy-six.

What about heart rate?

"Eighty-two. It's been stable for a few minutes now."

"Consciousness?"

"It's starting to react."

The attending physician frowned.

"That's not right--"

In just over ten minutes, my blood pressure and heart rate stabilized, and my nerve reflexes also improved significantly.

The nurse was unsure whether to continue administering the freshly prepared medication to the patient.

When the enhanced CT scan results came back, the doctor opened them on the computer, and his pupils widened.

Another doctor joined in, and then, like him, fell silent.

"--no."

What about the hematoma in the patient's posterior fossa?

The attending physician retrieved the first CT scan.

The high-density shadow in the posterior fossa was clearly visible, and measured to be more than ten milliliters, which was putting pressure on the adjacent structures.

The doctor suspected that the wrong film had been selected, so he specifically sent a nurse to the radiology department to repeatedly verify the patient's information.

Confirmed.

"That's impossible--"

Intracranial hematomas can be absorbed, but the problem is that it's a process that takes days or weeks, not just a few minutes.

The attending physician examined the patient twice more before finally issuing an order that he found somewhat outrageous, "Change the equipment and perform another head CT scan on the patient."

****

Ultimately, the doctors had no choice but to accept the results and switch Zhao Weimin to conservative treatment, continuing to closely monitor his condition.

He shared the good news with those outside.

Liu Jingshu finally let out a long breath and slumped down on the floor of the hospital corridor.

The branch office leaders came over and, together with Xiong Yupan, helped Liu Jingshu up and sit in a chair.

"Don't worry, Lao Zhao is just a lucky man," the leader reassured him.

This statement, when considered in light of the current situation, is quite persuasive.

Xing Rui inquired about the situation of the criminals under his command.

The branch leader replied quietly that the target had been cornered on a mountain outside the city, and the armed police were searching for him with police dogs.

Liu Jingshu suddenly remembered something.

She looked around and, sure enough, didn't see anyone who should have been there.

Liu Jingshu and Xiong Yupan searched around the restrooms, radiology department, emergency room, and other similar places.

No.

"Where did Fang Qing go?" Liu Jingshu asked, puzzled.

"She probably went home alone," Xiong Yupan. "She has to study tonight."

"Too."