“This is my friend, Li Sen,” Yang Cheng answered quickly, instinctively grabbing Li Sen’s sleeve, his throat tightening.

"Oh, he's Xiaocheng's... friend." Gao Xiao'e looked at the man in front of her, who was almost the same age as her, with a strange expression. She couldn't understand why her son would have such a friend.

He doesn't usually like to play with boys his own age.

Remembering that she still had to pay medical bills, she said a few words to her son and hurriedly went outside.

After Qin Xiaoxiao left, Yang Qingheng didn't go home. Instead, she took the packet of powder Qin Xiaoxiao had given her to a small clinic: "Master, could you please take a look at the ingredients of this medicine?"

The experienced chef carefully examined the sample and even tasted it before answering.

Yang Qingheng asked seriously, "Will pregnant women have problems if they eat this?"

The old doctor adjusted his reading glasses: "I wouldn't give a small amount, but why are you giving this medicine to a pregnant woman?" He squinted, scrutinizing Yang Qingheng's face.

Yang Qingheng shook her head: "It's nothing. My older sister is pregnant, but she has trouble urinating. I heard from others that this remedy works, so I wanted to buy some to try."

The experienced chef's expression relaxed: "It's alright, just add one gram per meal, and it will be smooth after a few days."

These days, medicines aren't strictly regulated, and everyone has their own folk remedies, so he didn't have any doubts.

Yang Qingheng breathed a slight sigh of relief, gave a little money as a token of appreciation, and left with the medicine powder.

Back home, as she entered the courtyard, Yang Qingheng saw her mother-in-law coming out with two bowls. Surprised, she asked, "Whose celebration is this today?"

No one was well-off. If you went to someone's house for a meal, you had to bring your own bowl. If you were well-off, you would give a small gift of 50 cents, and if you weren't well-off, you would bring a few eggs, which would also count as a gift.

Yao Ying chuckled and gave her a nudge: "It's not a happy occasion. It's just that things have been busy in the village for a while now, and the village chief said he wanted to celebrate by holding a banquet in the village."

Yang Qingheng disliked these kinds of occasions and wanted to refuse.

“Work points have already been deducted per person, and they won’t be refunded if you don’t go,” Yao Ying added.

Yang Qingheng hesitated for a moment, then tidied herself up and followed her out the door.

"Oh, you still have the nerve to come here." Huo Xiuxiu couldn't hold back her mockery when she saw her.

Yang Qingheng said strangely, "Why am I too ashamed to come? You're so ugly, yet you dare to go out. I'm so beautiful, so don't come out and show off."

Huo Xiuxiu choked, paused for a few seconds, and then burst out laughing: "Pretty? So what if you're pretty? Everyone knows that Song Hengjue dislikes you for flirting with other women all the time and being so shady. He hasn't come back in ages."

“Her husband hasn’t been back for a long time, Xiuxiu, why are you still hurting her feelings like this? Even if you’re just straightforward, you should tone it down a bit.” Li Jiaoyan, “understanding”, came over to speak up for Yang Qingheng.

Yang Qingheng raised an eyebrow: "You two young ladies are so keen on prying into other people's family affairs? How did you know Hengjue wasn't back? What? Did I invite you to my house to eavesdrop?"

Who would go and eavesdrop on a couple's conversation outside their house? If word gets out, how will they ever be able to face anyone again?

Huo Xiuxiu was furious and glared at Yang Qingheng: "Yang Qingheng, how can you be so shameless!"

"Oh, I didn't hear that. I thought you two were only interested in this." Yang Qingheng said meaningfully.

Huo Xiuxiu's face turned ashen. Just as she was about to curse, she suddenly clutched her stomach and dry heaved, tears welling up in her eyes.