Fu Ya felt a warmth in her heart and was about to speak when she heard a familiar laugh coming from the kitchen: "Sister-in-law, you're finally back! Come to the inner room and lie down. I'll get you a bowl of chicken soup; drink it while it's hot."

Wang Ping came out of the kitchen, holding an apron in her hand, her face full of a hearty smile.

Fu Ya thanked her: "Thank you, sister-in-law, I'm always troubling you!"

"Oh, don't say that, you should go lie down on the bed."

Fu Ya stopped insisting and went into the inner room. The inner room was warm because of the heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed), and as soon as she entered, she immediately felt the difference from the outside world.

She took off her outer clothes and got onto the kang (a heated brick bed). Rong Lianhu put his daughter next to her, then turned around and went out to unload the things from the car and put them in the house. He told Fu Ya, "Go return the car," and then turned around and went out again.

Wang Ping brought over the chicken soup: "Here, sister-in-law, drink it while it's hot."

She not only had chicken soup in her hand, but also a clean rag and chopsticks. She handed the rag to Fu Ya to hold before handing her the bowl.

Having troubled her so much, Fu Ya stopped being polite and took the chicken soup, gently blowing on it before taking a sip. A warm sensation instantly flowed from her throat to her stomach. She said softly, "Sister-in-law's cooking is still the best; the chicken soup is always so delicious."

Wang Ping smiled and waved her hand: "Don't praise me, this is all family business, no need to be so polite! You should drink more while it's hot to nourish your body."

Fu Ya nodded and continued drinking the chicken soup, feeling warm inside.

After Fu Ya finished drinking, she helped her tidy up, took off her apron and said, "You should rest well. You don't have to work these few days. If you need anything, just have Zhiyuan call me."

"Okay, thank you, sister-in-law!"

Wang Ping waved and left.

After she left, Fu Ya fed Rong Jiaojiao one more time before lying down to rest.

Perhaps because she felt more at ease at home, she slept until noon without waking up, and only woke up when Rong Lianhu called her.

They didn't have much food at home; there was only stir-fried cabbage and pork with vermicelli on the table.

Two white steamed buns and a bowl of chicken soup were prepared for Fu Yaduo, while the three of them ate multigrain steamed buns.

The food was already laid out on the kang (heated brick bed), and Rong Lianhu said, "Eat quickly, today's meal was made by the three of us together."

Fu Ya was taken aback. She knew her eldest son could cook, but since coming here last year, she hadn't let them cook because she felt sorry for him. She never expected to be eating their cooking again.

Rong Lianhu noticed that she was upset and patted Fu Ya's arm, saying, "Eat up. Our son is capable and filial. We'll be able to enjoy our retirement from now on."

Fu Ya looked at her two sons, who were looking at her with expectant eyes. She nodded and held back the tears welling up in her eyes.

She and her husband owed their two children a great deal. She met her husband on the battlefield. During the war, Rong Lianhu was wounded. She was a field medic, and she carried and dragged the wounded Rong Lianhu from the battlefield back to the rear, saving his life.

They met and fell in love, and naturally came together. They later had two sons, but in 1952, their unit was sent to North Korea.

She was worried about her husband, and because the war required doctors, she resolutely entrusted her two young sons to her husband's parents in his hometown.

At that time, her eldest son was only three years old and her youngest son was just over one year old. She left behind a lot of gold, silver and banknotes, hoping that they would treat their children well.

At the time, my parents-in-law readily agreed, saying they would treat the children well, raise them properly, ensure they were well-fed and clothed, and send them to school.

Fu Ya thought that they were Rong Lianhu's parents and brothers after all, and with this gold and silver, they wouldn't treat the two children too badly. So she left with mixed feelings of joy and worry.

This departure lasted for more than five years, until last year when they withdrew from North Korea and returned to their post in Northeast China.

They were gone for several years without any news. Only after the troops were all settled did the couple ask for leave to go home.

They wanted to know the truth about their child's situation back home, so they returned without informing their family beforehand.

Their hometown was in the countryside, hundreds of kilometers away from their post. The two returned home weary from their journey, only to hear shouting and cursing before they even entered the house.

Fu Ya would never forget what she heard and saw that day. A woman's shrill voice cursed, "Two useless things! All you do is eat all day long, you can't even cook a meal, all you do is cause me trouble!"

"Rong Zhigao, you good-for-nothing! You're nine years old and you still can't even cook a proper dish. What good are you? You're not allowed to eat lunch!"

"And you, Rong Zhiyuan, you little brat, you can't even watch a seven-year-old child properly, and you let him fall down, why don't you just die!"

Fu Ya wanted to rush in when she heard her child's name, but Rong Lianhu grabbed her and said with red eyes, "Don't rush, I want to see how they treat my child."

The villagers who had come to watch the commotion exchanged bewildered glances. They knew the two children weren't doing well, but they hadn't expected it to be this bad. And now, their parents had witnessed it all firsthand. This was going to be quite a show, and some were already looking forward to it.

An old woman's voice came: "Alright, eldest daughter, it's more important to eat and get out of bed. Let them go hungry for a day as punishment."

"Hmph, you got off easy."

"Grandma, I don't want to eat anymore, but please give my little brother some, otherwise he won't be able to handle it."

"Oh, Grandma can't do anything about it. It's your own fault for not doing your job properly."

"Grandma, I will do my job well. I have washed my younger brother and sister's clothes and diapers. Please give my brother some food. Grandma, can Zhigao kowtow to you?"

The shrill female voice rang out again: "Still want to eat? I'll beat you to death, you beast born of a mother but raised by no father..."

Harsh curses were mixed with the child's terrified cries.

"Auntie, please don't hit my brother! I won't eat anymore! I won't eat anymore! Please don't hit my brother..."

Fu Ya was in tears, feeling heartbroken. Rong Lianhu, his eyes bloodshot, could no longer hold back and kicked open the door, rushing inside. Fu Ya followed closely behind, rushing into the house. The scene before her eyes made her heart ache.

Rong Zhiyuan knelt on the ground, his thin body trembling, his face covered in tears, while Rong Zhigao was being pressed hard to the ground by a woman, who held a stick as thick as a finger high in her hand, about to strike Rong Zhigao's small body. The two children cried so hard they could hardly breathe.

Rong Lianhu kicked the woman to the ground. Fu Ya rushed to check on the child and was filled with guilt and heartache when she saw the child covered in old and new injuries.

Quickly check their wounds, tear open the new cloth you brought back to give to the Rong family, and bandage the two children.

The woman was taken aback when she saw Rong Lianhu and Fu Ya suddenly barge in, then her face showed impatience: "Who are you? What are you doing in my house?"

Rong Lianhu's face turned ashen. He grabbed the woman by the collar and roared, "How dare you treat my son like this?"