Time slipped by unnoticed and it was already December. In just a few days, the school's final exams would be held, and Lu Shurui and her four children were busy reviewing for the upcoming exams.

Yu Yin also got busy. There were so many reports and summaries to write at the end of the year, and so many invoices to calculate... She wished she had eight hands.

"Xiaoyu, could you please review this document for me? I'm really too busy to handle this."

"I'm sorry, I still have my own work to finish, so I can't help you."

Yu Yin can't set this precedent. She has to do her own work. If she does, it'll never end. You can't help anyone, and in the end, you'll only end up doing a thankless job and offending people. Yu Yin needs to nip this in the bud. No one can help her except for tasks assigned by her superiors.

"Hmph, so he's a top student, but he's not that much faster. He was hoping that if we got another top student, things would be easier for us."

Rejected, the woman muttered to herself as she returned to her seat. Unfortunately, no one paid her any attention; everyone was busy with their own jobs.

As soon as it was time to leave work, Yu Yin handed her completed work to the director, picked up her bag, and left.

She wasn't some clueless newbie in the workplace, nor was she thinking about promotions or making money. She didn't need to curry favor with her colleagues; she just needed to do her job well and mind her own business. Perhaps it was a habit she developed in her later life, but Yu Yin rarely meddled in other people's affairs.

She knew that her personality made her somewhat out of place in this era.

Just like her relationship with her college classmates, they have even less contact after graduation.

When she read novels, the female protagonists would always build up their network of connections after transmigrating, especially among the first batch of college students after the resumption of the college entrance examination. These students were said to have excellent futures, becoming elites in various industries. The female protagonists would cultivate these invisible connections, which were invaluable assets.

Yu Yin didn't know if she counted as the female lead, but she couldn't force herself to make friends. She really couldn't do it. In her four years of university life, the only people she could easily get along with were Zheng Yue and Yang Xiaomei. The others were just nodding acquaintances.

"What are you thinking about, so engrossed?"

Lu Shurui returned to the room and saw Yu Yin standing there in a daze.

"I just think about my personality. It's hard for me to be popular with everyone or have friends all over the world. During my four years of college, I could count the number of people I could keep in touch with on one hand."

"So what? You have friends who can share your hardships, trustworthy business partners, a brother who cares about you, and most importantly, you have me who loves you and four healthy children. Nothing else matters."

Yu Yin's worries were cured, and she fell asleep in Lu Shurui's arms with a smile on her face.

In our busy lives, time flies by. Before we knew it, the children had finished their exams and received their winter break homework. Lu Shurui had also completed a small research project and could now enjoy a relaxing winter break.

Yu Yin still had to get up early for work, but fortunately, Aunt Hu made a delicious breakfast, which gave Yu Yin plenty of energy to head to the bus stop.

The office is no longer as busy as before. The darkest period has passed, and the rest of the time is quite relaxing.

"See? Family planning has been written into the constitution."

Yu Yin hadn't really noticed, mainly because she didn't care about the matter, and since she already knew the outcome, she didn't care when it happened.

"If it's really written into the constitution, will there be no room for maneuver left? If we go against the grain, will we be fined?"

“Fines are the least of it; they’ll get fired from their jobs. My sister-in-law’s older sister works in the family planning office. They issued an official document: anyone who has more children than allowed will be fired.”

Yu Yin looked at the older woman who was speaking. She hadn't expected to find such a way. The information came quite quickly!

Yu Yin and Sister Wang exchanged a glance and did not join their discussion. There were already official documents on this matter, so there was no point in saying anything more.

Meanwhile, at Yu Yin's home, Lu Shuqi was skipping work and pouring out her troubles to Lu Shurui.

"Brother, you have no idea what kind of life I'm living. My wife complains about me, my mother complains about me, I'm caught in the middle, I'm no good either way."

"It's still about family planning. The official document has been issued, so what's the point of Auntie still worrying about it? Besides, your child hasn't been born yet, so who knows if it's a boy or a girl?"

Lu Shurui was also confused. Why make a fuss when life is going so well?

“Brother, this isn’t about boys or girls anymore; it’s a war between two women. They both feel I’m siding with the other and don’t care about them. Tell me, one is my own mother, and the other is my wife, the mother of my child. Whom can I side with?”

Lu Shuqi couldn't understand it either. His mother wasn't like this before. She was very good to her older and younger sisters. He didn't see any preference for sons over daughters. His wife was the same. She used to be so understanding. How did she change after they got married?

“Your mother and your wife were originally strangers, but they only came into contact because of you. You are their bridge. When problems arise, you need to find ways to solve them, not make them confront each other directly.”

“I don’t even know what their point of conflict is. They disagree on everything and can’t reach a consensus. What can I do? No one listens to my advice; they all think I’m taking sides.”

Lu Shurui didn't know how to solve it either; the mother-in-law/daughter-in-law problem is an age-old dilemma. His family was the same, except his mother was in the wrong, and he didn't try to smooth things over. Yinyin was in the right and independent enough that his mother had no way to control her.

After Lu Shuqi and his wife got married, they lived at home and relied on their parents to take care of their child. They became dependent on each other, which made the lawsuit more difficult to win.

"Talk to them separately and see what their demands are. Then, investigate each case one by one based on the specific circumstances. This way, you won't be caught in the middle and won't be a sandwich." Be open and honest, and don't hide anything.

"Okay, I'll catch my breath at your place, and I'll talk to them when I get back tonight."

Lu Shuqi has only been married for a little over a year, so why does he look so exhausted? It seems he's still lucky; his wife, Yinyin, is his greatest blessing. From Yunnan Province to Shanghai, they've worked hard to get closer to each other, and the result is good.

Grandma Lu looked at her exhausted grandson and couldn't understand what her third daughter-in-law was thinking. Didn't she care about her son? What was the point of all this trouble? She should just live her own life. Why did she have to get involved in everything? It was all for nothing.

After dinner, Lu Shuqi walked heavily out of Yu Yin's house and headed towards his own home, but he felt apprehensive and resistant. His home, which he had once found warm and welcoming, a place he longed to return to after get off work, now evoked a desire to escape.

"Why does Shuqi look so pale? Is he having a bad time in his married life?"

"I'm having problems with my mother-in-law and I don't know how to resolve them, so I came here to avoid the storm and catch my breath."

Yu Yin didn't offer any opinion. She also had her own problems with her mother-in-law, and they were now irreconcilable. Yu Yin wouldn't stop Lu Shurui from fulfilling his filial duties and obligations, but she herself wouldn't interfere.

Having never had a mother in either of her lives, she has accepted her fate and given up. She will no longer crave maternal love, and she doesn't even value love from her mother-in-law anymore.

Keep a safe distance, and may we all be well!