Chapter Thirty: You don't know who he is?

"Yaozu, what are you listening to all day long by the wall? Shuyao is much better than Mengxi, but she belongs to someone else now. There's no use in you thinking about her."

He turned around and looked at his mother with a troubled expression. His mother was cooking porridge again, with so many corncobs thrown into the stove, and the fire was burning so brightly, but she didn't care at all.

"Mom, can you keep an eye on the pot? It'll burn again in a minute."

"You little brat, you're still looking down on me. How old are you? I was over thirty when I finally had a son like you. I was hoping to enjoy life later. Look at me now, at my age, I still have to take care of you two."

"Who drove my wife away? If she hadn't left, wouldn't someone have been doing the cooking and laundry?"

"You, you're just siding with that woman. You've forgotten your mother after marrying a wife, you're an unfilial brat. That barren hen, we shouldn't have spent so much money to marry her. Look at Shu Yao, she's had a couple for life, and she hasn't even gotten a fart."

The original conflict between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law has escalated, with the daughter-in-law leaving home, leading to frequent arguments between the mother and son. Sun Yaozu, even more frustrated, got up and went inside.

The Su family next door ate their meal indoors today because of the cooler weather. The two little ones held their own spoons, and she watched over them, helping them practice their eating skills. Su Xiangdong sat next to his son, while she looked after her daughter.

"Xu Xu, son, where are you feeding yourself? Don't you know where your own mouth is? Haha!"

The man laughed as he taught the little guy; he was just too funny. While eating, the spoon kept poking his cheek. So, not only was his mouth covered in food, but his cheeks were too.

"Son, look at your sister. Slow down, don't rush."

In this era of food and drink shortages, few parents are willing to let their children try to eat on their own. Sun Yaozu remembers that in his previous life, his mother and Shu Yao fed him until he was three years old before letting him eat on his own.

He didn't understand Su Xiangdong's thoughts, but after observing for several days, he knew his scheme had completely failed. Su Xiangdong didn't care about what he said at all and continued to treat the mother and her two children as before.

After the autumn harvest, the grain supply decreased again. Many women in the factory were not menstruating, and during the afternoon break, they sat listlessly. Meng Xi gulped down a large tub of warm water.

"My period is two weeks late this month."

Zhou Aili sighed, "Who isn't? I missed my period during my first month of work, and I thought I was pregnant. Turns out I was just starving. You can't afford to get pregnant these days. I can barely support myself, let alone have a child."

Meng Xi knew that many of her coworkers didn't have their periods, and she naturally assumed that was why she didn't. But when Zhou Aili said that, her heart jumped into her throat.

No way? Just that once? How could it be such a coincidence? She's been married to Sun Yaozu for so long and hasn't gotten pregnant. How could she get pregnant with someone else on the first try? She patted her chest inwardly, trying to reassure herself not to be afraid.

Shu Yao started working a regular shift after her child turned one year old, and today she's on the middle shift. During her lunch break, she sits not far away, while Sister Xu and the others next to her open their lunchboxes.

Multigrain porridge is what most people eat, and Shu Yao's is the same. Sister Xu glanced at her, "Girl, your husband's the grain station manager, and he eats this too?"

"Yes. Food is scarce, and he's a Party member, so he's busy every day trying to get more food. Our family is in the same boat as everyone else. Actually, it's a good thing that he doesn't have his period at times like this, otherwise he would get severely anemic."

"Yes, that's what the doctor said too. What about you, do you get your period?"

"It just came once. It started after I weaned, but the flow was very light."

These words were, of course, meant for outsiders. Su Xiangdong might starve himself, but he would never let his wife starve. She wasn't experiencing edema, and her periods were normal after weaning. However, it reminded her that she needed to discuss this with him at home. Sun Yaozu had low sperm count, and she hadn't conceived since giving birth to twins. But Su Xiangdong didn't have low sperm count.

"Let's use contraception first, and then have a second child after these two are over three years old, okay?" Having lived together for so long, she knew Su Xiangdong quite well. Anticipating he wouldn't be angry, and as she expected, he nodded after she finished speaking.

“You’re right.” He kissed his son’s cheek. “Why don’t we not have any more children? These two are fine enough.”

"I'll go to the hospital to get an IUD. We'll talk about it when these stressful days are over."

“Okay.” He nodded, then asked worriedly, “Does it hurt to have an IUD? Will it affect your health? Or should we think of another way?”

"It doesn't hurt." She had worn it in her past life, for three years. Some women aren't suitable for it; it can cause pain or other problems. But she was fine; wearing it didn't bother her at all. This method is convenient, has a high contraceptive rate, and is the most convenient method.

Su Xiangdong accompanied her to the hospital to have an IUD inserted, and only felt relieved after seeing that she was indeed fine. Condoms were very difficult to obtain at this time, and couples with strong relationships often couldn't resist the urge. Now was not the right time to have a child, so this method was indeed quite effective.

He just asked the doctor, who said this is the latest version, and even the provincial hospital doesn't have many. He actually thinks maybe he shouldn't have any more children; pregnancy and childbirth are both incredibly difficult and dangerous for women.

The provincial hospital doesn't currently offer male vasectomy, so contraception is the woman's responsibility. She can either use an IUD or undergo sterilization. Compared to surgery, an IUD is better.

This technology is relatively new, so the doctor repeatedly advised that if any discomfort occurs, please seek medical attention immediately. "Very few people undergo this surgery, so you need to be very careful."

"Okay, I understand."

During that period, there were few methods of contraception, and most people simply gave birth as soon as they became pregnant. This was especially true in smaller cities or rural areas, where people were completely unaware of these methods. They continued having children until menopause. Shu Yao really didn't want to keep having children like that, so she planned to wait until her two children were over three years old before having another child and then undergo sterilization.

She knew her own body all too well; she was extremely fertile. Back then, the doctor said that someone like Sun Yaozu would basically never have a normal child. Yet, she easily conceived twins. During her time with Su Xiangdong, she understood the principles of pregnancy and was always very careful about contraception.

He genuinely cared for her; relationships are never about self-interest. The doctor said pregnancy could occur even without a period, so he was always very careful. Even when aroused, he would restrain himself when not using a condom. He was so good to her; of course, she planned to have his child.

But not now. That's why she's using an IUD for contraception. Her period is almost halfway over, and she'll remove the IUD once it's completely over. She plans to have another child, boy or girl, she loves children. Of course, the main reason is that he's a good partner. They'll take care of the baby together, raising it as a couple, which makes her feel happy.

Shu Yao got an IUD, and after three years, the children will be older, so they can start planning for a second child. Meanwhile, Meng Xi's period hasn't come for a long time, and she's also experiencing other symptoms.

Feeling nauseous and vomiting, and experiencing breast tenderness, she anxiously inquired with Zhou Aili, finally arriving at a conclusion: she was likely pregnant.

Oh no, it felt like the sky had fallen. She'd been hoping and praying at her in-laws' house for a baby with no result, and now, living at her parents' house, she was pregnant. Was God playing a cruel joke on her? This child had come at such an inopportune time.

After several days of anxiety, she decided not to tell anyone. In this day and age, cheating is considered immoral; if people find out, you'll never be able to hold your head up high again.

After work that evening, she was thinking about how to get home safely and pin this mess on Sun Yaozu. Not long after she left, she unexpectedly ran into Wu Erhu, who seemed to have been waiting for her on purpose.

"Xiao Xi,"

"You—" It was the middle of the night, and apart from people rushing home after work, there were no pedestrians on the street. He chose this time to come find her, which showed that he was thinking of her.

"What are your plans?" You've already gone through that with me, and I told you I would take responsibility for you.

"Forget about me," Meng Xi said, beginning to sob, tears streaming down her face. She was pretty and delicate, and her tears made her look even more pitiful. Wu Erhu was clearly distressed and reached out to pull her into his arms in the darkness.

"Don't cry. I'm not trying to make things difficult for you, I just feel sorry for you. Sun Yaozu is clearly not treating you well, do you still want to stay with him?"

Meng Xi had argued with the Sun family several times; of course, she wanted to break away from them. But she was also very clear that the Sun family wouldn't let her go so easily. She couldn't get back the dowry of over three hundred yuan, and she couldn't get a divorce. Moreover, Sun Erhu's family was poor; being with him wouldn't necessarily be better than being with Sun Yaozu.

“Sun Yaozu won’t let me go unless I return the more than three hundred yuan in betrothal gifts he owed.”

When the specifics were mentioned, Wu Erhu became dejected. He had an elderly mother who was seriously ill and a younger brother who was still in school; they were struggling to make ends meet.

“Then give me some time, and I’ll figure something out.” He really liked Meng Xi. “If we drag this out for two years, Sun Yaozu will definitely give up when he can’t afford to wait any longer.”

Two years? She couldn't afford to wait that long herself, let alone now that she'd soon be heavily pregnant and the baby would be even more difficult to raise. The man in front of her was willing but unable; she could only rely on herself.

"We are destined to be apart, so let us part ways here. You should marry someone else, and we..."

Meng Xi cried bitterly, as if she had been cruelly separated from her lover. This filled Wu Erhu with pity, while he harbored deep resentment towards Sun Yaozu. However, he dared not act openly, after all, they were husband and wife. If people found out about his affair, he would definitely lose his job, a price he couldn't afford.

The two broke up, suppressing their grief. The man felt nothing but pity for her and disgust for Sun Yaozu. He got the girl he liked but didn't cherish her; he deserved to die.

If Shu Yao knew his thoughts, she would be both amused and exasperated. Meng Xi has some tricks up her sleeve; she made Sun Yaozu suffer like this in her past life, and she's doing it again in this one. One at home, another hanging around outside.

Shuyao was picked up by her husband that evening; he would always pick her up whenever she was on the afternoon shift. The two children were fast asleep on the kang (a heated brick bed). When Auntie San saw that they had returned, she got up to go back to the east wing to sleep.

"Third Aunt, you don't actually need to watch over them. They're sleeping soundly."

Auntie smiled and said, "It's still more reassuring to keep an eye on things. If she wakes up and rolls around on the floor, it's no joke. It's alright, old people don't need much sleep, and I can rest here too."

"Okay, then you should go to sleep quickly. I'll wash up and go to sleep too."

"Okay. The hot water is on the stove in the kitchen. Go wash up and go to sleep."

Su Xiangdong watched over the child, and she washed up in the kitchen with complete peace of mind. She quickly finished and returned to the room. Seeing that he was still awake, she chatted with him quietly.

"Auntie's stay with us is almost over, right? Will those two brothers come to pick her up then?"

"Probably. Both families have children and need help right now. If it weren't for Auntie San's illness, those two families wouldn't have let her go."

After she finished her skincare routine, she got into bed and snuggled under the covers. He pressed his warm body against hers, letting her place her feet on his stomach to keep them warm. The warmth of his body felt incredibly comforting, and she smiled, her eyes crinkling.

"What will we do if Auntie leaves?"

"Don't worry, I'll just find another one. A distant relative, no one will say anything."

"Then you'll have to look carefully. You need to find someone gentle, patient, and clean."

"Okay." He smiled and hugged his wife, kissing her several times. "Don't worry, I'll keep it in mind and think it over. Let's not talk about this now, let me..."

"Oh, be gentle, why are you in such a hurry? I'm not going to run away." The voice was quickly swallowed up, leaving only the woman's soft moan.

She went to bed late the night before and woke up after nine o'clock the next morning, the sun already high in the sky. She sat up groggily; the man beside her had already gone to work, and her two children had been taken outside to play by her aunt. The yard was quiet, and she slept soundly.

"I wouldn't even dare to imagine this if I lived in the Sun family," she murmured softly, marveling at how carefree and pampered she was. Ample nutrition and plenty of sleep made her look incredibly healthy. Her face was like a peach blossom, her eyes like clear springs; her relaxed lifestyle gave her a beautiful yet slightly naive charm.

She clearly remembered that during this period in her previous life, she weighed less than 80 pounds. She was also severely anemic, which made her skin sallow. She had to take care of the children and serve the three members of the Sun family, getting less than five hours of sleep a day. Her eye bags and dark circles made her look much older than her actual age.

I got up to wash up first, then went outside to find the two children. My aunt told me to watch the children while she went home to cook. The sun was shining brightly today, and the two little ones were having a great time playing.

"Mommy, look, my little car!" Xuxu was playing with a wooden toy car, hauling dirt. Kids just love these things.

"Mommy, I have one too." Yiyi spoke more fluently than her brother, and the little one's voice was soft and sweet, like a sweet rice cake. Her skin was exceptionally good, and her plump and translucent face made anyone want to kiss her.

"Great job!" She praised the children generously, and the two little ones looked at their mother with happy smiles and dug even harder. Xu Xu's body and face were covered in dirt, and even the usually well-behaved Yi Yi had a lot of dirt on her face. Her clothes got dirty from falling, and she had a handful of dirt in her little hands.

When Sun Yaozu came out, he saw this scene. The sight of the mother and her two sons smiling at each other made him frown. He would never mistake this scene for his own; this was definitely not the life he was familiar with.

In her past life, Shu Yao's complexion was sallow, like a flower that had lost its moisture. Dark circles always clung to her eyes, and her gaze was filled with weariness. She would get angry if the children got their clothes dirty while playing, and would never allow them to play in the dirt so freely.

Shu Yao is two-faced; that woman is incredibly hypocritical. She's one way with him, but a completely different way with Su Xiangdong. Look at how radiant her face is; she definitely won't refuse Su Xiangdong's advances in bed at night.

Hmph, did she already have an affair with Su Xiangdong?

He was enraged by his own imagination, as if he had caught them in the act of adultery with his own eyes, his blood boiling. It was lunchtime, and there were few people on the street. He walked a few steps to the mother and her two children.

"Shu Yao,"

What's gotten into you now?

"Tell me honestly, have you been having an affair with Su Xiangdong all along?" He angrily pointed at the two children playing on the ground. "Those two, are they yours and Su Xiangdong's?"

"Of course it's for both of us, I've said that before."

Completely taken aback by Shu Yao's words, Sun Yaozu pointed at her arm, trembling. When she heard about his infidelity, she was utterly disbelieving and heartbroken, and then she fainted. So, she had done something so terrible, keeping it a secret from him her whole life, only finding out now?

"Shu Yao," he stared wide-eyed, shaking his head in disbelief. She had become pregnant with twins not long after their marriage. If these really were Su Xiangdong's children, wouldn't that mean she had been having an affair with Su Xiangdong from the very beginning of their marriage?

"You, you..."

"What do you mean, 'you'? Don't come near me again."

After Shu Yao finished arguing with him, she took the two children's hands and walked away. When she reached the door, she looked back at him; in the sunlight, she could see glistening tears on his face. His eyes were filled with disbelief, as if he had been stabbed, his face contorted with pain.

Seeing him swaying precariously, she felt only relief. She repeatedly told herself to let go of the past, and now that she was happy, she truly didn't dwell on it. But only when the knife was plunged back into him did she feel genuine satisfaction.

He betrayed her, betrayed their marriage, and showed not a shred of remorse when the truth came out. He shamelessly continued to stab her in the back, saying he had never loved her, only considered her a sister. He said he didn't like the child she bore, and he didn't like their family.

Sun Yaozu, you don't know the pain until the knife pierces your skin, do you? Well, now, you'll experience what that feels like. I'm not afraid of you saying I'm a womanizer, because nobody will believe you. You think everyone else is like that just because you're despicable, so I'll just admit it and make you furious.

Unable to think straight for a moment, Sun Yaozu was so angry that he almost fainted. At that critical moment, Meng Xi rushed over and caught him.

"Yaozu, what's wrong with you?"

Having just been stabbed through the heart by Shu Yao, he finally understood what it felt like to discover his partner's betrayal. As he swayed and fell, a pair of gentle hands caught him. Turning around and seeing Meng Xi, he felt as if he had been pulled up from the abyss.

"Meng Xi, thank goodness I still have you."

He swayed unsteadily, and Meng Xi helped him, and they made it safely back to his parents' home. That night, she didn't leave; he held her tightly, refusing to let go. As the night passed, Meng Xi finally felt relieved; she hadn't expected to register her unborn child so smoothly.

The pain from Shu Yao's stabbing was so intense that Sun Yaozu couldn't shake the memory for days. After recovering from the initial shock and agony, he slowly came to understand.

He knew Shu Yao well; she had married willingly back then. While they weren't exactly childhood sweethearts, they were practically inseparable.

Especially Shu Yao's personality, which is absolutely classical. Gentle, kind, respectful, frugal, and virtuous, loyal and faithful—these traditional virtues perfectly embody her. She could never betray him, much less have an affair on their wedding night. Otherwise, in his previous life, Su Xiangdong remained single his entire life, yet the two of them had hardly any interaction.

He had misjudged the situation for a moment; upon reflection, he realized Shu Yao had definitely done it on purpose to annoy him. But none of that mattered now; he told himself he should let go completely. Shu Yao wouldn't acknowledge it as his child, and he didn't care. They were still young; he was waiting to have their own child.

What infuriated him most was that small yellow croaker; he couldn't even spend a single cent on it, which was truly disheartening. He'd tried everything he could, but Shu Yao wouldn't budge. Su Xiangdong also protected her; he was completely at a loss.

He used to be eager to have a child, but now he's not insistent. When his mother brought it up again, he retorted, "In this day and age, how can you raise a child?"

Sun's mother, having been rebuffed by her son, gave Meng Xi a cold shoulder. Normally, Meng Xi might have exploded, but this time she simply cried to her husband, feeling wronged. She didn't say a word; she found that tears could sometimes be quite effective.

"Mother, if you continue like this, then we'll move out."

It's true that her son's words carry weight. Sun Yaozu unleashed his fury, and although his mother's chest ached with anger, she didn't nitpick anymore. Meng Xi counted on her fingers, wondering when would be the right time to explode.

They ate dinner together at the factory that evening, and the smell of the food made her feel nauseous. But she didn't dare show it, covering her mouth and forcing herself to swallow it. She had only just returned to the Sun family home, and it would be at least a month before they noticed something was wrong. If they found out now, it would be all over.

"Meng Xi, why aren't you eating?" Zhou Aili said, shoveling food into her mouth. She had been working all afternoon and was exhausted and hungry. Her mother-in-law had only brought her porridge as usual. And it was really watery; a whole lunchbox of it would be digested in less than half an hour.

"Ah, I haven't had my period for two months because I'm so hungry."

Meng Xi sighed, "You bet I'm pretty much the same."

“You went back to your husband’s family home. Didn’t you say that you wouldn’t be forgiven if Sun Yaozu didn’t apologize to you? He apologized to you and took you back.”

"What else can I do? It's not good to keep living at my parents' house all the time." She avoided the main point, and the other party didn't bring it up again.

"That's true. Ideally, having a baby quickly would be the best way to resolve the conflict between you and your mother-in-law, since the Sun family only has one son, and that's what your mother-in-law cares about most. But now, you're starving..."

Zhou Aili shook her head, glancing at Shu Yao and her coworkers eating nearby. Meng Xi followed her gaze and saw Shu Yao as well, sighing deeply.

"Do you regret it now?"

"It's all my mom's and sister-in-law's fault. They said liver disease is contagious and that you'll die if you get it. Lack of education really kills people. I should have gone to the hospital to ask around. Why did I listen to them?"

"Forget it, what's past is past. There's an old saying, 'Those who are not destined to meet will not be together.' You two are probably just not meant to be."

Zhou Aili stopped talking, but her gaze kept falling on Shu Yao. Many people were bloated from hunger during this period, and didn't actually look thin. Shu Yao, though slender and seemingly frail, actually had a very good complexion. It made sense; Su Xiangdong was in charge of grain, oil, and other food supplies, how could he let his wife go hungry?

Shu Yao wore a light gray top, and her expression was calm with a gentle smile as she spoke to people, making her look gentle and beautiful. Not to mention men, even women would find her attractive.

"If she were hungry and tired, and had to do laundry, cook, and take care of the whole family after a long day at work, I wonder if she would still be able to smile so gently?"

Meng Xi nodded in agreement, but said nothing herself. What was the point of saying anything? Besides, her in-laws would never allow their son to do such a thing.

Morning sickness is awful. Meng Xi didn't even finish the porridge she brought; she felt nauseous and had to pretend she had diarrhea. She was just trying to make the time pass quickly; this was a real problem to cover up.

There were no more buses after work, and it was past midnight, the streets were pitch black. As soon as she stepped out the door, she saw Su Xiangdong pushing his bike, waiting for someone. Meng Xi walked along, still angry. After calming down, she tried to reassure herself: don't rush, don't panic. Once the baby is out, Sun Yaozu will definitely come to pick her up from work.

Saving money—everything else is secondary; only this is real. She's already planned it all out: once the baby is born, she'll try to stop handing over her salary; she wants to be in charge. With the Sun family's blood on her back, she refuses to believe she can't outmaneuver that old hag.

If Shu Yao works the afternoon shift, she will take the bus over, knowing he will pick her up in the evening. The two of them quickly walked past Meng Xi home, and when they arrived at the door, they saw that the Sun family's house was dark.

It's past midnight. In this era without nightlife, this is the time when most people are sound asleep. Meng Xi isn't the only one walking home alone; getting out of a warm bed and braving the cold wind late at night is indeed a big challenge.

After parking his car, Su Xiangdong went to the kitchen to get her water to wash up. He also made her a cup of malted milk powder so she could drink it and sleep better.

“I can come back by myself, but this will disturb your rest.”

He smiled and handed her a towel, saying, "I can't sleep if you don't come back."

It's unsafe for a single woman to walk home alone so late. He might genuinely be too busy, but if he had the time, he'd definitely pick up his wife.

The middle shift quickly turned into the night shift, and he started delivering her every night again. When she went out that evening, Meng Xi had just left as well. Today, it was actually Sun Yaozu who rode his bike to take her. In the dim moonlight, Meng Xi looked over with a smug expression. But she found that Shu Yao hadn't noticed her at all; the couple had already gotten on the back seat and ridden away.

"See? Su Xiangdong picks me up and drops me off every day."

Sun Yaozu yawned, "I came to see you off too. Hurry up and get in the car. It's freezing!"

Having to take his wife home even though he wasn't working the night shift, Sun Yaozu felt both cold and irritable. He was the only child in his family, pampered and protected by his parents and Shu Yao since childhood. He didn't mind spending money on Meng Xi's tenderness and affection, but this kind of late-night pick-up and drop-off was truly a test for him.

"Aren't you cold? I have to go to work in the cold wind too." Meng Xi sat in the back seat. "If I were pregnant, would you pick me up and drop me off every day?"

"Of course!" Sun Yaozu perked up a bit when the topic of children came up. "If you get pregnant, I'll definitely take care of you."

Taking my wife to work in the freezing cold was really tough, but I ran into her coworkers at the factory gate, and they all praised me. I felt incredibly satisfied.

"I'll give it to you again tomorrow."

How could he not know about these benefits? No wonder Su Xiangdong picked him up and dropped him off every day. So that's why these women praised him so highly, their eyes full of envy. Having benefited from this for the first time, he braved the cold and got out of bed the next day to continue.

The weather was getting colder, and Su Xiangdong was away on a business trip. That evening, Shu Yao rode her bike to work, leaving a few minutes early on purpose. The bike had just been serviced by Su Xiangdong and rode very smoothly.

In the pitch black, she held a flashlight and rode her bicycle very carefully. As she turned a corner, she noticed something on the ground and immediately slowed down. A large bulge was visible against the wall in the darkness, but she couldn't see what it was. She wanted to leave quickly and avoid trouble.

Even after the car drove away, she still couldn't rest easy and turned back. This time, under the flashlight's beam, it was very clear—it was a person. Could they be drunk so late at night? With that thought, she quickly returned. It wouldn't be good for them to be out all night drunk in this cold weather.

It looked like it was going to snow; if she stayed outside overnight, she'd definitely freeze solid. Ignoring her fear, she quickly returned to the car when lives were at stake.

"Comrade, comrade," she called out as she reached out to help. When she turned the person over and revealed their face, she paused, stunned. The person looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't quite place where she'd seen them before. Moreover, their face and figure were very youthful, probably not even twenty years old. They were as thin as sticks; she, a woman, could easily pull them.

"Comrade, wake up, wake up!" The man remained unresponsive, his breathing very weak. They initially thought he was drunk, but upon closer inspection, they couldn't smell any alcohol. If it wasn't alcohol, then it might be anemia or something similar; getting him to the hospital was the priority.

Although the man was very thin, it was still somewhat difficult for her, a woman, to lift him up easily. Just then, Sun Yaozu and the others arrived, and in this life-or-death situation, she asked for help.

"Please do me a favor and take this person to the hospital."

Sun Yaozu paused for a moment, but his words were extremely cold: "Mind your own business."

Meng Xi rolled her eyes. "Exactly. Let's hurry up, or we'll get fined for being late. They're rich and don't care, but we can't afford to be late."

The couple just left like that? Shu Yao glared angrily. How come she didn't know Sun Yaozu was so cold-blooded? She thought he was just selfish, but selfishness to this extent was truly indescribable.

She tried her best to help him, but he was too unconscious to get on the bicycle. She couldn't get a water bottle out of her bag to feed him. The bottle contained sugar water to quickly replenish his sugar levels.

"Drink some water, wake up, wake up and I'll take you to the hospital."

She wasn't sure if he was suffering from low blood sugar from hunger, but sugary water wouldn't hurt him anyway. And as soon as she fed him the sweet drink, he consciously swallowed it, so she quickly fed him more.

After drinking more than half of the pot of sugar water, the man finally opened his eyes. Under the flashlight's light, his eyes shone like cold, clear stars in the sky.

"Comrade, you're finally awake! Can you move? Get up, I'll take you to the hospital."

His mouth tasted sweet, a flavor he hadn't experienced in a long time. The woman before him was full of concern, her gentle and warm demeanor making him feel deeply attached to her.

"I,"

At this moment, Sun Yaozu returned on his bicycle and this time clearly saw the man's face. He stopped his bicycle in front of Shu Yao and warned her.

"You don't know who he is?"

Shu Yao asked in surprise, "Should I know?"

Sun Yaozu sneered, "I'm just giving you a friendly reminder: mind your own business."

"What exactly are you trying to say? Can you please stop being so vague?"

"I've already warned you, it's your business if you want to get involved."

Sun Yaozu rode away on his bicycle, and Shu Yao snorted coldly. "Who does he think he is?"

She helped the man on the ground: "Can you get up? I'll take you to the hospital."

The man was ashen-faced and trembling all over with the slightest movement. "Leave me alone, let me fend for myself."

"Why are you saying such discouraging things, kid? Get up and come with me to the hospital right now, stop talking nonsense."

He was trembling as she helped him to the back seat, and he said with a troubled expression, "I don't have money to go to the hospital. Thank you for the sugar water earlier, I can go home by myself."

"Don't move." Shu Yao stopped him. "I finally got you to sit down. Let's go to the hospital to check on things first. Don't worry about the money."

She insisted he sit on the back, then rode with him. As they rode, she felt even more sorry for him; he was such a pitiful person. A man so light, she carried him effortlessly.

She went to the hospital emergency room late at night, and after the examination, it was as she expected. The doctor took off his mask but didn't write a prescription; instead, he wrote a note for nutritional supplements. And the so-called supplements were just soybeans.

"Severe malnutrition, if possible, buy some soybeans to supplement it. You can stir-fry them or boil them."

"Okay, thank you, doctor."

She learned during the registration process that the man was twenty years old. He looked like a thin man of seventeen or eighteen, but he was actually an adult and worked at an ironworks in the east of the city.

The checkup didn't cost much; the slip of paper allowed him to buy soybeans. Seeing her preparing to leave, he quickly stood up from his chair. But in that instant, he felt dizzy and stumbled. Shu Yao reacted quickly, rushing to support him. In later times, this situation would require intravenous nutrition. But such things weren't available at this time.

"Where do you live? I'll take you home first."

"Willow Branch Lane in the South of the City." He was helped out of the house, his eyes no longer numb and cold. "Sister, thank you for helping me today. I'll go home by myself; you'll be late for work."

"It's nothing." Since he's already late, he might as well skip work today. She wasn't comfortable letting him go home alone like this; what if he fainted somewhere again? Besides, when she checked him earlier, she saw many old scars on his body. They looked like burns or injuries from being hit.

"Sister, you really don't need to see me off, I can get back by myself."

Shu Yao didn't speak, but first took out the lunch she had brought from her bag. Opening the lunchbox, she found a box of multigrain porridge. The porridge was very thick and made with generous amounts of ingredients. It looked ordinary, but it actually contained jujubes.

"Eat your food first, then I'll take you home."

Zhou Dalin's eyes welled up with tears, and he quickly looked up to hide them. Why was this complete stranger being so kind to him? He had never seen anyone care about him like this before.

"I'm a jinx, please don't be so nice to me. I... I can go home by myself, I'm leaving now."

"well,"

Shu Yao grabbed the person and pulled them back. There was a table over there where they could eat. "Why are you running? What 'jinx'? That's all feudal superstition. If anyone says that about you again, you can sue them. Stop talking about that and eat your food first. You're starving, or we'll have to send you back to jail."

The lunchbox was already opened, and she shoved a spoon into his hand. "Eat quickly, we'll talk about whatever's left after you've finished."

In such famine-stricken times, anyone willing to give you a lunchbox of porridge is an absolute saint. Zhou Dalin, who had been holding back his tears for so long, finally couldn't hold them back any longer, and they fell drop by drop into the lunchbox. He quickly wiped away his tears and lowered his head to eat the porridge spoonful by spoonful.

This was the first time in his life he had ever tasted such delicious porridge. It was soft, sticky, sweet, and fragrant with the aroma of red dates. The warm porridge flowed down his throat, warming his stomach, his body, and his heart.

Porridge is a food that raises blood sugar very quickly, and is absolutely forbidden for dieters in later generations. But in this era of hunger, for someone who had fainted from hunger, a bowl of porridge was nothing short of a life-saving meal. After finishing a bowl, as the steam rose, the weakness and palpitations caused by hunger were alleviated.

"Let's go, I'll take you home."

"Sis, I can really do it myself."

"Let's go, I'm fine anyway." Shu Yao was still a little worried; she had just weighed him and he only weighed around 80 kilograms. At about 1.75 meters tall, that weight was incredibly light. She couldn't guarantee a box of porridge wouldn't make him faint again.

Shu Yao insisted on riding her bike to take him home, but he stopped at the alley entrance. "My home is right there."

"Okay. Then be careful."

Before this, he was a complete stranger, whose name she didn't even know; this was all she could do. Turning her bike around to leave, she felt uneasy thinking about his scars and current situation.

"Dalin," he began, but hesitated, unsure of where to begin.

"..." His gaze was uneasy, and he desperately tried to hide his toes inside, hoping she wouldn't see how badly his shoes were broken.

Who else is in your family?

"It's just me and my father."

"Is your father sick or something...? I'm not being nosy, I'm just worried about you. Here's what I'll do, I'll leave you an address, you can come to me if you run into trouble."

The child looked so pitiful, reminding her of her son. He's still a child at such a young age; life is hard for a child without a mother.

His eyes, which had just dried, welled up with tears again, and Zhou Dalin became emotional once more. Shu Yao didn't ask any further questions and simply gave him her home address.

"You can come to me if you run into trouble. Well, I'll be going now."

She pushed the bike around, and he stood there, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably. She was already out of sight. His agitated emotions subsided slightly, and he realized how late it was. He immediately turned and chased after her.

"Sister," he knew her name was Shu Yao and that she worked in the dyeing and printing workshop of the No. 2 Cotton Mill. It was so late, he couldn't let the girl go home alone; he had to take her to the factory gate.

"What are you doing?" He hadn't run out far when he heard her panicked voice. His heart tightened, and he quickened his pace.

"Who are you from? I've never seen you before." The familiar male voice, tinged with obvious drunkenness, made his heart skip a beat. He ran up to him with lightning speed.