Shi Zhen knew it was his birthday today.

But he didn't want to trouble others, so he didn't mention it and just cooked himself some noodles in the morning.

He never expected Guan Baiyu to come all the way to celebrate his birthday... Shi Zhen stared at the cake, a little stunned: "How did you know it was my birthday today?"

“Brother, you mentioned it once before,” Guan Baiyu said. He had asked Shi Zhen when they first met.

Shi Zhen didn't remember when he said it, but Guan Baiyu remembered it and was quite happy.

In his past life, Guan Baiyu would also celebrate his birthday.

After his mother passed away, no one celebrated his birthday anymore. With limited financial resources, the adults didn't have time to think about their child's birthday.

So when Guan Baiyu celebrated his birthday for the first time, he was deeply moved.

He was just as touched, and took a deep breath to hide it: "Why did you buy a cake? It's not that complicated for a birthday."

After saying that, he realized his words were a bit awkward and, fearing Guan Baiyu might be unhappy, added, "Xiaoyu, it's not that I don't like it, I..."

"Brother, weren't you guys supposed to take a break this afternoon? Isn't it about time? Shall we eat cake together?"

"Okay." Shi Zhen nodded, then suddenly realized he was a little dirty and immediately said, "I'm going to wash my hands!"

To make mixing cement easier, Shi Zhen brought over a water tap early in the morning. He wasn't afraid of the cold and washed his hands and face directly with cold water.

Liang Qinxuan then got out of the parked van and immediately asked, "Xiaoyu, is your brother building houses for someone? Is it very hard work?"

After he finished speaking, he saw Shi Ting again.

Today, Shi Ting was busy carrying bricks and sifting sand, and she looked dusty all over, except for her big, bright eyes, which were staring intently at... the cake.

Liang Qinxuan swallowed hard: "Xiaoyu, your sister... has to do this kind of work?"

When Guan Baiyu saw Shi Ting's expression, he knew that his brother was probably "lecturing" Shi Ting again.

He felt that Shi Ting had some problems, such as not being able to hold onto money... but many kids are like that, and he didn't know why his brother always wanted Shi Ting to change.

After realizing his feelings for Shi Zhen, his earlier jealousy towards Shi Ting disappeared, and he even began to feel sorry for Shi Ting.

“My brother has very high expectations for Tingting,” Guan Baiyu said.

“Your brother is really generous! If I had such a beautiful little sister…” When Liang Qinxuan mentioned his little sister, he thought of the baby at home who was always crying, and he immediately lost his mood to continue.

After being detained in the detention center for two months, Chen Shaojin was sent to a juvenile detention center and has not been released yet.

Of course, his father played a significant role in this.

These past few months, his father and stepmother's relationship has been strained, and his younger sister has been unwell and often cries.

Fortunately, she no longer cries until her face turns blue, and she even looks a little chubby.

"Brother Baiyu, is today my brother's birthday?" Shi Ting asked Guan Baiyu.

“Yes,” Guan Baiyu said.

Shi Ting was a little embarrassed: "I've forgotten... I always forget."

"Write it down in a notebook from now on, so you won't forget it," Guan Baiyu said.

Shi Ting nodded earnestly: "Yes! I always forget my own birthday, I must remember it from now on!"

She must remind her brother to buy her a cake before her birthday.

After saying that, Shi Ting looked at the cake again: "Brother Bai Yu, is this a cake?"

“Yes,” Guan Baiyu said.

Shi Ting swallowed hard: "I've never had cake before!"

"I'll give you the biggest piece later," Guan Baiyu said.

When Shi Zhen returned, he heard these words and gave Shi Ting a sour look.

Guan Baiyu used to give him the biggest one.

It was now time for everyone to rest in the afternoon, so Shi Zhen called Shi Daniu and the others down to eat cake.

Guan Baiyu bought this cake from the best cake shop in Changxi City. It cost thirty yuan. Not only did it look beautiful, but it also came with plastic cutlery, candles, and paper plates.

Shi Ting saw the candles and cutlery and liked them very much. She kept fiddling with them and asked when they could eat.

Liang Qinxuan said, "You have to light the candles first, then make a wish, blow out the candles, and only then can you eat! Oh, and you have to sing the birthday song too."

Liang Qinxuan was very familiar with this process; he remembered that he always ate cake on his birthday.

He also often invited many people to his home to celebrate his birthday.

The experienced Liang Qinxuan guided Shi Zhen and the others through the procedures and urged Shi Zhen to make a wish.

Shi Zhen didn't believe in this in his past life and was always perfunctory, but this time he put his hands together and made a wish.

He wished his family good health, and that Guan Baiyu would have a smooth life, getting whatever he wanted.

Shi Ting cut out the cake.

She wouldn't let go of the plastic knife, so I let her cut it.

As soon as she arrived, she cut a large piece for Shi Zhen, and then cut pieces for Guan Baiyu, Liang Qinxuan, and the six workers.

When it was her turn, the cake she cut for herself was not small, but not as big as Shi Zhen's.

"I won't eat this, Tingting, you eat it," Shi Daniu said.

Shi Zhen said, "Tingting can't eat too much, you can try it."

After Shi Zhen offered a few words of advice, Shi Daniu cautiously picked up a paper plate and ate the cake. After taking two bites, he said, "This cake is really delicious. I'll buy one for my son's birthday in the future."

Shi Zhen: "..."

Shi Duofu, however, was different. He asked Guan Baiyu, "Where did you buy this cake?"

Upon learning that the cake was bought in Changxi City, Shi Duofu sighed.

Cakes, with their high calorie content and sweetness, are incredibly delicious for people in this era.

Anyway, everyone likes it.

There were many of them, and after dividing the cake, only a small piece was left. Shi Ting kept it, saying she wanted to give it to Shi Dalin to take back.

Shi Ting had finished her cake, so she used a knife to scrape off the cream stuck to the cake box and ate it until it was completely clean.

Shi Zhen and Guan Baiyu both knew that she was just greedy, but Liang Qinxuan, watching from the side, felt particularly sorry for her.

It's obvious at a glance that this child has been mistreated at home.

Well, it's not necessarily that they were mistreated, it's just that their family was poor... Sigh, Shi Zhen and his sister have had it so tough!

Thinking this, Liang Qinxuan saw Shi Ting collecting the unlit candles and the forks that everyone had used and washing them clean, clearly intending to take them back.

Another good child like Guan Baiyu, who is poor but frugal and resilient!

After Shi Zhen finished eating the cake, Guan Baiyu took the bicycle off the van and gave it to Shi Zhen: "Brother, this is my birthday present for you."

"Why did you buy me a bicycle?" This bicycle costs several hundred yuan.

Guan Baiyu said, "Brother, didn't you say you wanted to buy one?"

"This will cost a lot of money..."

“I have money now!” Guan Baiyu said.

Shi Ting looked at Guan Baiyu with admiration. Her Baiyu-ge was so handsome!

Shi Zhen knew that Guan Baiyu was now wealthy, so he didn't refuse the bicycle.

The bicycle was black, the kind of model that men often rode these days. Shi Zhen touched it and seemed quite fond of it.

This was a gift from Guan Baiyu.

Unfortunately, Guan Baiyu was leaving after giving the gift—he had to go to school in Changxi City. After seeing Guan Baiyu off, Shi Zhen felt a sense of emptiness.

When Guan Baiyu and Liang Qinxuan returned to Changxi City this time, they went straight to the school.

The two parted ways after arriving at school.

Guan Baiyu first went back to his dormitory to put down his things, then carried his homework to the classroom and started doing the problems.

The students in their experimental class are all very passionate about learning. Many of them, like him, come to school early to study. Some students live far away and don't even go home for long weekends.

Guan Baiyu was very busy this weekend and hadn't finished his homework. He only started working on it now. Just as he was working, his deskmate came over and said, "Guan Baiyu, I heard you went out to work this weekend?"

"Work?" Guan Baiyu asked, puzzled.

Guan Baiyu's deskmate said, "Someone said they saw you working on a sewing machine at a small workshop outside on the weekend."

Guan Baiyu recalled the incident when she ran into her classmate on Saturday while working on pencil case samples.

That person clearly misunderstood.

But it's nothing... Guan Baiyu didn't refute it.

Guan Baiyu's deskmate felt a little sorry for him: "You have to study and work at the same time, isn't it hard?" He initially thought Guan Baiyu wasn't poor, but now he had accepted the fact that Guan Baiyu was poor.

Guan Baiyu smiled and said, "It's not hard work."

Meanwhile, Shi Zhen and the others also returned home.

Shi Dashan hasn't returned yet, but Zhao Qiujuan and Zhao Meiyun are there, and they've already prepared a sumptuous dinner.

Upon seeing Shi Zhen, Zhao Meiyun looked embarrassed and said cautiously, "Zhen, you're back?"

"Aunt Zhao, has Dongjuan's matter been resolved?" Shi Zhen asked.

Zhao Meiyun was a little nervous, her face flushed red: "Not...not yet."

These past two days have been quite difficult for Zhao Meiyun.

When Zhao Dongjuan returned yesterday, she was happy to see her daughter, but she was stunned when she heard that her daughter wanted a divorce.

Although she didn't like Wang Zugen, they didn't get divorced right after getting married!

When the Wang family came knocking on her door, she was at a loss and asked Shi Dalin for advice.

Shi Dalin did indeed speak up at the time, telling Zhao Dongjuan that she either had to go back with the Wang family or return the betrothal gifts to them.

But her youngest daughter was unwilling, and the Wang family also felt that returning only the bride price was not enough, and demanded that they return 10,000 yuan plus the three gold pieces they had previously bought for Zhao Dongjuan.

Since the Wang family refused to leave, Zhao Meiyun took advantage of the moment when Shi Dalin locked up the color TV and asked Zhao Qiujuan to ask Shi Zhen for help.

As soon as Zhao Qiujuan left, Shi Dalin also left with Shi Ting.

Her husband was gone just like that... Zhao Meiyun felt like the sky was falling, and all she could do was cry.

It was Zhao Dongjuan who was really capable; she was able to stand up to seven or eight members of the Wang family all by herself—Wang Zugen's sister and brother-in-law also came.

Last night, things actually got quite chaotic. When Zhao Qiujuan went back, the police arrived and it took a lot of persuasion to get the Wang family to leave.

That night, Zhao Meiyun cried to Zhao Qiujuan all night, saying that she was unlucky to have such an unfilial daughter.

Although Zhao Qiujuan is gentle by nature, she has long harbored resentment towards her younger sister Zhao Dongjuan over the years.

She couldn't say anything in front of Zhao Dongjuan, but seeing Zhao Meiyun like this, she couldn't help but say: "If you really don't like her, then kick her out."

Zhao Meiyun said, "Others will talk about me."

“Who would say anything about you?” Zhao Qiujuan said. “It’s them who come here to cause trouble every day; that’s the real embarrassment. The Wang family might even come after you and demand 10,000 yuan in compensation.”

After Zhao Meiyun started embroidering sweaters, her savings skyrocketed, but ten thousand yuan... that's way too much!

This morning, Zhao Qiujuan didn't go to her stall. She discussed it with Zhao Meiyun for a long time, first tricking Zhao Dongjuan into going out, then locking the front door of the house and running away.

They ran over to Shi Zhen's side.

Zhao Dongjuan was a little afraid of Shi Zhen and didn't dare to cause trouble for him; they knew about this.

“Ah Zhen, I have no other choice,” Zhao Meiyun looked at Shi Zhen and began to wipe away her tears. “The Wang family is too fierce.”

Zhao Qiujuan was a little better than Zhao Meiyun: "Azhen, I'm really sorry, but my mother doesn't want Dongjuan to come back. Dongjuan's matter has nothing to do with us... Could you please ask the Wang family not to come looking for us?"

Zhao Meiyun stared longingly at Shi Zhen.

Shi Ting's mannerisms are somewhat influenced by Zhao Meiyun.

Shi Zhen said, "It's easy to tell the Wang family not to come looking for you. But if you continue to help Zhao Dongjuan and continue to associate with her, I can only manage for a while, not forever."

Zhao Meiyun was taken aback.

Zhao Qiujuan assured him, "Azhen, we promise we won't associate with Dongjuan anymore."

Seeing that Zhao Meiyun remained silent, Zhao Qiujuan said, "Mom, Dongjuan has so much money in her hands, has she ever bought you anything? Do you still want to get into trouble because of her?"

“I… Zhen, I will no longer have any contact with Dongjuan,” Zhao Meiyun said.

After she finished speaking, she felt a sense of relief for some reason.

People like Zhao Meiyun are actually quite common.

Despite being cheated so badly by their son, Shi Daniu and his wife were even beaten by him once for refusing to give him money... In the end, they still worked hard to pay off their son's debts.

But it's better for Zhao Meiyun to have this attitude than not to have it at all.

Shi Zhen said, "I'll bring some people with me to go to the Wang family later to explain this matter clearly."

If Zhao Dongjuan doesn't repay the money, the Wang family will definitely not let it go, and Zhao Dongjuan is unlikely to repay the money...

Only by severing ties with Zhao Dongjuan can their family extricate themselves from this matter.

Otherwise, it would be quite annoying if the Wang family came to their house every day.

Moreover, if the Wang family really went all out, when his father or Zhao Qiujuan was setting up their stall, they would stand by and talk badly about their family to everyone they met... and then his father and Zhao Qiujuan would be unable to continue running their stall.

Don't think he's exaggerating; he's seen this kind of thing many times before.

"Okay, okay." Zhao Meiyun breathed a sigh of relief. "Are we really alright? They said they're going to sue us..."

"It's alright," Shi Zhen said again. "Aunt Zhao, have you eaten? If not, eat something first, then go and bring some food to my dad."

Zhao Meiyun said, "We haven't eaten yet, but we've already sent dinner to Dalin, and we also sent lunch."

Yesterday, Shi Dalin was clearly angry. Today, Zhao Meiyun used her own money to cook a delicious meal for Shi Zhen and Shi Dalin, as a way of apologizing.

Thinking of something, Zhao Meiyun added, "Ah Zhen, today is your birthday, eat more."

Zhao Meiyun remembers the birthdays of her family members, as well as the death anniversaries of her deceased elders.

However, the family was poor back then, and with four children, celebrating each of their birthdays would be too much trouble. Zhao Dongjuan would probably make a fuss about wanting this and that, so she simply stopped bothering with it.