Chapter 116 Don't Blame Me for Being Ruthless When It Comes to Saving Face

"It's nostalgia," said the neighbor next door.

The neighbor clearly didn't want to talk about Song Fenglan; she'd heard about her from others. Song Fenglan was incredibly capable; while serving with the army, she dared to confront Staff Officer Xu's wife and even dared to have the political commissar's wife handle problems. Song Fenglan also took the college entrance exam and got into Nancheng University…

There are many legends about Song Fenglan in the family compound. People say that Song Fenglan is amazing, and that the Song family is also amazing.

That neighbor had never had any contact with Song Fenglan, and Song Fenglan had not offended her, so why would she want to talk about Song Fenglan?

"We're out of peach shortbread at home, I need to go buy some," the neighbor said.

The neighbor didn't ask Gao Xiuxiu if she wanted to come along. She could talk to Gao Xiuxiu, and even speak ill of Fatty Sister-in-law, but there are some people you can't offend.

“I’ll go with you,” Gao Xiuxiu said. “I also need to buy some food for Danu; she’s too thin.”

The eldest daughter is in junior high school. Gao Xiuxiu usually dotes on her, and she buys most of the food for her, rarely giving much to the second daughter. Sometimes, even when the second daughter is standing nearby, Gao Xiuxiu won't give her any food; the eldest daughter has to give it to the second daughter herself. Gao Xiuxiu will then tell the eldest daughter not to give it to her, saying that the second daughter is too greedy.

The doctors at the hospital couldn't cure Qin's mother's leg. Even experts who came to examine it said that her leg was unlikely to heal. Qin's mother was heartbroken and distressed, but there was nothing she could do.

When Qin's mother was discharged from the hospital, Qin Yizhou didn't go; it was Qin's older brother and his wife who handled the discharge procedures. Qin's mother was in a wheelchair and needed to get into the car, which You Yun couldn't manage alone, so Qin's older brother had to go with her. If You Yun could handle it herself, Qin's older brother wouldn't have gone.

After returning home, Qin's mother was in a wheelchair, and Qin's older brother didn't lift her to the sofa. He felt that it was most suitable for his mother to be in a wheelchair, so as to save someone from having to help her move around.

Before, Qin's mother could walk on her own, which felt much better. Now, she can't walk by herself and has to rely on others; even going to the toilet is a hassle.

You Yun naturally didn't want to serve Qin's mother like that. Qin's father was old and couldn't take care of Qin's mother; he couldn't lift her. You Yun thought they could just put sanitary napkins on Qin's mother. Sanitary napkins are for women to use when they have their periods. Qin's mother could also use them if she wanted to urinate. They could just change them after using them. It was better than everyone having to find a way to help Qin's mother go to the toilet.

Qin's mother disagreed, feeling it was too embarrassing. She argued that Qin wasn't incontinent and could control herself, so why should she use sanitary napkins?

"I'll go check; they should still have baby diapers," You Yun said. "There are many new products available now, but they're quite expensive."

"No, no," Qin's mother refused. "What would we do with those things? We don't need them!"

"If you don't need to, will you just poop in your pants?" You Yun said. "We can't take care of you every second."

"Find someone to do the work," Qin's father said.

Qin's father knew that it was too difficult for You Yun to take care of the child and Qin's mother all by herself.

There are no filial sons at the bedside of a chronically ill patient, let alone a daughter-in-law.

Mr. Qin couldn't possibly force You Yun to take care of Mrs. Qin. If Mrs. Qin hadn't been so troubled, things would be much better. Unfortunately, Mrs. Qin has put herself in this state, and You Yun isn't her biological daughter; she's not going to be thinking about taking care of Mrs. Qin every day. She has other things to do, so naturally she's thinking about not taking care of Mrs. Qin and trying to find excuses.

“Finding people requires payment,” You Yun said. “And the payment isn’t low.”

“My eldest son and I will each contribute a portion,” said Qin’s father.

"..." You Yun looked at Qin's father.

"When the family property was divided, we gave you a larger share, and we had a written agreement. Yizhou couldn't possibly contribute any money," Qin's father said earnestly.

Qin's father was embarrassed to ask Qin Yizhou for money. Qin Yizhou lived in Song Fenglan's house, and his salary wasn't much. His older brother, on the other hand, had a decent salary after starting work at a private company. Qin's father was relieved that his eldest son had some money; otherwise, he really didn't know what to do. He didn't want to give away all his money and didn't want to have to ask his son for pocket money in the future.

“I didn’t say I was asking him for money,” You Yun said. “The eldest son’s family did take the majority of the money.”

You Yun knew exactly where the house the Qin family had bought for Song Fenglan and her husband was. It wasn't a very nice place; it was rather dirty and messy, and they used a shared toilet, which was quite inconvenient. After seeing it, You Yun felt that her own house was...

Yes, they have one house that they rent out, but they still live in this big house.

"That's fine." Qin's father sighed. "Don't blame your mother, she's already like this."

"We need to find someone stronger," Qin's mother requested. "Also, why can't Yizhou contribute money? Go and tell him that I'm in a wheelchair now and need someone to take care of me, so we need to hire someone."

"One shouldn't go too far," said Qin's father.

"Excessive? How am I being excessive?" Qin's mother was seething with anger. She couldn't stand anyone. She wished her leg could heal, so she wouldn't be so heartbroken. But the doctor said there was no better way. Qin's mother would rather use a cane than sit in a wheelchair like this.

"It was all agreed upon back then," said Qin's father.

“Back then was back then, and now is now. The situation is different,” Qin’s mother said. “I am now in a wheelchair, not able to walk or move around.”

"All you do is ask them for money. You don't share good things with them. Do you think they'll be happy?" Qin's father said. "Don't say that."

Mr. Qin couldn't stand it anymore. His wife didn't understand anything; all she knew was how to get Qin Yizhou to pay. Qin Yizhou wasn't a three-year-old child; he wouldn't give her the money. Mr. Qin thought that if he went to Qin Yizhou, it would only embarrass him.

“If you won’t go, then have someone push me there,” Qin’s mother said.

"Aren't you ashamed enough already?" Qin's father said. "When Li'an got into trouble, you insisted on Yizhou's help. When Yizhou couldn't help, you told him not to see him and not to come to the house. Now that you're in trouble, you're going to ask them for money. Don't you have any shame? Don't you have any shame?"

It's already quite good that Qin's father can use his retirement savings to hire people, but Qin's mother still makes so many demands.

“I’m already like this, what face do I need?” Qin’s mother said. “I’m his biological mother, he should pay for it.”

"Don't go," Qin's father said. "You bear a lot of responsibility for how this family has become. I've told you before not to spoil Li'an so much, but you insisted on doing it this way."

"I... that's because none of you cared about Li'an, only I was thinking about him. The day he was released from prison, none of you went, I went alone," Qin's mother said. "If you had gone, things wouldn't have turned out this way."

Upstairs, Qin Li'an overheard his parents arguing. He knew his mother was unlikely to favor him as much as before. If his mother's legs were alright, everything would be fine, but since his own mother had pushed her, things had become very serious.

Qin Li'an leaned against the wall, completely bewildered as to how he had ended up like this. Perhaps, in the beginning, his mother and grandmother had spoiled him rotten, which had led to his unruly behavior. He was just a child then; he didn't understand much. He only knew that the adults doted on him, and that everything in the house belonged to him. He naively believed that everything in the house was his.

Actually, no, his grandmother wasn't his only grandmother, and his mother wasn't his only mother either.

Qin Li'an's eyes were red. By the time he realized his mistake, it was too late. Qin Li'an thought that if he hadn't suffered in prison, he might not have realized his error. Now that he realized it, there was no going back; these people would never be kind to him.

Tian Keshu divorced Weng Guoqiang, who gave her only a few hundred yuan and told her to get as far away as possible. Tian Keshu could only go back to her parents' home; she had nowhere else to go.

Tian Keshu wanted to go directly to the Qin family, but they wouldn't let her. If Tian Keshu hadn't remarried, she could go there now, but she had already remarried.

“Go over there,” said Mother Tian.

When Tian Keshu arrived at her parents' home, her mother was unwilling to let her stay there indefinitely.

“They have a spare room, so go over there. Didn’t you push Grandma Li’an away? Go over and take care of Grandma Li’an, and you can also take good care of your two children,” said Mother Tian.

"I..." Tian Keshu hadn't expected her mother to...

Yet he said such a thing.

“As you can see, there are no spare rooms in the house,” said Mother Tian. “There’s simply not enough room for everyone. You haven’t paid off the compensation completely yet. If you went to work for them, they would provide food and lodging, and you could take care of the children. Wouldn’t that be great?”

Then, Tian Keshu was kicked out of the Tian family. Her family didn't want to keep her at all, not even for one more night.

The Tian family felt that Tian Keshu's life was too unfortunate, and Tian's mother was also worried that Tian Keshu might accidentally cripple her own mother as well. Tian's mother and the rest of the Tian family hoped that Tian Keshu would leave soon. Tian Keshu had nowhere to go, so she actually went to the Qin family.

You Yun would never agree to let Tian Keshu stay, and neither would Qin's mother. Tian Keshu wanted to see Qin Li'an and talk to her son. Qin Li'an didn't want to see Tian Keshu; she had absolutely no use for him now.

When Song Fenglan returned home from work, she saw Qin's father standing there. Song Fenglan wondered, "Hasn't Qin Yizhou come back?"

Song Fenglan didn't really want to call out, but she still managed to say, "Dad."

"Yes," Qin's father responded.

"I'll go see if Yizhou has returned yet." Song Fenglan didn't tell Qin's father to come into the house; she led the others inside first.

Qin's father did not follow them inside. He understood that since Song Fenglan hadn't spoken, he couldn't go in.

When Song Fenglan arrived at the living room, she discovered that Qin Yizhou was home.

"Are you home?" Song Fenglan asked, puzzled.

"I'm at home," Qin Yizhou said.

"Your dad's standing at the door," Song Fenglan said. "Aren't you going out to see him?"

“He didn’t ring the doorbell,” Qin Yizhou said. “I’ll go out and check. You stay home.”

"Okay, sure." Song Fenglan nodded.

Qin Yizhou didn't invite his father to come home. He was wondering why his father wanted to come, probably because of his mother. His mother was now in a wheelchair, which made many things inconvenient for her, and she needed someone to take care of her. His father was getting old and couldn't take care of his mother anymore.

When Qin Yizhou arrived at the door, he took his father to a nearby restaurant instead of taking him home. Qin's father didn't intend to go into Song Fenglan's house; he followed Qin Yizhou to the restaurant, to a private room, where the two talked.

Mr. Qin took out a savings book, which he had opened himself without telling Mrs. Qin that he had deposited such a sum of money.

After Qin's father retired due to illness, he didn't spend all his pension money. Sometimes he would do things to save some money. Before his retirement, Qin's father also saved his money in separate accounts, worried that the family might need money sometime and not have any. Before Qin Yizhou got married, he also sent money home.

However, the money Qin Yizhou sent ended up in Qin's mother's hands, and she naturally spent it on Qin Li'an and the others, so it couldn't have been saved until now.

"Twenty thousand?" Qin Yizhou was surprised to find that his father had such a large sum of money in his savings account.

“Yes,” Qin’s father said. “This isn’t for you. Your mother said she wants money from you to hire someone to take care of him. Just give her the money in here, fifty or a hundred a month.”

Qin's father was worried that Qin's mother would actually come to Qin Yizhou to make demands, fearing that she would make things difficult for Qin Yizhou. He didn't want to lose such an outstanding son. He figured he needed to get things settled beforehand. At 100 yuan a month, that would amount to 1200 yuan a year, and 9600 yuan over eight years. Wages were even increasing in some places; he didn't know how things would turn out then.

However, Qin's father thought that Qin's mother's legs were both paralyzed, and it was uncertain whether she would even live for ten years, let alone longer. Even with inflation, this money should last for ten years.

"Okay." Qin Yizhou nodded. He had no objections. As long as he didn't have to pay, that was more important than anything else.

“Don’t blame your mother,” Qin’s father said. “Your mother had a very hard life. She and I are from the countryside and don’t have much education. She was very happy when she gave birth to your older brother. With a son, she had an heir. When I went to the battlefield, she didn’t have to worry about me having no one to carry on my family.”

"One hundred yuan a month, right?" Qin Yizhou said. "Fifty yuan is a bit too little."

Qin Yizhou didn't want his mother to cause them trouble later. Since it wasn't his money, giving him a little more wouldn't hurt.

“Don’t give it to her now. Wait until she has someone push her over, then you can give it to her,” Qin’s father said. “We need to give her a sense of ceremony, so she feels that she can get you to pay for it.”

"..." Qin Yizhou was speechless. "Dad, aren't you afraid my reputation will be ruined?"

“If you don’t let your mother make a scene now, she’ll come back to cause trouble again.” Mr. Qin knew his mother too well. Rather than waiting for her to keep making a fuss, it was better to make her think that she had asked for the money herself. “Besides, what kind of reputation does your mother have? Do you think people will think that what your mother did was right? They will only think that your mother is making a fuss and that your wife is pitiful.”

Qin's father had already thought it through. Song Fenglan had such a good reputation now, and many people knew what Qin's mother and Tian Keshu had done to Song Fenglan. It was reasonable for Song Fenglan not to take care of Qin's mother anymore.

Mr. Qin and Mrs. Qin had been married for many years, and he didn't want his wife to be too embarrassed. Even though he had said those things to Mrs. Qin at home, he still made preparations first. Mr. Qin knew he couldn't stop Mrs. Qin, and he couldn't stay home and watch over her all the time, so he figured he might as well give the money to Qin Yizhou first.

In this way, all Qin Yizhou needs to do is cooperate.

"Tell your wife," Qin's father said. "We're sorry to her, but your mother is already like this. If we let her make a scene this once, she won't make a fuss anymore."

When Qin's father spoke, there was a hint of pleading in his voice; he was worried that Song Fenglan wouldn't agree. Although many people knew what kind of person Qin's mother was, this matter could still lead to misunderstandings about Song Fenglan.

"I have to tell him." Qin Yizhou couldn't possibly keep quiet; he couldn't wait until his mother had made a scene before telling his wife, "Have you told my older brother yet?"

"I didn't tell your older brother; he's unreliable." Qin's father sighed. His older brother's ex-wife and eldest son were both unreliable, and his current wife seemed even more frightening. But Qin's father was afraid that if too many people knew, things would get complicated if Qin's mother found out. "It's enough for you and your husband to know; don't tell Zihang. Zihang is still young."

“Zihang hasn’t returned yet,” Qin Yizhou said. “We didn’t ask him to come back immediately.”

“He doesn’t need to come back right away,” Qin’s father said. “He’s going to do his thing. Maybe your mother will come looking for you in a few days.”

"Okay, I understand," Qin Yizhou said.

Qin's father ultimately didn't eat out; he had someone pack up the food so he could take it home for Qin's mother to try. Qin Yizhou watched his father's hunched back and put the savings book away.

Qin Yizhou hadn't considered paying for it himself; he just hadn't realized his father had so much money saved up, and this was probably only a portion of it.

When Qin's mother saw Qin's father return with food, she frowned and asked, "Where have you been?"

"Let's go for a walk," Qin's father said.

"Did you contact Yizhou?" Qin's mother asked. "Is he unwilling to pay?"

"We already had a written agreement. If I said he was willing to pay, would you believe me?" Qin's father said.

"Don't even think about paying for him," Qin's mother said.

"Where would I get so much money?" Qin's father said. "You'd better not look for Yizhou. Yizhou is living in his wife's house now, and his child has the Qin surname. He didn't become a live-in son-in-law, but it still feels different."

“It’s not like we didn’t buy him a house, but he doesn’t want to live there and wants to rent it out. Who can we blame for that?” Qin’s mother said. “I still need to look for him.”

"Don't marry Yizhou," Qin's father said.

"Why?" Qin's mother frowned.

“You forgot, she works in a classified unit and has bodyguards. If you go there and those people hear about it, where will Yizhou's face be? Not to mention Yizhou, let's talk about us old folks and our eldest son,” Qin's father said. “Our eldest son doesn't work in the system anymore; he couldn't stay there, so he left. Private companies outside seem to offer higher salaries, but high income comes with high risk. Nobody's going to give him that much money for free.”

"I won't go to her, I won't go to her. I'll go to Yizhou instead," Qin's mother said. She was still a little timid; she was afraid that if she ran into those tough guys, something bad might happen.

Song Fenglan is not Qin's mother's biological daughter. She had never given Qin's mother any face before, and she would never give her any face now. When Qin's mother was hospitalized, Qin's second sister went to take care of her. A biological daughter is still a biological daughter. Even though the mother and daughter had a falling out, Qin's second sister still cared about her biological mother.

"I heard that the Tang family contacted Song Fenglan and were warned by relevant departments," Qin's father said. "It's easy to guess who sent the warning."

"..." Qin's mother felt that Song Fenglan was a troublemaker, and she couldn't do anything about her. "Where is Zihang?"

"He hasn't come back yet," Qin's father said. "He's gone on a study tour to travel around. He can come to see you when he gets back."

"What era are we living in? Still going on study tours?" Qin's mother said.

"Transportation is much more convenient now. Studying abroad is a good way to broaden one's horizons and see more of the world," Qin's father said. "Zihang is much more outstanding than Li'an. Zihang is your own grandson. Don't always think about Li'an and don't neglect your other grandsons. They haven't offended you and are so promising. Aren't you willing to treat them well?"

"I..." Qin's mother hesitated. Yes, Qin Zihang was indeed very outstanding, but Qin's mother wanted Qin Li'an to be outstanding even more.

Looking down at her paralyzed legs, Qin's mother felt even more distressed. Perhaps she shouldn't have been so heartbroken for Qin Li'an in the first place. She shouldn't have gone to pick him up; she should have let Tian Keshu do it. If she hadn't gone to the prison gate, perhaps this wouldn't have happened.

People always prefer to look for reasons in others rather than in themselves.

Qin's mother resented Tian Keshu, and even somewhat resented Qin Li'an, but she couldn't really blame Song Fenglan and her son. It wasn't Song Fenglan and her son who made Qin Li'an this way. Qin Zihang had been bullied by Qin Li'an before, and Qin's mother had always stood by Qin Li'an's side. If Qin's mother really wanted to blame someone, she should blame herself.

In the room, Qin Yizhou took out the savings book given to him by his father and said what his father had told him.

"Do we have to wait for your mother to come over and make a scene?" Song Fenglan said.

“She didn’t make a fuss, and we just gave her the money? That’s too fake,” Qin Yizhou said. “My parents know our tempers. You can’t just tell Zihang that you’re not going to see him. Mom said she wouldn’t see me, so I didn’t go into their house. Even when Mom was in the hospital, I didn’t go into the ward. I stayed in the corridor outside.”

"Your mother really knows how to make a fuss." Song Fenglan's lips twitched slightly. "As long as it's not our own money, don't try to fool me."

“This passbook isn’t fake, it’s real,” Qin Yizhou said. “We’ll just use this passbook to withdraw the money later.”

"You've thought this through," Song Fenglan said. "If you use your salary to hire another caregiver... then when Zihang asks you for pocket money, you won't have any money left to give him."

The Qin family needs to find a caregiver for Qin's mother. That caregiver will need to be capable of many things; she's probably not a simple caregiver. The caregiver's salary can't be too low; if it's too low, there are many things they won't do.

"Are you going to cause a scene too?" Qin Yizhou asked.

"Stop making a scene! I'll kick you out!" Song Fenglan said. "You can go sleep in your office."

Song Fenglan snorted lightly, "Let them make a fuss, let them make a fuss all they want."

"Two or three days of sleep will be enough," Qin Yizhou said.

"..." Song Fenglan stopped talking and left it to Qin Yizhou.

Song Fenglan was speechless. For this one thing, they had to put on an act, making it seem like it was all real. Anyone who didn't know better would think Song Fenglan was heartless and ungrateful, but to avoid trouble, doing as Qin Yizhou suggested was indeed the best course of action.

Often, when it comes to those mundane family matters, you have to take a slightly unconventional approach.

Just as Qin's father had said, two days later, Qin's mother indeed had a caregiver push her to Qin Yizhou's place. However, not at their home, but at the entrance of Qin Yizhou's military base. Qin's mother was worried that she might accidentally bump into Song Fenglan, who was accompanied by people from relevant departments; that wouldn't just be making things difficult for Song Fenglan, but for herself.

When Qin Yizhou learned that his mother had arrived, he came out.

"See this? This is the caregiver your dad and the others hired for me," Qin's mother said. "You'll have to pay for part of it."

“Back then, we had a written agreement that the money should come from the eldest brother,” Qin Yizhou said. “We received less of the property, so your alimony will all be covered by the larger portion of the property.”

“If you don’t give it to me, I’ll come over every day and let everyone know how unfilial you are. How can someone as unfilial as you work at your job?” Qin’s mother said.

Qin Yizhou felt a chill in his heart, even though he had been mentally prepared, as his father had warned him. When Qin Yizhou heard what his mother said, he still felt that his own mother was terrifying.

“Okay,” Qin Yizhou said. “I will send the money over every month.”

"How much money should we give?" Qin's mother asked.

"What do you think?" Qin Yizhou scoffed.

"Eighty!" Qin's mother said, "Don't blame me for being heartless, I'm in this state, I need someone to take care of me. You are a piece of my flesh, you should contribute this money too."

Qin's mother thought that it was probably because she came to the military base that Qin Yizhou was frightened. If she hadn't come over, Qin Yizhou might not have agreed so quickly.

"You go back first," Qin Yizhou said. "I don't have that much money on hand right now. I'll send it over later."

"How long is 'late'?" Qin's mother asked. "Don't say it won't be ten days or half a month before it's delivered."

"Tomorrow," Qin Yizhou replied.

After that, Qin Yizhou went to sleep in the military office for two days.

After learning about this, Song's mother went to see Song Fenglan. Song's mother felt that things that could be solved with money weren't really problems, and that finding a caregiver for Qin's mother was perfectly acceptable.

“Isn’t this because we don’t want them to think we’re easy targets?” Song Fenglan said to her mother in the room. “The money came from Yizhou’s father. He had already anticipated that his mother would come looking for him. We’re not contributing any money; we’re just putting on a show for his mother to see if it’s real. If we don’t make a scene, his mother will feel uneasy and start thinking about tormenting us. A perfectly healthy old lady, suddenly crippled in both legs, who knows what kind of trouble she’ll cause.”

"That's true." Mother Song nodded. "You and your husband are right. Yizhou's mother is in that state; who knows what she might do? And she's still spoiling her precious grandson?"

"I don't know. I didn't go there, and Yizhou didn't go in either," Song Fenglan said. "What happened over there has nothing to do with us."

"Does Zihang know?" Song's mother asked.

“I didn’t tell him,” Song Fenglan said. “Why would he need to know all this? Let him have fun while he’s out having fun. He’ll have to work hard when he gets to university. If all he does in university is play, how will he get into graduate school and get a doctorate?”

"It's better not to tell him," said Song's mother. "We can let him visit his grandmother when he comes back, and that will be fine."

The Song family's lack of respect for Qin's mother is entirely her own fault. She shouldn't blame others for ignoring her because she hasn't done her job properly.

When Qin's father learned that Qin Yizhou and Song Fenglan had argued, he wondered if Qin Yizhou had told Song Fenglan the truth, or if they were just pretending. Qin's father didn't know, so he assumed the couple had really quarreled.

While Qin's mother was watching TV, Qin's father simply turned it off.

"Look at you, you've even made the young couple quarrel," said Mr. Qin.

"Young couple? They're an old married couple," Qin's mother said. "Young couple? They've been married for so many years, and they still quarrel over such a small thing. Song Fenglan is too stingy. I don't even ask for more; I only ask for eighty yuan a month. What can you do with eighty yuan these days?"

"Isn't eighty yuan enough?" Qin's father thought to himself, thankfully it wasn't more than one hundred yuan.

Mr. Qin's idea was that the money in the savings account should be enough for Qin Yizhou to give. After Mrs. Qin passed away, if there was any money left, it could be used for her funeral, which would be considered as Qin Yizhou paying for it, and that would look better. Mr. Qin didn't tell anyone that he had given Qin Yizhou money. He had specifically instructed Qin Yizhou to withdraw all the money and put it in Qin Yizhou's own savings account, and then Mr. Qin would close that savings account.

Qin's father didn't want Qin's mother to find out the truth later, so he wanted to make sure the matter was handled flawlessly.

"Do you know how much money Yizhou's family spends?" Qin's father said. "Most of the family's expenses are not paid by him. You're still asking for money like this, and he's become a freeloader."

“If I don’t ask him, who should I ask? Should I ask the second son? But his daughter is married, would she give it to me?” Mother Qin said. “A married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl.”

Qin's mother held very old-fashioned views; she didn't intend to ask Qin's second sister for money. Qin's mother had never been particularly kind to Qin's second sister, so naturally, it wasn't appropriate to ask her for financial assistance at this time. Providing for one's parents in old age was the responsibility of the men in the family, and had nothing to do with married-out daughters.

Mr. Qin didn't know whether to feel fortunate or sad. He had to admit that he and his wife had rather outdated views and couldn't keep up with the times.

“If he only gives me a month’s notice, I’ll still go back to him later,” Qin’s mother said.

“It’s not that bad. He said he would give it, and he will,” Qin’s father said. “The Song family doesn’t lack this little bit of money, and they can’t let Song Fenglan keep making a fuss and not give it to them. It’s not good for everyone’s reputation if they keep making a fuss.”

"Hehe, they better be like that." Qin's mother felt she had won.

These past few days, Qin Li'an has been practically invisible.

It was at this moment that Qin's mother suddenly remembered something, "Did Li'an step over the fire basin?"

"Not yet," Qin's father said.

"You need to prepare for him to step over the fire basin to remove the bad luck from him," Qin's mother said. "If I hadn't told you, wouldn't you have known how to do it?"

“You were hospitalized at the time, and I was busy with my own affairs, so I didn’t have time to deal with this,” Qin’s father said.

"Quickly, prepare a brazier for him. Go and prepare it now," said Qin's mother.

Then, Qin Li'an stepped over the fire pit, but he couldn't feel happy. In the past, his grandmother would have arranged everything long ago, and wouldn't have waited until now. Qin Li'an didn't dare say that everyone had forgotten him. When it was time to eat, Qin Li'an went to eat by himself, unlike before when he had to be called.

Having nowhere to stay, Tian Keshu had to rent a place. She didn't have much money, and the rented place wasn't very nice, but at least she had shelter from the wind and rain, better than being homeless. Tian Keshu had no choice but to find work; she couldn't afford not to. Without money, how would she pay the compensation to Qin's mother, or even just the rent?

Tian Keshu never imagined she would become a dishwasher. Before, she absolutely hated it; her hands were constantly soaked in water, which was very harmful. Now, she had to do something she disliked, even though the pay was low. What could she do? She was uneducated, older, and it wasn't easy to find other work.

Originally, Tian Keshu wanted to work as a nanny, but those people might not know who she was. After two days of trial work, they didn't want her anymore. Tian Keshu could only work as a dishwasher first, at least she would get paid.

Qin Zihang and Zhang Xiaohu spent a few days in Nancheng. He noticed that Nancheng had changed a lot, with many construction sites. Some of these sites were building houses, while others were building bridges.

“When you come back next time, the changes in Nancheng will be even greater,” Zhang Xiaohu said.

The two of them returned from outside and went to Zhang Xiaohu's house. They walked and talked as they walked along the road in the family compound.

“Many people in this area have changed careers and gone on to do other things,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “They all bought their houses with money. Our family’s house is no exception; we bought it all.”

“That’s good,” Qin Zihang said. “It’s better to have the house in your own hands, so you won’t have nowhere to live if you have to return it someday.”

"Will house prices in the capital really continue to rise?" Zhang Xiaohu asked.

"Yes!" Qin Zihang said, "You can tell by looking at the current prices; they're rising too fast. Housing prices will also rise; it's impossible for them not to. Buy early, when prices are low, and you'll make a profit. As for whether prices will be low for a few years, don't overthink it; they can't stay low for several years. Since the reform and opening up, all regions have flourished, and the future will only be better."

“My parents said that when I start school, they want to come to the capital with me to see what it’s like,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “I told them about the house, and they seem to have taken it to heart. Your mom had talked to my mom about buying a house a long time ago, and my mom had also been thinking about buying a house before. But I’m studying, so I need to spend money, and my older brother is at the age where he should be dating and getting married. They still feel more at ease having the money in their hands.”

“Money is constantly depreciating,” Qin Zihang said. “It might work for a short time, but not for a long time. Think about how much it cost to buy popsicles and candy when we were kids, and how much it costs now. Although I’m not an economics major, I can still understand this. Now, there are many children. My mom said that there were many children before the one-child policy, and those children will grow up, get married, and have children too. In a certain period of time, the population will increase. So, it’s worthwhile for us to buy a house now.”

"Hmm." Zhang Xiaohu nodded. "I also think what you said makes a lot of sense."

When Qin Zihang and Zhang Xiaohu returned to the Zhang family home, they had already eaten dinner. Zhang Chenghai asked Qin Zihang about the situation in the capital.

"The capital is even better now than when Xiaohu went there," Qin Zihang said. "The city is still expanding outwards, and many people are moving to the capital to develop their careers."

"Will this house really go up in price in the future?" Zhang Chenghai asked.

"Yes!" Qin Zihang said, "The price will rise a lot, not just double. So many people come to the capital, and they need a place to stay, not just a place to live. We Chinese people value returning to our roots, and we also value having a house. Only when you have a house can you truly feel settled in the capital. Without a house, you feel empty inside."

“That’s true. Before we bought this house, we always felt something was missing. After buying it, we feel much more at ease,” said the plump woman. “Your mother is knowledgeable and knew to buy a house. Besides, your mother certainly has a lot of money.”

“My mom has a lot of patents, and patents can make money,” Qin Zihang said, “not just from the dividends from my uncle’s company.”

"Your mother is amazing," said the plump woman. "She doesn't need to rely on others; she can rely on herself."

“If you want to buy a house in the capital, that’s fine too,” Qin Zihang said. “If you don’t have enough money, I can lend you some.”

"Then let's buy it!" Zhang Chenghai said. "We'll buy it."

Qin Zihang looked at Zhang Wen, the eldest son of Zhang Wen's family. According to what Zhang Xiaohu had just said, if the Zhang family planned to buy a house in the capital, they might not have enough money left for Zhang Wen.

“I have a job, and I can use the money I’ve saved to buy a house first,” Zhang Wen said.

The Zhang family has a good relationship, and Zhang Wen would be happy to buy the house if it could make money. Besides, if Zhang Xiaohu stays in the capital in the future, they'll have a place to stay. Even if Zhang Xiaohu doesn't stay in the capital, they can still sell the house.

“Brother, you still need to get married,” Zhang Xiaohu said.

“No rush, we can wait two more years,” Zhang Wen said. “In two years, maybe the house prices will rise.”

“Take out all the money in the house and see how much we’re short,” Zhang Chenghai said. “If we’re still short, we’ll borrow some.”

Zhang Chenghai and his wife had saved quite a bit of money. When Qin Zihang learned the amount they had saved, he felt it wasn't too far off.

“Okay, we can buy a slightly bigger house,” Qin Zihang said. “My uncles know a lot about houses in the capital. We can ask my second uncle for help. My mom’s house purchases were mostly done with the help of my second uncle.”

"Won't this be too much trouble for your second uncle?" the plump woman asked, a little embarrassed.

“You didn’t borrow money from him, so it’s fine,” Qin Zihang said.

"How about we give you some money for running the errand?" the fat woman asked.

“No need,” Qin Zihang said. “My second uncle is very rich, he doesn’t need this much. He not only owns houses in the capital, but also in other cities. When he was buying houses, he asked my mother if she wanted to buy one too, saying that they could buy them together. That way, if she went on vacation, she could stay next to him. My mother said that since the vacation was only for a few days, she preferred to stay in a nicer hotel.”

Song Fenglan disliked cleaning and didn't want to go through so much trouble just to stay for a few days, so staying in a hotel was more convenient.

“Once you’ve made up your minds, I’ll talk to my uncle when I get back,” Qin Zihang said. “Tell me what kind of house you want to buy. We can go take a look together when you go to the capital.”

"Then we'll have to trouble your second uncle," Zhang Chenghai said. They were unfamiliar with the area and didn't know much about it. "Didn't your father handle these matters?"

“My dad, whatever my mom says is right,” Qin Zihang said. “If my mom tells him to go east, he wouldn’t dare go west. All these things are decided by my mom.”

"Did you hear that? It was all Fenglan's decision." The plump woman looked at Zhang Chenghai.

“Aren’t you the one who’s in charge of things in our family?” Zhang Chenghai said.

"How much do I care?" the plump woman said. "I cook a meal, and you and your son are still picky."

At this moment, Guo Peng received a call from Li Hui, who asked him a few questions about Guo Furong.

"What are you doing?" Guo Peng frowned. Why was Li Hui asking Guo Furong about something? Li Hui hadn't even taken Guo Furong back.