Chapter 125 Unveiling the Private Space

Zhang Xiaohu didn't ask if Qin Zihang's uncle's company needed anyone; he didn't know enough yet. There was nothing Zhang Xiaohu could do at someone else's company right now, so he might as well do something else and broaden his horizons.

"Are you suggesting I take a shortcut?" Zhang Xiaohu joked.

"Where do I have a shortcut for you?" Qin Zihang said. "You know what? I was scammed before, right? Then, I gave a speech at my school, and other schools asked me to give speeches. My high school also asked me to give a speech. They all wanted to let more people know about my dark history."

"You agreed?" Zhang Xiaohu asked.

"How could I agree to that? Of course not!" Qin Zihang said. "People from other schools don't even know what I look like. Going to my high school is one thing, but going to another university? Do you think I haven't embarrassed myself enough? You said I could wear a mask, but that's still not allowed."

"They want you to go again?" Zhang Xiaohu asked.

“That’s all,” Qin Zihang said. “I’m going to do research in the future, and I’ll be working in a classified unit. It’s better if fewer people know what I look like. I guess it’s just something to talk about. My mom is really unlucky. A few days ago, someone found that her lost graduation certificate and degree certificate had been found. Instead of sending them back to her at the address on the envelope, the person changed the name and used my mom’s name to keep her graduation certificate and degree certificate for themselves.”

“How dare that person do such a thing? The item doesn’t even belong to her,” Zhang Xiaohu said.

"Whether it was hers or not, she acted maliciously, using my mother's graduation certificate and degree certificate to find a job, and even found a good partner and had children," Qin Zihang said. "After being arrested, she didn't think she had done anything wrong. She thought she was capable, just lacking a diploma."

"You...you know all this?" Zhang Xiaohu asked in confusion.

"I heard it from my mom. She asked her a few questions," Qin Zihang said. "They live in different cities. If it weren't for the fact that someone I knew there happened to be there and discovered it, that person probably wouldn't have been found out. I heard that person even became friends with many graduates from Nancheng University, and they even helped her out. My mom was joking..."

She laughed and said, "If it were me, I wouldn't have the ability. With a wave of the hand, countless graduates from Nancheng University would go. With my mother's wave, at most some researchers would go; those businessmen wouldn't even know them."

"After being arrested, will I go to jail?" Zhang Xiaohu asked.

“Of course he should go to jail,” Qin Zihang said.

"Is Auntie going over there?" Zhang Xiaohu asked.

"No need, my mother doesn't need to go over for this," Qin Zihang said.

Qin Yizhou and Song Fenglan went to see a movie outside. They also went to see a performance by the main cast of "Dream of the Red Chamber." The TV series "Dream of the Red Chamber" was a huge hit, and the main actors participated in some commercial performances. Qin Yizhou bought tickets, and he and Song Fenglan went to see it together.

The two didn't get home until almost nine o'clock in the evening. They had known Zhang Xiaohu was coming, so they hadn't returned earlier. Zhang Xiaohu and Qin Zihang were both quite old, and Song Fenglan and her husband couldn't keep an eye on them every day; they needed to give them some freedom.

When Song Fenglan and her husband returned home, Zhang Xiaohu and Qin Zihang were still sitting there watching TV, with Qin Zihang holding a plush toy. Qin Zihang liked those plush toys, and even though he was getting older, he didn't just throw them aside and stop playing with them.

Someone once joked with Qin Zihang, saying he wasn't a three-year-old and shouldn't be playing with these things. Qin Zihang didn't care what they thought; he wanted to play, and that was none of their business. As long as playing with the puppets didn't interfere with his work, there was absolutely no problem.

"Mom." Qin Zihang called out to his mother when he saw her.

"Uncle, Aunt," Zhang Xiaohu greeted Song Fenglan and her husband as well.

"Aren't you asleep yet?" Song Fenglan asked.

"It's still early, only around nine o'clock," Qin Zihang said. "If we go to sleep now, we'll wake up very early in the morning, and we can go to sleep around ten o'clock, which will be fine."

"That's true." Song Fenglan nodded. "You can sit here and play for a while."

Song Fenglan asked Qin Yizhou to put the roast duck and pastries they bought outside on the table. As soon as Qin Yizhou put the things on the table, Qin Zihang opened them to look at them.

"Your mom specifically asked me to buy this for you," Qin Yizhou said. "We've already eaten out, so you guys eat."

"Thank you, Mom. Thank you, Dad," Qin Zihang said. "Little Tiger, come on, come and eat."

Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou went upstairs first; they needed to change their clothes.

Zhu Meng went to persuade her parents, but they refused to agree to her being with Qin Li'an. They were about to start a fight in the living room.

“If Li’an hadn’t told me not to threaten you, I definitely would have,” Zhu Meng said. “Dad, Mom, you know I don’t have much ability. Our family isn’t rich, and we live in a tenement building. If the building is demolished, how much money will we get? The Qin family is different. They have a building and other houses. Compared to them, our family is really poor.”

"You can't just look at money when choosing a husband," said Father Zhu.

“Poverty makes life miserable for couples.” Zhu Meng said, “When I was little, you and Mom argued a lot over a few cents. We had no money at home, so we had to stretch every penny. Other children had new clothes to wear, but I didn’t.”

“We’ve gotten through this, haven’t we? We’re living much better lives now,” said Father Zhu.

"Good? What's so good about it?" Zhu Meng said, "Our family is still very poor, isn't it? Qin Li'an made a mistake, but he corrected it. His family has so much money, he doesn't lack partners at all. Today, when I went there, there was a woman being forced by her family to be with Qin Li'an."

"Who would do that?" Father Zhu asked incredulously.

“Many people do this,” Zhu Meng said. “If you don’t believe me, ask your mother. She often chats with those people outside, so she definitely knows more.”

“I…” Zhu’s mother sighed, “That’s someone else’s family, not ours. They’re thinking the Qin family is rich, that’s true, but you… We weren’t after the Qin family’s money, we…”

"In the end, life still depends on whether the family has money or not," Zhu Meng said. "If the family doesn't have money, life won't be easy."

Zhu Meng realized that she wasn't entirely driven by love; she also had other considerations.

“Qin Li’an owns a supermarket, and the shop is his own,” Zhu Meng said. “His father and grandfather helped him arrange everything perfectly. The people who marry him only need to manage the supermarket with him and don’t need to worry about anything else. The supermarket is much bigger than a small shop. Although it can’t compare with those large supermarkets, it’s perfectly manageable with just two people running it, and they can still make money.”

"His supermarket business isn't doing very well," said Zhu's father.

“That’s all because of you,” Zhu Meng said. “He saved me, and people said he touched me inappropriately. You didn’t even bother to explain, letting people misunderstand him. Dad, Qin Li’an is really a good person. I know what you’re thinking. You’re worried he’ll make mistakes again, and you’re worried that your children won’t be able to work in the system. There are so many people in the world, not everyone has to work in the system. You can make money working outside the system too.”

"Mengmeng, do you really have to be with him?" Zhu's mother had a headache; she hadn't expected her daughter to value Qin Li'an so much.

“Yes, I’m going to be with him. Even if you disagree now, it doesn’t matter,” Zhu Meng said. “Qin Li’an insisted that you agree before he started dating me. I can’t ignore it. Even if you disagree, I’m going to go to him. It’s easy for a woman to pursue a man. He should still have feelings for me. He said those things to me because he didn’t want to upset you and wanted me to be with him peacefully.”

“That’s all your idea,” said Father Zhu. “Did he say he wanted to be with you? If he really wanted to be with you, he should have come to us and asked for our consent, instead of you coming to us and asking for our consent.”

“Dad, that’s because other girls want to be with him, and their parents all agree,” Zhu Meng said. “He doesn’t necessarily have to.”

That's why I said that – "Choose me." Why would anyone come up here and try to curry favor? People have dignity too. You can't say someone has been to prison doesn't have self-respect, can you?

"All you do is defend him," said Zhu's father. "I ask you, if someone else helped you that day, would you still marry that person?"

"No!" Zhu Meng shook her head. "It depends on the situation. That person's conditions aren't as good as Qin Li'an's, so I can't possibly be interested in him. I've also figured it out. Going out to work means low wages and being talked about. It's different if my family owns a supermarket. As long as I run the supermarket well, people will come to buy things, and that's enough. If I marry Qin Li'an, I'll be the boss's wife."

Zhu Meng is a bit love-struck, but she's not entirely unaware of everything. As for her child not being able to take the civil service exam, she can let the child do something else; why should she have to sacrifice for the child? Zhu Meng also wants an easier life and doesn't want to always be struggling to make ends meet.

"If I get married, what kind of dowry can you give me?" Zhu Meng said. "My brother doesn't even have a girlfriend yet. If he does, do you think she won't ask for a bride price? Nowadays, people have more and more requirements for marriage. Many people don't want to live with their in-laws; they want their own house. Dad, Mom, do you have enough money to buy another house? By the way, I have more than one brother. If you buy a house for one of them, will the others not buy one? Or will they all have to rent?"

Zhu Meng touched on a sore spot for Zhu's father, and Zhu's mother was also worried about her sons' marriages. Her sons were growing up, and getting married required much more preparation than just a few things.

“Being with Qin Li’an means we can help our families,” Zhu Meng said. “But don’t expect me to drain my in-laws’ finances; that’s impossible.”

Zhu Meng thought to herself that she wasn't Qin Li'an's biological mother, and the important thing was to put those things behind her. Regardless of whether her parents agreed or not, Zhu Meng had made her stance clear today: she wanted to be with Qin Li'an, and no one could stop them.

Zhang Xiaohu stayed at Song Fenglan's house for two days before returning to school. He planned to participate in the orientation activities and signed up to be a volunteer.

Song Fenglan didn't force Zhang Xiaohu to stay. When Zhang Xiaohu left, she even gave him some pastries and fruit. Zhang Xiaohu's roommates generally knew that he had a good friend at Capital University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. When Zhang Xiaohu lived off-campus and not in the dormitory, he would report to the school and inform his roommates.

"How come there are so many?" My roommate asked, noticing the pastries on the table.

“My aunt said you should try some too,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “She asked me to bring some extra pastries.”

"Your aunt is really nice, is she your own aunt?" my roommate asked.

“She’s not my biological aunt, she’s the wife of my dad’s colleague, but she’s a very good person,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “When I was very young, her family became our neighbors. My aunt would often invite me over to eat when she cooked, and she would also invite my brother over. My brother didn’t go, so she would ask me to bring some food for him. My mom often says that I was raised by my aunt, and I even studied with her biological son. When I was in junior high school, my aunt even invited me to the capital to see the schools there.”

After visiting those universities, Zhang Xiaohu wanted to get into a school in the capital even more.

“My aunt has helped our family a lot,” Zhang Xiaohu said.

"Is their house far from our school?" my roommate asked. "Don't you live at their house? You still live at school."

“Living at the school is convenient,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “We must keep our distance and not push our luck.”

Zhang Xiaohu didn't want others to think he was a clingy person who only knew how to take advantage of others. That would make things very bad; firstly, no one invited him, and secondly, even if someone invited him, he couldn't go and stay. A person should have a bottom line; he couldn't cross that line, and he couldn't become a scoundrel.

“That’s true.” My roommate nodded. “Your parents aren’t in the capital, but they care so much. If you need anything, you can go to them.”

“That’s what my aunt said,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “You all eat.”

"It tastes good." My roommate opened another package. "This is..."

"Here's some crispy pork, you guys have some," Zhang Xiaohu said. "Their chef made a lot of it and asked me to bring some back. He said that we boys need to eat more meat, so he made a lot more."

Zhang Xiaohu was a little embarrassed when he brought it; they had already packed it all for him, so he just said thank you. Zhang Xiaohu still owed Qin Zihang money, which he hadn't paid off yet. He felt that money was easy to repay, but favors were not.

When Zhu Meng came to Qin Li'an again, she said to him, "My parents have agreed."

For the past two days, Zhu Meng hadn't come to the supermarket. She was trying to persuade her parents to agree to her being with Qin Li'an. Her mother was okay with it, but her father had always disagreed. Zhu Meng had to ask him many times, and she even had her brother talk to him before her father finally agreed.

Even so, her father is still not very happy. He says that their family is acting almost like they're selling their daughter.

"Can we be boyfriend and girlfriend now?" Zhu Meng asked.

"..." Qin Li'an did not expect the Zhu family to actually agree; he thought they would keep refusing.

“You remember what you said, so you have to take responsibility.” Zhu Meng stared at Qin Li’an.

And so, Zhu Meng and Qin Li'an started dating. Qin Li'an wasn't old enough to get a marriage certificate yet, so they didn't register their marriage, but they had to get engaged first. Qin Li'an didn't intend to get engaged first; it was Zhu's family who proposed it. Zhu Meng insisted on being with Qin Li'an, and her family, worried that she would be taken advantage of, wanted the Qin family to provide something for her first.

Qin's mother disliked Zhu Meng. She thought the Zhu family was bad, and why did they look down on Qin Li'an? Besides, weren't the Zhu family just after Qin's money? They even had the nerve to say that Qin Li'an had been to prison. If they weren't satisfied, they shouldn't have allowed their daughter to be with Qin Li'an.

You Yun knew what kind of person Qin's mother was. No matter who was with Qin Li'an, Qin's mother would say something. Unless the person was chosen by Qin's mother, she might not think that person was good.

Qin's mother said several things to Qin's father, and her words were all about wishing the family bad luck.

“Their family is too poor,” Qin’s mother said. “We’re all neighbors, everyone knows each other. They have so many sons, how much money will it cost when their sons get married? Don’t expect them to take it from our Li’an.”

“In those days, many people had several children,” Qin’s father said. “Their family just happened to have more sons.”

"When they came to our house, they were very rude to us," Qin's mother said. "They weren't good people at all; they were just utterly repulsive."

"Don't worry about them," Qin's father said. "Whether they're alright or not doesn't matter. Li'an isn't stupid; he can't possibly hand over everything he has to them. We have so many people in our family; we can keep an eye on things."

“I still think it’s better to find someone else,” Qin’s mother said. “Before, the Zhu family didn’t explain any of the rumors circulating outside. How good could they be? They’re just after our money.”

"It's better to have something that someone wants than nothing at all," said Qin's father. "Things are already like this, so let's not talk about it anymore."

"Why shouldn't I say anything? I'll say what I want to say," Qin's mother said. "They... I just feel it's a pity... Li'an should have listened to me and..."

"Don't say things like that in front of that girl. If she finds out, she'll be unhappy," said Qin's father.

"She knows that perfectly well," Qin's mother rolled her eyes. "It's just that she insisted on being with our Li'an no matter what."

Mr. Qin shook his head helplessly. Back when Gu Qian lived at their house, Mrs. Qin had been saying all sorts of unpleasant things. Gu Qian was pregnant and needed to rest, and Mrs. Qin's words were clearly meant to scare her, causing her to miscarry—and the baby was a boy. Mr. Qin felt somewhat regretful; he wished Gu Qian had given birth to that child.

But Qin's father knew in his heart that as long as Qin's mother was alive, she would never be kind to Gu Qian. You Yun and the others didn't care about these things, so Gu Qian would only be very sad at home. Qin's father himself couldn't stay at home all night, nor could he keep Gu Qian by his side all the time. In the end, it was still Qin's mother who was incompetent.

When Song Fenglan learned that Qin Li'an was getting engaged, she did not plan to attend his engagement banquet.

"Go and participate by yourself," Song Fenglan said as she was reading in her room. "Don't let Zihang go."

Qin Zihang and Qin Li'an have a bad relationship.

In the past, whatever Qin Zihang did, people thought he was just trying to steal the spotlight. It would have been better to let Qin Zihang study or do something else.

"I'll go myself." Qin Yizhou nodded. "Hopefully, now that Li'an is engaged, they won't cause any more trouble."

"I don't know," Song Fenglan said. "Some people know they've made a mistake, can correct it, and won't make the same mistake again. Others make the same mistake once, and then make it a second or third time."

Song Fenglan certainly didn't want Qin Li'an to make the same mistake a second or third time; that would be terrible. Qin Li'an was Qin Yizhou's nephew. If Qin Li'an made a serious mistake, it would have a significant impact on the Qin family, but it would also have some impact on Qin Yizhou, just not as much.

“If he can correct his mistakes and live a good life in the future, that would be good too,” Song Fenglan said. “Your father and your older brother are very considerate of him. Qin Li’an is, after all, their beloved child, and his younger brother is so much younger than him.”

Even if Qin's father and elder brother had some dissatisfaction with Qin Li'an, their affection for him was genuine.

Song Fenglan knew this, and Qin Yizhou naturally knew it as well.

"Mom isn't very satisfied with this girl," Qin Yizhou said.

"Not satisfied?" Song Fenglan asked, puzzled.

"She thinks that the girl is eager to be with Li'an, and that her family is poor, and that she wants the Qin family's money," Qin Yizhou said.

"..." Song Fenglan was speechless. "Your mother is really picky. She's picky about her daughter-in-law, and she's also picky about her granddaughter-in-law."

“In Mom’s eyes, Li’an is the best man in the world,” Qin Yizhou said. “Women who are with Li’an should have no desires.”

“You…you said what I wanted to say,” Song Fenglan said.

Qin Yizhou had known Song Fenglan for many years, and he knew what Song Fenglan wanted to say.

"When two people get married, it's also important to consider both families," Qin Yizhou said. "The woman's family will inevitably have requirements. For someone like Li'an, as long as the woman is decent and willing to open the supermarket with him and work hard together, that's more important than anything else. Those better women have better choices, so why should they choose Li'an?"

"Your mother disagrees, but Qin Li'an still wants to get engaged. Wasn't your mother unhappy about it?" Song Fenglan asked. "Didn't she make a fuss?"

"That's because the girl she told others before didn't like Li'an. The girl's elders all agreed, but the girl herself didn't want to," Qin Yizhou said. "Mom is still a little worried. I'm afraid that without this girl, Li'an will be single for the rest of his life. Mom wants to see Li'an get married and have children as soon as possible."

"Yes." Song Fenglan nodded. "This is their business. As long as they agree, that's fine. You, as their uncle, don't need to interfere."

"I didn't interfere. If there were any major problems, I would have spoken up. There's nothing wrong with this. It's perfectly normal for someone to want something," Qin Yizhou said. "It's impossible for someone to want nothing at all."

Qin Yizhou knew that Qin Li'an's family was somewhat wealthy, but Qin Li'an himself had served time in prison, which would deter many girls from good families. It would be difficult for Qin Li'an to be with a better girl. It was better to choose a girl who was slightly better, but not too bad; they lived nearby, and everyone knew each other's backgrounds.

Qin Li'an knew his mother was unhappy, and he tried to persuade her. He didn't invite Tian Keshu to his engagement party. While Tian Keshu was his mother, he harbored some resentment towards her, and his family didn't want her to come, so he simply didn't invite her.

Tian Keshu learned from others that Qin Li'an was getting engaged. She was a little afraid to go to Qin Li'an's place, so she went to her daughter's workplace to ask her about Qin Li'an.

"Yes, he's getting engaged." Qin Ya herself hasn't dated, gotten engaged, or married yet, so her family isn't in a hurry.

Qin Ya knew that her stepmother felt she didn't need to interfere, while the rest of the Qin family thought there was a spy in her biological mother's family, and forcing her to go on blind dates and get married would only make them enemies. Anyway, Qin Ya was a girl and didn't need to carry on the family line, so they didn't interfere in her affairs and let her choose her own path.

"Why didn't he tell me?" Tian Keshu said, "Such a big thing..."

"That's why they didn't tell you, because it's such a big deal," Qin Ya said. "They were all afraid you'd disrupt Li An's engagement party."

“How could that be?” Tian Keshu frowned. “He’s my own son. How could I possibly interrupt his engagement party? I heard he’s getting engaged to a girl from the Zhu family. What’s so great about the Zhu family? Li’an was caught up in the rumors, and none of them came forward to explain. Li’an saved their girl, and they didn’t even bother to come and thank him…”

“Li’an agreed to the engagement himself; no one forced him,” Qin Ya said. “If you disagree, go talk to Li’an and ask him: Do you really have to get engaged to this girl?”

"I..." How could Tian Keshu possibly say such a thing? The Qin family had all agreed; what use was her disagreement? Tian Keshu hoped for a brighter future for Qin Li'an. "If you don't speak up yourself, then I'm even less likely to," Qin Ya said. "I am his sister, that's true, but I'm not his parent. You're all still alive, and if you can't control him, how can I?"

Qin Ya felt she was meddling too much, which would only invite criticism. Qin Ya was already doing well enough to manage herself; she wasn't even dating yet, and no one in her family cared whether she was going to date or get married. Everyone was more concerned about Qin Li'an first.

“I can’t rely on you at all,” Tian Keshu said.

“I never said you could rely on me, and I never said I was reliable,” Qin Ya said. “That’s just my personality, that’s just the kind of person I am.”

Tian Keshu didn't get a good answer from Qin Ya, so she went directly to Qin Li'an's engagement party on the day of the wedding. She went outside the hotel and tried to go back inside. You Yun saw this but didn't stop her. Qin's mother was in a wheelchair, so she couldn't go over there herself; someone had to push her.

"Father-in-law and mother-in-law," Tian Keshu greeted the Zhu family with a smile, as if she had been invited by the Qin family.

The Qin family hadn't invited Tian Keshu, and Qin's mother's expression was unpleasant. But since Tian Keshu had already come, they could only let her stay; it wouldn't be good for her to cause a scene at this time.

"Didn't you say your biological mother wasn't coming?" Zhu Meng whispered to Qin Li'an.

“I didn’t invite her; she came on her own,” Qin Li’an said truthfully. “That’s just the kind of person my own mother is.”

Qin Li'an didn't hide it from Zhu Meng; their relationship with his biological mother wasn't good, that was a fact. The Zhu family and the Qin family were neighbors, and the Zhu family knew this too. The main reason was that there were other relatives present today; it was an engagement banquet, and several tables were set up, not just one for everyone.

This was also the Qin family giving face to the Zhu family. Qin Li'an knew that his conditions were not good, so he still tried to do better.

“It’s alright, she’s here, so be it,” Zhu Meng said. “I know how to deal with her.”

Zhu Meng is not Qin Ya. Qin Ya would at least be polite to Tian Keshu, but Zhu Meng wouldn't. When Zhu Meng was followed by a drunk man, she realized the size difference between them, and she was genuinely afraid. It's very difficult for a woman to defeat a man. However, when a woman faces another woman, she doesn't need to be so afraid.

When You Yun saw Tian Keshu sitting at the main table, she wanted to roll her eyes. Tian Keshu really was shameless; she hadn't been invited, yet she still came. Tian Keshu's skin was truly thick.

No matter how thick-skinned Tian Keshu was, You Yun had to put up with it. You Yun was a stepmother, not her biological mother, which made her an easy target for criticism.

Qin Yizhou didn't say anything. He came to the engagement banquet, not to argue with anyone.

"After they get married, they'll have to take care of me in my old age," Tian Keshu said directly at the engagement banquet. "I'm Li'an's biological mother, he..."

"We'll talk about these things later," Qin's father said, frowning.

“What’s wrong with saying this? We should say it now,” Tian Keshu said. “You have two sons, and I only have one. Right, mother-in-law?”

Tian Keshu then turned to look at Zhu's mother, insisting that someone express their opinion.

"We'll do everything according to the law," Zhu Meng said. "We'll do whatever the law stipulates."

"What do you mean?" Tian Keshu felt there was something strange about what he was saying. "You..."

"Mom, eat something." Qin Ya tugged at Tian Keshu.

Despite the many people watching her, Tian Keshu wasn't embarrassed at all.

Qin Ya didn't believe Zhu Meng would genuinely care for Tian Keshu in her old age. Given Qin Li'an's deep hatred for Tian Keshu, their attitude towards her after their marriage was unlikely to be good. Tian Keshu's words at this time were clearly an attempt to embarrass her, as if no one knew anything. People would definitely resent it, and when this matter was brought up again later, Zhu Meng and Qin Li'an would only harbor more resentment towards Tian Keshu.

Qin Ya felt that Tian Keshu should say less, and if she had to say something, she should do it at another time, not in front of so many people. Tian Keshu was disrespecting Qin Li'an and Zhu Meng by insisting that all the relatives see it.

"Why are you pulling me?" Tian Keshu asked, displeased.

"If you don't want to be kicked out, say less," Qin Ya whispered in Tian Keshu's ear.

If Tian Keshu weren't Qin Ya's biological mother, Qin Ya really wouldn't want to say these words.

"Qin Ya, take your mother to rest," Qin's mother said.

Qin's mother looked down on Tian Keshu, and she didn't like Zhu Meng much either, but she couldn't let Tian Keshu continue to cause trouble.

"Okay." Qin Ya could only pull Tian Keshu away. Tian Keshu wanted to say something, but Qin Ya gripped Tian Keshu's arm tightly, making Tian Keshu wince in pain.

"You brat, what are you doing?" Tian Keshu said.

"To avoid embarrassing you, and to avoid embarrassing Li'an," Qin Ya whispered, "Think about it, if you offend them today, do you think they'll treat you well in the future? Do you think they'll take your polite words at the banquet seriously?"

"I..." Tian Keshu thought that those people would keep their word.

“Mom, you yourself aren’t a person of your word, so don’t expect others to,” Qin Ya said. “And don’t think Li’an is bad; didn’t he learn from you?”

"You learned it from me?" Tian Keshu murmured.

“Yes, I learned it from you,” Qin Ya said.

After Qin Yizhou finished the engagement banquet, he returned home and, that evening, described the events that had taken place at the banquet to Song Fenglan.

“Tian Keshu wasn’t invited, but when she went, she wanted to talk about her retirement. Li’an’s expression immediately changed,” Qin Yizhou said. “Li’an’s fiancée said to follow the law. Tian Keshu wanted to continue, but Qin Ya pulled her aside.”

"She really dares to do that." Song Fenglan thought about it and realized that Tian Keshu was indeed that kind of person. "Why did she have to choose today of all times to say this? Or is she asking someone to write a written agreement for her?"

"They probably realized later that they couldn't continue talking at this point," Qin Yizhou said.

“Your two sisters-in-law are sitting over there, tsk tsk.” Song Fenglan felt a little suffocated just thinking about that scene.

It's just that You Yun has a good temper; she never really cares about Tian Keshu. If it were someone with a more fiery temper, they would definitely say a few words to Tian Keshu.

"Qin Li'an is engaged, and his sister-in-law is quite talkative now," Qin Yizhou said. "They'll probably be thinking about how to divide the assets in the future."

Qin Li'an is getting married. Where will he live after the wedding, and how will the family property be divided?

You see, the house that Brother Qin and his family live in is quite large. Brother Qin's parents are getting old, and they still want to give the house to Brother Qin. That house is essentially part of the inheritance that Brother Qin's children will divide, and it's unlikely that Brother Qin will give more to Qin Ya, who will be his two sons.

Judging from the current situation, Brother Qin values ​​his youngest son more, and You Yun is also diligently educating him. As long as the youngest son doesn't make any major mistakes, continues his studies well, and doesn't break the law, he's better than Qin Li'an in every way. Naturally, Brother Qin wants to give the better things to his youngest son, rather than giving the lion's share to his eldest son.

A few days later, Qin's mother's health deteriorated. Since becoming partially disabled, she had been in low spirits, and her physical condition was much worse than before, making her more prone to catching colds. Qin Zihang visited her twice, but not frequently; Qin Yizhou, however, visited her more often.

Qin Yizhou sometimes brought food, sometimes money, but he rarely appeared in front of his mother. According to Qin Yizhou, his mother didn't want to see him; he could just go.

When winter vacation arrived, Song Fenglan asked Zhang Xiaohu to take the gift money for Zhang Wen back home. Song Fenglan's family did not go to Nancheng, and Qin Zihang was preparing to go to the laboratory to do experiments.

Zhang Xiaohu didn't refuse; it was a gift from Song Fenglan to Zhang Wen, not to him. Zhang Xiaohu didn't dare open the red envelope on the way home. He only took it out after returning home, right in front of Zhang Wen and his wife.

"Fenglan is too kind." The plump woman looked at Zhang Wen. "Just take it."

"Mm." Zhang Wen nodded.

"Wait a minute." The plump woman took the red envelope from Zhang Wen's hand again. She looked at the money inside, which was a full one hundred yuan.

This is quite a lot. You know, many people don't even give this much as a wedding gift; ten or twenty yuan is considered acceptable. Song Fenglan and her husband gave a hundred yuan, which is a lot. Fatty Sister-in-law thought they should write it down so they wouldn't give less when Qin Zihang got married.

"Take it." The plump woman stuffed the money into the box and handed it to Zhang Wen. "Both of you brothers borrowed money from them when you bought your houses. It's because they're so generous that they were willing to lend you money to buy your houses."

So what if they're neighbors? Many people have been neighbors for years, and their tempers aren't much better.

The eldest daughter of Gao Xiuxiu next door is almost fifteen years old and will soon be taking the high school entrance exam. Her grades aren't very good, so Gao Xiuxiu plans to spend more money to send her to high school. At this point, Gao Xiuxiu realized that high school was better than vocational school. Mainly, she saw many children in the residential compound going to high school and then university, and also saw Zhang Xiaohu from Pang Sao's family go to university; Gao Xiuxiu was spurred on by this.

Gao Xiuxiu planned to send her eldest daughter to high school and then to university. As for her second daughter, since her grades weren't good, it didn't matter. In Gao Xiuxiu's eyes, as long as her eldest daughter did well, that was enough.

Aunt Pang didn't interfere much in Gao Xiuxiu's family affairs, but she sometimes heard Gao Xiuxiu's second daughter complaining about the unfairness. Gao Xiuxiu and Grandma Fang both favored their eldest daughter more, while the second daughter was neglected. Fang Xudong, a grown man, was often not home, so he couldn't worry about everything.

Guo Furong, who lives with Fan Yani, is a little younger than Erniu and has often heard that Erniu is being beaten. Guo Furong is very satisfied with her current life. Her adoptive father doesn't spoil her much, and her aunt and grandmother treat her well. It's better than when she was in the orphanage, and even better than people like Erniu.

Fan Yani bought Guo Furong new clothes and all sorts of delicious food. In terms of food, clothing, and shelter, Fan Yani didn't skimp on Guo Furong's needs. As for whose name should be on the property deed, Fan Yani would never put Guo Furong's name on it.

“Zhang Wen is having a wedding banquet, and Fatty’s family will probably invite us,” Fan Yani said during the meal. “They said it will be held here in the family compound, and we locals will be in charge of cooking. They said that if we go to a hotel, the food is expensive, and we’ll only be eating there once. It’s better to cook ourselves so we can have more meals.”

Fatty's sister-in-law is from the countryside, and people in the countryside prefer to host their own banquets so that others can enjoy several meals. Fan Yani thought it was fine for Fatty's sister-in-law to have that idea; they could set up tables in the courtyards of nearby houses, and also set up tables on the road outside, since the banquet wouldn't last for many days anyway.

“We can’t give too little money as a gift,” Fan Yani said. “We can’t make ourselves look stingy.”

“We’ll contract with them, and they’ll contract with us in the future. You can decide what to do.” Yue Hongwei had no objections.

“We need to tidy up that extra room in the yard. Furong has grown up, and our daughter is a bit older too,” Fan Yani said. “We still need to make sure they each have their own room and live separately.”

Previously, Fan Yani's daughter slept in the same room as Guo Furong. The room in the yard was used to store other things, and sometimes Guo's mother could rest there when she came over. Now, Fan Yani is thinking of letting Guo Furong sleep in the new room; the child is older and needs her own private space.