Chapter 133 The changes are too great.

“Envious? Of course I’m envious, how could I not be?” Zhang Wen said. “I’m content with just a trip to the capital in my lifetime, I don’t want to think about anything else. I have a stable job, an apartment allocated by the school, and the apartment my sister-in-law and I bought can be rented out, which brings in some money. Life is pretty good. Not all of my classmates from junior high school are doing so well. Many of them don’t have stable jobs, they work in private factories, the wages aren’t as high as they imagined, and they’re not stable either.”

Zhang Wen admired Zhang Xiaohu, but he also knew his own limitations.

“The teachers at the primary schools in the capital must all be very good,” Zhang Wen said. “So many people want to go to the capital, the competition is extremely fierce. Not to mention the capital, just look at our Nancheng, there are many people who want to stay in Nancheng as teachers, those from rural primary schools, county primary schools, they are all scrambling to come to Nancheng. As for me, I was able to become a teacher in a school in Nancheng after graduation, which is already very good. You don’t know how many people envy me.”

That's how everyone is, always envying each other. Those at the bottom envy those at the top, wishing they could have a better life.

“That’s true.” Zhang Xiaohu nodded.

"Don't cut the radishes into big pieces, they won't dry properly," Zhang Wen said. "Or, I can cut them myself. I've cut plenty of radishes. Not just on my mother's side, but my mother-in-law's side also dries radishes. When I went there, I helped cut them too. They like to make spicy dried radish, which is delicious with porridge."

"I'll bring some with me when I go back to the capital," Zhang Xiaohu said.

“Yes, Mom dried some radishes a long time ago,” Zhang Wen said. “We never lack dried radishes at home. Now that conditions are better, we don’t always have to eat dried radishes. It’s not like before, when we would always talk about dried radishes and eat pickled vegetables. We would even use the leafy greens on the radishes to make sauerkraut.”

Aunt Pang is especially good at making sauerkraut, pickled vegetables, and oh, salted duck eggs. Salted duck eggs are a bit expensive, so Aunt Pang doesn't make many; sometimes several family members share one salted duck egg. Aunt Pang is very frugal, and she encourages the rest of the family to be frugal as well. When the children were growing, Aunt Pang still bought some meat.

At that time, after Song Fenglan came to join the army, her family ate meat quite often. In addition to the meat that Song Fenglan and her husband bought themselves, relevant departments also delivered some meat, and Mrs. Su also bought meat separately. Professor Su often ate at the research institute's canteen, and Mrs. Su had quite a few ration coupons. Instead of sending them all to her children, she bought extra meat when she was with Qin Zihang.

When Qin Zihang came to Nancheng, he also visited Professor Su and his wife, bringing them many gifts. Qin Zihang still remembered Mrs. Su; she treated him very well, caring for him like her own grandson.

“That was all in the past,” Zhang Xiaohu said.

“We’re still making it now,” Zhang Wen said. “Mom said to make a little extra so it can be used as a side dish.”

“You and your sister-in-law don’t usually live here, so I don’t know whether Mom treats these dishes as side dishes or main courses,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “These past few years, Mom and Dad must have had a tough time paying off their debts.”

"Paying back the money is hard work, of course. We've been saving every penny to save up some. Luckily, we don't have to ask our parents for money anymore, so they can save even more to pay back," Zhang Wen said. "Our parents have had a tough time."

"Yes." Zhang Wen nodded; he knew all of that.

"Just let me know if you need anything later," Zhang Xiaohu said. "I'll work hard to earn money after I graduate."

“Your earnings are yours,” Zhang Wen said. “We’ll try not to trouble you. If you have money, just send some to your parents. Your sister-in-law and I have stable jobs, so you don’t need to worry about us too much.”

Zhang Wen wasn't planning on borrowing more money from Zhang Xiaohu. Currently, Zhang Wen and his wife had enough money to get by and weren't in a position to borrow more. They would borrow from Zhang Xiaohu when they needed more money, but of course, they would have to pay it back.

“Okay,” Zhang Xiaohu said.

“Mom knows Qin Zihang is pursuing a combined master’s and doctoral degree, and she’s worried about you,” Zhang Wen said. “You and Zihang practically grew up together, you two…”

“I didn’t just grow up with Zihang, I grew up with a lot of people,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “Some of my classmates didn’t get into high school, and some who did didn’t get into university. It’s impossible for everyone to have a smooth life; there are always people who don’t do well. Brothers, you don’t need to worry about me. I’m not trying to compare myself to Zihang.”

Seeing how worried everyone was about him, Zhang Xiaohu felt a warmth in his heart. "If my grades were good, I would have gone to graduate school. Graduate school opens up more career paths. It's a pity my grades aren't good. If it weren't for Zihang, brother, I would be like you, no, maybe even worse off than you!"

Zhang Xiaohu was telling the truth. He was much more mischievous than his brother when they were young and didn't want to study. Initially, when Zhang Xiaohu played with Qin Zihang, he didn't like studying. After Qin Zihang went back to the capital, Zhang Xiaohu also wanted to go there, and he worked even harder. When Zhang Xiaohu's grades started to drop in junior high, Song Fenglan invited him to the capital again, giving him a helping hand and saving him from further decline.

“If Mom is feeling down, talk to her. I’ve already told her, but she just likes to dwell on things,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “After I got to university, I realized that there’s always someone better, so don’t overestimate yourself. Overestimating yourself and thinking too highly of yourself is bound to lead to trouble.”

"Did you suffer setbacks at university?" Zhang Wen asked.

“How could I not be discouraged? Others could get really high scores, and I couldn’t even pass,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “After being discouraged so many times, I thought about giving up on graduate school. I just couldn’t compete. It’s not like I can just cheer myself up and that’s all I need to do. Zihang and I are friends, that doesn’t mean I have to follow his example in everything. I talked to Zihang about it, and he didn’t say anything bad about me. He said that even with a bachelor’s degree, you can still find a good job, and that I have a lot of room for advancement in the future.”

Qin Zihang never put Zhang Xiaohu down, nor did he stop playing with Zhang Xiaohu because of his poor grades. Zhang Xiaohu still liked Qin Zihang very much, and having such a friend was the greatest blessing of his life.

“You two have a good relationship,” Zhang Wen said.

"Even if we have a good relationship, we can't take advantage of each other," Zhang Xiaohu said.

"Yes, that's right." Zhang Wen nodded.

The two brothers washed and chopped radishes, and soon they had dried a lot of radish strips.

When Zhang Wen's wife, Lin Jiajia, came over, she saw that the sieve was full of radishes.

"While others are slaughtering chickens and ducks, you're chopping radishes," Lin Jiajia lamented. "Aren't you afraid that when they set off firecrackers, everything will be covered in dust?"

“It’s okay, we’ll just leave it at home,” Zhang Wen said.

"Aren't you afraid the radishes will get moldy if you leave them at home?" Lin Jiajia asked. "Mom told you not to do it, but you insisted. In the first few days of the Lunar New Year, people are always afraid of firecrackers and too much dust. If it doesn't work, we'll have to dry them with charcoal later."

Lin Jiajia thought that men never thought about those things when they did things. These people thought they were helping the family, but they still didn't do it well enough.

“It’s what I wanted to cut,” Zhang Xiaohu raised his hand. “I was thinking that I don’t know when I’ll be back, so I wanted to do more for my family.”

"No need to cut them," Lin Jiajia said. "Leave the rest for now, these few sieves are enough to dry."

Zhang Xiaohu didn't dare cut any more radishes. He looked at his older brother, wondering why his brother hadn't said anything back then. Zhang Wen looked up at the sky. He had only joined in because he saw his younger brother working so hard, and they ended up washing far too many radishes.

On New Year's Eve, Fan Yani was still very busy. Many people bought cookies and other pastries from her. On the morning of New Year's Eve, Fan Yani was still delivering goods, and neighbors from the neighborhood sent their children over to pick up their orders.

This year has been another year of great financial success, and Fan Yani is very happy. Standing at the forefront of the times makes making money much easier—that's Fan Yani's thought. Ultimately, it depends on whether an individual can seize the opportunities presented by the times; if not, even when money is right in front of you, you won't be able to grasp it.

Fan Yani was in a good mood, humming a tune as she did everything. She was thinking about how to use the money her family earned to buy a house, but opening more milk tea shops was out of the question. Fan Yani knew she could manage a few milk tea shops, but not too many. If she let others manage them, they might cut corners or cause all sorts of problems, which would be detrimental to the milk tea shops.

To be able to live again, and to live a happy and fulfilling life, that's enough.

Fan Yani is living such a good life, while Guo Peng is far behind. Fan Yani earns more money and buys more houses, while Guo Peng can't afford as many.

Some people privately asked Guo Peng if he regretted his decision. They said if he had married Fan Yani, he could have become a big boss instead of working as a security guard. Guo Peng couldn't say he regretted it; he could only say he didn't. Everyone has their own path to walk.

In reality, Guo Peng had long regretted it, but regret was useless; life had to go on. Fan Yani and Guo Peng were impossible; they both had their own families.

Guo Peng also told people not to talk about it, saying it would affect Fan Yani.

On New Year's Eve, the Guo family gathered together for their reunion dinner, but Fan Yani didn't bring her family. The children had grown up, and with so many people, it would be crowded; it was better to have dinner at home. It wasn't that Fan Yani and the Guo family were on bad terms; rather, it was better to keep to themselves for a while, and they could eat together again when visiting relatives after the New Year.

Guo Furong stayed at Fan Yani's house for New Year's Eve dinner. Fan Yani didn't invite Guo Furong to the Guo family's New Year's Eve dinner, as that wouldn't be appropriate. Guo's father and the others didn't want to see Guo Furong, but they just didn't say it out loud. Fan Yani knew this, and Guo Furong knew it too.

Fan Yani also bought new clothes for Guo Furong. Guo Furong has quite a lot of clothes, including shoes and socks.

Even the underwear was prepared by Fan Yani for Guo Furong. Fan Yani also had to arrange everything else.

Fan Yani was quite attentive to Guo Furong's needs. Children living with relatives are naturally more sensitive, and Fan Yani, being well-off, naturally took excellent care of her.

That year, Song Fenglan and her family of three ate their New Year's Eve dinner at home instead of going to the Song family home.

Song Heng got engaged to his girlfriend, who wasn't from the capital and would be spending the Lunar New Year with her family. They were getting married soon, and the woman's family was naturally very satisfied with the Song family, who were offering a generous dowry. Song Heng's girlfriend, like him, graduated from Tsinghua or Peking University; both were very capable individuals.

Song Heng's younger sister became a teacher at a prestigious high school. Brother Song was very satisfied with his two children; this arrangement was undoubtedly the best.

Aunt Song San came to Song Fenglan's house for the New Year. Song's mother wanted Aunt Song San to come to her house instead. Aunt Song San thought about it and decided to come to Song Fenglan's house instead; Song Fenglan had also invited her to come for the New Year. None of Song's mother's three children had neglected Aunt Song San; they all felt it would be too lonely for her to spend the New Year alone, so they all invited her to spend it with them.

After the New Year's Eve dinner, everyone chatted together.

Aunt Song sighed, "Zihang has grown up so much in a short time. When I first met him, he was in the fifth grade of elementary school."

At that time, Song Fenglan was transferred from Nancheng to the capital, and it was then that Song's third aunt met Qin Zihang.

“Time just flies by,” Song Fenglan said. “It feels like time has passed in the blink of an eye.”

"Is Zihang old enough to find a girlfriend?" Aunt Song asked.

"Let him be. If he wants to find a girlfriend, let him find one," Song Fenglan said.

"Aren't you afraid he'll find a bad girlfriend?" Aunt Song asked.

“I’m not afraid!” Song Fenglan said. “She’s his girlfriend, not mine. If it really doesn’t work, I’ll just pretend I never had this son.”

"Mom, do you really not think much of me?" Qin Zihang asked.

“It’s not that I don’t think it’s a good idea, it’s just that I don’t think you’re that stupid to bring back a jerk,” Song Fenglan said. “If that’s the case, we’ll have to kick you out, and you can get as far away as possible.”

Song Fenglan didn't want to face those upsetting things. She needed to deal with her son and future daughter-in-law decisively. As for whether or not she would have grandchildren, it didn't matter much. It didn't matter if they didn't; Song Fenglan had other things to do.

"Fine, I'm not going to just walk away like that," Qin Zihang said. "I'm not that stupid."

Ever since Qin Zihang was deceived years ago, he's become extremely cautious about men and women. Even if someone confesses their feelings to him, he has to consider whether they genuinely like him or have ulterior motives. Qin Zihang doesn't want to be deceived again. Being deceived is a minor issue; the most serious problem is accidentally leaking secrets.

“Mom,” Qin Zihang said, “My advisor even joked that you could help me take a look at the paper, and that you could be listed as the corresponding author, not necessarily him. I said no, if I put you on the list, people might think you wrote the paper.”

“No!” Song Fenglan said, “No one will mistake your paper for mine.”

"That's true, I'm not as good as you," Qin Zihang said. "But then I thought, maybe my mentor thinks I'm not good enough and is afraid I'll embarrass him?"

"..." Song Fenglan's lips twitched slightly, "Maybe your advisor just finds it troublesome."

Being a supervisor involves a lot of work. They have to review students' papers and conduct experiments themselves, ensuring successful results. Supervisors work very hard; it's not like they can easily earn that much money.

Song Fenglan has published relatively few papers, and some of the content is classified and cannot be published. Compared to some professors at the university, Song Fenglan's publications are not numerous. Fortunately, Song Fenglan's abilities are undeniable, and no one can criticize her publications. Furthermore, the university's requirements for Song Fenglan during the promotion evaluation process are not rigid.

Many schools wanted Song Fenglan to go there, and the president was particularly pleased that Song Fenglan stayed at Capital University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

“You guys aren’t even a threat to your supervisors academically, but you can easily embarrass them if you’re not careful,” Song Fenglan said. “When you publish a paper, show it to your supervisor first, especially when you’re going to include their name.”

Song Fenglan had told her students the same thing: don't put her name on the papers just to give her a so-called surprise. If that happened, and she found the papers unacceptable, she would demand their retraction, rendering their publications meaningless. If her name wasn't on the papers, they could publish them, but they absolutely mustn't mention that she was their advisor.

Some students always think they are very talented and that their writing is amazing. In reality, others have already written similar things, and there may be significant problems with their work.

"I knew it would be like this," Qin Zihang said. "Mom, I'm writing a paper, should I show it to you?"

“Either is fine,” Song Fenglan said. “But you have a mentor, so you should still consider your mentor. You have a sect, it’s not like you don’t have one.”

Song Fenglan doesn't teach students in rotation with others. Qin Zihang can learn from Song Fenglan anytime, but he still needs to learn more from his mentor and learn from others' strengths.

“If Zihang pursues a master’s and doctoral degree, he’ll need to publish more papers,” said Aunt Song.

"Yes, there are requirements for graduation," Qin Zihang said. "I want to stay at the university after graduation and work in the research institute like my mother. From the current perspective, it should be possible."

"Then you should work hard, so that you won't be able to do it again later," said Aunt Song. "If you work hard, life will be better."

"Understood," Qin Zihang said. "Brother Xiaohu will wait for the spring recruitment season; he'll start working right away."

“It’s best that you and your mother are like this,” said Aunt Song. “Your mother is amazing.”

"Auntie, you're amazing too," Qin Zihang said. "Your TV series even won an award."

"Not at all, not at all," Aunt Song said with a smile. "It's all thanks to everyone's hard work."

Aunt Song and her friends worked together to polish the script and film the show. Some of them managed to make a living from the sitcoms they filmed, preventing them from going out of work. Some of them also went on to film other TV series, and although they weren't particularly famous, they could at least earn some money.

Those friends were very grateful to Aunt Song, saying that she had helped them. In the beginning, when they weren't making money, they treated it as a hobby. After they started making money, Aunt Song shared some with those people and kept some for filming other TV series.

Aunt Song started a company that mainly produces sitcoms and TV dramas about educated youth returning to the city after being sent to the countryside. Aunt Song didn't film period dramas, because those require knowledge of etiquette and many other things to be mindful of. Aunt Song has a certain level of education, but that doesn't mean she knows everything.

Aunt Song is already this age, so she won't touch on those more complicated topics.

"Without everyone's hard work, we wouldn't have won the award," said Aunt Song. "This drama is quite good. We've kept filming it with the original cast. To get everyone else to join, we need to go through a vote and there needs to be a storyline."

This production is very profitable, and many people want to join it; some are even willing to bring their own investment to the project.

Aunt Song didn't agree. If they were short of money, they might have. But they weren't short of money; the filming costs weren't particularly high, and Aunt Song's company had a considerable amount of cash in its accounts. The Capital Television station had ordered the series and would pay a portion of the fee, and other television stations also paid for rebroadcasts.

"Overall, it's still pretty good," said Aunt Song.

"That's good," Song Fenglan said. "Being able to do what you like is the most important thing. Forcing yourself to do what you don't like is useless."

"The sweet potatoes are ready." Qin Yizhou brought over a plate of roasted sweet potatoes. These sweet potatoes were not very big, but they smelled delicious. "These sweet potatoes are sweeter this time."

"Are you going to eat first?" Song Fenglan asked.

"Didn't we steam it a couple of days ago?" Qin Yizhou said.

"Oh right." Song Fenglan had almost forgotten.

"Auntie, here you go." Qin Zihang handed a roasted sweet potato to Aunt Song.

"I'll have a smaller one," said Aunt Song. "Zihang, you still love roasted sweet potatoes so much."

"It's alright," Qin Zihang said. "It tastes like it did when I was a kid."

Qin Zihang took a small spoon and gave one to Aunt Song, and also gave one to his mother.

"Let's eat," Song Fenglan said. "Now you're not even mentioning barbecue anymore?"

"I'm not interested now," Qin Zihang said. "Eating barbecue can cause internal heat, but roasted sweet potatoes are fine."

"Eating roasted sweet potatoes is quite nice," said Aunt Song. "I don't like those fancy things anymore; I just prefer simple ones. Steamed or boiled, simple is better for your health."

“We still need to eat meat; we can’t go without it,” Song Fenglan said. “Our bodies won’t be able to handle it.”

"No one doesn't eat meat, tonight..."

"Well, I eat meat too, don't I?" Aunt Song said. "Some people are vegetarian, but I'm not. I still need to eat meat. Didn't I suffer enough during those years in the countryside? Now I should enjoy myself more. I can eat whatever I want."

“Yes, eat as much as you like,” Song Fenglan said.

Before the Lunar New Year, the Gu family secretly approached Qin Li'an twice, wanting money from him, but Qin Li'an refused. The Gu family assumed the Zhu family was unaware of their actions, but Qin Li'an was not about to keep it from Zhu Meng.

After the New Year, on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, Zhu's father led a group of people to the Gu family, determined to cause a scene and let the Gu family know how powerful they were.

"Do you want to go to court?" Zhu's father asked the Gu family.

The Gu family had no desire to go to court; they just wanted money and didn't want to go to jail.

When Qin Li'an learned of the Zhu family's actions, he didn't think his in-laws were at fault. He blamed the Gu family for always wanting money. Qin Li'an couldn't possibly give them that much money; his money was for raising his daughter.

The child will need money for school, marriage, and having children in the future.

Qin Li'an couldn't possibly be foolish enough to keep sending money to the Gu family; he wouldn't give them a single penny. To thank the Zhu family, Qin Li'an also sent them quite a few gifts after the Lunar New Year.

The Zhu family felt that Qin Li'an had been to prison, and wished he hadn't.

"Mom, if Li'an hadn't been to jail, would I have gotten my turn?" Zhu Meng asked bluntly when her mother told her about Qin Li'an.

Qin Li'an went to buy supplies, while Zhu Meng stayed at the supermarket to mind the shop, with the child sitting in a stroller. Zhu Meng didn't dare take the child out, fearing the child would be abducted. Even if Zhu Meng was slightly away, she had to keep the child inside the checkout counter. She was minding the shop, and no matter how far away, the child was still inside; she was still somewhat worried.

Zhu's mother would come over to help out when she had time. She didn't want Zhu Meng to give her money; it was nothing for a mother to help her daughter.

"You..." Zhu's mother didn't know what to say when she heard Zhu Meng's words.

In the eyes of Zhu's parents, their daughter was the best of the best.

"How's business today?" Mother Zhu asked.

"It's alright," Zhu Meng replied. "Business is pretty good. Those people are prejudiced against Li'an, but that doesn't stop them from buying things from us. Our products are all top-notch, and the prices are very fair. They would pay more at other shops."

“Indeed, things are cheaper here,” said Mother Zhu.

"Mom, do we need any more soy sauce?" Zhu Meng asked.

"I don't need anything," Mother Zhu replied. "These things are always provided by you when I need them."

"It's just a little thing, not worth much money," Zhu Meng said. "You came to help, and you haven't even asked for money yet."

"When your mother-in-law came to buy things, didn't she give you money?" Zhu's mother whispered.

“Yes, we were given money,” Zhu Meng said. “Li’an’s stepmother is always very clear about money; she never tried to take advantage of us.”

Zhu Meng thought You Yun's situation was quite good. Since her family had already received their share, they didn't need to worry about getting anything more. You Yun wasn't taking advantage of them, and they weren't taking advantage of You Yun either; it couldn't be more appropriate.

"Has Li'an's biological mother come over?" Zhu's mother asked. "Yes, she has," Zhu Meng said. "When she came, she just went and took some things without paying. I told her that she can take things, but she has to register. There's a limit on how much she can take each month, and once she reaches that limit, she can't take any more. If she takes more than that, I'm going to confront her."

Tian Keshu rents a place to live and also washes dishes for others, earning only a small amount of money. She misses her life living with the Qin family; her current life is difficult, and she tries to save money wherever possible, as even basic necessities like food and fuel cost money. Her workplace provides lunch and dinner, so she rarely cooks, but sometimes on her days off or when she gets hungry, she'll prepare something.

Therefore, Tian Keshu took some instant noodles, as well as grains and oils, from Qin Li'an's shop.

Neither Zhu Meng nor her husband wanted to cause trouble with Tian Keshu. After all, Tian Keshu was Qin Li'an's biological mother, so they let her take whatever she wanted.

"I guess she was afraid of upsetting Li'an, so she didn't take much," Zhu Meng said. "I was just afraid she would do whatever she wanted."

“The Tian family can’t be relied on,” said Mother Zhu. “Those people would never care whether she lives or dies. She will still have to rely on Li’an in the future, so we can’t go too far.”

“Hmm,” Zhu Meng said, “As long as she doesn’t go too far, I can tolerate it. But if she goes too far, I’ll have to speak up.”

Before the Lantern Festival, Qin's aunt introduced Qin Ya to a man with a Beijing residency permit. He was from the city, and his family wasn't poor; they owned two houses. Qin Ya agreed to date him. He wasn't a stingy person; he was just an ordinary guy.

A month later, Qin Ya and the man got their marriage certificate and were going to hold a wedding banquet.

The speed was so fast that it surprised even Song Fenglan.

Song Fenglan never expected Qin Ya to get married so quickly. "Didn't they say she broke up before the Lunar New Year?"

"We broke up before the Lunar New Year, and this guy was introduced to me by my aunt," Qin Yizhou said.

The invitation was placed on the coffee table, and Song Fenglan had just glanced at it.

"They probably felt it was a good match, so they got married and started dating," Qin Yizhou said. "It's not easy to find someone better. It's mainly because of her mother's influence. They live in the same city, so if you ask around, you'll know what's going on."

“It’s definitely not easy,” Song Fenglan said. “It’s better for her to get married sooner. It’s awkward for her in that family. Even though she lives outside, she still has to go back sometimes. A single woman is easily talked about and bullied. When a woman gets married, people will have to look at her partner and treat her better.”

"I'm not capable enough," Qin Yizhou said.

“It’s not that we lack ability, it’s that women have to put in more effort and achieve greater success than men to be seen,” Song Fenglan said. “Tang Lu is my aunt’s daughter, the one younger than me, and she’s not married yet. My aunt doesn’t care about her; she’s a member of the Tang family, and my aunt can’t be soft-hearted or upset about it.”

Song Fenglan felt that her third aunt was in good spirits. She was not affected by those people and did not think about helping Tang Lu.

"Tang Lu? Isn't she still in Nancheng?" Qin Yizhou asked.

“She’s in the south of the city and hasn’t come back,” Song Fenglan said. “She’s still single and has no plans to get married.”

"Auntie still hasn't softened her heart?" Qin Yizhou asked.

“No,” Song Fenglan said. “At least not for now. As for whether her aunt will leave her some money in the future, that’s hard to say. Tang Lu should also save money herself. If she’s not married, she needs to have money on hand. If she doesn’t have money, she won’t have anything to eat.”

"Save some money," Qin Yizhou said. "You already have money saved up."

“It’s not okay not to save money,” Song Fenglan said. “We can’t just spend all the money we have.”

Jian Lili took her child to visit Tang Lu. Tang Lu had given birth to a daughter, and her in-laws wanted her to have another child, specifically a son. Jian Lili had already left the military and wasn't staying in the army. Jian Lili had originally thought that life would be simpler after marriage, but her mother-in-law was causing all sorts of problems.

“I think my daughter is great, but my mother-in-law keeps pressuring me to have another one,” Jian Lili sighed. “She says if I have another one, and it’s a girl, she won’t say anything more.”

Jian Lili and Tang Lu were in a private room at the restaurant, with Jian Lili's daughter sitting next to them.

“Marriage, really, it’s a walled city,” Jian Lili said. “I’m actually a little envious of those of you who aren’t married. Marriage is just about getting a daughter; there’s nothing else that’s good about it. But not being married doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad.”

"There will always be all sorts of things going on when you get married; it's impossible for nothing to happen," Tang Lu said. "You'll get used to it."

“I couldn’t get used to it, so I had a big fight with my mother-in-law and then left with my child,” Jian Lili said. “Before I got married, I thought my mother-in-law was an easy person to talk to, but it turns out she’s not easy to talk to at all.”

"Don't be angry," Tang Lu said. "It's no use getting angry; they'll still say the same thing."

Early on, Tang Lu understood that one's in-laws were unreliable. If they were, her mother wouldn't have turned out that way. If men are unreliable, then one shouldn't think about men or in-laws.

But Jian Lili is already married, and Tang Lu couldn't possibly say anything hurtful. If Jian Lili got divorced, she might regret it later. Besides, Tang Lu didn't think Jian Lili would get a divorce. If Jian Lili wanted a divorce, she would have done it already instead of coming to Tang Lu and saying these things.

"Seriously, are you really not planning to get married?" Jian Lili asked. "My man even said he could introduce you to his friends."

"No need," Tang Lu refused. "I'm doing quite well now, and I have new students to train."

Tang Lu is very content with her current life. She's unmarried and childless; she just needs to take care of herself and her students. It's remarkable that Tang Lu, as a woman, has reached this point, becoming a female instructor. Tang Lu is determined to continue; she can't give up her career. Even if she had children, she still wouldn't want to be an instructor.

The main problem is that there are very few good men in this world, and Tang Lu is unwilling to sacrifice her career for those disgusting men.

"Really not necessary?" Jian Lili asked again, "My man's friend..."

"Stop!" Tang Lu interrupted Jian Lili. "If you keep talking, we can't be friends anymore."

"Alright, alright, I won't say anything more," Jian Lili said. "I'm just thinking that since you're single, it would be better for you to get married. Having a child makes all the difference. My in-laws have some troublesome issues, but every time I think about the child, I feel it's alright. What do you think people live for? Isn't it just for the continuation of life?"

Tang Lu stared at Jian Lili and said, "You've changed a lot since you got married."

Jian Lili now talks about her children and her in-laws all the time, and she is clearly very satisfied with her current life.

“No one is immune to change,” Jian Lili said. “There are many things that are beyond our control.”

“Yeah, right?” Tang Lu said.

Jian Lili looked at her child and kept putting food on the child's plate, telling the child to eat slowly.

“My husband still loves our daughter very much,” Jian Lili said. “It’s just that his mother… his mother is from the older generation and only wants a boy. Without a boy, the family line will end.”

"What are your thoughts?" Tang Lu asked.

“Me?” Jian Lili said, “I don’t really know whether I should have the child or not. If I do have the child… I really will have to stay at home to take care of the child and won’t be able to go out to work.”

"That depends on you," Tang Lu said.

“I’m still thinking about it,” Jian Lili said. “Sometimes, I think my mother-in-law is right. When it comes to taking care of our parents, we still have to rely on the sons. The daughters have to get married. As for my parents, I don’t have to worry about them much. My brother and sister-in-law take care of things there.”

"You already have the answer." Tang Lu wasn't surprised. Many women, after getting married, stop thinking about what they thought before marriage and start thinking about their in-laws and their husbands. Then, those women will go along with their in-laws, saying that since they live with them, they inevitably have to make choices.

“I…” Jian Lili sighed, “Do you think what I’m doing is wrong?”

“There’s nothing wrong with that. Just follow your heart,” Tang Lu said. “What others say doesn’t matter. The important thing is your own choice.”

Tang Lu couldn't possibly persuade Jian Lili not to have a child. Jian Lili was clearly no longer capable of continuing her so-called career, and if Tang Lu tried to persuade her, Jian Lili would definitely resent Tang Lu later, saying that she shouldn't have listened to an unmarried old woman.

“Then…then let’s have a second child,” Jian Lili said. “If we’re going to have one, we’ll probably have to do it secretly. Family planning is being enforced so strictly now…you won’t tell anyone, will you?”

“We don’t live together, and I don’t know when you’re having your second child, so how could I tell anyone?” Tang Lu said. “Even if I knew, I wouldn’t say anything.”

Tang Lu didn't want to get involved in this mess. It wasn't her having the baby, so why should she care? Even with family planning policies, many people secretly have second or third children; it's impossible to completely stop that.

“You should be worried about the people on your side,” Tang Lu said.

“I’ll stay here for a few days, then I have to go back,” Jian Lili said. “It’s not good to be out all the time. I was just feeling down, so I brought the kids to see you and let you see my children too.”

"Okay," Tang Lu said. "I have things to do tomorrow and the day after..."

“It’s alright, you go ahead with your work,” Jian Lili said. “I’m just taking the kids for a walk by myself. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Nancheng.”

"Okay." Tang Lu breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn't take time off to be with Jian Lili, nor could she keep listening to Jian Lili say those things.

Tang Lu wasn't jealous that Jian Lili had gotten married or had children. She thought that everyone has their own path, and Jian Lili wasn't really dissatisfied with her marriage; in fact, she was quite content. Tang Lu could sense just by listening to Jian Lili's reactions that she was so happy with her marriage and that Jian Lili was willing to compromise for it.

Tang Lu is unwilling to compromise for those people, so why can't others compromise for her?

“I still miss our past,” Jian Lili said. “I once thought I could stay with you like this, but unfortunately, it didn’t work out. My parents both hope I can get married and have a happy family. What about you? Don’t your parents really care about you?”

“My mom doesn’t care,” Tang Lu said. “My dad and brother only pressure me to get married. I’m not a tool in their hands.”

“Maybe they really care about you?” Jane Lili said.

Tang Lu glanced at Jian Lili, but didn't continue. Jian Lili had changed so much that she felt like a stranger to Tang Lu.

After Tang Lu and Jian Lili parted ways, Tang Lu called Aunt Song. Aunt Song had just returned from outside; she had discussed the script with someone that day. Aunt Song was getting older and sometimes didn't have as much energy, worried that she would fall behind the times. She wanted to discuss things further with the younger generation; a good script was essential for making a good TV series.

"Mom, are you happy?" Tang Lu could hear the joy in Song San's voice.

“Of course, I’m happy every day. What’s wrong? Are you unhappy?” Aunt Song said. “Are you going to enter the grave of love? Are you going to get married?”