Chapter 145 Avoiding Dissolving the Adoption Relationship

"No, they're fine." Shi Guilan quickly replied, "They just saw some acquaintances, but they're perfectly normal."

Shi Guilan was afraid that the people around her would rush over and accuse her of being a spy.

no

Therefore, Song Fenglan could not possibly be a spy.

Shi Guilan grabbed her neighbor, who was her neighbor and the two had a good relationship.

“It really is someone I know,” Shi Guilan said.

"Would you like to go over and say hello?" the neighbor asked.

"No, I'm not going." Shi Guilan never expected to run into Song Fenglan here; she thought Song Fenglan was in the capital.

After a moment's thought, Shi Guilan realized that there was an aircraft research institute nearby, and Song Fenglan was probably here on a business trip. Song Fenglan had been working at the institute for many years, and she had several other people working with her; Shi Guilan had heard people call Song Fenglan "Teacher."

Shi Guilan then made a point of observing the people around Song Fenglan, thinking that Song Fenglan should still have someone protecting her. Reflecting on the past, Shi Guilan thought that if she hadn't always spoken ill of Song Fenglan, perhaps her husband wouldn't have been implicated by her, and they wouldn't have had to come to the Northwest.

The northwest is windy and dusty, and many places are not as good as the south. Shi Guilan's son stayed in the northwest, and she hoped he could go to a better city in the south. But her son would be helpless in another city, so it was better to keep him by her side. At least with her son and his family around, she and her husband could help them more.

"Do you have a grudge against me?" the neighbor couldn't help but ask, sensing that Shi Guilan's expression seemed a bit off.

“I suppose so, I did offend her,” Shi Guilan said.

"Could it be... that you came here because you offended her?" The neighbors had heard that Shi Guilan had done something wrong in her early years and offended someone, which was why Shi Guilan and her husband came here.

"It's my fault for speaking carelessly," Shi Guilan said.

"That's right, you made a mistake before, now you should correct it." The neighbor had a good relationship with Shi Guilan, but there were also many other people involved.

If Shi Guilan had simply offended someone, she and her husband wouldn't have been transferred here. The neighbors aren't stupid; they wouldn't risk offending anyone.

"..." Shi Guilan originally thought her neighbor would be indignant, but she didn't expect her neighbor to directly say that she had done something wrong before.

"I have something to do, I'll be going now." The neighbor was worried that someone might see her and hold a grudge. She was afraid that if someone saw her with Shi Guilan, they would look at her with displeasure.

"..." Shi Guilan's lips twitched slightly. What could she say?

Song Fenglan went into the store and bought a hat. The cloth at the bottom of the hat could cover her face, and the hat was quite nice.

"Take a look," Song Fenglan said, looking at the two students.

Song Fenglan's two students were a boy and a girl. It wasn't that she favored boys over girls; they simply took turns. Song Fenglan didn't specifically recruit male students, but there were more male applicants for this major. Song Fenglan had more male students than female students, and when they went on exchange programs, they weren't arranged by gender, but by a ranking system. When Song Fenglan went on short business trips, she would also mentor her students.

The two students also bought some things, which weren't expensive, and Song Fenglan paid for them directly.

Then, the group went to a restaurant for dinner.

When Shi Guilan returned home, Staff Officer Xu happened to be there. Staff Officer Xu hadn't been promoted in recent years, but he was doing alright; he had a house and a salary, so life wasn't bad. Staff Officer Xu was now waiting to retire, which wouldn't be long. He probably would retire earlier; he was getting old, and staying in the workforce wouldn't be very meaningful.

“I…I saw Song Fenglan today,” Shi Guilan said.

"Song..." Staff Officer Xu hadn't heard Song Fenglan's name in a long time. "Song Fenglan?"

“Yes, that’s Qin Tuan’s wife,” Shi Guilan said. “I guess she came here on a business trip with a group of people. Some of them call her teacher. She’s really lucky to be a teacher.”

“A capable person can naturally become a teacher.” Staff Officer Xu understood what Shi Guilan meant. If someone has the ability, that’s their business. If someone doesn’t have the ability, they can’t become a teacher.

"I heard he's a university professor, so his salary must be quite high," Shi Guilan said.

"It won't be low," Staff Officer Xu said.

“Her family is quite wealthy,” Shi Guilan said. “The world changes so fast. Back then, her family was sent to the countryside to work in a factory because of their bad class background. But now, class background doesn’t matter anymore; they can be capitalists. They even have a nanny; they’re living a very good life.”

"Don't some families around here also hire nannies?" Staff Officer Xu frowned slightly. "Don't talk nonsense."

“I’m not talking nonsense, I didn’t even get close to her,” Shi Guilan said. “I’m just lamenting that it’s really hard to say who will have the last laugh. Back then, didn’t we all think that Commander Qin was blind to marry a woman with a bad class background? But look at him now, he’s doing so well. And look at us, we’re worse off than him.”

Shi Guilan thought about how capable Song Fenglan was back then, not to mention how capable she is now. It's infuriating to compare oneself to others; Shi Guilan lamented why she couldn't live a life like Song Fenglan's.

Shi Guilan was not highly educated, and she could never compare to Song Fenglan.

“A few days ago, my cousin called me. She was thinking of having Furong go back to work in our hometown county,” Shi Guilan said.

"Don't worry about it," Staff Officer Xu said, not wanting his wife to get involved in these matters.

Guo Furong lived in Fan Yani's house, and Fan Yani paid for all her food, clothing, and daily necessities. Now, Li Hui wants to reap the benefits. Li Hui feels that Guo Furong is old and has no one to take care of her in her old age. Guo Furong is her adopted daughter, and Guo Furong should be sent to her hometown county to take care of her.

“I didn’t interfere, I just told her it wasn’t realistic. They’ve raised their daughter with great difficulty, how could they let her go to my cousin’s hometown?” Shi Guilan said. “She’s doing well in Nancheng, why would she want to go to a small county town? My cousin just wants Furong to marry someone in their hometown county town so she can live with Furong in the future.”

Shi Guilan was at a loss for words. Guo Furong and Li Hui had no feelings for each other. If Guo Furong were to get married, she would live with her in-laws. How could she possibly let her so-called adoptive mother move in? If we're talking about adoptive mothers, Fan Yani is the real one. Who is Li Hui?

Over the years, Li Hui would occasionally call to inquire about Furong, but it was all just for show. Li Hui didn't genuinely care about Guo Furong; now that Furong was about to graduate from vocational school, Li Hui was making those kinds of comments.

“I’m not in Nancheng, and I couldn’t possibly go to Furong’s place and say that,” Shi Guilan said. “I’ve only met Furong a few times. Do you think she considers me a proper relative?”

Shi Guilan knew perfectly well that Guo Furong would never give her face; their demands on Guo Furong would only make them look ridiculous.

In Nancheng, Guo Peng received another call from Li Hui. Li Hui told Guo Furong to go to her hometown county, saying that Furong's biological parents were there and that everyone would take care of Furong.

Guo Peng even went to discuss this matter with Fan Yani. He had his own biological daughter now, and he didn't think about Guo Furong being filial to him in the future. Looking at Guo Furong, Guo Peng could only think about what Li Hui had done in the past; Li Hui had made him suffer a terrible setback.

"Send Furong to Li Hui's hometown?" Fan Yani rubbed her ears, thinking she had misheard.

“Yes, she called to say that. She said Furong’s biological parents are there, and her siblings are there too,” Guo Peng said. “If Furong goes there, they can help each other out.”

"You believe this nonsense?" Fan Yani scoffed. "If those people really valued Furong, they wouldn't have waited until now to say these things. They know Furong is about to graduate from vocational school, so they're saying these things now. They're thinking that if Furong goes to work there, they'll get a salary, and later they can even get Furong's dowry money. If you let Furong go, you're pushing her into a fire pit. Brother, Furong isn't your biological daughter. She's grown up with me all these years. Why do you insist on sending her away?"

“I don’t necessarily want her to leave, I just came to discuss this with you,” Guo Peng said.

“You shouldn’t have come to me for advice,” Fan Yani said. “You should have just refused her. When Furong was little, none of those people came to pick her up, acting as if Furong was already your adopted daughter and you should raise her. Now that they see Furong has grown up and will soon be able to earn money, they don’t need to spend money on her and can even benefit from her, so they let her go back. What do they take Furong for? They take Furong for a tool to make money!”

Fan Yani was furious just thinking about it. She had indeed told Furong that she couldn't possibly give Furong that much property. But her family had treated Guo Furong very well; how could the Li family possibly treat Furong that well?

“If you don’t want her to leave, then don’t let her leave,” Guo Peng said.

"What do you mean I don't want her to leave?" Fan Yani stared at Guo Peng. "I think you've wanted her to get lost for a long time!"

"That's not true," Guo Peng quickly replied. He did have such a thought in his mind, but he couldn't say it aloud.

"Nothing of the sort? Who would believe that?" Fan Yani said. "Don't you know what kind of person Li Hui is? You talked to her on the phone and then came to me saying these things. Let me tell you, I will never let Furong go back. Even if Furong wanted to, I would persuade her not to go back. What family ties? Those people are just bloodsucking leeches!"

Just then, Guo Furong returned and stood at the living room door.

"Mom..." Guo Furong couldn't help but call out, "Auntie."

In Guo Furong's heart, Fan Yani was like her own mother. While her classmates didn't do well in junior high and didn't go to vocational school, Guo Furong did. Guo Furong had her own room, and Fan Yani would buy her many things; Guo Furong had more new clothes than many of her classmates.

Everyone says that Fan Yani treats Guo Furong very well, and many people envy Guo Furong.

"I'm not going back," Guo Furong said, her eyes red. "I'll never go back in my entire life."

“Then we won’t go back,” Fan Yani said. She looked at Guo Peng and said, “Brother, Furong is all grown up now. If you want to end the adoption relationship with Furong, that’s fine too. Furong can have her own household registration. That way, Furong won’t be your daughter anymore.”

To avoid upsetting Guo Peng, they transferred Furong's household registration out of the adoption process, thus ending the adoption relationship. This way, Guo Peng and his wife wouldn't have to worry about Furong having other ideas in the future.

"This..." Guo Peng did not expect Fan Yani to say that.

“Let’s terminate the adoption,” Fan Yani said. “If you terminate the adoption, Li Hui will have no reason to keep calling you, and you won’t need to come and ask Furong if she wants to go back. Furong can’t go back to that place. She’s lived here for so long. She won’t go to a place where she doesn’t know anyone, and she won’t be someone else’s tool.”

Standing beside Fan Yani, Guo Furong felt fortunate to have an aunt like Fan Yani. From a young age, Guo Furong knew her adoptive mother was unreliable. Her adoptive mother had eloped and was subsequently trafficked; she was adopted because her adoptive mother couldn't have children; her adoptive mother didn't care about her at all; and her biological parents had abandoned her there. Those people didn't care whether she was doing well or not; they just wanted to get rid of a burden.

People say that Guo Furong will become an ungrateful wretch like Li Hui, that Guo Furong will still think about her biological parents when she grows up, and that she wants to go back.

No, Guo Furong had never had any expectations of those people; she didn't want to go back.

Since Guo Furong knew what those people were like from a very young age, she would never become their tool. Guo Furong knew early on that her adoptive father didn't like her, and even after he had his biological daughter, he didn't want her to have much contact with him. Guo Furong wasn't oblivious to this; once she realized it, she rarely interacted with her adoptive father.

She's my biological daughter.

"Okay." Guo Peng nodded.

Guo Peng had long wanted to end the adoption relationship with Guo Furong, but Guo Furong was too young, and he and Fan Yani had agreed that Fan Yani would raise the child.

Now, it would be best if Guo Peng could terminate the adoption relationship with Guo Furong. As for whether Li Hui agrees or not, that's not important. After all, Li Hui hasn't raised Guo Furong all these years, and Li Hui's household registration isn't under Guo Peng's name, so terminating the adoption relationship is relatively easy.

Guo Furong's household registration is under a collective household registration. She doesn't own a house, and Fan Yani didn't register Guo Furong's household registration at her own home. Guo Furong is getting older, so having a collective household registration is better and can avoid future disputes.

Guo Furong had no objection to this and followed Fan Yani's instructions in everything.

This matter was handled very quickly, and Guo Peng only told his sister-in-law about it after he finished.

"So the adoption is terminated just like that?" Sister-in-law Guo asked, placing the dishes on the table.

"Yes, it's off." Guo Peng said, "Furong's household registration is with the collective, not with Yani."

"Yani is worried that Furong will fight for the inheritance later," said Sister-in-law Guo, who was somewhat concerned about this, as adopted daughters also have inheritance rights. Sister-in-law Guo had originally planned to resolve this issue once Furong graduated from vocational school and started working.

You see, Guo Dasao and her husband only have one daughter. If something were to happen to them in the future, and Furong's household registration is still here, it could easily cause other problems. It would be best to have Furong transfer her household registration and terminate the adoption relationship.

As for asking Guo Furong to support them in their old age, Guo's sister-in-law felt that was unrealistic. The couple's attitude towards Guo Furong was lukewarm, and they hadn't contributed any money or effort to support her; it was all handled by Fan Yani's side. If they were to ask Guo Furong to support them in their old age, she would definitely not agree.

To put it bluntly, it's not even certain that one's own children will take care of them in their old age, let alone children who are not their own.

Guo's sister-in-law was afraid that Furong would fight for the family property, and she also said that Fan Yani was afraid that Guo Furong would fight for the family property.

"No matter what, Furong's household registration is settled," Guo Peng said. "From now on, I'm not her father anymore. She'll still be Aunt Ya Ni, she's been calling her that for so long."

Actually, when Fan Yani heard Guo Furong blurt out "Mom," she knew that Guo Furong considered her her biological mother, but she wasn't. Fan Yani had her own children, and she maintained a certain distance from Guo Furong, always speaking clearly and explicitly, just to avoid making Guo Furong overthink things.

When a person overthinks and tries to compete, they are destined to lose, which will cause them great pain.

Fan Yani raised Guo Furong not so that Guo Furong would strive for anything, but so that Guo Furong could live a happy life. Guo Furong is a woman; she just needs to marry a man with a house. If the man doesn't have a house, the two of them can work together to buy one.

Of course, Fan Yani still hopes that Guo Furong will keep her eyes open and not just marry any man she finds; she should find a better one.

Guo Peng called Li Hui to explain the situation. He said he had terminated his adoption relationship with Guo Furong and that he could no longer control Guo Furong's affairs.

"I knew it! Your sister is no good. She's made things difficult for me time and time again since you didn't marry her," Li Hui said angrily.

Li Hui originally thought she could easily bring Guo Furong back, but who would have thought it would turn out like this.

"Can't you just say something? You don't want to see Furong, right? Then make Furong come back!" Li Hui said.

“Yani said that if you want Furong to go back, you have to settle all the expenses Furong has incurred over the years,” Guo Peng said. “You’ve spent money on the child’s food, clothing, housing, and transportation, as well as the child’s school fees.”

"Dream on!" Li Hui would never give that money. "Furong was your adopted daughter before..."

“It’s Yani who’s supporting her, not me,” Guo Peng said. “I can’t possibly pay for it. If you want to pay, you’d better be prepared.”

"Bullshit, not a single penny," Li Hui said. "Fan Yani, do you think I don't know her? If I had really prepared money, she wouldn't have let Furong come back with me."

Li Hui felt that Fan Yani was deliberately targeting her, and that Fan Yani was despicable.

One thing Li Hui guessed correctly: even if the Li family had prepared the money, Fan Yani would only tell Guo Furong to decide for herself whether to return to the Li family. If Guo Furong herself didn't want to return to the Li family, she couldn't blame anyone else.

"Guo Peng, you're a coward. You believe everything Fan Yani says. Don't you regret not marrying her? Regret..."

Then, Guo Peng hung up the phone; he didn't want to continue arguing with Li Hui on the phone. Guo Peng no longer had any feelings for Li Hui, and he couldn't indulge her as he used to.

Li Hui was surprised that Guo Peng hung up the phone so abruptly. Having no other option, she called Shi Guilan again. Remembering that Shi Guilan knew many people in the residential compound, Li Hui asked her to contact them and have them persuade Furong.

“I haven’t been in contact with them for a long time, and I can’t bring myself to ask. Even if I did, they wouldn’t help us,” Shi Guilan said. “Why are you still thinking about Furong going there? They’ve already terminated their adoption of Furong; they just don’t plan to let her go with you.”

“Furong is my own niece,” Li Hui said. “She’s my adopted daughter, not theirs. She has no blood relation to them. How could they do this?”

“They were doing it for Furong’s own good,” Shi Guilan said.

“If they really cared about Furong, they should have let her come to my place. Her biological parents are here,” Li Hui said. “She…”

"Don't even think about it. She's not going to come over to you," Shi Guilan said. "She works in Nancheng. She can find a partner there and have a better life. Why would she want to go to your hometown county with you? The hometown county is definitely not as good as Nancheng. Furong isn't stupid; she wouldn't make such a wrong decision. As for you, don't even think about Furong taking care of you in your old age. Given the situation, that's impossible."

“It really is a waste to give them the lotus flowers,” Li Hui said.

“When Furong came, she was very young,” Shi Guilan said. “You didn’t raise Furong at all; it was Fan Yani who paid for her upbringing. Now that you want your child back, she won’t come with you. Back then, when Furong was still young, you didn’t want to come back. Now you want her, but it’s too late.”

Guo Furong herself had her own ideas; it was impossible for her not to have any.

Shi Guilan couldn't possibly be the bad guy, and her former friends wouldn't help her persuade Guo Furong. Shi Guilan had been in the Northwest for so many years; she had little contact with those people and knew they wouldn't side with her. Shi Guilan had contacted people before, and they all said that Guo Furong was doing quite well at Fan Yani's house.

Fan Yani bought new clothes for Guo Furong, let Guo Furong attend a vocational school, and even gave her a separate room... Shi Guilan thought that if it were her, she wouldn't treat her stepdaughter that well, let alone someone else's adopted daughter.

"Don't make things too awkward," Shi Guilan said. "Even if you go to Furong, the answer will be the same."

“I…” Li Hui was too angry.

"You do nothing and still want to take advantage? There's no such thing as a free lunch," Shi Guilan said. "Give up that idea. You can't control Furong. What will your brother and sister-in-law say?"

“They don’t care where Furong is; they have their sons to take care of them in their old age,” Li Hui said.

“Yes, they don’t care, so why should you?” Shi Guilan said. “You didn’t even raise Furong, so what kind of foster mother are you? If things really escalate, you won’t gain anything. You should go and let everyone know what you’ve done, let everyone know you were trafficked, let everyone…”

"Okay, okay, I won't go over there." Li Hui was afraid of losing face. She didn't want the people in the family compound to know about those things. Even though many people there knew, Li Hui still didn't want them to bring those things up again. "It's a good thing for Fan Yani."

“Fan Yani didn’t get any advantage,” Shi Guilan said. “Fan Yani needs money and energy to raise the child. The child isn’t even her own, and Guo Peng isn’t her biological brother. She’s so good to Yani, her husband might have some objections.”

Shi Guilan could only offer a few words of advice to Li Hui, telling her not to make things difficult for herself.

Song Fenglan had visited the Northwest Institute several times. The wind and sand were strong and the conditions were harsh, but many researchers still persevered here.

"Teacher." While Song Fenglan was eating, a man who was about the same age as her came over.

That person used to be Song Fenglan's assistant; his name is Yan Yuanzhi.

Yan Yuanzhi used to work at the South City Research Institute, and was later transferred to his current institute. Originally from the Northwest, Yan Yuanzhi felt very comfortable returning to his hometown and did not feel the need to work in a more affluent city in the South.

"It's you." Song Fenglan had been here for several days without noticing Yan Yuanzhi.

"Yes, teacher." Yan Yuanzhi still called Song Fenglan "teacher." He learned a lot when he was Song Fenglan's assistant, and because of that experience, he was quite popular. With such a significant improvement in his abilities, how could he not be popular? "Long time no see."

"Not at the South City Research Institute anymore?" Song Fenglan asked.

“My hometown is in the Northwest,” Yan Yuanzhi said. “There is a shortage of people here, so it’s good that I’m back. I can also get used to the sandstorms here.”

Many people suffer from acclimatization issues and poor health, making it difficult to conduct research. Everyone tries their best to overcome the difficulties, but some still cannot adapt.

Yan Yuanzhi believed he could adapt, and that returning home was the best option.

“I’m like a brick; I’ll go wherever I’m needed,” Yan Yuanzhi said with a smile. “When I came back, my wife wasn’t very happy, but in the end, we came back together. She’s planting trees now to prevent sandstorms.”

Yan Yuanzhi's wife worked very hard to plant trees, collaborating with other locals. Yan Yuanzhi knew his wife had a sharp tongue but a kind heart; despite her reluctance, she still did many good things.

"Not bad, not bad." Song Fenglan nodded. "Planting trees is not easy."

“They have skills,” Yan Yuanzhi said. “The survival rate of the trees they plant is relatively high. If a tree doesn’t survive, they replant it and keep planting. They have a lot of patience; they just want to plant more trees to combat desertification.”

"Yes, you two are a good couple." Song Fenglan nodded.

"How long will you be here, teacher?" Yan Yuanzhi asked. "Why don't you come to our house for a meal?"

"No, thank you," Song Fenglan said. "I have to go back in three to five days to finish things quickly. My daughter-in-law is about to give birth, so I still have to go back."

By this time, Fatty Sister-in-law had already returned to Nancheng.

Zhang Chenghai said that Fatty Sister-in-law brought back so many things. When he learned that Song Fenglan had prepared things for Fatty Sister-in-law before her business trip, he felt that Song Fenglan was too good to Fatty Sister-in-law.

"Zihang sent some fish maw, and it's really good quality," said the plump woman. "It looks like it's of high quality and is perfect for postpartum women."

“Zihang has already gone there,” Zhang Chenghai said.

"Yes, he made time to go even though he was busy," said the plump woman. "Fenglan's family is really great. They treat us very well, and Zihang's wife is about to give birth."

"Is Xiao Hu also going to deliver something?" Zhang Chenghai asked.

"Xiao Hu doesn't need to send anything too expensive; just do what you can afford."

"Besides," said the plump woman, "Zihang's family is wealthy, so naturally they'll provide better food for the new mother."

Sister-in-law Pang understood this, so she didn't bother to comment on why others didn't use her things. The things they bought weren't necessarily good; Zihang's family must have prepared well in advance.

After returning home, Fatty went to Fan Yani's place again. She needed to prepare to make more grass jelly and needed to tell Fan Yani about it.

"I heard on my way here that Furong broke off her adoption with your older brother?" the fat woman asked.

“Yes, the adoption has been terminated.” Fan Yani nodded. “Furong is all grown up now. If the adoption hadn’t been terminated, Li Hui would have made a scene again. Li Hui wants Furong to go back. She wants Furong to take care of her in her old age. If Furong goes back, she can keep a firm grip on Furong.”

“We can’t let Furong go back,” said the plump woman. “She can’t even go back for a short visit. It’s a small place, and everyone there knows each other. If Furong goes back and gets locked up, she won’t be able to come back.”

“That makes sense,” Fan Yani said. “Furong herself knows that she doesn’t want to go back. If she wants to go back, I won’t stop her.”

If Guo Furong wanted to go back on her own, Fan Yani would only feel disappointed. She had taught Guo Furong so much, and Guo Furong still longed for her biological parents. Fortunately, Guo Furong wasn't that foolish; she knew that if she went back, it would be difficult for her to return.

Fan Yani doesn't need Guo Furong to support her in her old age. Things will be easier for Guo Furong after she gets married. If Guo Furong goes back to her hometown, she'll be forced to support Li Hui in her old age, and the rest of the Li family might also cause her trouble. She won't be able to live such an easy life anymore.

“That’s true. If you stop them, you’ll become the bad guy,” said the plump woman. “They are related by blood, but you and Furong are not.”

"How is your daughter-in-law?" Fan Yani asked.

"Everything's fine," said the plump woman. "Zihang sent a lot of tonics, but I had to take care of my youngest daughter-in-law, so I couldn't go to Fenglan's place. By the time I got there, Fenglan was away on a business trip. Before she left, she prepared some things for me."

Looking at the smile on Fatty Sister's face, Fan Yani realized that Fatty Sister was a bit silly and simple-minded, not complicated at all. Song Fenglan didn't need to overthink things when interacting with Fatty Sister; if Song Fenglan revealed even a little something, Fatty Sister would think she possessed a lot.

When Song Fenglan returned from the Northwest, Xu Yan had already given birth to twins, a boy and a girl.

Xu's mother went to help Xu Yan during her postpartum period, while Song Fenglan went home to wash up and change her clothes before going to see Xu Yan.

Song Fenglan felt a little embarrassed; she had originally hoped to catch up with Xu Yansheng.

The child, however, still didn't make it in time.

"I'm so sorry," Song Fenglan said. "I'm late."

"Don't mention it," Xu's mother quickly replied. "There are so many people here, it's not like you have to be here."

Xu's mother had no objections to Song Fenglan; how could she dare to? If she uttered a single word, her husband would accuse her of being ignorant. Qin Zihang would still have to rely on Song Fenglan, his biological mother, in the future; Song Fenglan was a leading figure in her field. Xu's mother knew she couldn't compare to Song Fenglan, and she couldn't expect Song Fenglan to take care of Xu Yan like she did.

Song Fenglan has done a good job. She wasn't even there, but she gave Xu Yan so much money and let her do whatever she wanted.

"How are you feeling?" Song Fenglan asked, looking at Xu Yan lying on the bed.

"It's alright," Xu Yan said. "The baby was delivered naturally."

“A C-section is fine, it doesn’t have to be a vaginal delivery,” Song Fenglan said. “With a vaginal delivery, the mother suffers more. With a C-section, the mother also suffers more.”

Song Fenglan has given birth before, and she knows how painful childbirth is.

"Is Zihang with you?" Song Fenglan asked.

“He’s with her, he went to the hospital,” Xu Yan said. “Mom, don’t worry, Zihang did a great job.”

Qin Zihang did indeed go to the hospital to be with Xu Yan during her delivery; it's true. Qin Zihang understands the importance of taking care of Xu Yan during crucial times, and instead of focusing on his experiments, he prioritizes his work. Some experiments don't necessarily have to be done on those specific days; they can wait.

"Mom, you just got back, you still need to rest. I'm fine here, Mom is still here, and there are other people taking care of me." Xu Yan thought to herself that she was used to being waited on hand and foot, and didn't need to think about anything else.

“Okay.” Song Fenglan nodded.

Song Fenglan left the room and then spoke a few more words to Xu's mother.

“Just tell me what you need,” Song Fenglan said.

"We already have plenty of things, we're well prepared," said Xu's mother. She didn't intend for Song Fenglan to buy anything else; Song Fenglan had given Xu Yan a lot of money, and they could buy it themselves. Xu Yan had also given her mother some money, just so she could decide what to buy.

Xu Yan's older sister came over, and when she saw all these things, she was incredibly envious. Xu Yan immediately said that they were prepared by her in-laws, not her own family. She added that if her sister had married into a wealthy family, she could have all these things too.

Xu Yan's older sister didn't look too good. Xu's mother noticed something was wrong and pulled her eldest daughter aside.

"That's good." Song Fenglan looked tired.

“Mother-in-law, you should go back and rest. I’ll take care of things here,” said Xu’s mother. “With so many people taking care of one person and two children, we’ll definitely be able to take good care of them.”

"Okay, then I'll trouble you." Song Fenglan didn't stand on ceremony with Xu's mother; she and Qin Yizhou went back first.

Song Fenglan didn't care whether Qin Zihang was home or not; even though her son wasn't home, she needed to go back and rest. She would come back to check on him another day.

While Song Fenglan was on a business trip in the Northwest, Shi Guilan was very careful when she went out, because she didn't want to run into Song Fenglan. Only after learning that Song Fenglan and her group had returned to the capital did Shi Guilan breathe a sigh of relief.

"Are you that afraid of them?" a neighbor joked with Shi Guilan.

“Even after many years, you’ll still be afraid if you do something wrong,” Shi Guilan said. “There’s a saying: ‘A gentleman’s revenge is never too late, even after ten years.’”

Shi Guilan feared that Song Fenglan hadn't forgotten what happened back then, and that Song Fenglan would retaliate against her. Shi Guilan was getting old and didn't want to be tormented, fearing her life would be affected. Others didn't understand her inner fears, but after Shi Guilan came to the Northwest from the South City, she felt them more and more acutely.

If those things hadn't happened, Shi Guilan thought she could still be in Nancheng. The conditions there were so good; her husband might even have gotten a promotion. Thinking about the past, Shi Guilan felt she had missed many opportunities, and now it was too late for regrets.

Li Hui's family wasn't much better off in this state.

“See, nothing’s wrong, is it? Maybe they don’t even know you’re here,” the neighbor said.

"..." Shi Guilan thought to herself that in Song Fenglan's eyes she was just dust, not important at all.

“Those big shots wouldn’t remember us,” the neighbor said.

“Yes…” Shi Guilan really didn’t want to admit it, but that was the truth; it was impossible for them to remember her.

Indeed, Song Fenglan had long forgotten about Shi Guilan's affairs in the Northwest. She was so busy, with so many things to remember, how could she possibly keep track of Shi Guilan's memory? Now that Song Fenglan had gone to the capital, practically no one mentioned Shi Guilan to her, so it was even less likely that she would remember her.

In Song Fenglan's life, Shi Guilan was an insignificant presence.

When Song Fenglan returned home, she ate something and went to sleep. Qin Yizhou did not disturb her.

Li Hui went to her brother to talk about Guo Furong, but her brother didn't care about Guo Furong at all.

"She can go wherever she wants."

“We didn’t support her, nor did we expect her to support us.”

"She was raised by someone else, how can you expect her to be close to us?"

...

Li Hui's brother didn't want to go and pick up Guo Furong; instead of bringing her back, he would only embarrass himself. Everyone knew that Li Hui had wronged Guo Peng, and many people knew that the Li family had abandoned Guo Furong there.

Anyone with a modicum of common sense knows that the Li family is not suited to bring Guo Furong back. Li Hui herself is unwilling to go, so she wants her brother and sister-in-law to go instead.

"Don't even think about letting Furong take care of you in your old age," Sister-in-law Li said bluntly. "When you were over there, you left Furong with your mother-in-law and didn't take care of her. Now that Furong has grown up, isn't that other family doing very well?"

Fan Yani's family is well-off; they might even give Furong a substantial dowry. Sister-in-law Li, however, has no intention of giving Guo Furong a dowry. She might accept a bride price, but would the family be willing to give it to them?

They knew it was impossible; Guo Furong would never hand over the betrothal gifts to them.

When biological parents give their child away, if the child doesn't have other children around, they might try to get the child back. But if the child has other children and is doing well, they don't think about taking the child back. They just want the child to live their own life well, and if they can, great; if not, they don't want the child to come looking for them.

"You're such a grown adult, and you don't know how to work or save money," said Sister-in-law Li. "You're always expecting others to support you in your old age, is that realistic?"

Li Hui felt deeply saddened by what her brother and sister-in-law said. Her own mother, however, was indifferent to these matters. Li Hui's father had long since passed away, and her mother relied on her son and daughter-in-law for support; it was impossible for her mother to side with Li Hui.

“You have sons, of course you won’t care about me,” Li Hui gritted her teeth. “If I asked your sons to take care of me in my old age, would you be willing?”

"No," said Sister-in-law Li. "My son can't support so many elderly people. You'll have to figure it out yourself."

Li Hui was furious. These people didn't care about her at all; they didn't care whether she lived or died. Li Hui thought that if she ever went hungry again, she would have to sit at her nephew's house and wait for food.

At this time, Fang Daniu was heavily pregnant, and she acted like a tyrant at home. Whatever she wanted to eat, she would have her mother prepare it for her. Gao Xiuxiu was really generous to Fang Daniu; the family had already spent a lot of money even before the child was born.

"Mom, my son can't wear other people's clothes, he has to wear new ones." Fang Daniu munched on an apple, still thinking about how her child would receive good treatment. The child's biological father was very wealthy. Even before the child was born, Fang Daniu already said it was a son. In this respect, Fang Daniu was very similar to Gao Xiuxiu, who also hoped that Fang Daniu would give birth to a son.