Chapter 146 Taking a tantrum, even a basket of eggs was smashed.

“New ones, all new ones,” Gao Xiuxiu said. “I didn’t let him wear his old clothes.”

Gao Xiuxiu was good to Da Niu and her child. Gao Xiuxiu hoped that Da Niu would give birth to a son, because once a son was born, the man would acknowledge the child.

Gao Xiuxiu and Fang Daniu never considered that the family wouldn't acknowledge the child; they both thought Fang Daniu would gain status through her son. After Fang Daniu married into the family, she could have another son, and that child would take the surname Fang—that would be perfect. The doctor said that a woman's health might improve after childbirth.

"These are all ready-made clothes, and they're all very nice," Gao Xiuxiu said with a smile. "I'll wash them tomorrow."

“Okay.” Fang Danu nodded. “We can buy larger clothes, but they can’t be old clothes.”

"I know," Gao Xiuxiu said. "The baby in your belly is my precious grandson."

Grandma Fang brought in a piece of cloth, and Gao Xiuxiu noticed that Grandma Fang's expression was not good. Gao Xiuxiu thought to herself: That old hag.

Gao Xiuxiu wished that Grandma Fang would die soon, but Grandma Fang was still alive and well.

“This fabric is too old,” Gao Xiuxiu said.

"It's newly bought," Grandma Fang said. "It's not some old fabric that's been stored away in the trunk."

"The color isn't nice," Gao Xiuxiu said. "You should keep it for yourself."

Gao Xiuxiu disliked Grandma Fang, and when Fang Daniu saw this scene, she naturally didn't think about asking Grandma Fang to take the cloth away.

"Can this cloth be used to make diapers?" Fang Danu asked. "I heard that there are now special disposable diapers, so this cloth is no longer used for diapers. But it should still be kept to make baby bibs."

"Yes, yes, that's fine." Grandma Fang was quite satisfied when she heard Fang Daniu's words. She thought Daniu would dislike the piece of cloth and not want it.

Grandma Fang is easily swayed by Fang Danu. But she frequently berates Fang Erniu, a classic example of double standards.

Fang Xudong no longer likes to go home early. Seeing how Gao Xiuxiu and Grandma Fang dote on Fang Daniu, he feels that Fang Daniu is useless. Fang Daniu really is no good at all. She's pregnant, so she acts superior and expects everyone in the family to wait on her.

It's Fang Danu's own problem—getting pregnant out of wedlock. What's there to be proud of? Fang Danu was still hoping the man would marry her; she never even considered whether he would leave her. Even though the man has now clearly said he doesn't want her anymore, and hasn't contacted her for a long time, Fang Danu is still not afraid—she's pregnant.

Fang Xudong didn't know who to complain to about this, so he could only endure it and hope that the man's side would give a result after Fang Daniu gave birth to the child. If there was no result, then there was nothing he could do.

After resting for two days, Song Fenglan went to visit Xu Yan again. The twins were doing well. Xu Yan was quite good at having children; it's good that the babies are healthy.

"The child does look quite like Zihang," said Xu's mother.

"Yes." Song Fenglan sat in the living room; she didn't stay in Xu Yan's room the whole time.

“Mother-in-law, if you’re busy over there, don’t worry about things here,” Xu’s mother said. “My father-in-law also said that we can book a hotel for the baby’s one-month celebration, and you can pay for it.”

“Yes, that’s right.” Song Fenglan nodded. “It should be our responsibility to pay for it. You can book the hotel and decide who you want to invite. We only need three or four tables of relatives.”

The baby's one-month celebration is not a particularly important banquet.

Song Fenglan and her husband didn't plan to hire many people, they just wanted to...

Please ask someone close to you.

The Xu family is the same; they don't plan to hire too many people. If they hire too many, people will expect them to give red envelopes (cash gifts). Even if they say they don't want red envelopes from the beginning, people might not be happy. They'll still wonder if they need to take time off, and even if they schedule it for the weekend, people will assume they have other plans.

Some relatives might think you're showing off, and they won't want to come.

In matters of social interaction, this is sometimes the case. If you can help someone, they'll be happy to come over; if you can't, they might not even think about coming.

"If you need anything from Zihang, just tell him. He's your son-in-law, so don't be shy," Song Fenglan said.

"He's ready." Xu's mother rarely let Qin Zihang do anything.

Xu's mother was very satisfied with Qin Zihang. Qin Zihang was impeccable in terms of manners, and most of the household items were in Xu Yan's hands. As long as Xu Yan didn't do anything foolish, life would be very comfortable. Xu's mother's eldest daughter often complained that her parents hadn't introduced her to a good partner. The eldest daughter was a free-choice lover; her parents had suggested she go on blind dates, but she refused, saying that free love was the way to go in this era.

Xu Yan and Qin Zihang met through a blind date. Xu Yan's older sister complained to their parents, implying that their parents doted on Xu Yan more. Xu Yan didn't care about her sister; her sister wanted everything—love, material wealth, and a comfortable life. She thought, "Where in the world can you find such a perfect match?"

Before Xu Yan gave birth, her sister asked her for money, saying that her brother-in-law had lost some money in the stock market. Xu Yan was speechless. She thought, "They have no money and yet they're investing in stocks. They don't understand stocks, yet they still invest. They just want to make a fortune. If they don't lose money, who will?"

When Zhang Xiaohu and his wife were investing in stocks, they were quite timid. Even if a stock was making a lot of money, they wouldn't dare invest much, fearing they would lose everything in the next moment. That's how the stock market is; one moment it's booming, the next it might be crashing. If they weren't careful, who would?

Because the child is still young, Tan Wu doesn't go out to work, and one of the couple always has to take care of the child. The elderly in the family are not available to help them take care of the child all the time, and Tan Wu doesn't have a job, so she relies on Zhang Xiaohu's salary.

Zhang Xiaohu gives most of his monthly salary to Tan Wu. Tan Wu's biological mother even called her asking for money, but Tan Wu refused. If the money ends up in her biological mother's hands, she won't get it back; her mother would never return it to her.

Fortunately, Zhang Xiaohu's salary is not low, and Tan Wu and her husband's family of three can still save some money. Now, the child is also buying milk powder, so the expenses are higher.

Tan Wu had considered taking her child with her to work, but the child was too young and would cry and fuss, making it impossible to manage. They weren't comfortable leaving the child with a nanny, and besides, nannies cost a lot of money.

“We still need to keep some money as a reserve,” Tan Wu said. “Before we had children, we could spend more money on investments. Now that we have children, we need to save for their tuition. If we want them to go to a better school, the tuition will be even more expensive. We only have one child, so we need to think more about their future.”

"Okay." Zhang Xiaohu had no objections.

“We’ll open a savings account and deposit money into it every month. This account can’t be touched, just in case,” Tan Wu said. “We also need to save for the children’s tuition and other expenses. The children need to go to kindergarten, primary school, junior high school, high school, and then university. That’s the minimum. It will cost a lot of money to go all the way up. When the children are a little older, we will also need to let them learn some other skills.”

"Other skills?" Zhang Xiaohu asked, puzzled.

“Yes, let’s see if it’s piano lessons or something else,” Tan Wu said. “Many children are like this nowadays; parents plan their children’s future very early. They make their children learn those things early on, to win at the starting line. We only have one child, but even if we had two, we would still make our child learn these things. It can’t be that other children know these things and our child doesn’t; wouldn’t that make our child a laughingstock?”

Tan Wu herself only graduated from junior high school and her education level wasn't high enough. She wanted her child to have a higher education, at least as high as Zhang Xiaohu's. That way, they wouldn't be looked down upon so easily, and a higher degree would mean more money in the future.

“Our child can’t compare to your friend Qin Zihang’s child. He was born into a privileged position,” Tan Wu said. “His family is wealthy and they’re all educated. As for us, you have the highest degree. You know that many of his family members are university graduates. You came to the capital to study and are now staying here, while your older brother is in the south. Our child has to stay in the capital in the future; we can’t let him go back in disgrace.”

"Yes, we can't go back." Not to mention the child, even Zhang Xiaohu himself doesn't want to go back.

If he goes back to Nancheng, people will definitely say that Zhang Xiaohu couldn't make it in the city, which is why he went back to Nancheng.

“We didn’t invite your friends when the baby turned one month old, and your friends probably wouldn’t have invited us either,” Tan Wu said. “The baby’s one-month celebration isn’t the most important thing. We only invited two tables of people, not too many people.”

"Yes, I know," Zhang Xiaohu said.

"Don't talk nonsense," Tan Wu reminded Zhang Xiaohu. "Don't call your mom carelessly. She might say something she shouldn't."

"Mom will probably be careful," Zhang Xiaohu said. "I won't say anything more now."

Qin Zihang and his wife did not invite Zhang Xiaohu and Tan Wu to their child's one-month celebration. Tan Wu had just given birth not long ago and should have rested more.

You Yun, along with Brother Qin and others, attended the full-month celebration for the twins. You Yun's son is about to take the college entrance examination.

Brother Qin had high hopes for his youngest son, and he even hired a tutor to help him, but the boy's grades weren't particularly good. There was no hope of him getting into a top-tier university; they were just hoping he could get into a second-tier university, and if that didn't work out, he'd have to go to a vocational college.

Even so, this child is still better than Qin Li'an. With Qin Li'an as a comparison, Brother Qin has no complaints. If Qin Li'an had gotten into a good university, then Brother Qin would have been very disappointed in his youngest son. Unfortunately, Qin Li'an got into trouble after graduating from junior high school, so he didn't go to high school, let alone university.

After returning from his child's one-month celebration, Brother Qin was still thinking about his youngest son's upcoming college entrance examination.

“He’s taking the college entrance exam next month,” Brother Qin said. “Let him prepare more.”

“I told him,” You Yun said.

"Look at Zihang, how amazing he is." Brother Qin wished Qin Zihang were his son. If only his son could be so outstanding.

Once, Brother Qin thought he was better than his younger brother Qin Yizhou in every way. But now, Brother Qin knows he can't compare to his brother, and his son can't compare to Qin Zihang either.

“He is capable,” You Yun said. “Mainly because his mother is capable. She is a researcher and can mentor him. The leaders at his school all know him and treat him with respect.”

You Yun disliked her husband comparing their son to Qin Zihang, as he genuinely couldn't compare. You Yun never considered comparing him to Song Fenglan; the two were simply not on the same level. Song Fenglan was highly educated, capable of conducting research, and was Qin Yizhou's first wife during a special period. Otherwise, Qin Yizhou might not have been able to marry Song Fenglan.

“As for me, as a widow remarrying, I can’t compare to her. Even your ex-wife couldn’t compare to her, could she?” You Yun said. “These kinds of things are destined, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

"It's not about comparing ourselves to them," Brother Qin said.

“My son is better than Qin Li’an,” You Yun said. “He’s of good character. It’s just that with all these things happening in the family, he’ll probably only be able to work in a private company in the future.”

You Yun didn't intend for her youngest son to take the civil service exam. How could he possibly pass? There were so many things to take care of at home. Even if he passed and scored high enough, others might still reject him. It was better for him to work for a private company later; as long as he had a salary, that would be fine. Plus, the family had some money, so her youngest son wouldn't have a bad life.

Song Fenglan attended the entire one-month celebration for her grandchildren and didn't come over halfway through. Song Fenglan still values ​​Xu Yan and the two children very much.

At this time, Tian Kexian's daughter was still living with Tian Keshu. Tian Keshu originally wanted her niece to move out, but her niece was young and might be bullied if she lived alone outside. Also, her niece's salary was not high, so Tian Keshu did not kick her out.

Tian Keshu visited Tian Kexian in prison, and Tian Kexian inquired about the child's condition.

“The children’s uncles and aunts only care about boys, not girls,” Tian Keshu said. “I originally wanted your daughter to go out and work, and rent a place for herself. But her wages are low, and it’s not very safe for her to live alone, so I didn’t kick her out.”

"Don't kick her out," Tian Kexian pleaded. "Don't let her marry just anyone in the future. Tell her to open her eyes and find a suitable man. Don't be fooled by men's sweet talk. They may seem nice at first, but in reality, it's all fake, all fake."

Tian Kexian was initially deceived by the man's sweet words, believing he treated her very well. It was all a lie, a complete fabrication. When she gave birth to a daughter, the man disliked her; when she gave birth to a son, he thought she was useless.

At this moment, Tian Kexian really wanted to say: It's all your fault, Tian Keshu!

But Tian Kexian couldn't tell anyone; she was afraid that if she did, Tian Kexian would kick her daughter out. Tian Kexian couldn't let her own daughter end up on the streets; a girl alone on the streets was more likely to be deceived.

“We didn’t kick her out,” Tian Keshu said. “Li’an and the others didn’t tell me to kick her out either.”

If Qin Li'an and his wife told Tian Keshu to kick the girl out, Tian Keshu might harden her heart and kick her niece out directly.

“Don’t take her salary. Let her keep it herself. If you want money, you only need living expenses, not more,” Tian Kexian said. “She will get married in the future and needs a dowry. She can only save up for her own dowry now. Sister, you have a son and a daughter. You don’t need my daughter to give you money. Ask your son and your daughter for it. If anything happens to my daughter, I will haunt you even as a ghost.”

“I didn’t take your daughter’s money.” Tian Keshu was a little afraid of Tian Kexian. Regardless of whether Tian Kexian did it on purpose or not, Tian Kexian had killed someone. “The grain, oil, rice and flour were all taken from my son’s supermarket. It was mainly for grocery shopping. I cook for myself, so grocery shopping doesn’t cost much.”

"That would be best," Tian Kexian said. "Back then..."

Tian Kexian thought that she shouldn't have gotten together with Song Erge in the first place, nor should she have gotten together with just anyone. Men's words are deceitful; those men all treat women as tools for procreation. How many men truly love a woman?

"Don't let my daughter end up like me," Tian Kexian said.

"I understand," Tian Keshu said.

Tian Keshu didn't bring Tian Kexian's daughter with her. After all, Tian Kexian had killed someone—her daughter's biological father. Tian Keshu asked her niece if she wanted to come, but the niece remained silent. Tian Keshu knew then that her niece didn't want to come; she hadn't adjusted her mindset, didn't know how to face her mother, and didn't know what to say.

Time flew by, and it was soon time for Brother Qin's youngest son to take the college entrance exam. Naturally, Song Fenglan and her husband couldn't interfere. Brother Qin's youngest son wasn't applying to Capital University of Aeronautics and Astronautics; his grades weren't good enough for him.

When asked if she intended to send her son to Capital University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, You Yun said no.

"Isn't his aunt a professor at Capital University of Aeronautics and Astronautics? Go find his aunt, maybe you can get in," the neighbor said.

"No, it's useless, the college entrance exam is..."

"Fair and just," You Yun said.

"Didn't we have independent admissions before?" the neighbor asked again.

"Yes, but you have to get a certain score. My son isn't that lucky; his grades aren't that good," You Yun said.

"You only have one son, haven't you thought of anything for him?" the neighbor asked.

“There’s no other way. If there were, it would most likely be a scam to cheat people out of their money,” You Yun said. “We still have to go through the regular college entrance examination, which is fair and just.”

You Yun was utterly speechless at what those people outside were saying. What did they mean by trying to get into a good school and even using connections? Ha! If she actually used connections and got in, she'd probably be reported later. Didn't You Yun know these people? If her family benefited while others didn't, they'd just complain about it being unfair.

Regarding the school their child applied to, You Yun and her husband didn't consult Song Fenglan. They didn't have a good relationship with Song Fenglan, and since Song Fenglan wasn't in charge of college admissions, they saw no need to ask. Song Fenglan worked at the Education Bureau; she was fair and impartial and wouldn't give Qin Fenglan's son special treatment.

Song Fenglan hadn't paid attention to the college entrance examination; she only found out it was over when she saw the news.

"Is your eldest brother's youngest son taking the college entrance exam this year?" Song Fenglan asked as she sat on the sofa eating a banana.

"Yes, it's around this time." Qin Yizhou nodded. "The college entrance exam is over now. I applied to a second-tier university and am accepting the transfer requirement. They said I should prepare to go to a junior college."

"Oh." Song Fenglan didn't have a deep impression of Brother Qin's youngest son, since they rarely met. "He's going to a junior college, that's not bad."

After all, the devaluation of academic qualifications isn't particularly severe these days, and attending a junior college is better than not having a school at all.

"I didn't ask any more questions, but my older brother said a few words, and I listened," Qin Yizhou said. "My older brother sighed and said that his son wasn't living up to expectations."

"And then?" Song Fenglan asked.

“What can I say? I can’t exactly say, ‘Yes, yes, your son is just not good enough, but my son is.’” Qin Yizhou said. “Their youngest son started school early. He was only a year older than Zihang when he took the college entrance exam. His grades weren’t good, and sometimes no matter how many tutors you hire, it doesn’t help much.”

"It would be good if I could go to a junior college," Song Fenglan said.

“Yes, that’s right,” Qin Yizhou said. “It’s great that you can go to school.”

At this time, Fang Daniu gave birth to a daughter in the hospital. Yes, a girl, not a boy.

"How could it be a girl?" Fang Danu couldn't believe she had given birth to a girl; she had always thought her child was a boy.

Fang Danu had been calling the baby in her belly "son" for a long time, hoping the baby was responding. When she went for her ultrasound, she mentioned buying blue clothes for the baby, and the doctor said it looked good. Fang Danu thought the doctor was implying that she was having a boy.

"What if it's been switched?" Fang Danu asked.

Fang Daniu said the exact same thing Gao Xiuxiu said when she gave birth to Fang Erniu; their first thought was that someone had switched their babies.

Upon hearing this, Gao Xiuxiu immediately thought of the time when she gave birth to Erniu.

“It’s a daughter. The doctor showed the baby to us after you gave birth to her.” Gao Xiuxiu told Fang Daniu not to speak loudly and not to embarrass herself like she had done.

How come it's just a girl?

Gao Xiuxiu was troubled. Her daughter had given birth to a girl. Would the man's family still be willing to acknowledge the child?

The groom's family had already stated that whether Fang Daniu gave birth to a daughter or a son, the outcome would be the same; they would never acknowledge the child. However, both Fang Daniu and Gao Xiuxiu insisted that as long as Fang Daniu gave birth to a son, that would be enough.

Now that the child is a girl, they dislike her.

"Mom, what should we do?" Fang Danu asked.

“A girl is a girl,” Gao Xiuxiu said. “The doctors all know that even if we brought a boy over now, it wouldn’t make a difference.”

The groom's family is so powerful that they can find out the baby's gender with just a little inquiry.

"She's really useless." Fang Daniu looked at her daughter. This child was completely useless; how could she be a girl?

When Fang Xudong learned that his daughter had given birth to a granddaughter, he wasn't surprised at all. Fang Daniu's personality was so much like Gao Xiuxiu's; even before the child was born, she kept insisting it was a boy. She even said that the doctor had hinted that the child was definitely a boy.

Now things are alright, Fang Daniu gave birth to a girl.

When the man's family found out that Fang Daniu had given birth, none of them came over. They didn't think Fang Daniu was anything special, nor did they think her child would be any good. After Fang Daniu was discharged from the hospital, she sent her parents to the man's house.

Fang Xudong didn't want to go, but he had no choice but to go for his daughter's sake.

Even though Fang Xudong works at the police station, they don't give him any face.

“It was a matter of mutual consent. Your daughter got pregnant, and we told her we would give her money to have an abortion, but she refused,” the man’s mother said.

The man didn't show up; it was his mother who told Fang Xudong and his wife to sit in the living room to talk. Saying those things at the door would only make them a laughingstock; it was better to talk in the living room.

"You mean you don't acknowledge this child?" Gao Xiuxiu asked. "And you don't want Daniu to come into the family?"

“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean,” the man’s mother said. “Didn’t your family say you wanted your eldest daughter to have a child who would take your surname? Well, your eldest daughter has given birth to a child for your Fang family, so that child will take the Fang surname.”

“You…” Gao Xiuxiu’s eyes widened; she was furious.

"The child doesn't belong to Da Niu alone." Fang Xudong was also very angry, but anger was useless, and he still had to make things clear.

“It’s true that it’s not just Da Niu’s, we can pay child support,” the man’s mother said. “But you can’t just ask for more money, that’s fraud. Officer Fang, you don’t want us to end up in court, do you?”

The groom's mother wasn't afraid of Fang Xudong at all; what was there to be afraid of in a mere policeman? The two children were meant to be together, so there was no question of one being superior to the other. The groom's mother simply didn't approve of Fang Danu; she felt it was all Fang Danu's fault that her son hadn't studied hard enough.

“My son is going abroad to study, so he doesn’t have time to deal with these things,” the man’s mother said, adding that everything was already settled.

The man's mother never considered Fang Daniu; she sent her son abroad to study without informing Fang's family.

“Don’t worry, my son didn’t worry about Da Niu. He went abroad to study happily. And there are blonde, blue-eyed beauties abroad too,” the man’s mother said. “He’s just too young and naive, that’s why he was fooled by your daughter. The world is so big, and there are other women in the world besides your Da Niu.”

"You...you..." Gao Xiuxiu was furious. "What did you say?"

“There is absolutely no possibility between my son and your daughter,” the man’s mother said. “If you don’t want the child, that’s fine too. You can give the child to us. Our family can still afford to raise a child.”

Gao Xiuxiu couldn't believe it. "Aren't you afraid we'll sue your son for indecent assault?"

"Do you think things are still the same as before, where being a scoundrel gets you shot?" the man's mother sneered. "Your daughter was so eager to be with my son, and now that she has a child, she thinks she can control him. And you two are the same. Aren't you just after our money? You want your daughters to marry into our family and live in a mansion?"

"Enough." Fang Xudong couldn't listen anymore. Even though he had known this would be the outcome, he still found it hard to accept. "Let's go back."

"Wait a minute," the man's mother said.

Gao Xiuxiu thought the man's mother had changed her mind and wanted Da Niu again, "Da Niu can come with your son..."

"This is child support." The man's mother placed a stack of money on the table. "Take it. Your family only has so much money. Don't burden the child."

Fang Xudong didn't take the money; he simply dragged Gao Xiuxiu away. Gao Xiuxiu didn't want to leave, but Fang Xudong still dragged her away.

"How could they just leave like that?" Gao Xiuxiu was unwilling to accept it.

The two walked out of the iron gate, and the gate was closed.

Gao Xiuxiu glanced back; those people were all too cold.

“If we don’t go this way, how can we go this way?” Fang Xudong said. “Did you hear what others were saying? They don’t care about Da Niu at all, and they don’t want the child that Da Niu has.”

"What can we do?" Gao Xiuxiu said. "Da Niu has already had a child for her son, and Da Niu..."

back……"

“In this day and age, it’s not like you can’t get married even if you have a child first,” Fang Xudong said. “Then we just have to raise the child ourselves.”

“It’s not that we can’t raise children, but with Da Niu like this, it will be hard for her to get married in the future. People will look down on her,” Gao Xiuxiu said.

"That's because we didn't keep a close eye on Da Niu, which led her to make such a big mistake," Fang Xudong said. "You were only thinking about climbing the social ladder and didn't consider the future at all. Now that things have turned out this way, you can't blame them entirely."

"If it's not their fault, who is?" Gao Xiuxiu said, her eyes red. "Everyone in the family compound knows that Daniu is pregnant, they know..."

“That’s what you said yourselves,” Fang Xudong said. “Do you think that just because you say Da Niu is pregnant and carrying someone else’s child, he will take responsibility? You just saw it; he has no intention of taking responsibility at all. He’s going abroad to study.”

Fang Xudong felt a pang of sadness just thinking about it. If he could, he would certainly hope that Da Niu could marry that man, but given the man's mother's attitude—so clear—Da Niu couldn't marry into such a family. Even if Da Niu forced herself to marry into it, her life wouldn't be easy.

The groom's family didn't respect Fang Daniu at all; they even thought she was unreserved and lacked self-respect.

"I'm going back," Fang Xudong said.

"Go back like this?" Gao Xiuxiu was unwilling. "Can't we discuss it some more?"

"How do we plan to discuss this? Are you going to take that money?" Fang Xudong asked. "If you take that money, will people say that Da Niu had a baby just to make money?"

“I…” Gao Xiuxiu didn’t know what to say.

“Da Niu is just like you.” Fang Xudong was angry. Gao Xiuxiu didn’t want to go back and insisted on embarrassing herself here. “She doesn’t even know the baby’s gender yet, and she insists on saying it’s a son.”

"I didn't expect it either. I thought Da Niu couldn't possibly be as unlucky as me, I..."

"Alright, let's go back," Fang Xudong said.

"Can't someone think of a solution?" Gao Xiuxiu said. "It would be best to let Daniu marry into the family."

"Find someone? Find whom? Who wants to get involved in this mess?" Fang Xudong said. "Who has the audacity to let their family let their daughter into the house? Do you think their daughter will be happy after marrying into the family?"

Impossible. Judging from the way the groom's mother treats Da Niu and the other family, Fang Xudong knows that Da Niu will not be happy after marrying into the family.

Fang Xudong and his wife returned home dejected. When Grandma Fang saw them like this, she knew that the matter had not been accomplished.

"Mom, how did it go?" Fang Daniu asked as soon as Gao Xiuxiu entered the room, "When are you getting married?"

"Why get married? He's already studying abroad!" Gao Xiuxiu said. "You're just sitting here foolishly waiting for him. Do you think he'll wait for you?"

"What?" Fang Danu exclaimed in disbelief, "He said he would marry me!"

"Can you trust a man's words?" Gao Xiuxiu said. "He's just saying that to deceive you."

"Where's Dad? Where's Dad?" Fang Danu asked.

"Don't think about him anymore." Fang Xudong entered the room. "They will never want you. You should... wait until later and find a good family."

"How could that be?" Fang Danu had long hoped to marry into that family. They were very wealthy, and she could become a young mistress if she married into it.

“I went there with your mother and heard them say it with my own ears: even if you give birth to a son, they won’t let you into their home,” Fang Xudong said. “Just give up.”

"I don't believe it." Fang Danu stood up; she wanted to leave.

"Go back and lie down," Fang Xudong said. "You just gave birth. If you end up like your mother, will you never be able to have children again?"

"..." Upon hearing this, Fang Daniu became somewhat frightened; she couldn't have children. Fang Daniu looked at her mother, whose temper had become very strange since she became unable to have children.

"Give up. That guy is probably hiding and not at home. Going out for some fresh air won't help," Fang Xudong said.

"Do men not know how to cherish women once they get them?" Fang Danu asked.

How could Fang Xudong possibly answer this? Times have changed; they can't always use past ideas to think about the present.

When other families found out that Fang Daniu had given birth, some people asked the Fang family members some questions.

When will the groom come to the bride's house to present betrothal gifts?

"Is the baby at your house? Didn't she go to the man's house? Did she wait until her daughter finished her postpartum confinement period before going to the man's house?"

"You'll get the marriage certificate later, right? That's fine too, but we can have the wedding banquet first."

...

Many people knew perfectly well that the man's family did not approve of Fang Daniu, yet they still deliberately asked Gao Xiuxiu's family.

Gao Xiuxiu and Grandma Fang are not good people, and Fang Daniu is not much better. When others seize the opportunity, they will talk about it here.

When Fatty's sister-in-law went to Fan Yani's place, she also told her about Gao Xiuxiu's family.

“My two neighboring families don’t interact much anymore. Gao Xiuxiu used to visit often, but she doesn’t anymore.” Fatty thought to herself that after what happened to Fang Danu, the neighbors would definitely mind. How could they not mind? She was afraid that her own child would end up like Fang Danu.

Aunt Pang thought that Gao Xiuxiu, Grandma Fang, and others all felt so sorry for Fang Daniu, and Fang Daniu really shouldn't have caused such a mess at school. If Fang Daniu hadn't gotten pregnant out of wedlock, things wouldn't have turned out this way.

"It's not that the man's family doesn't want the child; the Fang family can send the child over. But the man's family doesn't want Da Niu to go." The plump woman, who lived next door to Gao Xiuxiu, overheard everything.

Fang Xudong and Gao Xiuxiu started arguing.

Fang Xudong had no intention of sending the child to the man's family; if he did, the child would only suffer. The man's mother would never care about a girl as her granddaughter.

"Does the Fang family intend to keep the child?" Fan Yani asked.

"Most likely," the plump woman nodded. "That child can take the surname Fang."

"..." Fan Yani was silent for a while. Fang Daniu shouldn't have gotten pregnant with this child.

"When people see Gao Xiuxiu, they all ask when Da Niu is going to hold her wedding banquet. They say that after the baby is born and she finishes her postpartum confinement, the banquet can be held," said the plump woman.

“It’s possible to hold a wedding banquet now, but the groom doesn’t agree, so there’s no way to hold one,” Fan Yani said. “Given Da Niu’s situation… it’s not impossible for her to get married and have children in the future, but it’s a pity for the child now.”

“That’s exactly right. Da Niu said the baby was a boy, but it turned out to be a girl,” said the chubby woman. “Da Niu really does look exactly like her mother.”

Fang Erniu went home to visit Daniu, but was scolded by her. Gao Xiuxiu also said that Fang Erniu didn't want things to go well for Daniu. Fang Erniu left with a cold face, wanting to take the eggs she had brought with her, but Gao Xiuxiu stopped her.

"You're taking these few eggs?" Gao Xiuxiu said.

"Are those just a few eggs? A whole basket of eggs!" Fang Erniu had bought quite a few eggs.

Although Fang Daniu and Fang Erniu weren't very close, they were still sisters. Fang Erniu knew Fang Daniu had given birth, which was why she bought these eggs, but Fang Daniu was still grumbling and complaining.

Fang Erniu thought to herself that it wasn't her who prevented the man from marrying Daniu; it was Daniu herself who made things this way.

"Put it down," Gao Xiuxiu said.

During the argument, Fang Erniu let go, and Gao Xiuxiu lost her grip, causing the basket of eggs to fall to the ground.

Upon seeing this, Fang Erniu quickly left to avoid her mother scolding her again.

When Gao Xiuxiu saw Fang Erniu leave, she cursed at the door, "You heartless bastard! Your sister is in such a state, and you still don't know how to feel sorry for her."

When Fang Xudong returned home, Gao Xiuxiu continued to complain about Fang Erniu, saying, "Did she come to deliver eggs? I think she came to make her sister angry. How could I have given birth to such a rascal?"

Fang Xudong didn't think it was Fang Erniu's fault. Fang Erniu must have come to deliver eggs, but Gao Xiuxiu said some unpleasant things, which made Fang Erniu want to take the eggs away.

“It’s good enough that Erniu came to see her sister,” Fang Xudong said. “Daniu has had such a big problem, it’s not Erniu’s fault, don’t take your anger out on Erniu.”

“I didn’t say that it was because of Erniu that Daniu acted this way,” Gao Xiuxiu said. “I just think she’s cold-hearted. Her sister is already like this, and her sister only said a few words to her, and she wanted to take the eggs away. If she hadn’t taken the eggs, they wouldn’t have broken, and I would have had to clean the living room for quite a while.”

“If you don’t talk about her, Erniu won’t get angry,” Fang Xudong said. “Don’t always talk about Erniu. I think Erniu is much better than Daniu. Erniu would never do those messy things.”

Fang Erniu put Fang Xudong at ease. He wished Fang Daniu were like her. Even though Fang Daniu was spoiled, Fang Xudong didn't want to say anything to her. Fang Daniu was still in her postpartum period, and Fang Xudong didn't want to make her feel worse; if she didn't take good care of herself during her postpartum period, she would suffer later.

Fang Danu's story became a source of amusement for everyone, even reaching Song Fenglan, who was far away in the capital.

Song Fenglan had long suspected that Gao Xiuxiu's mental state was poor. She felt Gao Xiuxiu hadn't raised her child properly, resulting in a child with poor character who would cause serious problems. Now that Fang Danu had encountered such a situation, no one could help her; she needed to pull herself together.

“Families with daughters should be extra careful and not let their daughters be deceived,” Song Fenglan said. “In the future, Zihang and the others should teach their daughters more, so that the children are not easily fooled. As girls, they should know how to protect themselves and not expect society to protect them. It is difficult to rely on others; only by being strong can one truly be strong.”