Chapter 147 The Resentment Has Turned Upside Down

“Xu Yan is good; she will take good care of the children,” Song Fenglan said. “She is also a teacher, so she knows what kind of children they are.”

"Don't worry," Qin Yizhou said. "Fang Xudong's wife is a bit neurotic; she's always thinking about having a son. They didn't raise their child well, but not everyone will act like them."

Anyone who dares to treat Qin Yizhou's granddaughter that way will be made to regret ever being born.

Fang Xudong didn't have much ability, unlike Qin Yizhou who had a powerful network of connections, and Gao Xiuxiu wasn't Song Fenglan. If Gao Xiuxiu and her husband were dissatisfied with the man's actions and sued him, they would at most get some child support. Fang Xudong knew this all too well; to avoid further humiliation for Fang Daniu, he naturally wouldn't sue that family.

These kinds of things between men and women can easily be covered up with some excuses. Fang Xudong's family is too ordinary; if someone offends Fang Daniu, they aren't afraid that Fang Xudong will retaliate against them.

But Qin Yizhou and his wife are different; who would dare to mess with their granddaughter? Xu Yan is a shrewd person; she wouldn't let her daughter become a naive and innocent girl, nor would she let her daughter believe that all men outside are good men. There aren't that many good men in the world, and the probability of a woman encountering a scumbag is far too high.

"I heard that Fang Daniu gave birth to a girl again," Song Fenglan said. "The same thing happened again. When Gao Xiuxiu had her child, she said it was a boy, and now it's the same with Daniu. At least Gao Xiuxiu had her child after marriage, but Daniu was pregnant out of wedlock, and now the man refuses to take responsibility."

Song Fenglan thought it was fortunate she wasn't in Nancheng; if she had seen those things, she would have just rolled her eyes. Gao Xiuxiu really hadn't raised her daughter well. In her eyes, her son was the most important. Without a son, Gao Xiuxiu seemed to be spoiling Fang Daniu, but Gao Xiuxiu hadn't done anything right at all. Now that things had come to this, she really couldn't blame anyone else.

“It’s really pathetic,” Song Fenglan said, then she thought of something else. “Back then, Gao Xiuxiu and the others said that they wanted her daughter to be Zihang’s child bride.”

"You still remember?" Qin Yizhou asked.

"Of course I remember, I'll never forget it in my entire life," Song Fenglan said. "Does a family like theirs even deserve it?"

Song Fenglan rarely got this angry. Gao Xiuxiu's family wasn't of good character. Fang Xudong was alright, but he couldn't possibly manage everything on his own. Song Fenglan would never allow Qin Zihang to get involved with Gao Xiuxiu's daughter. People like Gao Xiuxiu only knew how to meddle in other people's business, and she was uneducated and just knew how to cause trouble.

Fat Sister-in-law also didn't have much education, but she was much better than others. Although she sometimes made small mistakes, she didn't make any major ones like Gao Xiuxiu.

"Zihang didn't have much contact with them," Qin Yizhou comforted him.

“Yes, I know,” Song Fenglan said. “It’s just that when I think about this, I feel like they have something wrong with themselves. Fang Xudong didn’t manage his wife well, nor did he explain things clearly to his own mother. Those people just know how to talk, saying whatever comes to mind. If others agree, great; if others disagree, they can say that other families look down on them. With the kind of behavior they exhibit, who would respect them?”

Song Fenglan had grievances against Gao Xiuxiu's family, but since she hadn't seen them after returning to the capital, she hadn't said much. This time, however, Song Fenglan learned about Gao Xiuxiu's family's situation, and she felt that Gao Xiuxiu and her family had truly fallen to such a state.

All of this has its roots. Gao Xiuxiu failed to properly educate her daughter, constantly portraying the importance of having children, especially sons. Following her example, Fang Danu naturally learned from Gao Xiuxiu, believing that having a son would solve everything and guarantee her marriage. Now, Gao Xiuxiu bears most of the blame. Fang Danu, even in high school, is still so immature; she also has her faults.

“Yes, you’re right. People really don’t look up to them because of their behavior,” Qin Yizhou said. “With such a big incident, Fang Xudong is helpless. They’ve already been to the man’s house, but he’s going abroad to study and doesn’t care about Fang Daniu’s child at all.”

“They have money. Besides, it’s not a violation of law, but a violation of morality,” Song Fenglan said. “The Fang family is unlikely to actually sue anyone. Even if they did, they would only receive some child support. It’s impossible for them to make someone marry Fang Daniu.”

It's not a special era now. If it were, the man would really have to marry Fang Danu.

Ultimately, Gao Xiuxiu and her ilk haven't changed their way of thinking; they're still the same as before.

“I’m not trying to be harsh, but many women who get pregnant out of wedlock and want to remarry can do so, but they face discrimination and find it difficult to find a good partner,” Song Fenglan said. “This world is much harsher on women. Men, on the other hand, find it relatively easier to find a better wife when they remarry.”

Given Fang Daniu's current state and her questionable character, no decent family would want her. Unless her house is demolished and receives a large sum of compensation, no one would be with her for money.

"They brought this all on themselves," Qin Yizhou said. "They didn't manage their families properly, and this is the result."

"Mm." Song Fenglan nodded.

Gao Xiuxiu was extremely troubled. The man refused to take responsibility and wouldn't marry Fang Daniu. Everyone in the neighborhood knew about it, and Fang Daniu became the laughing stock of the town. People said that Fang Daniu wanted to climb the social ladder but failed and fell short.

“She’s just like her biological mother; she claims the child is a son even before it’s born.”

"She thought that if she gave birth to a son, the man would want her."

"Shameless girl, she doesn't know how to study properly, all she does is flirt with men."

"Da Niu is not as good as her younger sister; her younger sister is more sensible."

“What’s the use of being sensible? Those people still feel more sorry for Da Niu.”

...

People in the family compound talked about Fang Danu quite a bit, and people in the next street also talked about her. Fang Danu is currently in her postpartum confinement period and hasn't gone out. Gao Xiuxiu has heard some rumors, but she hasn't told Fang Danu about them.

The people outside were saying things that were hard to hear, so Gao Xiuxiu didn't want to say those things to Fang Daniu, for fear that Fang Daniu would get so angry that she would rush out.

Grandma Fang noticed that something was wrong with the atmosphere at home. She realized that this time it wasn't her fault, nor was it because she let Da Niu be with another man. It was because Da Niu started dating early that things turned out this way.

Gao Xiuxiu is now annoyed by everyone. When she went out to buy groceries and ran into Fatty Sister, she said, "Fatty Sister, feel free to laugh if you want to?"

"What am I laughing at?" The fat woman was completely baffled.

“Nobody wants my daughter, aren’t you happy?” Gao Xiuxiu said.

"..." The fat woman's lips twitched slightly. Why did she have to make fun of Fang Danu?

“Da Niu gave birth to a daughter, and the man doesn’t want her anymore,” Gao Xiuxiu said. “Don’t you like to make fun of our family? Go ahead and laugh.”

"What am I laughing at?" the plump woman said. "This is your own family matter. I can laugh once, but do I have to keep laughing?"

The plump woman was speechless. She wasn't keeping an eye on Gao Xiuxiu's family every day. Besides, this kind of thing was fine to laugh about, but couldn't be laughed at forever. After hearing it so many times, the plump woman became indifferent.

People in the family compound have talked about Fang Danu a lot, and Fatty Sister has heard it many times. Others say that Fatty Sister is good at raising children; both of her sons are quite successful, unlike Gao Xiuxiu who raised her daughter like that.

Gao Xiuxiu's eldest daughter got involved with another man while she was in school.

Together, Gao Xiuxiu's second daughter was kicked out of the house, and neither of the daughters looked well.

"Gao Xiuxiu, are you crazy?" the fat woman said.

“I’m not crazy,” Gao Xiuxiu said. “Aren’t you all talking about our family outside? Da Niu was indeed abandoned. Laugh, laugh.”

The plump woman quickly left after buying the groceries; she didn't want to hear Gao Xiuxiu's words at all. The plump woman found Gao Xiuxiu utterly baffling; she thought Gao Xiuxiu was a bit crazy. Regardless of Fang Danu's ultimate fate, that was ultimately the Fang family's business.

Gao Xiuxiu wasn't just like this in front of Fatty Sister-in-law; she acted the same way in front of everyone else. The people in the family compound, seeing Gao Xiuxiu like this, sensed that something was wrong with her, wondering if she had some kind of mental problem.

Someone told Fang Xudong that Gao Xiuxiu was having mental health issues. As Gao Xiuxiu's husband, Fang Xudong already knew this. Before, Gao Xiuxiu had been constantly on edge, hoping that her eldest daughter would marry into a wealthy family. In the end, it all came to nothing; the family never intended for her to marry into the family, and even after her daughter had a child, she still couldn't enter.

When Fang Xudong returned home, he heard Gao Xiuxiu muttering to herself. He was also very troubled, not knowing how to say those things to his wife, afraid of upsetting her.

“We’ll register the child’s household registration here, and she’ll take the surname Fang,” Fang Xudong said. “We’ll raise her from now on. As for our eldest daughter, we should let her get married; we shouldn’t let her marry into another family.”

"Aren't you going to take a son-in-law?" Gao Xiuxiu asked.

“We won’t have her marry into the family anymore, and Da Niu doesn’t want to either,” Fang Xudong said. “How many men are willing to be live-in sons-in-law? Those who are usually from less well-off families, and they have other problems. Da Niu’s personality isn’t suited for being a live-in son-in-law either. People don’t come to be live-in sons-in-law to be scolded; if they don’t have a good life, they’ll have complaints. It’s better to let Da Niu get married elsewhere. The child she has will take the Fang surname, so it can be considered that she has successfully completed her mission.”

"Really?" Gao Xiuxiu looked at Fang Xudong. Not having a son was a source of great distress for Gao Xiuxiu. She always hoped that her eldest daughter could give birth to a son who would take the surname Fang.

“Really, the girl is nice,” Fang Xudong said. “We don’t need to worry about our child’s future. She can just wait to get married. We don’t need to buy her a house or a lot of things. We can relax a lot. If we had to buy her a house and those things, where would we get so much money? When we get old, we won’t have to save money for our child. We can even spend more on ourselves. Isn’t that great?”

Fang Xudong didn't not want a son or a grandson, but given the current situation, it was best to appease Gao Xiuxiu and improve her mental state so that she wouldn't continue like this.

“You said it,” Gao Xiuxiu said.

“Yes, that’s what I said.” Fang Xudong nodded. “So many years have passed, and I never thought about having a son or a grandson. A girl is good enough. Don’t blame yourself too much. What’s done is done… Da Niu is in school, and you can’t keep an eye on her all the time. She gave birth to a child for our family, so consider it her freedom. She can do whatever she wants from now on.”

“…” Gao Xiuxiu pursed her lips.

“I’m telling the truth,” Fang Xudong said. “Thinking about boys all the time is too tiring and exhausting. You should take care of your granddaughter from now on. She’s a granddaughter, she’ll take our family name, she’ll be a granddaughter, and the child will call you grandma.”

"Okay, sure." Gao Xiuxiu nodded.

Fang Xudong breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Gao Xiuxiu's condition had not worsened. After Gao Xiuxiu went to do other things, Fang Xudong went to find Fang Daniu.

Fang Xudong told Fang Daniu about Gao Xiuxiu's mental state and asked her not to bother Gao Xiuxiu so that she could calm down.

"I just wanted your help. If you can't help me, my life is ruined." Fang Daniu didn't think she was wrong. "It's because you and Mom are so useless."

"Are we useless? We didn't get into high school, but we still paid to get you in. You didn't get into university, but we made you repeat a year. And what do you do? All you do is flirt and date, you don't know how to study properly at all. Do you know how much a good degree can bring you? If you were a university student, maybe they wouldn't refuse you entry?"

“If I go to college, will I still know him?” Fang Danu said. “All you know is that I have to get into college. Do you know how hard it is to study? Those functions, those formulas, and biochemistry, so much of it has to be memorized and recited. It’s so hard. You have no idea how hard I worked. You just say I didn’t try hard enough.”

“I’m not saying you’re not trying,” Fang Xudong said. “It’s just that you can’t throw tantrums in front of your mother like that. Your mother’s mental state isn’t good, so that’s why we’re asking you to tone it down. We’ll raise the child you gave birth to, and you can still get married in the future. Don’t force your mother to go find that man. He’s not home, and his mother will only mock your mother; she’s not going to listen to her.”

Fang Daniu refused to give up. She wanted her parents to pressure the man's family, but they remained unmoved. Fang Daniu believed it was because her parents hadn't pulled any strings. Her father had served in the army in Nancheng for many years and now worked at the police station; Fang Daniu felt her father must have a way.

"Dad, you know so many people, you just..."

“I can’t help you,” Fang Xudong said. “I’m so useless, okay? Don’t always think our family is so great. We’re just an ordinary family. Our unit has many employees, and Nancheng isn’t just one police station; there are many. Do you think your dad is so capable? No, your dad is just an ordinary person. People have no reason to give your dad face. This is a society ruled by law; no one can force someone to marry you. You’re all grown up now; you should understand some things.”

“Am I being unreasonable? If anything, it’s because you didn’t teach me well,” Fang Daniu said. “This matter can’t be entirely blamed on me.”

This is Fang Daniu's attitude. She knows that her mother is not truly good to her, but only because her mother did not give birth to a son.

“Mom always says that once a woman has a child, she's good enough; once a woman has a child, she can capture a man's heart,” Fang Daniu said. “I just did what Mom said, what could I have done wrong?”

“You…” Fang Xudong sighed, “Don’t listen to your mother anymore. She’s just saying things. You know your mother and I aren’t from the same generation as you, and some of our ideas are outdated. Da Niu, your future depends on yourself. Your parents can’t help you. You have to support yourself and find a suitable partner in the future. Just consider this incident as being bitten by a dog and don’t think about it anymore.”

“Dad, it’s not like you were the one who was abandoned, so of course you can’t understand how much pain I’m in,” Fang Daniu said. “Right now, all I get is to be laughed at.”

At school, it wasn't just one girl who liked this boy. Fang Danu had worked so hard to win him over, and then this happened. If Fang Danu had known this would be the outcome, she definitely wouldn't have been with him; she would have waited.

However, since things have already come to this, there's no point in saying anything now.

Fang Danu felt that it was really wrong of her father to say such things to her.

"Can I go out after I finish my postpartum confinement?" Fang Danu asked. "If I go out, people will laugh at me. And if I bring my boyfriend back later, they might tell him that I was dumped and that I'm trying to climb the social ladder."

Fang Danu resented her parents' lack of ability. They'd been in Nancheng for so many years, yet other people's parents made a fortune while hers barely earned anything, making her a laughingstock. If her family were wealthy, she wouldn't need to seek out rich people and go through all this trouble.

Because her family is wealthy, others flock around her, wanting to climb the social ladder.

“Look at other families,” Fang Danu said. “Not to mention the Qin family from before, just look at Fatty’s family. Her eldest son is a primary school teacher, and her second son is studying at a university in the capital and stayed there. As for me, you all insisted on making me go to high school. You knew perfectly well that I didn’t like studying, you knew my grades weren’t good, but you still made me go to high school. After I went to high school, you said I wasn’t working hard enough, and that if I worked hard, I could marry into a good family. That’s why I’m thinking of finding a good family.”

Fang Daniu thought she was incredibly clever; she didn't need to wait for the college entrance exam to get into a good university—she could just be with a rich man. Fang Daniu believed everything was under her control, but she never imagined that nothing was in her control at all. The man was just playing around with her, and his parents didn't approve of the marriage at all.

"Dad, can't you earn more money?" Fang Daniu said. "Why is our family so poor?"

Fang Xudong's feelings were mixed. It wasn't that he didn't want to earn more money, but rather that his salary was just so-so. In fact, Fang Xudong's salary plus benefits were much better than many people's; some hidden benefits allowed him to take home more money at the end of the year.

“Other families aren’t that rich either.” Fang Xudong frowned. Only a small number of families in the residential compound were relatively wealthy; most families were like Fang Xudong’s.

If it weren't for the high school expenses that Fang's daughter spent, the Fang family could have saved even more money. But Fang's daughter clearly doesn't feel she's spent a lot of money; she feels it's not enough, and she needs more.

No matter what Fang Xudong said to Fang Daniu, it was useless.

After this incident, Fang Daniu wanted to marry a rich man even more; only then could she slap others in the face. Fang Daniu was too ambitious; she didn't even consider whether she could achieve such a wish.

Fang Danu has no ability, so she loves to fantasize, as if everything she fantasizes will come true.

Fang Xudong was exhausted. How did things get to this point?

In the Qin family, You Yun's son received his college admission notice. He ultimately failed to get into a second-tier university. It's difficult to get into a school that barely meets the cutoff score, but getting into a junior college is still better than not getting into anything at all.

"Should we have her repeat a year?" Brother Qin asked You Yun. He wondered if her grades would be better if she repeated a year, so she could get into a second-tier university.

"No need," You Yun said. "You know that child. He doesn't really like studying. It's already quite good that he got such good grades. Even if he repeats a year, he's unlikely to get better results, and might even do worse. It's better for him to go to school directly. Getting into a junior college would be good enough."

You Yun didn't want her son to be compared to Qin Zihang; the two were simply incomparable. Repeating a grade wasn't easy, and the psychological pressure on the child would be immense. You Yun wanted her son to have an easier time, hoping he could find a job in the future. If not, she'd let him open a shop like Qin Li'an.

Qin Li'an's supermarket is doing well now, and the couple is busy there, making a lot of money.

"Are you thinking about Zihang?" You Yun asked.

"Hmm." Brother Qin did think of Qin Zihang. He thought that even if his youngest son didn't go to Capital University of Aeronautics and Astronautics like Qin Zihang, he should still go to a better university. "If he just gets into a junior college, I'd be embarrassed to throw him a celebration banquet."

"I'm sorry, then let's not do it," You Yun said. "It's not a big deal. Many families around here have children who got into good schools, but our child got into a very ordinary one."

You Yun didn't really care whether Brother Qin held a celebration for her son's college admission or not. Even without a celebration, her son was still better than Qin Li'an.

"Then let's not do it?" Brother Qin said.

“Okay, we won’t do it,” You Yun said.

"Let's still have a celebration, just for our own relatives." Brother Qin sighed. He was afraid that if he didn't hold a celebration for his son's graduation, his youngest son would be unhappy, as he was counting on his youngest son to take care of him in his old age.

As for relying on Qin Li'an, Brother Qin felt that it would be good enough if Qin Li'an could manage his own life well, so how could he expect Qin Li'an to do anything else?

Brother Qin plans to hand over all the other things in the house to his youngest son. Since his youngest son doesn't have a biological mother like Tian Keshu, his future is brighter.

When Qin Li'an learned that his elder brother was going to hold a celebration for his younger brother's college admission, he wasn't surprised. His younger brother was different from him; he was better at academics, better in character, and better in every way. Qin Li'an knew that his elder brother treated his younger son as his heir, while he, the eldest son, was relegated to the sidelines.

"Your brother got into a junior college, not bad, right?" Zhu Meng walked back home with Qin Li'an.

It was night, and there weren't many people on the streets anymore.

"The red envelope can't be too small," Zhu Meng said.

"Yes, that's right," Qin Li'an said.

"Does it make you feel sad?" Zhu Meng asked.

“Grandpa and Dad must like him a lot,” Qin Li’an said. “At least he got into a junior college, while I didn’t even get into a vocational school.”

Back when Qin Li'an was in his final year of junior high, Tian Keshu had to pay for his tuition. Tian Keshu did care about Qin Li'an, but she didn't know how to raise a child properly and failed to educate him effectively. Qin Li'an is now willing to pay Tian Keshu's rent and provide her with food and supplies because of the kindness she once showed him.

Brother Qin is going to hold a banquet to celebrate his youngest son's graduation from university. Song Fenglan can't go, and Qin Zihang doesn't plan to go either.

Qin Zihang meant that he wouldn't steal the limelight from his younger cousin. The cousin was only taking a college entrance exam, so what was he, a person who was about to graduate with a doctorate, going to do there?

“Dad, even you could easily crush people in the past,” Qin Zihang said to Qin Yizhou.

"You don't need to go." Qin Yizhou didn't force his son to go; it didn't matter whether his son went or not.

Actually, Qin Zihang wasn't wrong. His brother's youngest son was the main character; no one else should steal the spotlight. It's a celebration for a child's graduation; people should say good things about the child, not bad things. What if Qin Zihang, sitting next to them, accidentally laughed out loud? Wouldn't that be embarrassing?

It would be better if Qin Zihang didn't go over, didn't speak, and didn't make a sound; that way, the mistake would be smaller.

Qin Zihang and Qin Li'an didn't get along, and he didn't intend to be close friends with Qin Li'an's half-brother. Keeping their distance was better for both of them. Regardless of the other person's character, the relationship between the two families was what it was, and a more distant relationship might not necessarily be bad.

"Take the red envelope with you." Song Fenglan leaned back on the sofa, looking at her little granddaughter beside her.

Xu Yan has raised the twins very well; the children are both quite adorable.

The Fang family didn't hold a full-month celebration for Fang Danu's daughter. What should they do? Should they make a fool of themselves?

The child's biological father abandoned her, so the child had to stay with the Fang family. The Fang family initially refused child support, so the man's family also stopped paying. The man's family wanted nothing more than to sever all ties with Fang Daniu and never have any further contact; they had no intention of continuing any contact.

Fang Danu was not happy. That was her first daughter, so why wasn't a full-month celebration held?

"Mom, are you really not going to have a full moon celebration?" Fang Danu asked.

"Listen to your dad." Gao Xiuxiu didn't want to lose face either. She figured that if they held a full-month celebration for Fang Danu's child, probably not many people would be willing to attend. They decided not to invite anyone. "We'll save the money to raise the child."

"Is my child something I can't let into the light of day?" Fang Danu asked.

"What are you saying, child?" Gao Xiuxiu said. "My granddaughter is not someone who can be hidden in the light of day. It's just that... we don't have much money left in the family."

Fang Daniu didn't believe the family didn't have enough money. "If we don't have much, we'll borrow. Erniu is working, isn't she? She must have saved some money. If we don't hold a full-month celebration for the baby, people will think we're guilty. This child's surname is Fang, and she'll..."

"If you say you're not going to do it, then you're not going to do it!" Fang Xudong said coldly.

“Dad, that child has your surname,” Fang Daniu said. “Even if they don’t want her, we will. We will hold a full moon celebration for her, and when she grows up, she will know how much we love her.”

Fang Daniu didn't love her daughter; she wanted others to know that even though she had been abandoned, her parents still loved her very much, and that they even held a full-month celebration for the child she gave birth to.

“She’s so young, she wouldn’t understand any of this,” Fang Xudong said. “If you want to have a full moon celebration, just invite a few people to have a meal at home.”

“How can this be allowed?” Fang Danu said.

"It has to be done, no matter what." Fang Xudong knew perfectly well what Fang Daniu was thinking. "Daniu, you're a mother now, not a three-year-old. Stop thinking about making a big fuss. Do you think you can get back the face you've lost by doing this? No, you can't!"

It wasn't that Fang Xudong was unwilling to spend more money on Da Niu and her daughter; it was simply unnecessary. Everyone knew what had happened to Fang Da Niu, and there were certain customs surrounding her one-month celebration. Many people wouldn't attend a celebration for someone like Fang Da Niu who had been abandoned and had given birth out of wedlock, fearing it would bring bad luck.

That's not good luck; it's bad luck.

And yet, Fang Daniu was still talking about throwing a full-month celebration for her child. She had no idea about any of this; she just blurted it out without considering how difficult it would be for her family. It's one thing to make things difficult for her own family, but to make things difficult for her relatives too? They'd just think she didn't treat them like family at all.

"Dad!" Fang Danu said, dissatisfied.

No matter how unhappy Fang Daniu was, it was no use. Fang Xudong had made up his mind, and neither Gao Xiuxiu nor Grandma Fang tried to persuade him. Gao Xiuxiu and Grandma Fang were themselves people who favored boys over girls. They would never think of holding a full-moon celebration for a girl. They felt that the child had already enjoyed enough, so it was better not to cause her any more trouble.

When Fang Erniu learned that Fang Daniu was eyeing her savings, she thought Fang Daniu was utterly wicked. Fang Erniu no longer goes back to the Fang family home; she only meets with her father.

They always met outside, precisely to avoid the rest of the Fang family causing trouble for Fang Erniu.

Fang Xudong didn't blame Fang Erniu; Fang Erniu had had a very difficult life.

When Brother Qin held a celebration for his youngest son's college entrance, Qin Yizhou went, but Song Fenglan and Qin Zihang, the couple, did not. Brother Qin glanced at Qin Yizhou a few more times; he desperately hoped that Qin Zihang would treat his youngest son better.

However, Qin Zihang didn't give them any face at all; he didn't come over.

"What are you looking at?" You Yun asked.

“Zihang didn’t come,” Brother Qin said.

"..." You Yun thought Brother Qin was going to say something, but then Brother Qin said this.

"Zihang's wife didn't come either," Brother Qin added.

"Isn't this something we expected?" You Yun had long understood this; Qin Zihang and his people wanted to sever ties with the Qin family.

Now, Brother Qin and Father Qin are still alive, and Qin Yizhou is still here. If Father Qin were gone, and Brother Qin were gone too, Qin Yizhou would probably just ignore them.

You Yun didn't expect Qin Yizhou and his ilk to help her son much; she had already prepared herself mentally. You Yun thought that at least her son would still inherit most of Brother Qin's wealth, which was more important than anything else.

Most of the people attending the graduation banquet were relatives of the Qin family; You Yun had few relatives from her maternal family.

Aunt Qin didn't say anything bad about You Yun's youngest son; she just said nice things and praised how capable the child was.

"Not bad, not bad, much better than his father," Aunt Qin said with a smile.

In this situation, saying nice things is always the right thing to do; as for whether the child is really capable or not, who cares?

Many people would say a few nice words to Aunt Qin, and the matter would be over.

When Qin Yizhou returned home, he told Song Fenglan that at the banquet, everyone was praising Qin's eldest brother's youngest son.

"They make it sound like that kid is the reincarnation of the God of Literature," Qin Yizhou said. "They're exaggerating too much."

Qin Yizhou didn't know how to praise his nephew; he was at a loss for words. He couldn't very well tell his nephew to study hard and pursue a master's or doctoral degree in the future—that would be inappropriate, as if he were showing off his own son.

"And you, did you praise it?" Song Fenglan asked.

"I gave a couple of compliments," Qin Yizhou said. "Everyone does it that way, so I just gave a token compliment. If I give too many compliments, I won't know how to compliment anymore."

“You really have to say something to compliment someone when they’re smiling,” Song Fenglan nodded. “At least they got into a junior college, so they can find a job and live a stable life.”

"Hmm," Qin Yizhou said, "I guess my older brother thinks so too. At least a junior college degree is better than graduating from junior high school."

Furthermore, compared to Qin Li'an, Qin's eldest brother's youngest son seems far too good.

A little while later, Qin Li'an and his wife arrived home. Qin Li'an felt somewhat uncomfortable thinking about the praise people had given his half-brother. Those people didn't seem to have praised him that much before. And rightly so, he hadn't studied hard in school, so why would anyone praise him?

"Are you unhappy?" Zhu Meng could tell at a glance that Qin Li'an was upset.

"A little," Qin Li'an said. "Those people just felt a bit unfamiliar."

"Your brother got into a junior college. He's the star of today's banquet, so of course everyone's praising him," Zhu Meng said. "From now on, we'll encourage our daughter to study hard and try to get her into university."

"Neither of us went to university..." Qin Li'an was afraid of putting too much pressure on his daughter.

“Yes, neither of us went to university, so our daughter only needs to go to high school. She’ll be better off than us anyway,” Zhu Meng said. “This shows that our daughter still has a lot of potential.”

"..." Qin Li'an looked at his wife, wondering what he was going to say.

“I plan to have my child learn piano or guzheng, but not dance,” Zhu Meng said. “Dancing requires flexibility, and I’ve heard of children who went to learn dance but ended up paralyzed instead of learning it.”

Zhu Meng was worried that her daughter might also have an accident, as her own flexibility wasn't very good. Although accidents during dance lessons are rare, if it happened to her own child, it would be 100% certain.

Zhu Meng still hopes her child can live a happier and freer life. They don't necessarily want their daughter to learn dance; learning other things is fine too. If they really want their daughter to learn dance, they'll have to wait until she's older.

"Anything is fine," Qin Li'an said without objection, "as long as she's safe and sound."

Qin Li'an dotes on his daughter very much; if she wants the stars and the moon, he will try his best to get them for her.

Fang Danu was particularly unhappy because her family didn't hold a full-month celebration for her child. She felt that her parents thought she had brought shame to the family and that they didn't love her as much as before, which made her even more resentful towards them.

Fang Xudong could tell that Fang Daniu was unhappy, but what could he do? It was all Fang Daniu's own doing, and she still had the nerve to say those things.

Fang Daniu was unhappy, and her behavior at home wasn't as pleasant as it seemed. She never did housework to begin with, and now she did even less. Even when Fang Xudong and the others called her, she would pretend not to hear. If Fang Xudong said anything, Fang Daniu would say she had just given birth and was still weak.

Fat Sister-in-law lived next door and overheard the Fang family talking quite a bit.

Tsk tsk, those people really aren't afraid of being overheard.

The fat woman thought that those people were speaking so loudly that it would be difficult for her not to hear them.

Not only did Sister-in-law Pang hear it, but some other passersby did too. As a result, people in the residential compound started talking about the Fang family again, saying that Fang Danu was just too lucky. If Fang Danu had a younger brother, she definitely wouldn't be living such a good life.

Both Gao Xiuxiu and Grandma Fang favored sons over daughters.

The woman, Fang Daniu, suffered as a child. Fang Daniu had heard from others that she almost drowned when she was young, and that she was hospitalized after drinking honey. She felt that the Fang family owed her something, and that she deserved to be bossed around in the Fang family.

Gao Xiuxiu and Grandma Fang were reluctant to say much to Fang Daniu, but Fang Daniu would say a few words to them instead.

"It's really the other way around." Fat Sister told Fan Yani about the Fang family's affairs, and she had a lot of feelings to say. "When Gao Xiuxiu was pregnant with Erniu, she thought Erniu was a boy, so she was not nice to Da Niu. Later, when she could not have children, she became nice to Da Niu. Now, when Da Niu has a dispute with them, Da Niu brings up the past, and Gao Xiuxiu does not dare to say much."

"Can Gao Xiuxiu really endure this?" Fan Yani asked.

"She probably feels guilty," the plump woman said. "She was mistreated by her eldest daughter, so she blames her second daughter. Even when the second daughter isn't around, it's still the second daughter's fault. Having a mother like that is really unlucky."

“Erniu hasn’t been back for a long time,” Fan Yani said.

“Yes, that’s why Gao Xiuxiu said Erniu was unfilial, that Erniu didn’t care about her biological parents’ lives and only cared about enjoying herself,” the fat woman said. “Her words were so harsh. How old is Erniu? How long has she been working? How much money could Erniu possibly have? Gao Xiuxiu just doesn’t want Erniu to have a good life. She wants to take all of Erniu’s money and give it all to Da Niu. That’s such an unfair mother.”

Fat Sister wouldn't claim to have treated everyone equally, but she wasn't as unreasonable as Gao Xiuxiu, nor would she possibly give money from one son to the other. She saved all the money Zhang Xiaohu sent her; she could earn her own money and had no need to spend her sons' money. Her eldest son and daughter-in-law lived nearby, and Fat Sister gave them extra subsidies. She figured she and her husband would rely on their eldest son and daughter-in-law in the future, so naturally she wanted to treat them well.

"Given their behavior, I don't know what will become of Da Niu and Er Niu in the future," said the plump woman. "I don't think Da Niu will ever be filial to them, and as for Er Niu, after being treated like that, do you think she'll still be willing to contribute money and effort?"