Chapter 149 Happiness (End of Main Text) Waiting for You to Come Back

"Didn't Mom let you stay here?" Tang Shaotao asked.

“Mom did let me stay, but she didn’t intend to give me her property. She made that clear to me,” Tang Lu said. “Mom still wants to donate her property. I have a salary and a pension in the future. I don’t need to rely on Mom’s money. As for you, you’re not without a job. You have two hands and two feet. Why do you have to be so fixated on what Mom has?”

“If I don’t keep an eye on things, won’t others keep an eye on things?” Tang Shaotao thought that as the eldest son, he should get more things, and his two younger brothers shouldn’t get so much. “Are your other two older brothers just sitting around doing nothing? The third brother divorced and remarried in order to go back to the city, and even left his child in our house. Is that reasonable? The second brother is also after Mom’s property. Who would complain about having too much money?”

Tang Shaotao thought that if he didn't keep a close eye on things, others would snatch them away.

“They all know how to say I’m the boss, that I didn’t do a good job at first, and they all copied me,” Tang Shaotao said. “They all want to shift the blame onto me, that they’re not at fault, that they did a great job. It’s laughable, truly laughable. When did he ever do so well? They didn’t do a good job at all, not at all!”

“How would I know about you?” Tang Lu said. “It’s not like I was the one who said those things. I don’t care what you do, you’d better not disturb Mom’s rest. She’s getting on in years, and she’s had a hard life.”

“Mom has had it tough, but have we had it easy?” Tang Shaotao said. “You’re not in the capital, so you don’t know how much money Mom has donated. She’s donated money to build schools, to welfare homes, and to donate everywhere. Doesn’t she ever think about how we also need money? Why doesn’t she donate her money to us?”

Tang Shaotao was very unhappy when he thought about it, because he was Song San's biological son.

“That’s Mom’s money, not yours. Mom has the right to decide how to spend that money,” Tang Lu said. “You should say less.”

"And you, you're living with Mom now, are you just thinking you can get..."

“Let me tell you, I have no intention of taking Mom’s property,” Tang Lu said. “Don’t forget, I’m single, and I don’t need to worry about my so-called children.”

The Tang family is always like this; they like to coerce Aunt Song and Tang Lu as well. If Tang Lu doesn't listen to them, they have to repeat themselves many times.

Song Fenglan wasn't surprised by the Tang family's behavior; that's just how the Tang family is. The Tang family wanted money from Song's third aunt, and despite her repeated warnings not to give them any, they remained unchanged, completely disregarding what Song's third aunt was thinking.

When Song's mother mentioned this matter to Song Fenglan, she felt that the Tang family had gone too far.

“So many years have passed, but the Tang family still covets what your aunt has and refuses to give up,” said Song’s mother.

"Let them be," Song Fenglan said. "We can't stop them anyway. That money belongs to my aunt, not us. Whether my aunt is soft-hearted or not is none of our business."

Song Fenglan understood these principles. Many things were beyond their control; it depended on Song Fenglan's own attitude.

While Tang Lu was in the capital, her family frequently approached her, trying to persuade her to talk to Aunt Song. Tang Lu found it annoying; she didn't want to see these people at all. All they knew was to tell her to consider her nephew.

Tang Lu wondered if her nephew didn't have hands and feet? Did her nephew have to rely on Aunt Song's property to survive?

No matter what Tang Lu thought, the Tang family members were like flies, still surrounding Aunt Song and still talking about Tang Lu.

Aunt Song knew that the Tang family had approached Tang Lu, but Tang Lu didn't say anything to Aunt Song. Aunt Song knew exactly what the Tang family would do.

“They’re eyeing my things now, and they’ll be eyeing yours later,” Aunt Song said. “You’re not married and have no children. When you get old, your nephew will definitely be eyeing your property.”

“I won’t give it to them,” Tang Lu said. “The money I worked so hard to earn doesn’t belong to them.”

"That's not what I said." Aunt Song didn't stop Tang Lu from giving the things to the Tang family; it was up to Tang Lu's own decision. After all, Tang Lu had lived in the Tang family for many years, so it was perfectly normal for her to leave her things to them.

“Of course not, I’m an adult and I have my own thoughts,” Tang Lu said. “The way they are, I’m starting to suspect that they can only rely on others to live. But they are living well now and don’t need anyone’s help at all.”

“Yes, they can live without anyone’s help,” Aunt Song said. “They are just greedy.”

Tang Lu stayed in the capital for a while before returning to the southern part of the city. That's typical of Tang Lu; she would come back to the capital to visit Aunt Song San whenever she had time. Tang Lu also visited other members of the Tang family, but seeing them made her feel that they were overthinking things.

Fang Xudong didn't introduce Fang Daniu to anyone, but she still started dating someone. Fang Daniu doesn't work, doesn't plan to work, and isn't dating, so what is she supposed to do? There are always men who don't mind that Fang Daniu has a daughter, but Fang Xudong isn't very satisfied with one of them.

"His biological mother has a bad temper; you won't have a good life if you marry him," Fang Xudong reminded Fang Daniu.

“They own a house, which might be demolished at any time,” Fang Danu said.

"Demolition?" Fang Xudong said, "You're talking about something that's not even a rumor? Even if it really happens, all the brothers in his family will get a share."

“Even if we were to split up, we’d get quite a bit,” Fang Danu said. “Dad, when I was with my ex-boyfriend, you said he was from a higher social class. Now, you’re complaining about my current boyfriend, saying he’s not good enough. Dad, according to you, should I still date? Should I even be with someone?”

“You…” Fang Xudong felt that Fang Daniu didn’t understand anything at all.

"Dad, if Erniu were dating, would you say that about her?" Fang Daniu asked. "No, you're just biased towards Erniu."

Fang Daniu always thought that Fang Xudong cared more about Fang Erniu, and Fang Xudong would secretly go to see Fang Erniu.

Fang Xudong was speechless. Fang Daniu had taken over most of the things in the house, so how could she have the nerve to say that Fang Xudong felt sorry for Fang Erniu? Fang Erniu got very little; she didn't have much of value at all.

Two years passed in the blink of an eye, and Fang Dani got married. She married according to her own wishes, completely disregarding Fang Xudong's thoughts. Fang Xudong had no choice but to let Fang Dani get married.

Two years is enough time for a lot to happen.

Guo Furong went to work and didn't go to Li Hui's hometown. Li Hui was furious, but there was nothing she could do about it. Li Hui didn't dare go to Nancheng, not wanting more people to know about her affair. Li Hui once called Guo Furong, but Guo Furong flatly rejected her.

Perhaps it was because the Tang family was too restless, or perhaps it was because Aunt Song had spent too much time on the rural farm. A year after Song's father passed away, Aunt Song fell ill.

Aunt Song is still able to walk and isn't paralyzed, but her health has deteriorated. Tang Lu rushed back to the capital from the south to see Aunt Song, but she'll have to wait until things are resolved there before leaving.

When Aunt Song was seriously ill, Tang Shaotao and his gang tried to move her belongings out of her house. Aunt Song directly contacted people at the national level, asking relevant departments to keep an eye on things and register them to prevent the Tang family from taking them.

The three Tang brothers were completely unprepared for their Aunt Song's reaction; they had hoped to take something from the house. Aunt Song wouldn't let them in, but they still wanted to go inside. The second brother even hired bodyguards to prevent the three Tang brothers from entering.

When Tang Lu came out to meet Tang Shaotao and the others, she felt that they had gone too far.

“Mom is already like this, and you’re still making such a fuss,” Tang Lu said. “Mom has already been kind enough to you.”

“What do you mean by ‘good enough’?” Tang Shaotao said. “She donated all those things, and she didn’t even leave her company behind.”

“Those are Mom’s things,” Tang Lu said.

“All you ever do is say those things belong to Mom,” Tang Shaotao said. “We are Mom’s children, so Mom should give those things to us, not to strangers.”

"Stop saying such things. Mom already said it and made a will," Tang Lu said.

While Aunt Song was alive, the Tang family caused trouble. Even at Aunt Song's funeral, Tang Shaotao and others continued to cause trouble. Later, Tang Shaotao and others even sued relevant government departments, arguing that their mother's property should rightfully belong to them, that they had been filial to their mother, visited her every month, and that they shouldn't have inherited nothing.

Tang Lu didn't pay any attention to them. After arranging Aunt Song's funeral, she returned to Nancheng. She didn't need to worry about anything else. Just as she was about to leave, Tang Shaotao tried to fight her, but Tang Lu, having trained herself, easily dodged him.

The Tang family believed that Tang Lu must have received something, which left Tang Lu speechless. Tang Lu did indeed receive a set of jewelry, which her third aunt, Song, had specially left for her. Her third aunt had donated everything else.

Aunt Song had considered leaving the things to Song Fenglan, but then thought better of it; the Tang family was too troublesome. Besides, Song Fenglan didn't need those things. If she needed funding for her experiments, the government would provide it, so she didn't have to worry about funding at all.

Father Song is gone, as is Aunt Song, but Mother Song is still alive. Mother Song continues to live with her eldest brother and the others. Her second brother suggests that she can stay with him or take turns staying with the three siblings.

Song's mother didn't intend to take turns like that. She could just stay at her eldest son's house, since they were all on the same street, and she could go to her second son's and daughter's house anytime.

The lawsuit between the Tang family and the relevant authorities has nothing to do with the Song family, and the Song family has no need to appear. Aunt Song left a will, and all the paperwork is in order; the Tang family would never agree to the lawsuit. Aunt Song even left a letter detailing the Tang family's actions towards her. If the Tang family hadn't fought for the inheritance, this letter wouldn't have been made public; but since they have, the letter has been released.

When the Song family ran into trouble, Mr. Tang divorced Aunt Song and made his children sever ties with her. Aunt Song still had newspapers from that time, which served as evidence. All of that was handed over to the relevant authorities, and the Tang family naturally lost their lawsuit.

Tang Shaotao resented Aunt Song. They had all tried so hard to get Aunt Song's forgiveness, but she still refused to forgive them and wouldn't leave them a single penny.

Damn it, absolutely awful!

Since Tang Shaotao and his group couldn't cause trouble in front of the Song family, they could only blame each other, complaining about why the others hadn't done better. Their fight even made the news.

When Song Fenglan learned about the Tang family's affairs, she was speechless. These people only knew how to covet Song's third aunt's property.

After Aunt Song's passing, she also received support in film and television-related fields.

The Tang family wanted to win the award and the trophy. However, it was no use; trophies and similar items were also within the scope of donations. Aunt Song had already considered all possible scenarios and wouldn't let the Tang family gain any advantage.

"Your aunt is so thoughtful," said Song's mother at Song Fenglan's house. "Those people really know how to fight over things."

“Hmm.” Song Fenglan nodded. “They just want to seize those things, they want to gain without working for them. If they had been nicer to Auntie in the past, even if they said they would sever ties, it wouldn’t have been wrong if they had been nicer to her in private. The key is that when they said they would sever ties, they meant it. They were not nice to Auntie at all.”

Song Fenglan felt those people were utterly despicable, and it was no wonder that her third aunt treated them this way; they deserved it.

“Your aunt used to be a soft-hearted person, but after going to the farm and experiencing more things, she can no longer be as soft-hearted as she was at the beginning,” said Song’s mother. “Your aunt wasn’t unaware of those things; she knew before going to the farm, but she just didn’t say anything. Later, she figured it out and decided not to pretend she knew nothing. She prefers to be straightforward and say no, and that’s it. It’s the Tang family who are unwilling to give up; they insist on having what your aunt has. It’s not that your aunt is playing them for fools; they’ve brought this upon themselves.”

Aunt Song did a lot of work on the farm, but her health wasn't good. If she hadn't been sent down to the farm, she might have lived longer. Before she passed away, Aunt Song was very satisfied with her life. She even acted in a TV series, which many people loved.

"Yes, that's right," Song Fenglan said. "Aunt's things have all been donated."

Song Fenglan never coveted her Third Aunt's possessions; what mattered most to her was that her Third Aunt was living a happy and comfortable life.

Fang Daniu divorced about two years after her marriage. It wasn't because she was having an affair with her ex-boyfriend, but because she disliked her husband's incompetence and his infidelity. He couldn't tolerate her affairs, so they divorced. At the time of the divorce, Fang Daniu was pregnant, and she didn't know whether the child was her ex-husband's or her lover's.

Fang Daniu had no choice but to go back to the Fang family home; she had nowhere else to go. This left Fang Xudong speechless. He had already told his daughter that the man was unreliable, but she insisted on staying with him, which led to this situation.

What else could Fang Xudong do but let his eldest daughter come back to live with him? Fang Erniu, on the other hand, was more sensible; she found a reliable and capable man, and the two worked hard together to make a living. When Fang Erniu got married, Gao Xiuxiu demanded an exorbitant dowry, but Fang Xudong refused, unwilling to make things difficult for Fang Erniu's fiancé. With Fang Xudong involved, Fang Erniu was able to get married smoothly.

Gao Xiuxiu was somewhat unhappy after Fang Daniu returned home.

Gao Xiuxiu has indeed spoiled Fang Daniu for many years, but even now that Fang Daniu is all grown up, she still acts like a tyrant at home. Gao Xiuxiu has to take care of Fang Daniu's eldest daughter, and now she has to take care of the pregnant Fang Daniu as well.

"Maybe the baby in my belly is a son. If it's a boy, he'll take his father's surname." Fang Danu knew very well how to manipulate Gao Xiuxiu.

Gao Xiuxiu desperately wanted a boy. She felt bad that she hadn't given Fang Xudong a son, and Fang Daniu's first child was also a daughter. She wished Fang Daniu could have a son.

Now that Fang Daniu is back, everyone knows about it again.

Fatty Sister-in-law and Fan Yani both knew this, and they all thought that Fang Daniu was too much of a troublemaker.

"What is she after?" the chubby woman couldn't help but ask Fan Yani. "She's pregnant again, and she's divorced. We don't even know who the father of the child is."

Everyone knew that Fang Daniu was seeing other men. She got caught red-handed, which led to her divorce. Fang Daniu never wanted to settle down and live a good life. She only cared about how much benefit a man could bring her. If a man couldn't provide her with a better life, then she wouldn't want him and would kick him out.

“Who knows?” Fan Yani said.

Fang Daniu always felt that she was a modern woman and didn't need to be like everyone else. When Fang Daniu went out, she said the same thing: times have changed, and if a couple is not compatible, they should divorce instead of forcing themselves to stay together, because forcing themselves to stay together will not end well.

When others heard what Fang Daniu said, they were speechless. Fang Daniu was not a modern woman at all; she was just lazy and gluttonous, and she just wanted a man to give her a better life.

“Erniu is more down-to-earth,” said the fat woman.

“Erniu has suffered a lot,” Fan Yani said. “No one cared for her, so she had to grow up on her own. If someone had cared for her, she wouldn’t have to rely on herself for everything.”

"How is your Furong doing?" the plump woman asked.

“She’s a kindergarten teacher, so she knows her own situation,” Fan Yani said. “She doesn’t date just anyone. When she’s in a relationship, she knows what kind of person she’s looking for. If she doesn’t look for a good partner, is she just waiting to suffer?”

Fan Yani is that pragmatic. When she got together with her man, she thought he was at least a military officer. Fan Yani couldn't go back to the countryside; she wanted to live in the city. Fan Yani's goal was clear; she knew what she wanted.

The same is true of Guo Furong now. She is very similar to Fan Yani in the past. People even say that Guo Furong is worthy of growing up next to Fan Yani, and the two are really alike in personality.

"Has Li Hui contacted you again?" the plump woman asked.

"she

"Ah, Furong told them they want alimony, so let's go to court," Fan Yani said. "Furong was thrown here by the Li family, we didn't take her away. If they want money, then let's follow the law."

Guo Furong was stubborn and refused to budge. The other members of the Li family didn't say much to Guo Furong; they knew she hadn't grown up in the Li family and wouldn't side with them. Li Hui particularly disliked Guo Furong. She had adopted her niece from her maternal family, hoping the adopted daughter would take care of her in her old age. But now, Guo Furong was unyielding, insisting on a lawsuit before giving her money, leaving Li Hui completely helpless.

The important point is that Li Hui really didn't raise Guo Furong; she even abandoned her.

“That’s good, that’s good,” said the plump woman. “Let’s follow the law. If Furong compromises, they’ll only ask for more.”

“That’s right.” Fan Yani nodded. “Those people are all bad.”

The Li family favored sons over daughters. If it were a boy, they would never have given him to Li Hui for adoption, nor would they have ignored him.

The twins have grown quite a bit, and Xu Yan often takes them to visit Song Fenglan and her husband. Xu Yan brings the children to visit Song Fenglan and her husband when they are on vacation.

Children are so cute and lovable, and they speak so sweetly.

Song Fenglan sometimes cooks pastries for her children herself. She really enjoys this kind of life.

Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou sat in the yard watching their grandchildren dig in the soil with small shovels and plant flowers and grass.

“Zihang was like this when he was little,” Song Fenglan said.

“Zihang is even more mischievous,” Qin Yizhou said. “He gets dirt everywhere.”

Song Fenglan looked at her grandchildren. They were just like that, always covered in dirt from playing. Song Fenglan didn't say much more; Qin Yizhou simply disliked his son, while treating his grandchildren much better.

Speaking of which, Fang Daniu gave birth to her second child, a daughter—yes, another daughter, not a son. Fang Erniu, on the other hand, had a son; she was married but not divorced, so the child naturally didn't bear the Fang surname.

Fang Daniu was worried that Fang Erniu would let the boy take the surname Fang, fearing that Fang Erniu would come to the house to fight for the property. Fang Erniu was speechless; she had never coveted the Fang family's property, it was Fang Daniu who was eyeing the family's things.

Gao Xiuxiu did not allow Fang Erniu's son to take the surname Fang, as she and Fang Erniu did not get along, and Fang Erniu rarely brought her child back to her parents' home.

The two girls both lived in the Fang family, and their backgrounds weren't exactly respectable. People were talking about the two girls.

Fang Xudong didn't know how he had let his life turn out this way, and he figured Fang Daniu's two daughters were probably no better off. Neither Gao Xiuxiu nor Fang Daniu were good at raising children, and Fang Xudong was helpless; he had to work, and where would he find the time to take care of Fang Daniu's two children?

With urban expansion, some houses in the residential compound area are slated for demolition. Not all the tenement buildings are being demolished; it's mainly the single-story houses. Those who went to great lengths to live in the tenement buildings now regret it, wishing they had lived in single-story houses. Single-story houses are larger, resulting in higher compensation payments. The earlier those houses were demolished, the sooner they received their money.

Fang Xudong naturally wanted to give Erniu the house and money from the demolition compensation, but Gao Xiuxiu and Fang Daniu disagreed.

"Dad, both of my children have your surname!" Fang Daniu said. "I didn't have a son-in-law marry into the family, but I'm practically one. The two children are your granddaughters. Erniu is married, and the children aren't grown up. If you leave the house to her, will she be filial to you in the future?"

“Whether she is filial to me or not in the future, this is what she deserves,” Fang Xudong said.

No matter how much Gao Xiuxiu and Fang Daniu argued, Fang Xudong always gave Fang Erniu a house and some compensation for the demolition.

Fang Erniu was prepared to get nothing, but she never expected to get these things.

When everything settled down, Fang Erniu realized that her father must have suffered a lot of injustice, and she should be more filial to him in the future. Of all her family members, only her father truly cared about her.

Because Fang Daniu didn't receive all the property, she hated Fang Xudong and treated him very badly, not much better than Gao Xiuxiu. Fang Daniu moved into her own new house. If it weren't for the fact that she still longed for the house Fang Xudong and the others lived in, she wouldn't have come over so often.

Fang Xudong knew what Fang Daniu's mindset was; Fang Daniu was eyeing what he had, and Gao Xiuxiu was siding with Fang Daniu.

Grandma Fang is gone, she's passed away. If she were still here, she'd probably still send Fang Xudong's nephew over. Grandma Fang would say that Fang Xudong's nephew doesn't have a house in the city, and that since Fang Xudong has three houses that were demolished as compensation, one of them should be given to his nephew.

Now, Fang Xudong and his wife live in one apartment, Fang Daniu in another, and Fang Erniu in yet another. Even so, Fang Daniu is still not satisfied; she still feels she's been taken advantage of.

The family, including the plump woman, were naturally overjoyed to receive the demolition compensation. With a new house and the compensation, their lives would be much better. However, more people started asking them for money, but the plump woman refused to lend them any, even getting into arguments with relatives and ruining their relationships.

With the compensation money from the demolition, the fat couple went to the capital to visit Zhang Xiaohu, and they also gave him some money. The demolished house was in the southern part of the city, but Zhang Xiaohu didn't live there. The house went to Zhang Xiaohu's brother, and the money went to Zhang Xiaohu; both were roughly the same amount.

The fat couple had already told Zhang Xiaohu this, to avoid him feeling it was unfair. Dividing it between the two sons would be about right.

"Dad, Mom, why don't you just retire in the capital?" Zhang Xiaohu said during dinner.

"No, thank you," said the plump woman. "We're not used to it here. We prefer the South City. The South City is much better."

“The climate in the south is humid, not as dry as in the capital,” Zhang Chenghai said. “Your elder brother and sister-in-law are over there, so you don’t need to worry about us.”

This time, Fatty and her husband enjoyed a good time exploring the capital and also visited Song Fenglan's home. Song Fenglan was on vacation and happened to be home. Fatty saw the beautiful flowers in Song Fenglan's yard; the flowerbeds were particularly lovely, and there were also grapevines and many children's toys in the yard.

"Didn't you stay there permanently?" Song Fenglan asked.

"No, we're just staying here for a while and then going back," said the plump woman. "We're not used to it here."

“That’s true, you know a lot of people in Nancheng,” Song Fenglan said. “When people get old, they still prefer to live in familiar places. When they go to unfamiliar places, they don’t know how to communicate with people.”

Some people in the city live a very secluded life. If I hadn't known them early on, it would be quite difficult to get to know them now.

Song Fenglan likes the capital city; she knows many people there.

Fatty told Song Fenglan about Gao Xiuxiu's family situation. Fang Daniu and Fang Erniu had a complete falling out over the demolition compensation.

"Fang Xudong managed to hold on; he gave a portion of his assets to Fang Erniu," said the plump woman. "Fang Erniu is much more reliable than Daniu. Daniu only knows how to take what's in the house. If she hadn't been dumped and divorced, would she have let the children take their father's surname? They are two girls, and no one fought over them; they were just left to rot in her hands."

Aunt Pang had no hope for the two girls' future. With a mother like Fang Daniu and a grandmother like Gao Xiuxiu, the children were bound to go astray sooner or later. All Fang Daniu knew was how to compete with Fang Erniu; what was there to compete for? They were both Fang Xudong's biological daughters.

“Neither Gao Xiuxiu nor Fang Daniu are willing to give the things to Erniu,” the plump woman said. “Those two, mother and daughter, are so selfish. They only think of themselves and not Erniu. Erniu has had a hard life. If she doesn’t want them, Gao Xiuxiu and the others will criticize her. It would be best if she took those things; they’re worth quite a bit of money. Erniu and her husband live in a rented apartment. They’re quite hardworking; I heard they’ve saved up for a down payment and are planning to buy a new house.”

The plump woman sighed. Who would have thought that Gao Xiuxiu would live such a life?

“Some of the people who lived in the tenement building are now talking, saying that they gave us the bungalows,” said the fat woman. “It’s ridiculous. Back then, everyone was scrambling to live in the tenement building, and no one wanted to live in the bungalows. They even said that I came from the countryside, and I lived in a bungalow in the countryside, so it’s more appropriate for me to continue living in a bungalow now.”

Fat Sister-in-law just wanted to roll her eyes. Those people were just crazy. Back then, they wanted to live in those tenement buildings, so who's to blame now? Fat Sister-in-law was never going to hand over her family's demolition compensation money.

Those people received compensation for their demolished homes, which significantly improved their standard of living.

"Yani's family's house was demolished, and they received a lot of compensation, but not Furong," said the plump woman. "That's right, Furong's household registration isn't with them, and she's not related to them by blood, so Furong naturally has no right to fight for it. I heard that Li Hui even called Furong, telling her to fight for it, but Furong didn't."

“Furong shouldn’t fight for it,” Song Fenglan said. “If she had a household registration, she could still fight for it.”

“Yes,” said the plump woman. “Back then, Guo Peng terminated the adoption relationship with Furong because he was afraid of trouble from the Li family. Ya Ni didn’t let Furong register in her home to avoid disputes. Ya Ni was already doing a good job raising Furong; Furong still wanted to fight for it, but that wouldn’t do. Because of this, Furong broke up with her boyfriend.”

"Break up?" Song Fenglan asked, puzzled.

"Yes, they broke up," said the plump woman. "Furong's boyfriend wanted to fight for it, and he wanted some money. Furong felt that she and her boyfriend were not suitable, so they broke up."

Guo Furong still had a conscience; she knew she couldn't compete with Fan Yani's child for those things. Even if Guo Furong did try, no one would be on her side.

Song Fenglan invited the plump couple to have dinner at her home, where they also took a look at the twins. The plump woman envied Song Fenglan, saying the twins were so beautiful.

Xu Yan is very filial and even cooks for others; she performs very well in all aspects.

The plump woman thought about her two daughters-in-law, and neither of them was as capable as Xu Yan. Tan Wu basically didn't interfere with the plump woman and her husband, and Lin Jiajia would occasionally visit them, but neither of them did as well as Xu Yan. After thinking for a while, the plump woman realized it was normal. Song Fenglan was rich and educated, so naturally her daughter-in-law was more filial. If she were as capable as Song Fenglan, her daughter-in-law would be just as filial as Xu Yan.

Fatty Sister-in-law didn't think Xu Yan was just putting on an act; Song Fenglan didn't need her daughter-in-law to put on an act.

Xu Yan has always been like this; she tries her best to be good to her mother-in-law and does everything she can to do well. Xu Yan hopes that her two children will learn from their mother-in-law, and that it would be wonderful if her children could get into good universities and do scientific research in the future.

After the fat couple left, Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou walked around the yard for a while.

"The changes are truly remarkable," Song Fenglan remarked.

"Would you like to go to the South City for a look?" Qin Yizhou asked.

“I saw it and it was true. It’s not just the southern part of the city that has changed a lot, but the capital has also changed a lot,” Song Fenglan said. “High-rise buildings are springing up everywhere, the economy is developing rapidly, and the city is expanding outwards in ring after ring. There are more cars on the road.”

Song Fenglan thought about the capital city when she was a child. Back then, the capital wasn't as developed as it is now; even public transportation had changed a lot. In the future, the capital would only become more prosperous.

"Yes." Qin Yizhou nodded. "The changes are too great."

Tang Lu lives alone in Nancheng, without a partner. She made a will early on, choosing the same path as her aunt, Song San, to donate all her property to the state. Tang Shaotao and his associates had suggested sending one of their nephews to live with Tang Lu, but she refused.

We're all from the Tang family; who doesn't know who?

Those people are only after what Tang Lu has; even a small fly is still meat. The key is that Tang Lu's nephews and nieces aren't doing very well, they don't have much ability, their houses are small, some of them are renting, and they can't afford to buy a house. So, they're only after Tang Lu's houses and money.

Tang Lu clearly explained her thoughts to the Tang family, and Tang Shaotao and his group started cursing and swearing on the phone.

"Do you still have the surname Tang?"

"Do you think your surname is Song? Why don't you just take your mother's surname?"

"Do you think you're so great? Is this how you treat us?"

...

Tang Lu didn't want to listen to their nonsense, so she simply hung up the phone.

When Jian Lili came to see Tang Lu, the two were in a restaurant. Jian Lili asked Tang Lu if she had really decided to donate her property and not leave it to her brothers, nephews and nieces.

"What's the point of leaving it to them?" Tang Lu scoffed. "All they know is how to exploit others. They have no ability of their own, yet they covet what others have. Can this last?"

“It certainly won’t last long,” Jian Lili said. “But sometimes what they need isn’t much. With what you have, they can avoid struggling for many years.”

“This is what I’ve worked so hard to save up over many years. Why should I give it all to them?” Tang Lu said. “Why should I give them everything just because they’re related to me by blood? Who do they think they are?”

Tang Lu disliked the Tang family, and she didn't want to have their blood flowing in her veins. Tang Lu was unmarried and had no children; she worried that if she had children, they would end up like the Tang family, which she found meaningless.

Furthermore, there are very few trustworthy men in this world. Tang Lu once considered taking that step, but after doing so, she discovered that those men were terrible, with too many flaws. It was better to live alone. Living alone meant not having to serve her in-laws or men; life was very carefree.

People say that Tang Lu is lonely, but that's their opinion, not Tang Lu's.

“That’s fine, as long as you’re happy,” Jian Lili said. “My children… sigh, after having two, I had three. With more children, there are more troubles.”

Jian Lili did not follow the family planning policy; she had more children than allowed. To avoid suspicion, she sent her children to foster care elsewhere, planning to bring them back in a few years. Now, Jian Lili's eldest daughter is distant, her second daughter's mental state is poor, and her youngest son only knows how to ask Jian Lili for money.

This gave Jian Lili a big headache, but she had no choice but to do something about it, since they were her own children.

"It's just a personal choice," Tang Lu said.

Tang Lu is old and retired, but she hasn't gone back to the capital. She doesn't want to be bothered by those people; she's content in the southern part of the city.

Gao Xiuxiu thought Fang Daniu would take care of her in her old age, but that wasn't the case at all. Fang Daniu only saw Gao Xiuxiu as a burden. Things were fine when Fang Xudong was alive, but after he died, Fang Daniu couldn't wait to kick Gao Xiuxiu out. In the end, it was Fang Erniu who rented a place for Gao Xiuxiu to live in. By then, it was too late for Gao Xiuxiu to regret her actions.

Fang Erniu didn't visit Gao Xiuxiu much. Gao Xiuxiu had been tricked by Fang Daniu into transferring the house title early on. If Gao Xiuxiu hadn't transferred the house title, Fang Daniu would have at least gone through the motions.

Gao Xiuxiu's old age is heartbreaking, but it's something she brought upon herself.

Fang Daniu was quickly deceived by the man, framed, and forced to mortgage both of her houses, ultimately being evicted. She thought the man was truly devoted to her, but little did she know he was only after her wealth. Fang Daniu's regrets were too late.

The two daughters also drifted apart from Fang Daniu. Unlike Fang Erniu, they didn't want to work to pay for Fang Daniu's rent. Fang Daniu was always bothering and nagging them, so they simply left Nancheng and went far away.

Fang Daniu had no choice but to go to Fang Erniu, but Fang Erniu ignored her. After that, Fang Daniu had to find work and rent a place on her own, living a miserable life.

When Song Fenglan learned that Tang Lu had chosen to stay in Nancheng, she wasn't surprised. Song Fenglan had already retired, but she had been rehired. Song Fenglan was capable; she could continue working.

Others thought that Song Fenglan's ability to accept new things was too strong, and that Song Fenglan was too amazing.

At this time, Song Fenglan stopped supervising graduate and doctoral students, while Qin Zihang did. Qin Zihang sometimes found those students too annoying; how could they be so stupid? He complained to Song Fenglan, who said that perhaps he had been seen that way by his teachers in the past.

"How could that be? Back then, they all praised me for being smart." Qin Zihang was unwilling to admit that he was stupid.

“Yes, yes, they all praise you,” Song Fenglan chuckled. “How many of them don’t praise you?”

"..." Qin Zihang didn't feel comforted. He hoped those students would be smarter and work harder. He didn't want them to have to postpone their graduation at all.

Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou held a celebration banquet for their 30th wedding anniversary, but Qin Yizhou always said that their wedding banquet felt like they hadn't even had one. Now, Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou have been married for over 40 years, and their relationship is still very good.

After Qin Yizhou retired, he was not rehired. He likes to make pastries and grow flowers and plants at home. Since he doesn't have much time left, he wants to spend more time with his wife.

Whenever Qin Yizhou heard a noise at the door, he would go out to check if Song Fenglan had returned. When he saw Song Fenglan, a smile would appear on his face; he was very happy.

I like this feeling.

Others say that women should wait for men, but Qin Yizhou doesn't think so. Men can wait for women just as well.

"The food is ready," Qin Yizhou said with a smile. "If you hadn't come back soon, it would have gotten cold."

"You eat first," Song Fenglan said.

"I'm not hungry, I'll wait for you to eat together," Qin Yizhou said. "I'll eat something else to fill my stomach."

Qin Yizhou led Song Fenglan inside, feeling that such a simple and warm life was a kind of happiness.