Chapter 24 Reconciliation: Pillars of the Nation

The person installing the telephone had no idea whether this was Commander Qin's house or not; his task was to install a telephone for Comrade Song Fenglan's home.

"Yes, this is Song Fenglan's home." Qin Yizhou quickly invited people in. "This is it."

"Okay," said the telephone installer.

The staff went in to install the phone, and Zhang Xiaohu ran over again.

"A telephone? Are you going to install a telephone at home?" Zhang Xiaohu knew about telephones; they were very powerful things. "We don't even have a telephone at home yet."

“Yes, we need to install a telephone at home.” Qin Zihang straightened his back. “Someone is coming to install a telephone at our house, and it will be usable in a little while.”

"That's great." Zhang Xiaohu's eyes lit up as he turned to look at his parents.

Zhang Chenghai and his wife came to take a look. It was a telephone! You see, Zhang Chenghai didn't even have a telephone at home. These people were leaders, that's true, but not every leader had a telephone in their home. To say that Zhang Chenghai wasn't envious would be a lie.

With a telephone, you don't need to go to a public phone booth to make calls, and you don't have to worry about others overhearing you. You can make calls from home and say whatever you want. It's not just Zhang Chenghai who envies this; many others do too.

Not only did Zhang Chenghai and his wife come over, but Gao Xiuxiu and her husband also came to take a look.

"Do we really need to install a telephone?" Gao Xiuxiu asked.

“How could there be a mistake? They’re already here, just say you’re installing a phone.” The plump woman mimicked the staff member’s tone, “Excuse me, is this Comrade Song Fenglan’s home?”

Fatty thought Song Fenglan was very impressive. The people came to install the phone for Song Fenglan, without even asking, "Excuse me, is this Qin Tuan's house?"

"Really?" Gao Xiuxiu's house was a bit far away, so she didn't pay attention.

“Yes,” said the plump woman. “But this phone is for their family. We still need to go to a public phone booth to make calls.”

Fatty didn't intend to call Song Fenglan's house, fearing that some people trying to take advantage would insist on calling from there. Phone calls are expensive; would those people even pay? And if they did, would Qin Yizhou and his wife accept payment? There was always the possibility of something going wrong.

It would have been better if Qin Yizhou and his wife hadn't allowed these people to make phone calls at their house in the first place, since the phone belonged to Qin Yizhou and his wife, not someone else.

"Yes, yes." Gao Xiuxiu didn't intend to take advantage of this opportunity, but that didn't mean her mother-in-law wouldn't.

It wasn't just Gao Xiuxiu's mother-in-law; there were other people too. They didn't see it as them taking advantage; they felt they were only there because they were giving Qin Yizhou and his wife face. Sometimes, helping others can lead to resentment; not everything can be helped.

"Fenglan is quite something," said the plump woman. "She's only been at the research institute for a short time, and she's already got a telephone installed. I'm referring to Comrade Song Fenglan's family."

Although it wasn't their own phone line that was installed, Sister Pang was still very happy. Song Fenglan had made them women proud; people liked to call them "XX's family," and they even had their own names.

"She's really something." Gao Xiuxiu hadn't wanted to come over much before, so Fatty Sister-in-law had more contact with Song Fenglan, while Gao Xiuxiu had very little contact with Song Fenglan, basically just exchanging greetings when they met on the street.

Gao Xiuxiu didn't want to get involved in Shi Guilan and Song Fenglan's affairs, and didn't want others to think she was siding with Song Fenglan. Gao Xiuxiu always believed that Song Fenglan's family background was problematic, and who knew what might happen? If she didn't get involved, she wouldn't be blamed, and Song Fenglan would be less likely to get into trouble.

Just then, Gao Xiuxiu saw that Song Fenglan's family had installed a telephone and felt incredibly envious, as she didn't even have one at home. Gao Xiuxiu thought that after this incident, who would dare to underestimate Song Fenglan? Song Fenglan was quite capable.

The phone call will be covered by the research institute, and Qin Yizhou and his wife won't have to pay for it. As for Qin Yizhou and his wife calling their families occasionally, that's fine too; the institute can't possibly forbid them from making that call. On the contrary, the director even suggested that Song Fenglan could contact her family.

When Song Fenglan arrived here, she was in a completely unfamiliar place. The director also knew about what had happened when Song Fenglan first arrived. Song Fenglan didn't have many relatives here, and she couldn't support herself alone. People said that if they didn't give Song Fenglan face, they wouldn't give her face.

The director and his men couldn't very well go to Shi Guilan and say anything unpleasant; those things were all in the past. The director told his wife to keep a close eye on Song Fenglan and prevent people from speaking ill of her outside, as Song Fenglan had had such a hard life.

Not only the director, but also some of the staff members gave the same instructions to their families. Their families didn't know exactly what was going on, but they thought that since Song Fenglan worked at the research institute, she was on their side, and of course they had to stand with her.

It's not Song Fenglan's fault that she's beautiful. Her family has already been exonerated, so those people shouldn't dwell on Song Fenglan's past mistakes.

The staff quickly installed the phone and even let Qin Yizhou and his team give it a try.

"Call my auntie, call my auntie." Qin Zihang said excitedly.

Qin Zihang didn't suggest calling his maternal grandmother because he was mostly cared for by his aunt, Yu. Since he hadn't seen Yu for a long time, he naturally thought of calling her.

“Okay, call your aunt.” Qin Yizhou had no objection.

Aunt Yu's house didn't have a phone; she answered calls from a phone booth outside. When she heard someone calling her, she quickly went outside.

When Aunt Yu's in-laws learned that the Song family had been exonerated, their attitude towards her improved considerably. They no longer looked down on her as before and constantly made her do chores. In her husband's family, Aunt Yu was practically the lowest-ranking person, and she always kept a very humble attitude.

"Auntie." Qin Zihang heard Aunt Yu's voice and quickly said, "Auntie, it's me, Hangbao. We got a telephone installed at home."

"Have you installed a telephone? That's great!" Aunt Yu was happy for Song Fenglan and her son. "That's excellent."

"That's great!" Qin Zihang said. "I can hear my great-aunt's voice now."

"Your grandmother is back too. You can call her," Aunt Yu said, adding that she was only temporarily taking care of Song Fenglan's mother.

Her husband's family also received a lot of things from the Song family, so it wasn't like they were helping to take care of Song Fenglan and her son for nothing.

Aunt Yu dared not take credit; she even felt she had let the Song family down.

"We should also call Auntie," Qin Zihang said.

"Okay, okay." Aunt Yu's eyes were red; Zihang still cared about her so much. "Auntie knows. Our little Hangbao, be good, and listen to your mother."

"I listened to my mother, and my aunt took good care of me," Qin Zihang said. "My aunt is very kind."

"Okay," Aunt Yu said.

Qin Zihang spoke a few words to Aunt Yu, and then they hung up. Qin Yizhou wanted to say a few more words, but Qin Zihang abruptly hung up, so Qin Yizhou didn't try to call back.

Qin Yizhou always sent money to Song Fenglan, not directly to Aunt Yu. However, during holidays, if he went back home, he would bring gifts for Aunt Yu and others; if he didn't go back, he would mail some things back. Qin Yizhou believed that Song Fenglan should handle the money herself, and then have her give it to Aunt Yu, so that Song Fenglan could have a better life.

Aunt Yu hung up the phone and went home. She saw her husband and his group sitting in the living room.

"Mom, please sit down." Sister-in-law Jiang smiled at Aunt Yu, her attitude towards Aunt Yu much gentler.

The Song family has been exonerated, and their property can be returned. Jiang's wife overheard Aunt Yu's conversation with Song's mother. Jiang's wife wondered if her family could still get some benefits. After all, they had let Song Fenglan and her son live in their house for so long, so they could be considered to have helped the Song family.

Aunt Yu was a little unaccustomed to her eldest daughter-in-law's sudden gentleness. Aunt Yu knew what these people were thinking; they were all scheming to take a piece of the Song family's flesh, but it depended on whether the Song family was willing. Aunt Yu didn't believe the Song family owed them anything; they had already received more than enough.

Sometimes, Aunt Yu felt that her in-laws went too far; they lacked manners and were too low-class. Aunt Yu had received a good education, and even though she was born to a concubine, she wasn't treated badly.

But since Aunt Yu married into such a family, she had no choice but to follow the husband wherever he went.

When the telephone installer saw that the phone was working, he packed up his things and left, saying before he left, "If there are any problems, you can contact me and I'll come back to fix it."

"Okay." Qin Yizhou nodded.

After the telephone installer left, Fatty and the others remained; they went to check on the telephone in the living room.

My God, it really is a telephone.

The fat woman cautiously reached out to touch it, but Zhang Xiaohu had already reached out and touched her directly.

"..." The fat woman was speechless. Zhang Xiaohu was just that reckless. "Be careful, don't break it."

"It won't break that easily," Qin Yizhou said. "Just a touch, no numbers are dialed, so there's no phone bill."

"We still need to be careful, this is a phone," said the plump woman.

"It really is a telephone, a telephone!" Zhang Xiaohu grabbed the telephone holder and looked at Qin Zihang. "Little brother Zihang, your family has a telephone now. Your family is much better off than mine. We don't have this, but your family does."

Zhang Xiaohu was so envious of Qin Zihang, "Your mom is amazing! How come you have such an amazing mom? I don't have a mom that amazing."

"..." Aunt Pang knew that her youngest son still cared about Qin Zihang's mother. Speaking of which, Song Fenglan was really amazing. Didn't you hear the staff installing the phone say "Comrade Song Fenglan" and "family member of Comrade Song Fenglan"? Aunt Pang felt relieved to hear that.

It turns out that when a woman stands up for herself, and people say that her husband is her family member, it feels really good.

Even though it wasn't Fatty Sister who was being called that, she still felt very happy. Fatty Sister felt that Song Fenglan was on a completely different level from them. Song Fenglan was far more capable than them. They were underground, while Song Fenglan was already in the atmosphere. Such a capable person was actually her neighbor.

"Zihang's mother is very capable," the plump woman said with a smile. "We are not as good-looking as Zihang's mother, nor as talented as her. Zihang's mother is amazing. And Zihang is the son of Comrade Song Fenglan."

"Yes, he's Comrade Song Fenglan's son." Qin Zihang nodded. The staff who had just installed the phone also said so, and Qin Zihang was very happy. "That's my mother."

Gao Xiuxiu pulled Fang Xudong away; they couldn't just keep staring at someone else's phone.

A telephone, it's a telephone.

Gao Xiuxiu was deeply shocked. Could an ordinary household install such a telephone? And Comrade Song Fenglan, Comrade Song Fenglan's family member—didn't anyone know that Qin Yizhou was the regimental commander? That person only knew about Comrade Song Fenglan.

"Tell me, what did Song Fenglan do? She even installed a telephone in their house?" Gao Xiuxiu asked, poking her husband's arm as they walked down the street.

“She works at a research institute, and her deceased uncle was very powerful,” Fang Xudong said.

“So many families have people who sacrificed their lives for the country, yet they don’t have telephones installed in their homes,” Gao Xiuxiu said. “It must be because Song Fenglan is capable. She was originally a high school graduate and even worked as a junior high school teacher for several years. She’s quite impressive.”

Gao Xiuxiu didn't dare underestimate Song Fenglan. She wasn't naive enough to think that Song Fenglan relied on her family connections. Many families had connections, and so many people sacrificed their lives for the country, yet none of them received such treatment.

Song Fenglan is truly remarkable; she doesn't need to rely on men, she can manage on her own. Gao Xiuxiu thought she couldn't do that. She did go out to work, but only simple jobs, nothing too complicated.

"Don't offend her," Fang Xudong said.

“Why would I offend her?” Gao Xiuxiu said. “I didn’t intend to ruin someone else’s marriage, and my cousin doesn’t want to marry Commander Qin. To be honest, that person said that Song Fenglan’s family members, I think that if it weren’t for Commander Qin, Song Fenglan might not be doing so badly.”

In previous years, Song Fenglan was able to have a slightly better life thanks to Qin Yizhou. Before, Qin Yizhou helped Song Fenglan a little; now, Song Fenglan is standing out a bit.

If it were now, Song Fenglan might not have married Qin Yizhou. Qin Yizhou is always training and in the army, and doesn't have much time to take care of his family. Song Fenglan might prefer a man who can stay at home and take care of his family.

It's not that men can't take care of their families at home; men can take care of their families more at home.

“Song Fenglan hasn’t gone home yet,” Gao Xiuxiu said. “She’s probably working overtime. I didn’t see her much when she was home before. Now that she’s working overtime, it’ll be even harder to see her.”

"Didn't you greet her beforehand?" Fang Xudong asked.

“We greeted each other,” Gao Xiuxiu said. “We met on the road, how could we not greet each other? Staff Officer Xu’s wife tricked us. She was the one who said that Song Fenglan had cursed our daughter. Why doesn’t she talk about herself? It’s really terrible. Shi Guilan used us as a scapegoat.”

Gao Xiuxiu was already unhappy with Shi Guilan's actions, and now she was even more unhappy. Why should Shi Guilan cause all that trouble and drag her family into it? Gao Xiuxiu couldn't go to Shi Guilan's house directly; she just wanted to greet Song Fenglan and let her know that her family didn't think that way.

"Be careful at home," Fang Xudong said. "Don't say those things to Staff Officer Xu's family."

“After this incident, I wouldn’t dare to talk to her much anymore,” Gao Xiuxiu said. “I heard that Staff Officer Xu’s cousin is getting married. She found someone to marry so quickly. I wonder what kind of person he is. If they don’t get along well, she might blame Song Fenglan again.”

"Possibly." Fang Xudong wasn't aware of these matters. What he knew was that his family was insignificant and had no reason to offend those people. If his family offended them, they would be the ones who suffered, not the other family.

“Very likely,” Gao Xiuxiu said. “The reason why Xu’s house is a little quiet now is because Xu’s first wife’s mother came over, and Shi Guilan has finally calmed down.”

Gao Xiuxiu thought she needed to be more careful; in every aspect, Song Fenglan was far superior to Shi Guilan. Everyone was now saying Song Fenglan was magnanimous, that Song Fenglan lacked...

She used her connections to live in the tenement building, but she didn't cut in line or steal their jobs. The military wives all respected Song Fenglan.

Song Fenglan was a very patient person. She hadn't gone to Shi Guilan's side before, nor had she argued with her much. Everyone said Song Fenglan had a bad family background, but Song Fenglan herself was afraid of getting into trouble, so she could only endure it. Now, however, the tide had turned. People were saying that Song Fenglan was an educated person, and that she and Shi Guilan were not on the same level. Song Fenglan saw no need to bother arguing with Shi Guilan.

It was because Song Fenglan was kind-hearted that Shi Guilan could bully others like that.

Ultimately, Song Fenglan got into the research institute, and the Song family was exonerated. When everyone heard this news, they knew that the Song family was no ordinary family, and they also knew Song Fenglan's abilities. None of them dared to underestimate Song Fenglan, and they all spoke highly of her.

It was as if they weren't the ones who had previously criticized Song Fenglan; they were all on Song Fenglan's side, praising her and not saying anything negative about her.

The winds shifted so quickly that Gao Xiuxiu couldn't help but wonder if all of this was under Song Fenglan's control.

"These cultured people are really different," Gao Xiuxiu remarked.

It wasn't just Gao Xiuxiu who felt this way; many people felt the same way.

When Staff Officer Xu returned home, he still gave Shi Guilan the cold shoulder. He was summoned for another reprimand, the implication being that he should control his wife and stop her from speaking ill of Song Fenglan all the time. Staff Officer Xu's face burned with embarrassment; he had thought those things were over, but he was still called in for a lecture.

The higher-ups were mainly worried that Shi Guilan might do something rash, and also wanted Staff Officer Xu to pay more attention to his family, lest he neglect his family and make a serious mistake.

Staff Officer Xu couldn't help but wonder if Shi Guilan would affect his career. He really shouldn't have married her. It wasn't like he married a wife who could take care of children; it was like he married an enemy.

"Soak your feet." Shi Guilan brought Xu, the staff officer, water to wash his feet.

Staff Officer Xu put one foot in the basin of water and frowned.

"Is it too hot?" Shi Guilan asked.

"No," Staff Officer Xu said. "Did you go out during the day?"

"I went out for a bit, just to get some fresh air," Shi Guilan said. "Staying at home all day is so stifling."

“You can go out, but don’t be a gossip anymore,” Staff Officer Xu said. “Being a gossip is no good for any of us.”

“I…didn’t say that,” Shi Guilan said. “My aunt came over, and I…I’ve been home for a long time.”

Shi Guilan was preoccupied with outsmarting Old Lady Cao, and had no time to talk about others. She also knew it wasn't the right time to offend Song Fenglan; if Song Fenglan got angry, her situation would only worsen.

"The Song family has been exonerated," Staff Officer Xu said. "Comrade Song Fenglan's class background is no longer a problem."

"Hmm." Shi Guilan's voice was muffled.

"Qin Yizhou is very lucky," said Staff Officer Xu. "Previously, everyone thought his wife was a burden to him. But now, it's not a burden at all; it's become a merit for him."

Staff Officer Xu thought to himself that Qin Yizhou was incredibly lucky, while his own luck was far worse.

“Your cousin is not as good as Song Fenglan,” Staff Officer Xu said. “And you shouldn’t always talk about class background. Your class background may be good, but you can’t suppress others.”

"That's all." Shi Guilan bent down to wash Staff Officer Xu's feet. "My cousin is getting married. I'll go to the mall tomorrow to buy some fabric. My cousin's family isn't here. I'm her family, so I have to support her."

"Hang in there," Staff Officer Xu said. "Your cousin is too proud, so don't get too close to her. Don't tell her everything. She has her family, and you have yours. Telling her everything will only hurt you."

"Mmm." Shi Guilan still wanted to talk to her cousin more; she was her cousin, not just anyone.

It was past nine o'clock in the evening when Song Fenglan finally left the research institute. Someone escorted her home. That evening, Song Fenglan held a meeting with those people. She knew that their knowledge was relatively outdated and not very modern, but that didn't matter; she could guide them step by step.

The knowledge Song Fenglan acquired in her previous life was also painstakingly discovered by her ancestors. Song Fenglan should share that knowledge with those people so that everyone can progress together.

Qin Zihang was still awake; he stared at his phone for a while. Besides calling his aunt, he also called his maternal grandmother, and they were both very happy.

"Still not asleep?" Song Fenglan changed her shoes.

"Mom." Qin Zihang rubbed his eyes. "Mom, you're back."

"You're back, you're back." Song Fenglan chuckled. "Has our little darling been good?"

“I’m a good boy,” Qin Zihang said. “No one bullied me today.”

“But he doesn’t have to be too well-behaved,” Song Fenglan said. “He should be a little mischievous.”

Song Fenglan was afraid that her son was too repressed and that he was always thinking about being obedient, which was not right and would harm him.

"If anyone bullies me, I'll bully them back." Qin Zihang clenched his little fist. "Mom, I understand."

"You can go take a shower now." Qin Yizhou had already boiled water and put away Song Fenglan's clothes. "It's so hot and sticky, you must feel uncomfortable."

"It's alright," Song Fenglan said. "There's a fan in the office, so it's a bit more comfortable. When I come back at night, the wind on the way isn't so hot."

"It will get much better in a few days," Qin Yizhou said. "It's still quite hot these days."

"Hmm." Song Fenglan looked at Qin Zihang.

"From now on, I will go to get off work and leave on time," Qin Yizhou said. "I'm not going out on any other missions; I'm going to pick Zihang up."

"Okay," Song Fenglan said. "I might be quite busy for a while."

Song Fenglan also wanted to have more time to take care of her child, but she became busy once she entered the research institute.

A while ago, others might have been testing Song Fenglan, and the higher-ups didn't quite trust her. But now, things are different. The higher-ups feel they've missed out on too much, and they're putting Song Fenglan in key positions one after another.

It's important to understand that foreign aircraft frequently intrude into our country's airspace, and the fighter jets in our country are mostly from other countries. Using foreign technology means that foreign countries are providing older models, not the latest ones. Domestic scientists can only modify and imitate the older models; researching the latest ones is extremely difficult.

How can you run before you've even learned to walk?

Song Fenglan was willing to do more, and as she took care of those things, she had less time to spend with her child in the short term.

"Don't worry, you used to take care of Zihang on your way to and from get off work. Now it's my turn," Qin Yizhou said. "You've worked hard."

"It's alright," Song Fenglan said. "You should take care of Zihang. Zihang is your biological son, and you should cultivate a father-son relationship with him. Before, Zihang would ask me where his father went. I would say that his father went to be a hero."

Song Fenglan couldn't say anything bad about Qin Yizhou, because that would be tantamount to saying something bad about Qin Zihang, and it would give her son a different perspective. Song Fenglan needed to say something nice to make her son happy.

"It's because I didn't do a good enough job," Qin Yizhou said.

“You’re a soldier,” Song Fenglan said, not wanting Qin Yizhou to stay with her all the time.

Soldiers protect their country, and they themselves have to sacrifice a lot.

Song Fenglan is not an ignorant person; she wouldn't go so far as to speak ill of Qin Yizhou.

"I……"

"I'm going to take a shower first," Song Fenglan said.

"I've put your clothes in the bathroom," Qin Yizhou said. "Or would you like to wear something else?"

"This outfit is fine." Song Fenglan glanced at the clothes in the bathroom. "I have a uniform when I'm at work, so I don't need to be too particular. But when I go out, I should dress a bit better."

Song Fenglan closed the bathroom door, and Qin Yizhou stood outside.

"Dad, do you want to go in and watch Mom take a bath?" Qin Zihang quietly walked up behind Qin Yizhou.

Qin Zihang's voice was quite loud; before the sound of water could be heard from the bathroom, he had already spoken.

"..." Qin Yizhou's feelings were complicated. He hadn't gone in himself, so what was his son talking about?

"Dad, are you...?"

Qin Zihang thought his father hadn't heard him, so he repeated himself.

Qin Yizhou quickly covered his son's mouth. What was his son saying? Qin Yizhou had absolutely no intention of going in to watch his wife take a bath. Even if he did, what was the big deal? She was his wife.

"Mom's coming home so late, she might be hungry. Shall we cook her some vermicelli?" Qin Yizhou asked.

"Add another fried egg, no, add two fried eggs," Qin Zihang gestured.

"Okay, I'll add two fried eggs, and I'll add one for you too," Qin Yizhou said.

"It's too hot, we need to cool it down," Qin Zihang said. "Let's use an electric fan."

electric wind

The fan was brought home by Qin Yizhou a few days ago. The weather was hot, and Qin Yizhou was worried about his family suffering from heatstroke. Qin Yizhou himself could endure such sweltering heat; he had trained under the sun countless times and survived in even more difficult and extreme conditions.

"Then blow on it," Qin Yizhou said. "Don't blow it on your head, it'll give you a headache."

"Mmm." Qin Zihang nodded. "Dad, are you...?"

"Let's go get the vermicelli." Qin Yizhou didn't want his son to say again that he, as the father, was going to watch his mother take a bath.

Children speak without restraint, and Qin Yizhou was worried that his wife would blush with embarrassment, fearing that she would tell him to go to the next room to rest.

After Song Fenglan finished showering and washing her clothes, she saw the glass noodles that Qin Yizhou had cooked. The glass noodles contained some greens and a fried egg.

It's so late, and there's no meat at home. Qin Yizhou was thinking about whether he should get a refrigerator; with a refrigerator, things could be stored for longer.

"It's not very hot," Qin Yizhou said to Song Fenglan. "You eat, I'll feed Zihang."

"I can eat by myself," Qin Zihang said. He didn't need anyone to feed him; he was a good baby who could eat by himself.

Qin Zihang ate one glass noodle after another. "Dad, didn't you say there would be three noodles? Why are there so many?"

"You bit it off." Qin Yizhou couldn't possibly admit that he had given his son extra vermicelli, which was already quite easy to break. "It was a long one, and it broke off. You bit it off, so it became two, then three."

"Dad, do you doubt that I can't do math?" Qin Zihang asked.

"Then tell me, did you bite through the vermicelli?" Qin Yizhou asked.

"..." Qin Zihang looked down; he had indeed bitten through the rice noodle.

"Eat up." Song Fenglan looked at her son, then at Qin Yizhou, "You should eat some too."

Qin Yizhou had to train in the army, which required more physical exertion. Song Fenglan gave Qin Yizhou a fried egg from her bowl; one fried egg was enough for her.

“I can’t eat that much,” Song Fenglan said.

"You eat first, and if you can't finish, then..."

"Eat!" Song Fenglan gestured for Qin Yizhou to eat quickly. "The food at the institute is alright."

The food for these researchers is decent; they expend a lot of mental energy, so they need to replenish it. Song Fenglan can eat meat and eggs in the cafeteria.

"The food I ate in the army was alright," Qin Yizhou said.

"I ate with my aunt, we ate meat, eggs, and lots and lots of other things," Qin Zihang said, pinching his cheek. "I've gotten fat."

"He's a little chubby," Song Fenglan said. "Children are a little chubby, but they'll grow taller and slimmer as they get older."

"He's chubby," Qin Zihang said. "Little Tiger is even fatter than me. Little Tiger's mom says he eats everything."

Zhang Xiaohu always complains that some things don't taste good, but if the food is placed in front of him and he has nothing else to eat, he still has to eat it. In this day and age, many families are like this; being able to fill their stomachs is considered good, the worst is not having enough to eat. Families with boys eat more, even more than girls, and if there are several boys, the family's food supply becomes even more strained.

"It doesn't taste good, I won't eat it," Qin Zihang said. "It's too uncomfortable."

“Then you don’t have to eat,” Song Fenglan said. “If you’re full, you don’t have to eat. If you’re not full, then eat a little.”

"Auntie's cooking is delicious," Qin Zihang said. "And her steamed egg custard is so smooth and tender."

“Your auntie cares about you a lot,” Song Fenglan said with emotion.

"My aunt made more food than my great-aunt," Qin Zihang said, patting his belly gently. "I'm all round and full now."

Aunt Yu's cooking seemed like a lot, but with so many mouths to feed, it wasn't much for everyone. Madam Su's cooking, on the other hand, seemed less, but since it was just for Madam Su and Qin Zihang, Qin Zihang got to eat more and enjoy more of the good stuff. That's why Qin Zihang said Madam Su's cooking was more.

"I can't eat anymore," Qin Zihang said. "My aunt even gave me some cookies."

Qin Zihang adored his great-aunt, even more than his paternal great-aunt. There were other children in his great-aunt's family, so Qin Zihang wasn't the only one; Mrs. Su took care of him exclusively, and Qin Zihang felt like the most pampered child.

Children's likes are so simple and pure.

“We’ll buy some another day and keep them at home so your aunt can eat them,” Song Fenglan said.

“I offered to let my aunt eat, and she told me to eat more,” Qin Zihang said. “My aunt said I was full and she was very happy.”

“Your aunt has been so good to you, so you should be good to her in the future,” Song Fenglan said.

"Yes, definitely," Qin Zihang said. "Mom, you eat it, it's cold."

The family of three ate rice noodles together, and they enjoyed it very much.

On the first day of the new year, Dr. Lin went to the Qin family's house, having visited the Song family the day before. Dr. Lin went to the Qin family's house to speak with Qin's mother, as the two were, after all, blood relatives.

Last night during dinner, Sister-in-law Qin deliberately asked at the table if Qin's father had helped the Song family, and Qin's father said no.

Mr. Qin was straightforward: if he didn't do it, then he didn't do it. But Mrs. Qin remained suspicious and still believed that Mr. Qin had done it.

Dr. Lin came over, sat in the living room, took a sip of tea, and then praised Song Fenglan.

"Yizhou made the right choice in marrying her," said Dr. Lin. "Do you know whose niece Song Fenglan is?"

"Whose?" Qin's mother asked, puzzled.

"It's Song Xingyun's, the very talented physicist Song Xingyun," Dr. Lin said. "The one who wanted to return to China to serve his country but was assassinated abroad. Song Fenglan is also good; she's now in the research institute, trying to fulfill her uncle's unfinished dream. The reason the Song family is being exonerated at this time is because of Song Xingyun, and also because of Song Fenglan. Song Fenglan is outstanding."

Anyone with a brain knows that relationships fade quickly after someone leaves. In this turbulent era, who cares about past connections? Even protecting oneself is difficult enough, let alone helping others.

Song Fenglan was outstanding, and with the help of Song Xingyun, the Song family was able to be exonerated at this time.

"Is it because of them?" Sister-in-law Qin asked, bringing over a fruit platter.

“Yes,” Dr. Lin said. “We can’t say it’s because of your family. If it were because of your family, why would they stay on the farm? If it were your family, they would definitely have to wait as well.”

Dr. Lin glanced at Sister-in-law Qin; he knew this nephew's wife was scheming. Previously, she had often lamented that Qin Yizhou's marriage to Song Fenglan was the reason her brother hadn't been promoted.

Sister-in-law Qin looked as if she and her husband had suffered a great injustice, saying that Qin Yizhou didn't consider the family's interests and only cared about his own personal life. Qin Yizhou hadn't listened to his family; he insisted on marrying Song Fenglan, and that he had gone too far.

Dr. Lin's wife had overheard Qin's words and even mentioned them to him. Upon hearing this, Dr. Lin told his wife not to repeat them. Dr. Lin didn't believe the Song family had done anything wrong; they had earned their money through their own hard work, and it was only during a particular era that they were dragged down by others.

Upon hearing Dr. Lin's words, Sister-in-law Qin looked embarrassed. "Isn't it Dad?"

"No," Dr. Lin said. "Do you think your father-in-law can do everything?"

Dr. Lin didn't have a problem with Qin's father, but rather he found Qin's sister-in-law's words unpleasant. Compared to Qin's sister-in-law, Dr. Lin preferred Song Fenglan. Even though the Song family needed more of Dr. Lin's help, Dr. Lin still thought the Song family was good, and that they were only temporarily down on their luck.

When someone falls on hard times, these people will kick them while they're down. Dr. Lin can tell who is good and who is bad.

“This…” Sister-in-law Qin looked at her mother.

"Go check the kitchen," Qin's mother said. "There's soup simmering there."

"Okay..." Sister-in-law Qin was helpless. She had originally hoped that her mother-in-law could say a few good words for her, but who knew that her mother-in-law would ask her to go to the kitchen.

Once in the kitchen, Sister-in-law Qin felt increasingly uneasy. The Song family had been exonerated; wouldn't her in-laws value Song Fenglan even more? The Song family's exoneration meant Song Fenglan's social standing and family background had improved. Plus, she had entered the research institute; these people would definitely prefer her.

Sister-in-law Qin's expression turned ferocious, but after a while, it returned to normal. She wondered if her past actions would be discovered. Song Fenglan wasn't back, so she figured Song Fenglan wouldn't tell anyone, but who knew what would happen in the future? Sister-in-law Qin didn't think she was to blame; she blamed Song Fenglan and the Song family for taking so long to be exonerated.

No, no, it's impossible for my in-laws to know those things now, unless Song Fenglan told them. But Song Fenglan didn't know that my in-laws gave her those things. Those things passed through her hands, not hers. Sometimes, to avoid being accused by my in-laws of not going there, Sister-in-law Qin would go to the vicinity of her aunt's house.

Qin's sister-in-law sent some of those things to her parents' home, and also exchanged them for money. She thought she had done it discreetly, that no one knew anything, and since she hadn't told her husband, no one else could possibly know.

Don't be afraid! Absolutely don't be afraid!

Sister-in-law Qin patted her chest gently, telling herself not to scare herself and that there was nothing to be afraid of. She was the eldest daughter-in-law of the Qin family!

living room

Inside, Dr. Lin looked at Qin's mother and said, "It's not because of your husband, it's because of the Song family itself. Don't attribute all the credit to them; it will cause misunderstandings. I heard that the national leaders wrote four characters: 'Pillars of the Nation.' This is a praise for the Song family, not for the Qin family. The Qin family doesn't have that ability."

"A pillar of the nation?" Qin's mother exclaimed in surprise, "We had no idea!"

"The Song family is low-key; they haven't talked about it everywhere," Dr. Lin said. "The Song family produced Song Xingyun, and now they have Song Fenglan. The entire Song family are loyal and patriotic martyrs. You should also be careful and not always treat them with disrespect."

"No," Qin's mother said. "When Fenglan was in confinement after childbirth, I even had the eldest son's family send over six chickens."

"Isn't it just one?" Dr. Lin frowned.

"One?" Qin's mother was shocked. "That's impossible. There were six chickens. Originally, we prepared eight chickens, but I was afraid that my eldest son would be unhappy, so I kept two chickens at home to eat. The other six chickens were delivered over several days."