Chapter 26 Child Bride: A Fence-Sitter Who Changes Her Mind with the Wind

“Since your father-in-law has told you to move out, then you should indeed move out.” Aunt Qin sat in a rocking chair, enjoying the cool air.

Aunt Qin is the kind of person who sides with whoever has the upper hand. Previously, Aunt Qin did indeed side with Sister-in-law Qin, but the situation has changed.

The Song family has been exonerated; their social class is no longer considered bad. The Song family was originally a large clan with considerable connections. Those connections can now be used again.

The family has a lot of money and many things that others can't compare to. The state will even return the houses and property of the Song family to them.

Aunt Qin didn't need to offend Song Fenglan for Qin's sake. "You've been living with your in-laws for so long, you don't think the house belongs to you and your husband, do you?"

"I..." Sister-in-law Qin did not expect Aunt Qin to say such a thing. She felt that something was not right. "We did not. My husband is the eldest son in the family. He lives in the capital. We are the ones who take care of our parents-in-law."

"Aren't your parents-in-law handyman or footy? Can't your mother-in-law cook for herself?" Aunt Qin asked. "Your mother-in-law must have cooked for you two quite a few times, right?"

"Aunt." Sister-in-law Qin felt that something was increasingly wrong.

"Go back and pack your things properly. Don't wait for someone else to pack for you. How can someone else pack your things so neatly?" Aunt Qin said. "Go back, go back."

"Aunt, can't you say a word in their defense?" Sister-in-law Qin said. "We're not by our parents' side, so who will take care of them? Their health isn't very good, and if they have a headache or fever, there's no one there for them."

"You haven't left the capital; you're still living there," Aunt Qin said. "Just because you live in one city doesn't mean you can't go back and visit. Do you only acknowledge them as your parents if you have to live there? If they don't let you live there, you won't acknowledge them as your parents?"

"no……"

"If not, then go back and pack your things," Aunt Qin said. "If you make a mistake, you have to bear the consequences. If you don't bear the consequences now, it won't be so easy to get away with it later. Do you think the Song family is easy to deal with and won't hold it against you? If the Song family doesn't hold it against you, then no one will hold it against them?"

Aunt Qin found Qin's sister-in-law ridiculous. Qin's sister-in-law was her niece-in-law, and so was Song Fenglan. Only a fool would side with Qin's sister-in-law at this time. Asking her to go to the Qin family wasn't impossible, but what she would say later was uncertain.

Helpless, and with her aunt refusing to help, Sister-in-law Qin had no choice but to return to her parents' home.

When Sister-in-law Qin went to her parents' home, Aunt Qin went to the Qin family home. Aunt Qin couldn't possibly point out her brother's mistakes, so she naturally said that their mother hadn't done a good job.

"Don't you know what your eldest son is like?"

"That person is greedy, too greedy."

"Eight chickens, your family eats two, she takes five, leaving only one for the woman who is in postpartum confinement."

"If she can take the chicken, she can take something else."

"Is your health really so bad that you can't go?"

"Does she really have to have the eldest daughter-in-law deliver the things? Can't you deliver them yourself? Can't you give her more at once? If she insists on having the eldest daughter-in-law deliver them, isn't she just greedy for money?"

"Naive. Do you really think it's just a matter of a few chickens?"

“If this continues, she will ruin your eldest son.”

"She's greedy for her sisters-in-law's things, and she's also greedy for things outside. Don't wait until later to regret it, when your eldest son loses his job for accepting bribes."

...

Aunt Qin is just being wise after the event. She used to firmly support Qin's parents, believing that Song Fenglan shouldn't have married Qin Yizhou. But now, Aunt Qin is saying these things about Sister-in-law Qin, only because the Song family has been exonerated. Aunt Qin is following her gut feeling; she thinks that with the exoneration now, the Song family will only rise in status, not fall, and Sister-in-law Qin's family background won't be enough to compete.

Sister-in-law Qin came from a working-class family, and her family members were all petty and coveted the Qin family's possessions.

“In front of me, your eldest son and daughter-in-law still insisted that your family’s things should be given to them,” Aunt Qin said. “The implication was that if you don’t give them the things, they will not be filial to you. That’s a threat.”

"Did she really say that?" Qin's mother asked.

"Of course, would I lie to you?" Aunt Qin said. "In the end, you were also at fault in this matter. How could you not care? If you had taken care of it earlier, kept an eye on it, and gone there yourself, none of this would have happened. Even if you had personally handed the money to your youngest daughter-in-law and let her take the things herself, it would have been better than you giving the money to your eldest son's family."

Qin's mother had a gloomy face; she was very unhappy.

“Your husband, a grown man, doesn’t have time to deal with these things. Can’t you be a little more considerate?” Aunt Qin said. “Now look what’s happened. Your youngest daughter-in-law and your youngest son must both think you’re heartless people who favor your eldest son’s family. And what about your grandson? Does he think he’ll side with you?”

Aunt Qin analyzed, "I don't want to rely on your son and daughter-in-law for my old age. I'm not afraid of them. I can say whatever I want. If you want your eldest son's family to move out, then hurry up and make a clean break. The Song family has just returned to the capital. If we act quickly, it will show people our determination."

"Sigh, won't this make people think we're afraid of the Song family?" Qin's mother said. She was still reluctant to part with her eldest son's family, and she still hoped that her husband could change his mind and let her eldest son's family stay.

"Afraid?" Aunt Qin scoffed. "Who said that? Are you afraid of what others say, so you just let your eldest son and daughter-in-law cause such trouble? If your youngest son disowns you in the end, then you deserve it. Letting them move out doesn't mean you're cutting ties with them. Your eldest son is still your eldest son. If your eldest son dares to disown you, it means he's useless."

Qin's mother was well aware that her sister-in-law might have done something else, but if things got out of hand, it would be embarrassing for everyone.

The Song family didn't go to the Qin family's house. Song's mother and the others felt that what Dr. Lin said made a lot of sense, and they didn't need to go to the Qin family. Their exoneration wasn't due to the Qin family's efforts; Song's mother and the others wanted to be kind to others, which was also for Song Fenglan's benefit.

When Sister-in-law Song went out, she overheard people talking about the Qin family, and she came back and told her mother about it.

“Mom, they’re just putting on an act. They’re probably waiting for us to go and talk to them,” said Sister-in-law Song. “I heard they were originally going to give my little sister six chickens, but in the end she only got one. The rest were taken by their eldest son’s family.”

Sister-in-law Song had never met Song Fenglan, but she knew she was a good person. Although Song Fenglan had stayed in the city in her early years, she hadn't forgotten her family in the countryside. After Song Fenglan got married, her husband, Qin Yizhou, even asked Dr. Lin to help them.

In the quiet of the night, Sister-in-law Song thought about how much Song Fenglan must have sacrificed to make the Song family more comfortable. Sister-in-law Song had heard from her parents-in-law that her sister-in-law was originally a pampered and spoiled girl, a girl who was cherished and loved. Now that her sister-in-law was left alone in the capital, she must have had to endure a lot.

"It's outrageous!" said Sister-in-law Song. "This is such a crucial time for a woman, when she's giving birth and recovering from childbirth, and this is how they treat her. Doesn't my younger sister's mother-in-law know anything? She makes the eldest daughter-in-law do everything; they're really carefree."

"Sigh." Song's mother's eyes reddened when she heard these words. "Fenglan never mentioned these things."

“How could my younger sister know these things? She doesn’t speak directly to her mother-in-law; she communicates through her older sister-in-law,” said Sister-in-law Song. “They hid the things, and my younger sister didn’t even know.”

"I'll call her later," said Song's mother.

"It's such a coincidence that this news has come out now. How could anyone else know about this? They must have spread it themselves," said Sister-in-law Song. "They have ill intentions; they're clearly telling us."

Sister-in-law Song thought the Qin family was crazy; they were all too calculating.

In the evening, when Song Fenglan returned home, she received a call from her mother. Song Fenglan had just returned from dinner at the research institute, while Qin Yizhou had come home to cook and take care of the children.

Mrs. Su originally planned to cook dinner and wanted to have Qin Zihang eat with her, but Qin Yizhou said he would cook dinner when he came back later. Qin Yizhou wanted to cultivate a father-son relationship with Qin Zihang, so Mrs. Su didn't insist that Qin Zihang eat at her place. However, she would still prepare some food so that if Qin Yizhou came back late, Qin Zihang could have something to eat first.

"Your sister-in-law has gone too far!" Song's mother gritted her teeth.

"What's wrong with my sister-in-law?" Song Fenglan asked in confusion. "Isn't she doing fine? You used to praise her."

“It’s not ours, it’s your husband’s,” said Song’s mother. “They said they originally intended to send you six chickens for your postpartum care, but only one reached you. The rest were swallowed by Yizhou’s sister-in-law. If she can swallow chickens, she can swallow other things.”

"..." Song Fenglan really didn't know about these things. She only thought that the Qin family was really stingy and that the Qin family was really dissatisfied with her.

"If our family hadn't come back, I estimate..."

"This matter is unlikely to escalate into something like this," said Song's mother. "Your sister-in-law said the Qin family deliberately put on a show for us."

“It’s possible,” Song Fenglan said. “Don’t go over there. Let them do whatever they want.”

"That's the only way." Song's mother wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. "This is someone else's business; how could we possibly go and meddle in it?"

Song's mother felt wronged for her daughter. Qin Yizhou was beyond reproach; without him, their family wouldn't have fared so well on the farm. For Qin Yizhou to get help from others—in those days, doing so required a great deal of connections and incurred many favors. Some people were unwilling to get involved in such matters, demonstrating just how hard Qin Yizhou worked.

Qin Yizhou's uncle is also a good person, and Song's mother has no objections to Qin Yizhou and Dr. Lin.

“Every family has its good and bad times, and that’s their own business. How can we interfere?” Song’s mother said. “Regardless of whether they’re just putting on an act for us, I’m telling you, are you going to call home?”

“Should I make a phone call?” Song Fenglan thought for a moment and felt that making a phone call would be useless. “If I call back and reconcile the accounts with them, tell them how much they gave me, and ask them to think about whether they gave me more? At that time, they will not only not think I am good, but they will think I am petty and that I have kept a record of every single expense.”

If you don't speak up, others will think you're easy to bully. If you do speak up, others will think you're petty.

The trivial matters of family life are particularly inconvenient and troublesome.

Song Fenglan doesn't live with Qin's parents, so why is she bringing this up now?

“They’ll think that since they’ve already dealt with Qin Yizhou’s sister-in-law, my saying anything is just a sign that I’m not satisfied with the outcome,” Song Fenglan said. “They handled it this way without even asking me a question. They just plan to deal with it directly, and I’m left with no choice but to accept the result. One matter, one solution. They’ve already dealt with it, so I can’t say anything more.”

After thinking for a moment, Song Fenglan understood the key point. Song Fenglan wasn't an elder, and she couldn't overturn a decision made by an elder.

“That’s all they can do. They can’t sever ties with the family, nor can they ask their eldest son and daughter-in-law to pay for it,” Song Fenglan said. “If they really have to pay, it will be their own money.”

After all, Qin's parents knew how much money Qin's brother and sister-in-law had. If Qin's sister-in-law were truly well-off, she wouldn't have embezzled those things; she wouldn't have been so greedy. The things had already been embezzled; asking them to return them now was impossible.

Mr. and Mrs. Qin still expect their eldest son and daughter-in-law to support them in their old age, and they also care about their grandchildren. They certainly wouldn't force their eldest daughter-in-law to vomit those things. Their eldest son and daughter-in-law aren't divorced; forcing her to vomit would be tantamount to forcing their eldest son and his children.

"Mom, don't worry, I'm not sad," Song Fenglan said. "Even so, I can't possibly think they're all that kind."

"It's good that you know," Song's mother nodded. "Is Yizhou nearby?"

“He went to bathe the child,” Song Fenglan said. “He’s coming back earlier now, and he doesn’t stay at the military base all night.”

"Yes, that's good," said Song's mother. "Zihang is also his son, so he should take better care of him. That way, their relationship will be better. Yizhou is Yizhou, and his parents are his parents. Yizhou has helped us a lot..."

“I’m not taking it out on him.” Song Fenglan understood what her mother meant. “I know he has made sacrifices. If he were really that bad, I would definitely kick him out.”

“Every family has its own problems, and things can’t always go smoothly.” Song’s mother was afraid that her daughter would get stuck on things. “You don’t live with them, so you don’t need to worry about so much.”

“I understand,” Song Fenglan said. “Mom, don’t worry. Now that you’re back in the capital, go get a checkup and take good care of yourselves.”

“Yizhou’s uncle came to see us,” Song’s mother said. “Yizhou’s uncle said we could go to the hospital for some tests, saying that we have been on the farm for so many years. We are not those farmers, we did not have such a hard life at the beginning, so we may have some health problems.”

"Is there a problem?" Song Fenglan asked nervously.

"No, there's nothing wrong with taking the pulse," said Song's mother. "Don't worry, we're all fine. We've all returned to the city, and life will be better now."

“Okay,” Song Fenglan said.

After the mother and daughter hung up the phone, Qin Yizhou finished giving Qin Zihang a bath. Qin Zihang washed his hair, and Qin Yizhou gave him a dry towel, telling him to dry his hair thoroughly.

"Mom, help me wipe myself." Qin Zihang handed a towel to Song Fenglan.

"Come here." Song Fenglan took a towel and wiped her son's head.

"Mom, were you on the phone just now?" Qin Zihang asked. "Who were you talking to? Was it with your great-aunt?"

“No, I was on the phone with Grandma,” Song Fenglan said. “Grandma asked about Hangbao. Grandma really likes Hangbao. When we go back, Grandma will make lots and lots of delicious food for you. Grandma’s cooking skills are better than Mom’s. Grandma can make lots and lots of delicious food, and she can make it look really good.”

"Grandma is that amazing?" Qin Zihang exclaimed in surprise.

“Yes, Grandma is a great cook,” Song Fenglan said. “Mom learned from Grandma, and she’s a wonderful person. You’ve never met your grandma before.”

"Are we going back to see Grandma?" Qin Zihang asked. "Will Grandma be coming?"

"I'm not going back now. I'll go back when I have time later." Song Fenglan didn't plan to go back to the capital at this time. She had only been in the research institute for a short time and had just taken on important responsibilities. She couldn't go to other places at this time. She still had to do her work steadily.

If Song Fenglan wanted to leave at this moment, others would surely try to persuade her otherwise. Song Fenglan understood the importance and urgency of the matter, and she continued to dry her son's hair.

After a while, Qin Zihang went to play nearby.

Qin Yizhou didn't wash his and Qin Zihang's clothes; children's clothes are washed separately from adults' clothes. After washing and hanging the clothes to dry, Qin Yizhou went into the living room.

"Your parents want your older brother and sister-in-law to move out," Song Fenglan said. "My mother called; did your parents call you to tell you?"

"They did tell me," Qin Yizhou said. "They called to discuss this matter, but they might not have told us everything."

Song Fenglan briefly explained the situation, and Qin Yizhou frowned upon hearing it.

"That's too much!" Qin Yizhou clenched his fists. His mother had evaded many important points on the phone, leaving out a lot of things, unlike Song's mother who had explained things so clearly to Song Fenglan.

Previously, Dr. Lin hadn't discussed these matters with Qin Yizhou, believing that Qin Yizhou would frequently be on missions and shouldn't be distracted. At that time, saying these things wouldn't have been very useful. Now that the Song family had been exonerated, discussing these matters again would be more helpful. Mainly, Dr. Lin hadn't known about Qin's sister-in-law's greedy actions until Qin's mother spoke to him.

Dr. Lin was shocked. How could anyone be so greedy? Of the six chickens, it would be one thing to steal one, but to steal five! Even a weasel wouldn't be that greedy.

Upon hearing Qin Yizhou's words, Qin Zihang plopped down on the ground. Qin Yizhou's voice was intimidating, and when he raised it a little louder, Qin Zihang was startled.

"Don't scare the child." Song Fenglan quickly helped the child up, not wanting the child to sit on the ground.

"Mom." Qin Zihang was a little scared.

“Dad wasn’t talking about you, nor was he talking about Mom,” Song Fenglan comforted him.

"Yes, Dad wasn't talking about you guys." Qin Yizhou quickly hugged Qin Zihang tightly and patted Qin Zihang's back a few times. "Don't be afraid."

"I'm not afraid," Qin Zihang quickly said, glancing at his mother again. Actually, he was still a little scared.

To avoid frightening the child, Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou didn't continue talking about Sister-in-law Qin. They figured they could talk about it after the child fell asleep.

Around nine o'clock, Qin Zihang fell asleep. Qin Yizhou carried his son into the room, put the child on the bed, and then closed the door and went to the living room.

"What do you think?" Song Fenglan asked.

Qin Yizhou said, "My parents just told them to move out. They said it once yesterday. It's a bit deliberate for them to make such a fuss today."

“Yes, that’s what my mom said too,” Song Fenglan said. “We didn’t do it in front of your parents…”

“We have work and other things to do,” Qin Yizhou said. “They looked down on you first, so if you go there, you’ll just get bullied by them anyway, so why bother? Now that something like this has happened, my brother hasn’t even made a phone call. He probably doesn’t think it’s a big deal.”

Qin Yizhou recalled his elder brother's earlier attitude. His brother implied that Song Fenglan's family background was problematic and would negatively impact the family. His brother was only concerned with his own career advancement and didn't care about others' influence.

It was his turn. Brother Qin was a sophisticated egoist; as the older brother, he didn't want to bow his head and apologize to his younger brother. Brother Qin was still thinking of saying those things after Qin Yizhou returned to the capital.

There are many things that are difficult to explain over the phone; it's much clearer to say them face-to-face.

"I'm sorry you had to suffer like this." Qin Yizhou was glad that he hadn't given the money to his own mother and then made her give the money to Song Fenglan.

Years ago, Qin's mother had suggested that Qin Yizhou send money to her, and she would then give it to Song Fenglan. Qin Yizhou refused. He believed that if he wanted to give money to his wife, he should give it directly to her, not his mother. Qin Yizhou knew that his own mother disliked Song Fenglan, and if he sent the money to his mother, she would probably just pass it on to his sister-in-law, making him an accomplice in their mistreatment of his wife.

“They are not my biological parents, and I never had any hope for them,” Song Fenglan said. “I’m not that upset.”

"..." Qin Yizhou was deeply hurt and saddened.

Qin Yizhou resented his parents, but what good did it do? His mother's health was indeed not good, and his father was unlikely to care about such matters. He was the one who should blame himself for not being there for his wife.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Song Fenglan asked.

"A little." Qin Yizhou slapped himself twice hard, and Song Fenglan grabbed his hand.

"What are you doing?" Song Fenglan stopped Qin Yizhou.

"I have no idea," Qin Yizhou said.

“My mom also told me not to blame you,” Song Fenglan said. “She said you’ve already done a good job. You can’t be perfect in every aspect, and we can’t expect everything.”

“If you didn’t do it well, you didn’t do it well.” Qin Yizhou held Song Fenglan’s hand tightly. “I’ve made you suffer. Now, it’s up to you to clear your parents’ name and let them go back home.”

Qin Yizhou was powerless; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't compare to Song Fenglan.

"Don't overthink it, your parents aren't blaming you," Song Fenglan said. "They're very grateful to you."

"Mom." Qin Zihang had been asleep for a while. When he opened his eyes and didn't see his mother, he got out of bed and went to look for her.

"Mom's here." Song Fenglan saw her son rubbing his eyes, still half asleep. "Come on, go to sleep."

Sister-in-law Qin stayed at her parents' home for two days; she didn't go to her husband's family home. She thought that since she didn't go to her husband's family home, they wouldn't have to move.

The reality is that Sister-in-law Qin wasn't home, but Brother Qin was. Brother Qin immediately packed his things and moved out. His parents had already spoken, so he couldn't just leave without packing; he couldn't expect his parents to pack for him.

Brother Qin thought that perhaps his parents would let them move back after a while. He didn't want to call Qin Yizhou right now; he figured his mother could call him, why embarrass him again? He didn't know what to say if he spoke to his brother; it wasn't like he'd asked his wife to do these things, it was her own choice.

What's happening in the capital doesn't affect Nancheng. Song Fenglan and her husband wouldn't deliberately spread rumors about the capital here; it's ultimately a family matter. Family scandals shouldn't be aired in public, and no one wants others to know so much.

Sister-in-law Qin was surprised that Brother Qin had actually moved all his things out. The apartment had three bedrooms and two living rooms, which wasn't bad. Sister-in-law Qin rushed over, and seeing all those things laid out in the living room, she felt terrible.

"Can't you wait a little longer? Moving out so soon?!" Sister-in-law Qin was furious. "Wait a few days, I..."

“Going to your parents’ home won’t solve anything,” Brother Qin said. “Do you really have to let everyone know about all the mess you’ve made?”

"I..." Sister-in-law Qin originally planned to wait a few days before sending her family to the Qin family to confront them.

Yes, it's about holding someone accountable. Sister-in-law Qin believes that the Qin family is biased towards Song Fenglan. Once the Song family is exonerated, those people will be even more interested in Song Fenglan.

“We have to take a portion of our earnings for household expenses,” said Sister-in-law Qin. “We’re the ones who take care of our parents. They’re so biased, they…”

"Stop talking and hurry up and pack your things." Brother Qin didn't want to hear Sister-in-law Qin say these things. They both knew in their hearts who their parents favored.

Brother Qin thought that his parents needed to give the Song family an explanation. According to the established order, the Song family should have gone to the Qin family to persuade his parents not to let their eldest son move out, but they didn't. Since the Song family hadn't followed the script, Brother Qin had no choice but to move out, at least to show the Song family his parents' decision.

"Your parents are really something, are they afraid of the Song family?" Sister-in-law Qin gritted her teeth. "And my aunt, I asked her to help persuade my parents to let me stay. But my aunt is terrible, she didn't stand on our side at all."

"How much of the money that Mom and Dad gave to your younger brother and sister-in-law did you actually take?" Brother Qin asked.

"I... I can't remember," said Sister-in-law Qin. "That money was spent on the family and on the children, not on myself."

Sister-in-law Qin used the money to buy new clothes and cosmetics, and also took some back to her parents' home for her mother. She couldn't say this aloud; she could only say that she spent the money on the Qin family.

Upon hearing this, Brother Qin immediately knew that his wife had definitely spent the money elsewhere.

“My parents are rich,” said Sister-in-law Qin. “When I gave birth, I didn’t see them take out so much money. But when your sister-in-law gave birth, they took out so much stuff.”

“When you gave birth, you ate more than six chickens,” Brother Qin said.

“I am their eldest daughter-in-law,” Sister-in-law Qin argued. “Isn’t it more important who is the eldest daughter-in-law? I also gave birth to their eldest grandson. They say the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and it’s really true. Your sister-in-law lives outside, so if you make a fuss, you can get more.”

"Pack your things." Brother Qin didn't want to continue. Song Fenglan and her husband weren't in front of them; if they said those things, others would only find them ridiculous.

Sister-in-law Qin was unwilling, but she still had to pack her things. "The houses here are much smaller, and the rooms aren't big."

"No matter how big or small it is, you have to stay here," Brother Qin said. "If you don't stay here, will you go back to your parents' house?"

"Do you take me for Song Fenglan? She's married and still living at her parents' house? Wouldn't that make her a laughingstock?" said Sister-in-law Qin. "Song Fenglan still lives at her aunt's house; she's shameless enough. I think she's very calculating. She may not live at her husband's house, but she..."

Brother Qin went to his room, ignoring what Sister-in-law Qin was saying. Sister-in-law Qin was unhappy; these people wouldn't listen to her. It didn't matter; she would make her children remember the humiliation they had suffered today.

Shi Guilan's cousin, Li Hui, got married. She married a soldier and moved to the family compound. Li Hui and her husband lived in a tenement building, not in a single-story house.

There is one less spot available for those who originally applied to move to the tenement building.

This infuriated them whenever they thought about it. Shi Guilan had previously said that Song Fenglan wanted to live in a tenement building, and that Song Fenglan and her husband wanted to take up a spot and cut in line. But it turned out that it was Shi Guilan's cousin who cut in line.

It's despicable, truly despicable.

Neither of Shi Guilan's cousins ​​are good people, and some people are saying these things outside in great anger.

"I used to think they were nice, they're disgusting."

"You're just stupid to believe what she said."

"Human nature is selfish; everyone thinks only of themselves."

"They're all craving the good stuff, how could they possibly give you anything good?"

...

Li Hui didn't care what others said about her; of course she wanted to live in a better house. Why would she choose to live in a bad house when she had a good one? She wasn't stupid. Li Hui didn't want to live in a bungalow, and she didn't want to live too close to Song Fenglan.

The apartment in the tenement building is a two-bedroom unit, the room is a bit small, but many people still dream of living in a tenement building.

Shi Guilan went to see Li Hui, and she opened the window to look outside.

“This house is quite nice,” Shi Guilan said. “It’s much better than a bungalow. Bungalows have large rooms and yards, but they have many shortcomings. The ground is damp, unlike apartment buildings.”

“It’s just a two-bedroom house.” Li Hui wanted a bigger house, but she and her husband didn’t have any children yet, and two bedrooms were enough for them. The authorities wouldn’t let them live in a bigger room unless they moved to a bungalow.

"That's enough," Shi Guilan said. "Once you have more children, then you can think about applying to move."

"We'll apply later," Li Hui nodded.

"Where is your man?" Shi Guilan asked.

"I've gone out," Li Hui replied. "I'll be back later."

Li Hui's husband was someone who had pursued her before. She didn't like him initially; she thought he wasn't good-looking and was rather ugly. Li Hui wanted a husband who was good-looking and also had a high position—that was impossible; such a man would have already married another woman.

After going on and on blind dates, Li Hui finally decided to marry the man she was with.

Before Li Hui could even be happy for two days, a woman came to the family compound. She claimed to be her husband's fiancée.

It turned out that the woman was Li Hui's husband's childhood bride. Li Hui's husband, Guo Peng, didn't like this childhood bride. She was capable, but ugly. Guo Peng preferred Li Hui from the performing arts troupe. Guo Peng believed that this was a new era, and that child brides didn't matter. Child brides were feudalistic and a bad thing.

When Song Fenglan returned home and was relaxing in the courtyard, her chubby sister-in-law was telling her a vivid story.

The story of that child bride.

“That child bride has a loud voice,” the plump woman said. “She said her mother-in-law sent her here to marry her husband.”

"Didn't her husband get married? Before the wedding, didn't he call home or send a telegram?" Song Fenglan was shocked.

"I don't know," the plump woman replied. "Anyway, people came here, and it wasn't just me who heard it; many people heard it too. I don't know how they're going to handle this. She traveled all this way to get married, only to find out that her fiancé has already married another woman."

"What's a child bride?" Qin Zihang was playing with the puppy when he overheard his aunt and mother chatting. He leaned closer and asked, "Can you eat a child bride? Is it a flower or grass?"

“Child brides are people; they can’t be eaten, they’re not flowers or grass,” Song Fenglan explained.

"Do we have a child bride in our family?" Qin Zihang asked again.

"No." Song Fenglan was speechless.

"Do you want to support someone?" Qin Zihang asked.

“Don’t raise one. If you raise one, you won’t have anything to eat, and the puppy won’t have anything to eat either,” Song Fenglan threatened Qin Zihang.

"No, no," Qin Zihang quickly waved his hand. "I don't raise child brides."

"Are you crazy? A child bride is a wife, you know," Zhang Xiaohu said. "A wife you're going to sleep with."

"Was my mother my childhood sweetheart?" Qin Zihang didn't understand; he slept with his mother.

"Didn't I tell you? There are no child brides in the family." Song Fenglan was almost amused by her son's words. "You guys are just kidding."

"Oh," Qin Zihang replied.

"Auntie, are you going to find a child bride for the puppy?" Zhang Xiaohu's eyes lit up; he had an idea. "Want one? Want one?"

"Zhang Xiaohu, I think you're asking for trouble!" said the fat woman.

“I asked my aunt, not my mom,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “We can find a child bride for the puppy, then we’ll have two puppies.”

Zhang Xiaohu thought his idea was really great. If there were two puppies, he and his younger brother Zihang would each have one.

“One dog is enough,” Song Fenglan said.

"Won't one dog be lonely?" Zhang Xiaohu asked. "We can get another dog, and the dogs can play together."

"Don't even think about it," said the fat woman. "If you want to keep a dog, then keep one at home. You're not allowed to let your aunt keep another dog."

"Can it really be raised?" Zhang Xiaohu asked excitedly.

"Get one, get one, get one! I'll have your dad go and get you a puppy. I just can't do anything with you." The fat woman sighed helplessly. Her youngest son was always thinking about getting a dog, and he kept finding ways to remind them to get one.

"Yay!" Zhang Xiaohu jumped up and turned to Qin Zihang. "Little brother Zihang, did you hear that? Did you hear that? My family is going to have a puppy too! I'm going to have a puppy too!"

"I'll raise it," Qin Zihang said. "The puppy is very obedient. Fuwangwang is very well-behaved, just like me."

Song Fenglan chuckled as her son praised the dog and then praised himself.

"Where were we?" Fatty Sister turned to look at Song Fenglan.

"Mom, Dad's home," Zhang Xiaohu said again. "Mom, let's go find Dad now, now..."

“If you go to your dad now, he’ll have to wait another day to bring you a puppy,” said the plump woman. “You play first, and then go back and talk to your dad.”

"Mom, you wouldn't lie to a child, would you?" Zhang Xiaohu was a little skeptical of his mother.

“Your aunt is here, and your little brother Zihang is here too. They both heard it.” The plump woman lowered her head and pinched her son’s chubby cheeks. “I’m not lying to you. You’ve always been asking for a dog, so I’ll get you one.”

The plump woman didn't want to keep a dog, but her youngest son loved them so much. Song Fenglan's family only had one puppy, and seeing the hopeful look in her son's eyes, the plump woman thought she should still get a dog for herself. At worst, they could give the dog away when her son stopped liking it.

Kids only have a short attention span; if adults don't buy it for them, they'll keep thinking about it.

"Brother Zihang, I want to have a dog," Zhang Xiaohu said again.

The plump woman shook her head helplessly, "Let them raise it, let them raise it."

"By the way, that child bride is staying at the guesthouse now," the plump woman said. "I don't know if she wrote a letter before she came. Or maybe she wanted to surprise her fiancé and just came directly. You wrote a letter, didn't you?"

“I wrote it, and I even waited many days before setting off,” Song Fenglan said. “I thought Yizhou had received the letter, but he went out on a mission and hasn’t had time to read it yet.”

“Li Hui’s husband hasn’t been out on missions lately,” the plump woman said. “People have seen them before. They went shopping and tidied up the house. This is going to be interesting. A child bride, that means they’re betrothed.”

"Let's wait and see." Song Fenglan didn't know exactly what was going on, but the story sounded familiar, like something out of a novel. Many novels describe a child bride going to find her fiancé, only for the fiancé to marry another woman, leading to the child bride remarrying.

Song Fenglan's eyelids twitched twice. She knew she had transmigrated into a book. Wasn't the protagonist in the capital? Could it be that she had transmigrated into a series of novels?

“We live so close together, in the same residential compound, so if anything happens, they’ll know right away,” said the plump woman. “It’s such a big deal, they have to handle it properly. They’ve already come all this way, they can’t just kick them out now. This isn’t something that’s easy to handle.”

Song Fenglan remained silent. Whether the situation was easy to handle or not depended on Li Hui and her husband. It wasn't realistic to send them back now that they were already here; if this matter wasn't handled properly, it would also affect Li Hui and her husband.

At this moment, Li Hui was furious. She was at Shi Guilan's house, her eyes red.

“He actually had a child bride, and he didn’t even tell me. It made me lose face so much,” Li Hui said. “Everyone says that I only have eyes for a married man and that I have to marry him.”