Chapter 46: Complaining - No Elementary School, Going to University

I need clothes, how do I ask for them?

Gao Xiuxiu has just given birth and needs to be in postpartum confinement. If they were to ask for things back at this time, wouldn't that give others something to talk about? Even if Gao Xiuxiu insisted on giving them away, it's not appropriate for them to ask for them back now.

Being a daughter-in-law feels awkward, but being a mother-in-law is quite nice.

The mother-in-law took two eggs, put them in a bamboo basket, and went to find Gao Xiuxiu's mother-in-law.

Grandma Fang had no choice but to take the two eggs and give the sweater back. She couldn't refuse; it was Gao Xiuxiu's fault for giving birth to a daughter instead of a son.

One family received the clothes, while the other family did not, and considered the clothes as a congratulatory gift.

The other family thought that the girl was unpopular from birth, and they were afraid that the child would be disliked by her family. At this time, it's best not to add fuel to the fire; it's just a piece of clothing, let it go.

Neither Song Fenglan nor Fatty Sister gave Gao Xiuxiu any eggs; Gao Xiuxiu really had too many questionable actions.

Gao Xiuxiu was in a very bad mood while recovering from childbirth at home. She didn't want to see her second daughter much, but she still had to breastfeed her.

You can't just ignore your child and leave them lying around.

Gao Xiuxiu doted on her eldest daughter, her first child. However, when Gao Xiuxiu became pregnant with her second child, she treated her eldest daughter poorly again.

Nowadays, Gao Xiuxiu doesn't treat her two daughters very well. If we really have to rank them, the eldest daughter is a little better than the second daughter.

"Why are you just a girl?" Gao Xiuxiu was furious. How could she ever face Fang Xudong to go back to the countryside with him again?

Forget about going back to my hometown, even if I stay here, I'll be laughed at.

Gao Xiuxiu desperately wanted this child to be a son, so she could hold her head high and not let others say she only had daughters. Gao Xiuxiu looked at her daughter with a displeased expression.

"You're hopeless," Gao Xiuxiu said.

Gao Xiuxiu didn't have much breast milk, so the baby was fed formula. This formula was originally intended for her son, but since she didn't have a son, the formula she had already bought would have to go to her second daughter. She couldn't very well sell it—that would be speculation—and she couldn't return it either.

When other people have babies, they may not necessarily lack breast milk, and those people may not necessarily need formula.

Because Gao Xiuxiu was in postpartum confinement, Song Fenglan hadn't seen her go out these past few days. Song Fenglan didn't want to run into Gao Xiuxiu, lest Gao Xiuxiu say something like, "I can get pregnant again later and I'll be able to give birth to a son."

Some people believe that only sons are the means to carry on the family line, so they think about having sons and keep having them. If they don't have a son, they keep having more; if they do have a son, they keep trying.

"Mom." Qin Zihang saw Song Fenglan walking in through the gate in the yard and quickly ran over to her.

"Didn't you watch TV?" Song Fenglan asked.

"No, there are small fish." Qin Zihang pointed to a basin in the yard.

"Where did these little fish come from?" Song Fenglan asked, puzzled.

"When I bought the fish, there happened to be a few small fish, so I bought them together," said Madam Su. Those small fish were not even as thick as Song Fenglan's little finger. "If we had more small fish, we could fry them; they would taste delicious."

Mrs. Su bought fish to steam. She originally wanted to make hot and sour fish soup, but then she thought that Qin Zihang was still young, so steaming the fish would be better. Steamed fish has tender flesh, is less irritating, and is easier to remove bones from.

"I've made steamed fish, so we can eat in a little while," Madam Su said with a smile.

Sometimes Mrs. Su cooked at Song Fenglan's place, and Qin Yizhou and his wife would leave them some ration coupons and money, which Mrs. Su would sometimes take. Mrs. Su knew that if she didn't take any, Qin Yizhou and his wife would feel even more embarrassed, so taking a little made them feel more at ease.

"Aunt, you've gone to so much trouble to make all this food," Song Fenglan said.

"It's not hard work," Mrs. Su said. "I also like to eat these."

In the capital, Aunt Qin brought a woman to the Qin family home. Brother Qin wanted to remarry, and he needed to choose someone with a good family background, not someone like Tian Keshu. It wasn't that Aunt Qin was unwilling to introduce her son to better daughters, but Brother Qin's age was a factor, and he already had two children.

Young, unmarried women, how could they possibly want to marry Brother Qin?

This woman, named You Yun, was a widow with a five-year-old daughter. She had no family background issues, and no one in her family had become a spy. You Yun was a capable and exceptionally hardworking woman.

You Yun knew a little about the Qin family's situation. Her parents-in-law were unemployed and stayed at home, so they probably turned a blind eye to their daughter-in-law's affairs. Otherwise, Qin's ex-wife wouldn't have been able to...

To accomplish those things smoothly.

Marrying into such a family, as long as she can maintain her composure and doesn't go too far, things should be fine. Besides, Brother Qin's previous wife wasn't very good, so someone like You Yun from a similar background isn't bad either. You Yun isn't going to let these people control her; she's the one who wants to control them.

Once You Yun marries into the family and has another child, she'll have a firm foothold. What will she have to fear then? Compared to other potential partners, Brother Qin is a very good catch.

"What do you think?" Aunt Qin said. "Marriage is a lifelong commitment, so don't say that I made the decision for you. I'm just helping you find someone; you can decide for yourselves."

“It’s fine,” You Yun said. She had to be direct to avoid people thinking she was wrong.

The Qin family's house is quite nice, not to mention they have other houses and a considerable amount of money. If I bring my daughter with me when I marry into the family, we won't have a bad life, and my daughter will have her own house.

"Okay," Brother Qin said. "When can we get the marriage certificate?"

“Either is fine,” You Yun said. “I have no objection, but I have a daughter, and I need to take her with me.”

You Yun had already told Aunt Qin before, but she still had to repeat herself.

"Let her come," Brother Qin said. He still needed a wife and someone to help him with some things. He couldn't let his parents take care of the children all the time, as their health wasn't very good.

And so, the marriage between You Yun and Brother Qin was settled. Before they even met, both sides were already quite satisfied. Once they met, and there were no other issues, the marriage was naturally arranged.

Tian Keshu only learned of this after her brother Qin and You Yun had registered their marriage. Tian Keshu hadn't expected her brother Qin to marry another woman so quickly; she had assumed he still had some feelings for her and would wait. Tian Keshu even wondered if her brother Qin would never marry; if he didn't, she was perfectly content to remain single for life.

But the Tian family couldn't possibly prevent Tian Keshu from getting married. Lately, Tian Keshu had been going on blind dates, but no one seemed interested in her. Because the Tian family was involved with spies, people with even slightly better financial means didn't want to get involved with them.

"My brother-in-law really got married?" Tian Kexian came back from outside. She returned to her room and saw her sister sitting there dumbfounded.

"It's settled," Tian Keshu said. "Everyone has moved in."

Tian Keshu was heartbroken. She hadn't even registered her marriage with anyone yet, but her ex-husband had already done so. In Tian Keshu's view, it wasn't that they didn't have feelings for each other, but rather that such a serious incident had occurred, and Brother Qin had to divorce her.

"They're just letting them move in like that?" Tian Kexian said. "How could their family do this?"

"What else can we do?" Tian Keshu asked. "Can we still go over there and cause a scene?"

“Go ahead and make a scene, go ahead and make a scene,” Tian Kexian said. “Sister, you shouldn’t have gotten a divorce.”

"What can I do if I don't get a divorce?" Tian Keshu understood her situation all too well.

Tian Keshu regretted it. She shouldn't have offended Song Fenglan, nor should she have offended Jiang Yufei. Song Fenglan might not have said much, but silence didn't mean she wouldn't bite; while Jiang Yufei was a mad dog, she spoke nonsense and randomly, yet people took her words seriously.

Those few days, Tian Keshu was interrogated by relevant departments, making her extremely uneasy. She knew there was no going back, no going back to the way things were before. Tian Keshu would never forget what she had gone through, and neither would the Qin family.

That evening, Brother Qin called Qin Yizhou. At the time, Song Fenglan was explaining some basic physics concepts to Qin Zihang. Zhang Xiaohu had been called back to wash his hair and take a shower and hadn't come over yet.

"I'm married," Brother Qin said.

"Are you planning a wedding banquet?" Qin Yizhou asked instinctively.

"Both your sister-in-law and I are remarrying, so we won't be having a banquet. We just wanted to let you know," Brother Qin said. "You have a new sister-in-law now."

"Okay." Qin Yizhou nodded.

"Yizhou..." Brother Qin hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

"Is there anything else?" Qin Yizhou asked.

"The written agreement we made before still stands," Brother Qin said.

“Yes, it still stands,” You Yun said from the side. “We’ll stick to the written agreement.”

You Yun had heard some of the things Tian Keshu had done, and she, You Yun, could never do the same. You Yun thought that no matter how bad the class background of her sister-in-law was, they were still sisters-in-law; they were all women, and why should women make things difficult for each other?

Since Brother Qin received a larger share and You Yun benefited from it, she had to abide by the written agreement. You Yun knew she couldn't possibly follow in Tian Keshu's footsteps; someone had already made a mistake, and You Yun couldn't do the same.

"Don't worry, you and your sister-in-law. Your older brother and I will take care of Mom and Dad," You Yun said.

Qin Yizhou heard You Yun's voice. He really hadn't expected his older brother to get married again so soon, but then he thought it was quite normal. Someone like his older brother couldn't stay single forever; he had elderly parents and children at home, and someone still needed to take care of them.

"Is your sister-in-law there?" Brother Qin asked.

“She’s not home,” Qin Yizhou said. He didn’t tell Song Fenglan to be quiet, as Song Fenglan was still talking to Qin Zihang.

"Mom, when I grow up, I want to weigh an elephant too." Qin Zihang heard Song Fenglan's method for weighing an elephant, and he wanted to become very powerful when he grew up.

"Okay, sure," Song Fenglan said. "Now you should study hard."

"..." Brother Qin heard Song Fenglan's voice, but his younger brother said Song Fenglan wasn't home, so he couldn't say for sure if she was. His brother and sister-in-law had become distant from him. Brother Qin took a deep breath, "Is Zihang with you?"

“Yes, I have to take care of him,” Qin Yizhou said. “He was very well-behaved when he first came, but now he’s much more mischievous, a real little devil.”

Qin Yizhou remembered that Qin Zihang had secretly put pumpkin seeds in his pocket earlier. Those pumpkin seeds were washed and dried by Madam Su, who wanted to save them for planting. Qin Zihang had simply stuffed them into Qin Yizhou's pocket, saying they were edible.

Later, Qin Yizhou discovered that the pumpkin seeds were raw and learned that Madam Su intended to plant them. Qin Yizhou even patted Qin Zihang's bottom a few times, but Qin Zihang didn't cry; instead, he laughed heartily. When Qin Yizhou tried to hit harder, Madam Su stopped him, saying that it was good for children to be a little mischievous.

“The child is older now, and not as well-behaved as before.” Qin Yizhou’s tone softened considerably when he spoke of Qin Zihang. “I need to spend more time with him. I didn’t spend enough time with him before, and now I have to make up for it.”

"You take care of him," Brother Qin said.

"Okay, I'll hang up then," Qin Yizhou said.

After Qin Yizhou hung up the phone, Song Fenglan looked at Qin Yizhou.

"Was that a call from your older brother?" Song Fenglan asked.

“Yes, he remarried,” Qin Yizhou said. “They said the previous word count still applies.”

"Okay, sure," Song Fenglan said. "Are they going to throw a banquet for you to come back for?"

"No, they didn't hold a wedding banquet," Qin Yizhou said. "They said it was their second marriage, so they didn't hold a banquet; they just got their marriage certificate."

Qin Yizhou didn't know what his new sister-in-law was like, and since he didn't need to live with her, he didn't need to care. Qin Yizhou only needed to mind his own family's affairs; he could let his older brother do whatever he wanted.

"That speed... is quite fast," Song Fenglan said.

"She said it was my aunt who introduced us," Qin Yizhou said.

"Aunt?" Song Fenglan looked at Qin Yizhou. "Your aunt?"

“Yes, my aunt always likes to meddle in these things,” Qin Yizhou said. “I just don’t know what this new sister-in-law is like. Regardless of her, we have our own home.”

“Yes, we have our own home.” Song Fenglan nodded.

"Do I have an aunt?" Qin Zihang couldn't help but ask.

"Yes," Qin Yizhou said. "Your aunt lives in the countryside."

Qin Yizhou has an older sister who was sent to the countryside as an educated youth. She got married and had children there. Qin Yizhou rarely contacts his sister, and she resents being sent to the countryside as an educated youth, so she doesn't treat her family very well.

“I’ve never heard you mention that,” Song Fenglan said.

“My sister harbors resentment towards the family,” Qin Yizhou sighed. “She’s also stubbornly refusing to contact us. I’ve sent her things a few times, and she told me not to send them anymore. Every time I send something, she returns it. Later, when I sent her something again, she really did return it and refused to accept it.”

Before Song Fenglan joined the army, Qin Yizhou didn't want her to worry about the Qin family's affairs, and he spent too little time with her. After Song Fenglan joined the army, she had important matters to attend to, and Qin Yizhou didn't specifically mention his sister.

“She wanted to join the army back then, but she didn’t make it,” Qin Yizhou said. “She became an educated youth instead. At first, all the educated youth thought they were really going to develop the countryside. My second sister thought so too. My parents wanted her to go to the countryside, and she wanted to go herself, so she signed up. But when she got there, she found out it wasn’t like that at all. My second sister wanted to come back and asked my parents to find a way, but they couldn’t do anything at that time, so they could only let her stay in the countryside.”

Qin's father's job was one that none of his children could take over. Qin's second sister returned to the city without a job and was even facing repatriation. When Qin's second sister returned home, people from the neighborhood committee came to her door, all of whom advised her to go back to the countryside. Later, even Qin's mother persuaded her to go back to the countryside.

Qin Yizhou didn't know very well. He joined the army when he was a teenager, so he hadn't been at home for a long time and wouldn't know much about it.

"When you divided the family property with your eldest brother, you didn't mention your second sister at all." Song Fenglan suddenly realized this.

“They didn’t say,” Qin Yizhou said. “Do you think my parents would give the family property to my second sister? My parents don’t even want to give us a large share of the family property, let alone my second sister. My father comes from a rural farming family, and his ideas are very traditional and feudal. The family property is inherited by the male members of the family, and the eldest son is responsible for his old age.”

“…” Song Fenglan remained silent.

"Talking about Second Sister is useless, arguing with her is pointless. If I speak ill of her in front of them, we'll only get dragged into more complicated matters," Qin Yizhou said. "We should think more about ourselves. I've already let you and Zihang down enough..."

Qin Yizhou really didn't want Song Fenglan to worry about those things anymore. He could consider his second sister's affairs; Song Fenglan didn't need to. Song Fenglan should just focus on her own life and not think about those issues.

“I’m just an ordinary person, and I have selfish motives too,” Qin Yizhou said. “In this respect, I’m quite similar to my parents and older brother.”

Qin Yizhou mocked himself, "He is, after all, Qin..."

How could family members not resemble each other in the slightest?

"So you haven't been in contact with each other at all?" Song Fenglan asked.

“No,” Qin Yizhou said. “We called her, but she didn’t answer. We wrote to her, but she didn’t reply. She’s determined not to contact us. What can we do?”

Second Sister Qin even blamed Qin Yizhou. She couldn't return to the city and had to stay in the countryside, where she could only get married. If she could return to the city, she could get married there and wouldn't have to live such a hard life in the countryside.

“Your house is really a mixed bag,” Song Fenglan asked.

Although Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou have been married for several years, Song Fenglan rarely asks Qin Yizhou about his affairs and doesn't pay much attention to them. Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou don't live on the same street, so they weren't childhood sweethearts; how could Song Fenglan possibly know so much about them?

No one else told her, so Song Fenglan didn't know.

"It wasn't exactly complicated," Qin Yizhou said. "Many families had someone sent to the countryside. In those days, families with multiple children generally had someone sent to the countryside."

Even families with better financial conditions still have to send their children to the countryside; it's a national policy, and they can't go against it. If they have multiple children and none of them are sent to the countryside, others will be watching, and they have too many things they can't control.

When Qin's parents sent their second daughter to the countryside, they felt that with several children in the family, it was necessary for someone to go. Since the second daughter didn't have a job, sending her to the countryside seemed appropriate. The second daughter was very enthusiastic at first, but that was because she was young and had some misunderstandings about going to the countryside.

The father grew up in the countryside and knew what it was like, but he still didn't tell his daughter and sent her to the countryside instead.

“I have an aunt,” Qin Zihang muttered.

“You have an aunt,” Song Fenglan said. “Are you sleepy? Do you want to go to sleep?”

"No," Qin Zihang shook his head. "I'll watch TV a little longer."

"Just watch for a while," Song Fenglan said. "You have to sit a little further away, not too close, or you'll hurt your eyes."

"Okay, I'll go far away." Qin Zihang was carrying his little stool further away, almost bumping into the wall. "It's very far, very far away."

"..." Song Fenglan's lips twitched slightly. Her son was really going all out to watch TV.

"Brother Zihang." Zhang Xiaohu has arrived.

Then, Qin Zihang and Zhang Xiaohu carried small stools to sit a little further away. Song Fenglan asked them to sit on the sofa, but they refused and insisted on sitting on the other side.

This left Song Fenglan speechless, so she simply stopped trying to stop them.

Gao Xiuxiu had previously said she was pregnant with a boy and that she wanted people to come to her house for a full-month celebration. Now, fewer people are bringing eggs to her house, and she's given up on the idea of ​​holding a celebration. If she were to hold a celebration for her daughter, people would say she's desperate for money.

Although families host banquets for others, most people don't think about spending so much money just to have a good meal; they hope to enjoy the food for a longer period of time.

Back then, Gao Xiuxiu rushed in front of Song Fenglan and even jumped into the car. Cao Fang was criticized by her superiors. Helping military wives wasn't wrong, but Cao Fang was too careless, letting someone get right in front of Song Fenglan like that. If Gao Xiuxiu had been a spy, Song Fenglan might have been finished.

This has led Cao Fang to be even more cautious when escorting Song Fenglan, as she feels her superiors are right. Cao Fang had assumed this area was a military and research institute residential compound, subconsciously believing it to be relatively safe, which caused her to be somewhat negligent.

Song Fenglan was unaware that Cao Fang had been criticized, and Cao Fang hadn't told Song Fenglan. Cao Fang knew that this wasn't Song Fenglan's fault; it was her own problem. If it weren't for this incident, Cao Fang might not have even known she had this issue. It was better that she knew sooner, so she could correct it and avoid making the same mistake again.

Qin Zihang is very smart. He goes to kindergarten with other children, and he can do things that the other children can't. He learns arithmetic and reading very quickly. He would even say to the other children, "How come you can't do something so simple? Didn't your mother teach you?"

Qin Zihang was taught by Mrs. Su and Qin Yizhou, a married couple, and he learned these things at a young age, while many children did not. Some children cried when they heard Qin Zihang's words, and when a child cried, the kindergarten teacher would ask what was wrong. When the teacher learned that Qin Zihang had made a child cry again, she felt helpless.

When Mrs. Su went to pick up Qin Zihang, the teacher mentioned Qin Zihang's problem.

"One sentence from him and most of the children in the class would make them cry," the teacher said. Other children missed their mothers, and when Qin Zihang mentioned his mother, they would cry. If Qin Zihang said a question was simple and that the other children didn't know the answer, they would also cry.

Qin Zihang seems well-behaved, but the things he says can make other children cry.

"Should we let him go to first grade next semester?" the teacher said. "He's so smart, he can totally learn with the first graders."

"First grade?" Mrs. Su asked in surprise.

"Yes, they are first-grade students. They have been in school for a longer period of time, so they don't cry as much as the little kids who have just started kindergarten," the teacher said.

Many parents have to go to work, so they send their children to kindergarten early. Some children stay in kindergarten for two or three years. The teachers really can't stand the children crying all the time. If the children aren't crying, Qin Zihang will take them to play games. Although these aren't very dangerous games, the teachers feel that the children have become much more mischievous.

The teacher didn't want Qin Zihang to continue attending kindergarten. She didn't want to continue being Qin Zihang's teacher; she didn't want to soothe this child only to have to soothe another one. The less the children cried, the easier it would be for the teachers.

"Mothers with children have also told us that Zihang's mother has taught him too much. He has already learned all that stuff, so why is he still in kindergarten?" the teacher said. "The kindergarten children are no match for him at all."

Although all the children are around six years old when they start first grade, skipping a grade isn't impossible. Given Qin Yizhou and Song Fenglan's backgrounds, it's acceptable for a smart child to skip a grade. Everyone hopes Qin Zihang will be even smarter and that he can become like his mother, or even his father.

"Auntie." Qin Zihang came over just as the teacher was exchanging a few words with Madam Su.

The teacher didn't want to say those things in front of Qin Zihang, worried that he might overthink it, so she could only say to Madam Su, "You can think about it, the primary school is right next door, it's very convenient."

Let these people leave her alone. Being a kindergarten teacher is an incredibly tough job. You have to go to work early, wait for the parents to pick up their children, and then soothe them and stop them from crying—these kids are just so noisy!

"Teacher, did you tell my aunt?" Qin Zihang asked directly.

Upon hearing this, the teacher nearly choked on her own saliva. She didn't look at Qin Zihang, but instead looked at Madam Su, "You saw that, didn't you?"

Qin Zihang is just that direct. Children don't understand those things; he's very frank and genuine.

The teacher felt she was overwhelmed and wanted things to be a little easier; she didn't want to always have to coax those children. If only things could be handled properly, and Qin Zihang wouldn't have to continue being her student.

"Hangbao, say goodbye to your teacher," said Madam Su.

"Goodbye, teacher." Qin Zihang waved his little hand.

Mrs. Su led Qin Zihang away. The teacher watched Qin Zihang's departing figure. Qin Zihang was considered well-behaved, but his words could easily make the other children cry.

"Auntie, did the teacher say anything bad about me?" Qin Zihang hadn't gone very far when he asked Mrs. Su again, "I've been very good. I've been writing, drawing, and playing with clay, but I haven't put the clay in my mouth. They put clay in their mouths, but I haven't."

“It’s not a bad thing,” Madam Su said gently.

“I didn’t make them eat playdough,” Qin Zihang said. “I told them it was dirty and they couldn’t eat it, or they would get worms in their stomachs. Then they cried. They’re so fragile.”

Qin Zihang said that those little bugs would crawl inside his stomach and bite around, taking a bite here and a bite there. He said the bugs had many legs and were even scarier than caterpillars. Qin Zihang thought his description was quite good, since that's what his parents said. He was really kind to those children and even told them what his parents had said.

Perhaps because it was so vivid, the children were even more frightened, and they cried.

Qin Zihang didn't understand why the children were crying. He felt he hadn't done anything wrong, and that what he had said was perfectly reasonable.

"Auntie, aren't they too young?"

"What?" Qin Zihang said, "Very young children, if they can't be separated from their mothers, will cry."

"Yes, they are too young." Madam Su couldn't very well say that the children had been scared away by Qin Zihang; she thought Qin Zihang was a good person.

“They’re so young, they don’t even want to go to school,” Qin Zihang said. “They don’t seem to care about their studies. Do you think their mothers will be happy with this?”

So, did Qin Zihang use the word 'mother' to control those children? Mrs. Su couldn't help but wonder.

Qin Zihang always likes to talk about his mother. In his eyes, his mother is the most outstanding person and the best mother in the world.

"I don't know," said Madam Su. "They will study hard from now on."

“They’ll lose at the starting line if they do that,” Qin Zihang said. “Our amazing children have to work hard on their own; they can’t wait for their mothers to work hard. My mother says that amazing mothers aren’t just ‘tiger moms,’ they’re ‘tiger mothers.’

"Hmm?" Mrs. Su asked in confusion, "Chicken breeding?"

"It's to encourage the baby," Qin Zihang said. "The baby works hard, and the mother also needs to work hard for the baby. When the mother reaches a higher level, she can help the baby reach a higher level as well. If the mother is not good enough, it will be too hard for the baby to be good. The baby can't do it."

So this is what Song Fenglan always said to her children?

After careful consideration, Mrs. Su found Song Fenglan's words to be quite reasonable. Indeed, if mothers don't work hard and are not capable, how can they expect their children to be capable? There is a genetic factor involved. If mothers do those things well, children can also try to work harder.

"Our Hangbao will be amazing," Mrs. Su praised.

“I have a great mom,” Qin Zihang said.

"Little brother Zihang." Zhang Xiaohu ran up to Qin Zihang's side. "Auntie is amazing, even more amazing than my mom."

Fatty wasn't surprised at all. Qin Zihang always praised his mother; he never said anything bad about her. Fatty then looked at her son, who always said that he, as a mother, wasn't as good as other children's mothers. He retorted, "I'm not that bad; many children's mothers aren't that great."

"Little brother Zihang, do you want a wife?" Zhang Xiaohu asked.

"I'm still young, I don't need a wife yet," Qin Zihang said.

"The grandma next door said she wants to give your younger sister to you as your wife," Zhang Xiaohu heard Grandma Fang say over there.

"They're just talking nonsense." Mrs. Su frowned. She thought that children wouldn't lie, and she guessed that Grandma Fang really said such things.

Grandma Fang was very unhappy that Gao Xiuxiu gave birth to two daughters in a row.

“My sister’s parents both have jobs, and they can afford to support her,” Mrs. Su said.

“We’re still so young, we can’t have wives yet. We have to wait until we grow up,” Qin Zihang’s older brother said seriously. “Little Tiger, you too, you can’t have one yet.”

"I don't want a wife. If I have one, I won't be able to eat my fill." Zhang Xiaohu gently patted his stomach.

The plump woman had no idea that her son had overheard those words; Old Mrs. Fang next door was far too outspoken. What child bride? What era are we living in? Child brides?

Adults should be careful what they say so that children don't overhear them.

The children of Song Fenglan and her husband are destined for greatness; why would they need to raise a child bride? Often, raising a child bride stems from concerns that the son won't be able to find a wife, or it's a wealthy family's decision to raise a child bride after consulting the fortune teller's birth chart.

"You can have wives when you're all grown up," said the plump woman.

Sister-in-law Pang felt she needed to have a serious talk with Old Lady Fang and tell her not to say these things in front of the children.

Soon, Madam Su took Qin Zihang back to Song Fenglan's house. The fat woman told Zhang Xiaohu to go home, and she went next door.

Grandma Fang wasn't home; Gao Xiuxiu was lying on the bed.

Gao Xiuxiu has been bedridden for more than half a month, and she still doesn't like her second daughter.

"Fat Sister-in-law?" Gao Xiuxiu didn't expect Fat Sister-in-law to come at this time.

"Xiuxiu, there's something I need to tell you," said the plump woman. "Fenglan would never raise a child bride for her son, so give up on that idea. If you really have that thought, take it back, and don't say it to your mother-in-law like that. Child brides are feudal dregs, don't you understand?"

Sister-in-law Pang wasn't saying that child brides like Fan Yani were bad; Fan Yani's situation occurred in a specific historical context, a long time ago. Now, Gao Xiuxiu's family shouldn't have such thoughts.

"Don't say that in front of your own children, it makes it sound like they've arranged a marriage between your children," said the plump woman.

"this……"

"Your mother-in-law said she wanted your child to be Zihang's child bride, and my son Xiaohu overheard it," the fat woman said. "Even if you said it in your own home, you were so loud that everyone could hear you. You should have some self-respect. You had a daughter and you want a son, so keep having children. Don't think about having someone else raise your daughter. I shouldn't have said this while you were in postpartum confinement. But if I didn't say anything, things would get even bigger, and more people would find out. Aren't you afraid your husband will be called in for a talk?"

The plump woman said with a serious expression, "These bad ideas shouldn't be had. You are people of the new era, and you should be progressives."

Gender equality applies. Gao Xiuxiu and her husband shouldn't have insisted on having a son in the first place. If they want to continue having children, no one can say much. However, the actions of Gao Xiuxiu and Grandma Fang are simply too despicable.

“Your daughter isn’t a gold nugget; other people don’t necessarily want her,” said the plump woman. “Xiao Hu heard this, but he doesn’t understand. He even told Zihang today. What will Feng Lan do if you let someone else go to her? Are you trying to get someone else to act as a matchmaker for your child?”

"I……"

“We’re all neighbors,” the plump woman sighed. “It’s better to be clear about things. Don’t have unrealistic ideas, and don’t always think about other people’s things.”

“I didn’t,” Gao Xiuxiu said. “I will talk to my mother-in-law and tell her not to say anything. My mother-in-law probably just thinks that Song Fenglan doesn’t plan to have any more children, so if she gives her a girl, she will have both a son and a daughter.”

"Bullshit about having both a son and a daughter," the fat woman said. "She has to work, so she doesn't have time to take care of her child. And Professor Su's husband has to take care of Zihang for her. Where would she find the time to adopt another child? You're all trying to take advantage of me. We're not stupid, we're not brainless. There are things we can say and things we can't say. You're making it sound like we're bullying you, a new mother."

"I understand." Gao Xiuxiu's face darkened. She had heard her mother-in-law say a few things about it, but she hadn't stopped her. Gao Xiuxiu thought that if her daughter could marry Qin Tuan's son, it would indeed be a good choice.

However, the children are still young, and Gao Xiuxiu wants them to grow up together so that there will be opportunities in the future.

When Grandma Fang returned, Fatty Sister met her, but Fatty Sister didn't say those things to Grandma Fang; she asked Gao Xiuxiu to tell Grandma Fang instead.

"What is she doing here?" Grandma Fang went to Gao Xiuxiu's room.

"Mom, are you trying to get my daughter to be Qin Tuan's son's child bride?" Gao Xiuxiu asked.

“I didn’t say it outside, just a few words at home. What’s wrong with that? Is it illegal?” Grandma Fang said.

“It’s not illegal, but don’t say it,” Gao Xiuxiu said. “They look down on us and would never agree to a marriage alliance with our family. If you say this, people will laugh at us.”

"Can't I even say a few words? I'm willing to marry my granddaughter into their family because we value them," Grandma Fang said. "They should be happy; it's a matter of pride. I won't even mention other families, I'll only talk about theirs."

"..." Gao Xiuxiu rubbed her temples. "Don't say it again. Sister-in-law Pang just came over and said that Xiao Hu overheard it and even talked about it in front of Qin Tuan's son. If Qin Tuan and the others find out, they'll definitely come and scold us."

"What's there to say?"

Grandma Fang said, "I'm old, I am..."

“They can’t possibly treat you like an elder,” Gao Xiuxiu said. “You’d better say less and not offend them. Your son works for them.”

"Forget it, forget it, let's not talk about it anymore." Grandma Fang waved her hand. These people are so troublesome. "When we were in the countryside, we could joke around and no one would care. But here, we can't even joke around. Do they think we have to marry our child into their family? The child is so young, who can know what will happen in the future?"

"You know, nobody knows what will happen in the future." Gao Xiuxiu was about to say something else when her second daughter started crying loudly again, and she had to breastfeed her.

Gao Xiuxiu's eldest daughter stayed in the corner, silent. She dared not utter a sound, afraid her mother would scold her.

When Song Fenglan returned home, she heard Mrs. Su talking about Qin Zihang skipping a grade and starting first grade.

“If Hangbao skips a grade, he’ll go to first grade with Xiaohu,” Mrs. Su said. “That’s not bad either. Hangbao knows a lot; it wouldn’t be interesting for him to continue in kindergarten.”

“Those kids are too childish,” Qin Zihang added. “I want to go to elementary school with Brother Xiaohu.”

Qin Zihang didn't quite understand the difference between kindergarten and primary school. He thought that since his older brother Xiaohu was older, it would be great for him to study with him. He wanted to study in a more advanced grade.

"Mom, I'm going to kick the kindergarten, I'm going to elementary school!" Qin Zihang gestured over there. "Those kids are too small! Elementary school is too small too. How about I go to university? Mom, let me go to university, a super, super big university."