Chapter 62 Competing for City Household Registration

Zhang Xiaohu hurt his foot and it was still hurting; he couldn't walk. Someone quickly went to call Aunt Pang to come and take the child to the hospital. Aunt Pang hurriedly took the child to the hospital. Fortunately, Zhang Xiaohu's leg injury wasn't too serious. The doctor set his bones and put a cast on his leg, telling him not to use that leg for the time being.

Zhang Xiaohu's eyes were red and swollen from crying. Today, he had gone to play tree climbing with other people. To avoid being discovered by the adults, they deliberately chose a dimly lit place, a place where the adults wouldn't be able to see them, such as a tree in the corner of someone else's yard.

"Crying? You still feel pain?" When Aunt Pang learned that Zhang Xiaohu had fallen from the tree, heaven knows how scared she was. She was afraid that Zhang Xiaohu had broken his leg and would never be able to walk again. Fortunately, the doctor said that Zhang Xiaohu's problem wasn't serious, but they still needed to be careful.

A broken bone takes a hundred days to heal, so Zhang Xiaohu needs to rest and recover properly. He can't walk well on one leg, so he'll use crutches for now. Crutches aren't very effective for such a small child, but he can't do without them.

"I really don't know whether to say it's good that you hurt your leg or your hand," said the plump woman. "I told you not to climb trees, I told you not to climb trees! Didn't you say you were going to play with your little brother Zihang?"

"My little brother Zihang always has to practice writing and do math problems, so I go find someone else to play with." Zhang Xiaohu wasn't that fond of studying. It was already quite an achievement for him to study with Qin Zihang on weekdays. It was impossible for him to study with Qin Zihang every day. He had to study at school and after school. This mischievous boy, Zhang Xiaohu, couldn't sit still all the time.

So, Zhang Xiaohu went to play with other people and even climbed a tree.

The fat woman wasn't watching for a moment, and this happened. It's not fair to say it's Qin Zihang's fault; he probably didn't even know Zhang Xiaohu was out playing with other people.

Qin Zihang wasn't a stubborn person, nor did he insist that Zhang Xiaohu play with him. Everyone only has one parent, but can have many friends; Qin Zihang never stopped Zhang Xiaohu from playing with other children.

Zhang Xiaohu had been living here since Qin Zihang came to stay, and he had been playing with other children before.

Zhang Xiaohu will stay in the hospital for the time being and will be discharged in a couple of days.

Looking at her youngest son's state, Fatty's wife felt a headache coming on. He was always a worry, and with this incident, it would be even more difficult for Zhang Xiaohu to go to and from school. She would have to keep a close eye on him, and if he was at school, it would be difficult for him to go to the toilet during breaks. Qin Zihang was too young to help Zhang Xiaohu, so she would have to ask Zhang Wen to check on him later, since both brothers were in elementary school.

Zhang Xiaohu didn't visit Qin Zihang for a day, and Qin Zihang didn't think anything of it. But after Zhang Xiaohu hadn't seen Qin Zihang for two nights, and Qin Zihang still hadn't seen Zhang Xiaohu at school, he became suspicious.

"Mom, Brother Xiaohu didn't go to school today, and he didn't come to our house either." Qin Zihang wrote a few words after finishing dinner and couldn't help but ask Song Fenglan.

“Your brother Xiaohu fell and hurt his leg while climbing a tree and is in the hospital,” Song Fenglan said. “You are still young. Don’t think that just because you are agile enough to climb trees, you can. Look, Zhang Xiaohu fell and can’t walk yet. He will need crutches eventually.”

"What kind of cane is it?" Qin Zihang asked. He had seen his second uncle walk with a slight limp, but his second uncle did not use a cane.

“It’s a wooden cane,” Song Fenglan said. “Stand over there on one leg and see how long you can stand. Xiao Hu can only use one leg for now; he can’t use both legs.”

"On one leg?" Qin Zihang actually walked to the side and stood on one leg.

Song Fenglan looked at her son, wondering how long Qin Zihang could hold out.

After a while, Qin Zihang started to sway unsteadily; he was about to lose his balance.

"No, no, I can't!" Qin Zihang quickly put his other foot on the ground, afraid of falling. He couldn't end up like his older brother, Xiao Hu. Qin Zihang hadn't seen Zhang Xiao Hu after he fell, but he figured that since Zhang Xiao Hu was in the hospital, it must be quite serious.

"Can you feel it?" Song Fenglan asked.

"I can feel it," Qin Zihang said. "It's too difficult. How can you walk on one leg? Even a rabbit doesn't hop on one leg."

Qin Zihang just jumped twice. Jumping twice is fine, but making him jump continuously is not an option. It's too difficult, too difficult. Qin Zihang doesn't want to walk like that; this isn't walking, this is jumping.

“Having crutches will help a little, but it still won’t be easy to walk,” Song Fenglan said. “When the time comes, don’t laugh at your little tiger brother for not being able to walk well, and you’re not allowed to imitate your little tiger brother’s walking style, okay? Your little tiger brother is already very sad when he falls down. If you do that again, he will be unhappy and won’t play with you anymore.”

"Oh, I won't." Qin Zihang nodded vigorously. "Mom said I won't do that."

Qin Zihang said he would be more careful. "Little Tiger, shouldn't you take some supplements?"

“He needs some supplements,” Song Fenglan said. “His parents will arrange it.”

A day later, Zhang Xiaohu was discharged from the hospital with his leg in a cast. His mother carried him home. Because of Zhang Xiaohu's leg condition, even his wife, Fatty, couldn't easily let him walk back. Fatty was strong enough to carry him, but Song Fenglan couldn't manage it for long.

When Qin Zihang learned that Zhang Xiaohu had returned from the hospital, he wanted to go see Zhang Xiaohu, but Qin Yizhou made him eat instead. Only after finishing his meal did Qin Zihang go to see Zhang Xiaohu.

"Brother Xiaohu." Qin Zihang arrived at Zhang Xiaohu's house and saw Zhang Xiaohu lying there, noticing his leg in a cast. "How come it's so big?"

“That’s about the size,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “Plaster, hard.”

Qin Zihang touched it lightly, then withdrew his hand, not daring to move again.

"If I told you to climb the tree, but you didn't, you wouldn't be like this." The plump woman was quite disgusted with her youngest son, who was really too disobedient. "Do you think you're a monkey?"

"Didn't you say we evolved from monkeys?" Zhang Xiaohu retorted.

"All you ever do is spout this nonsense," said the fat woman. "Don't let it happen again."

"There won't be a next time," Zhang Xiaohu quickly assured him.

"Here you are, Brother Xiaohu." Qin Zihang took out two hard-boiled eggs from his pocket and handed them to Zhang Xiaohu. He had asked his father to cook them specially, knowing that Brother Xiaohu liked to eat eggs.

“We’ll each take one,” Zhang Xiaohu said.

"No, you can have it all." Qin Zihang refused. "Brother Xiaohu, you need to eat more. You need to get better so you can walk properly. You need to eat more now."

Qin Zihang witnessed Zhang Xiaohu's reaction firsthand, and he was too scared to climb trees. Indeed, children should listen to adults; otherwise, they're easily injured. And if they get hurt, no one can help them, which is very unfortunate. Parents can't always support them while they walk; they have to walk on their own.

"Thank goodness, Brother Tiger, you can still move your hand. Eat quickly, it's still a little warm," Qin Zihang said.

Zhang Xiaohu looked at his mother, and the plump woman said, "Eat up. Your little brother Zihang cares about you so much, aren't you going to say thank you?"

"Thanks

"Brother Zihang," Zhang Xiaohu said.

"You're welcome," Qin Zihang said. "Little Tiger, you eat quickly, I have to go back now. You eat and get some rest."

Qin Zihang felt bad about disturbing Zhang Xiaohu's rest. When he came over, Song Fenglan had already told Qin Zihang to let Zhang Xiaohu get some rest.

“Brother Zihang, let’s play together another day,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “Another day, I’ll be able to use my crutches and I’ll be able to get over there.”

Zhang Xiaohu wanted to watch TV, but he had to walk by himself. He wanted his mother to carry him, but she wouldn't let him.

Fatty Sister understood Zhang Xiaohu's desire, but she insisted that he walk there himself and couldn't spoil him. It was all Zhang Xiaohu's fault for climbing the tree; if he hadn't, none of this would have happened.

Qin Zihang went home, and Fatty Sister-in-law and Song Fenglan were talking in the yard.

"The children were naughty and fell off the tree, so you can't really blame them," the plump woman sighed. "Their mother brought some eggs, which I accepted."

As Fatty Sister-in-law said, it was Zhang Xiaohu's own fault for being naughty. If Fatty Sister-in-law insists on blaming those people, then those children will never dare to play with Zhang Xiaohu again.

"Let Xiaohu rest and recover properly. Don't let him run around or climb trees. We'll talk about it again once his legs are better," Song Fenglan said. "Children recover quickly; they're not so easily injured."

"That's true, but seeing him like this still breaks my heart," said the plump woman. "He deserves it. After this, he'll know to be afraid in the future."

“Kids are all like that, they remember the good things but not the bad things,” Song Fenglan said. “Sometimes it’s no use telling them; the more you tell them, the more curious they become and the more they want to do those things.”

“That’s exactly right,” said the plump woman. “I don’t even know how to tell them. It’s a good thing your Zihang didn’t go with them. If he had fallen, that would have been terrible. Little Tiger is tough, so he’s a bit better off. Your Zihang is also sensible; he knows he should stay home and study and didn’t run around.”

“This is the family compound, it’s relatively safe. Kids just run around everywhere,” Song Fenglan said.

Qin Zihang was taught by Song Fenglan from a young age not to run around recklessly. His aunt, Yu, was the one who looked after him, and Song Fenglan's family background at the time was problematic, so she was afraid it would implicate Qin Zihang. Naturally, Song Fenglan couldn't let Qin Zihang run around freely; she had to make sure he was well-behaved. She and her son were already causing trouble for others; they couldn't add to their burdens.

“Zihang wouldn’t do that,” said the plump woman.

“Zihang, that’s different,” Song Fenglan said. “It’s related to his past experiences in the capital.”

"Sigh, you guys have it tough too," said the plump woman, too embarrassed to continue. She understood Song Fenglan's meaning; those with a bad family background were bound to be bullied.

Even though a family nearby has been exonerated, they are still looked down upon and have to be careful in everything they do, fearing that the winds might change again.

"I'm going back now," Song Fenglan waved.

"Go back now." The plump woman watched Song Fenglan leave.

After Song Fenglan left, Fatty Sister looked back at Zhang Xiaohu, who was peeling and eating an egg.

"Is it delicious?" the plump woman asked.

"It's delicious." Zhang Xiaohu nodded.

"Does your leg hurt like this?" the fat woman asked, touching it.

"Mom, it will hurt, please don't touch it," Zhang Xiaohu said.

"When Zihang touches you, doesn't it hurt?" the fat woman asked.

“Zihang didn’t even touch it; he just tapped it once and then let go,” Zhang Xiaohu said.

"That's true, Zihang is really good to you. He was worried you'd be in pain, so he brought you two boiled eggs." The plump woman joked, "Don't you dare fall down on purpose just so you can have eggs."

"No, it won't," Zhang Xiaohu quickly shook his head. "It will hurt."

Zhang Xiaohu didn't want to fall over trying to eat two eggs; he wanted to be alright. After falling, Zhang Xiaohu realized the pain and didn't want to continue like this.

"You still know pain," said the plump woman. "You have to go to school tomorrow, and you'll need to go to the toilet during break. Just wait for your brother. I'll tell him to help you, and if that doesn't work, ask the teacher for help. Don't ask Zihang; he's much younger than you."

Aunt Pang was worried that Zhang Xiaohu wouldn't know his place and might run to Qin Zihang for help. Zhang Xiaohu was heavy, and Qin Zihang was still so small; they were both very likely to fall. Zhang Xiaohu wasn't very good at using crutches yet, and Aunt Pang had specially commissioned someone to make them smaller so that Zhang Xiaohu could use them more easily.

Aunt Pang had considered having Zhang Xiaohu go to school in a wheelchair, but then thought better of it. She wanted him to use crutches and experience firsthand how inconvenient it was for his legs to be like that. If he were in a wheelchair, wouldn't he find it easier? And with others taking care of him, wouldn't he be comfortable?

Song Fenglan returned home just as Qin Zihang turned on the TV.

"Mom," Qin Zihang said to Song Fenglan, "Little Tiger's legs are so big, it's hard for him to put on pants."

"It's still cold, so it's even more uncomfortable to wear pants," Song Fenglan said. "Were you scared?"

"I'm scared. I don't want to become like Brother Tiger. It's too scary," Qin Zihang said. "Very scary."

"Running is fine, but don't climb trees," Qin Yizhou said. "I'll take you running another day."

Qin Yizhou thought to himself that his son was a boy after all, and it didn't matter that he couldn't run for very long; they could run shorter distances.

"Okay," Qin Zihang said, "Let's go for a short run."

Song Fenglan chuckled; she hoped Qin Zihang's body could be as healthy as Qin Yizhou's.

"Where's Mom? Is Mom going to run away?" Qin Zihang asked.

“You guys run,” Song Fenglan said. “Mom can walk more on her way to and from work. She can also walk more at work, which is good exercise.”

"I walk to and from school too," Qin Zihang blinked.

“You’re in elementary school.” Qin Yizhou told her son to look at her and not to make things difficult for his mother. “Mom is in university. As you can see, the school I attend is very, very big. If I want to leave, it will be a very long walk. But your elementary school is so small, you don’t have to walk that much.”

"Is that so?" Qin Zihang thought of the university campus. The university was indeed very large, ridiculously large.

“That’s right.” Qin Yizhou nodded firmly. “Mom exercises. Don’t you want to be as strong as Dad?”

Qin Yizhou stretched out his arm, clenched his fist, and even broke an apple on the table in half with his bare hands, showing it to Qin Zihang.

"Wow!" Qin Zihang stared wide-eyed at the apple that had been broken in half. He picked up an apple, but couldn't break it no matter how hard he tried. Then, Qin Zihang's eyes lit up. He picked up the big apple and stuffed it into his mouth, taking a big bite. He then showed the half-eaten apple to Song Fenglan, "Mom, look."

Song Fenglan was amused by Qin Zihang's actions: one was to pry it open with his hands, and the other was to take a bite with his mouth.

"It's sweet," Qin Zihang commented.

“Once you take a bite, you have to eat it all,” Qin Yizhou said.

"I'll eat it then," Qin Zihang said. "I can eat a big apple and drink milk."

"If you can eat it, then eat it," Qin Yizhou said. "How could I not let you eat it?"

Qin Zihang took bites of the apple, saying, "You have to eat the apple that Dad broke open too. Mom, you're not allowed to help Dad."

When Qin Zihang saw his father about to hand half an apple to his mother, he quickly stopped him, saying, "Mom, eat something else."

"You two eat the big apple, and I'll eat the smaller one," Song Fenglan said. She had originally planned to eat half an apple, but eating a whole apple was a bit too much for her; she couldn't eat it.

Forget it, I'll eat a banana instead of an apple.

Song Fenglan peeled a banana. She still preferred larger bananas, as they were sweeter and less astringent.

"Eat, you guys eat, don't look at me." Song Fenglan took a bite of banana and continued watching TV.

Song Fenglan thought her son was a bit silly. How could Qin Yizhou, a grown man, not be able to eat that one apple? It was only because Qin Zihang was small and had a small appetite that he had a hard time eating such a big apple.

“Dad, eat,” Qin Zihang said.

Qin Yizhou took a bite of the apple; it was just something he was eating by himself, something he could eat by himself.

The father and son were eating apples. Qin Zihang looked at Qin Yizhou and said, "Dad, take a bite of the other half too."

"Hmm?" Qin Yizhou asked, puzzled.

“You’ve already taken a bite, so Mom can’t eat it,” Qin Zihang said.

“Okay, take a bite,” Qin Yizhou said, taking a bite at a time.

Qin Yizhou didn't eat too fast, afraid that Qin Zihang would choke if he ate too quickly.

"Eat slowly," Song Fenglan reminded Qin Zihang. "An apple stuck in your throat is very serious, even more serious than Xiaohu breaking his leg."

Qin Zihang originally wanted to eat quickly, but he didn't dare to after hearing what his mother said.

Eat slowly, not quickly.

"I didn't want to upset my mother," Qin Zihang said. It wasn't that he couldn't eat as fast as his father, but rather that he didn't want to get hurt or upset his mother.

"You are a filial son." What else could Qin Yizhou say? He couldn't very well tell Qin Zihang to hurry up; if he dared to do that, his wife wouldn't let him into the room tonight.

Qin Yizhou ate a few bites and glanced at the TV, then waited for Qin Zihang to catch up, lest Qin Zihang eat in big mouthfuls, fearing that the child would swallow the apple without chewing it.

Finally, Qin Zihang finished eating the apple first, and he stood happily on the sofa, saying, "Mom, I finished eating first, I finished eating first!"

"Okay, you finish eating first. Don't jump around right after you've finished eating." Song Fenglan was afraid Qin Zihang would feel nauseous. "Have you forgotten what your mother told you before?"

Qin Zihang quickly got off the sofa, not daring to stand on it any longer.

Song Fenglan took a handkerchief and wiped Qin Zihang's mouth. His mouth was wet with apple puree from eating.

"Would you like more milk?" Qin Yizhou asked Qin Zihang.

"I'm not drinking anymore, I'll drink tomorrow morning." Qin Zihang couldn't drink anymore; if he drank any more, he would be too full.

Qin Yizhou didn't force Qin Zihang. If his son said he didn't want to drink, then he wouldn't drink. "Give it to your mother."

"I'm not drinking anymore," Song Fenglan said. "Two bananas are enough."

The next day, Fatty woke Zhang Xiaohu up early and told him to walk with his crutch while she accompanied him to school.

"So early?" Zhang Xiaohu rubbed his eyes. He saw the clock; it was still very early.

“If your legs were fine, you wouldn’t have to get up so early. With your legs in this condition, if you don’t get there early, how will you get to school before class?” the fat woman said. “Even a snail would take it; you wouldn’t even reach the door.”

"No, no, I can walk to school," Zhang Xiaohu said. "I will definitely walk to school."

"Hehe." Fatty Sister-in-law was just listening to what Zhang Xiaohu was saying, lest he start clamoring to be carried again. Fatty Sister-in-law didn't plan to carry Zhang Xiaohu to school; he wanted Zhang Xiaohu to walk by himself.

“Mom, I can do it.” Zhang Xiaohu knew his mother was mocking him for not being able to walk to school. “I can get there.”

"Hurry up, finish your breakfast so we can go over there," said the plump woman. "For your sake, your brother has to get up early and go to school with you."

It's impossible for Aunt Pang to take the children to school twice; of course, she takes both children to school at once. It took Aunt Pang quite a while to put pants on Zhang Xiaohu. It was really too much trouble. It would be a little better in the summer, but the weather is still a bit cold now, and Aunt Pang doesn't dare to dress Zhang Xiaohu in too few clothes, afraid he'll get cold.

Seeing his younger brother like that, Zhang Wen didn't want to go to school early, but there was nothing he could do; it was his brother's fault for falling.

After breakfast, Aunt Pang helped Zhang Xiaohu carry his schoolbag. She really wanted him to carry it, but then she thought about her younger son's leg condition. She felt it would be good enough if he could walk to school with crutches. The doctor had also advised that Zhang Xiaohu needed to move around; keeping him still could increase the risk of blood clots, which would be bad for his health.

Qin Zihang ran into Zhang Xiaohu on his way to school. "Brother Xiaohu."

"Look, your little brother Zihang left last, he's almost at school, and you're still not there," the fat woman mocked Zhang Xiaohu.

“I’m closer to the school than my younger brother Zihang,” Zhang Xiaohu said, asserting that he wasn’t blind.

Qin Zihang clearly didn't understand Zhang Xiaohu's meaning. After taking a few steps, he was ahead of Zhang Xiaohu. Madam Su followed behind Qin Zihang, but she didn't help him carry his schoolbag; Qin Zihang carried it himself.

"Brother Xiaohu, do you need me to help you?" Qin Zihang asked.

“Zihang, you don’t need to help him. Let your brother Xiaohu learn a lesson,” said the chubby woman. “When get out of class ends, you don’t need to help him either. Let him wait for his brother. Let his brother help him up so he knows how bad it is to fall. He won’t dare to do it again next time.”

Qin Zihang withdrew his hand, no longer intending to help Zhang Xiaohu. Qin Zihang nodded, "I'll listen to Auntie."

“You go to school first, don’t worry about Xiaohu,” said Sister Pang. “Let him walk by himself. He needs to learn to walk on his own; he’s a man.”

“Yes, I’m a man, Zihang. You go to school first, I’ll be there soon.” Tears welled up inside Zhang Xiaohu. Walking with crutches was so difficult; he had almost fallen just now. But his mother still insisted he walk by himself, refusing to carry him.

The fat woman had just told Zhang Xiaohu that with so many people on the street, it would be ridiculous for someone his age to be carried. Zhang Xiaohu could only try his best to walk on his own; he didn't want to be laughed at. He had to walk, try his best to walk, so he wouldn't be late.

"Okay, I'm going to school now." Qin Zihang waved to Zhang Xiaohu.

Mrs. Su glanced at Zhang Xiaohu; this child would have to endure it for a while. Mrs. Su only returned home after sending Qin Zihang to school.

Zhang Xiaohu arrived at the classroom before the bell rang. Zhang Xiaohu and Qin Zihang weren't deskmates; they sat with different people. Once in the classroom, Zhang Xiaohu specifically called out to Qin Zihang.

"Brother Zihang, I'm not late!" Zhang Xiaohu said loudly.

Qin Zihang turned to look at Zhang Xiaohu at the door, "Yay, Brother Xiaohu, you're amazing, you weren't late."

Qin Zihang was very supportive, and Zhang Xiaohu had a smile on his face.

When the plump woman saw Zhang Xiaohu sit down, she handed him his schoolbag. Then she turned to Qin Zihang and said, "Zihang, remember, don't help him. His brother will come. The same goes for everyone else. Don't help them. Wait for their brother."

"Wait for me," Zhang Wen said. He had heard his mother say this many times before. Zhang Xiaohu was his younger brother, so of course he had to take better care of him. This younger brother was so irresponsible, always keeping him busy.

"Okay, let's wait for Brother Wen to come." Qin Zihang nodded. "I've written it all down."

"..." Zhang Xiaohu wanted to lie on the table. He looked at the other classmates. He wanted to tuck his legs in, but his leg was in a cast, so it was hard to do so. Now, everyone had to see that his legs had become big. Waaah, he didn't want to be like this at all. He had really had a hard time.

Zhang Xiaohu is working hard; he wants to be a strong man.

During recess, Zhang Xiaohu waited patiently for his brother to arrive. He wouldn't move around unless his brother came. Zhang Xiaohu was worried that his brother, who was using crutches, might fall and hurt his injured foot even more.

"It's okay, it's okay," Zhang Xiaohu muttered to himself, assuring everyone that he was fine.

Qin Zihang was unaware of Zhang Xiaohu's grumbling. During breaks, he would talk to Zhang Xiaohu to cheer him up.

Tian Junhua, who previously insisted on becoming Song Fenglan's son, now has a good relationship with Qin Zihang and Zhang Xiaohu. No one would guess that these kids had a falling out before, even getting into a fight. Now, they play together happily.

If it weren't for Fatty Sister's instructions, Qin Zihang and Tian Junhua would have wanted to help Zhang Xiaohu up.

"I don't need you guys, I have my older brother." Zhang Xiaohu patted his chest. His mother had said that he couldn't let his mother down at this time.

At lunchtime, some children eat at school, while others go home. Qin Zihang and Zhang Xiaohu both belong to the group that goes home for lunch; Zhang Xiaohu even has a hard time walking to the school gate.

"Zihang, you go back first." Aunt Pang went into the classroom to check on Zhang Xiaohu, not making Qin Zihang wait for Zhang Xiaohu. "Your aunt is waiting for you at the door."

"I'm leaving now," Qin Zihang said. He couldn't keep his aunt waiting for him; his little tiger brother...

With others around, he didn't need to worry about Little Tiger being alone.

When Zhang Xiaohu went back, he walked very slowly again. But he had to walk slowly, even if it meant he wouldn't have time for a midday nap.

The fat woman did it on purpose; she wanted Zhang Xiaohu to experience the hardship involved. Zhang Wen went home first. It was just a short distance, and he didn't need to worry about the child getting into danger on the way. Zhang Wen had traveled this route countless times.

"Mom, is my older brother going back first? Is he going to eat first?" Zhang Xiaohu asked.

“Yes, he’ll go back first and eat first,” said the plump woman. “After he eats, he can go and rest.”

"Won't the food get cold?" Zhang Xiaohu asked.

"You deserve to be cold," said the plump woman. "Who told you to put yourself in this state?"

Fat Sister-in-law told her eldest son to eat first, but Zhang Wen didn't eat first; he waited at home for Fat Sister-in-law and Zhang Xiaohu.

"Look how much your older brother dotes on you. He wouldn't even eat first," said the plump woman.

"It's cold," Zhang Wen explained. "If you open the dish, it will get cold."

In the summer, it would be fine for Zhang Wen to eat first, but in the winter, when it's cold, Zhang Wen feels embarrassed to eat first.

"Eat up," said the plump woman.

After a while, Qin Zihang had finished eating. Madam Su escorted Qin Zihang to his room and covered him with a blanket.

Qin Zihang was very well-behaved in this regard; he didn't pretend to be asleep or think about going to the living room to watch TV. He could watch TV after finishing his homework in the evening.

Zhang Xiaohu's hands are still mobile, and he can eat by himself. However, when it's time to go to his room after finishing his meal, Zhang Xiaohu dawdles.

Fatty Sister-in-law watched Zhang Xiaohu cause such trouble, and thought Zhang Xiaohu deserved it.

Zhang Xiaohu felt like he had just lay down on his bed when his mother quickly woke him up, and he had to go to school again. Zhang Xiaohu felt that life was too hard. After a whole day, he thought to himself that he would never climb a tree again, and if he did, he absolutely could not fall off.

After dinner in the evening, Zhang Xiaohu, leaning on his crutches, went to Song Fenglan's house. He wanted to watch TV to calm his nerves, as he would have to continue walking like that the next day. Zhang Xiaohu just wanted to have a holiday; he didn't want to go to school—it was too difficult to walk.

"Have something to eat," Song Fenglan said.

Qin Yizhou had already peeled the fruit and placed it on the table. Since Zhang Xiaohu was sitting there and his legs were still not very good, Qin Yizhou placed the fruit a little in front of Zhang Xiaohu so that Zhang Xiaohu could reach out and grab it.

"Did you go to school?" Song Fenglan asked.

“I went, I went today.” Zhang Xiaohu said aggrievedly, “My mother just stood there watching, she didn’t even help me up.”

"..." How was Song Fenglan supposed to answer this? She thought for a moment, "Your mother wants you to exercise more so that your legs can heal faster. Later on, you won't need crutches to walk anymore, and you'll be able to walk on your own."

“But…it’s really hard to walk,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “It feels like we’ve been walking for a very, very long time.”

Zhang Xiaohu couldn't help but show his grievances in front of Song Fenglan; he was still a little sad.

“If your legs were strong, you wouldn’t have to walk so long.” The plump woman came over to take care of Zhang Xiaohu so that he wouldn’t have to trouble Song Fenglan and her husband. “If your legs were strong, you could even run.”

As Zhang Xiaohu thought about it, his mood worsened.

"Are you going to cry?" the plump woman asked.

"Don't cry, I won't cry," Zhang Xiaohu said.

"Little Tiger Brother, your eyes are wet, there are tears." Qin Zihang noticed.

"Where, where?" Zhang Xiaohu quickly reached out to wipe his tears. As long as he wiped them away, he stopped crying.

"Alright, let's pretend you didn't cry," said the plump woman. "Look at you, sit properly and watch TV if you want."

Zhang Xiaohu pursed his lips, wishing his mother hadn't come.

It was a little past 7 p.m., and Fan Yani and the others had already eaten. Fan Yani was still in her postpartum confinement period, and Guo's mother was trying various ways to prepare food for her. Guo's mother had also bought some pumpkins, which she stewed for Fan Yani.

In some places, it's customary to eat pumpkin during postpartum confinement. Guo's mother bought the golden-yellow kind, which is naturally sweet, so even without adding much sugar, it tasted quite good. Guo's mother treated Fan Yani like her own daughter, taking excellent care of her in every way.

While Guo's mother was washing and drying clothes during the day, Grandma Fang would come over to chat with her. Grandma Fang would say, "Why is Guo's mother doing so much? Fan Yani isn't Guo's mother's biological daughter, nor is she her daughter-in-law."

Of course, Guo's mother wouldn't listen to Grandma Fang's advice to do less work; Grandma Fang also had to do some chores at home. However, Grandma Fang would still put on airs as a mother-in-law and make things difficult for Gao Xiuxiu, not wanting her daughter-in-law to ride roughshod over her.

"Mom, did Aunt Fang come over today?" Fan Yani asked.

"She came over a while ago," Guo's mother said. "She said a lot of things, but I didn't listen to her."

Grandma Fang is a very typical country mother-in-law. She likes to talk about how her daughter-in-law didn't give birth to a son, and she likes to gossip about family matters. Now, Grandma Fang doesn't dare to say anything bad about Song Fenglan anymore, and she's even careful when talking about other military wives, not daring to say too much.

When Grandma Fang talked to Guo's mother about Fan Yani, Grandma Fang could only say that Fan Yani was now quite extravagant and didn't seem like a girl from the countryside. Grandma Fang didn't say much else, for fear that her son wouldn't even be able to stay in the police station.

Grandma Fang told Guo's mother about Li Hui's inability to conceive, and Grandma Fang even asked what the Guo family planned to do. Guo's mother, of course, couldn't tell Grandma Fang what to do; she could only say it was up to Guo Peng and his wife, and she couldn't interfere.

“If she says something, you can listen to it,” Fan Yani said. “You’re here with no one to talk to, and you’re busy taking care of me. It must be tiring for you.”

Fan Yani didn't mind if Guo's mother chatted with Grandma Fang and the others, as long as Guo's mother didn't foolishly listen to Grandma Fang's words and try to do something big, it was fine.

In the original owner's memory, many villagers liked to gossip when they got together. There were no other entertainment options, so gossiping and discussing the aftermath was like watching a TV series.

"Yani, you said..." Guo's mother was about to speak when she sighed again.

“Mom, please say it,” Fan Yani said. “At worst, we can close the gate to the yard so that no one outside can come in. We can talk quietly inside the house, and no one else will hear us.”

"Given your elder brother and sister-in-law's situation, what will happen to them if your sister-in-law really can't conceive?" Guo's mother asked. "Will they have to adopt a child?"

“Whether they want to adopt a child or not,” Fan Yani said, “it’s up to them. Mom, you’d better not mention adoption in front of my older brother and sister-in-law, they’ll be unhappy. If they really want to adopt a child, they’ll say so themselves.”

“Your younger brother got married early,” said Guo’s mother. “He already has two children, and he can still have more. What if your older brother and sister-in-law want to adopt a child…”

“It’s hard to say,” Fan Yani said. “The child is the child of his own brother. Sooner or later, the child will find out about his own origins. When the child is a little older, if he encounters something unpleasant, he may complain and feel that his adoptive parents are preventing him from being with his biological parents.”

“Yani, you…”

“Mom, please don’t take offense at my harsh words, but this is the truth,” Fan Yani explained. “I’m not saying I’m thinking about my biological parents. I know what kind of people they are. If it weren’t for you two, I wouldn’t be alive today. It’s not that my younger brother and his wife can’t raise a child; they can. Of course, my older brother and his wife are better off, but matters of the heart can’t be measured by money. As for whether or not to adopt, it’s best to wait for my older brother and his wife to bring it up themselves. If they want to adopt my younger brother’s child, they should talk to him themselves.”

Fan Yani said those things because she thought her adoptive mother was a good person. If her adoptive mother wasn't good, Fan Yani wouldn't have said those things.

“Now, you haven’t mentioned that your sister-in-law can’t get pregnant, you haven’t said it in front of them, and you haven’t mentioned adopting a child. You can sense their attitude towards you,” Fan Yani said. “If you were to bring it up now, what do you think they would think? They’re not that old. What if they were to get pregnant later? If they had children, would the adopted child still have a place in the world?”

In her past life, Fan Yani had read many news stories about wealthy couples who didn't have children of their own. Even after adopting a child and having a biological one, they would consider returning the adopted child. They didn't return the child, and they didn't treat the adopted child well; instead, they focused on caring for their own biological children. The reason was that they didn't have the energy; they could only take good care of their own children.

What Fan Yani wanted to tell the doctor was...

Li Hui has difficulty conceiving, but nothing in this world is absolute. Even Fan Yani could time travel; it's not uncommon for someone who has difficulty conceiving to get pregnant and have a child.

"Sigh, you're right," Guo's mother nodded. "Then let's just leave it at that."

“You’ll be living in the countryside from now on, with the younger one, not the older one,” Fan Yani said. “As for your retirement, at most your older brother will send you some money. Let your older brother and sister-in-law decide those things themselves.”

Fan Yani kept emphasizing this point to prevent Guo's mother from having a falling out with Guo Peng and his wife. It didn't matter if Fan Yani herself had a falling out with Guo Peng and his wife; she didn't need Li Hui and Guo Peng's help. Guo's mother was different; she doted on her eldest son and was bound to get hurt.

While Fan Yani was in postpartum confinement, Yue Hongwei didn't sleep in the same room as her, but he stayed with his wife every night. After Guo's mother went to rest, Fan Yani told Yue Hongwei what Guo's mother had said. She spoke deliberately in a low voice, not afraid that Guo's mother would hear, and she could say the same things to Guo's mother as she had to to Yue Hongwei. Fan Yani simply didn't want to disturb Guo's mother's rest, which was why she spoke so softly.

“Actually, if my older brother and sister-in-law wanted to adopt my younger brother and sister-in-law’s child, I think my younger brother and sister-in-law would be happy to do so,” Fan Yani said. “If the child stays with my younger brother and sister-in-law, he will only be able to stay in the countryside. Even if he goes to school in the future, it will be difficult for him to get into university because the educational conditions in the countryside are not good. If the child stays with my older brother and sister-in-law and goes to school in the city, even if he doesn’t get into university, having a city household registration will make a big difference to his future.”