Chapter 64 Telling the Truth: It's Just a Pastry

“Your brother Zihang already has a father, he doesn’t need another one. Give up, you can only call me Dad for the rest of your life.” Zhang Chenghai reached out and grabbed Zhang Xiaohu by the back of his collar, lifting him up briefly before putting him down again. “Did you feel that? If anyone’s going to throw someone away, it’ll be me throwing you in the trash.”

"You shouldn't have picked me out of the garbage dump," Zhang Xiaohu said, pursing his lips.

“If we don’t pick them up, who will?” Zhang Chenghai asked.

“Let Zihang’s parents pick it up,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “Who wants parents like you?”

Zhang Xiaohu felt wronged; he was injured, yet his parents could still laugh. Zhang Xiaohu didn't like his parents like this; he wanted to get to school quickly.

Seeing Zhang Xiaohu walking quickly with his cane, Zhang Chenghai quickly walked ahead of Zhang Xiaohu.

"..." Zhang Xiaohu almost cried.

Seeing this, Qin Yizhou noticed that Zhang Chenghai was still quite pleased.

Humorously teasing Zhang Xiaohu.

"Little Tiger, it's still early," Qin Zihang said. "It's so close, there's no need to rush, we can walk slowly. When I was in school, my aunt always told me to walk slowly, not to go too fast, and to take it easy."

Zhang Xiaohu didn't want to take it slow at all; he wanted to come quickly, to walk quickly, and even faster. But given the condition of Zhang Xiaohu's legs, how could he possibly walk that fast? He still walked rather slowly.

"Little Tiger Brother, your leg will get better soon," Qin Zihang said. "Listen to the doctor, take your medicine obediently, be good..."

"You don't need to take any more medicine," Zhang Xiaohu said.

“You need to eat. Mom said your legs are like this, so you need to supplement… supplement calcium. Yes, you need to supplement calcium,” Qin Zihang said. “My legs aren’t like yours, but I still need to supplement calcium. We need to supplement our growth.”

Qin Zihang was good at talking, "Calcium supplements aren't considered medicine, they're just tonics."

Song Fenglan was worried that the child would resist, as children generally dislike taking medicine and find it bitter. However, if the child was deficient in calcium supplements, it was necessary to introduce them gradually. Children grow very quickly, and relying solely on food may not provide enough energy; supplements are still needed.

"Isn't it medicine? Won't it taste bitter?" Zhang Xiaohu asked.

"It won't be bitter," Qin Zihang said. "My mom makes me drink milk to help me grow taller. Boys need to be tall, not too short. If you're too short, you'll look like one of the seven dwarfs, which isn't good-looking."

"Seven dwarfs?" Zhang Xiaohu looked at Qin Zihang.

“Yes, have you heard the story of Snow White?” Qin Zihang said, “The seven dwarfs were Snow White’s companions. They were too short, so they could only help the princess with her tasks; they couldn’t become princes.”

Song Fenglan didn't say that the seven dwarfs couldn't be princes; she only said that the seven dwarfs were dwarfs, a special race, not princes. Qin Zihang's understanding was that the seven dwarfs were too short, so they couldn't be princes, and Snow White married a prince, not one of the seven dwarfs.

Qin Zihang thought the seven dwarfs were really pitiful; why couldn't they grow taller?

On the way, Zhang Xiaohu and Qin Zihang chatted for a while, and they soon arrived at the school gate. Zhang Chenghai and Qin Yizhou took the children to their classrooms, and then they left.

On the way home, Zhang Chenghai couldn't help but say, "You seem to have a lot of time to take care of the kids, being home almost every morning and evening."

Qin Yizhou held a higher position than Zhang Chenghai, so Zhang Chenghai only said a few words and didn't dare to ask any more questions. Zhang Chenghai thought that Qin Yizhou was going home so early, meaning he was doing less intensive training at night, and during those training sessions, there were other people supervising him. Zhang Chenghai felt something was amiss, but it was clear that the higher-ups didn't seem to disregard Qin Yizhou.

To say that Qin Yizhou's current rest is solely due to his previous hard work on missions doesn't quite make sense. Many people work diligently on missions and only need a short break, unlike Qin Yizhou. He even has time to prepare breakfast and dinner for his family; he spends a significant amount of time at home.

Zhang Chenghai lived close to Qin Yizhou, so he sensed something was very clear. He didn't know what others thought, but he felt that Qin Yizhou must have other important things to do, such as protecting Song Fenglan. Zhang Chenghai hadn't been specifically instructed, but Qin Yizhou had told him to keep an eye on things for him if he wasn't home.

"These days are relatively peaceful," Qin Yizhou said. "Unlike a few years ago, things are a bit easier. What are your thoughts? Will you continue to stay in the military, or...?"

“I don’t really know either. If I can stay here, I’ll stay here for now,” Zhang Chenghai said. “If I can’t stay here, there are other things to do. Fang Xudong next door went to the police station, didn’t he? It’s not bad for him to go to the police station; at least it’s in the south of the city.”

But there are only so many jobs in the city, and Zhang Chenghai, being from the countryside, doesn't want to go back. His hometown is quite poor, and there aren't many good jobs there. He'd rather stay in the army for as long as he can, and if it doesn't work out, he'll see if he can find another job in the city, like Fang Xudong did.

Previously, when Fatty Sister mentioned this matter to Zhang Chenghai, she thought Fang Xudong's job was very good. They should stay in the city if possible, because the schools in the city are better than those in the countryside, the children can meet more people in the city, and the children will be more successful in the future.

"There's still time," Qin Yizhou said.

Qin Yizhou isn't thinking about those things for the time being. He still has things to do and doesn't need to switch careers so soon. Qin Yizhou plans to continue doing what he can, and in this respect, he shares the same thought as Zhang Chenghai.

Some people don't need their superiors to tell them; they've already planned their future. It's not that they don't want to stay in the military, but they understand their situation. There's no need to wait for their superiors to discuss it with them; if they voluntarily withdraw, they might even receive better treatment.

“Yes, there’s still time, no rush,” Zhang Chenghai said. “You don’t need to rush either. You’ve come this far, so just stay here.”

Zhang Chenghai was older than Qin Yizhou, and he had to admit that Qin Yizhou was indeed more capable than him. Zhang Chenghai thought, if Qin Yizhou was so amazing, and he couldn't stay, then who could?

At the pilot training ground, Tang Lu is training hard. She has to do many maneuvers, spin, run, and various other exercises to improve her physical fitness. Tang Lu has excellent eyesight. Back in high school, she dreamed of becoming a pilot. She thought it was very cool, and that pilots could protect their country.

When Tang Lu arrived for training, she realized how difficult the training was, especially after she was selected to participate in the new fighter pilot training. Tang Lu felt that there was so much she needed to learn.

When the other new pilots in the same year saw how seriously Tang Lu trained, they all felt that Tang Lu was working too hard.

During her training, Tang Lu thought of Song Fenglan and the Song family. Song Xingyun was Tang Lu's maternal uncle. She had never met Song Xingyun, but perhaps she had seen his picture when she was a child. When she grew a little older, something happened to the Song family, and the Tang family did not speak up.

After the Song family was exonerated, Song Xingyun's story was reported again, and everyone knew that the Song family were all loyal and patriotic people.

Tang Lu went to see her biological mother and heard some things about the Song family, such as Song Xingyun being a scientist who was assassinated upon returning to China, and the Song family having produced a pilot who died in a suicide attack. Tang Lu thought about how she also had Song family blood in her veins, and she realized that becoming a pilot was a perfectly normal thing for her.

Originally, Aunt Song didn't want to talk much to Tang Lu. She didn't like the Tang family, not even her own children. In Aunt Song's eyes, these children were all on the Tang family's side; none of them had paid much attention to her when she was down on her luck.

Yes, when Aunt Song was in trouble, she hoped that her children would be safe and sound, but if her children did nothing at all, she would still be sad and upset.

Jian Lili is Tang Lu's classmate. Seeing how hard Tang Lu works, she feels a bit of pressure.

During lunch, Jian Lili couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you afraid your body can't take it with all this training?"

“I did get some rest, not that I didn’t,” Tang Lu said. “We’re going to be flying fighter jets, we’re going to be fighting the enemy, and we can’t show weakness in the fighter jets.”

"You're really amazing." Jian Lili gave a thumbs up.

“That’s not even the most impressive thing I’ve done,” Tang Lu said. “Our family…”

Tang Lu ultimately didn't continue, asking what the relationship was between the Song family and the Tang family.

"What happened to your family?" Jian Lili asked.

"No, nothing's wrong with our family," Tang Lu replied.

"Does anyone in your family work as a pilot?" Jian Lili asked again.

“No,” Tang Lu said. “No one in my father’s family is in that position.”

“That’s your mom’s relative,” Jian Lili said. “No one in my family is a pilot, but I wanted to be one, so I applied. Luckily, I passed. You know, when the notification came, I was so happy I wanted to take off right there. It was so great that I could realize my dream.”

"Your dream is to become a pilot?" Tang Lu looked at Jian Lili and saw the light in Jian Lili's eyes.

“Yes.” Jian Lili nodded. “My parents didn’t approve of me. They said girls aren’t suited to be pilots and wanted me to study something else. But I just wanted to try, just in case I succeeded. When the notification came down, my parents said there must be a mistake. But there was no mistake, it’s real, it’s real.”

“It’s true,” Tang Lu said.

“Your mom has relatives who are pilots, so she definitely won’t stop you. She’ll even try to persuade your dad…”

"he

They divorced years ago. "My mother's family was sent to a farm, and my father divorced my mother," Tang Lu said.

"I'm sorry." Jian Lili hadn't expected Tang Lu's family to be in this situation.

"Don't feel embarrassed, it's true, I can say it," Tang Lu said. "I also passed the political vetting process, which is why I was able to come here."

Tang Lu didn't intend to hide her family situation. Although it's fine between classmates to keep these things to themselves, Tang Lu wanted to be clear to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. Tang Lu then thought of Song Fenglan, who worked at the aircraft research institute. Would the two of them have contact in the future?

“That’s true, they all passed the political vetting. Your mother now… I’m sorry, if you’re not comfortable talking about it, then don’t,” Jian Lili said.

“My mother was exonerated, but my father has already remarried,” Tang Lu said. Her father remarried within a month of the divorce, just to sever ties with her mother.

"..." Jian Lili fell silent, she really didn't know what to say. These were special events that happened in a special era, and it couldn't be blamed on Tang Lu.

Not to mention Tang Lu's family, similar situations existed near Jian Lili's home. In those years, everyone in the family acted with extreme caution, fearing they might inadvertently get involved. Jian Lili's mother even told a cold, cruel joke: a wealthy landlord squandered his fortune before liberation and became a poor peasant. This former landlord was then reclassified as a poor peasant, a "good" class designation. Meanwhile, smaller landlords who hadn't squandered their fortunes were dragged away and executed.

"Let's eat," Tang Lu said. She wasn't afraid of Jian Lili looking down on her, nor was she afraid of the other classmates. Tang Lu came here to become a pilot, not to make friends. Whether those people understood her or not didn't matter. As long as she could do her job well and didn't need to rely on others, that was more important than anything else.

Anyway, fighter jets aren't piloted by two people. If one person performs well, the entire jet performs well.

At the research institute, Song Fenglan was unaware of Tang Lu's thoughts. Even if she had known, she would never have invited Tang Lu to her home for dinner, nor would she have spoken highly of Tang Lu.

Tang Lu is to undergo closed training; she cannot travel around.

It's impossible for Song Fenglan to ask Tang Lu what she needs. When Song's third aunt called Song Fenglan before, she didn't mention what Tang Lu had done, which shows that Song's third aunt didn't expect Song Fenglan to take care of Tang Lu.

"The food is good today, lots of meat." Song Fenglan ordered braised pork, radish and pork rib soup, and the other vegetables were also quite tasty.

"Good grades mean more meat," Professor Su said.

“That’s the absolute truth,” Professor Cai agreed. He was eating noodles, which contained a lot of meat and eggs.

With Song Fenglan in charge, the new fighter jets are going into mass production, and they are currently working hard to improve their capabilities. The higher-ups are very satisfied with their research institute, and the logistics department is doing a good job; they certainly won't go hungry.

"The hardest time is when we haven't achieved results," Professor Cai said. "Even if the leaders are on our side and tell us not to be afraid of failure, that failure is the mother of success, people are afraid of failing again and again. Their hearts are in their throats, and they can't calm down. They have to be nervous every time. If we succeed, it's okay, but if we fail, we will still feel sad."

Even people like Professor Cai will feel a little upset when they encounter failure; it's impossible for them not to feel any discomfort at all. They still have to find the problem, calculate many formulas, and if they can find a certain range of issues at once, that's fine, but if they can't find them, then they have to do a complete overhaul, which means there's even more work to be done.

"This meat is very fresh." Professor Su looked at Song Fenglan. "Look how thin you are, eat more meat. The food in the cafeteria is free, just get more if you need more, we won't miss your little bit of food."

If these people really need to eat a lot, the logistics department will find a way to get them more food; they can't be allowed to go hungry.

“Since I started working here, I’ve been eating meat more often,” Song Fenglan said.

"If you need to use your brain, you can't do it without eating meat," Professor Su said. "You need to replenish your body with oil and nutrients."

Song Fenglan didn't get home until after 8 p.m., and she ate dinner at the research institute's cafeteria. Today, Song Fenglan was giving a lecture to the institute's staff, covering various knowledge points, conceptualizations, and how she structured her projects—there was so much to say.

Song Fenglan, a college student, did not attend classes at the university; instead, she had to attend classes with other students.

Some of the professor's graduate students came to the research institute to help out, and others went to listen to Song Fenglan's lectures. Those graduate students were quite surprised to see Song Fenglan teaching there; they all thought, "Isn't Song Fenglan an undergraduate?"

Then, the graduate students' advisors said a few words to them, saying that Song Fenglan's disadvantage was that she didn't go to university and didn't have a diploma; Song Fenglan's knowledge was enough for her to graduate. If those graduate students hadn't been quite capable and their workplaces hadn't intended for them to do more work, they wouldn't have had the opportunity to learn from Song Fenglan.

When Song Fenglan wrote those complicated formulas and problems on the blackboard, she could calculate them directly. Song Fenglan wasn't from a teacher's college, so she wasn't very good at teaching students; after all, she wasn't a teacher in her previous life. Sometimes Song Fenglan wondered how many times she had to explain such simple content before they could understand it.

"Mom, why are you only just getting back?" Qin Zihang saw Song Fenglan return and went to get her shoes. "Mom, I was almost ready to go to bed."

"Something came up, so I came back late." Song Fenglan looked at Qin Zihang. He was fine; his face was still chubby, and he seemed to be in good spirits. "Did our little Hangbao eat enough?"

"I ate it. I just ate an apple and drank milk." Qin Zihang counted on his fingers. "Dad didn't cut the apple; he just washed it and gave it to me to eat."

Qin Zihang complained, "Mom, Dad used to cut things when you were here. He used to cut things too, but he doesn't anymore."

“Your teeth can bite through it,” Qin Yizhou said.

"The apple is hard," Qin Zihang said.

"It's for grinding down your teeth," Qin Yizhou said. "You'll be getting your permanent teeth later. If you always eat soft, pre-cut food, your teeth won't loosen easily and it will be harder for them to fall out. Your current teeth are baby teeth, which will fall out soon."

"You know this too?" Song Fenglan asked in surprise.

"I need to learn from them." Qin Yizhou asked someone on purpose because he had seen other people's children lose their teeth, and he also knew that some children's teeth hadn't fallen out yet but had already grown in. "Teeth are not a trivial matter, so we still need to pay more attention to them."

"Mom, will I lose my teeth?" Qin Zihang didn't believe his father, but he believed his mother.

“You’re going to lose your teeth. When you’re around six years old, you’ll start losing your baby teeth and getting new ones,” Song Fenglan said.

"Will the new teeth fall out again?" Qin Zihang asked.

“New teeth will fall out when I get old,” Song Fenglan replied. “New teeth are for a lifetime, so you can’t mess with them. If your teeth are damaged, new ones won’t grow in, and then you won’t be able to eat meat anymore.”

"Don't let your teeth get damaged." Qin Zihang quickly covered his teeth.

"Just hold the apple and bite into it, you don't need to eat it too delicately," Song Fenglan said. "Our Hangbao is growing up, he's almost at the age where he's losing his baby teeth."

Song Fenglan sighed. She remembered when she brought Qin Zihang to Nancheng, he was only about three years old. Now he was about five, and would soon be six. Time flies. In the blink of an eye, Song Fenglan looked at Qin Zihang and realized that she had indeed spent less time with her son.

"So, Dad didn't deliberately trick me?" Qin Zihang glanced at his father.

"Of course I'm not trying to trick you." Qin Yizhou was speechless. "You're my own son, why would I trick you?"

Qin Yizhou never intended to betray Qin Zihang; he felt it was clearly his son who was plotting against him. Qin Yizhou had to do a lot to raise his son well, and it was quite a difficult situation for him.

“If we don’t let you grind your teeth, you’ll complain when your baby teeth come in,” Qin Yizhou said. “Instead, we’ll just let you eat soft, mushy food all the time. You’re not a three-year-old anymore; you’re going to grow up.”

"Yes, I'm a big kid." Qin Zihang nodded, completely agreeing with the statement, "I'm a big kid."

Song Fenglan chuckled, "Are you still blaming your father?"

"I don't know if Dad was teasing me on purpose," Qin Zihang said. "Little Tiger's dad teased him, and Little Tiger almost cried."

"Oh?" Song Fenglan said.

“Little Tiger’s dad said that even if he broke his hand, he couldn’t crawl like a crab,” Qin Zihang said. “Crabs have many legs, but Little Tiger doesn’t.”

"Zhang Chenghai said it on the way to school this morning when he was taking Zhang Xiaohu to school," Qin Yizhou explained. "Zihang wanted to go to school with Zhang Xiaohu, so he heard it."

"That's because Xiaohu's father didn't want Xiaohu to get hurt, that's why he said that," Song Fenglan said.

"You're acting strange, sir." Qin Zihang didn't quite understand.

"You, make sure you're alright and don't get hurt," Song Fenglan said. "If you get hurt, just wait and see how your father treats you."

"Hmph, I won't get hurt. I'll be careful and won't fall," Qin Zihang said. "I'll be careful, I definitely will be careful. I'll be fine, nothing will happen."

"Yes, our Hangbao will be fine," Song Fenglan said. "Has it taken a bath?"

“I’ve already washed him,” Qin Yizhou said.

Song Fenglan glanced at the clock; it was already 8:30.

"It's time for bed at nine o'clock." Song Fenglan allows her son to watch TV until nine o'clock; she can't keep forcing him to study. Her child is still so young; Song Fenglan can't force him to grow too fast.

Zhang Xiaohu from next door complained to his mother, but Fatty Sister obviously didn't care what Zhang Chenghai was doing.

“If you hadn’t fallen, would your father have said that?” the fat woman said. “Even your brother didn’t fall like that.”

"I just fell down, so what? I got hurt. Shouldn't you treat me better?" Zhang Xiaohu was even more confused than Qin Zihang. Other people's children could get good treatment when they were injured, but when he fell down, his father even laughed at him.

"Do you expect your father to coax you?" the fat woman sneered. "Your father is in the army; he suffered much more serious injuries. He doesn't even care about your little injury."

"..." Zhang Xiaohu pouted, unable to continue speaking.

"That's enough," said the plump woman. "Don't expect your father to pamper and fawn over you. Do you think you're some kind of precious jewel that needs to be held in high esteem?"

“I’m not,” Zhang Xiaohu said.

"That settles it then," said the plump woman. "You're a boy, and you're the one who made this mess of yourself. You can't blame anyone else."

“I’m not blaming you,” Zhang Xiaohu said.

"Alright, shut up and go get some rest," said the plump woman.

"Mom, have the chicks hatched yet?" Zhang Xiaohu hadn't forgotten about the chicks. "I still need to give three chicks to my little brother Zihang."

Qin Zihang didn't remember this matter every day, but Zhang Xiaohu did.

"I haven't forgotten. It'll be here in a few more days, but soon," said the plump woman. "Once the chicks hatch, you'll be able to see them. We'll raise the chicks at home for a while before giving them to your little brother Zihang."

"I'm going to sleep." Zhang Xiaohu's eyes were still darting around.

"Go to sleep, go to sleep," said the plump woman. "Don't wake you up tomorrow morning and then you won't get up again."

"Tomorrow's a holiday!" Zhang Xiaohu suddenly realized this. Since he had a holiday, he shouldn't be woken up.

"..." The fat woman's lips twitched slightly. "Don't you need to get up early to eat?"

“I… want to eat,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “You can call me when it’s time to eat.”

"You are my little darling," the plump woman exclaimed.

“No, it’s my son,” Zhang Xiaohu reminded the fat woman. “I’m not that old yet.”

Fatty smiled. "Who said Zhang Xiaohu is old?" Fatty just felt that Zhang Xiaohu was a real worry. "If only Zhang Xiaohu could be as reliable as Qin Zihang, that would be so much better."

During the holiday, Song Fenglan asked Qin Yizhou to plant two bayberry trees and a mango tree in the yard. Although they might go back to the capital, it's not certain; they might stay in Nancheng.

The weather is alright, with some sunshine, perfect for planting trees.

The trees were not planted for Qin Zihang to climb, but rather to bear fruit.

Qin Zihang wanted to use his small shovel to dig the soil, but the shovel was too small; he needed a larger hole for the roots of the tree.

Qin Yizhou dug a hole with a hoe, making a large one, and then placed the sapling inside. Qin Zihang could then fill the hole with soil little by little, and even stomp on it a few times to compact the soil.

When Zhang Xiaohu arrived, he saw Qin Zihang and the others planting trees, and he wanted to join in. However, Zhang Xiaohu still needed crutches, which made things very inconvenient. Zhang Xiaohu wished that it was his hand that was injured, not his foot. If it were his hand, someone would feed him, and he wouldn't have to do homework.

"Brother Xiaohu, don't come any closer. There's a lot of mud, and it's hard to walk on," Qin Zihang said quickly when he saw Zhang Xiaohu. "I almost fell just now."

"I didn't go." Zhang Xiaohu's voice was a little somber. He also longed to plant trees like Qin Zihang.

"This is a sapling, it won't flower and bear fruit so quickly, we have to wait a while." Qin Zihang had already asked his mother, and she said they would have to wait until next year or the year after. The sapling had indeed been growing for some time, but it wasn't big enough yet.

"What kind of tree is this?" Zhang Xiaohu asked.

“A bayberry tree and a mango tree,” Qin Zihang said. “Have you ever eaten a mango?”

“No.” Zhang Xiaohu shook his head. “He has eaten bayberries, but he has never eaten mangoes.”

In some areas of the southern part of the city, mango trees are planted as landscaping trees, but there aren't any in the area where Zhang Xiaohu and his friends are. If there were mango trees, people would probably be picking mangoes.

Normally, Fatty rarely buys fruit. She doesn't buy simple fruits like bananas or apples, let alone more expensive ones. She also avoids mentioning fruit to Zhang Xiaohu, saving every penny she can.

"What does a mango look like?" Zhang Xiaohu asked. "A fruit without eyes?"

"No," Qin Zihang said. "It has a larger pit in the middle, and the outside is yellow flesh that needs to be peeled. Bananas are long, while mangoes are short."

Qin Zihang was gesturing over there, but he felt it was too difficult to demonstrate.

"When the mango tree grows mangoes later, I'll treat you to some," Qin Zihang said. "Or you can come to our house to eat mangoes when we buy some."

Song Fenglan and her husband bought fruit for Qin Zihang. Zhang Xiaohu ate some when he came over, but he didn't eat all the varieties. Since Zhang Xiaohu wasn't Song Fenglan and her husband's child, they prioritized Qin Zihang when they had something good to eat; the expensive fruit wasn't something they wanted to share.

"Okay." Zhang Xiaohu nodded.

Qin Yizhou, upon hearing Qin Zihang's words, didn't say that Qin Zihang shouldn't have said that. He simply meant that later, when they had mangoes at home, Zhang Xiaohu should have a taste. The speaker might not have paid attention, but the listener might have remembered that one thing.

During the holiday, Song Fenglan steamed some pastries.

"Xiao Hu, come inside and have some pastries." When Song Fenglan arrived in the courtyard, she saw Zhang Xiao Hu and invited him inside.

Qin Zihang and his son had almost finished planting the trees. Qin Yizhou had brought the saplings early in the morning, and the two of them got busy early on.

Qin Zihang quickly went to wash his hands, and he also wanted to sit down and eat some pastries.

"It's sweet." Zhang Xiaohu took a bite of the white rice cake.

"And there's yellow millet cake," Song Fenglan said, having steamed several kinds.

When the weather is colder, it can be stored for a longer time.

Mrs. Su arrived early; she had heard Song Fenglan mention making pastries and came to lend a hand. Song Fenglan made some pastries, some of which were also given to Mrs. Su and Professor Su. Every time Mrs. Su saw Song Fenglan making pastries, she thought Song Fenglan was a perfect woman—beautiful and with considerable culinary skills. If this were ancient times, Song Fenglan would surely be the matriarch of the household, but it's better to live in the modern era; women in ancient times couldn't engage in research.

"Aunt, pack some to take back," Song Fenglan said.

“I brought my own bamboo basket to take back,” Madam Su said without any politeness with Song Fenglan. “These are all small and exquisite, and they taste pretty good. Your uncle really likes these pastries you make. He says you shouldn’t make them, but he eats them one after another.”

"Eat if you like it." Song Fenglan looked at Qin Zihang, who was enjoying his meal. "These pastries are loved by both adults and children."

Song Fenglan herself enjoys eating these pastries; if she doesn't like them, she won't make them. In Song Fenglan's view, the most important thing is that she can eat them herself; what's the point of making them if she doesn't want to eat them? Song Fenglan doesn't want to be someone who only knows how to sacrifice for her son and husband; she is also a person and needs to consider her own tastes.

"It's because your pastries are delicious. The same pastries from outside don't taste as good as yours," Madam Su said.

“My mom taught me.” Song Fenglan felt a sweet warmth in her heart as she thought of her mother.

“You like your mother very much,” Mrs. Su said. “I have never met your mother, but she must be a very outstanding person.”

Madam Su mostly heard about Song Fenglan's mother from Song Fenglan herself. She knew Song's mother was a good cook, skilled in embroidery, and likely quite beautiful—a truly elegant woman. Madam Su reasoned that anyone who could raise a child like Song Fenglan must be exceptional.

“It was quite good,” Song Fenglan said. “When I went home for the Spring Festival before, my mother made a lot of delicious food for me. It’s just a pity that I didn’t stay in the capital for long enough before I had to come back. I hadn’t had enough to eat.”

Mother and daughter hadn't seen each other for many years, and Song Fenglan had been craving those delicious foods. Since her biological mother wasn't around, Song Fenglan made those foods herself.

That day, Song's mother also made some pastries for her grandchildren. Watching them eat, she thought of Song Fenglan. When Song Fenglan was little, she didn't like learning to make pastries; she always said her mother knew how, and that there were servants in the house who knew how, so she didn't need to. But Song's mother still forced her to learn, saying that women should learn some skills, regardless of whether Song Fenglan would pursue it in the future.

Song's mother didn't completely indulge her daughter. She genuinely wanted her daughter to live a more comfortable life, but she couldn't let her do nothing. She still needed to learn some things, lest she be unskilled after marriage and be looked down upon. Knowing a little something would at least allow her to manage her husband.

Indeed, what Song's mother taught her daughter wasn't to make her serve men, but to teach her to control men. From a very young age, Song's mother taught her not to always think about men, that her daughter could do what men could do, and that a woman's role as a virtuous wife depends on how she does it.

"Mom, what's on your mind?" Sister-in-law Song asked, noticing her mother sitting there blankly.

“I remembered Fenglan,” said Song’s mother. “Before, I taught Fenglan to make pastries, but she didn’t want to and would whine and act spoiled. I had to make her do it, and she would cry while she did it. I told her that if her tears fell in, it wouldn’t taste good, and she had to eat them all. Then she cried, but she didn’t dare to shed a tear, for fear that I would really make her eat them all.”

"Is my little sister like this?" Sister-in-law Song recalled the image of little Song Fenglan crying while studying. "She's quite cute."

"She's quite cute, and your dad even took pictures of her," said Song's mother. "It's just a pity those photos were lost."

Back then, with such a huge tragedy befalling the family, no one cared about the condition of the photos; everyone was focused on saving their lives. Knowing that people with landlord affiliations were executed on the spot, the Song family naturally worried about losing their lives. As long as they were alive, they believed in fighting another day.

"You should teach your granddaughter," said Sister-in-law Song. "My cooking skills are still not as good as yours."

When Sister-in-law Song was making pastries, she would ask her mother for advice. Her mother's cooking skills were far superior, but Sister-in-law Song didn't usually let her mother cook. Sister-in-law Song herself didn't work, so she did more chores around the house. Aunt Tao, the family's former maid, had returned from the countryside, and she could also help with some tasks.

“Yes, we should teach him,” said Song’s mother. “Now that we have the means, we can teach him. Whether he can use it in the future doesn’t matter; the key is that he has to learn it.”

"That's right, you have to know how." Sister-in-law Song didn't say that her mother's approach was bad; she completely agreed with it.

The Song family members were all well-educated. Sister-in-law Song, being a country woman, knew little, but she figured listening to her in-laws was the right thing to do. Her in-laws weren't harsh, and Sister-in-law Song lived quite well in the Song family; they even sent her things back to her hometown.

Sister-in-law Song's biological parents are still alive, and she has a fairly good relationship with her family.

Back then, when Sister-in-law Song wanted to marry Brother Song, her family had some reservations, but they still agreed. During the Song family's difficult times, Sister-in-law Song's family also offered some help. People told Sister-in-law Song's parents that Brother Song married her so that her family could provide more assistance.

Since the Song family did indeed gain some advantage, they now send some things over as a form of reciprocity.

Sister-in-law Song didn't think that just because she was a benefactor to the Song family, she could boss them around. No, she was very conscientious in her work and never engaged in any underhanded tactics. Brother Song marrying Sister-in-law Song was something that both Brother Song and Sister-in-law Song agreed to. They felt that although Sister-in-law Song had a lower level of education, her character was good, and that was more important than anything else.

"Mom, look how well you teach your children! My sister-in-law is so well-educated, and so are my husband and my second brother," Sister-in-law Song praised her mother.

"You have to have principles and integrity," said Song's mother. "You should eat too, there are so many pastries here."

At Song Fenglan's house, the Pang family came over to eat pastries. Qin Yizhou also sent some to Fan Yani's house. He handed the things to Guo's mother and then returned.

Whether or not Fan Yani can eat those pastries, Guo's mother and Fan Yani will decide.

"Look how happily Xiaohu is eating," said the plump woman. "I think Zihang isn't eating as much as Xiaohu."

"Being able to eat is a blessing," Song Fenglan said, adding that she never cared about such things.

Rice cakes and similar foods, with added water, are inherently easy to digest. Eating a little more won't hurt; they'll be digested quickly.

"Mom, my little brother Zihang said he'll give me mangoes from now on." Zhang Xiaohu didn't forget to tell his mother this.

"You've practically eaten everything your brother Zihang eats at home," said the plump woman. "You're really not being polite."

"Mangoes are delicious," Qin Zihang added. "They're sweet and sour, and I really like them."

"I'd love to eat this too," Zhang Xiaohu said before even taking a bite.

The plump woman thought to herself that Song Fenglan's family certainly had a lot of food, while her own family had less and fewer varieties. She genuinely couldn't bear to spend the money on fruit; fruit wasn't a necessity, and having some simple fruit was good enough. She glanced at Song Fenglan, thinking that only Song Fenglan wouldn't be unhappy; anyone else would have been.

“My brother must like it too.” Zhang Xiaohu glanced at his brother. His brother was still there; he had to talk about his brother. Zhang Xiaohu also cautiously glanced at his mother. Since he had mentioned his brother, it meant there were two brothers involved, and his mother couldn't say anything to him.

The plump woman saw through Zhang Xiaohu's little scheme, "You want to eat it yourself, but you still have to talk to your brother."

“I’ll eat, and brother should eat too,” Zhang Xiaohu said.

“You’re not only eating the food from your Aunt Fenglan’s house, but you’re also giving it to your brother as well,” said the plump woman.

Zhang Xiaohu was a little confused. Had he said something wrong?

“That’s right, your brother can eat it too.” Song Fenglan gestured to her sister-in-law not to scare Zhang Xiaohu. Children are innocent and don’t think about such things.

On the other side, Guo's mother looked at the exquisite pastries, but she didn't serve them all to Fan Yani. "You're still in your postpartum period, so don't eat them yet."

“Okay.” Fan Yani nodded.

Fan Yani never expected Li Hui to come over at this time, and she was even more surprised that Li Hui reached for the pastries on the table, and that Guo's mother instinctively took the pastries and brought them to Fan Yani's room.

"Can't I even eat a piece of pastry?" Li Hui leaned against the door of Fan Yani's room.