Chapter 67: I wanted to hide whenever I saw it.

The train was delayed, and the Song family didn't arrive at Song Fenglan's house until after six o'clock in the evening. Qin Yizhou had already prepared the meal, and Qin Zihang quickly went out when he heard the noise at the door, and sure enough, he saw Song's second brother and the others.

"Second Uncle, Second Uncle," Qin Zihang said.

"He even recognizes his second uncle." Second Brother Song picked up Qin Zihang and carried him inside. After a few steps, he put Qin Zihang down again because he still had to get his luggage. "I still have things to take care of."

It wouldn't be appropriate to have the person picking them up carry all their things; they needed to carry some things themselves too. The driver helped the Song family carry their things, and after they put everything away, they left.

The Song family saw the bungalow where Song Fenglan lived. In the yard, some vegetables were planted, and there was an area enclosed by a bamboo fence with several saplings and a relatively large tree. The path in the middle of the yard was paved with stone slabs and led to the living room.

The yard looked a bit messy and not very tidy. There were hoes and other things lying in the corner outside the house; there were quite a few things there.

When the Song family arrived in the living room, Qin Zihang couldn't wait to take his maternal grandparents to their room.

“This is the room, this is the room that was originally Mom’s study,” Qin Zihang said. “The bed is already made up, it’s so soft. Grandpa and Grandma sleep in this room, and my second uncle sleeps with me in my room.”

Song Erge looked at Qin Zihang and asked, "Have you arranged everything?"

"It has to be done properly," Qin Zihang said. "It won't do if it's not done properly. You're all here, we can't let you clean up yourselves, we have to clean it up ourselves."

"You're quite sensible." Second Brother Song walked into the room and saw the desk with several books, paper, and pens on it.

“Mom,” Qin Zihang said. “Mom is here reading and doing her homework. I made sure to watch her do her homework before her college entrance exam.”

Song Erge looked at Qin Zihang. Even a little kid knows to watch his mother do her homework. Song Erge thought that Song Fenglan definitely didn't want her son watching her do her homework. Her sister had to work, so she couldn't always be thinking about doing homework.

“Mom does her homework very well,” Qin Zihang said.

"..." After thinking for a moment, Song Erge realized that it might not have been written by Song Fenglan alone, but rather by Qin Yizhou with her help.

Although Song Fenglan didn't mention this matter much, her second brother Song guessed it perfectly. His sister wasn't the type to suffer without a reason; if she had to endure hardship, she'd see if she could let someone else suffer it. Of course, his sister wouldn't intentionally hurt anyone; she was a very good sister.

"You deserve a lot of credit for your mother's success in getting into university," Song's mother praised Qin Zihang. "Our little darling knows how to help his mother."

"I was able to go to university because my mother went to university," Qin Zihang said.

“Even if your mother didn’t go to university, you can still go to university,” said Song’s mother.

“No, my mother is older than me. She has to go to university first before I can go to university,” Qin Zihang said. “I’m not old enough yet. I have to go to junior high school, then high school, and then university.”

Qin Zihang counted on his fingers; he had already memorized those things. He would definitely study hard and climb the ranks. Later, he would become a university student, no longer a primary school student. After becoming a university student, he would be able to do many, many things; things he couldn't do now, he would be able to do later.

“You have to work hard. You can’t just go to university whenever you want,” said Song Erge. “Look at your mother. She still has to take the college entrance exam. And if she takes the exam, she has to get a high score. If she doesn’t get a high score, she won’t be able to get into a good school.”

"Second Uncle, I understand. I'm not a three-year-old." Qin Zihang acted as if he knew everything. "I practice calligraphy every day, do my homework, and do a lot of other things. I'm preparing for the future, waiting to go to university."

"Starting preparations so early?" Second Brother Song was surprised by Qin Zihang's hard work.

"It's getting late, I'll be a sophomore next semester," Qin Zihang said. "I need to prepare early so I can get into a better university. If I don't prepare early, what will I do if my grades don't improve? People will catch up to me, and no matter how hard I try, I won't be able to catch up."

"Work hard, work really hard, and become a great scientist like your mother in the future." Song Erge saw the shadow of Song Fenglan in Qin Zihang. It would be good if Qin Zihang worked harder. Song Erge thought that his life would just be like this.

Song Erge went to university before the college entrance examination was abolished.

He did go to university, but before he could graduate, some things happened, and the Song family was sent to a farm. Song's older brother, however, did graduate. While he was being sent to the farm, he worked as a teacher, and he did a good job. Besides teaching younger children, he also taught in literacy classes. Song's older brother and sister-in-law met through a literacy class. Sister-in-law Song thought Song's older brother was a very good person, and the two of them got together.

Now, Second Brother Song has no intention of continuing his university studies or taking the college entrance exam. Perhaps due to his past experiences, he seems somewhat indifferent, and his state of mind is better than that of Third Aunt Song. Third Aunt Song is truly oblivious to the world around her now; she doesn't want to talk much when others approach her, preferring to stay at home. Since her salary has been recovered and her assets have been returned, she can live off those things, so why bother with anything else?

When Aunt Song's son and daughter-in-law came to visit her, she knew they wanted the money she had, but she wouldn't give it to them. What biological son? Ha! Aunt Song had seen through them long ago. There was no way she would give them everything she had; they would only reveal their ugly faces after taking it.

Instead of giving that money to those people, why not spend it on yourself and enjoy life more? Why let others enjoy it?

“That’s what Dad said too,” Qin Zihang said.

"Come out and eat, everyone." Qin Yizhou brought the food to the table.

Song's parents and others brought Qin Zihang out. Song's mother looked around but didn't see Song Fenglan.

"Where is Fenglan?" Song's mother asked.

"She's at work, not back yet," Qin Yizhou said. "She'll probably have to work overtime. Let's eat first, no need to wait for her. She'll eat at work when it gets late."

Song Fenglan always ate at work after a certain time, instead of going home for meals, and she didn't need Qin Yizhou or the others to save food for her. The food they saved would get cold and have to be reheated, and some dishes wouldn't taste as good after reheating.

"It's almost seven o'clock." Song's mother glanced at the clock.

"Yes." Qin Yizhou nodded. "Their workplace is nearby, but sometimes they get really busy."

Qin Yizhou couldn't go to Song Fenglan's workplace to call her back for dinner, nor could he ask the security guard at the gate to convey his message. Qin Yizhou supported Song Fenglan's career and had no complaints.

Someone asked Qin Yizhou if it was wrong for Song Fenglan to work overtime like this, saying that Song Fenglan couldn't take good care of the child and that Qin Yizhou had to do more childcare and cooking. Qin Yizhou knew that some people were just saying that on purpose; they didn't care about stirring things up and probably wanted to see the couple argue.

Qin Yizhou didn't take those people's words to heart. What mattered was that he understood that what his wife was doing was extremely important. If there had to be a choice, it would be Qin Yizhou stepping down, not Song Fenglan. Song Fenglan was more capable and could do more important things.

"Sit down, everyone, sit down and eat first. You must have been very tired on the train," Qin Yizhou said. "The food on the train isn't as good as what you get at home."

"Sit down, sit down, sit down." Qin Zihang quickly invited his maternal grandparents and second uncle to sit down. "Mom will come back, maybe a little later. Mom rarely comes back after I'm asleep. Occasionally, she does, but if she knows you're coming, she'll definitely come back earlier."

"It's alright, let your mother go about her business," said Song's mother. She understood even more clearly that the relevant departments' attention to their family stemmed from Song Fenglan. Other families who had been exonerated didn't receive their belongings so quickly; there were always disputes. Not only did their family get their things back, but relevant personnel also came to visit and offer their condolences. This was enough to demonstrate those people's attitude; they were putting on a show for Song Fenglan, to put her at ease.

To gain the attention of relevant departments, they need to have enough leverage. Without enough leverage, who will pay attention to them?

There is no shortage of people in this world; there are far too many people.

"Grandma, have some." Qin Zihang placed a piece of braised pork on Song's mother's plate. "Mom likes braised pork."

"Yes, your mother really likes braised pork. She only eats the lean meat and not the fatty part underneath." Song's mother smiled as she recalled Song Fenglan's past actions.

"Mom is a picky eater," Qin Zihang said.

"She thinks the fatty meat is too fatty, but actually, the fatty meat in braised pork is fine. Your mother just doesn't like it; she says it's oily and will make her grow up badly," said Song's mother. "Will our Hangbao eat it?"

“I’ll eat some,” Qin Zihang said. “I’m a man, and a man has nothing to fear. A little bit of fatty meat will help me grow taller.”

If there's too much fatty meat and he doesn't want to eat it, Qin Zihang will look to his father and tell him to eat fatty meat. His father is a big, strong man, so his father should eat even more fatty meat.

"It's good to eat something," said Brother Song. "You need to eat when you're growing."

"Yes, I know." Qin Zihang nodded. "I didn't refuse to eat it, and I didn't throw it away to feed Fu Wangwang."

"Is Fuwangwang your dog?" said Brother Song.

“It’s our family’s dog,” Qin Zihang said. “Very rare, very rare.”

Qin Zihang added that he felt these people definitely didn't believe he hadn't thrown fatty meat to the dogs; he had done it, but only a few times. His father said meat was a precious thing and shouldn't be fed to dogs casually; if people saw it, they would talk about them. Qin Zihang thought his father was right; they should eat more themselves.

Because the Song family had arrived, Zhang Xiaohu wanted to go to Qin Zihang's house, but was stopped by Fatty Sister-in-law.

“They just arrived, and they must be tired from the train journey. Let them rest first, and you don’t need to go today,” said the plump woman.

"Should we wait until tomorrow?" Zhang Xiaohu really wanted to go and take a look.

"It can be tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow." Seeing how much Zhang Xiaohu wanted to go to Song Fenglan's house to play, the fat woman pointed to her eldest son, "You play with your brother."

"My brother is doing his homework." Zhang Xiaohu thought his brother was too serious; his brother was always studying diligently.

"Aren't you going to do your homework?" the fat woman said. "You can do your homework too, it's not like only your brother is doing his homework."

"There's not that much homework, just do it." Zhang Xiaohu didn't understand what his brother was writing or where all that homework came from. He could finish most of his homework at school, and only needed to do a little bit when he got home.

Whether the homework is correct or not is not important; what matters is that he has completed all the homework.

Zhang Xiaohu glanced at his brother again. His brother was still doing his homework; his brother didn't even know to slack off for a moment. Wasn't it tiring to always be doing homework like that?

“Mom, my brother will go crazy doing his homework like this. He needs to play some time,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “It’s called a balance between work and rest.”

Zhang Xiaohu thought for a long time before finally coming up with the word.

"Work-life balance?" Fatty Sister looked at Zhang Xiaohu, who just wanted to get beaten up.

“It wasn’t me who said it, it was my aunt who said it, Zihang’s mother,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “You have to study, do your homework, and play too. You can’t always think about studying, or your brain won’t be able to process it.”

"You can even think outside the box?" the fat woman said. "All you do is play. When you're playing, your brain is quick to work. But when you need to think outside the box, your brain just won't work. You're as dense as a blockhead."

As she spoke, the fat woman tapped Zhang Xiaohu on the head a few times.

"Mom!" Zhang Xiaohu shouted, "My head isn't made of wood."

The plump woman glanced at Zhang Xiaohu and said, "You're even worse than a wooden fish. A wooden fish is quiet and only makes a sound when you strike it. But you're always making a racket, your mouth can't shut up, it's so noisy."

Zhang Xiaohu pursed his lips, "I'm a living, breathing person, of course I have to speak."

After the Song family finished eating, showered, did laundry, and sat down in the living room to watch TV, Song Fenglan still hadn't returned. Looking at the time, it was past eight o'clock, almost nine, and Song Fenglan still hadn't come back.

Qin Zihang glanced at the living room door several times, a little anxious. "Mom will be back soon."

"Don't worry, we'll stay here for a few days. We won't be back so soon to see your mother," Song's mother reassured Qin Zihang. The others weren't in such a hurry, but Qin Zihang was particularly anxious.

“Mom must want to see the baby as soon as possible,” Qin Zihang said.

Song's mother gently patted Qin Zihang's head, "You are a good boy."

"Mom said I've become naughty, that I'm turning into a brat, not as well-behaved as before," Qin Zihang said. "But Mom said I'm okay this way, because my parents like me, that's why I'm like this."

Song Fenglan allows Qin Zihang to be a little unruly, but within certain limits; Qin Zihang cannot go too far.

“It’s good for children to be a little naughty. They can’t always be quiet and obedient. Otherwise, they’ll be like puppets on strings,” said Song’s mother. “Your mother was naughty when she was little too.”

"How naughty was Mom?" Qin Zihang wanted to know what his mother was like when she was a child.

"She played with the dough like Play-Doh," said Song's mother. "When we asked her to make pastries, she got flour all over her face, almost in her hair. She even said it was hard to wash off her hair, but easy to wash off her face. Tell me, isn't your mother mischievous?"

"Mom's pastries are delicious," Qin Zihang said.

"It's not bad." Song's mother nodded. "Your mother may be mischievous, but she's still capable of learning a few things. If she hadn't learned anything, Grandma would have spanked her."

“It hurts when I hit your palm,” Qin Zihang said. “Grandma, please don’t hit Mom.”

“You weren’t even born then,” Song’s mother said. “Mothers can’t bear to hit their children. If they do hit a child, it’s because they want what’s best for the child.”

As for parents who don't care about their children and insist on beating them under the guise of doing what's best for them, let's not talk about those kinds of parents.

Song's mother had poured a lot of effort into raising Song Fenglan, hoping her daughter would become an outstanding person. She believed that only by being excellent herself could she avoid being abandoned by men and wouldn't have to rely on them to support her; a woman could stand on her own two feet. This was the teaching of Song's mother's biological mother, and it was also the family's philosophy: both men and women must be self-reliant.

You can't rely on others forever.

“My mom rarely hits me, she just pats me lightly a few times,” Qin Zihang said. “When I’m disobedient or do something wrong, my mom ignores me, and that scares me.”

Qin Zihang loves his mother very much and is afraid that she will ignore him. When his mother's expression turns cold, Qin Zihang becomes more anxious than anyone else. He will wonder if he has done something wrong to upset his mother. Qin Zihang will reflect on his actions and try to do things better.

Song Fenglan returned, and as soon as she arrived, she overheard her mother and Qin Zihang talking about those things.

"What are you talking about?" Song Fenglan asked.

Cao Fang escorted Song Fenglan to the door, and only left after watching Song Fenglan go inside.

Song Fenglan has a lot to do at the research institute, and some unexpected things have come up, so she has to work overtime. Tomorrow is Saturday, and Song Fenglan plans to spend some time with her parents, but if there's something at work, she'll have to go there.

"Mom, Mom." Qin Zihang ran to his mother as soon as he saw her. "Grandma's here, Mom's mom's mom's here."

"Okay, Mom understands," Song Fenglan said, reaching out to rub her son's little face. "Look how happy you are."

"My maternal grandparents and my second uncle brought me toys and food," Qin Zihang gestured. "They brought so many things, a ton of stuff."

"Did you say thank you?" Song Fenglan asked.

"I told you, I told you, my second uncle said no need to thank me," Qin Zihang said happily. "Mom, if you hadn't come back soon, I would have gotten sleepy."

"If you're sleepy, go to bed early." Song Fenglan looked at her parents, "Dad, Mom, Second Brother."

Song Fenglan looked at her parents and her second brother, feeling quite pleased. They hadn't seen each other for over a year, and Song Fenglan had originally thought she would only be able to meet these people after she returned to the capital. She hadn't expected her parents to come to Nancheng with her second brother.

"Do you always have to work overtime like this?" Song's mother asked, feeling sorry for her daughter.

"No," Song Fenglan said. "It's just that sometimes we encounter problems that require us to work overtime to solve them quickly. We also need to rest; otherwise, our bodies can't handle it. I'm not always thinking about work, Mom, don't worry."

Song Fenglan thought that the amount of overtime she worked in this life wasn't that long; she had worked even longer in her previous life. Especially when she was a graduate student and a doctoral student, she worked even harder to meet the graduation requirements.

Song's mother held Song Fenglan's hand, feeling that her daughter seemed to have lost some weight. Her daughter said that she sometimes worked overtime, but in Song's mother's eyes, her daughter had to work overtime whether she went back to the capital or came to Nancheng. Song's mother always saw her daughter working overtime, and her daughter's rest time was very short.

Mothers all hope their children can have an easier time; they don't think about how hard their children have to work. All that hard work must be exhausting.

"Have you eaten yet?" Song's mother asked. "I'll go cook something."

"I'll cook," Qin Yizhou said quickly. "Perfect timing, everyone can have some together."

"Let Yizhou cook," Song Fenglan said. "Just some vermicelli will do. I ate dinner at the company cafeteria, so I didn't skip dinner."

"I know you've eaten. It's just that you've been working overtime. Eat a little now," said Song's mother. "Take a break in a bit, and don't go to sleep right after you finish eating."

"I know, I know," Song Fenglan said. "Mom, please sit down. I'll go change my clothes first."

"Okay." Song's mother nodded and asked Qin Zihang to sit down so they could wait together.

Qin Yizhou, wearing an apron, went to the kitchen to cook. When Song's mother saw him, she thought that Qin Yizhou was indeed a decent son-in-law. When they were on the farm, Qin Yizhou had helped them a lot; he had even used his connections to get Dr. Lin to help them.

Song's mother thought she would make some food for her daughter tomorrow, so she asked Qin Yizhou to make it for her today.

"Dad can cook," Qin Zihang asked.

"Yes, I can do it." Song's mother nodded.

"Mom's pastries are delicious," Qin Zihang said. "Auntie's cooking is delicious too."

"Auntie..." Song's mother thought of Madam Su. They had come this time to visit Madam Su and Professor Su. Thanks to Madam Su and Professor Su, Song Fenglan might not be where she is today, and Qin Zihang would have no one to take care of him.

Unfortunately, it's difficult to hire people at this time of year. Even when Aunt Tao goes back to the Song family, Song's mother always tells everyone that Aunt Tao is a relative, a family member, and that they can't let others think they're hiring a maid. People always assume they treat maids like servants, but in reality, the Song family is quite nice; they don't really treat Aunt Tao like a servant.

Aunt Tao stayed with the Song family for so long, and although she went back to her hometown for a period of time, their relationship remained very good.

“Yes,” Qin Zihang said, “My aunt often takes me to and from school and cooks for me.”

“Tomorrow, we’ll go see your aunt together,” said Song’s mother.

"Okay," Qin Zihang said. "My aunt even helped me carry my schoolbag. I told her I could carry it myself, but she still carried it."

Qin Zihang's schoolbag wasn't heavy, and he usually carried it himself. Seeing other children with their parents carrying their schoolbags, Mrs. Su thought she could carry Qin Zihang's too, so he wouldn't feel like he was someone without parental love.

“Your aunt is a good person,” said Song’s mother. “From now on, you should listen to your aunt more often.”

“I’ve been obedient, and I haven’t been disobedient,” Qin Zihang said. “My aunt has been taking good care of me, and it’s been very hard for her.”

Both Song Fenglan and her husband advised Qin Zihang not to act recklessly, as Madam Su was old and couldn't withstand much strain. They felt bad for asking others to do more work, as they were already troubling them; they needed to be mindful of their actions.

Qin Yizhou quickly cooked the vermicelli, added some meat and vegetables, and also made a fried egg. Qin Yizhou's cooking skills were quite good, not bad at all.

Song's mother and the others ate the dinner Qin Yizhou had prepared, and they all thought it was quite good.

Just then, Song Fenglan changed her clothes and came out, just in time to eat some rice noodles.

Qin Yizhou served everyone rice noodles and also placed a bowl in front of Song Fenglan.

"The taste is not bad," said Song's mother.

"It's still edible," Qin Yizhou said, "but it's far inferior to your cooking skills."

“You don’t have that much time to study cooking,” said Song’s mother. “There’s no need to waste your energy on it.”

Song's mother felt that cooking skills weren't the most important thing; what mattered most was that Qin Yizhou knew how to treat Song Fenglan well. She believed that a man with bad character who hit women was unacceptable.

When Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou registered their marriage, Song's mother was somewhat worried. Given their family background, she felt that Qin Yizhou's marriage to Song Fenglan would inevitably have some impact on her.

At the time, the Song family lived in the countryside and couldn't make decisions for Song Fenglan; it was up to her. They could only trust Song Fenglan's judgment. Later, when Qin Yizhou asked someone to help them, they realized that Qin Yizhou was a decent person.

“Fenglan is working so much overtime, and you’re the one doing all this,” said Song’s mother.

"It's alright," Qin Yizhou said. "I have some things to take care of at home, so I only come back at regular times now."

Now it's a relatively peaceful era, there aren't as many things to do in the military, and Qin Yizhou isn't always going out on missions anymore. He has more time to come back and spend time with Song Fenglan and her son, which he thinks is good.

Qin Yizhou has a job and isn't a stay-at-home dad, so he's quite satisfied with his current life.

"Does it affect your work?" Mr. Song asked.

"It won't affect anything," Qin Yizhou said. "It wasn't my idea; it was arranged by the military."

Qin Yizhou did whatever the military arranged. Besides, this was also beneficial for him, allowing him to better balance his family life.

"Fenglan has many important things to do." Qin Yizhou was afraid that Song's parents would think he was dissatisfied, but he had no complaints. "She is doing very well."

"Hmm." Mr. Song nodded slightly.

"I'll sleep with my second uncle," Qin Zihang told Song Fenglan.

"You're not going to sleep with Mom and Dad anymore?" Song Fenglan had overheard Qin Yizhou and Qin Zihang's conversation before, and she thought her son was just saying it casually, and that he still wanted to sleep with his parents.

"My second uncle is only here for a few days, I'll stay with him," Qin Zihang said. "I'm such a good boy, my second uncle will definitely be willing to sleep with me."

"Yes, yes." How could Second Brother Song say no? Qin Zihang's little mouth was really good at talking.

“Mom, look, Second Uncle is very happy,” Qin Zihang said.

"Will you ask your second uncle to cover you with a blanket at night?" Song Fenglan asked. Children don't sleep very well, and sometimes they aren't covered with a blanket properly.

Qin Yizhou and Song Fenglan sometimes have to get up at night to check if Qin Zihang is properly covered with a blanket; they have to keep an eye on him. Children are prone to getting sick from the cold, so adults have to take extra care of them.

"It's nothing," said Brother Song. "It's just a blanket. I can cover him with it."

"I'm afraid he'll disturb you," Song Fenglan said, "so you won't be able to get proper rest."

"It won't be that bad," said Second Brother Song. "Our Hangbao will sleep well at night, right?"

"Yes!" Qin Zihang nodded vigorously. "I won't sneak any candy or anything else at night. I need to protect my teeth. I'll sleep well so I'll be energetic tomorrow."

Then, Qin Zihang and Song Erge actually slept in the same room. Song Fenglan was a little worried, so she put an extra blanket in the room.

“If he’s wrapped up in the blanket, Second Brother, you can cover him with a blanket,” Song Fenglan said.

When it's very cold in winter, Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou each sleep under two separate quilts. Song Fenglan likes to roll up her quilt, tucking both sides under herself. This way, it's less likely for drafts to get in, making it easier for her to sleep comfortably.

When it's not too cold, I'll take a blanket with me.

Qin Yizhou wasn't unhappy; he didn't want his wife to be cold.

Of course, such periods are not very long, and most of the time they are still within a tolerable range, so two blankets are not needed.

Song Fenglan knew her own sleeping posture all too well, and she worried that her child would do the same. The weather was getting warmer, but it was still a bit cold, and Song Fenglan was worried that her second brother would catch a cold and not come over safely but go back sick.

“Okay, put it here,” said Brother Song.

"mom

"Mom, I won't roll up in the blanket," Qin Zihang said.

“You won’t know once you fall asleep,” Song Fenglan said. “When you sleep alone, you’re used to it, so it’s okay to curl up a little. But your second uncle is stronger than you, so if you really want to curl up, he can still make sure you sleep better.”

"Second Uncle," Qin Zihang looked at Song Erge, "I will sleep well, I promise, I promise, I promise I will make sure you have a blanket."

"It's alright, just put the blanket aside first," said Brother Song. "If Xiao Hangbao rolls up the blanket, Uncle will cover him with it. Uncle believes Xiao Hangbao won't roll up the blanket, you can't."

"Hmm... so I don't have a blanket, so I need to use a quilt?" Qin Zihang thought.

"I'll cover you with a blanket." Second Brother Song laughed. "How could I let you go without a blanket?"

Looking at Qin Zihang's adorable appearance, Song Erge thought Qin Zihang was not bad. However, some children were very unruly. When Song Erge was at the farm in the countryside, he saw some unruly children throwing stones at them. Those unruly children also spoke ill of them. They were all very bad and not cute at all.

Mr. and Mrs. Song were talking in the room. After closing the door, they spoke softly.

"If Yizhou can stay like this, that's not bad." Song's mother looked around. "The houses here don't look very nice, but at least they can keep out the wind and rain, so they're not too bad."

Having lived in even worse houses before, Song's mother and the others didn't mind this single-story house. You see, if things were truly difficult, they wouldn't even be able to afford a decent place.

"I'll go see Professor Su and the others tomorrow. I don't know if Professor Su will be home, or if only his wife will be home," said Song's mother. "Thanks to them, our family's situation has improved so much. They've also helped take care of Hangbao. We've really gone to so much trouble for them."

“Originally, I told Fenglan about Professor Su and suggested she could contact him, but I was also a little worried,” said Mr. Song. “People forget you once they’re gone.”

With Song Xingyun gone, many connections are no longer useful, and Song's father doesn't dare to use them casually. He prefers not to trouble others if possible. Song's father is mainly worried about Song Fenglan's life and always tries to think more about his daughter. He's alright with his son; it's okay for a man to suffer a little, but his daughter should suffer less.

“Your brother has good judgment,” said Song’s mother. “His old friends still came in handy. Our family’s situation has nothing to do with these people. In the past, they really couldn’t help us.”

Song's mother did not blame these people, nor did she think about why they had not helped them sooner.

At that time, countless intellectuals were persecuted; even university professors were sent to farms. Even if Professor Su and his ilk were highly capable, they had no blood relation to the Song family, so there was really no need for them to go through all that trouble.

The Song family didn't ask these people for help back then. They didn't want to involve others, fearing that others would be criticized and denounced like they were, which would be a loss.

"What a pity." How much Song's father wished his elder brother were still alive. If his elder brother were alive, their family's situation would definitely be better than it is now.

At night, Qin Zihang did indeed roll up his blanket while sleeping, which Song Erge could tolerate. It was just rolling up the blanket, and Song Erge wasn't without blankets to cover himself with. Apart from rolling up the blanket, Qin Zihang's sleeping posture was acceptable. Song Erge even thought it was good that Qin Zihang rolled up the blanket, so he wouldn't have to worry about Qin Zihang getting cold at night.

Qin Yizhou made breakfast: some lean meat porridge, salted eggs, fried eggs, and some spicy pickled radish. The spicy pickled radish was made by the plump woman next door; she made extra and gave it to them. Qin Yizhou also cut up a pumpkin and cooked it, but since the pumpkin was quite large, only a small portion was cooked.

"Fenglan, we'll go pay our respects to Professor Su in a bit," said Song's mother. "We brought some gifts for them; we feel quite embarrassed that they've helped our family so much."

“Okay.” Song Fenglan nodded. “I’m off work today, so we can go together.”

"I want to go too! I want to go too!" Qin Zihang shouted, eager to join in the fun.

“Okay, you can come with me,” Song Fenglan said.

After the family had breakfast, they went to Professor Su's house, where Professor Su and his wife were home.

When Professor Su saw Song's father, he remarked, "You look very much like your brother, very much so."

“You did say that,” said Song’s father. He had met Professor Su in his early years, but only a few times, and Professor Su might not remember the scene. “However, I don’t have a brain as smart as my brother’s, so I can’t do research.”

Song Xingyun became a scientist, and his father went into business—this was part of the family plan. However, plans are subject to change. What happened later made it impossible for Song's father to continue his business. Now, they'll just have to see what the future holds. At his age, Song's father isn't thinking about taking on any more risks; he'll have to rely on the younger generation.

“It’s not necessary to do research. With Fenglan doing it, it’s the same,” Professor Su said. “You have a wonderful daughter.”

Mrs. Song pulled Mrs. Su aside to talk, and the Song family also took out all the gifts they had brought. Professor Su and his wife both felt that Mrs. Song was being too polite.

"Come over for dinner this evening and try my cooking," said Song's mother. "Don't say you won't come. We rarely come here, and we'd like to spend some time with you all."

“We will definitely go,” Madam Su said.

"Auntie, Auntie, my grandma is such a good cook!" Qin Zihang said. "Auntie, you must try it. Grandma cooks even better than my mom, and it's so delicious."

"I want to try it." Madam Su saw Qin Zihang gesturing over there, and she doted on Qin Zihang as if he were her own grandson.

Mrs. Su suggested that the Song family have lunch at their house, but the Song family didn't have any, and it wouldn't be appropriate for Mrs. Su to be so busy. It would be better for Professor Su and his wife to come over for lunch. With the Song family and Song Fenglan's family of three, that makes six people. It would be too much work for Mrs. Su to cook all by herself, so it would be better to cook at Song Fenglan's place. Song's mother planned to buy more groceries and prepare some other things as well.

Song Fenglan had thought that if her mother came, her mother would definitely be busy with all sorts of things.

Sure enough, her mother wasn't very busy on her first day. She said it was because it was too late. Now that she had a whole day, her mother had to find something for herself to do.

"Mom, you don't need to do so much," Song Fenglan said.

"Mom, come over, I'll make you more."

"Just a little something to eat. If Mom goes back, you'll have to cook for yourselves." Song's mother said, "Take the basket, let's go buy groceries together."

“Okay.” How could Song Fenglan say no? “Perfect, I’ll eat a few more bites.”

“You can eat as many bites as you like, no problem,” said Song’s mother.

Qin Zihang knew that Song's mother was going to buy groceries, so he naturally went along. The whole family went together, and the Song family also wanted to see Song Fenglan's living environment, not just the house she lived in, but also the people and things in the neighborhood.

Before coming, the Song family specially exchanged some tickets and brought a lot of money. Song's mother thought that Song Fenglan lived too far away from them, and if something really happened to Song Fenglan, they couldn't help her. They could only visit her more often when they came over.

"Buy more," said Song's mother. "There are so many of us, so many mouths to feed. If we just pick a few bites, they'll be gone."

Chicken, duck, fish, and meat—all of these need to be bought. In addition, some vegetables, side dishes, and fruits also need to be bought.

Song's mother and the others could stay with Song Fenglan for about a week, but they planned to stay for eight or nine days before returning to the capital after Song Fenglan's next vacation. The Song family deliberately timed their stay so they could see Song Fenglan as much as possible and spend more time with her.

"When hosting a dinner party, it can't just be about being fancy," said Song's mother.

“Mom.” Song Fenglan looked at her mother. Her mother used to be very particular about food, preferring small portions and large servings, and she always ate until she was only seven-tenths full. After her mother was sent to the farm, Song Fenglan felt that her mother had changed a lot. It wasn't that her mother was bad before, but rather that her mother was now more like an ordinary person.

"Ordinary people should live ordinary lives." This is Song's mother's understanding. They don't know how the winds of change will blow in the future, so they need to be more careful now and not be too high-profile. When Song's mother was on the farm, she did a lot of work, and at that time, she didn't have time to worry about being refined or not.

Song Fenglan stood behind her mother, watching her figure, her heart aching.

"Let's go, what are you standing there for?" Song's mother turned around and urged Song Fenglan.

"Coming, coming," Song Fenglan said hurriedly.

While the Song family was buying groceries, they ran into Grandma Fang. Seeing so many people, Grandma Fang felt guilty and wanted to hide. She knew she had spoken ill of Song Fenglan before, and Fang Xudong had been transferred to civilian work; Grandma Fang was afraid these people would gang up on her.