Chapter 79 Sentimentality Makes Your Brain Work Too Hard

"Are you reluctant to leave?" Song Fenglan asked. Qin Yizhou had stayed in Nancheng for an even longer period of time.

"Wherever you and your child are, that's where I'll be," Qin Yizhou said. "It's not that I'm reluctant to leave this place, it's that I'm reluctant to leave you."

“These past few years here… have been relatively easy,” Song Fenglan said.

Unlike the difficult times of that era, when Song Fenglan had to be extremely careful when going out, people would criticize her if she stepped out with her right foot first instead of her left.

Song Fenglan hoped that this time when they returned to the capital, things wouldn't be the same as before. They could live a more comfortable life, without worrying about being judged by their class background. When Zihang went to school, no one would dare to say that Zihang was the grandson of a capitalist.

"The vegetables in the yard, Aunt Pang and the others will pick them," Song Fenglan said. "It depends on who moves in. If they move in early, Aunt Pang and the others won't continue picking vegetables. If they don't move in so soon, they can pick them more slowly."

"People will be moving in soon," Qin Yizhou said. "In a while."

“When we first moved in, no one lived here; it had been abandoned for quite some time,” Song Fenglan said. “Didn’t you say there were newly built houses?”

“There are newly built ones, some distance from here, on the other side,” Qin Yizhou said. “This area will become a regular street and residential community in the future.”

Some of the houses have already been given to demobilized soldiers, who have also paid for them. This situation will only increase in the future. Some people who want to stay can find work and also buy houses here.

The military is relatively lenient in this regard, mainly because those people were originally military personnel and had made contributions. The military also happened to have built new housing, which met their needs. Besides, the houses and courtyards here aren't particularly confidential places.

Professor Su and his wife have a lot of things, so they don't need those old things. Song Fenglan and her husband asked Mrs. Su, but Mrs. Su said they didn't need them, so Song Fenglan and her husband didn't give them anything. They plan to send more things to Mrs. Su and her husband in the future.

Mrs. Su poured Professor Su a cup of tea, who was sitting on the sofa. The Su family had a color TV, which they bought last year; Song Fenglan and her husband paid for the TV's airfare and also contributed some of the money.

At the time, Song Fenglan did not expect her to leave so soon, and she did not think of giving her old television to Professor Su and his wife. She was thinking of giving them something new instead.

"Fenglan and the others are leaving soon," Madam Su said with a sigh.

“She has a much wider world to explore,” Professor Su said. “She’s all alone, and many places need her. Research institutes in the capital have approached our institute many times, asking Song Fenglan to go there. They said Fenglan was originally from the capital, she knows people there, and if she goes there, she can reunite with her family. They also said that research institutes in the capital need her…”

Taking all factors into account, Song Fenglan was transferred to the capital. It wasn't Song Fenglan's own decision; Professor Su guessed that Song Fenglan was thinking of waiting a little longer, but the transfer order came down anyway.

Professor Su didn't think this was a bad thing. With Song Fenglan back in the capital, her family and relatives would be there, and Qin Zihang would have someone to take care of him, so he wouldn't need to...

We want Mrs. Su.

"Hangbao is going to study in the capital, so you don't need to pick him up or drop him off anymore," Professor Su said. "You've worked hard all these years."

"Hangbao is very well-behaved, I like him very much," said Mrs. Su. "I really hate to part with Hangbao. I wonder if Hangbao will be able to do well back in the capital, and if he will make new friends at the new school."

"Yes, it will happen," Professor Su said confidently. "Hangbao is very capable, so it's good for him to go to the capital, where the educational conditions are better. Hangbao should study hard like Fenglan so that he can have a bright future."

"Yes." Madam Su nodded. "Indeed, the South City is good, but it's still inferior to the capital. The capital is much better."

“Of course,” Professor Su said.

Professor Su will have to stay at this research institute, but Song Fenglan, having spent those years there, has also mentored some people who are still working there. Professor Su wants to know that after he leaves Song Fenglan, their progress might not be as rapid, but the research level of other research institutes will improve, which is best for the country as a whole.

Early in the morning, Professor Su's wife came to see Song Fenglan off. The research institute wanted to hold a farewell party for Song Fenglan, but Song Fenglan declined. Song Fenglan didn't intend for the institute to spend money; perhaps she would come again in the future, even if it was for a business trip or something else.

“Aunt,” Song Fenglan said to Madam Su, “when you go to the capital, you must visit our home.”

"Okay." Madam Su nodded. "Take good care of Hangbao."

“Okay, we will definitely take good care of Hangbao,” Song Fenglan said.

"Uncle, Aunt," Qin Zihang said, looking at the two elderly people in front of him, "I will miss you."

“Hangbao,” Song Fenglan gestured to her son.

"I'm making a heart shape with my hands." Qin Zihang made a heart shape with his hands towards Professor Su and his wife.

"Your uncle and I miss you too," Madam Su chuckled.

"Go ahead, and be careful on the road," Professor Su said.

Zhang Xiaohu didn't come out of his house; he didn't want to be even more heartbroken. But by the time he figured it out and came out, the car had already started moving.

"Brother Zihang, Zihang!" Zhang Xiaohu ran after the car, waving at Qin Zihang.

Qin Zihang heard Zhang Xiaohu's voice and poked his head out. "Goodbye, Brother Xiaohu."

The car didn't stop; Song Fenglan and the others didn't have much time, as they were already on a tight schedule.

"Brother Zihang, Brother Zihang." Zhang Xiaohu stopped in his tracks. He regretted it. He should have come out. He shouldn't have been afraid of being sad and didn't come out.

Zhang Xiaohu's eyes were red; he couldn't catch up.

"If you work hard, you can get into a university in the capital and see your brother Zihang again." The fat woman looked at Zhang Xiaohu.

"I...I definitely will." Zhang Xiaohu burst into tears. "Mom, if I go to the capital, will I definitely be able to see my little brother Zihang?"

“Yes, he’s in the capital, you can meet him,” said the plump woman. “As long as you work hard and don’t think about playing around, you can see him.”

"I'll try my best," Zhang Xiaohu said firmly.

In the car, Qin Zihang looked at his mother and asked, "Brother Xiaohu is in Nancheng, and we're in the capital. Will we ever see each other again?"

“Yes, it is,” Song Fenglan said.

"If Brother Xiaohu doesn't get into a university in the capital, will we still be able to meet?" Qin Zihang asked again.

"Yes, of course you can." Song Fenglan gently patted her son's head. "Of course you can, don't worry, our Hangbao. Your little tiger brother will be able to go to the capital in the future. Even if he doesn't get into a university in the capital, he can still travel and work there."

"Is that so?" Qin Zihang asked.

“That’s right.” Song Fenglan nodded. “Other cities also have good universities, so he can go to other universities. After he graduates, he can work in the capital. You have to work hard so that you don’t end up worse off than your brother Xiaohu. Otherwise, you won’t have the face to see him.”

"I won't be ashamed to see him. I'm determined to do better than Brother Xiaohu," Qin Zihang said. "I'm going to treat Brother Xiaohu to a meal and play with him."

“Okay, okay,” Song Fenglan said.

Song Fenglan had lived a fairly good life in the southern part of the city over the years. She was a little reluctant to leave, but not overly melancholy. The capital was where Song Fenglan had grown up, and she had too many acquaintances and relatives there.

If she had to choose between the southern city and the capital, Song Fenglan would naturally choose the capital.

"After you go back, you'll see your maternal grandparents, as well as your maternal uncles." Song Fenglan didn't mention the Qin family.

The Song Fenglan family had little contact with the Qin family. When You Yun gave birth, the Song Fenglan couple sent gifts well in advance, and the same was true for the baby's one-month celebration. You Yun didn't say anything bad about the Song Fenglan couple; they lived too far apart to ask others to come just for a baby's one-month celebration.

You Yun gave birth to a boy, and Brother Qin valued this boy highly. In Brother Qin's view, his child with Tian Keshu would have a difficult future. Tian Keshu's family had produced spies, and even if Brother Qin and Tian Keshu's child wasn't a spy, it would still affect them.

Although a long time has passed, and the political vetting process may not involve examining so many generations, and the spy was Tian Keshu's great-uncle, not her biological grandfather, Brother Qin didn't know what the future held. He only knew that the crackdown on spies was extremely strict. For the sake of the Qin family's future, Brother Qin naturally had to look after his youngest son.

You Yun didn't get carried away. She knew that her son would only be valued if she raised him well; if he wasn't, Brother Qin might favor his son from his first marriage. All You Yun could do was try her best to raise her child well, so that he wouldn't end up like Tian Keshu's two children.

Being called "Mom" by her stepchildren wasn't inherently a problem; it was their attitude towards their biological mother that chilled You Yun to the bone. If these two children could treat their own mother so badly, they would certainly treat You Yun, their stepmother, with even less affection. She knew that when she was no longer needed, her stepchildren would never call her "Mom" so warmly again.

When the Qin family learned that Song Fenglan and her husband were coming back, the Song family went to tidy up the house. When others asked, the Song family told them that Song Fenglan and her husband were coming back.

Qin's mother was quite upset; she had no idea her son was being transferred back. She had assumed her youngest son and Song Fenglan would spend their entire lives in Nancheng, but now they were actually being transferred back to the capital. This was the capital, not some random place; the capital wasn't a place people could just move to so easily.

Many people want to be transferred to the capital, but none of them can succeed.

Qin's mother was thinking that the Song family was very powerful now. Song's second brother even ran a company and made a lot of money. Song Fenglan herself was a student at Nancheng University and was working in a research institute... Looking at the Qin family, Qin's eldest brother couldn't get promoted, and Qin's second sister was assigned to be a high school teacher. Meanwhile, Song's eldest brother had already become the director of the academic affairs office.

How can you compare them?

Even though Qin Yizhou is still the regimental commander, he is on Song Fenglan's side.

This made Qin's mother feel particularly aggrieved, as she could never assert her authority as a mother-in-law in front of Song Fenglan.

Aunt Qin didn't care whether Qin's mother was happy or not; she was especially happy.

"It's good that they're back. I was worried they wouldn't be able to come back," said Aunt Qin. "Nowhere in the south is as good as the capital. It's also your fault for being incompetent. If you had any ability, you would have had Yizhou transferred back long ago."

"..." Qin's mother's lips twitched slightly, "He's back, and he's staying in Song Fenglan's dowry house."

"They're husband and wife, why bother with this?" Aunt Qin said. "Husband and wife are one, of course they should live together. Are you suggesting they live separately? Leaving Yizhou all alone?"

"no……"

“If that’s not the case, then we shouldn’t have said that. People who don’t know the situation might think we have a problem with Fenglan. Fenglan is such a good wife. It’s just that she married Yizhou during a special era.” Aunt Qin said, “You guys have really struck gold. Be happy about it.”

Aunt Qin thought Qin Yizhou was decisive. If it were someone else, they might not care about a woman so much and might have just followed their family's wishes and not married her.

Before, when Qin Yizhou had just gotten married, Aunt Qin felt it was a pity. But now, Aunt Qin no longer feels it's a pity; she just feels that her judgment was poor, and that her vision was not long-term enough.

One must have foresight to reap greater benefits.

Aunt Qin didn't think she had that much ability. All she could do was not rush up to criticize others or get involved when they were doing well.

"Happy?" Qin's mother really didn't think there was anything to be happy about. "They don't get along with us."

"Isn't it because we deserved it?" Aunt Qin spoke the truth. "Back then, all of us made things difficult for Fenglan to some extent. It's really not unfair that she's holding a grudge against us for these things."

Every time Qin's mother chatted with her eldest aunt, she felt a sense of frustration. Before Qin's father retired, her eldest aunt's words were relatively agreeable. Even after Qin's father retired due to illness, things remained relatively peaceful for a while. However, after the Song family was exonerated, her eldest aunt sided with Song Fenglan, and everything Qin's mother did was wrong.

“We’re all getting old, and our thinking isn’t what it used to be,” Aunt Qin said. “We should look at the younger generation more and listen to them. If they’re right, we should stand on their side, don’t you think? We’re prone to making mistakes. When I look back at the things I did in the past, I realize how badly I did them.”

“That was a special era,” Qin’s mother said.

"We can't always use the excuse of a special era. If we didn't do a good job, we didn't do a good job," Aunt Qin said. "It's always about the special era, so we did this and that. If you say it too much, people will just get annoyed. In the same special era, some people treated their daughters-in-law very well."

"..." If she could, Qin's mother really wanted to point at the door and tell Aunt Qin to get lost.

Of course, Aunt Qin wasn't going to leave; she was determined to say those things. Regardless of what Qin's mother thought, Aunt Qin was determined to make her stance clear.

"Don't blame me for being blunt," Aunt Qin said. "That's just how it is. Look at Fenglan's aunt, she just lets her stay at home like that. I heard her daughter's marriage fell through because she wouldn't let Fenglan move out."

“That’s her aunt,” Qin’s mother said. Aunt Yu was different from the rest of them.

"You always say things like that. Just because they're related doesn't mean they act like that," Aunt Qin said. "You're so good at making excuses for yourself."

"..." Qin's mother didn't want to say anything.

You Yun brought over a plate of cut fruit. Aunt Qin looked at You Yun and asked, "You haven't met Feng Lan yet, have you?"

“No,” You Yun said. “We’ve never officially met. Although we used to live in the capital, and we may have met, it was just a fleeting encounter between strangers, and I don’t remember it.”

"That's true," said Aunt Qin. "As the eldest sister-in-law, you need to be more magnanimous and not too petty. You can't be like your husband, who doesn't know how to do things properly and only knows how to take his sister-in-law's things."

"I understand." You Yun nodded. She thought Aunt Qin was much better than Qin's mother.

Aunt Qin is indeed a fence-sitter, but she doesn't go too far. When others are doing well, Aunt Qin can also decisively flatter them. Not everyone can do what Aunt Qin does.

You Yun didn't learn from Qin's mother, but she learned from Qin's eldest aunt.

“They have their own houses and don’t live here, but I still cleaned up the house. When they come over, they’ll have a room to rest,” You Yun said. “If you do something, you have to say it and let everyone know.”

“Okay, that’s how it should be,” Aunt Qin said. “Whether they live here or not, we have to take action to make it clear that we welcome them, not that we want to kick them out. Back then, sigh, it was all Tian Keshu’s fault. Your mother-in-law didn’t do a good job either. When Yizhou and Fenglan got married, even if they didn’t live at home, didn’t the family know to get them a house?”

Aunt Qin thought how wonderful it would have been if the Qin family had bought a house for Qin Yizhou and Song Fenglan sooner. It's not that Qin Yizhou had the means but didn't buy a house; it's because of Song Fenglan's status. Living with Aunt Yu, she received more support; if Song Fenglan lived alone, she would be easily bullied. The Qin family hadn't done a good job; they shouldn't look for problems in others.

"

"That's all in the past; there's no use thinking about it now," Aunt Qin said. "Why didn't I think of that back then?"

Actually, Aunt Qin had thought of it, but she didn't say anything. After all, she was a married woman, and buying a house was no small matter. If she spoke up, Tian Keshu might be unhappy. It was better to play dumb and pretend she knew nothing.

"Did I mention it before?" Aunt Qin said. "I've forgotten. If you don't do it, I can't force you to buy it."

"..." Qin's mother remained silent.

"You're only allocating one house to him now, and it's not even a very nice one," Aunt Qin said.

You Yun remained silent; it wasn't her turn to speak. She hadn't married into the family earlier; it was Tian Keshu who had caused the trouble. You Yun thought that when she married in, everyone had already divided the property, and she only needed to acknowledge the written agreements. If You Yun went back on her word and tried to further pressure Song Fenglan and her husband, preventing them from receiving anything, that would be her problem.

The Song family was overjoyed; Song Fenglan was coming back! That was wonderful.

Song's mother and Aunt Yu were having coffee at home, and Song's mother was talking about what she had bought.

"It was a last-minute decision, and we can't buy that many things all at once," said Song's mother. "Some of the things they have there are from a while ago, and the clothes are out of style, so we have to buy new ones. The clothes that I went to look at with my eldest son's family, we washed and dried them, and we have to put them away properly."

When Sister-in-law Song saw how many things her mother had bought for Song Fenglan, she was happy to help and had no objections. It was all her mother's money, not her own; her mother had also bought her some things. But Song Fenglan was, after all, her mother's biological daughter, and that made a difference.

“You love her,” Aunt Yu said. “When Fenglan comes back, she won’t need to prepare anything.”

"It's still something she needs to buy; it's up to her," Song's mother said with a smile. "I'll just prepare what I can think of."

"Not bad," Aunt Yu said. "I wonder how Fenglan is doing."

"You'll know when they get back," said Song's mother. "The three of them are coming back together, and they'll stay in the capital from now on."

"Okay, good." Aunt Yu envied Song's mother, whose children were all successful, unlike herself, whose children were all ordinary.

Aunt Yu's children either work in factories or are unemployed, earning meager wages. Brother Song started his company without involving the Jiang family. Brother Song knew what kind of people the Jiang family were; they could offer them favors and money, but they couldn't be allowed to participate in company affairs. That was Brother Song's company, the Song family's company, not the Jiang family's.

“They’ve all come to the capital, aren’t you happy?” Aunt Yu said. “Fenglan is doing well too, she went to university and can work in the capital.”

Aunt Yu used to think that Song Fenglan's future was just like that. Then, Song Fenglan married Qin Yizhou, had a child, went to the military, and went on to attend university. Aunt Yu thought that this was largely due to Song Fenglan's own hard work; none of her own children were as resilient as Song Fenglan.

That's true. Aunt Yu thought that her own mother was a woman with little education. Her mother only wanted her to compare herself to others, but her own mother didn't have much ability. It was probably due to genetics. Her mother's generation couldn't compare to others, and she couldn't compare to her sister, so naturally her children wouldn't be as good as her sister's children.

Aunt Yu was happy for Song's mother, but she also felt a little sad.

"What's wrong?" Song's mother keenly sensed that Aunt Yu was somewhat unhappy.

"It's nothing," Aunt Yu shook her head. "It's nothing, really nothing."

"If you have any problems, just tell us," said Song's mother. "We will definitely help you solve them if we can."

"When Hangbao comes back, he'll be in fifth grade, right?" Aunt Yu asked.

"Yes, he needs to be in fifth grade." Song's mother nodded.

"Has the school been decided yet?" Aunt Yu asked again.

“We don’t need to worry about the school,” said Song’s mother. “Fenglan has a job, and so does her son-in-law, and both of their jobs have schools. Hangbao doesn’t need to worry about not having a school to attend. It’s summer vacation now, so there’s still plenty of time. We can discuss it properly when they come back and see which school Hangbao should go to. The most important thing is that the school is good and has a strong teaching staff.”

Aunt Yu thought that Qin Zihang could indeed have many choices, but her grandchildren did not have as many choices; they could not simply attend any school they wanted.

"Fenglan hasn't graduated yet, has she?" Aunt Yu said. "If she comes back like this, what about her graduation certificate..."

“Send it over. If that doesn’t work, have someone go and pick it up,” said Song’s mother. “That’s easy. It’s not like we’re not going to give you your graduation certificate.”

"Yes, yes, that's right." Aunt Yu slapped her forehead suddenly. "Look at me, I'm so stupid. I'm getting old, my brain isn't working well anymore."

"Wait a minute." Song's mother handed the bag she had placed beside her to Aunt Yu. She had bought a set of clothes for her younger sister.

“This…” Aunt Yu took out the new clothes from the bag.

"This is for you," said Song's mother. She often invited her younger sister over, bought her new clothes, and treated her to delicious food.

Mother Song didn't want to give Aunt Yu too much money directly. If she gave more money, it wouldn't be spent on Aunt Yu, but on the Jiang family. Mother Song wasn't the kind of person who thought that giving money was enough; she still wanted her younger sister to have a better life. Only what ended up in Aunt Yu's hands truly belonged to Aunt Yu.

“I went to the mall to buy clothes and saw this outfit. I felt it would suit you perfectly,” said Song’s mother.

"Sister." Aunt Yu thought of her childhood. Her own mother loved to argue and even made her argue with Mother Song. What was there for her, a child of a concubine, to argue about? Mother Song was actually quite good to Aunt Yu. She didn't treat Aunt Yu badly just because she was born to a concubine. Mother Song often gave her new things and rarely gave her old ones.

Because Song's mother would give Aunt Yu things that were 90% new, Aunt Yu's biological mother would say unpleasant things, so Song's mother always gave her new things. Song's mother still loved Aunt Yu very much, and Aunt Yu was not influenced by her biological mother to treat Song's mother badly. She was very grateful to Song's mother, and her sister made her life at home less awkward.

"Take it," said Song's mother. "When you go back, take the crystal cake with you. I bought it outside; the pastries from this shop are especially delicious."

Song's mother invited Aunt Yu to have lunch at home, and Aunt Yu went home after having lunch.

When Grandma Jiang saw the things that Aunt Yu had brought, she didn't even think about taking them.

"Mom, have some pastries." Aunt Yu put the new clothes in the room. Her sister was always very good at interpersonal relationships. Her sister asked her to bring back some pastries so that the Jiang family wouldn't think that Aunt Yu was hoarding food. They all treated Aunt Yu quite well. "My sister bought them."

"I have to try it." Grandma Jiang took a piece of crystal cake.

The Jiang family received a lot of pastries from Song's mother, and everyone was able to try them. The Jiang family members all liked these pastries very much. They knew that the pastries the Song family bought couldn't be cheap; they were expensive, and they usually didn't have the money to buy such things.

"Try it." Grandma Jiang invited her grandchildren to eat, and her granddaughter-in-law also came out of the room.

"Eat up," Aunt Yu said to her daughter-in-law. "Your aunt sent this. I ate it over there, and she specifically asked me to bring it back."

"Auntie is really great," Jiang's sister-in-law remarked. After the Song family was exonerated, her own family would occasionally...

You will gain some benefits.

The Song family's company is thriving, and Sister-in-law Jiang has no intention of having her husband work there. He currently works in a state-owned factory, where his job is secure. If he were to go to a private company, not only would the Song family not agree, but private companies are also unstable, and policies might change in the future.

The Jiang family prefers a more stable approach and doesn't intend to compete for the Song family's possessions; those belong to the Song family, not the Jiang family. This is one of the better aspects of the Jiang family. While they are indeed selfish and have their own ideas, they aren't inherently malicious and possess some self-awareness.

"Speaking of which, isn't Erwazi coming back soon?" Grandma Jiang asked.

The "Second Child" that Grandma Jiang mentioned was Aunt Yu's second son. Aunt Yu's second son went to the countryside as an educated youth and didn't pass the college entrance exam. Now those who went to the countryside can return, but they have no jobs and can only stay at home or find work on their own.

“No organization will take him in, and it’s not good for him to stay at home.” Grandma Jiang looked at Aunt Yu. “What’s your plan?”

“Let’s rent a shop on the street in our neighborhood and sell some things,” Aunt Yu said. “I haven’t told my sister he’s back.”

"You didn't plan to send him to the Song family's company?" Old Mrs. Jiang asked.

"It's not a good idea to go; if I go, I'll be working under someone else," Aunt Yu said. "They're all relatives, and over time, it'll be hard to maintain a balance. It's better to stay home and do things. If all else fails, I'll borrow some money from my sister. Would it be better to open a shop and be my own boss?"

"It's good that you have an idea," said Grandma Jiang. "They have their families with them, where will they live? It's not that they can't stay at home, but..."

Brother Jiang's children are growing up and need their own rooms. Brother Jiang's second brother also has quite a few children, and if all of them live under one roof, conflicts are likely to arise.

“You need money to buy a house,” Aunt Yu said. “We don’t have that much money at home right now.”

Aunt Yu didn't not want to buy a house for her second son; she simply didn't have enough money. She couldn't possibly borrow all the money from her sister.

“My sister gave us a lot of money before.” Aunt Yu’s meaning was clear: they had to find their own way.

“Alright, you two have a solution, you can think of one,” said Grandma Jiang. “I’m an old woman, I can’t handle these things.”

Grandma Jiang didn't necessarily want her second grandson to work at the Song family's company; it was just that once he returned to the capital, he needed to eat, and eating cost money. As for accommodation, their house was quite large, so they could simply have the adults and children share a room with extra beds.

It would be a lie to say that Grandma Jiang didn't want her second grandson to work at the Song family's company. However, it wasn't a decision Grandma Jiang could make. Besides, as Aunt Yu said, it would be better if he could open his own shop and make money.

Many people are opening shops now, all rushing in, but I don't know if they can make money.

Aunt Yu was thinking that before she got married, she had learned to make some pastries and cook. If possible, she could help out. It would be better than asking her sister to let her son work for the Song family company. They couldn't afford to waste their goodwill like this, otherwise it would quickly run out.

The day Song Fenglan and her family of three returned to the capital, the weather was sunny and rather hot.

Song's mother had already had someone clean Song Fenglan's house spotless and prepared a lot of clothes.

"It's good that you're back. You can stay here from now on." Song's mother was a little excited. She could see her daughter more often now, instead of having to go all the way to Nancheng to see her.

It would take many days by train from the capital to the southern part of the city, and Song's mother found the thought of it arduous. It was much better to stay in the capital; they lived nearby and it was just a short walk away.

“Yes, we’ll stay in the capital from now on,” Song Fenglan said. “Going to other places will just be for business trips.”

"Good, good, good." Mother Song said "good" several times in a row. "That's how it should be, that's good, that's good."

"Mom, please sit down first. We'll pack our things," Song Fenglan said. "We'll be going to your place for dinner later."

"I already told your sister-in-law that you were going to eat over there," said Song's mother. "We're all family, so feel free to go."

“We’re back, but we still have to cook for ourselves,” Song Fenglan said.

"Should we hire someone to clean and cook?" Song's mother asked.

"Yes, I will," Song Fenglan said, "but I've already made arrangements, so I don't need your help to find it."

The organization had arranged someone for Song Fenglan, someone she knew well was always better than a stranger; if something went wrong, it would be very bad. That person had been a female soldier, but had retired, had a child, and could have her in-laws take care of the child. She was a decent cook and needed to find a suitable job, so she was recommended to Song Fenglan.

There are widows of revolutionary martyrs looking for work, but Song Fenglan isn't a good fit. Qin Yizhou and his ilk would be too respectful, and that would make things difficult for them later. The female soldier is of good character and knows how to follow discipline, so she's the most suitable candidate.

"It's up to you to arrange it," said Song's mother. "If you can't arrange it and need anything from me, just tell me."

"Of course I have to tell you," Song Fenglan said with a smile.

"Grandma, I'm a little hungry." Qin Zihang ran up to Song's mother. "The food on the train wasn't good."

"I knew you might be hungry, so I brought you some pastries first. Sit down and have some." Song's mother pulled Qin Zihang to sit down and let him eat some pastries to fill his stomach.

Actually, Song Fenglan's family didn't have much stuff; many things were left in Nancheng and weren't brought back. Song Fenglan bought a lot of books, and those books have been transported back; now they're going to be put in the study.

Song Fenglan didn't ask her mother for help with tidying up. She and Qin Yizhou could finish organizing quickly. After they were done, they would go to the Song family's house for dinner together.

When Song Fenglan and the others arrived at the Song family home, Song's sister-in-law and Aunt Tao had already prepared the meal, including several dishes that Song Fenglan liked. As for Qin Yizhou and Qin Zihang, the father and son were happy with whatever they ate.

"Eat quickly." Sister-in-law Song's face was full of smiles, without a trace of displeasure. She was very happy to busy herself with preparations; having a good sister-in-law was more important than anything else. Sister-in-law Song found that all of her brothers and sisters in the Song family were quite good, each having their own path, while the eldest son's family seemed somewhat mediocre.

Brother Song is not married yet; in his words, he just hasn't met the right person. Brother Song himself isn't in a hurry, and it's no use for others to worry; they shouldn't pressure him.

"Second Uncle." Qin Zihang was overjoyed to see his second brother, Song. He had just looked at his room, which was filled with toys, many of which were prepared by his second uncle.

"Hey, our Hangbao has grown taller." Brother Song has been very busy lately, so he made a point of coming home early instead of working overtime at the company.

"It will be even higher later." Qin Zihang gestured. "Second Uncle, I miss you so much."

"What about your eldest uncle?" Brother Song asked.

"I miss my eldest uncle, I miss them all, I miss them all, and I miss my older brother and sister, my aunt, I miss them all." Qin Zihang quickly added, afraid that he would forget someone, "I will study here from now on."

“You lived in the capital when you were a child, I guess you’ve forgotten,” said Brother Song. “But back then, we weren’t here, we weren’t with you.”

"I forgot, but I'll remember it in the future." Qin Zihang clenched his little fist.

Sister Qin and her husband were having dinner at home. They knew that Song Fenglan and her husband had come to the capital, but they hadn't gone to see them yet.

"Yizhou and the others are back," said Qin Erjie. "They'll probably go visit Mom and Dad."

"Should we go over there?" Qin's brother-in-law asked. He no longer worked at the recycling station but as a security guard at the school.

The job at the recycling station was introduced by Brother Qin. If Brother Qin's second sister's husband continued to work there, Mother Qin would say that Brother Qin was good to Brother Qin and his wife. Sister Qin wasn't very happy. After Sister Qin was assigned to her current school, the school needed security guards. Sister Qin tried to apply to the school, and the school approved her husband to work as a security guard.

The job doesn't pay much, but luckily, Sister Qin and her husband both work at the same company. They're currently renting an apartment and will apply for school housing in a few years.

Logically, once a teacher gets married, she can apply for a job assignment. However, since Sister Qin Er had already arranged for her husband to work at the school, she decided to wait, lest others feel that she was getting all the benefits and then isolate her or have grievances against her.

"No rush," said Sister Qin. "We know where Yizhou's house is. We can go directly to see Yizhou and his wife, and their child."

Sister Qin looked at her children. They rented a small apartment. Sister Qin knew that Song Fenglan's apartment had been vacant for the past few years, but she hadn't asked Song Fenglan to lend it to them.

"My sister-in-law is a reasonable person," said Qin Erjie. "She..."

"My relationship with my parents is bad because those people went too far."

"Yes," said Qin's second brother-in-law.

"Eat, everyone eat," said Sister Qin. "We should let the children meet Zihang another day. Zihang is so much better than the two children in my eldest brother's family."

Qin Erjie had never met Qin Zihang, but after a little thought, she knew that Qin Zihang couldn't be too bad. Qin Yizhou and Song Fenglan were both very good people.

In Nancheng, Li Hui had no plans to take the child away. The child called Fan Yani "Auntie" and was closer to Fan Yani. The child had even called her "Mom" like Fan Yani's child used to, which made Li Hui very unhappy.

Fan Yani thinks Li Hui is wrong. It's Li Hui's fault for not taking care of the child. Who's to blame? Children are very simple and innocent. They are closer to whoever takes care of them.

Fan Yani never made things difficult for the child. If her own child had any good food, Fan Yani would give it to the child as well, as long as the child could eat it.

Guo's mother's youngest son and daughter-in-law came to Nancheng with their child. Fan Yani rented a house for them, and it's already been cleaned. They're having dinner at the house now, along with Guo Peng and his wife. Guo's father didn't come to Nancheng; he's still in the countryside, saying he's going to farm and needs to leave everyone a way out. If Guo's mother's youngest son and his wife can't make ends meet outside, they can go back, and at least they'll have something to eat.

Mr. Guo was uneasy. He couldn't accomplish anything in Nancheng, so it was better not to come at all. Occasional visits would suffice. Besides, he could come again once his youngest son had made some progress; there was no rush.

"Is the child still here?" Guo's mother's youngest daughter-in-law saw Li Hui's child and knew that this child was adopted by Guo Peng and his wife. "Haven't they taken him back yet?"