Inside the house, at the dining table.
Aunt Qu sat next to Old Lady Li, helping to take care of the children, while Qu Huaiyuan sat at the men's table.
The two hadn't seen anyone else in a long time, and they were extremely excited at this moment.
Han Yiyi glanced at the Qu family mother and son, then whispered close to Zhen Wanwan's ear, "Cousin, who are these two?"
She had never met the Qu family mother and son, nor had she heard her family mention them.
Moreover, her only maternal uncle is Grandpa Zhen, so he is definitely not a relative of hers.
Zhen Wanwan glanced at the excited Aunt Qu, then looked at the increasingly mature and composed Qu Huaiyuan.
“Cousin, Aunt Qu and Mr. Qu came with us from Qingshi Town when we were fleeing famine. We helped each other along the way, and we all have a deep friendship.”
"They moved from Meizi Village to the prefectural city for some reason!"
Zhen Wanwan didn't reveal the specific reason, as it was Qu Huaiyuan's private matter.
Han Yiyi nodded thoughtfully. She noticed that Qu Huaiyuan spoke and acted with the air of a scholar, but she wondered about his background.
But she was perceptive and knew that Zhen Wanwan was unwilling to talk much, so she wisely kept quiet.
Anyway, I'll definitely be visiting my uncle's family frequently in the future, and I'll find out what I need to know sooner or later.
Why should she rush to steal someone else's household registration and leave a bad impression on Zhen Wanwan?
Looking at the increasingly handsome and composed Qu Huaiyuan, Grandpa Zhen sighed inwardly.
He used to regret that if his daughter hadn't had that accident, Qu Huaiyuan would have been his ideal son-in-law.
He was polite, sensible, filial, kind, capable, and talented—what a pity…
But after thinking about it again, I realized that my son-in-law seemed to be a good person too. Apart from being a bit aloof, he treated my daughter and grandchildren very well.
They treated their own family very well as well.
Qu Huaiyuan watched as Grandpa Zhen stared blankly at him, sighing from time to time, his heart filled with doubt.
After thinking for a moment, he raised his glass, stood up and congratulated him, saying, "Uncle, today is your birthday. I wish you a long and healthy life, and boundless happiness year after year."
"Good!" Although Grandpa Zhen couldn't understand Qu Huaiyuan's blessing, he felt it was very cultured just by listening to it.
Most of the people present were uneducated, but upon hearing Qu Huaiyuan's series of blessings, they all raised their glasses in agreement, saying, "May the old man/father/uncle... enjoy boundless happiness and longevity!"
Everyone enjoyed the dinner tonight.
Because of the delay, the sky began to darken.
As night fell, Old Lady Li asked Wang Cuihua to light the candles that she usually couldn't bear to light.
"It's too late today, Xiaozhi, you and Lide and Yiyi, why don't you stay here for the night before you leave!"
"Yes, Auntie, it's too dark. It's not safe on the road. It will take more than an hour to get to the county town. I'm afraid the city gates will be closed by the time we arrive."
Following Li's suggestion, Zhen Wanwan persuaded Zhen Xiaozhi and her husband, as well as Han Yiyi, to stay.
Zhen Xiaozhi wanted to refuse, but looking at the pitch black outside, she realized that if someone fell into the ditch, they probably wouldn't even be able to see them.
However, when she looked at the furnishings inside, all she could see were cheap tables and benches.
Even the bed must be rock hard!
Having lived a life of luxury for many years, she found it hard to adjust to returning to the life she had lived more than a decade ago.
If you actually sleep on a hard bed for one night, you will definitely have insomnia. Even if you don't have insomnia, your whole body will be sore the next day.
Zhen Xiaozhi's disdainful gaze was so obvious that Old Lady Li's heart sank.
Fortunately, after so many years, she has come to understand what kind of person he is, so she doesn't feel sad or upset about it.
Han Yiyi keenly sensed the change in the Zhen family's emotions, and she knew it must be because her mother's old ailment had relapsed.
She subtly tugged at Zhen Xiaozhi's sleeve, hinting that she should be mindful of her facial expressions.
“It’s really too dark today, so let’s stay here with my aunt and uncle for the night. I’d like to chat with my cousin some more tomorrow…” Han Yiyi said with a smile.
Zhen Xiaozhi glanced at Han Yiyi in surprise; she knew very well what kind of person her daughter was.
Although she wasn't as pretentious as him, she was still pampered and spoiled from a young age.
She must have never experienced hardship to agree to stay.
"Yiyi, I see that your uncle and aunt's house has few rooms and a lot of people, so I'm afraid there won't be any extra rooms for us..."
Zhen Xiaozhi did not refuse directly, but instead used a different approach.
Seeing that Old Lady Li's face was getting worse and worse, Zhen Wanwan was worried that it would upset her, so she suggested, "Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin can come and stay at my place! It's very close to here."
Upon hearing this, Old Lady Li thought of her daughter's big house and felt incredibly confident.
Zhen Xiaozhi complained that her home environment was too bad!
Then let them see their daughter's nice house and broaden her horizons.
She patted Han Yiyi's hand and said, "She's a good one, much better than her mother."
"Yiyi, you and your parents go back with Wanwan to sleep for the night. You can come back for a meal tomorrow before you go back."
Han Yiyi glanced in Zhen Wanwan's direction; she had been worried about not having a chance to get close to Zhen Wanwan.
That's good!
"Cousin, I'll be relying on you tonight!"
"Won't!"
Zhen Wanwan smiled and shook her head, then said to the Qu family mother and son in the corner, "Auntie, why don't you and Brother Qu come with us? The house hasn't been cleaned in a long time, and it's probably uninhabitable. Why don't you come with me to rest for the night, and we can clean the house tomorrow!"
They returned in a hurry, and it was too late.
Aunt Qu originally planned to stay overnight at Zhen's or Zhou's house.
Now that Zhen Wanwan has invited her, she naturally nodded happily.
"That's fine then, I'll have to trouble you, Wan'er."
Qu Huaiyuan glanced at Aunt Qu as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately said nothing more.
He silently followed behind Zhen Wanwan and the others into the entertainment room.
The house was brightly lit, and red lanterns were hung outside, illuminating the entire house, which was occupied by Aunt Ma, Wang Fu, and a few others.
As their carriages approached, each person carried a lantern and went forward to greet them.
"Zhen Niangzi, you're back!"
Zhen Wanwan got out of the car with the child in her arms, and he then helped Zhang Mama, who was also holding the child.
Aunt Ma and Aunt Wang went to the two carriages behind to light the way for them.
After getting off the car, Zhen Xiaozhi looked at the house in front of her in utter shock. Although she couldn't see very clearly because of the darkness, she could still feel that the house was exquisite in every way.
From the outside, it looks even more impressive than the Han family's.
Han Yiyi's surprise was only momentary; she had vaguely guessed it on her way here.
When they finally saw her mansion with their own eyes, the huge weight that had been hanging over them was finally lifted.
If a family doesn't have a strong background, no matter how rich or powerful they are, they wouldn't dare occupy such a large area as their private villa.
Moreover, as she walked along, she noticed that this land was a large expanse of fertile fields.
My cousin's residence is probably an estate!
Zhen Wanwan was unaware of the various speculations in other people's minds. She hadn't taken a nap that day and felt very sleepy, eager to lie down and rest in bed.
So as soon as she got out of the car, she instructed, "Granny, could you have a few maids prepare some rooms later? Aunt Wang, is there any hot water? I'd like to take a shower."
Aunt Wang nodded and hurriedly said, "Yes! I specially saved some. The temperature is just right now. If you want to take a bath, I'll go back and bring it to your bathroom right away."
“But…” Aunt Wang hesitated, glancing at the others.
"I'm afraid there isn't enough water for all of you. I'll have to boil another pot."
Aunt Qu waved her hand and said, "No need for that trouble, we can just cook it ourselves!"
Although Qu Huaiyuan had hired an old woman to take care of her when they were in the prefectural city, she was used to poverty and preferred to do everything herself.
It's so late now, she really doesn't want to trouble Aunt Wang and the others.
On the contrary, Zhen Xiaozhi said with a clear conscience, "Then please burn more. There are many of us, and we are afraid that we won't have enough water if we don't have enough."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Wang glanced at Zhen Wanwan and readily agreed when she saw her nod.
Although Rou'er and the other maids were young, they were very clever and quick-witted. In no time, they had tidied up the guest rooms.
Zhen Xiaozhi's family of four and the Qu family mother and son all went back to rest.
After making sure everyone was settled, Zhen Wanwan returned to her own room.
Looking at my adorable baby and sweet baby sleeping soundly on the bed, my fatigue dissipated considerably.
She went out again and went to Yuan Huizhou's room.
Seeing that the light was still on inside, she pushed the door open and went in, only to see a small child holding a book and reading it under the oil lamp, nodding his head little by little.
"Zhou'er! It's so late, don't read anymore, be careful not to ruin your eyes."
Zhen Wanwan took his book away and ordered him to go to bed.
Every night, the child would hold a book and study under the oil lamp; Zhen Wanwan had caught him doing this several times already.
No matter what you say about him, he will only take a break for a day or two, and then he will continue studying.
I don't know who taught him to stay up late at night and doze off while holding a book.
At such a young age, without enough sleep, it's difficult for them to grow taller.
"My dear Zhou'er, didn't your aunt tell you that you can't read at night anymore? You're still young. If you rest too much, you won't grow taller or bigger!" Zhen Wanwan said, half persuading and half threatening.
However, Yuan Huizhou wasn't buying it at all; he knew his aunt was just saying it.
Suddenly, he remembered something, and pitifully tugged at Zhen Wanwan's sleeve, shaking it and pleading, "Auntie, if I don't study, I won't get first place, and then you won't like me anymore, and you won't want me!"
Yuan Huizhou spoke the last two sentences very softly and pitifully.
On the contrary, when Zhen Wanwan heard this, she felt as if she had been electrocuted.
She suppressed her anger and asked softly, "Zhou'er, can you tell me who told you these things?"
"Don't worry, no matter how good or bad your grades are, whether you're first or last, your aunt will always love you and never abandon you."
Zhen Wanwan hugged Yuan Huizhou with a pained expression and comforted him.
It's all her fault; she's been too busy lately and forgot to pay attention to her child's mental health.
Unexpectedly, this led to trouble.
Her eyes were filled with gloom, and her anger soared to the sky. If she found out who was talking behind Yuan Huizhou's back, she would skin them alive.
Yuan Huizhou pursed her lips, her face turned pale, and the grievance in her eyes could not be hidden.
Seeing Zhen Wanwan holding him tenderly, he couldn't hold back his worry any longer, and tears streamed down his face.
"Waaah... I heard Fang Qiyuan say that I am a burden to you and your uncle, a poor relative, and someone who came here to freeload."
Fang Qiyuan? Zhen Wanwan felt that the name sounded familiar.
Suddenly she remembered something—wasn't this Madam Fang's son?
It was still the same scumbag brother as the female lead in the original novel. Zhen Wanwan thought of how Fang Qiyuan had harassed Rou'er when they were still on the ship.
If it weren't for his young age and the fact that Madam Fang had made compensation, she would never have let him off the hook.
Zhen Wanwan couldn't help but think of Fang Qiyuan's father; like father, like son.
Fang Qiyuan's father harmed Rou'er's parents, and she hasn't even had time to settle the score yet!
This son then started bullying her at home.
Zhen Wanwan gritted her teeth, her teeth itching with hatred…
She patted Yuan Huizhou's back and gently comforted him, "Don't listen to his nonsense. In your uncle's and my eyes, you are just like our precious baby, Tianbao and Guabao. You are our own child."
"This is your home, and no one can make you leave!"
With large, round tears still clinging to his eyes, Yuan Huizhou stared intently at Zhen Wanwan and asked again, "Really?"
"Really! I swear!"
Zhen Wanwan took out a tissue to wipe Yuan Huizhou's tears. This child is too sensitive; a single word from someone else can easily cause her to feel emotionally drained.
"Auntie...can I...can I call you Mom like my sweet baby?"
Yuan Huizhou blinked her big eyes, which were full of longing, yet also a little cautious.
Zhen Wanwan was stunned, not expecting him to say that.
Of course, it wasn't that she disliked Yuan Huizhou treating her like a mother, but rather that the child had a very deep bond with his father and mother.
It was also during the time when they were old enough to remember and understand things that their flesh and blood were separated by death.
She also knew that Yuan Huizhou often held old things and missed his parents.
That's why she was so shocked when Yuan Huizhou said he wanted to call her "mother".
She took Yuan Huizhou's hand and said earnestly, "Zhou'er, can you tell me why you want to call me Mother?"
Yuan Huizhou pursed her lips, hesitated for a long time, and then explained softly, "I like my aunt. Being with my aunt feels just as good as when my mother was still alive!"
Even better! More affectionate interactions!
However, he dared not say these two sentences aloud, fearing that Zhen Wanwan would think he was unfilial.
Zhen Wanwan's eyes softened. She gently rubbed the back of Yuan Huizhou's head, then lightly kissed his forehead.
"My dear child, from now on you are my own son, and Guabao and Tianbao are your own younger brother and sister-in-law. We will be a loving family, okay?"
The unease in Yuan Huizhou's eyes vanished with Zhen Wanwan's words.
His eyes lit up with joy, and he grinned from ear to ear.
"Great! Great! We're a loving family! We'll never be apart!"
Yuan Huizhou nestled shyly into Zhen Wanwan's arms. After a while, he quietly raised his head and whispered, "Mother~"
Zhen Wanwan tightened her grip on him, holding him close.
"Hey! Mom's here~"
After Zhen Wanwan coaxed Yuan Huizhou to sleep, it was already completely dark.
She quietly closed the door and went into the courtyard.
The crescent moon hangs high in the sky, with stars scattered across the heavens.
She glanced back at Yuan Huizhou's room, her eyes darkening.
"You dare bully my son? I'll fuck you!"
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